Yep as Mirror said, a big change. A needed change is ya ask me. I like it well
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Use your character's stats, all of them. The spell (e.g. Beast Shape I) will tell you what ability scores to modify. Further, if the animal has a certain special ability (like Darkvision), the "spell" will tell you which abilities will carry over to you. Finally, the creature must be one your druid is familiar with (generally a Knowledge-Nature check solves this dilemma). In summary, here's the basics, which may not be totally clear by reading the Druid character:
Action - Standard action; no AoO.
Duration - 1 hour per druid level.
Disguise - +20 to pass as the animal.
Other abilities as granted by the spell
Attacks - Natural attacks modified by character's BAB, Str & Dex
Size - Modifiers applied to AC, attack, CMB, and Stealth skill
Gear - Melds into body; constant bonuses that don't need activation still count (excluding armor).
As an example, let's assume you just got Wild Shape at 4th level (small/medium animals) and want to assume the form of a "Boar." Let's also assume you have a 10 Strength and 12 Dexterity, and you wear a Ring of Protection +1 and Hide Armor.
You'd look at the "Beast Shape I" spell for guidance, which indicates that as a "medium" animal, you'd get +2 to Strength and +2 to Natural Armor class. You would use YOUR strength, not that listed for the "Boar," bring our druid up to 12. A boar has an armor class of 14 normally (+4 natural). Your Wild Shape brings this to 16 (+2 natural), and YOUR Dexterity (12) brings this +1 more to 17. Finally, your Ring of Protection +1 has a "constant bonus" so you'd get a deflection bonus to finally end up at an 18 AC. Your Hide Armor melds but adds nothing as armor.
For abilities, the Boar has lowlight vision, Scent, Toughness, and Ferocity. Per the spell description, you KEEP lowlight vision and Scent. You do NOT get Ferocity of the Boar nor its toughness. These are features built into the genes of a Boar, but not of whatever race you are, so you don't get it. But the vision and scent are physical, so you get its eyes and nose.
As for attacks, you get the Boar's gore (1d8 + 1.5x Str modifier) at YOUR attack. At 4th level druid, this is +3 base, +1 for modified Strength, for a grand total of +4 to hit, and 1d8+1 for damage.
If you've played older editions, as noted this is a HUGE shift since in the old days you got all the physical stats of the animal. Now, it's very likely your BEAR form will be physically weaker than a real bear.
You'd look at the "Beast Shape I" spell for guidance, which indicates that as a "medium" animal, you'd get +2 to Strength and +2 to Natural Armor class. You would use YOUR strength, not that listed for the "Boar," bring our druid up to 12. A boar has an armor class of 14 normally (+4 natural). Your Wild Shape brings this to 16 (+2 natural), and YOUR Dexterity (12) brings this +1 more to 17. Finally, your Ring of Protection +1 has a "constant bonus" so you'd get a deflection bonus to finally end up at an 18 AC. Your Hide Armor melds but adds nothing as armor.
This is all right with the exception of the Nat armor bonus, it gives you a bonus to your bonus(+0 mod) NOT the animals mod.
As an aside, I LOVE the PF change.
It's now much more of a utility ability then the combat beast it was in days of yore. You can certainly fill in that role, but keep versatility in mind.
I don't see it so much of a 'you're putting on a wolf costume' as 'this is the wolf version of you.'
If you're a strong human, you become a strong wolf. If you are an agile human, you become an agile wolf.
I found it odd that there was very little reason to ever have good physical stats in 3.5.
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This is all right with the exception of the Nat armor bonus, it gives you a bonus to your bonus(+0 mod) NOT the animals mod.
Ah, good catch. I'm living in the past. Short point: you won't last long trying to play the role of the armored fighter in Wild Shape form. Still, with the Natural Spell feat you'll be casting spells as an animal. See that figiting dog over there that looks like he has a bad case of gas? Ignore him? Sure, it's a dog with gas.
Surprise, it's a druid casting a spell.
A boar has an armor class of 14 normally (+4 natural). Your Wild Shape brings this to 16 (+2 natural), and YOUR Dexterity (12) brings this +1 more to 17.
You use the animals base natural armor!? Where does it say that!
You don't he was wrong about that, and it was pointed out 2 posts ago, with him replying to that...
Wild Darkwood Full Plate will help that little AC problem.
If you really want an animal-form warrior, btw, a much easier solution is just use a magic item.
For example:
Skin of the Black Bear (or some other small/medium animal)
Hooded cloak, activated by pulling the hood over one's face.
Beast Shape I, 5 minutes per day. The minutes may be used separately (like boots of speed, but activation still requires drawing the hood)
5400 gp
Take some Natural weapon training and go nuts. 5 mins per day, at least.
This is all right with the exception of the Nat armor bonus, it gives you a bonus to your bonus(+0 mod) NOT the animals mod.
Actually, by my interpretation it replaces your current natural armor bonus. So a human who turns into a wolf has a +2 natural armor bonus (instead of his usual +0), and a troglodyte who turns into a wolf has a +2 natural armor bonus (instead of his usual +6).
Hogarth: Hmm. As I read it, beast shape gives you natural armor bonus, much like mage armor gives you armor bonus.
So I think you get a natural armor bonus of +2 (for medium Beast Shape I). If your own natural armor bonus is better, you use your own, instead.
If you have a magical item that increases natural armor, it applies to whichever ends up being higher.
There is some room for confusion, but given most of your natural abilities are preserved, I think this is the right answer.
Hogarth: Hmm. As I read it, beast shape gives you natural armor bonus, much like mage armor gives you armor bonus.
So I think you get a natural armor bonus of +2 (for medium Beast Shape I). If your own natural armor bonus is better, you use your own, instead.
Actually, now that I think about it, that's probably the correct interpretation. But it's certainly not a "bonus to your bonus" as the other poster was suggesting.
Natural Armors stack, you get an enhancement bonus to the natural armor from shifting. At least I'm almost positive.
Therefore if I had a natural armor bonus of +3 supplied from magic items, and shifted wolf, I'd get another +2.
So my natural armor bonus while in wolf form would be a total of +5.
Using my OWN armor as the base, not the Wolf's.
Natural Armors stack, you get an enhancement bonus to the natural armor from shifting. At least I'm almost positive.
Therefore if I had a natural armor bonus of +3 supplied from magic items, and shifted wolf, I'd get another +2.
So my natural armor bonus while in wolf form would be a total of +5.
Using my OWN armor as the base, not the Wolf's.
That would be my take too. BS-I are enhancement bonuses. A troglodyte with +6 natural armor changing into something would keep its +6 and get an extra +2 and have a new +8 total natural armor.
That's all it is. You put on a beast costume and get some stat/ability bonuses depending on what the costume is and what version of BS you cast ;-)
Natural Armors stack, you get an enhancement bonus to the natural armor from shifting. At least I'm almost positive.
By that logic, Mage Armor gives an enhancement bonus to armor. Except it doesn't.
Natural Armors stack, you get an enhancement bonus to the natural armor from shifting. At least I'm almost positive.
Therefore if I had a natural armor bonus of +3 supplied from magic items, and shifted wolf, I'd get another +2.
So my natural armor bonus while in wolf form would be a total of +5.
Using my OWN armor as the base, not the Wolf's.
I think you are mistaken.
The armor bonus granted by BS is the absolute one and the ones given by items(amulet of natural armor) or effects(barkskin) are enhancements. Same result but for different reasons.
That would be my take too. BS-I are enhancement bonuses. A troglodyte with +6 natural armor changing into something would keep its +6 and get an extra +2 and have a new +8 total natural armor.
Nope, the poor sap would see it's powerful sleek scales reduced to a softer smelly furry skin.
It's natural armor bonus would drop from from +6 to +2.
The key thing to remember is that you're not a troglodyte when you're using Beast Shape, therefore whatever natural armour you have as a troglodyte is irrelevant. It what you have as an animal that counts.
From a realism point of few, I'm inclined to agree that the Trog wouldn't get his own natural bonus, and thus that beastshape becomes the new Primary Bonus.
Which sort of sucks, but then, oh wells.
Now if only we can solve the Froghemoth Grapple Problem ><
Oh wow.. this was a b!@&+.
So instead of including the thing that solves the problem for us in either of the spell descriptions. They included it in the magic section under transmutation -> polymorph.
If the form grants a lesser ability of the same type, you gain the lesser ability instead. Your base speed changes to match that of the form you assume. If the form grants a swim or burrow speed, you maintain the ability to breathe if you are swimming or burrowing. The DC for any of these abilities equals your DC for the polymorph spell used to change you into that form.
So yeah, you guys are right, the Trog would most definitely lose his AC.
Are you kidding me... I can't say "Beautiful Individual That Causes Happiness". Otherwise known as B.I.T.C.H.
Ignore ShadowcatX with regard to necroing old threads. Some people whine if you necro a thread. Others whine if you don't try to look for the answer on your own first, and will harass you for asking a question that has been answered before.
Neither necroing a thread or starting a new one has one on common questions has been unanimously accepted as proper board etiquette.
I have never understood the complaints about thread necromancy. I have learned some very valuable things from necromanced threads.
Don't sweat it.
The spell is very clear. You get what is listed by the spell. You do not get any other abilities that are not listed.
The particular animal you choose has only a minor piece of usefulness. First is the speed, second is the abilities it has that are on the Beast Shape list of approved abilities, third is the type of attacks.
You do not inherent feats or skills. You keep your stats plus the static bonuses provided by the appropriate Beast Shape (remember you are always considered to be using the highest level Beast Shape your druid can do, even if you change into something covered by a lower level spell).
You get the attack types (claws, bite, etc with the listed damage die, but not the listed to-hit or damage as that is calculated off your stats) of that form, the movement options of that form, and the special abilities (rake, pounce, dark vision, etc) explicitly named by the Beast Shape.
A druid can take weapon focus (bite) and use it when wild shaped. However, he does not automatically get the feat if the animal has that feat (in fact, if he has the feat, he gets it even if the shape doesn't normally have it).