D&D 5E Alternative Wildshape Rules

[Hawk Diesel]

[MENTION=57494]Xeviat[/MENTION]

So I've been doing a lot of consideration of 5e mechanics lately, and I've finally gotten to tackle the Druid, at least in part. In my opinion, Wildshape is one of the most problematic abilities in the game for the following reasons.

1) I find that CR is a terrible method for standardizing character class abilities. There is just too much variability across a given CR, even more so than the variability you might find between spells of a given level.

2) The changes to the character are dramatic. This requires more record keeping and preparation for players. This is especially bad for new players.

3) There is high potential to slow down the game.

4) The Monster Manual should not be a player resource like a spell section of the PHB.

So, what is the point of Wildshape, and what are we trying to achieve with the ability? Do we want a simulationist approach where the goal is for player to actually assume the exact statistics of the creature? Or do we want changes that allow the character to have improved exploration, movement, and combat options, but exact changes or fidelity to the assumed "form" are less important? And what about druids who wish to transform into other creatures? Shouldn't wildshape just as easily support concepts that could be "skinned" as monsters, giant insects, or lycanthropes? If so, obviously the statistics of such creatures are less important, since by the current rules such creatures are either too powerful or otherwise prohibited.

So I have a couple of goals with my new design.

1) Wild shape changes are streamlined and minimized. You can track any necessary changes within the space of your normal character sheet.

2) Wild shape changes reduce potential to slow down the game. Slow down occurs when you are flipping through the Monster Manual, trying to figure out which form will give you the most benefit in the given situation, needing to find your pre-printed additional sheets for your various Wild Shape forms, or for new players needing to find information because the format for creatures is different than the format of your character sheet.

3) Wild shape changes eliminate using the Monster Manual and future supplements as a necessary player resource, also limiting power creep. Additionally, the distinction between what is a "natural beast" versus "Magical Beast" versus every other creature type in the Monster Manual is artificial. Wild Shape should be broad enough to provide space for players to have greater freedom regarding how their particular druid uses wild shape, while maintaining a standardized format.

4) Wild shape changes make the Druid class more accessible to new players and reduces complexity, need for player preparation, and record keeping.

5) Wild Shape changes from a simulationist ability with specific rules for each form into a more narrative ability (I have no idea if that is the right word I'm looking for) that broadens how Wild Shape is executed while still addressing the underlying problems that Wild Shape was meant to solve. [This design goal was added in EDIT #4]

So here is what I've developed to address these problems and achieve my desired goals. I am still working on the wording of the abilities, so please point out any ways to improve clarity or wording in the style of typical 5e language.

Wild Shape
At 2nd level your connection to nature allows you to take on the forms and characteristics of the wild. On your turn, you can enter a Wild Shape as an action.

While in Wild Shape, you gain the following benefits if you:

• You may change your size to Tiny, Small, Medium, or Large
• You gain Temp HP equal to half your druid level (rounded up). Any remaining Temp HP are lost when you revert to your normal form.
• You Speed becomes 40ft with your Primary Movement Mode and 20ft with your Secondary Movement Mode
• You gain Darkvision 60ft
• You gain advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
• When you first enter Wild Shape, choose Strength (Athletics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), Dexterity (Stealth), or Widsom (Survival). For the duration of your current Wild Shape, you gain advantage on the chosen ability checks.
• You gain a natural attack that is modified by your strength or dexterity bonus (your choice). It deals 1d4 damage. At the time of your wild shape you can choose the form your attack takes. Options include claw/slashing, bite/piercing, slam/bludgeoning, or venom/poison. Once this option is chosen, you cannot change it until you enter a different Wild Shape form.

You cannot cast spells while in Wild Shape, but you can maintain concentration on any ongoing spells, as well as take actions that are part of the ongoing spell.

Your Wild Shape lasts for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. If you are knocked unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die your revert to your normal form. You can also end your Wild Shape on your turn as a bonus action.

Once you have used Wild Shape two times, you must finish a short or long rest before you can Wild Shape again.

[sblock=Reasoning]This is meant for all druids (Moon or otherwise) to be able to move around quickly, act as a scout (hence advantage on Perception and Stealth checks), be able to absorb a bit of damage if they encounter a trap or ambush (hence the Temp HP), and to be able to do something if forced into a fight. This is not meant to be a form you could fight in. If you are a non-Moon Druid, you will probably end your Wild Shape and go with your spellcasting in a fight. If you are a Moon Druid, you're going to have your Combat Wild Shape abilities.

Also I understand that this Wild Shape form requires a bit of MAD. That is intentional. No Druid should be using this form for combat or saving throws unless they have no choice. This form is strictly for the exploration stage of the game. Would anyone feel comfortable adding a Wild Shape mechanic to the Wizard? Don't forget that in addition to Wild Shape, Armor, and higher HP, Druids are full casters. To give them more than this as a basic ability without archetype enhancement seems too strong for balance purposes. Druids should be relatively on par with a Bard. In terms of complexity, I see this Wild Shape ability to be relatively on par with a Barbarian's Rage class feature.[/sblock]

Movement Modes
When you first enter your Wild Shape, you can choose a Primary and Secondary movement mode. Once your movement mode is chosen, it remains for the duration of your Wild Shape. You can change your movement modes with subsequent uses of Wild Shape. The movement mode options available to you are based on your druid level, as determined by the chart below.

Druid Level - Movement Modes
2 - Walking, Climbing
4 - Swimming (Placing Swim Speed as your primary movement mode gives you the ability to breathe water)
6 - Burrow (Can only be placed as your secondary movement mode)
8 - Flying, Spider Climb

[sblock=Reasoning]I think allowing druids access to choose their movement modes and to combine multiple types allows flexibility in how they design their own wild shape based on the problem they are attempting to solve.[/sblock]

Circle of the Moon Druids gain the following Wild Shape options at 2nd level and 10th level respectively.

Combat Wild Shape
When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you gain the ability to use Wild Shape on your turn as a bonus action, rather than as an action.

Additionally, your Wild Shape changes as follows:

• You gain Temp HP equal to your druid level. Any remaining Temp HP are lost when you revert to your normal form.
• You may use your normal AC or 10 + Dexterity modifier + Wisdom modifier (whichever is higher).
• Your natural attack increases to 1d8, and is modified by your wisdom score for attack and damage. The damage of your natural attack increases to 2d8 at level 5, 3d8 at level 11, and 4d8 at level 17.

Finally, while you are transformed by Wild Shape, you can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended.

[sblock=Reasoning]This gives you a decent amount of Temp HP, Unarmored Defense as an option if better than your normal AC, and a cantrip-like natural attack that is modified by wisdom. Combined with sacrificing spell slots to fuel your own healing as a bonus action, this should theoretically accomplish what most of a normal Moon Druid's forms could achieve at their given level. They won't get the various rider's or abilities such as grapple, constrict, poison, charge, and so on. I don't know how I want to address that. My eyeball tells me its ok as is, but adding a rider upon the attack might not be a bad idea either. Or perhaps allowing you to use a bonus action to grapple/shove/disarm would provide a relative equivalent to most riders found among beast options in the Monster Manual.

As most of your abilities will be in some way modified by Wisdom, it reduces MAD. Yes, you do maintain your save proficiencies and skill proficienies. Some may see this as a problem. But I don't. Wildshape should be able to be reasonably able to engage in combat compared to a fighter, barbarian, or paladin. They will do similar damage to the Fighter, have similar AC to the Barbarian, increased HP relative to their own, and at will healing as a bonus action to keep them going. Why would they need much more than that?[/sblock]

Elemental Wildshape
At 10th level, you can expend two uses of Wild Shape at the same time to transform into an elemental. When you use this ability you assume your Combat Form with the following adjustments:

• You gain Temp HP equal to twice your druid level. Any remaining Temp HP are lost when you revert to your normal form.
• When you wild shape into your elemental form you can choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. For the duration of your wild shape your attacks now deal the chosen damage type.
• For the duration of your wild shape you gain immunity to the damage type chosen at the start of your wild shape.

[sblock=Reasoning]You now get to choose a flexible damage type and energy immunity, with double temp HP, for the cost of 2 wild shape uses. As a frontline combatant, that is a pretty good bonus in my opinion compared to a fighter, paladin, or barbarian.

To me, this allows you to represent becoming an elemental in a way that is "good enough" without also taking on the NUMEROUS resistances, immunities, and additional combat abilities.[/sblock]

EDIT: Added reasoning bubbles beneath each ability.

EDIT #2: Combined the Swift and Exploration forms into a singe one. There wasn't enough differentiating them to merit both existing.

EDIT #3: Redesigned the format of Wild Shape. It presents more similarly to the Barbarian's Rage ability, as I believe Wild Shape and Rage should share some characteristics. This is a more parsimonious format for the ability compared to the original presented in the PHB. It also better demonstrates that the relative complexity of the class feature is more similar to abilities like Rage. Using this version of Wild Shape allows you to track every change using information already available to you on your character sheet, rather than having to either flip through the Monster Manual, carry additional papers of photocopied Wild Shapes, or additional character sheets to represent different wild shaped forms. It continues to solve the problem that Wild Shape seems to me to have been designed to address (non-Moon Druid exploration abilities) while also standardizing the ability and giving the player grerater freedom/flexibility regarding how the Wild Shape presents (could be a beast, insect, lycanthrope, or even just a more beastial type of human). Finally, I have removed the restriction of druids being unable to speak in Wild Shape, or that their equipment becomes non-functional. I don't feel the restriction is necessary, and I personally don't see the need to include it in order to explain that Druids cannot cast spells while in Wild Shape. This way a druid can imagine just taking on a more animalistic spirit or be a lycanthrope. They can continue to use their hands, equipment, and speak ect.

I have also edited the Moon Circle Wild Shape to reflect being an adjustment to Wild Shape, rather than a separate kind of form.

Obviously, this is a very NON-simulationist design. Those who enjoy or strive for simulationist game mechanics will likely not appreciate or desire such changes as proposed here.

EDIT #4: Expanded and clarified my design goals.

EDIT #5: Wild Shape originally granted advantage on Perception and Stealth Checks. Now Wild Shape grants advantage on Perception, and your choice of Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, and Survival. This gives you a bit more sense of changing into strong forms versus nimble forms versus silent or hardy forms.

 

[guachi]

The problem I have with these rules are they you aren't really changing shape into a particular creature but just into some amorphous blob of stats. Yes, creature are blobs of stats as well but at least I can imagine what a 'rat' is beyond its stats.

 

[Li Shenron]

1) I find that CR is a terrible method for standardizing character class abilities. There is just too much variability across a given CR, even more so than the variability you might find between spells of a given level.

2) The changes to the character are dramatic. This requires more record keeping and preparation for players. This is especially bad for new players.

3) There is high potential to slow down the game.

4) The Monster Manual should not be a player resource like a spell section of the PHB.

I am sorry to be blunt, but I think you're a little bit wasting your time. Unless of course you're doing this mostly for fun, in which case it's never wasted

The reasons why I say this, is that most of your premises are not that strong:

1) True that in general CR is variable, but beasts are almost always void of special abilities, all their "specials" are really just damage boosts or minor defensive abilities. This makes CR a lot less variable for beasts than any other creature. In addition, the problem only applies to Moon Druids because others are not supposed to use wildshape in combat efficiently, but Moon Druids can just pick a beast with as high CR as allowed. Differences between beasts of same CR are very slim and typically boil down to choosing a minor tactic (check for example Tiger vs Dire Wolf vs Brown Bear). There is no power creep.

2) The changes are indeed dramatic but it's not true that it requires record keeping, exactly because the changes are almost complete. You don't recalculate anything, you just pick up the animal stats and use all of them, except the mental stats (reality check: you are rarely going to need to worry about your mental stats while in wildshape, the only fairly common occurrence is Wisdom saves vs spells). You do need to keep an eye on PC skills/save proficiencies since they apply in wildshape.

3) Depends what you mean "potential", because if you start calculating what is your "optimal" choice of beast, you'll definitely spend a lot of time, because they are all very close. But that actually means this optimization is irrelevant to all but the most picky of players. This is not a problem of the game, it's a problem with the player.

4) If you always use the highest CR possible, you have 6-7 land beasts to choose from until you hit level 9, after which point you only have 1-2 land beasts to choose from of max CR. Underwater beasts are always 1-2 to choose from (rarely needed anyway). Flying beasts are always max CR1 and only 2 of them. The main burden is at levels 6-8, but again if you just pick one of them you are hardly ever making a "bad choice" because they are quite close to each other with few exceptions.

I think the main problem in your house rules is that they go against purposes 1-2-4, because they actually force me to do calculations which I never do with the core rules, with which I just switch the whole stat block and just keep an eye on mental score and proficiencies. Really, in our home game my 8-year-older is playing a Moon Druid and has no problems handling it!

 

[Fanaelialae]

The biggest issue I see is that this change makes moon druids extremely MAD. You need a good Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom to be effective. That's too much. It would be an improvement if you allow attacks to be made using Dexterity, although that still eliminates the option to turn into an elephant (for example) in order to shift a boulder.

It wouldn't be bad as an alternative offered in addition to standard wild shape (such as for a player who rolled phenomenal stats and wants to utilize them) but I don't think it's a good replacement.

 

[Sunseeker]

The temp HP you're giving them is completely meaningless. At 20th level they're gaining 20(maybe 25 w/max wisdom) THP when normally they could be pulling a beast from the book with easily 100 HP well before that? Part of shapeshfiting was to augment poor physical stats, but now they don't get any of that, as Fanaelialae points out this makes Druids way too MAD. And you seem to be going back and forth on some forms using physical stats for attacks and some forms using wisdom, which frankly is just confusing. Worse because your system is essentially a "build your own monster" system, you're more likely than not going to run into a "101 flavors of ice cream" choice lock.

What your changes amount to is a massive nerf. Like, I enjoy the whole "turning into an animal for fun" aspect of a Druid and I'd never touch a Druid set up like this. Because that's really all the class would have going for it: turning into an animal for fun.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

[MENTION=1465]Li Shenron[/MENTION] I'm basing this off personal experience, as my wife's first time playing with me (or ever) was a moon druid because she thought it would be cool to turn into a bear and rip stuff up. But she never used her wild shape abilities for many of the reasons I pointed out, including complexity and record keeping. She didn't want to have to search through multiple pages or look at different character sheets just to be a bear and rip stuff up. Individual experiences vary.

Additionally, I don't see how my design goes against anything I'm trying to achieve. You don't need to look up new stats. You don't need to record new character sheets to keep track of your new form. Any changes to your character are based off of what you already have on your character sheet. The attack is no different than having a new weapon. And the Combat Wild Shape gains the equivalent of a cantrip. You don't need to flip through a book or compare any options. Wild shape becomes little different than a Barbarian's Rage.

Also, my experience and perspective tells me that CR is not a good means for standardizing what abilities a player should have. For example, why is it such a jump for a player to grab a CR 1/4 wolf versus a CR 1/4 mephit, skeleton, or sprite? Yes, Druids are mechanically limited to beasts, but why? And if these CRs are similar, what is to prevent a future supplement to create a CR 1/4 beast with stats like the creatures I mentioned? Also, I will reiterate that a player should not view the Monster Manual or any such splat book (like Volo's Guide) as a player resource. But that is what these things become for druids with wildshape, ESPECIALLY for moon druids. Another issue is that most higher CR beast are also large or huge sized. This means if there is relatively little space (such as a tavern or a cave) a moon druid is not able to use the fullest extent of their powers because the power of their form is so often tied to their size.

I feel my adjustment allows the player the choice to describe what the form looks like (allowing the player to determine what the druid considers natural or beastial) while also standardizing the form and providing benefits (such as advantage on Perception and Stealth checks in additional to increased movement speed/options).

As for those speaking about MAD, I don't see this? I mean, please if I have a blindspot point it out. But Non-Moon Druids are not meant to use their forms for battle. They get some speed with different modalities, a little bit of temp HP if they go swift (maybe this should be given to both swift and exploration forms?), and heightened senses and stealth. Yes, Druids are unlikely to have good Dex for Stealth (hence the advantage and for Exploration, smaller size for greater options for hiding). These aren't meant to be forms where a change in stats is going to be terribly helpful or meaningful.

But Moon Druid has all their main abilities shifted to Wisdom. They get temp HP to compensate for Con, they get a form of Unarmored Defense to compensate for lower AC/Dex, and they get an attack designed like a cantrip that also deals a bonus to damage equal to wisdom mod (maybe that wasn't clear). Additionally, these druids can still use their spell slots as a bonus action to heal. And since they can't use spells in wild shape otherwise, I don't see them having any issues as a frontline combatant. With Standard Array, they can focus on Wisdom as they always do and that alone will boost any lower stat. So I guess I'm just not seeing it. Unless you are also wanting boosts to saving throws and skills? Which... c'mon. Druid shouldn't be able to be a monk or Rogue based on their wildshape. I don't think the point of the wild shape was to find the right form for every situation, but have some benefits that allow them to be better scouts and (in the case of Moon Druid) a competent combatant. I think my adjustments achieve both.

EDITED: Updated for grammar and expounding on argument.

 

[Li Shenron]

[MENTION=1465]Li Shenron[/MENTION] I'm basing this off personal experience, as my wife's first time playing with me (or ever) was a moon druid because she thought it would be cool to turn into a bear and rip stuff up. But she never used her wild shape abilities for many of the reasons I pointed out, including complexity and record keeping. She didn't want to have to search through multiple pages or look at different character sheets just to be a bear and rip stuff up. Individual experiences vary.

Ok! I am quite surprised by hearing this, because my experience (limited to one Druid, as is) has been so positive that I tend to quote wildshape as one of my top favourite 5e rules

I admit that I did help my 8yo going through the MM appendix looking for CR1 beasts... but there were only 6 of them, so I printed those out of the Basic rules pdf, and after that it's been a breeze to just switch to use the beast stat in play. I can send you the page to print if you want, so that you don't have to do the search-copy-paste yourself

 

[Hawk Diesel]

[MENTION=1465]Li Shenron[/MENTION] I appreciate the offer, but it doesn't change things (besides, that game has long since come to an end). I am capable of printing out the necessary creatures and such. But that doesn't really address the points I'm trying to deal with. Druid is the only character that is essentially multiple characters. The only exception is the Beast Master Ranger, but that is at least limited to one archetype and one additional character sheet to track. That in itself requires more book-keeping than most other classes. CR is still problematic, and it is an artificial distinction between what qualifies as a beast versus other creature types. With my adjustment, I am looking at what Wild Shape is most fundamentally trying to achieve. While some may see it as a simulationist approach to become different animals, I see it as more of an option to enhance exploration and interaction with nature. Meanwhile, the Moon Druid uses WIld Shape as that, plus the ability to engage as a frontline combatant. So I threw out the simulationist approach, and considered ways to allow greater player freedom of choice regarding how their particular wild shape works/appears, while also solving the problems Wild Shape is meant to address, and reducing the need for multiple additional sheets or needing the Monster Manual as a player resource (once again something I am quite against).

 

[Hawk Diesel]

The temp HP you're giving them is completely meaningless. At 20th level they're gaining 20(maybe 25 w/max wisdom) THP when normally they could be pulling a beast from the book with easily 100 HP well before that? Part of shapeshfiting was to augment poor physical stats, but now they don't get any of that, as Fanaelialae points out this makes Druids way too MAD. And you seem to be going back and forth on some forms using physical stats for attacks and some forms using wisdom, which frankly is just confusing. Worse because your system is essentially a "build your own monster" system, you're more likely than not going to run into a "101 flavors of ice cream" choice lock.

What your changes amount to is a massive nerf. Like, I enjoy the whole "turning into an animal for fun" aspect of a Druid and I'd never touch a Druid set up like this. Because that's really all the class would have going for it: turning into an animal for fun.

I really appreciate your feedback. Your feedback led me to refine some of the Wild Shape abilities, such as combining the forms into a single Wild Shape and upgrading it for Moon Druid rather than having it be an entirely different form.

However, I disagree with the issues you raised about MAD. Non-moon druids have Wild Shape primarily to enhance their ability to act as a scout or explorer, rather than as a a tool to enhance poor physical stats. At least that is my perspective. As for Moon Druids, their Combat Wild Shape limits the impact of MAD by allowing many of their features to either utilize Wisdom in place of a physical stat, or in addition to (Such as the unarmored defense like bonus).

And regarding the "101 flavors of ice cream choice lock," I also see things differently. Now, because of the standardized changes going into Wild Shape produces, every potential form that a druid might assume is equal to another. A cat is equal to a dog is equal to a lion is equal to a mephit is equal to a gargoyle is equal to a lycanthrope. Therefore, they can make their choice based on what feels right given their character and the role play opportunities. If anything, I would say that the PHB version of Wild Shape is more along the lines of "101 flavors of ice cream choice lock" because each form has a slight difference that requires analysis of what is going to garner the best results in a particular situation. A druid using the normal PHB version will have greater cognitive load as they must assess whether its better to change into a cat, dog, bird, mouse, wolf, or whatever since each can have an impact on the outcome that is different from the others. This will only increase as more Monster Manuals, Volo's Guides, and Tomes of Beasts get made.

 

[steeldragons]

I am a BIIIIG fan of altering the "wildshape" [hate the name and everything about it] rules.

#1: It's called "Shapeshifting." Deal with it. It's not so tough a thing to remember. If you prefer to get all grammatical n' stuff, fine, "Shape-shifting."

#2: Go back to the 1e mode of it being an ADVANCED and "oo ah wow factor" power for the class. 1e didn't gain shifting to animal forms until 7th level. And even then, it was only ever 3 times a day. This isn't about characters being able to be Plastic Man or Beast Boy, for crying out loud! This is about advancing to a state of of such perfect oneness with your self and the natural world around you, that you can alter your body's molecular arrangement and attunement into other natural forms. So, it doesn't necessarily have to be 7th level, again, but it definitely shouldn't be 1st or 2nd and NOT something on which to base an entire subclass of a Druid.

#3: Start off small and medium of no more CR or HD than half the druid's level, but nothing with a fly speed and nothing with water breathing.

Expand that, incrementally, at the druid advances to include:
3a: At 1st feature boost add in Large animals, and now S/M/L animals that can breathe water or fly
3b: Add normal and giant-sized versions of insects and arachnids, and now all attacks of any animal form count as magical weapons for the purposes of bypassing mundane weapon immunity or resistance.
3c: may now include small or medium Humanoid forms, and alter personal appearance as per Disguise Self (though not an illusion) and may not assume the form of a specific individual.
3d: as, like, a final capstone kind of power, whatever level that might be, but near to-if not the very end of-the game/level advancement, add in Elemental forms.

4: As typical for D&D druids' shapeshifting powers forms are limited to "natural" [i.e. "real life"] non-magical animals and non-fantastic or chimeric creatures, i.e., In a world of gods and magic, a pegasus or blink dog, owlbear or griffon might be considered a "natural animal/creature" within the game world. They exist on the material plane. They have always existed on this world. They are not divine extraplanar beings or wizard-made experiments. They are just a naturally accept part of the world's "fauna" within the ecosystem/food chain. But they are still "magical" creatures, off limits for druidic shapeshifting. No "celestial" or "fiendish" versions of animals. MAYBE, if you wanted to be kind, you could make allow the elemental kind after the druid achieves elemental shapeshifting, so instead of just becoming and appearing as a Fire Elemental, they are a Fire Elemental eagle (or lion or whatnot). But "normal/real world" animals only.

I'd start, maybe at 5th level. With a feature advancement every...3[?] levels. So 8th before you're an eagle, shark, or elephant; 12th before infiltrating a war council as a fly on the wall or attacking as a giant fire ant or poisonous spider; 15th before you're impersonating an orcish guard to escape their dungeon or visiting gnome town incognito; and you're 18th before taking elemental forms.

Yeah, that works for me.