Unprepared Polymorph

[Joey Cote]

There is something I don't understand in regards to druid's using wildshape to polymorph themselves. In all the self polymorph spells I have looked at they all say "If you prepare this spell, choose from the options below." But druids with Wild Shape can use one of their Wild Shape pool to cast any of the polymorph effects they picked up as a class feat as a spontaneous effect, with the free heightening.

Which means, as far as I can see, the druid doesn't actually get any actual attacks since there is no base damage for any of these forms without a picked option. I guess we could default to unarmed damage of 1d4, but that seems more then a bit silly for dinosaur and dragon form. Plus, those forms also seem to give base movement for things like aerial form.

I am I missing something? I am not seeing anything on druids in the errata.

[pauljathome]

I think that if you prepare the spell you have to decide what form you're preparing when you prepare it. A druid using wild shape gets to decide what the form is as they CAST it. But in both cases you have to pick a form

[Joey Cote]

I agree that is what should happen, but the line "If you prepare this spell, choose from the options below" completely removes that option if we run the rules as written.

[David knott 242]

The language of these spells needs to be clarified for both wild shaping druids and spontaneous casters who might know one or more of these spells.

[Fuzzypaws]

I'm pretty sure the phrasing "IF you prepare" directly implies that the restriction only applies to prepared casters. Sorcerers, druids casting spontaneously via wild shaping feats, etc aren't preparing, so just get to choose at the moment of casting.

[Joey Cote]

Fuzzypaws wrote:

I'm pretty sure the phrasing "IF you prepare" directly implies that the restriction only applies to prepared casters. Sorcerers, druids casting spontaneously via wild shaping feats, etc aren't preparing, so just get to choose at the moment of casting.

An interesting point! But I agree with David knott the language should be cleaned up a bit for spontaneous casters.

[Xenocrat]

Definitely, because all PCs now have to do "daily preparations," and the intent could be (but probably isn't) that spontaneous casters make such prepared choices for their known spells at that time.