Quick suggestions-- 4 HD wildshape form

[Grod_The_Giant]

Tonight I'm going to be playing a Beastman (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16914183#post16914183), a class of my own design. Long story short, they're at-will-wild-shape-using warriors who know a limited number of forms-- all animals from the MMI's "animals" chapter, plus 1 animal form/level. (they also get (Ex) senses, racial skill bonuses, and racial bonus feats of their new forms). I've picked out most of my forms, except for my 4th level one.

I've chosen:

1st-- Dire Rat
2nd-- Swindlespitter dinosaur
3rd-- Dire Weasel
4th-- ???
5th-- Dire Eagle
6th-- Dire Wolf


I'm also planning to use the brown bear and tiger as combat forms.

For 4th, I've come up with three options: the Dire Bat (for the blindsense, largely), the Dire Toad (good poison and swallow whole against smaller dudes), and the Sail Snake (poison spray, "the lols"). Fleshraker is a no-go-- I consider it too cheesy for this game.

Any thoughts, playground?

[Fax Celestis]

There's two 4 HD Desmodu bats in MM-II. They may or may not be better options than the dire bat.

Manta ray would give you some underwater abilities. I forget if it's an MM animal.

[Grod_The_Giant]

There's two 4 HD Desmodu bats in MM-II. They may or may not be better options than the dire bat.

Manta ray would give you some underwater abilities. I forget if it's an MM animal.
Ooh, forgot about those. Blindsight, fast fliers, bonus feats, special attacks...

[eggynack]

Ooh, forgot about those. Blindsight, fast fliers, bonus feats, special attacks...
Blindsense, actually. It was apparently changed in the MM II update booklet (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a). It's still a great form, however, and the senses still extend a lot further.

[Fax Celestis]

Also, they're magical beasts (damned if I know why), but giant eagle, giant owl, and giant raven (Frostburn) are all 4HD. Eagle gets evasion, claw/claw/bite, 80' fly (ave), while owl gets superior low-light vision, claw/claw/bite, and 70' fly (ave). Giant ravens retain ability to talk, also get evasion, and get some ridiculous skill buffs.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Blindsense, actually. It was apparently changed in the MM II update booklet (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20030718a). It's still a great form, however, and the senses still extend a lot further.
Dang. Oh well, still worth it.


Also, they're magical beasts (damned if I know why), but giant eagle, giant owl, and giant raven (Frostburn) are all 4HD. Eagle gets evasion, claw/claw/bite, 80' fly (ave), while owl gets superior low-light vision, claw/claw/bite, and 70' fly (ave). Giant ravens retain ability to talk, also get evasion, and get some ridiculous skill buffs.
The magical beast thing is pretty weird, but it's still a barrier. On the plus side, Dire Eagle gives me everything the dire eagle does, but with a better strength and dexterity.

[Urpriest]

Also, they're magical beasts (damned if I know why), but giant eagle, giant owl, and giant raven (Frostburn) are all 4HD. Eagle gets evasion, claw/claw/bite, 80' fly (ave), while owl gets superior low-light vision, claw/claw/bite, and 70' fly (ave). Giant ravens retain ability to talk, also get evasion, and get some ridiculous skill buffs.

They're magical beasts because they're intelligent, "noble" animals, like the Eagles in LotR. As mentioned, Dire Eagle is the Animal equivalent.

[Fax Celestis]

They're magical beasts because they're intelligent, "noble" animals, like the Eagles in LotR. As mentioned, Dire Eagle is the Animal equivalent.

Oh, yeah, I forgot, its' because they're too smart.

...types and subtypes are weird, yo.

EDIT: Also, this may be useful for you later, Grod. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=331364