best creatures to shape change into

[tsarnowski2]

I am playing a level 27 druid master of many forms and I also can cast shapechange. I'm looking for the best stuff to wildshape and shapechange into.

[Promises Kept]

I am playing a level 27 druid master of many forms and I also can cast shapechange. I'm looking for the best stuff to wildshape and shapechange into.

Really, the best part about Shapechange is that it gives you whatever you happen to want at the moment. Need a Wish? Shapechange into a Zodar. Need to not be surprised? Shapechange into a Dire Tortoise. Need to be completely broken? Shapechange into a Chronotyryn, and get double actions. If you pick up Reserves of Strength (a feat from Dragonlance Campaign Setting), you can become a Gibbering Orb, which can toss a solid dozen or so save-or-lose effects per round as a Supernatural ability. Shadesteel Golem is handy, because it can cast, has Magic Immunity, and has a Perfect Fly Speed. Really, though, the sky is the limit, with Shapechange. If you can think of an ability you'd like to have or niche you'd like to fill, Shapechange can usually let you.

As for Wildshape as a MoMF, I'm not certain exactly what forms are useful at epic levels. I'm sure another poster has experience there, though.

[Gavinfoxx]

http://web.archive.org/web/20080611085922/http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-226959

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3689.0

And you can change every round. Need a Wish? Be a Zodar. Need another wish? Change into a different Zodar a few seconds later...

Remember, this:

http://video.disney.com/watch/wizards-duel-4be36b86f6d55e5bc7f6b2d6

required exactly one casting of Shapechange, at the beginning of the duel, per character.

[Red Fel]

Well, here's a thread (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1096231) with a great big list of different forms for Polymorph. And another (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10479.0). Shapechange functions just like Polymorph, but with more options, so give it a look over.

And here (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-general/threads/1060931) is a MoMF form list.

[tsarnowski2]

Thank you all. I have a small list of creatures that I was looking to expand upon. I can only change into something I have fought or studied for 1 day/per hd of the creature. I also don't get to change into different creatures of the same type such as the example of zodar to use wish then another zodar to use another wish.

[Gavinfoxx]

That's a pretty damning houserule.

When you take 10 on a knowledge skill you are trained in that is associated with a creature type, what are your scores for each knowledge skill you are trained in?

Also browse this:

http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-general/threads/1074581

For what the books say that those knowledge skills actually mean you have previously studied, in depth. And remember as long as you aren't directly in combat, you can take 10 on a skill.

[Chronos]

Will-o-wisps make a pretty useful wildshape form, since they give you immunity to most magic, with a side order of perfect flight and undispellable invisibility. Make sure you use Wildshape for it and not Shapechange, though, because you want to be able to cast your own spells. I'd stay in either that or Dire Tortoise for the bulk of the day, using other forms only as they come up.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Nishtai (UE) are aberrations that get an additional partial (standard) action. Chronotyrn would be better but MoMF doesn't allow Magical Beasts iirc.

Elemental Weird (MM2, FB) gets you tons of divinations as at will SLAs and some metamagic feats if you have the druids elemental wild shape.

Storm Elementals (MM3) get a free shock ability and make decent meleers in addition to powerful blasting 1/minute. Summon a few more and you can all heal each other while simultaneusly doing damage.

Ruin Elemental (MM5) gets the Shockwave and Rock Throwing abilities and the Brutal Throw feat.

If you have Assume Supernatural Ability or Metamorphic Transfer some dragons may be useful. See here (http://web.archive.org/web/20080919131238/http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-404381) for a list of available breath weapons, immunities and various special abilities. The list is for the Dragon Wild Shape feat so your choices are more limited without some way to gain (Su) abilities, but some dragons have good (ex) abilities, too.
In any case a dragon of at least huge size makes for a decent allround combat form.