[PF] Wildshape and Beast Shape change type?

[Frosty]

If a Druid wildshapes into an animal, do spells like Hold Person still work on him? Conversely, would Enlarge Person still work on him? Wildshaping doesn't change the druid's Type right?

[Larkas]

If a Druid wildshapes into an animal, do spells like Hold Person still work on him? Conversely, would Enlarge Person still work on him? Wildshaping doesn't change the druid's Type right?

This could go in the RAW thread, but I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge. :smallsmile:

Let's take a look at Wild Shape (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#wildShape):

Wild Shape (Su)

At 5th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time you use wild shape, you regain lost hit points as if you had rested for a night.

Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When the druid reverts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on her body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the druid's feet.

The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.

A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A druid can use this ability more times per day at 6th, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, as noted on Table: The Druid. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 8th level, a Tiny animal at 11th level, and a Huge animal at 15th level.

The new form’s Hit Dice can’t exceed the character’s druid level.

At 12th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a plant creature with the same size restrictions as for animal forms. (A druid can’t use this ability to take the form of a plant that isn’t a creature.)

At 16th level, a druid becomes able to use wild shape to change into a Small, Medium, or Large elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) once per day. These elemental forms are in addition to her normal wild shape usage. In addition to the normal effects of wild shape, the druid gains all the elemental’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. She also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as she maintains the wild shape, but she retains her own creature type.

At 18th level, a druid becomes able to assume elemental form twice per day, and at 20th level she can do so three times per day. At 20th level, a druid may use this wild shape ability to change into a Huge elemental.

Now, let's take a look at Alternate Form (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#alternateForm):

Alternate Form

A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume one or more specific alternate forms. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form. A creature using alternate form reverts to its natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. A creature cannot use alternate form to take the form of a creature with a template. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the creature:

The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form. If the new form has the aquatic subtype, the creature gains that subtype as well.
The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).
The creature gains the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.
The creature retains the special qualities of its original form. It does not gain any special qualities of its new form.
The creature retains the spell-like abilities and supernatural attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the spell-like abilities or attacks of its new form.
The creature gains the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form. Apply any changed physical ability score modifiers in all appropriate areas with one exception: the creature retains the hit points of its original form despite any change to its Constitution.
The creature retains its hit points and save bonuses, although its save modifiers may change due to a change in ability scores.
Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.
The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.
The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.
Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and vice versa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

I'd say it's pretty clear that the druid's type doesn't change. :smallsmile:

[phlidwsn]

This could go in the RAW thread, but I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge. :smallsmile:

Let's take a look at Wild Shape (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#wildShape):



Right answer as far as I can tell, wrong rules source

That material is for 3.5 wildshape, PF redesigned wildshape fairly significantly.

Its now effectively casting Beast Shape <x> on you (a polymorph subschool spell) Wild Shape (Su)

At 4th level, a druid gains the ability to turn herself into any small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per druid level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.

A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

[Psyren]

Pathfinder abolished "Alternate Form" as this was just an added source of confusion/complexity that wasn't needed. In PF, every single shapeshifting effect is a polymorph effect.

The answer to your question is yes - Wild Shape, Beast Shape and all other polymorph effects in PF do change your type now. If you become an animal, Hold Person will not affect you.

Note that regardless of the form you take, size-changing effects won't work on you either. So even if you use Alter Self and become another humanoid, Enlarge Person will not work until the Alter Self is gone.

[phlidwsn]

Looking at this line from the Polymorph school, I have to agree with Psyren that it does change type now.


"When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin TYPE, your gear melds into your body."

It never out and out states you gain the type of the creature you polymorph into, just implies it, leading into what looks like a whole mess of arguments about it on the paizo boards

[Larkas]

Right answer as far as I can tell, wrong rules source

Eeep, I didn't notice the [PF] tag. :smallfrown: