Beast Shape and Attacks.

[Eroz]

I wanted to check if I understand how Beast Shape would work:

Beast Shape I states:
"When you cast this spell, you can assume the form of any Small or Medium creature of the animal type. If the form you assume has any of the following abilities, you gain the listed ability: climb 30 feet, fly 30 feet (average maneuverability), swim 30 feet, darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, and scent.

Small animal: If the form you take is that of a Small animal, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +1 natural armor bonus.

Medium animal: If the form you take is that of a Medium animal, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength and a +2 natural armor bonus."

And the Polymorph section in the "Magic" chapter of the Core Rulebook states:

"In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks. These attacks are based on your base attack bonus, modified by your Strength or Dexterity as appropriate, and use your Strength modifier for determining damage bonuses".

So if a wizard casts a Beast Shape I on a lvl 9 Fighter (with 16 Strenght), and he assumes the form of a Bull Shark (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/shark/shark-bul l/) it would gain a swim speed of 60 ft, his Strenght score would be 18 and his attacks would work like the following: "Bite: +15/+9 (2d8+4)"

He would have two attacks when using a full attack action, because the calculation uses his BAB and Strenght scores, right?

[Coolwasabi]

Natural attacks don't get extra Iterative attacks from a full attack action unless you have an ability like shifter's Flurry or do something to allow it as a monk's Flurry.

So if his form only has the Bite attack, he can only make that 1 attack, and the damage would do 1.5x strength for having only 1 natural attack. However If he got hasted he would be able to make an extra bite on a full-round at the same bonus as the first.

[MrCharisma]

Yup you got everything right except how Natural Attacks work (no iteratives).

[Firebug]

Beast Shape is a personal spell, so how are you casting it on someone else?

[MrCharisma]

Firebug wrote:

Beast Shape is a personal spell, so how are you casting it on someone else?

Be an Alchemist/Investigator.

(But also yes that's a good point)

[Scott Wilhelm]

A Bull Shark only has 1 Natural Attack, but it can still make Unarmed Strikes just as well as a Human can. If a Monk drank an Alchemist's Infusion of Beast Shape, then it can turn into a Shark, a Lion, or a Pteradactyl and still Full Attack or Flurry of Blows normally. It would be a way to let the Monk function normally in an unusual environment such as by Flying or underwater, and the Monk could then enjoy a 2 step Size bump.

I have a 3.5 character that does that. He is a Monk/Sohei/Divine Mind/Psychic Warrior/Fist of the Forest/Bear Warrior under a Vow of Poverty who turns into a Bear when he rages. Actually, his name is von Schissler. Once known as the von Schissler, the head of the once powerful family that was making a fortune in textiles and lumber, over harvested their own land. The von Schissler then swore a vow of poverty and joined a monastic order of Fists of the Forest, the Holy Order of the Lorax. The bears in the once glorious von Schissler Valley were colloquially known as Brown Bar-ba-Loots...

[Chell Raighn]

Scott Wilhelm wrote:

A Bull Shark only has 1 Natural Attack, but it can still make Unarmed Strikes just as well as a Human can.

If the transformed individual has a Monk's Unarmed Strike, perhaps... but a normal Unarmed Strike is specifically delivered via fists. A Monk can deliver an unarmed strike with any reasonable part of its body. So, in this case it'd likely be a Headbutt, which might preclude the use of a Bite on the same round.

[Derklord]

Chell Raighn wrote:

If the transformed individual has a Monk's Unarmed Strike, perhaps... but a normal Unarmed Strike is specifically delivered via fists.

Not even close. The unarmed strikes rules start with "Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon" CRB pg. 182, and even though this FAQ mostly talks about Monks, probably because it was released at a time where Monk was just about the only viable unarmed class, it still makes the general statement of "a creature's unarmed strike is its entire body" - the word "creature" includes both non-monks, and non-humanoids.

It might be unintended by at least the CRB writers ("Some fey, humanoids, monstrous humanoids, and outsiders do not possess natural attacks. These creatures can make unarmed strikes, (...)", which is phrased in a way that implies it is only those creatures that can make unarmed strikes, but that's not really supported by the rules. The unarmed description in the CRB states no limitation, and there are creatures from later Bestiaries that belong to other creature types and still are listed with unarmed strikes (e.g. the abberation Hundun and the undead Kurobozu).

[Eroz]

Coolwasabi wrote:

Natural attacks don't get extra Iterative attacks from a full attack action unless you have an ability like shifter's Flurry or do something to allow it as a monk's Flurry.

So if his form only has the Bite attack, he can only make that 1 attack, and the damage would do 1.5x strength for having only 1 natural attack. However If he got hasted he would be able to make an extra bite on a full-round at the same bonus as the first.

Oooh I see, thanks!