Question about Wildshape and items.

[Max Caysey]

I have been looking across the internet for some solid information about how to retain the effects of magic items while either polymorphed or Wildshaped, and just to be as sure as possible I would like to discuss this with you guys here.

Now it says about wildshape this: "Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional."

But it saying the Draconomicon p. 24: "Because magic items that must be worn will fit users of any size, a dragon can use any magic item a humanoid character can."

So now Im thinking, that apart from held items like weapons,, wands, rods, scepters and shields or armor, which specifically excists as barding, that magic items which are not these (magical arms and armor), would simple resize itself to fit the druid now in bear form.

Further its is mentioned here (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031125a) that animal slots do excist and that animals again can wear almost all the same items as humans.

So with several sources indicating that magic items (being magic) reshape and resize to fit any form, why is it, that the wildshape ability explicitly says that these items seize to function?

Or am I missing something?

EDIT: I know that the Wild Clamp excist for a reason, but that reason does only seem to be valid for arms and armor, in my view.

[Bronk]

I don't think you're missing anything, that's just how the rules are.

The polymorph line makes all your items fall off. Wild shape melds them into your form and they stop working. So far that's mostly the same thing, mechanics wise, in that neither get to use the items right away. Also, both a polymorpher and a wild shaper could put items on afterwards, as long as they could fit their new form. The wild shaper would have to take them off first though.

Wild shape then gets a few extras with 'wild' armor enhancement and wilding clasps.

[Hiro Quester]

Some DMs will rule that for balance and flavor reasons some magic armor doesn't resize. My 2 1/2 foot tall forest gnome's armor doesn't automatically resize to fit me in bear shape. It's too small to fit.

But yeah, generally you can wear most items in your bear form. If you take the time.

Otherwise, wilding clasps help for when you need to wildshapequickly and done have time take items off and put them back on.

[Max Caysey]

Some DMs will rule that for balance and flavor reasons some magic armor doesn't resize. My 2 1/2 foot tall forest gnome's armor doesn't automatically resize to fit me in bear shape. It's too small to fit.

But yeah, generally you can wear most items in your bear form. If you take the time.

Otherwise, wilding clasps help for when you need to wildshapequickly and done have time take items off and put them back on.

But isn't it kind of lame, that they become non-functional if you wear them while you wildshape, but if you take them off, wildshape and put them back on they work? (That just feels like the restoration alchemy trick in Skyrim)

Could it be, that what wildshape and polymorph is refering to are non-magical items? And that magic items do infact remain functional? (apart from magical arms and armor)

[Hiro Quester]

They really are quite clear that it applies to all items, even magic ones. "Any gear" youwear becomes non-functional. Wilding clasps or wild enhanced armor are needed.

I think it's because we Druids are freakin awesome. And Druids with all their great in wildshape are totally out of control overpowered. So in core you have to take time to reapply items. And with MIC they make a tax on keeping items, so you have to pay, and think about how badly you need that item.

My druid5/monk1 character has one item that he re-dons in wildshape. (No wilding clasps in our core-only game.) An amulet of mighty fists, with wisdom and constitution enhancements added.

[Max Caysey]

They really are quite clear that it applies to all items, even magic ones. "Any gear" youwear becomes non-functional. Wilding clasps or wild enhanced armor are needed.

I think it's because we Druids are freakin awesome. And Druids with all their great in wildshape are totally out of control overpowered. So in core you have to take time to reapply items. And with MIC they make a tax on keeping items, so you have to pay, and think about how badly you need that item.

My druid5/monk1 character has one item that he re-dons in wildshape. (No wilding clasps in our core-only game.) An amulet of mighty fists, with wisdom and constitution enhancements added.

I just think it very uncool to undress to naked "here hold this... " and put the stuff, which by the way then refits to your new body, back on... Well that seems very uncool, and unfitting.

I could understand if it were that you could not at all gain the enchantments of items while in wildshape, but since you can, I feel that it should unly apply to non-magical gear.

There seems to be no doubt that the rules are that if you undress first, then you canreapply the items and their abilities, thus loosing memorized spells and reapplying would mean emty slots wich again is just lame (IMO).

Thanks for clearing up my confusion. I will however house rule that magic items will remain functional when polymorphing and wildshaping. Apart from armor, shields and weapons (wands, rods and scepters).

[Bronk]

Some DMs will rule that for balance and flavor reasons some magic armor doesn't resize. My 2 1/2 foot tall forest gnome's armor doesn't automatically resize to fit me in bear shape. It's too small to fit.

Yeah, armor and weapons are specifically called out as not automatically resizing, so RAW those would pop off when polymorphing to a different sized creature.

I think the general theme was meant to be "wizards get to keep some of their cool magic items" and "Druids get to be animals! So natural!" Both can already be altered with various resizing and wilding clasp type magics.