Ways to get proficiency in claws, bites, gores and so on?

[Spacehamster]

So with druid wild shape you use the beasts proficiency if the druid is not proficient in it, so if your 18 Moon druid changes into a CR 6 beast and don’t have prof in its attack he only adds a +3 to the beasts STR. So curious what ways to get access to said proficiencies to enjoy your own proficiency of +6 to the beasts attacks, only way I can think of is races with bites, claws and so on?
Any more ways I overlook?

[Dungeon-noob]

Are you asking for ways to get proficiency with the natural weapons of druid wildshape? If so, worry not. All creatures are proficient with their natural weapons, so you get those when you wildshape.

[Osuniev]

Are you asking for ways to get proficiency with the natural weapons of druid wildshape? If so, worry not. All creatures are proficient with their natural weapons, so you get those when you wildshape.

They're asking how to apply their own druid proficiency, instead of the Beast's, so it's a +6 instead of the +3 of a CR<7 Beast.

I was about to suggest the feat Weapon Master but checking it says
"You gain proficiency with four weapons of your choice. Each one must be a simple or a martial weapon." so RAW, that doesn't work.

I would suggest asking your DM to either homebrew Weapon Master so you can pick exotic and/or natural weapons (it's a very weak feat anyway), or to let your character use downtime to practice fighting in animal Shape.

Here is the relevant rule :


You can spend time between adventures learning a new language or training with a set of tools. Your DM might allow additional training options.

First, you must find an instructor willing to teach you. The DM determines how long it takes, and whether one or more ability checks are required.

The training lasts for 250 days and costs 1 gp per day. After you spend the requisite amount of time and money, you learn the new language or gain proficiency with the new tool.

It requires playing a campaign with long downtime.

[J-H]

You don't already get to add your PB to the beast form? I thought you did.

[MrStabby]

You don't already get to add your PB to the beast form? I thought you did.

I think you just use the stat block. If the stat block has it added, then you can also.

[Unoriginal]

So with druid wild shape you use the beasts proficiency if the druid is not proficient in it, so if your 18 Moon druid changes into a CR 6 beast and don’t have prof in its attack he only adds a +3 to the beasts STR. So curious what ways to get access to said proficiencies to enjoy your own proficiency of +6 to the beasts attacks, only way I can think of is races with bites, claws and so on?
Any more ways I overlook?

Wild Shape does not allow a Druid to use a proficiency for attacks different from the one of the creature. The ability specifically states you can apply your skill and saving throw proficiencies, making no mention of the druid's attack proficiency.

In other words, even if the Druid has proficiency for horn attacks, that proficiency wouldn't apply when the Druid is Wild Shaped into an ox.

[Psyren]

Wild shape uses the attack bonus in the chosen creature's statblock. This contributes to the ability's wonky scaling, which hopefully 1DnD will correct.

[MutantDragon]

Huh, I did not know about that. Personally, I'd rule the natural weapons count as unarmed strikes for proficiency purposes, but, come to think of it, you guys are right about how it works RAW. That's such an odd rules wrinkle.

[Spacehamster]

Wild Shape does not allow a Druid to use a proficiency for attacks different from the one of the creature. The ability specifically states you can apply your skill and saving throw proficiencies, making no mention of the druid's attack proficiency.

In other words, even if the Druid has proficiency for horn attacks, that proficiency wouldn't apply when the Druid is Wild Shaped into an ox.
Crawford said it works if you have proficiency.

[Hytheter]

Crawford says a lot of things, and most of them are wrong. :smallamused:

[Osuniev]

Wild Shape does not allow a Druid to use a proficiency for attacks different from the one of the creature. The ability specifically states you can apply your skill and saving throw proficiencies, making no mention of the druid's attack proficiency.

In other words, even if the Druid has proficiency for horn attacks, that proficiency wouldn't apply when the Druid is Wild Shaped into an ox.

That is debatable. I'd argue that line in the Wild Shape description would mean the Druid proficiency could apply that way :


You 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. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.

I feel a reasonable DM would allow a druid who got proficiency in Unarmed Strikes to use it if Wildshaped in a Giant Ape but not in an Ox, for example.

[RogueJK]

I feel a reasonable DM would allow a druid who got proficiency in Unarmed Strikes to use it if Wildshaped in a Giant Ape but not in an Ox, for example.

All PCs are proficient with Unarmed Strikes.

PHB Page 195, under Melee Attacks, reads:

"Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or similar forceful blow (none of which count as weapons). On a hit, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + your Strength modifier. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes."

[Unoriginal]

That is debatable. I'd argue that line in the Wild Shape description would mean the Druid proficiency could apply that way

Well, true, I misread/misremenbered that part.

The rule that gets in the way is the one saying that if you have two abilitiws with the same nane, you can only benefit from one.

So if the Druid has a Gore attack, they can't benefit from the animal statblock's Gore attack.



I feel a reasonable DM would allow a druid who got proficiency in Unarmed Strikes to use it if Wildshaped in a Giant Ape but not in an Ox, for example.

A Druid is proficient in unarmed strikes, yes. That means they can do a prof mod+STR mod unarmedattack for 1*(size category)+STR mod, not that they can use the Great Ape's Fist attack with their proficiency mod.

If the Druid had Unarmed Fighting Style, however, they would be able to do unarmed strikes for 3d8+STR mod damages as a Great Ape or as any Huge creature.

[Osuniev]

"Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or similar forceful blow (none of which count as weapons). On a hit, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + your Strength modifier. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes."

Uh, learned something knew today !

[ftafp]

guys, your proficiency bonus is a class feature. It's explicitly stated to be by the multiclassing rules. you retain all your class features while wild shaped, which means you use your PB for wild shape forms

[Osuniev]

guys, your proficiency bonus is a class feature. It's explicitly stated to be by the multiclassing rules. you retain all your class features while wild shaped, which means you use your PB for wild shape forms

you retain all your class features if the new form is physically capable of using it. It seems also reasonable for a DM to judge that your human proficiency to fight with your feet does not apply to a shark body.

[Unoriginal]

guys, your proficiency bonus is a class feature. It's explicitly stated to be by the multiclassing rules. you retain all your class features while wild shaped, which means you use your PB for wild shape forms

Wild Shape also makes clear where your proficiency mod applies, and the list does not include the statblock's attacks.