With Drow the issue is perfectly clear. Their sensitivity to sunlight is not biologial, it is magical. It is the result of a curse placed on them by Corellion Laretion himself when Lloth ticked him off. The Drow were banished into the darkness. It should make no difference at all if they polymorph or turn into critters with Wildshape. They are still sensitive to sunlight unless they get a direct pass from Corellion himself.
With Kobolds the issue is less clear. Their problem could be biological. I don't see as it makes any difference. They should not get any of the benefits of being a Kobold if they don't suffer from the penalties. At all times, and in all cases they should suffer from their Sunlight Sensitivity. If nothing else it reminds the players that this character is a Kobold.
If a Druid gets a limb lopped off, when they Wildshape into a wolf, they should get a three legged wolf. A high level Druid missing an arm may not be able to fly in wildshape. An Owl can't fly with just one wing. Might be time to get that Restoration spell after all. It's not going to help a darkelf any, and it wouldn't do anything much for a Kobold. Their problem is something they are born with. A Kobold might be able to be cured of Sunlight Sensitivity with a full Wish. Still might not work. Kobolds do in fact have an Evil deity, who could nix the Wish.
That's my two coppers. The usual disclaimer applies. So long as fun is being had everything is entirely at the whim of the Dungeon Master.
100% Sunlight Sensitivity doesn't apply to new wildshape or Polymorph forms and I can't imagine why anyone would argue it should. Although it does lead to an interesting combo I hadn't considered... Kobold Pack Tactics are kind of intended as a short-term fix to Sunlight Sensitivity... but with Wildshape you still get to use Pack Tactics while changing your vision to be able to see clearly in sunlight.
Pack Tactics is easy enough to get in beast forms but you are right....a bear with multiattack and pack tactics is pretty potent!
If a Druid gets a limb lopped off, when they Wildshape into a wolf, they should get a three legged wolf. A high level Druid missing an arm may not be able to fly in wildshape. An Owl can't fly with just one wing. Might be time to get that Restoration spell after all.
This gets messy quick when you consider many wild shape forms don't map so easily to the human body. What is your official limb count if you've lost an arm? 3 or x - 1? Assuming we go with x - 1, would a giant wasp have 4 wings and 5 legs or 3 wings and 6 legs? And if you were able to grow all those other extra limbs you didn't have before, why do you need to be missing one at all? If you were a tiefling and had your tail cut off, would your wild shape be tailless while a tailless human has no problems wild shaping into something with a tail? This chain of logic just doesn't hold up.
Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can’t use them.
You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your special senses, such as darkvision unless your new form also has that sense.
You keep your mental scores, skill proficiencies, and save proficiencies. You also keep any benefit of your Race/Class/etc that also makes sense in your new form.
Sunlight sensitivity is not a mental ability score, skill proficiency or save proficiency. It is also not a benefit from your Race. Therefore no it does not apply.
The idea that a drow or kobold would retain Sunlight Sensitivity while Wild Shaped, Polymorphed, or otherwise magically in the form of another creature that doesn't have the trait is silly.
When you Wild Shape, you use the beast's eyes - that's why, as an owl, you'll have advantage on vision checks. OTOH, your training applies - most GMs will agree the Skulker feat applies to the new form's eyes, as that's vision training.
So the question is whether your sensitivity is nature or nurture: if nature, does not transfer. Drow eyes have it built in. If nurture - drow eyes don't have it natively, it's because you grew up unused to sunlight - then it does, since the problem is you grew up without the right training.
Which it is is a GM call, as the RAW does not clarify.
Just the fact that it says "you retain the benefit" is enough to me. Sunlight sensitivity has zero benefit and it's all detriment so we use what words mean, it should not transfer RAW
People love the idea of getting all the bonuses of something without any of the penalties it might have. Perfect example. I seem to be the only one who actually cares. Have fun with it. :-)
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I'll play the Devil's Advocate.
With Drow the issue is perfectly clear. Their sensitivity to sunlight is not biologial, it is magical. It is the result of a curse placed on them by Corellion Laretion himself when Lloth ticked him off. The Drow were banished into the darkness. It should make no difference at all if they polymorph or turn into critters with Wildshape. They are still sensitive to sunlight unless they get a direct pass from Corellion himself.
With Kobolds the issue is less clear. Their problem could be biological. I don't see as it makes any difference. They should not get any of the benefits of being a Kobold if they don't suffer from the penalties. At all times, and in all cases they should suffer from their Sunlight Sensitivity. If nothing else it reminds the players that this character is a Kobold.
If a Druid gets a limb lopped off, when they Wildshape into a wolf, they should get a three legged wolf. A high level Druid missing an arm may not be able to fly in wildshape. An Owl can't fly with just one wing. Might be time to get that Restoration spell after all. It's not going to help a darkelf any, and it wouldn't do anything much for a Kobold. Their problem is something they are born with. A Kobold might be able to be cured of Sunlight Sensitivity with a full Wish. Still might not work. Kobolds do in fact have an Evil deity, who could nix the Wish.
That's my two coppers. The usual disclaimer applies. So long as fun is being had everything is entirely at the whim of the Dungeon Master.
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Pack Tactics is easy enough to get in beast forms but you are right....a bear with multiattack and pack tactics is pretty potent!
This gets messy quick when you consider many wild shape forms don't map so easily to the human body. What is your official limb count if you've lost an arm? 3 or x - 1? Assuming we go with x - 1, would a giant wasp have 4 wings and 5 legs or 3 wings and 6 legs? And if you were able to grow all those other extra limbs you didn't have before, why do you need to be missing one at all? If you were a tiefling and had your tail cut off, would your wild shape be tailless while a tailless human has no problems wild shaping into something with a tail? This chain of logic just doesn't hold up.
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(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
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(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
The relevant bullet points under Wild Shape
You keep your mental scores, skill proficiencies, and save proficiencies. You also keep any benefit of your Race/Class/etc that also makes sense in your new form.
Sunlight sensitivity is not a mental ability score, skill proficiency or save proficiency. It is also not a benefit from your Race. Therefore no it does not apply.
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Agreed!
Just the fact that it says "you retain the benefit" is enough to me. Sunlight sensitivity has zero benefit and it's all detriment so we use what words mean, it should not transfer RAW
People love the idea of getting all the bonuses of something without any of the penalties it might have. Perfect example. I seem to be the only one who actually cares. Have fun with it. :-)
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