Hiro Quester
2015-04-27, 12:12 PM
One option for the Enhance Wildshape spell is to take the "extraordinary abilities" of one's next wildshape form.
There are many special qualities that would be very useful to have.
But which abilities are Extraordinary abilities? The Entry for "Special Abilities" describes Ex abilities as "nonmagical" but ones that may break the laws of physics. They are often reactive and don't take an action to use. Some are explicitly labelled. Some others are easy to interpret. But many are not.
Sidenote: Those that are not explicitly labelled as Ex Su or Sp are "Natural Abilities".
This category includes abilities a creature has because of its physical nature. Natural abilities are those not otherwise designated as extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like.
I have always interpreted that Natural Abilities already bestowed by wildshaping into a creature with that physical nature. I just realized not everyone assumes this, so I just started a discussion about my reasons for that (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?411990-Wildshape-and-Natural-Abilities&p=19172015).
An example of hard-to-identify extraordinary abilities would be using plant wildshape to wildshape into an assassin vine (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/assassinVine.htm). It is listed as having the following:
Special attacks:
Constrict (Ex)
Entangle(Su),
Improved grab (Ex)
Special Qualities:
Blindsight 30 ft. (Ex)
Camouflage (Ex)
Immunity to electricity,
Plant traits,
Resistance to cold 10 and fire 10
The special attacks seem clear. You get Constrict and Improved Grab (you would get these extraordinary special attacks from non-enhanced wildshape, too), but you would not get not the at-will Entangle which is a (Su) ability.
You also get blindsight and camouflage, too. But what about the last three on the list of Special Qualities? They are not explicitly described as Ex, Su or Sp abilities.
The energy immunity and resistances are not explicitly listed in the Monster Manual descriptions, just in the list of abilities. So they are not explicitly flagged as any particular type of special ability. In the entry for Energy Immunity" however this is described as "usually extraordinary". Is it in this case? It seems safe to assume enhance Wildshape would give you that immunity and resistance.
What about other "plant traits"? They would be very useful to have and might in some cases be a huge attraction of plant forms. They include:
Low-light vision.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
Not subject to critical hits.
You don't get the plant subtype with wildshape. But you are supposed to get the Ex abilities that come with a plant form.
Many of the plant traits are reactive and not clearly magical, though, like immunity to mind-affecting. (It's not just because plants don't have intelligence; it applies to intelligent creatures like Treants (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/treant.htm), too.)
A case could be made that they are "natural abilities" that plants have. Then you would not get those, because they come from the plant subtype, which you don't get by wildshaping into a plant.
They don't seem very "natural", though. The description of "Extraordinary Abilities" says that they are reactive and don't take an action to use. That fits these. They apply to creatures that have intelligence, can sleep, etc. like Treants.
Which abilities do you think are "Ex" ones, that you would gain from enhance wildshape? How do you identify those that are not clearly labelled with "Ex"?
There are many special qualities that would be very useful to have.
But which abilities are Extraordinary abilities? The Entry for "Special Abilities" describes Ex abilities as "nonmagical" but ones that may break the laws of physics. They are often reactive and don't take an action to use. Some are explicitly labelled. Some others are easy to interpret. But many are not.
Sidenote: Those that are not explicitly labelled as Ex Su or Sp are "Natural Abilities".
This category includes abilities a creature has because of its physical nature. Natural abilities are those not otherwise designated as extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like.
I have always interpreted that Natural Abilities already bestowed by wildshaping into a creature with that physical nature. I just realized not everyone assumes this, so I just started a discussion about my reasons for that (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?411990-Wildshape-and-Natural-Abilities&p=19172015).
An example of hard-to-identify extraordinary abilities would be using plant wildshape to wildshape into an assassin vine (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/assassinVine.htm). It is listed as having the following:
Special attacks:
Constrict (Ex)
Entangle(Su),
Improved grab (Ex)
Special Qualities:
Blindsight 30 ft. (Ex)
Camouflage (Ex)
Immunity to electricity,
Plant traits,
Resistance to cold 10 and fire 10
The special attacks seem clear. You get Constrict and Improved Grab (you would get these extraordinary special attacks from non-enhanced wildshape, too), but you would not get not the at-will Entangle which is a (Su) ability.
You also get blindsight and camouflage, too. But what about the last three on the list of Special Qualities? They are not explicitly described as Ex, Su or Sp abilities.
The energy immunity and resistances are not explicitly listed in the Monster Manual descriptions, just in the list of abilities. So they are not explicitly flagged as any particular type of special ability. In the entry for Energy Immunity" however this is described as "usually extraordinary". Is it in this case? It seems safe to assume enhance Wildshape would give you that immunity and resistance.
What about other "plant traits"? They would be very useful to have and might in some cases be a huge attraction of plant forms. They include:
Low-light vision.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
Not subject to critical hits.
You don't get the plant subtype with wildshape. But you are supposed to get the Ex abilities that come with a plant form.
Many of the plant traits are reactive and not clearly magical, though, like immunity to mind-affecting. (It's not just because plants don't have intelligence; it applies to intelligent creatures like Treants (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/treant.htm), too.)
A case could be made that they are "natural abilities" that plants have. Then you would not get those, because they come from the plant subtype, which you don't get by wildshaping into a plant.
They don't seem very "natural", though. The description of "Extraordinary Abilities" says that they are reactive and don't take an action to use. That fits these. They apply to creatures that have intelligence, can sleep, etc. like Treants.
Which abilities do you think are "Ex" ones, that you would gain from enhance wildshape? How do you identify those that are not clearly labelled with "Ex"?