Hi everyone,
I'm puzzled by Form Control interaction with Wild Shape feats.
Form Control says: "If your next action is to cast wild shape, wild shape’s spell level is 2 lower than normal (minimum 1st level), but you can remain transformed for up to 1 hour or the listed duration (whichever is longer)."
Insect Form says: "Add the forms in insect form to your wild shape list."
So, if I'm level 6 and cast Wild Shape, Wild Shape will be level 1, so 2 levels under Insect Form base level, but as the forms have been added to my wild shape list, it looks like I should be able to use them. Of course, I won't be able to access the heightened forms of Insect Shape through Form Control before being level 11, that's for sure, but for the basic forms, it looks like they are independant of the actual level of Wild Shape.
I find this a bit illogical, that's why I open this discussion, to know if you have the same reading or if there's a rule I don't know about forbidding me to do that.
This is interesting, it seems (RAW) that the additional forms are not linked to the spell level of the "Wild shape" spell except those listed in animal form. So As you said at 6th lvl if you have insect form you get all those benefits. The only caveat I see are the "heightened" bonuses that are definitely linked to spell level. So as you said at 6th lvl your wild shape focus spell is cast at spell lvl 3 if you use Form control it is now cast at lvl 1 but you will be limited to pest forms (so at Spell lvl 1 you won't have access to animal form but still have access to your base insect forms due to the feat. The same applies to your other form feats such as Soaring Shape and Ferocious Shape though at 8th lvl you are coming from spell lvl 4 to spell lvl 2 using form control so would have access to pest and animal forms though there's no reason not to use the much superior Ferocious or Soaring forms. Very interesting... Wonder if there will be some eratia for this or it's good as is.
If it's really the case, it looks like a mistake. But at the same time, Form Control is so bad... Now, it gets excellent, even if it forces you to take a lot of Wild Shape feats if you want to keep up with your level. So, good for Wild Shape oriented druids, not very good for anything else.