Hey, I've just been creating a druid PC for a campaign I'm about to join, and looking up how wild shape works with the new errata, I think there are still some problems.
According to the errata on alternate shape (which is where the wild shape errata direct the reader for a description of the ability, now; no longer the polymorph spell):
1. You keep all the feats of the original form and do not get any of the feats of the new form. This makes sense in a lot of ways, but what if you change to an animal that ordinarily has Run, Multiattack, Weapon Finesse, or some other feat that involves the new form's basic physical coordination that it uses to move and attack? It seems to me that the wild shaped druid ought to be able to use such feats while in that animal's form.
2. You keep all your own special qualities and do not gain any of the animal's special qualities. It makes sense that you shouldn't get the magical special qualities of an alternate form, but this means a druid in dog form doesn't get scent, a druid in porpoise form doesn't get blindsense and hold breath, and a druid in cheetah form doesn't get sprint (to cite several obvious examples). Since such abilities are inherent natural qualities of the physical form in question, and are often integral to the way the creature moves and senses its surroundings in its natural environment, this doesn't make sense. Why change into a dog if you can't follow someone's scent? Why change into a porpoise if you can't stay underwater for more than a minute or two, and if you can't perceive your surroundings in the murky depths? Why change into a cheetah if you can't chase down your enemies? To me, this provision really nerfs the wild shape ability.
3. In wild shape, you keep your original skill ranks in all skills, but use the new physical ability modifiers. As far as I can tell, the new errata imply that you don't get to add the racial bonuses pertaining to the new form to your modifier for checks on physical skills, like jump, climb, swim, and so forth. I've e-mailed this question to the Sage to see his opinion on it, but if you can't add those racial modifiers this again doesn't make sense (a leopard is physically built to have a certain facility for climbing trees and jumping on prey) and further nerfs wild shape.
Anyone out there thought about these issues and have opinions on (a) how to interpret the current RAW on this subject, or (b) how the RAW ought to be modified to avoid nerfing?
There are several posts on this issue in this thread already; I think I started one about master of many forms or some such; but know there are several where we all hashed this topic about a bit. happy hunting