Wild Shape- Chimp?

[Rift_Wolf]

It's my firm belief Chimps should have some weapon proficiencies. Also a wild shaped chimp should still be able to control and ride his larger mount.

Is this pure insanity, or a viable option for the mount-specced druid?

[ghost_warlock]

Keep in mind that one of the reasons you may not have gotten many responses to this is that chimp/ape/etc wildshapes are notorious for leading to druid uber cheese and are hated by all.

After all, with that line of reasoning what's to stop a druid from stripping down to nothing, wildshaping into a semi-humanoid ape, putting on all his magic gear and wielding his magic weapons with his humanoid-like hands? For that matter, since ape vocal capacity and gestures are somewhat like a humans, why can't a druid in apeshape cast spells, Natural Spell or not?

The first rule of Druid Cheese is that we don't talk about Druid Cheese. Then, maybe, it'll go away and save the lives of many, many catgirls.

[Riffington]

I think you should have weapon proficiency: poop.
No ride.

[Triaxx]

I've always treated it as a mere change to base race. So a half-orc druid becomes a chimp for the duration of his wildshape. This of course leads to some hilarity, and a faster way out of most dungeons than waiting for the rogue to pass her lockpicking check.

Guard1: Hey, where'd the other one go? Where'd this chimp come from?
Guard2: Don't know, better get it out of here, and call the boss. We have an escaped prisoner.

*chimp is released, returns to normal knocks out guards*

[Irreverent Fool]

I've always treated it as a mere change to base race. So a half-orc druid becomes a chimp for the duration of his wildshape. This of course leads to some hilarity, and a faster way out of most dungeons than waiting for the rogue to pass her lockpicking check.

Guard1: Hey, where'd the other one go? Where'd this chimp come from?
Guard2: Don't know, better get it out of here, and call the boss. We have an escaped prisoner.

*chimp is released, returns to normal knocks out guards*

That's hilarious, but in a world where you've got spellcasters of all shapes and sizes, I don't think it'd be a stretch for a guard to think the prisoner had some magic that could change him into something else.

As for the actual topic, I don't think chimps should have any weapon proficiencies. Despite the fact that they can hold weapons, they lack the know-how to use such things effectively. As a druid, this translates into an inability to command the limbs and digits to do things that are beyond their natural scope. Of course, this doesn't matter because a creature in wild shape....

Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its original form, including (but not necessarily limited to) HD, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.

So technically, there's nothing stopping you from riding but a clever/mean DM may find a way to punish you. Chimps don't have quite the gluteus maximus humans do and as such are likely to be ill-suited to riding in the fashion the humanoid druid would be used to.

[Riffington]

So technically, there's nothing stopping you from riding but a clever/mean DM may find a way to punish you. Chimps don't have quite the gluteus maximus humans do and as such are likely to be ill-suited to riding in the fashion the humanoid druid would be used to.

You keep your ride skill ranks in every form. Including, say, dog.
But you better have a really special horse if it's going to let a chimp or a dog ride it.

[marjan]

I've always treated it as a mere change to base race. So a half-orc druid becomes a chimp for the duration of his wildshape. This of course leads to some hilarity, and a faster way out of most dungeons than waiting for the rogue to pass her lockpicking check.

Guard1: Hey, where'd the other one go? Where'd this chimp come from?
Guard2: Don't know, better get it out of here, and call the boss. We have an escaped prisoner.

*chimp is released, returns to normal knocks out guards*

What are the differences beetween chimp and half-orc anyway?

[Irreverent Fool]

What are the differences beetween chimp and half-orc anyway?

Someone might play a chimp.

[marjan]

Someone might play a chimp.

That brings whole new meaning to the expression "skill-monkey", doesn't it.

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

Less people go around murdering chimps in the name of "justice."

[bluish_wolf]

Less people go around murdering chimps in the name of "justice."

Ever since the AIDS epidempic that's questionable. For justice!