Should I be treating my level 12 wild shape ability as one, all encompassing spell like ability (beast, elemental, plant shape spell)? The most basic explanation of what I am asking is if I change into a Sargassum Fiend do I get the swim speed of 40? Do I lose the climb 20? Plant shape makes no mention at all of gaining swim, climb, burrow etc. but my beast shape allows it. The Plant shape spell even implies that you do get different means of movement.
"If the form you assume does not possess the ability to move, your speed is reduced to 5 feet and you lose all other forms of movement."
Elementals are very specific that the extra traits you gain are when in a specific elemental form so no issues there but it seems that "Wild Shape" should function as one class trait instead of 3.
The wording of Wild Shape does imply we are activating one of three different abilities ("When taking the form of animals, a druid's wild shape now functions as... ") But I can't find any reason to enforce this (other than RAW) and it seems kind of stupid to allow a swimming animal its swim speed and not a swimming plant.
To be plain. Should I be using this ability like three separate spell like abilities or is there an obscure rule out there somewhere that supports blending outside examples as to how a class skill should work? I can't help thinking about all the issues caused by using "like Two Weapon Fighting" as an explanation for how "Flurry of Blows" works. The Brawler's version is so much more concise and our group use that function of Two weapon fighting being conditionally on or off as the norm.
