My 3rd level Rougarou Paladin last night beast-shaped into a wolf. He then wanted to lay on hands on an injured companion as a wolf and I ruled against it. I regret the ruling from a story perspective, but am wondering about RAW. From another post about spell use and beast shape: "When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type, all of your gear melds into your body. Items that provide constant bonuses and do not need to be activated continue to function while melded in this way (with the exception of armor and shield bonuses, which cease to function). Items that require activation [e.g., a wand] cannot be used while you maintain that form. While in such a form, you cannot cast any spells that require material components (unless you have the Eschew Materials or Natural Spell feat), and can only cast spells with somatic or verbal components if the form you choose has the capability to make such movements or speak, such as a dragon."
As for Lay on Hands, there is nothing to suggest that the ability requires anything from the paladin wrt vocalizations or movement, other than touching, which of course a wolf could do: "Using this ability is a standard action, unless the paladin targets herself, in which case it is a swift action. Despite the name of this ability, a paladin only needs one free hand to use this ability."
I think I got this one wrong. Any help?
