First of all I want to take a quick moment to apologize if this is a re-posting of a question that may have been posed in the past several years.
I'm playing a druid for the first time since Pathfinder beta, and I noticed that druids recieve as part of their shape changing abilities elemental form 4, but not beastshape 4. Was this intentional or in error? From a RP perspective I find it difficult to believe that a sorcerer/wizard would have access to beastshape 4, but a druid would not....
Also, several new abilities of animals, plants, and elementals have been presented in bestiaries subsequent to the Player's Handbook release. Are there any supplimental rules or guidance regarding what a druid would or wouldn't qualify for in light of these developments?
Thanks,
Beast shape IV turns you into magical beasts. Druids are restricted to turning into animals, so getting access to beast shape IV would be pretty pointless.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
BSIV therefore adds nothing to their capabilities.
That isn't quite true. If druids had access to beast shape IV, they would potentially (when applicable to the chosen form) gain better speeds for burrow, fly, and swim, and longer range blindsense and darkvision, plus the new abilities tremorsense, breath weapon, rend, roar, spikes, and elemental resistances/vulnerabilities.
Rend and tremorsense would certainly have been desirable abilities, as would the improved speeds :)
A few points worth consideration to the various positions.
First of all, druids cannot cast spells with a verbal component in animal form normally (a feat is required) to bypass this. Here is the narrative from the Druid Class. "A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form."
Secondly, I would say Druids are not more powerful shifters than wizards or sorcerers. Druids can remain in various forms for much longer but do not have access to things like Giant Forms, Dragon Forms, Undead Forms, or the expanded beast shape options. In effect druids gain greatly expanded duration which is sacrificed for versatility.
As for the casting of spells, there are several options. Besides the feat intended for druids, silent spell eliminates the casting issue for all classes using alternate forms, as do language proficiencies. If you're an air elemental and you speak Auran, you're good to go, no feat needed for that specific form and language combination.
Part of my problem with the lack of beast shape 4 access is not so much the magical beast issues as it is the animal abilities limited to beastshape 4. For example, as a snake you don't get constriction until beast shape 4 (although you get grab at 1 or 2). You also have no poisonous venom until 4, even if you can take the form of a cobra at beastshape 1... You don't get to throw barbs/quills as a porcupine until 4, etc... The list is rather long but I think the point here is made.
Responses continue to be appreciated.
as do language proficiencies. If you're an air elemental and you speak Auran, you're good to go, no feat needed for that specific form and language combination.
You should already be able to cast spells with verbal components while in elemental form since elementals can speak. Language is not relevant when considering whether you can cast a spell with verbal components--you need only be able to speak.
The lack of those abilities while wild shaping is by design, probably as a response to CoDzilla. Note that even the various animal domains only provide up to beast shape III or animal shapes as domain spells.