Wildshape Gained Abilities Question

[Useplanb]

Quick question I hope.

Do you gain the abilities of animals when wildshaping at higher levels?

For example, the Compsognathus is a Tiny creature (Beast Shape II) has Poison which is not listed under Beast Shape II. But when the druid is able to use Beast Shape III, Poison is listed as a ability that can be gained. So at that level does the Compsognathus then have the Poison ability?

[Efreeti]

Short answer: yes.

Ok, let's dive in: you'll always use the better of the avaliable spells, even if that shape could be archieved with a lower level one, so yes, at the apropiate level you'd gain the poison.

[Weirdo]

If you use Beast Shape III to turn into a compsognathus, you gain poison.

If you use Beast Shape II, you do not.

Higher-level versions of wildshape still allow you to assume forms (and stat modifiers) of the lower-level sizes, but open up the special abilities allowed by the higher-level spell.

[blahpers]

You get exactly what is listed in (a) the polymorph subschool section in the Magic chapter and (b) the spell that Wild Shape is duplicating.

In the case of compsognathus, you would not get Poison until 8th level, the level at which Wild Shape functions as beast shape iii.

Edit: So much ninja'd.

[Useplanb]

Thats what I thought, thanks!