Power of the True form

[Triaxx]

While flipping through a friends copy of Dragons of Eberron, this spell caught my eye. While I get that it's not necessarily required to enhance a Druid's power, would it be worth the level dip into sorceror to get it? And if not, what situations would it be useful for?

The description allows you to compare your stats for your natural form, and those of your chosen form, and use the higher of the two. It's sorceror level 1.

[Bag_of_Holding]

I don't think it's worth it at all. Unless you have uber-high phyical score that you can compare favourably to most end-game shapes (funnily enough, many animal shapes have Con scores of 15-20), it's really a waste of the precious level that you could've used to advance your spellcasting&wild shaping ability.

[loves_to_laugh]

I think it would useful for when you start getting into the more advanced forms, especially when its smaller than normal.
You would be able to cast it 3 times a day by dipping in for one level and you get a familiar. I think that it is worth it.

[tyckspoon]

I don't think it would be worthwhile. The only stats you might be replacing are Strength and Dexterity. For big combat forms, Strength is almost certainly going to be higher than your natural score (especially considering that any magical stat-boosters you have on are going to be inactive when wildshaping.) The wildshape form's Dex may be lower than your own, but likely not by much- typical combat forms like the big cats and the bears have Dexes in the 14-16 area.

For smaller scouting/sneaking forms, you'd be looking at replacing Strength. That could make the shape more viable for direct combat, but if you're caught out in your small stealthy shape, you're better off either running back to your group for backup or using another Wildshape to turn into a more useful form.

I don't think the typical Druid's Strength and Dex scores will be high enough to make it worth sacrificing a full level in his own advancement just to use those scores during wildshape.

[RTGoodman]

I don't know the spell or own the book, but if you're not worried about loosing some Druid levels and are dipping Sorcerer for the spell, you might think about taking a couple more levels and just get into Arcane Heirophant (from Races of the Wild), which advances Druid and arcane class casting, combines your familiar and animal companion, improves your wildshape, and gives you some other goodies.

Also, is the spell sorcerer only, or sorcerer/wizard? Because Wizard might actually work better for you (you get 2nd level spells faster) if you can get the spell as a wizard (wither by having it on your list, or taking time to research it or something.

[Triaxx]

It's listed as Sorceror level 1, but I assume that's because dragons get sorceror levels naturally. It's early on in DoE, in a block including alternate form.

What I was thinking of was early on where having this and shield would make a druid speced for combat much harder to handle once wolf form was gained. A wolf might have higher dex, but it's hard to actually do enough damage with the lowered strength. (My combat druids will usually have a 16 in strength.)

My scouting forms are usually ones where the higher strength would benefit my climb, or swim checks. So I guess it might be worth it if I didn't have a normal rogue handy.

[Roderick_BR]

As I understood it, it's only useful for dragons that already are stronger than most forms, like, a dragon that assumes a human form would retain his 40+ strength. For typical humanoids (humans, elves) it's very unlikely you'll use it at all (as pointed out, most forms will have better stats than you), so, it's not really worth it.

[Triaxx]

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.