Blaster druid - what wildshape is most practical / best for combat?

[The Human Diversion]

I've reached 6th level with my caster/blaster druid (weather domain, natural spell) and I can now take large or tiny animal shapes, I've been thinking hawk is a good choice as the fly speed and low-light vision are good.

What choices do you recommend?

Thanks!

[WhipShire]

If your blasting... Flight is awesome. If you want melee dinosaurs make the best for wild shape with combos of Pounce (at higher levels) with multi natural attacks. I am on my smart phone or I would give you a list. Check out D20pfsrd and search Dinosaurs will give you a nice selection to choose from.

[Take Boat]

Hawks are ok, Air and Earth elementals are also good. They have darkvision instead of low-light. The Earth Elemental's glide ability can be amazing.

[Gignere]

You may consider vulture, although it is only small, it is the only bird that gives both low light vision and scent.

When you get to a high enough level for your wildshape to gain blindsense, the bat will become a highly desirable form.

[Lepermachaun]

If you have points in stealth, the only difference between a hawk and an owl (that I saw) is hawk has +8 perception and owl has +4 perception and stealth. Combined with the size bonuses, you can be near invisible in a forest.

[Take Boat]

You don't get racial skill bonuses from polymorphing.

[psychicmachinery]

Take Boat wrote:

You don't get racial skill bonuses from polymorphing.

Can you point me to where that rule is located? It doesn't seem to be addressed in the general polymorph rules.

[The Human Diversion]

psychicmachinery wrote:

Take Boat wrote:

You don't get racial skill bonuses from polymorphing.

Can you point me to where that rule is located? It doesn't seem to be addressed in the general polymorph rules.

Wildshape is based off of the beastform spell, which clearly states what you do and don't get.

[Lepermachaun]

Take Boat wrote:

You don't get racial skill bonuses from polymorphing.

That seems kind of silly to me in this case.

howstuffworks

[The Human Diversion]

Lepermachaun wrote:

Take Boat wrote:

You don't get racial skill bonuses from polymorphing.

That seems kind of silly to me in this case.

howstuffworks

It unfortunately comes from D&D 3.5 having some horribly overpowered things to polymorph into.

1) it was based on hit die. As soon as you were of at least the same hit die of the thing to polymorph into, you could do it
2) You gained all the physical stats of the thing
3) You also gained natural armor and extraordinary abilities
4) You could polymorph anyone as long as they had the hit dice for it.

Example:

At 8th level a caster could polymorph a fighter into a green hag, a medium humanoid. Because it was medium and humanoid, you kept all your equipment. Also, you got the +11 natural armor of the green hag. Take a fighter wearing +1 full plate with a +1 heavy shield and 10 dex, and with one spell you've brought them from a 22 AC to a 34 AC.