Wild shape HP clarifications

Today I was talking to a Druid player in my group, he is new to the game, he plays a Druid especially for the wild shape mechanics. 

Today we were discussing the types of beasts he could wild shape into, the CRs, stats and then we talked about the HP.

He is in disbelief that the PHB(2024) rules gives him only two HPs for druid levels as temporary hit points  and not the entire HP of the the beast as "extra HP" on top of his base druid HP.

Hence, he is asserting that a druid should inherit the full HP of a beast he shapes into atop his base HP plus the temporary; because 2 HP per levels is "too few to be worth".

Now I come here to ask to confirm or not my interpretation of the text written in the PHB. 

If he wants the full hp, you could switch to the 2014 or 5e version instead, where the Druid does inherit the hp. Do note that the reason for this change in 5.5 is that it made it so that wild shape wouldn't change back after losing all the extra hp like in 2014.

If you all still want to play 5.5e, I’d recommend showing him the Moon Druid subclass, which would give him a higher CR beast selection, 3 x his level in temp hp & a better ac.

Your interpretation of the rules is spot on and he probably has his information from 5e.

Okay so in the 5.5 once you exhaust the HP pool the druid don't shape back to human form.

He is aware of the circle of the moon, still the bonuses were "meager" 

I guess he watched some guides dated to 2014, which I also remember acting as he said.

I remember a thread explaining this change between 5e and 5.5e (*), but it was removed by the poster (I don’t know if a moderator could restore it...)

Anyway, it's as ClassicCharismaCaster said, so you don't modify your Druid's Hit Points, even when the Beast's stat block could have a different Constitution score, and just apply the next rules:

[...]
Temporary Hit Points. When you assume a Wild Shape form, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Druid level.

Game Statistics. Your game statistics are replaced by the Beast’s stat block, but you retain your creature type; Hit Points; Hit Point Dice; Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores; class features; languages; and feats. You also retain your skill and saving throw proficiencies and use your Proficiency Bonus for them, in addition to gaining the proficiencies of the creature. If a skill or saving throw modifier in the Beast’s stat block is higher than yours, use the one in the stat block.
[...]

It was also explained in the article "The 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid and Changes to Wild Shape" here and here.

(*) https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/rules-game-mechanics/236188-changing-the-druids-constitution-and-corresponding

Outside of moon druid wild shape is generally more intended for utility that can be used for combat in a pinch. So yeah its temp hit points are pretty low. They should look more towards things like the rat a tiny creature with Darkvision, can climb and is fairly unobtrusive. Super useful outside of a fight. 

Quote from MyDudeicus >>

Outside of moon druid wild shape is generally more intended for utility that can be used for combat in a pinch. So yeah its temp hit points are pretty low. They should look more towards things like the rat a tiny creature with Darkvision, can climb and is fairly unobtrusive. Super useful outside of a fight. 

 Well in his imagination he was going to rampage through enemies as mammoth. 

Quote from TarodNet >>

I remember a thread explaining this change between 5e and 5.5e (*), but it was removed by the poster (I don’t know if a moderator could restore it...)

Anyway, it's as ClassicCharismaCaster said, so you don't modify your Druid's Hit Points, even when the Beast's stat block could have a different Constitution score, and just apply the next rules:

[...]
Temporary Hit Points. When you assume a Wild Shape form, you gain a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Druid level.

Game Statistics. Your game statistics are replaced by the Beast’s stat block, but you retain your creature type; Hit Points; Hit Point Dice; Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores; class features; languages; and feats. You also retain your skill and saving throw proficiencies and use your Proficiency Bonus for them, in addition to gaining the proficiencies of the creature. If a skill or saving throw modifier in the Beast’s stat block is higher than yours, use the one in the stat block.
[...]

It was also explained in the article "The 2024 Circle of the Moon Druid and Changes to Wild Shape" here and here.

(*) https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/rules-game-mechanics/236188-changing-the-druids-constitution-and-corresponding

 Thanks for the articles , I'll forward them to him so he can read about the changes.

Thank you.

Quote from Kilne >>

 Well in his imagination he was going to rampage through enemies as mammoth. 

 He still can. Just, with fewer extra hp.

Quote from Kilne >>

Quote from MyDudeicus >>

Outside of moon druid wild shape is generally more intended for utility that can be used for combat in a pinch. So yeah its temp hit points are pretty low. They should look more towards things like the rat a tiny creature with Darkvision, can climb and is fairly unobtrusive. Super useful outside of a fight. 

 Well in his imagination he was going to rampage through enemies as mammoth. 

 

 

He will only be able to do that as a Circle of the Moon Druid anyway, as other Druids can't transform into creatures with a CR higher than 1 at any level. A Mammoth is CR 6. Moon Druids can get that high by level 18.

Quote from Kilne >>

Quote from MyDudeicus >>

Outside of moon druid wild shape is generally more intended for utility that can be used for combat in a pinch. So yeah its temp hit points are pretty low. They should look more towards things like the rat a tiny creature with Darkvision, can climb and is fairly unobtrusive. Super useful outside of a fight. 

 Well in his imagination he was going to rampage through enemies as mammoth. 

 

 

That is what polymorph is for. Now personally I'd of added an addendum to wildshape that druids keep their mental stats/feats etc when they change shape from other sources such as the polymorph spell. But they did not go with that. The transmuter in unearthed arcana got it, which made them a better wild shaper than the druid. No idea if that will get out of unearthed like that. I voiced it as a complaint. But who knows how it will end up.