mstieler's page

I think that pretty much none of these items work.

Your line of logic is way too convoluted for my tastes. I think the simple interpretation of "These special statistics can be adjusted only by penalties, circumstance bonuses, and conditional bonuses." is that they can only be adjusted by penalties, circumstance bonuses and conditional bonuses. The Potency Rune doesn't give you them, it doesn't work. Done.

Not sure if you were replying on my initial post or to Dante's; my instances all involve things that don't affect the special statistics granted by the Form spells. I am 100% on board with nothing being able to adjust your AC, TAC, ACP, Speed, attack bonuses, damage bonuses, or additional damage dice; possibly even senses. Any Athletics (or Acrobatics or other skill bonuses granted by some of the other Form spells) would not be adjusted by magic items, though if those magic items made your personal bonus higher, you could use that as stated in the spell.

The Form spells don't modify saves. Most form spells don't modify resistances or weaknesses (Pest form having Weakness to Physical, Fire & Water forms from Elemental Form having resistances & weaknesses). Gorget of the Primal Roar seems like it's meant to be used in form, which sounds like it would be a case of "specific trumps general".

I just feel there's more clarification that could be made as to what all can be granted. Looking at Druid's Vestments, it appears that is the intended way to boost AC, Attack Bonuses, and Skill bonuses for the Form spells, but nothing in that is said about saves, speed, or anything else. There appears to be no way to increase the damage dice or damage bonuses of the attacks past their highest Heighten version (6th for Aerial, 5th for Animal, 7th for Dinosaur, 8th for Dragon which doesn't even double the damage dice, 7th for Elemental, 5th for Insect, and 4th for Pest).

I was under the impression Handwraps did not work, for either the increased damage die nor for property runes.

May I get some help understanding how the various Shape spells function with magical equipment?
I understand that the statistics granted by the various Form spells cannot be altered outside of wearing Druid Vestments (AC, TAC, Attack Bonus, Damage Bonus, and from what I understand, bonus weapon damage dice and weapon property runes). However, what about the save bonuses for magical armor, or armor property runes that either don't require an activation, or are activated before going into Form? What about magic items that have an always-on effect that doesn't require activation (or in addition to an effect that requires activation)?

• Instance 1: wearing a +2 Fire Resistant Hide Armor, then casting Animal Form. Would you retain the +2 bonus to your saves, the +5 Fire Resistance, both, or neither?
  
• Instance 2: wearing a +4 Antimagic Hide Armor, then casting Animal Form. Would you retain the +4 bonus to your saves, the +1 bonus to your saves vs. magic, both, or neither? As it has a Reaction activation, that would not be usable per the Form spells.
  
• Instance 3: wearing Boots of Bounding, then activating Animal Form. Would you keep the +5 speed bonus, the +2 Athletics bonus, both, or neither as Animal Form specifies a speed for each form?
  
• Instance 4: wearing Gorget of the Primal Roar, then activating Animal Form. The item specifies
  Quote:

  When you’re in a non-humanoid form via a polymorph effect, you can activate the gorget to unleash a bestial roar, attempting a single Intimidation check compared to the Will DCs of enemies within 30 feet to impose the effects below. You can do this only once per polymorph. You can provide this Command Activation without the need for language.

  Does this override the "Your gear is absorbed into you; the constant abilities of your gear still function, but you can’t activate it." portion of Animal Form? If it does not, do you still gain the +3 Intimidate bonus?