Such as: Can a male druid use wildshape to become a hen or ewe?
Can a female druid wildshape into a bull, or would she have to be a cow?
Such as: Can a male druid use wildshape to become a hen or ewe?
Can a female druid wildshape into a bull, or would she have to be a cow?
Unless otherwise noted, polymorph spells cannot be used to change into specific individuals. Although many of the fine details can be controlled, your appearance is always that of a generic member of that creature's type. Polymorph spells cannot be used to assume the form of a creature with a template or an advanced version of a creature.
I take the bolded part to include gender, which is definitely a "fine detail" as far as mechanics are concerned.
Well gender is social construct and fluid so you're all set.
they obviously meant sex and gender isn't fluid. it's a spectrum along which some people experience fluidity. if gender were fluid then everyone would slide around the spectrum.
anyway, yes, you can control the sex of the animal you become. there's really no reason to think you couldn't. if you were limited to your own sex, you couldn't become a creature with more or fewer sexes than your original race; there is no such restriction.
something i found out while checking up on this.
as a polymorph effect (like wildshape) give +10 to Disguise checks, and trying to disguise as the opposite sex grant -2 to said check. id say it's allowed, but a bit more awkward then staying the same sex hance the +8 total instead of +10 if the sex is the same.
now what more changing to a difrent race is -2 more and -10 for each size difrence (stacking) that mean a druid changing to a small or big enough animal is actuly very obvius unless hes also got other things aiding his disguise.
a druid of medium size turning into a cat (tiny animal) of a difrent sex would have a total of +10(spell)-2(race)-2(sex)-10(medium ot small)-10(small to tiny) =-14 to his opposed disguise check vs others perception...
he better not draw attantion to himslef:
"If you don’t draw any attention to yourself, others do not get to make Perception checks. If you come to the attention of people who are suspicious (such as a guard who is watching commoners walking through a city gate), it can be assumed that such observers are taking 10 on their Perception checks. "
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Gender usually isn't a particularly important feature for an animal when facing them or when used by the character, so being of one gender or the other shouldn't be to important in a mechanical aspect side of things. As mentioned already, some disguise checks and interactions can have minor effects for opposing gender metrics, but it is very minor compared to actual game mechanics that is more defined.
It is also something that can be amusing in roleplay and has been the subject of various movies and stories in the past, and the reason we have a particular cursed item that suddenly sees the target becoming a member of the opposite gender.
I have a vigilante that has opposing genders for the social and hero id's.
back in 3.5 (ebberon etc) there was a doplinger-like palyer race called changlings. they could change to other humanoid form and stay like that as long as they liked.up to one size category. sex change included. BUT one thing they ruled in the race specific handbook was that while in female form AND pregnant the changling can only take other female shapes (and the unborn child change as well with her). i find that was a well thought out rule.
Such as: Can a male druid use wildshape to become a hen or ewe?
Can a female druid wildshape into a bull, or would she have to be a cow?
The answer of yes has already been given, and i agree. But more importantly, watch out, your player might be a... furry
Can we please not kick furries here, even jokingly?
If they aren't being disruptive to the game, who cares if they are or aren't?
so with the RAW answer to the original question out of the way, can we return to what zza ni brought up?
something i found out while checking up on this.
as a polymorph effect (like wildshape) give +10 to Disguise checks, and trying to disguise as the opposite sex grant -2 to said check. id say it's allowed, but a bit more awkward then staying the same sex hance the +8 total instead of +10 if the sex is the same.
now what more changing to a difrent race is -2 more and -10 for each size difrence (stacking) that mean a druid changing to a small or big enough animal is actuly very obvius unless hes also got other things aiding his disguise.
a druid of medium size turning into a cat (tiny animal) of a difrent sex would have a total of +10(spell)-2(race)-2(sex)-10(medium ot small)-10(small to tiny) =-14 to his opposed disguise check vs others perception...he better not draw attantion to himslef:
"If you don’t draw any attention to yourself, others do not get to make Perception checks. If you come to the attention of people who are suspicious (such as a guard who is watching commoners walking through a city gate), it can be assumed that such observers are taking 10 on their Perception checks. "
initially i thought, "but those spells are transmutations and actually change your size so you wouldn't apply the size penalties anymore" but you could make the same argument about race and sex. this seems... a bit ridiculous. is this all the RAW have to say about this?
edit: i just reread the disguise entry and the size penalty only applies once, but it still seems a bit ridiculous that a wild shaped druid will be somewhat obvious to a casual observer as "not really a cat."
oh right i read the part about:
"Disguised as different size category1 –10
1 These modifiers are cumulative; use all that apply."
and tought the size panilty stack with itslef as well as with the others.