Being Everything Wild Shape

8/20/2019 Being Everything Wild Shape

1/48

Being Everything:

Eggynack’s Comprehensive Druid Handbook

The BasicsIntroductionThe Rating GuideFilling Roles

Ability ScoresClass FeaturesRaceTemplatesSkills

FeatsSummoningWild Shape

Animal CompanionCastingInitiate FeatsMiscellaneous

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.z0d2hb67gxbmhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.5oohdpu8ycnnhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.rioeculghg2ghttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.e2ue90sil753https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.4ey6zom0c0zhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.fwod486xtqvehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.dla8rg5n8wrnhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.rzc8nexavkiyhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.96y8svhn5e9mhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.13u2kb4gqi4shttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.wu1vgpc5y422https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.maek8e56smulhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.dwlqgp6oy4kqhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.rzu0zyrjtugmhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.5m87bqr43zpzhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.rm2ot1ji0joqhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.z0d2hb67gxbmhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.5oohdpu8ycnnhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.rioeculghg2ghttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.e2ue90sil753https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.4ey6zom0c0zhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.fwod486xtqvehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.dla8rg5n8wrnhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.rzc8nexavkiyhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YcZrU_D9k8e422LHd9RJ705WJ0-IzFkdES_A-C38_1o/edit#heading=h.96y8svhn5e9mhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.13u2kb4gqi4shttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.wu1vgpc5y422https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.maek8e56smulhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.dwlqgp6oy4kqhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.rzu0zyrjtugmhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.5m87bqr43zpzhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.rm2ot1ji0joq


2/48

Core nly

Magic ItemsCheapModerate

!"pensi#e

$restige Classes%ip ptions

&arious &ariants Alternate Class FeaturesFla'sTraitsGestalt

Spells ()th*+th,-eroth .e#elFirst .e#elSecond .e#elThird .e#el

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.lgx33jwbz4rhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.iah9gzwa7dwehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.4ge05iuclxdvhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.spvuwmjhdf0zhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.djtwm6a3u7cxhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1qnEHZU5uNSJrEL_X8jOA2UTla7eaFZFcFQnqWa0zrmE/edit#heading=h.rttlbcy2scnshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1qnEHZU5uNSJrEL_X8jOA2UTla7eaFZFcFQnqWa0zrmE/edit#heading=h.7nda2piktz20https://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.gs9nbzm22m6phttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.q4yqkrmrm6dhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.on9skvlh8u1ihttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.ff798avjhowyhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.g9ymrzik1o5zhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.9e05itwf6v3https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.is3sgux7gqphttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.5lnrs1mk2zg9https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.tyazapatprtuhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.jidrsxo15qo7https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aS_v_2E-zv0RHbGq7r62o9IyN0UONRHMODF9LrZBbio/edit#heading=h.lgx33jwbz4rhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.iah9gzwa7dwehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.4ge05iuclxdvhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.spvuwmjhdf0zhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1shTP_iyGQN2L43pmQO1wausVD9dtiK97SnLO6hqRRxY/edit#heading=h.djtwm6a3u7cxhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1qnEHZU5uNSJrEL_X8jOA2UTla7eaFZFcFQnqWa0zrmE/edit#heading=h.rttlbcy2scnshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1qnEHZU5uNSJrEL_X8jOA2UTla7eaFZFcFQnqWa0zrmE/edit#heading=h.7nda2piktz20https://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.gs9nbzm22m6phttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.q4yqkrmrm6dhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.on9skvlh8u1ihttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.ff798avjhowyhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/13529Xwb-lRT5TYi3c5LMNOpED8DrUE9GgZGLN9KjU38/edit#heading=h.g9ymrzik1o5zhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.9e05itwf6v3https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.is3sgux7gqphttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.5lnrs1mk2zg9https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.tyazapatprtuhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1Geg_EBkDf1yzQN-c7TUIhUS8CUVvAufnxR2suKx_4eA/edit#heading=h.jidrsxo15qo7


3/48


4/48

To Ad#ance or S'ap5 Animal Companion AbilitiesFeatsThe Warbeast TemplateStarting ptions

Fourth .e#elSe#enth .e#elTenth .e#elThirteenth .e#elSi"teenth .e#el2ineteenth .e#el

Wild Shape.e#el Fi#e.e#el !ight (.arge,.e#el 2ine.e#el T'el#e ($lant,.e#el Thirteen.e#el Fi1teen (6uge,.e#el Si"teen (!lementals,.e#el !ighteen

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.p53pyg570fyqhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.dk9uq7tm405chttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.usgfnzs04vsuhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.a7s3qgz3ul1nhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.h67hyccksi64https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.gunoicbel7lohttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.uim6h4uj9uyhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.u9kf7ggq8dqwhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.8f0uksyh9p30https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.5z3nf0kawtjohttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.w0xvhc7bb3z4https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.p53pyg570fyqhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.dk9uq7tm405chttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.usgfnzs04vsuhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.a7s3qgz3ul1nhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.h67hyccksi64https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.gunoicbel7lohttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.uim6h4uj9uyhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.u9kf7ggq8dqwhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.8f0uksyh9p30https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.5z3nf0kawtjohttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFFG89HGky597glps-AXSaqEtPjne1f5pNio9lAFzFk/edit#heading=h.w0xvhc7bb3z4


5/48

.e#el T'enty (6uge !lementals,

Alternate Wild Shape Forms Aberration Forms%ragon Forms

Shi1tersRacial AbilitiesShi1ter TraitsSaurian Shi1tersShi1ter Substitution .e#elsMoonspeaker Shi1ter FeatsMiscellaneous Shi1ter Stu11

!"alted %ruids&o' o1 $o#erty!"alted FeatsBeing a Saint

Ackno'ledgmentsFA7

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LUJYY1XBEw0gqsdwhLjTzg33a_fHPaKqmMT36dQ1mfU/edit#heading=h.w5kwz9rnix7vhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1LUJYY1XBEw0gqsdwhLjTzg33a_fHPaKqmMT36dQ1mfU/edit#heading=h.lmkwmpefo7wrhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1LUJYY1XBEw0gqsdwhLjTzg33a_fHPaKqmMT36dQ1mfU/edit#heading=h.5g01gq5h2hzhhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.556g3egnobothttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.4wr9yw7kb1k8https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.jfa6ig3k48phttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.cx5znzhhvpgrhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.jq53crxk7krohttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.mlywq75rgl32https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.mz7hernftk5chttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.ruapenpxqevvhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.mvykbibzyjc6https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.ar0rta399fxihttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.qqa1c9csebn8https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.ch6x0dbpbv0xhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/128oEiyurmxa7vcWiuZjtX0thUGqCyH6VE4693i5im74/edit#heading=h.jgb7crhjc632https://docs.google.com/document/d/128oEiyurmxa7vcWiuZjtX0thUGqCyH6VE4693i5im74/edit#heading=h.uicajs2907wnhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1LUJYY1XBEw0gqsdwhLjTzg33a_fHPaKqmMT36dQ1mfU/edit#heading=h.w5kwz9rnix7vhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1LUJYY1XBEw0gqsdwhLjTzg33a_fHPaKqmMT36dQ1mfU/edit#heading=h.lmkwmpefo7wrhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1LUJYY1XBEw0gqsdwhLjTzg33a_fHPaKqmMT36dQ1mfU/edit#heading=h.5g01gq5h2hzhhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.556g3egnobothttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.4wr9yw7kb1k8https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.jfa6ig3k48phttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.cx5znzhhvpgrhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.jq53crxk7krohttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.mlywq75rgl32https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.mz7hernftk5chttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.ruapenpxqevvhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.mvykbibzyjc6https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.ar0rta399fxihttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.qqa1c9csebn8https://docs.google.com/document/d/1reo17DEJNw7T2PMrJX8mbZsmmQkzDYAsT9W6lBvRWBg/edit#heading=h.ch6x0dbpbv0xhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/128oEiyurmxa7vcWiuZjtX0thUGqCyH6VE4693i5im74/edit#heading=h.jgb7crhjc632https://docs.google.com/document/d/128oEiyurmxa7vcWiuZjtX0thUGqCyH6VE4693i5im74/edit#heading=h.uicajs2907wn


6/48


7/48

When working with wild shape, especially animal forms, there are two main

philosophies that apply. $he first, and it is the better known of the two, is the way

of the bear, named after that most iconic of wild shape forms, the brown bear. $his

philosophy tends to be one of the first things you see when seeking out druid

optimi#ation advice, and it usually takes the form of the now somewhat memetic

slogan, %&ou are a bear, riding a bear, that shoots bears.' (n general, as it applies to

wild shape, this means taking on forms, including the bear but certainly not limited

to it, with high strength, a good attack routine, and some strong combat

maneuvers, like pounce or grapple. (n a broader sense, this means making wild

shape your primary mode of encounter problem solving, and setting your casting

subservient to wild shape, in the form of buffs, both long and short term. $he big

benefits to this philosophy are that it!s very direct, taking out opponents in afashion which, due to the mass of potential forms, can adapt to various situations,

and that it doesn!t pull much from daily resources, as you don!t necessarily have to

even cast a spell in an encounter to find victory. (t has also been said that this path

is the one that suits a druid best, and that alternate plans could be better

accomplished by a different class

$he second path, and it is the one ( favor, is the way of the bat, named after the

king of this style of druidry, the desmodu hunting bat. (n contrast to the way of thebear, the way of the bat dictates that you make casting your primary mode of

encounter problem solving, and set wild shape subservient to casting, in the form of

abilities that are beneficial for magic use. $he big "uality you!re looking for here is

flight, enabling you to keep away from enemy combatants, but you!re also looking

for high )*, in order to protect you from attacks that do manage to come your way,

and high de terity, for both initiative and ranged +touch attack purposes. $he big

benefits to this philosophy are that you get to make ma imum use of your most

potent class feature- casting, and that you reduce your risk a lot by staying out of

the way of direct combat. $here is much to be gained by using wild shape as a

platform for magic use, and it is one of the biggest things that druid casting brings

to the table over the casting of the class! competitors.


8/48

o, which path should you take/ (n many ways, this is a matter of preference more

than anything, but that!s not a particularly helpful answer. (nstead, ( would advise

going down the way of the bat for the most part, destroying your opponents with

magic, and then swapping over to the way of the bear if and when you run low on

magical resources. $he main idea here is that you shouldn!t feel the need to be

particularly constrained by one mode of thought, and should instead keep both

paths in mind, such that you can take the best path in every combat.

Becoming Familiar with Familiarity

0uring your tenure as a druid, you!ve likely noticed the following highly problematic

line- %$he form chosen must be that of an animal the druid is familiar with.' o, the"uestion becomes, what is familiarity, and how do you get it/ $he answer to those

"uestions is that no one can say for sure. $hese terms weren!t really defined

anywhere, and there have been many arguments in the past about ust how much

you need to do before you can access a wild shape form. 2owever, my research into

the topic has revealed a solution to the problem, nestled on page 36 of the rules

compendium. $here, it says, %$he form chosen must be that of an animal the druid

has seen or could reasonably know about.' $his rule supports both commonly used

avenues to familiarity, which are knowledge +nature rolls and ust seeing the

creature in "uestion.


9/48

(n this fashion, we arrive at a significantly easier problem to solve, which is how to

accomplish one of those two things. 4y far, the easier of the two methods is

pumping knowledge +nature , which is effective for both animals and plants, and if

you!ve picked up the ability somehow, vermin. 5eaching the target score, which for

identifying a monster is 1 20, is trivial. $he real goal is hitting 1 by level five +or

19 by level si , if you!re waiting for natural spell to start transforming , because

that!s the ma imum 20 of a creature you can become at that level, and after that

simple skill boosting will carry you through all levels. )t level five, you start with a

base score of 8, boosted to 1 by nature sense. $hat leaves four points, which can

be gained in any number of ways. )s a "uick list, a positive intelligence mod, 9

ranks in survival for a 3 synergy bonus, and a masterwork tool for a 3

circumstance bonus are all rather easy to gain by level five. $he second method,actually seeing the animal in "uestion, is somewhat more campaign and 0:

dependent than the knowledge method. ;ne useful trick is using summon nature!s

ally spells to summon an animal, and using that animal to gain the re"uisite

familiarity. )nimal companions can also potentially fill knowledge holes in this

manner. &ou certainly can!t learn everything you!d want in this manner, but it!s a

handy trick if there!s crossover between your wild shape desires and your other

abilities.

Enhance Wild Shape


10/48

While this spell was certainly mentioned in the conte t of, y!know, spells, it is by its

very nature a thing critical to high end wild shape optimi#ation. $o restate the

effect, what this spell does is it enables access to a creature!s e traordinary special

"ualities. )nd there are a lot of good or great e traordinary special "ualities. ;n

animals, these tend to come in the form of alternate vision modes, with scent

e tremely common, and blindsense available. ;n plants, things become a good deal

more varied, with a vast array defensive abilities like regeneration, fast healing, and

various immunities. (f you e pand out beyond traditional forms, making use of

aberration wild shape, then this spell ust does everything, ranging from multiple

actions a round to cra#y defenses to e"ually cra#y vision modes. $he main point is,

(!m going to be mentioning this spell all over this section of the handbook,

whenever there!s an e traordinary special "uality worth grabbing hold of, and it!sgood idea to have a basis for what you!re dealing with.


11/48

.e#el Fi#e

Barracuda (Storm, 166) $he barracuda, as a"uatic forms go, is a lot like the

medium shark mentioned below. &ou have the same 6 ft. swim speed, which is a

big asset, and in e change for dropping to 1 )*, and losing a bit of oomph on your

bite attack, you pick up a 1 to de terity, which gives you better initiative, touch

)*, and ranged touch attacks, along with sprint, which enables you to charge three

times your speed instead of two. $hese two forms are very similar in power level,

but of the two, the barracuda is probably more useful, because it works better at

druid preferred long ranges in e change for combat utility. (t!s not like the shark

form was enabling you to be a melee powerhouse anyway, so you!re really ust

sacrificing the occasional somewhat better attack on the margins, and even in that

role sprint might very occasionally do some work.


12/48


13/48

"einonychus $he deinonychus is one of the best core medium beatstick forms

available, easily beating out the black bear, and even providing decent competition

for the fleshraker in some ways. $he strongest aspect of the deinonychus is easily

the attack routine, launching four reasonable natural attacks and doing so on a

pounce. &ou even get a 6 foot move speed such that you can perform that pounce

from a good distance away. $he second ma or aspect of the deinonychus, and the

thing that puts it above many other core options like the black bear, is that it has

an )* of 17, which while not the best out there, is certainly high enough that you

won!t get hit all the time. $here is a ma or disadvantage to the deinonychus

though, especially when compared to the fleshraker, and that is that you don!t get

any combat maneuvers to use during your pounce, so you!re not really doing

anything but damage. 5eally, between that, the lack of poison, and the lower )*,it!s almost never going to be correct to choose the deinonychus over the fleshraker.

till, if you happen to not have access to the fleshraker, either due to book

limitations, or because the fleshraker was directly banned for its insanity, then this

should be your go=to form for face consumption.

"esmodu #unting Bat ($$ %%, 6&) $he desmodu hunting bat represents what is

easily the best flying form, the best defensive form, and maybe even the best form

in general, out of medium choices. (t has been mentioned numerous times in thishandbook, in con unction with any number of spells and abilities, and now we arrive

at the form itself. $he first ma or aspect of the bat!s power is their flight ability .

0esmodu hunting bats get a 6 ft. +good flight speed. $he speed is obviously

rather good, but what!s really attractive is the maneuverability. $here!s ust about

nothing out there that gets good at this level, and good represents a big ump over

average. (n particular you get hover, which is useful for summoning in midair, and

for any number of standard maneuvering things.


14/48

$he second factor in the bat!s favor is its de terity. With a de terity of 3 , the

desmodu hunting bat gets a 7 initiative modifier, a touch )* of 17, and

conse"uently, a normal )* of 3 . )dditionally, a high de terity means high ranged

and ranged touch attack rolls, and some powerful spells, like splinterbolt or blinding

spittle, make good use of that fact. $hat mod also gets applied to refle saves,

which makes for a nice bonus to what is by far your most lackluster save.@inally,

though it!s not available to you immediately, if you can gain the A abilities of your

wild shape forms, through things like enhance wild shape, e alted wild shape, or

master of many forms, then desmodu hunting bat grants you 13 ft. blindsense.

13 ft. blindsense is a highly powerful vision mode, allowing you to locate anything

within its radius, unconstrained by most things, including spot checks, blindness,

concealment, and even various illusions. While you need line of effect, and targetedattacks will still carry the miss chance provided by concealment, a good number of

the best druid spells are )oA!s anyway, so it!s not much of a hindrance. $his is

solidly one of the more powerful vision modes in the game, and enhance wild shape

and e alted wild shape are both cheap enough to allow easy access. &ou will also

incidentally gain scent, as well as an immunity to the stunning and screech effects

of desmodus, but those are "uite a bit less potent than blindsense.


15/48

?nfortunately for the desmodu hunting bat, the ama#ing advantages granted don!t

e tend to combat abilities. While the stat block appears to grant a decent 1 to

attack rolls, in actuality that benefit is coming from weapon finesse, and the feat

doesn!t carry over unless you run one of those A ability granters. $hus, you!re

limited to 3 4)4, which is less impressive. &ou do get a trip attack, which makes

you a bit better at beatsticking, and the high )* helps with taking blows, but it!s

ust not enough. &ou can cast bite of the wererat to grant yourself weapon finesse

for roundsBlevel, which also grants a 6 to de terity, but it!s a bit spell and action

intensive, and that price is high for the low damage attacks you get, trip or no trip.

?ltimately, the desmodu hunting bat is the mobile missile defense platform of the

wild shape world. &ou fly high above the battlefield, shrugging off attacks, and

casting spells down onto your enemies with impunity. $he desmodu hunting bateven remains reasonably competitive later on, owing to things like the blindsense,

good maneuverability, and high initiative, depending on what you!re comparing the

form to. $he desmodu hunting bat offers a ridiculous network of buffs, many of

which make your spell casting better, and it all adds up to a form that you should

be in as much as you can.

"ire Wolf - $his creature has rather low damage, with only a single attack dealing

1d8 1 , rather weak defenses, and no real utility that doesnCt apply directly tohitting enemies in the face. 2owever, it does have one asset of note, which is its

ability to trip. With a 11 on the trip check, and an above average 39 strength

making your bite attack relatively accurate, you wind up with better odds of tripping

than most options of this level. till, knocking someone prone only gets you so far,

especially with the limited reach and single attack that the dire wolf provides, so

this form isnCt great at controlling the battlefield. (f you ust want to trip folks, then

dire wolf is a reasonable option, but in the broader conte t of combat capabilities,

the weak chassis and only alright combat maneuver means that itCs not especially

high on the list.


16/48

"ung Sna!e (S', ) $he most important ability here, by a wide margin, is

enhance wild shape granted fast healing 1, a defensive power nigh on unattainable

otherwise at this level, unless of course you do the same thing with the glacier

snake listed further down. @ast healing 1 obviously isn!t going to make a massive

impact in combat, but it does mean that you!re likely to be fully charged before

every encounter, which is a nifty thing if you!re facing foes that!re likely to in ure

you without killing you out of nowhere. 4eyond that, enhance also gets you

immunity to disease and non=lethal cold damage, along with the usual scent and

low=light vision. ;n the chassis side, you only get a middling 19 )*, and a low

"uality bite constrict combo, but you do have a 3 ft. base, climb, and swim

speed, which is a pretty good setup. (f you!re using the dung snake, then, it!s

because you want that sweet low speed healing, and because you prefer this to thesomewhat worse glacier snake.

Eagle $he eagle is a creature mostly notable for one reason, which is that it!s

literally the only core flying form in this level range. (t!s certainly not bad in that

role, however. $he two biggest disadvantages, as compared to a higher end choice

like the desmodu hunting bat, are average maneuverability, making airborne

casting occasionally difficult, especially when summoning, and the relatively weak

stats, with only 1 )* and 3 to initiative. $he eagle does have one ma oradvantage over the bat, its 8 ft. flight speed, but even in that conte t it!s

overtaken by the pteranodon, which is listed lower in this section. $herefore, this is

mostly ust going to be an option when book limited, but flight is an important

enough asset to make it a critical form in that conte t.


17/48

Fleshra!er "inosaur ($$ %%%, *+) While the fleshraker isn!t "uite as strong in

wild shape form as it is in animal companion form, owing to both a lack of

advancement and the low payoff of personally engaging in melee combat, until you

hit large wild shape forms at level eight this is one of the only forms that makes

face beating a really viable plan. $he high )* of this form means that you!re not

losing defensive ground against the desmodu hunting bat, and the hyper=efficient

leaping pounce attack routine is one of the better combat styles you!re pulling out

at this level. &ou also get a 9 ft. move speed, which is very reasonable, and poison

damage on your attacks, which is even better, especially when combined with

venomfire. (t!s ust a form that is e cellent overall, sullied only by its lack of access

to alternate movement modes.

lacier Sna!e (S', *) Dike the dung snake listed higher in this section, the

glacier snake has fast healing 1, ac"uirable through enhance wild shape. ?nlike the

dung snake, however, the glacier snake is lacking a swim speed, the scent and

immunities gained through enhance, and the constrict ability. 2owever, also unlike

the dung snake, the glacier snake has 16 )* and a pair of attacks instead of ust

one. (n other words, the two forms are very similar, but (!d tend towards the more

"ualitative benefits of the dung snake over the strictly numeric capabilities of the

glacier snake, especially because those advantages don!t leave you with numbersyou can seriously rely on if you want to start attacking folks.


18/48

-eopard While not a match for the fleshraker on any level where pouncing combat

maneuvers are concerned, the leopard is notable as the big cat option in this level

range, and a capable pounce and grab option in core. Aven in core though, the

leopard still faces stiff competition from the deinonychus, which is a generally

superior physical combatant. 2owever, what both of these other creatures lack is

grappling capabilities, completely missing on the deinonychus, and only present

after the success of the rest of the combat maneuver chain on the fleshraker. Which

means that, despite the fact that it!s running only a 9 to the check, the leopard is

heavily reliant on its grappling abilities for its viability. ?ltimately, this is possibly

the best grappling form of this level, but the shallowness of that pool at medium

makes that only so impressive, so you really have to want that ability for this to be

worth your time.

.ight #unter "eep Bat ($oF, 1 ) $his is a nifty little alternative to the

desmodu hunting bat, primarily notable for its 9 ft. +perfect flight speed. $hat!s

pretty much it, really. $he night hunter has a poor 1 )*, and a much lower

initiative mod of >, but that flight speed is really something, with a

maneuverability that you rarely find otherwise. ( don!t know of any sources of

perfect maneuverability outside of this one among native wild shape options in this

level bracket, and it!s a thing that provides some uni"ue benefits, like free rotationand upward movement. $he night hunter also has a better attack routine than a

desmodu hunting bat, along with a crappy frightful presence that only hits 1 20

creatures, but those things aren!t particularly interesting. 5ealistically, a desmodu

hunting bat is ust about always going to be a better choice, especially as its 6 ft.

+good flight speed is actually going to be superior on occasion, but this form is

definitely a thing of interest, and might have some niche applications.


19/48

.ifern (S', /0) ?nlike the desmodu hunting bat, which is listed with blindsight

but later had its vision mode swapped to the weaker blindsense, the nifern has 6

ft. blindsight unchanged by any errata or update. $hus, this is the only non=a"uatic

form at this level to grant this very strong vision mode, with only a casting of

enhance wild shape standing between you and it. $he nifern is no slouch in other

areas either, with a reasonable four attack full attack, including a sting with

paraly#ing poison, a slightly above par for the level 16 )*, and even hold breath.

:oreover, while the nifern is blind, that fact doesn!t seem linked to the A special

"ualities that you!re picking up with enhance, so you presumably retain your native

vision capabilities. $he main draw to the nifern, then, is its superlative vision

capacity, which e ceeds ust about anything else you can pull off this level under

most circumstances, and you!re not losing a massive amount of creature value toget it.

orpoise $he porpoise is a creature e"uipped with possibly the best swim speed

available at this level range, at 8 feet, and that in and of itself makes it worthy of

note. ;n top of that though, you can also use enhance wild shape to grant 13 ft.

blindsight, which is an absolutely e cellent vision ability. $here!s a big downside to

this form though, and that is the lack of a"uatic subtype, without even hold breath

unless you!re running enhance. $hus, you really want something like heart of waterhere unless you!re hanging out near the surface for the most part, and at that point

you can ust bring in any old form, albeit a likely slower one. $he speed and vision

are the real upsides here, so if those aren!t enough for the situation, then you

should ust go with something like a medium shark.


20/48

teranodon ("ragon $aga2ine 3 1 , 6 ) While the pteranodon lacks a lot of

the assets that make the desmodu hunting bat so ama#ing, like its high )*, high

initiative, and enhance wild shape based sensory mode, it does have one ma or

ability above and beyond that of the bat. $hat being a massive < ft. +good flight

speed, something otherwise unattainable at this level without serious effort. &ou do

also have marginally superior combat ability, particularly in the form of the nifty

dive ability, but nothing besides that maneuverability comes close to making the

drop in other capabilities worth it. (t!s rare that even that increase will be worth the

change over, but as a rare high point in terms of movement modes, its something

to keep in mind.

Sailsna!e ($$ %4, 15*) )s with the animal companion version, this is a form

uni"uely skilled at ranged )oA debuffs, e ceeding the swindlespitter in this area.

$he big advantage to the sailsnake!s venom spray is that the 1d rounds of blinding

comes with only a fortitude save for half, rather than one to negate, meaning that

enemies in that 3 ft. cone will be blinded for a round or two at least 79E of the

time, assuming the opponents save every time, and those numbers go up when you

add in the chance of failing the save. $he sailsnake also tacks on a 3 ft. +poor

flight speed, which adds to the form!s ability to keep its distance while blinding

opponents. $he main disadvantages here are a slower recharge rate on the spray,si rounds instead of 1d meaning that you!re getting off about one shot a combat

to the swindlespitter!s two or three, and a lower )*, 19 to the swindlespitter!s 18.

4ut, neither of those factors detracts from the effectiveness of that single blast of

poison, and while same level options like the desmodu hunting bat make for far

better platforms for your already e istent ranged options, none can offer the same

intrinsic ability to disable opponents at low cost. :oreover, as with the companion

version, you can up the capabilities of this form a great deal by adding on

venomfire. (n essence, this turns the sailsnake!s venom spray from an automatic

blinding into a cra#y blinding fireball effect, lacking in any kind of save or roll. $his

shifts the sailsnake from pretty good to somewhere verging on great.


21/48

Shar!, $edium With a 6 ft. swim speed, and reasonable stats, the medium

shark is likely the best a"uatic form when restricted to medium forms. &ou can

access > ft. underwater blindsense and keen scent through enhance wild shape as

well, and those are big upsides. &ou can even beat down a little with a mediocre

bite attack, or at least you can beat down better than other a"uatic forms. (f you!re

not ust travelling underwater with a heart of water e"uipped fleshraker or demodu

bat, then this is really where you want to be when it comes to underwater travel.

Swindlespitter "inosaur ($$ %%%, *1) (n a world full of wild shape forms with

melee attacks, particularly the reachless melee attacks of the medium and small,

the swindlespitter!s ranged poison spray attacks are a nice thing to have. Granted,

poison spray isn!t e actly a great ranged attack, with its low save 0*, but it!s better

than nothing, and blinding folks has some utility. 4eyond that, the swindlespitter is

mostly notable for its reasonable defenses, with 18 )*, 9 initiative mod, and

uncanny dodge accessible through enhance wild shape. $he swindlespitter isn!t a

great form by any means, or even a particularly good one, but it!s reasonably

uni"ue at this level, and therefore something to keep in mind.


22/48

.e#el !ight (.arge,

Brown Bear olar Bear With 37 strength, improved grab, a pair of primary

natural attacks that trigger improved grab, and obviously, large si#e, the bear is a

prime grappling option for this level. $he real downside here is the bear!s 1>

de terity, which means a 1 initiative modifier, 19 )*, and a crappy refle save. (n

return, you get a hard hitting form that!s likely to grant grapple based victory when

that!s a thing you need, and that incidentally gets a > foot swim speed if you go

with the polar bear, because life is good like that on occasion.

7a8e 9n!ylosaurus ($ini#B, &/) While ( would generally prefer something

with a flight speed for the role, like a desmodu hunting bat, a very high 3 )*

makes the cave ankylosaurus a strong defensive option. :oreover, unlike those

aerial forms, the ankylosaurus offers something of an actual offense, with both a

solid tail attack and the ability to trample. $his isn!t the strongest defensive form

out there, but not ditching combat prowess makes the cave ankylosaurus a more

balanced option for that role than most.


23/48

7a8e :riceratops ($ini#B, & ) $his form is useful primarily due to the fact that

it represents your first access to both powerful charge and trample on one creature,

which makes for a highly synergistic melee combination. Fowerful charge deals

large "uantities of damage, in this case d6 13, but only if you!re closing with an

enemy. $his typically means that, in order to charge again, you need to either

change targets or take a turn backing up, otherwise relin"uishing that bonus

damage. $rample, meanwhile, allows you to take a full round action to deal damage

to anyone you move over while taking a double=move, which here is >d6 6

damage. $his means that, after charging a particular foe, you can move away while

still dealing damage, and then charge again. (t!s a good amount of damage, and in

a rather uni"ue form, which makes this a pretty good choice for melee combat. ;n

the chassis side, things are thoroughly average, with a > ft. movement speed and18 )*. othing particularly influential there.

"esmodu uard Bat ($$ %%, 6&) $he desmodu guard bat is, for the most part,

rather similar to the desmodu hunting bat, with the movement modes, )*, and A

abilities ac"uirable through enhance wild shape +e cept for scent, which the guard

bat does not have all holding e"ual across both forms. 2owever, there are some

key differences that are worth analysis. $he advantage of this form is that the

guard bat makes for a marginally better beat stick. )s a large creature, the guardbat!s bite deals 1d8 damage instead of 1d6, and instead of the attack bonus being

fueled by a high de terity combined with weapon finesse that you cannot use, the

guard bat runs a strength mod that!s one higher, meaning a slightly higher to hit

and damage. $he guard bat also has wounding instead of trip, which would

ordinarily be worse, but the tripping was unlikely to work anyway, so getting in

even more damage is likely to be better, especially against the more difficult

monsters you!ll be facing at this level.


24/48

$he ma or disadvantage of the desmodu guard bat, in comparison to the desmodu

hunting bat, is that it!s a bit worse on defense. While the total )* is the same

between the two forms, the desmodu hunting bat has a de terity modifier one

higher, which means a 3 to touch )* +when you factor in si#e , and a 1 to your

initiative modifier, ref save, and ranged +touch attacks. $he guard bat makes up for

this somewhat with a higher con mod, which grants a 3 to fortitude saves, and the

fact that the )* is coming from natural armor means a flat=footed )* one greater,

but the hunting bat is the likely victor in this e change, owing to the ever important

nature of initiative. :oreover, the fact that the hunting bat is smaller can be

inherently advantageous, as it makes it easier to fit in places or hide, while the

guard bat!s greater si#e contributes little to the form!s core competency. $hat!s

really what makes the hunting bat a more effective form than the guard bat, whenall is said and done. $he desmodu guard bat sacrifices some degree of defense for

some degree of offense, and with forms meant for defense, that!s not what you

want to be doing most of the time. $he guard bat might have the advantage in

some cases, if you want an increased ability to eat away at life points, but in most

situations, you should likely stick to the desmodu hunting bat.

"ire Bat (f you!re stuck in a core only environment, then this is where flying forms

start getting good. $he big break point from other forms, as usual, is that ft.flight speed with +good maneuverability, allowing you to hover in place as you sling

your spells. ;n the stat side, the dire bat is running an above average 3 )*, along

with a 6 initiative modifier, and your typical low "uality bite attack. ;n top of that,

if you happen to have access to the spell compendium in your low book game, then

you can make use of enhance wild shape for ft. blindsense. ;verall, the dire at is

a form that!s significantly worse than more obscure forms like the desmodu hunting

bat, but it!s still a strong set of stats in its own right.


25/48

"ire -ion With pounce, backed up by the classic clawBclawBbiteBrakeBrake with

improved grab attack routine, the dire lion is a classic beatstick. ) big selling point

is this creature!s 39 strength, almost as much as a brown bear, allowing for top of

the line accuracy and damage on your attacks. $he big downside here is that you

only get 19 )*, which you might need to boost some if you want to act as a

primary melee. )t the same time though, the main goal here is to put up a strong

enough offense that your opponents don!t have time to give you something to

defend against, and the dire lion is one of the better forms at this level for

accomplishing that.

"ire Barracuda (Storm, 1*/) (n most respects, the dire barracuda is a strictly

superior version of the large shark, if not by much. &ou get a better movement

speed +8 ft. , better )* +17 , the ability to charge three times your movement

speed instead of two, and even a slightly better attack. (n point of fact, the only

real advantage the shark has is what you get through enhance wild shape, which is

only low=light vision and scent for a barracuda, but blindsense and keen scent for a

shark. )s a result, the dire barracuda is a nigh on unmatched a"uatic form for this

level if you!re after speed, but if you!re planning to run enhance then you may be

better off with the shark.


26/48


27/48

.e#el 2ine

Smilodon (Frost, 11 ) $he smilodon is a creature that comes one level after the

polar bear, and that mostly acts as an upgrade for your grappling based desires.

$here are a few downsides here, like the grapple modifier at attack bonus being

reduced by one, the switch to bite as your primary attack, and the loss of swim

speed, but there!s a lot to make up for it. @irst and foremost, the smilodon gets

pounce, with a pair of fancy rake attacks to go with it, which is an ama#ing ability.

econd, the smilodon triggers improved grab off of all three iteratives, and the two

claw attacks occur at only a =3 compared to the bite, which all means a likely

greater chance of initiating a grapple. @inally, you get a nifty 1 to your de mod,

which doesn!t change )* in this case, but which does change other pertinent details

like initiative, refle save, and touch )*. ;verall though, it is the pounce which

makes the most difference, allowing you to leap into combat, hit a bunch of times,

and likely grapple, where your bear shape!d predecessor would be clawing a single

time, and often struggling to land a full attack at all.

-e8el Ele8en (:iny)


28/48

$he addition of tiny creatures is a somewhat useful one, but that has very little to

do with the creatures being particularly useful. $he list of tiny plants and animals is

vanishingly small, and contains no creatures with abilities or statistics that are

better than what you were getting before. (nstead, the main thing you gain through

tiny creatures is the power intrinsic to becoming tiny. $hese are the most

inconspicuous creatures you can become, capable of sneaking away into the

shadows, or hiding behind nothing but their apparent weakness. $he specific

creatures don!t matter much, however, and perhaps the biggest advantage to any

given tiny creature is a situational one, defined by how inconspicuous a creature

would be in a given place. ometimes a cat is going to make the most sense for an

area, and sometimes you think a hawk would fit in better. $he only real ability that

provides crucial differences is flight, and for that, you should probably ust go witha hawk. ot much more to it than that. )s a result of this mechanical

weaknessBsameness, it!s not particularly worth delving into the nature of individual

options, especially because the best ones are all right there in core.


29/48

.e#el T'el#e ($lant,

Briar8e< ($$ %4, 56) While the briarve has reasonable punching ability, along

with a decent )* of 1


30/48

econd, you get split as a special attack. $his ability causes you to split into two

burrow roots when you!re reduced to half your health. either you nor the child

plant can split 3 hours after a split, but you can likely lose and retake your burrow

root form to bypass this issue, and even if you can!t, an army will build up fast. $he

real issue is that it!s never made clear what allegiance these burrow roots have to

you, or what control you can e ert. (t!s a fu##y issue, though perhaps not an

insoluble one, and even an uncontrolled mob of plant monsters is a mob of plant

monsters, and that!s a thing that you can make use of. 0o note though that this

ability occurs automatically, and spawning a plant creature in the middle of combat

can be both help and hindrance.

$hird, you get a few other things that are a fair sight less interesting. (n addition to

the speed burrow ability, you also get 3 ft. standard burrowing. )s for defenses,

you get a highly reasonable 33 )*, and the burrow root!s ability to beat enemies up

is far from the worst with a 36 in strength. @inally, the base creature has both > ft.

blindsight and 6 ft. tremorsense, and those can be picked up with enhance wild

shape. ?ltimately, the burrow root makes for a well rounded wild shape forms with

a few out there abilities. (!d mostly recommend it if you!re interested in the latter,

but incidentally picking up the former is a good deal. +*redit to Fheli =:u.


31/48

"emonthrorn $andra!e ($$ 4, +) $he demonthron mandrake!s greatest

abilities are its two ranged offensive techni"ues, spore pod and tangle root. $he

former shoots a pod with a range of > feet and a burst that hits a 1 ft. area, and

deals 1d8 damage immediately, five more on each of your turns, and then another

1d8 if they!re pulled off. $hey can also be removed with holy water or by passing

one of the 0* 16 fortitude saves that pops up each round. $he damage here is

definitely not stellar, but it!s safe and consistent, two things that you really want

when trying to attrition opponents out. $hat brings things to the second ability,

which holds you immobile but allows you to maintain an entangling effect out to >

feet. $he overall impact is a creature that!s pretty good at locking opponents down

and slowly killing them, though you!ll definitely want to augment that with spells if

you really want to pull it off. (t might even be more accurate to say that thisaugments your natural spell based attrition efforts. &ou can also pick up

tremorsense to feet with enhance wild shape, along with electricity and fire

resistance 1 , and those abilities can also help with lock=down efforts a bit if you!re

so inclined.

"ire Bear $he dire bear is the natural progression from the brownBpolar bear, and

while it!s not that much better, the advantages it has, aside from the loss of the

polar bear!s swim speed, are basically strict ones. (n the conversion, you gain strength, 3 )*, and your damage dice for your claw and bite attacks are a bit

bigger, going from 1d8 to 3d on the claws, and 3d6 to 3d8 on the bite. $he end

result here is that the previous bears are completely overshadowed, with the main

"uestion being whether what is essentially a brown bear is still competitive at this

level. )nd, while there is certainly harsher competition at this slot given the pile of

plants on offer, you!re still working with a solid and well rounded grappling form

here.


32/48

%ronthorn (Sand, 166) $he ultimate goal of this form, when all is said and done,

is to hit your opponents with its poison. $his is for the simple reason that the

poison deals 1d minutes of paralysis, which basically means that any enemy you

hit it with is dead. $he path to that poison is a bit more involved than usual though,

re"uiring that you both hit your opponent with one of your two vine rake attacks,

and then successfully grapple them, before having them fail their save.

?nfortunately, while the ironthorn!s 39 in constitution gives that poison a higher

chance of success than is typical, its low 17 in strength makes getting that hit and

grapple in more difficult. $he 19 ft. range on the vines helps, but hitting a powerful

opponent is going to take some strength boosting, or a lot of attempts.

?nderlying that sometimes deadly attack routine is a highly potent defensive setup.

$he ironthorn has 3 )* and only a 1 ft. base movement speed, which turns you

into something of a tank. otably, enhance wild shape adds 6 ft. blindsense, which

is a pretty good vision mode, and 05 9Bslashing or bludgeoning, which ( guess is

better than nothing. $he )* is probably the greatest asset, however, right near the

top of the range for wild shape forms. ;verall, between the low strength and the

low speed, the ironthorn is a form that takes a bit of work to find high "uantities of

effectiveness, but that poison is awesome enough to make that sort of investment

worth it.

'elp 9ngler (FF, 115) $he kelp angler, with its powerful mi of standard and

enhance wild shape based abilities, is "uite possibly the best defensive form on land

or in water, at least at this level, though you might need a workaround for your lack

of ability to breathe air. ;n the chassis side, the kelp angler has 31 )*, a 6

initiative modifier, a 3 ft. speedB6 ft. swim speed, and four reasonably powerful

tendril attacks that you can improved grab medium or smaller creatures with. (t!s

nothing e traordinary, but it!s the sort of chassis that!s never going to be especially

bad. (t!s somewhat reminiscent of the desmodu hunting bat setup, e cept with

swimming instead of flight.


33/48

$hen you get into the enhance wild shape accessible abilities, and things get

ba#onkers. $his form gets blindsight out to 1 feet, which might ust be the best

vision mode natively accessible with wild shape, especially when you consider the

fact that you see normally when it!s shut down, immunity to cold and bludgeoning

along with fire resistance 3 , which is on top of those standard plant immunities,

regeneration with a weakness to acid, which is a weakness that can be dealt with

easily enough with energy immunity, and even a 1 competence bonus on hide

checks. (t!s ust so damn much defensive might, capable of shrugging off most 2F

damage with ease, and spotting enemies with its blindsight before they can become

troublesome. $he fact that you!ll often need to invest in order to make use of the

kelp angler on land, along with the need to use a spell with each use, means that

this form is one of the more costly ones out there. 2owever, with all of thoseabilities there for the taking, this is a price well worth paying.

-egendary Eagle ($$ %%, 1 6) 2ere, all the way at 13 20, is the first serious

competition to the desmodu hunting bat for the role of best flying form. :ost of the

eagle!s stats are definitely a step up from those of the bat, with a 1 foot fly speed

instead of 6 , a 11 initiative mod instead of 7, 39 )* instead of 3 , a somewhat

better attack routine, and even a constitution mod two higher.

?nfortunately though, the legendary eagle suffers from two ma or disadvantages.

@irst, the eagle is running a maneuverability of average rather than good, which

mostly means that you lose hover. $he big implication of that loss is that it!s

significantly harder to cast spells with a one round casting time, particularly

summon nature!s ally. $his generally means skipping out on those spells, increasing

maneuverability +likely with a pectoral of maneuverability , or reducing the casting

time of those spells, or at least the relevant ones +hitting ust summons is easier .

econd, the legendary eagle lacks the ability to gain blindsense through enhance

wild shape, which is a big loss. ;verall, if you can bypass these issues, or otherwise

don!t care about them, then this is a better choice of creature, but if those losses

are a deal breaker, then this obviously isn!t the defensive flying form you want.


34/48

$yconid So8ereign ($$ %%, 1&*) $he myconid sovereign is a creature only

notable for its array of spore abilities, each usable a number of times e"ual to your

20. 4y far the most interesting spore ability is animation, which allows you to cover

a corpse with fungus which reanimates it in 1d days, after which point it acts as a

#ombie=like creature for 1d6 weeks before crumbling into dust. (t!s not entirely

clear what level of control you have over these creatures, but there is a strong

implication that you can order them around, especially as they!re called %servants'.

e t, you get a pair of single target save or H abilities, pacification and

hallucination, which da#e and confuse the target, respectively. $he 0* seems to be

fi ed at 19, so you!re not running a high rate of success here, though the effects

are strong enough that you might want to run them if you have nothing better to do

with your actions.

$he third ability you gain, rapport, allows you to open telepathic communication

with your party, albeit in > =6 minute bursts, and in a range of 13 feet. $his

might even hold up outside of a wild shape, though this is a usage with pretty

limited application, given the duration. till, given an average telepathy time of 9

minutes +it!s not entirely clear how you determine where on the duration spectrum

you fall , this will run for < hours of speech limitation bypassing goodness at level

13. $he final ability, reproduction, is rather odd, allowing you to germinate newmyconids. $his ability has even less clear wording than animation, but you might be

able to make some plant friends this way, which is nifty. ?ltimately, most of these

abilities are pretty mediocre, especially when attached to the lackluster myconid

sovereign chassis, with its 13 )* and 3 foot base speed. $hey!re certainly

interesting, so you might want to toss this form out there on occasion for that

reason, but mostly you!re in it for the plant=fueled animate dead. $his is ust about

the closest things a druid gets to native #ombie creation, and any minionmancy is

good minionmancy. $here doesn!t even seem to be an 20 cap on servants, so you

could plausibly put together a meat=puppet army, which is an ama#ing thing.


35/48


36/48


37/48

.e#el Thirteen

-egendary 9pe While the legendary ape can certainly beatstick on its own, withits reasonable attack routine, including a fancy rend, in that role it!s usually going

to be inferior to other creatures. $hus, what you!re really hoping to get out of the

legendary ape is a base creature for manufactured weapon use, which usually

means a "uarterstaff. (n this role, the legendary ape, with its > strength, 1< )*,

and obviously its handedness, e cels. :oreover, as noted before, you can even beat

face in the standard way when the duration of your "uarterstaff based buffs run

out. Juarterstaff use isn!t really the best druid archetype out there, but if it!s one

you want to pursue, then this is about as good as it gets without some access to

alternate forms.


38/48

.e#el Fi1teen (6uge,

"ire :ortoise (Sand, 1&1) - While there are several other things that make diretortoise a desirable wild shape form, and those things will be covered later, if you!re

a dire tortoise it is ultimately for one reason alone. $hat reason, to put it simply, is

lightning strike. Dightning strike is a special attack that causes you to always act in

the surprise round, no matter what, always. (n ordinary combat situations, where

you and your enemy see each other at the same time, lightning strike represents a

free standard action at the beginning of combat. (f your enemy attempts to sneak

up on you, then lightning strike will eliminate the advantage that the enemy would

otherwise gain. :oreover, unlike a normal dire tortoise, who can only capitali#e on

this advantage with ordinary attacks, you are a druid, and a free standard action

could easily represent an ended encounter. @or these reasons, dire tortoise form

represents the best action economy manipulation that druids get access to, and you

should thus be a dire tortoise as much as possible, as soon as you gain access to

the form. @or best results, combine lightning strike with a belt of battle, so that you

get two standard actions at the beginning of combat, or with foresight, so that

you!re always getting the first shot, instead of occasionally splitting it with your

unknown assailant.


39/48

While lightning strike is enough to singlehandedly make dire tortoise the best

natively accessible wild shape form in the game, it is not an ability that comes in a

vacuum, and the stats on a dire tortoise are decent, if not ama#ing. 0ire tortoises

come with 39 )*, which is right at the peak of armor class, they have a 3 ft.

speed that comes in both normal and burrowing flavors, which is low but not

cripplingly so, and they get a trampling attack which comes attached to a rather

high 36 strength. (f the dire tortoise has one ma or issue, it is that it has a

de terity of 6. $his means an initiative of =3, which makes getting the first round

after the surprise round, as well as getting the first surprise round, somewhat

difficult, and it simultaneously means a touch )* of 6. $his deficit doesn!t make the

dire tortoise much less ama#ing, but it hits your action economy manipulation a

little, and it!s a deficit that!s well worth patching up, perhaps with some de item,or a daily casting of primal instinct. (n any case, whatever else happens, dire

tortoise is still dire tortoise, and that makes for some game breaking power.


40/48

%ronmaw (FF, 1+*) ;ut of all the combat wild shape forms, the ironmaw might

ust be the oddest and most effective, all in a neat bundle. ;n the surface, this is a

pretty standard combat form, with a four tendril primary attack, supported by >

strength, as well as a save against constitution damage and > damageBround

wounding on a successful hit, the capacity to pull enemies in and engulf them, and

a nifty bite attack. $hen you notice that the tendrils have a range of 6 feet. $hat!s

ust a cra#y thing right there, with all of the secondary benefits of a melee weapon

+no )o;!s on an attack, )o;!s on your opponents, combat maneuvers, and those

little status effects that rarely show up on ranged attacks , tied together with what

could pass for a ranged weapon in most situations. (t!s not a thing you see very

often, and the fact that wild shape so rarely provides damage at range makes it

even better. (f that were the end of things, the ironmaw would still be a capableform, but that offensive capacity is compounded by reasonable defensive capability.

Without doing anything, the ironmaw has a top of the line 39 )*, and a casting of

enhance wild shape grants cold and electricity immunity, acid and sonic resistance

1 , 5 > , and 05 19Bmagic and slashing. ;verall, the ironmaw is a great form for

whenever you want to beat down, fully capable of consuming face and taking hits,

and is only really kept from the top of the pile by the e istence of dire tortoise

form.


41/48

Octopus :ree (FF, 1 +) )bove all else, the octopus tree is notable for being a

massive beatstick on land and sea alike. @rom an offensive standpoint, this is

primarily accomplished through its barrage of eight grappling tentacles, which even

allow for a swallow whole against opponents two or more si#e categories smaller

+which is a decent range on a huge creature , as well as its bite attack. $his is all

supported by a very high > strength, for solid accuracy and damage alike. &ou also

ust happen to have frightful presence, which isn!t massively impactful, but it helps.

;n the defensive side of things, without enhance wild shape it mostly comes down

to your 38 )*, and with enhance wild shape you get to compound that with

regeneration 1 +e cept against fire and cold, which are easy enough to defend

against separately , as well as immunity to acid, and maybe plant traits. )ll of

these things add up to a form that can dish out really large amounts of damagewithout putting you in significant danger, and that!s a strong thing to have.

S>uid, iant $his is a form akin to the giant octopus, e cept with a better attack

routine. Where the octopus is running eight tentacle attacks, and a 19 on the

grapple checks it uses with improved grab, the s"uid has tentacles, and a grapple

mod of 3 , but

this is an advantage tempered somewhat by the s"uid!s lack of land speed. &ouhave to put in more work to get this form on land as a result, which makes this

more environmentally limited. 4eyond that, the two forms are pretty similar, the

s"uid sharing the octopus! ink cloud and et abilities, and running higher base

tentacle damage but lower constrict damage. Kust as its predecessor, the giant

s"uid makes for a reasonable grappling form, especially if you!re in need of

something a"uatic for whatever reason.

?doroot (@ #, 51*) $he udoroot is a creature with no strength, no de terity,


42/48

and above all, no movement speed. 2owever, it is a creature with one big

advantage, and that is double manifest, which allows you to use to psi=like abilities

a turn. ow, if you!re paying attention, you!ll notice that druids don!t e actly have

psi=like abilities, and wild shape doesn!t give them to you, which makes this a big

heap of nothing. 2owever, in gestalt games, psionic classes make for highly

powerful second sides to druid, and because the manifesting granted by a psionic

class is a psi=like ability , combining this form with those classes makes for a

powerful little action economy breaker. )fter that, you ust need to pick up any kind

of movement speed, whether it be snowshoes, heart of fire, or master air, and

you!re good to go.

Aellow $us! 7reeper (FF, 10+) @irst and foremost, the yellow musk creeper

form is notable for its ability to create and command yellow musk #ombies by

draining the intelligence of living creatures. $his is a rather effective, if difficult,

form of minionmancy, and it makes the myconid sovereign into the natural point of

comparison. 2owever, where the myconid sovereign has heavy tendencies towards

out of combat, the yellow musk creeper doubles as an effective combat form, a

necessity given the need to ensnare opponents for #ombification. 5ight at the

outset, the yellow musk creeper has some reasonable combat utility, running a

decent 17 )*, a ranged touch attack musk puff which disables opponents anddoubles as your main method of #ombification, and a bunch of weak vine whip

attacks to use in a pinch.

Where this form really shines though, outside of the #ombies, is in its enhance wild

shape granted abilities. $he spell grants both regeneration 9 and blindsight out to

> feet +which doesn!t inhibit normal vision , and that!s a pair of highly potent

defensive abilities. Fossibly the biggest downside to this form is the terrible 9 ft.

movement speed, but that can be mitigated through spell use. )ll in all, while the

myconid sovereign has definite advantages, primarily in the form of non=animation

spore abilities, the yellow musk creeper has enough in its favor to be competitive. (

would advise using myconid sovereign when you have a lot of downtime, and yellow

musk creeper when you e pect some conflict.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm#psiLikeAbilitieshttp://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm#psiLikeAbilitieshttp://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm#psiLikeAbilitieshttp://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm#psiLikeAbilities


43/48


44/48

.e#el Si"teen (!lementals,9ir Elemental, -arge $he large air elemental is the penultimate creature in the

flying defensive line of forms. *ompared to the desmodu hunting bat, the large air

elemental features a superior 1 ft. +perfect flight speed, an also superior 11

initiative, and a tertiarily superior attack routine. :oreover, due to the nature of

elemental wild shape, you also gain the elemental!s odd abilities and feats, like

whirlwind form, 05 9B=, combat refle es, and above all, all of those wacky

elemental immunities like to critical hits and stunning.

;n the downside part of the e"uation, the large air elemental features two, one

each to the desmodu hunting bat and legendary eagle. @irst, compared to the bat,

the elemental lacks that ever=critical ability to gain blindsense, and second,

compared to the eagle, the elemental is down five points of )*. ;verall though,

neither of these issues is really ma or enough to ustify using those creatures over

the elemental, so if you have uses of elemental wild shape, and you seek a

defensive flying form, then this should be your choice in this level range.

Earth Elemental, -arge While the large earth elemental runs halfway decent

combat stats, they!re nothing compared to the capacity of non=elemental forms at

this level. (nstead, the actually interesting thing about earth elementals is their

earth glide ability. Aarth glide is certainly similar to burrow, an ability reasonably

common on wild shape forms, but where other forms tend to be somewhat limited

in the materials you can move through, andBor low movement speeds, the earth

elemental can move through anything but metal, and maintains its base speed of

3 ft. (t!s a bit underwhelming for 16th level, especially factoring in the lack of

sensory modes like tremorsense to pinpoint enemies while hidden below the earth,

but it!s a reasonable ability to have.


45/48

Fire Elemental, -arge @ire elementals are rather the weak link of the elemental

family, and it wasn!t the strongest family in the first place. ;stensibly, your main

asset in this form is damage, as you get to set enemies on fire as you deal damage

already superior to that of other elementals, but the big problem with that plan is

that your damage in this form is woefully below par in the larger universe of wild

shape forms at this level. ( mean, it!s not bad damage, but it!s nowhere near good

enough to ustify it being your only thing, and it is pretty much your only thing in

this form. &ou don!t get those high power movement modes that other elementals

get, and that ability, over anything else, is what made these forms even remotely

worth picking. ( guess the spontaneous fire immunityBcold vulnerability could come

in handy at some point, because you probably need to spend a spell otherwise, but

it!s really a corner case scenario. (t doesn!t help that a big chunk of your damage isvulnerable to fire resistance, putting your damage lower than even that offered by

other elementals.

:riceratops $his creature is akin to the cave triceratops of eight levels ago, with

the ability to both charge in for a mess of damage, and trample on the way out to

deal damage while preparing another charge. A cept it!s, y!know, a lot bigger. $he

damage and accuracy in both directions is significantly higher, befitting a 16th level

melee form, and the most notable change is sheer si#e, because hugeness enablesyou to trample more enemies. )s melee forms go, this one is pretty good, though

despite the rare synergies inherent in its combat style, it!s definitely not

spectacular. &our big payoff, after all, is ust a d8 3 charge, which is a little

underwhelming at this level without some non=damaging elements.


46/48

Water Elemental, -arge While not nearly on the same level of beat stickery as

the giant s"uid from the level previous, the large water elemental does have its

advantages. $his form features a great < ft. swim speed, an actually e istent 3

ft. land speed, 05 9B=, and a solid 3 )* as the basic numeric stuff. 4eyond that,

water elemental picks up vorte , which is reasonable as combat abilities go, drench,

which could maybe come up in a weird situation, and even cleave, great cleave, and

power attack as feats. $he giant s"uid is solidly a better option if you ever e pect to

get into combat, because it!s an actively e cellent combat form, but the large water

elemental can be useful if you value that moderate boost in some non=melee

abilities over melee advantage on any scale.

.e#el !ighteen

"ire olar Bear (Frost, 11&) $he big feature here is >< strength, which is at ust

about the peak for wild shape forms. $his means that the traditional bear

clawBclawBbite with an improved grab bonus occurs at a level of accuracy and

damage that ust doesn!t occur anywhere else, especially when you factor in its

huge si#e boosting both grappling ability and damage. Averything else is ust

completely standard bear, with nothing especially une pected. Whether that highest

end bear capability is enough for your purposes at this level is somewhat

"uestionable, but if a bear is what you need for whatever reason, then this is top of

the line.


47/48

.e#el T'enty (6uge !lementals,

9ir Elemental, #uge )nd here we come to the ultimate form in the series of

defensive flying creatures. )part from si#e sometimes getting in the way, the huge

air elemental has no disadvantages compared to the large air elemental, and there

is a good number of advantages. (n particular, you get an e tra )*, a 3 to

initiative, strength, de terity, and 3 constitution, with the impact on saves

and attacks that that implies, the e tra benefits granted by increased si#e,

particularly as applies to whirlwind, and finally, alertness, mobility, and spring

attack as e tra feats. ?ltimately, if you want to use a wild shape use on defensive

flying, and you might easily not in a world where dire tortoise and shapechange

dominate, then this here is the form for you.

Earth Elemental, #uge $his is mostly like the large earth elemental, but there

are some reasonable advantages to this form over that form. $he biggest benefit

offered here is probably the increase in movement speed from 3 ft. to > ft.,

because if you!re only taking a form for a movement mode, best to have that

movement mode as high as possible. ;f secondary benefit are some reasonable

advancements in melee ability. 2uge si#e offers its own advantages, and that!s

compounded with a strength, as well as awesome blow and improved bull rush

as bonus feats. &ou also get iron will, which is a kinda nifty thing. ;verall, this is a

form that, while still not particularly impressive, is at least somewhat more

impressive than the large version.

Fire Elemental, #uge )s the large fire elemental before it, the huge fireelemental is a form mostly set apart from its peers by a combination of e tra fire

damage and fire immunity. )nd, as the large fire elemental before it, the huge fire

elemental falls far behind competing options in the fields of both fire immunity and

big damage. )s such, while this is better than the large fire elemental in most

relevant ways, it!s still a rather poor e cuse for a form, especially at this level.


48/48

Water Elemental, #uge Dike the large water elemental, the huge water

elemental is a solid but not top of the line a"uatic form, and like other huge

elementals, the huge water elemental represents an upgrade but not a massive

one. 4ecause the emphasis of the water elemental is on speed and defense, the

biggest gains on this form come in the form of a 13 ft. movement speed, 31 )*,

initiative, and both alertness and iron will as e tra feats. ;n top of that,

upgrading to huge also comes with some offensive boost, from an increase in attack

power alongside greater force behind the vorte ability. )ll in all, while the huge

water elemental may lag behind some other forms +giant s"uid, mostly , it has the

advantage of being a well balanced form with a top notch swim speed.

Documents

Being Everything Wild Shape