One of my players has a druid (Circle of the Moon), level 3. Had a topic come up this weekend around the druid's Wild Shape ability. Here's the example:
2 LVL druid, Moon, applies first use of Wild Shape and takes the shape of a Dire Wolf. (Allowable because Moon druids can assume CR 1 beasts starting at 2nd level.) Per the book, the Dire Wolf has 37 hp.
The druid, in Dire Wolf form, takes 25 hp of damage, taking him down to 12 hp (of the Wild Shape hp).
Can the druid use Wild Shape to become a Dire Wolf again and go back to 37 hp? Or does the have to assume a different beast shape?
As I posted in this thread, I'm still struggling with some of the big differences between 1E and 5E.
The above issue means that a 2nd level druid with, say, a 16 Constitution, and who rolled high for HP for 2nd level, could withstand close to 100 hp of damage:
The above issue means that a 2nd level druid with, say, a 16 Constitution, and rolled high for HP for 2nd level could withstand close to 100 hp of damage:
37 hp for first Dire Wolf shape
37 hp for second Dire Wolf shape (74)
22 hp of his/her own (96)
That's just insane to me.
Yes, but the druid is losing the ability to cast spells while transformed and generally ends up with lower AC (unless they cast a spell beforehand to boost their AC in beast form.) There's also nothing forcing enemies to attack the druid. Finally, they've also given up the broader spell selection and spell slots of a land druid, among other things (XGtE has additional druid circles.)
I've played with moon druid party members and there were several times when they were tempted or forced to untransform because the current situation really warranted casting a spell. Every time that happens, they've wasted part of their Wild Shape use.
The most insane thing to consider is the level 20 druid. If you work the wild shape and a buff or two properly, can wild shape into a Water Elemental, have 114 HP, get whittled down to 4hp, re-assume the Elemental form, rinse and repeat indefinitely. Circle of the Moon Druids can make life interesting when it comes to looking at how much HP they have. Just don't forget that a properly built Barbarian can pose just as much of a headache with their Rage and Bear totem.
The game is tilted in the player's favor, so if you really want to test them...take off the kid gloves and have fun! InquisitiveCoder put it well: give them situations where the beast form may be more of a hindrance than a help.
Yes, but the druid is losing the ability to cast spells while transformed and generally ends up with lower AC (unless they cast a spell beforehand to boost their AC in beast form.) There's also nothing forcing enemies to attack the druid.
This player's standard tactic is using barkskin in tandem with wild shape. And (at lower levels, at least), he's using the druid as more of a front line character than a ranged spellcaster, specifically thanks to the HP buffer he gets via Wild Shape.
Yep: Moon druids are pretty powerful at 2nd level, especially when it comes to sucking up damage. Still, those wildshapes have a low AC compared to regular Tanks (and thus might get hit x2 to x3 times as often). By 5th level the druid will probably want to conjure animals instead (which can also be pretty powerful).
...which brings up the aforementioned tactic: casting barkskin (I assume prior to assuming the Wild Shape) and having that spell provide a higher AC when in beast shape.
The original question is this:
A druid, Wild Shaped into a Dire Wolf, takes 25 hit points of damage. Can the druid again use Wild Shape, before dropping to 0 hit points as a Dire Wolf, to assume the shape again and max back up to 37 hit points?
...which brings up the aforementioned tactic: casting barkskin (I assume prior to assuming the Wild Shape) and having that spell provide a higher AC when in beast shape.
Being hard to kill is fun for the player, but it doesn't win fights on its own. A druid in beast form, while difficult to take out of the fight, doesn't have any tactics that can significantly change the outcome of a fight; they're just going to put out a predictable amount of damage every round. Put the hurt on the wizard (or whomever is easiest to kill) and the druid's near-infinite pool of HP becomes irrelevant and they have a reason to untransform for Cure Wounds.
If you're using groups of monsters (and you generally should), you can also have two of them work together to knock prone and grapple the druid. It's hard to contribute when your only option is a melee attack you make with disadvantage.
Really, it's not much different from the party having a raging barbarian with them.
...which brings up the aforementioned tactic: casting barkskin (I assume prior to assuming the Wild Shape) and having that spell provide a higher AC when in beast shape.
The original question is this:
A druid, Wild Shaped into a Dire Wolf, takes 25 hit points of damage. Can the druid again use Wild Shape, before dropping to 0 hit points as a Dire Wolf, to assume the shape again and max back up to 37 hit points?
And as my first answer was: Yes, you can do exactly that. Free action to drop shape, bonus action to cast wild shape, boom, new dire wolf form at 37 hp.
If you're using groups of monsters (and you generally should), you can also have two of them work together to knock prone and grapple the druid. It's hard to contribute when your only option is a melee attack you make with disadvantage.
Yes. This is something I'm learning as a 5E DM: numbers matter. As in: use higher numbers of monsters/opponents. I'm still really learning how to run the monsters, too, and how they work (and how to use some basic tactics). In 1E, it was much easier throwing just one or two monsters at a group and keeping everyone occupied or challenged. All part of the shift in mindset I'm having to make.
Yes. This is something I'm learning as a 5E DM: numbers matter. As in: use higher numbers of monsters/opponents. I'm still really learning how to run the monsters, too, and how they work (and how to use some basic tactics). In 1E, it was much easier throwing just one or two monsters at a group and keeping everyone occupied or challenged. All part of the shift in mindset I'm having to make.
The number of actions available to each side of the fight matters a lot. When it's 6 vs 1, it's really easy to shut down an enemy with spells or conditions that cost them an action to counteract (unless the enemy is a legendary creature.)
Xanathar's Guide to Everything has really good encounter building rules that are simpler and more comprehensive than the DMG's.
...which brings up the aforementioned tactic: casting barkskin (I assume prior to assuming the Wild Shape) and having that spell provide a higher AC when in beast shape.
The original question is this:
A druid, Wild Shaped into a Dire Wolf, takes 25 hit points of damage. Can the druid again use Wild Shape, before dropping to 0 hit points as a Dire Wolf, to assume the shape again and max back up to 37 hit points?
Certainly. Though it seems like his barkskin wouldn't last long, since it's a concentration spell (heh: Dire Wolf... barkskin). Of course, the Moon Druid can also burn spell slots as a bonus action to regain HP while wildshaped.
Just a short rest, moon druids get their forms back on short rest. I play a 14th lvl moon druid and love her, but you have to remember that, in wild shape, they're giving up their spells, so they're not calling lightning, insect plagues, healing party members, etc. They're just a (relatively) low damage bag of hit points that can heal when all is done. Compared to a great weapon fighter of the same level, no matter what form the druid is using, their damage output is a fraction of the heavier hitters. That's their balance, almost infinite survivability at the cost of "epic" firepower. Granted, I've been known to drop a call lightning then go Earth Elemental just to be a big, annoying bruiser in the middle of a fight :)
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Ancient GM, started in '76, have played almost everything at some point or another.
I run/play Mercer-style games, heavy on the RP and interaction, light on the combat-monster and rule-lawyering. The goal is to tell an epic story with the players and the players are as involved in the world building as the GM is. I run and play a very Brechtian style, am huge into RP theory and love discussing improv and offers.
You can stay in a beast shape 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. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn.
You can expend another use of the feature to stay in beast form only at the end of the duration. Otherwise it takes a bonus action to revert to normal form and then a second bonus action (on your next turn, because you can do at most one bonus action per turn) to transform back into the beast.
You can stay in a beast shape 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. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn.
You can expend another use of the feature to stay in beast form only at the end of the duration. Otherwise it takes a bonus action to revert to normal form and then a second bonus action (on your next turn, because you can do at most one bonus action per turn) to transform back into the beast.
I agree with this reading of the rule which does not agree with Crawford. In practice it doesn't really matter though, as you can just be hit out of your shape by loosing HP, and then assume the next one on your turn. This is makes it essentially free to assume another form actions-wise.
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One of my players has a druid (Circle of the Moon), level 3. Had a topic come up this weekend around the druid's Wild Shape ability. Here's the example:
2 LVL druid, Moon, applies first use of Wild Shape and takes the shape of a Dire Wolf. (Allowable because Moon druids can assume CR 1 beasts starting at 2nd level.) Per the book, the Dire Wolf has 37 hp.
The druid, in Dire Wolf form, takes 25 hp of damage, taking him down to 12 hp (of the Wild Shape hp).
Can the druid use Wild Shape to become a Dire Wolf again and go back to 37 hp? Or does the have to assume a different beast shape?
Technically, yes, they could re-assume the wolf form and be at 37 HP as it is a new application of the Wild Shape function.
As I posted in this thread, I'm still struggling with some of the big differences between 1E and 5E.
The above issue means that a 2nd level druid with, say, a 16 Constitution, and who rolled high for HP for 2nd level, could withstand close to 100 hp of damage:
That's just insane to me.
The most insane thing to consider is the level 20 druid. If you work the wild shape and a buff or two properly, can wild shape into a Water Elemental, have 114 HP, get whittled down to 4hp, re-assume the Elemental form, rinse and repeat indefinitely. Circle of the Moon Druids can make life interesting when it comes to looking at how much HP they have. Just don't forget that a properly built Barbarian can pose just as much of a headache with their Rage and Bear totem.
The game is tilted in the player's favor, so if you really want to test them...take off the kid gloves and have fun! InquisitiveCoder put it well: give them situations where the beast form may be more of a hindrance than a help.
...which brings up the aforementioned tactic: casting barkskin (I assume prior to assuming the Wild Shape) and having that spell provide a higher AC when in beast shape.
The original question is this:
A druid, Wild Shaped into a Dire Wolf, takes 25 hit points of damage. Can the druid again use Wild Shape, before dropping to 0 hit points as a Dire Wolf, to assume the shape again and max back up to 37 hit points?
Yes. This is something I'm learning as a 5E DM: numbers matter. As in: use higher numbers of monsters/opponents. I'm still really learning how to run the monsters, too, and how they work (and how to use some basic tactics). In 1E, it was much easier throwing just one or two monsters at a group and keeping everyone occupied or challenged. All part of the shift in mindset I'm having to make.
Everyone in 5e is trying to be some variant of 300...so toss them the Persian army.
As a side note, it's not difficult to fluff a bad guy with extra hp if you have an encounter where you want to use less baddies.
The druid will also have to rest before getting back their transformation "charges".
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Just a short rest, moon druids get their forms back on short rest. I play a 14th lvl moon druid and love her, but you have to remember that, in wild shape, they're giving up their spells, so they're not calling lightning, insect plagues, healing party members, etc. They're just a (relatively) low damage bag of hit points that can heal when all is done. Compared to a great weapon fighter of the same level, no matter what form the druid is using, their damage output is a fraction of the heavier hitters. That's their balance, almost infinite survivability at the cost of "epic" firepower. Granted, I've been known to drop a call lightning then go Earth Elemental just to be a big, annoying bruiser in the middle of a fight :)
Ancient GM, started in '76, have played almost everything at some point or another.
I run/play Mercer-style games, heavy on the RP and interaction, light on the combat-monster and rule-lawyering. The goal is to tell an epic story with the players and the players are as involved in the world building as the GM is. I run and play a very Brechtian style, am huge into RP theory and love discussing improv and offers.
My reading is that yes, you do.
You can expend another use of the feature to stay in beast form only at the end of the duration. Otherwise it takes a bonus action to revert to normal form and then a second bonus action (on your next turn, because you can do at most one bonus action per turn) to transform back into the beast.
I agree with this reading of the rule which does not agree with Crawford. In practice it doesn't really matter though, as you can just be hit out of your shape by loosing HP, and then assume the next one on your turn. This is makes it essentially free to assume another form actions-wise.