Talk:Druid

So, what is the general consensus on the Shapeshifting variant feature given to Druids in the Player's Handbook II? Its obviously not as strong, but how does it effect them? (Comment by Phantom in the Distant Seas )

PHBII polymorph changes are generally considered far less powerful than the original 3E polymorph rules, but also a much needed nerf because the original polymorph rules are stupidly broken. As for how it's a huge nerf

• No Natural Spell. This is a massive nerf and essentially renders it useless (except maybe for overland travel, but you have the rest of the party)
• No animal companion. While that does invalidate a lot of classes on its own, you get absolutely nothing in return, not even a poor trade. That's petty.
• All the bonus to attributes are enhancment bonuses, so they don't stack with magic items
• The one plus is that there's no duration (meh, length for normal wildshape is massive anyways) and no use limit. This means they're actually quite good as a Warshaper (CW), but that just turns Shapeshifter Druid into a 5 level dip. --Agiletek (talk) 07:48, 29 July 2020 (UTC)