# Wild Shape and Equipment



## Scharlata (Apr 26, 2005)

Hi, fellow druids!

What *(magical) equipment* do your DMs allow your druid *in wild shape to function*?

What official references may I consult? Is there any set rule about what magical equipment a druid may use in wild shape?

Are rings OK? Are capes, belts, bracers, amulets, peripats, etc. OK? I know that armor is not OK because there is an armor special ability (wild) that allows a druid to get the armor bonus from her armor while wild shaping.

Thanx for your input.

Kind regards


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## Pinotage (Apr 26, 2005)

There was a similar thread about this recently. Might be of some use.

Similar Thread 

Pinotage


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## Thanee (Apr 26, 2005)

Wasn't there some FAQ/RotG article about that?

I also remember seeing item slots for animals _somewhere_. 

Bye
Thanee


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## Scharlata (Apr 26, 2005)

Thanee said:
			
		

> Wasn't there some FAQ/RotG article about that?
> 
> I also remember seeing item slots for animals _somewhere_.




Remembering something like that, but not where to find it....  

Thanx for the "similar thread" pointer.


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## Ovistavin (Apr 26, 2005)

The only place I remember seeing item slots for animals is the _Wild Life_ articles in the random encounters on the WotC site. Here is the address. 

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118x

For some reason I can't use the hyperlink. The item slots are in part 2.


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## mikebr99 (Apr 26, 2005)

RotG Wild Life said:
			
		

> *Animal Item Slots*
> 
> Although it's easy to imagine an animal benefiting from magic equipment beyond a simple saddle and a suit of barding, fitting a mount's physiology to the list of item slots available to characters is not an easy task. Try the following variant list of item slots for quadruped animals (and other monsters when appropriate).
> 
> ...



Magic items re-size... except armour and weapons. So, items in humanoid slots should re-size to the above.


Mike


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## nak9788 (Apr 26, 2005)

The Shifter class (Masters of the Wild) gained the ability to not meld with its equipment.  Also, it stated that its equipment changed to match its new form.  Of course, this ability was done away with when they re-wrote the class into the Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer). 

As a house rule, we kept that ability and allowed the Master of Many Forms to gain it as well.  It makes more sense since they can change into Humaniods.  (What would be the point of changing into a naked Orc).


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## Kae'Yoss (Apr 26, 2005)

nak9788 said:
			
		

> The Shifter class (Masters of the Wild) gained the ability to not meld with its equipment.  Also, it stated that its equipment changed to match its new form.  Of course, this ability was done away with when they re-wrote the class into the Master of Many Forms (Complete Adventurer).
> 
> As a house rule, we kept that ability and allowed the Master of Many Forms to gain it as well.  It makes more sense since they can change into Humaniods.  (What would be the point of changing into a naked Orc).




If I recall correctly, equipment only melds into the new form if it cannot use this. So an orc still has the armor.


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## Lord Pendragon (Apr 26, 2005)

mikebr99 said:
			
		

> Magic items re-size... except armour and weapons. So, items in humanoid slots should re-size to the above.



Magic items resize, they do not _reshape_.  A magical vest is not going to change into a magical saddle blanket.  Thus, it melds.  An amulet will not change shape into a magical collar.  Thus, it melds.

In 3.0 you could attach an amulet to a Wilding Clasp, to allow it to continue to function, even though melded.  Other items become non-functional.


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## Patryn of Elvenshae (Apr 26, 2005)

Lord Pendragon said:
			
		

> Magic items resize, they do not _reshape_.  A magical vest is not going to change into a magical saddle blanket.  Thus, it melds.  An amulet will not change shape into a magical collar.  Thus, it melds.




I disagree on both counts.

A magical vest doesn't need to become a saddle blanket.  It needs to become a wolf-sized (or lion-sized, or whatever) vest.  Haven't you see dogs wearing costumes, before?

Similarly, the amulet doesn't even need to change at all.  It's presumably hanging on a necklace, which can shrink or grow to fit anything from a dragon to a troll to a pixie.  It'll fit a dog just as well.


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## Scharlata (Apr 26, 2005)

Patryn of Elvenshae said:
			
		

> Haven't you see dogs wearing costumes, before?




Oh, yes, those silly rain coats some poor poodles wear?  

By the way, thanx very much for the new input.
The "new druid in town" and me will make an arrangement with that info of yours.

Kind regards


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## Lord Pendragon (Apr 27, 2005)

Patryn of Elvenshae said:
			
		

> I disagree on both counts.
> 
> A magical vest doesn't need to become a saddle blanket.  It needs to become a wolf-sized (or lion-sized, or whatever) vest.  Haven't you see dogs wearing costumes, before?



]*shrug*  There is wiggle room, but I still maintain that the item's shape is too dissimilar when created for a humanoid to be work regularly by a non-humanoid.  It's not a matter of size.  The cut of the fabric for a doggie vest is not the same as a human's vest.







> Similarly, the amulet doesn't even need to change at all.  It's presumably hanging on a necklace, which can shrink or grow to fit anything from a dragon to a troll to a pixie.  It'll fit a dog just as well.



If you'll note, quadruped animals (such as dogs) don't even have an amulet slot.  They have a collar slot.  And an amulet will not morph into a collar.

And what about gloves?  Would you allow them to morph into doggie mitts?  I would not.  It isn't mentioned as possible anywhere in the rules, and completely overpowers druid wildshaping.

*shrug*  I recognize that I am interpreting the rules strictly here.  But I think there's plenty of backing for my interpretation, and that druid wildshaping is powerful enough without letting the druid use all his gear while doing so.


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## moritheil (Apr 27, 2005)

Lord Pendragon said:
			
		

> ]*shrug* There is wiggle room, but I still maintain that the item's shape is too dissimilar when created for a humanoid to be work regularly by a non-humanoid. It's not a matter of size. The cut of the fabric for a doggie vest is not the same as a human's vest.If you'll note, quadruped animals (such as dogs) don't even have an amulet slot. They have a collar slot. And an amulet will not morph into a collar.
> 
> And what about gloves? Would you allow them to morph into doggie mitts? I would not. It isn't mentioned as possible anywhere in the rules, and completely overpowers druid wildshaping.
> 
> *shrug* I recognize that I am interpreting the rules strictly here. But I think there's plenty of backing for my interpretation, and that druid wildshaping is powerful enough without letting the druid use all his gear while doing so.




I think you've just dovetailed with yourself.

Ruling that amulets, gloves, etc. cannot be worn by a dog is strictly correct.  However, that helps druids, rather than hindering them.  Such items will meld into their new forms seamlessly, thus implying that all they need is the Wild feature in order to work.

It is immensely better to be a squirrel that looks like a regular squirrel rather than a squirrel adorned with a dozen bangles.  Hmm, which one is summoning all the elementals?


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## shilsen (Apr 27, 2005)

moritheil said:
			
		

> I think you've just dovetailed with yourself.
> 
> Ruling that amulets, gloves, etc. cannot be worn by a dog is strictly correct.  However, that helps druids, rather than hindering them.  Such items will meld into their new forms seamlessly, thus implying that all they need is the Wild feature in order to work.




The Wild feature is a special ability for armor only, AFAIK. Or were you referring to something else?


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## moritheil (Apr 27, 2005)

shilsen said:
			
		

> The Wild feature is a special ability for armor only, AFAIK. Or were you referring to something else?




Wasn't sure when I made the post, so I went ahead and stated that.  However, even so, it's more convenient for the druid to have the gear meld - no danger of it being stolen or giving him/her away to the enemy.


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## Dark Dragon (Apr 27, 2005)

moritheil said:
			
		

> Wasn't sure when I made the post, so I went ahead and stated that.  However, even so, it's more convenient for the druid to have the gear meld - no danger of it being stolen or giving him/her away to the enemy.




Well, as long as the druid is NOT targeted by _Disintegrate_ or a _Sphere of Ultimate Destruction_ and fails the save...

Ioun stones, animated shields, wildshape armor and dancing weapons should be usable in any form, even if the druid or master of many forms wildshapes into something ...strange.


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## moritheil (Apr 27, 2005)

Dark Dragon said:
			
		

> Well, as long as the druid is NOT targeted by _Disintegrate_ or a _Sphere of Ultimate Destruction_ and fails the save...
> 
> Ioun stones, animated shields, wildshape armor and dancing weapons should be usable in any form, even if the druid or master of many forms wildshapes into something ...strange.




Oh, if you want to be a squirrel with purple stones whirling about your head, sure.  I'm not going to stop someone from doing that.  It's just that one of the main uses of wildshape tends to be "I turn into a squirrel of the type normally seen in this forest and blend in."


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## Lord Pendragon (Apr 27, 2005)

moritheil said:
			
		

> Wasn't sure when I made the post, so I went ahead and stated that.  However, even so, it's more convenient for the druid to have the gear meld - no danger of it being stolen or giving him/her away to the enemy.



No, because when the gear melds, it's _nonfunctional_.  It's far more beneficial for the druid to have all his/her gear functional, on top of the benefits of the wildshaped form.







			
				dark dragon said:
			
		

> Ioun stones, animated shields, wildshape armor and dancing weapons should be usable in any form, even if the druid or master of many forms wildshapes into something ...strange.



Absolutely.  A Wilding Clasp can also be used to allow an amulet to function, even though melded into the new form.  Thus a druid can continue to benefit from his/her _+6 Periapt of Wisdom_ even when wildshaped into a squirrel or polar bear.

I have no problem with the above items, or the Wild Armor property and Wilding Clasp.  All have an additional expense to compensate for their usefulness.  Other than that, if a druid wants to wear magic items while wildshaped, they need to have animal-type magic items crafted.


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## moritheil (Apr 27, 2005)

Lord Pendragon said:
			
		

> No, because when the gear melds, it's _nonfunctional_. It's far more beneficial for the druid to have all his/her gear functional, on top of the benefits of the wildshaped form.Absolutely. A Wilding Clasp can also be used to allow an amulet to function, even though melded into the new form. Thus a druid can continue to benefit from his/her _+6 Periapt of Wisdom_ even when wildshaped into a squirrel or polar bear.
> 
> I have no problem with the above items, or the Wild Armor property and Wilding Clasp. All have an additional expense to compensate for their usefulness. Other than that, if a druid wants to wear magic items while wildshaped, they need to have animal-type magic items crafted.




I am aware that it's nonfunctional when it melds. My assertion is that even the gear being nonfunctional is usually better than it being present and functional, due to the reasons the druid has behind taking wild form.

IME, most druids do not want to look like squirrels with magical bracers and whirling ioun stones when they turn into a squirrel to avoid being spotted by the enemy as "the one dropping all the fire elementals on us."

Of course, if your druids are continually wildshaping into bears to maul the enemy, then what do they care what they look like?  But I stated my assumptions about the scenario previously.


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