Xetheral
2014-08-26, 01:20 PM
On page 67, it says wildshaping druids "retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so". Feats are only granted by races or class levels, so they arguably qualify as "class features" or, for variant humans, "race features". Even if they didn't, I'm having a hard time imagining an interpretation where feats didn't qualify as an "other source". So it seems likely that Druids can use their feats even while wildshaped.
Given the number of animals with odd physical stats, I would think that feats that provide a +1 bonus to physical ability scores are quite potent for Druids. On the other hand, allowing feats to substantially change the stat block of the animal seems anathema to the principle of keeping things simple by using the animal's stat block in place of your own. Accordingly, it seems like applying ability score increases from feats to wildshape forms might well be unintended. Did I miss something?
The best argument that I can think of against allowing the ability score increases is that the word "increase" is meant implicitly to be a discrete event that happens only once, when you first take the feat. Except, the Tough feat includes such limitation explicitly, stating "Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level when you take this feat." (emphasis added) So, the Tough feat logically doesn't apply when wildshaped, since the increase in maximum hit points already occurred and is later subsumed by the animal form. Should feat stat increases be interpreted similarly, despite lacking the language present in Tough?
(For reference, class-based stat increases include limiting language similar to Tough. Race-based stat increases arguably depend on the physical form of the race, and thus arguably wouldn't be eligible to be applied during wildshape, but that's a different can of worms.)
Given the number of animals with odd physical stats, I would think that feats that provide a +1 bonus to physical ability scores are quite potent for Druids. On the other hand, allowing feats to substantially change the stat block of the animal seems anathema to the principle of keeping things simple by using the animal's stat block in place of your own. Accordingly, it seems like applying ability score increases from feats to wildshape forms might well be unintended. Did I miss something?
The best argument that I can think of against allowing the ability score increases is that the word "increase" is meant implicitly to be a discrete event that happens only once, when you first take the feat. Except, the Tough feat includes such limitation explicitly, stating "Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level when you take this feat." (emphasis added) So, the Tough feat logically doesn't apply when wildshaped, since the increase in maximum hit points already occurred and is later subsumed by the animal form. Should feat stat increases be interpreted similarly, despite lacking the language present in Tough?
(For reference, class-based stat increases include limiting language similar to Tough. Race-based stat increases arguably depend on the physical form of the race, and thus arguably wouldn't be eligible to be applied during wildshape, but that's a different can of worms.)