[Houserule Brainstorming] Shapeshift Druid Change?

[Zaq]

(As usual, this is just for fun and isn’t for a real game. There is no GM to consult and there’s no actual party to balance around.)

I like the fact that the shapeshift druid (ACF in PHB2) is a lot closer to being balanced than the ACFless druid. Natural Spell is borked. Totally on board with nerfing that kind of thing.

On the other hand, I don’t like the fact that the shapeshift druid (henceforth SSD) has no ability to invoke new magic while shapeshifted (SS). Yeah, using SS is pretty magical, but it almost feels like you go straight into Mundane Mode right after you hit the SS button, which feels off to me.

So I don’t want full Natural Spell. That’s no bueno. But I want there to be some ability for the SSD to invoke magic without getting back on two legs.

As is not a secret, I like 4e and I’m proud of this fact. The 4e druid has a wild shape ability that actually bears a strong resemblance to the SS ability in PHB2: it’s at-will, it costs a minor (read: swift) action to go in or out, and it restricts which abilities you have access to. Unlike the SSD, though, the 4e druid has powers that ONLY work in beast form (mostly close and melee stuff, while their non-beast-form powers are mostly ranged and area stuff). While the design is not without flaws, mix in the right game elements and you end up with both an interesting flavor and a style of versatility that makes them function quite differently from other classes with a similar role. I like that feel and I think it should be possible to kludge together something vaguely similar on the SSD.

So what’s an elegant way to do something like that? What would be a cool way to let the SSD use some, but not even close to all, of their spell slots while in SS form?

Granted, adding a new ability means increasing power, and the SSD is still a T1 full caster (even if way less powerful than the non-SAD druid). I get that. I’m not trying to make them even more of a god-king than they already are. I’m just musing on how to make SS more palatable (while acknowledging straight out of the gate that it’s usually a much-needed and appropriate nerf).

Like, while this specific scenario has never actually happened, if I were to join a game and indicated that I wanted to be a druid, and then the GM said that they only allow the SSD specifically to nerf a class that needs nerfing, I’d say that it’s cool, play the SSD, and then basically play a humanoid caster druid without doing much SSing just because you don’t get to be magical when in SS form. The goal of this thought exercise is to make it so that someone who’s already playing the SSD but who didn’t invest a ton of build resources into the SS part still has reasons to want to do the SS thing.

(Not saying that SS is useless on its own, just that I’ve never gotten the impression that it’s more worthy of investment than the caster side.)

Any ideas? A list of spells that are available (perhaps ONLY available) in SS form, maybe? An Arcane Strike-style ability to burn spell slots while in SS form to get effects other than the actual spells? Something else?

I can’t tell if I’m making sense anymore. Probably best to cut myself off and open the floor. To sum up quickly, this is a houserule thought experiment that is intended to make the SS part of the SSD more magical-feeling and more attractive round-by-round without being a massive power boost and without making humanoid form obsolete. Thoughts?

[pabelfly]

My two suggestions:

1) Maybe you can only cast one level lower than normal. For example, a level 9 druid can only cast fourth-level spells while wildshaped.

2) Alternatively, you can't cast spells with somatic components (you're in a new form and not used to controlling it to the precision required of spellcasting). Also, if you want to cast spells that require verbal components, you need to take a form that can speak at least one language that you are familiar with.

[DrMotives]

You can always take reserve feats, the druid list is broad enough to let you pick from most of those in the core spell list alone. They function as Supernatural abilities, and don't require spell components.

[AnimeTheCat]

Perhaps take a look at rage powers from pathfinder's barbarian? They may be easily ported over 1-for-1 or at least serve as a point of inspiration.

[MisterKaws]

Change:


You can’t cast spells or activate magic items while in shapeshifted form, even if you have the Natural Spell feat or other ability that would allow you to cast spells while wild shaped.

To:


You can’t cast spells with verbal, somatic or material components or activate magic items while in shapeshifted form, even if you have the Natural Spell feat or other ability that would allow you to cast spells while wild shaped. As an exception to this rule, you may cast any spell with a range of "Personal" as if it were affected by the Still Spell and the Silent Spell feats. You can use these even while physically restricted. However, shapeshifting while restrained by any bindings requires a Strength or Escape Artist check to break free of the bindings as your form changes. This check uses the modified ability scores of the form you change into. Failure in this check means you return to the previous form. While shapeshifted, you may not cast spells with a costly material component or divine focus, though having an appropriate divine focus(but not a costly material component) melded in your shapeshifted form is enough for casting spells allowed by this ability.

I think this should be good enough. Maybe allow touch spells as well, but that might be pushing it back to Natural Spell levels already.