Life Drain and Wild Shape

[nvisibl]

Hey everyone,

So I'm a player in a low level campaign and one of my party mates is a moon druid. I'm pretty sure our DM is going to pit us up against a few wights here very shortly. So my question is, how does life drain interact with wild shape? If life drain reduces him to zero hp while he's rampaging about as a grizzly bear, does he just shift back into his humanoid form with his hp total intact? That's what would make sense to me, but just wanted to see if anyone had a different thoughts or opinions.

Thanks!

[jas61292]

Hey everyone,

So I'm a player in a low level campaign and one of my party mates is a moon druid. I'm pretty sure our DM is going to pit us up against a few wights here very shortly. So my question is, how does life drain interact with wild shape? If life drain reduces him to zero hp while he's rampaging about as a grizzly bear, does he just shift back into his humanoid form with his hp total intact? That's what would make sense to me, but just wanted to see if anyone had a different thoughts or opinions.

Thanks!

While I don't know for sure if there is solid RAW, as far as I know, anything not specified as changing between forms does carry over. I personally would rule that your HP total does still remain lowered, but this is a grey area, so it would probably be best to talk to your DM.

[DivisibleByZero]

"The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0."

So yes, he reverts back to his humanoid form.
But no, he doesn't have his previous hit point total.
Because he's dead.
He reverts back to his humanoid form, and he's still dead.

[nvisibl]

IMO I don't see any reason why it would be handled other than any other damage taken while in wild shape. Being reduced to 0 in wild shape does not render you unconscious, it just force shifts you back to your humanoid form and any extra damage carries over.
I don't see why this should be handled differently. Definitely something we need to discuss with our DM, just wanting to get the opinions of the Playground.

[daltonispanda]

According to Sage, "A reduction to hp maximum doesn't carry over from your beast form to your true form or vice versa." So, your friend should be fine.

What I don't know is, if you wild shape again, do you turn into a bear with already lowered max HP

[Coffee_Dragon]

According to Sage, "A reduction to hp maximum doesn't carry over from your beast form to your true form or vice versa."

It doesn't really matter whether it does. The relevant part is that the druid is dead.

[Erys]

IMO I don't see any reason why it would be handled other than any other damage taken while in wild shape. Being reduced to 0 in wild shape does not render you unconscious, it just force shifts you back to your humanoid form and any extra damage carries over.
I don't see why this should be handled differently. Definitely something we need to discuss with our DM, just wanting to get the opinions of the Playground.

DivisibleByZero said it right by RAW.

The specific ability wins- so if you are a bear and you drop to 0 hitpoints because of life drain, you are dead-dead. Same thing happens with PW:K. Now, if you drop out of bear early before hitting zero hitpoints... your mundane form should be fine.

Timing is paramount.

[daltonispanda]

It doesn't really matter whether it does. The relevant part is that the druid is dead.

Yeah, I looked it up again. If any of your forms is fully drained you die, but if you return to your true form before then, the health reduction doesn't carry over.

[nvisibl]

Okay, thank you, exactly the answer I was looking for, Erys and Daltonispanda. I was wanting to know if there was RAW or errata or something giving a definitive answer in this. That will make for some bloody good timing to get it just right. Looks forward to being a really good fight. I'm really excited for it, just dreading things end up not going our way.

Can always reroll, right :)

Thanks for the help, everyone.

[Asmotherion]

This sums up the reasons I always keep a Disintegrade spell on my Sorlock. You never know when a crazy druid will decide that your magic is "unnatural" or "taboo" and attack you over it...

[Deleted]

This sums up the reasons I always keep a Disintegrade spell on my Sorlock. You never know when a crazy druid will decide that your magic is "unnatural" or "taboo" and attack you over it...

To be fair, a Sorcerer's magic is more natural than the druid's... You are using magic that comes from... Well, you. Druids are just borrowing spells for a while. They are the unnatural ones... Hell, the turn into creatures! How unnatural is that!