Druids: Wildshaping Forms for Every Occasion

[Clanjos]

Let's talk about Wildshaping!

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Your druid level determines the beasts you can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes table. At 2nd level, for example, you can transform into any beast that has a challenge rating o f 1/4 or lower that doesn’t have a flying or swimming speed.

We all remember Wildshaping. It's one of the best class features of 3.5. But there have been some changes...

• 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 o f 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.
• When you transform, you assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal
  form, you return to the number o f hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result o f dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.
• You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities o f your beast form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that
  are part o f a spell, such as call lightning, that you’ve already cast.
• You retain the benefit o f any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable o f doing so. However, you can’t use any o f your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
• You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece o f equipment, based on the creature’s
  shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t w ear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Additionally, there are two advancement rates for druids, according to their Druid Circle class feature- the spellcasting-focused Circle of the Land use the following table, restricting forms based on move speed and challenge rating rather than Hit Dice:

Level	Max CR	Restrictions
2	1/4	No Swimming or Fly Speed
4	1/2	No Fly Speed
8	1	No Restrictions

On the other hand, the Circle of the Moon focuses on wildshaping at the expense of spellcasting power. From level 2, they can select CR 1 forms for wildshaping. And starting at level 6, their wildshape forms open up to one-third their druid level. However, they're still stuck with the movement restrictions. This is going to be a look at my personal recommendations for forms at each level.
[to be continued]

[Clanjos]

[level 2 forms]
These are the first forms available to a Druid of the Land. While the restrictions cover Fly and Swim speeds, they do not ban climb or burrow speeds.

Horse, Camel, Cat, Rat, Toad, Lizard- these aren't combat forms, obviously. These forms are for sneaking about in a city or outpost. Just don't get hit or you revert.
Swarm of Rats-  There's currently a beautiful loophole. There's nothing to say that your character can't wildshape into a swarm. Swarms get resistance to physical damage types, respectable attacks, and a nice thematic element of a wild man embodying the fury of nature bursting into its smallest, angriest components. This is your earliest swarm.

[level 4 forms]
CR 1/2 and a Swim Speed. Depending on the campaign, this can be a great or sub-par unlock. At the moment, I'm in a campaign taking place in a desert, so Swim forms aren't exactly topping my interests here.


[level 8 forms]
CR 1 and a fly speed. This is where a Land druid's wildshaping stops improving. For Land druids, this is when the Insect swarms come online. , climb speeds, and an attack that does a respectable 4d4 damage.
Swarms of Insects:
Resistance to physical damage, climb speeds, and an attack that does a respectable 4d4 damage.
Swarm of Bees: Insert image of Nic Cage. Bees/hornets are nothing to laugh at with a fly speed of 30.
Swarm of Beetles: Scarabs! Stag Beetles! Goliath Beetles! Ladybugs! Whatever is most thematically appropriate for your character, this swarm gets the best utility speed of all: Burrowing. Dungeon walls and floors mean NOTHING before the onslaught of a wave of angry beetles.

[Clanjos]

[bark at the moon: forms above CR 1]

[Clanjos]

Reserving one more, and calling it for today- got to study for classes.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Good deal ... 
Druids seem rather complicated, and the various guides that have popped up, are not anywhere near complete.

links:

CR 0's only
http://community.wizards.com/comment/51206646#comment-51206646

inbetweens aren't out there, maybe the Summoning guides have some listed, but that's the wrong context, same with Polymorph, different spell = way different functionality.

CR 1+ but maybe not the whole list, and context is for Moon Druids ; Lands should think about Wildshape differently, but idk.
http://community.wizards.com/comment/51202001#comment-51202001

Spells that work in Wildshape (remember only 1 concentration spell at a time)
http://community.wizards.com/comment/51251481#comment-51251481

[sambojin]

It does get a bit complicated in the forms you can take, but even if it hasn't been discussed at large on the forums, there's some options given in the Fun Finds thread for CR1- creatures. The AniMonk thread as well. Very relevant.

Brown Bear for ground combat, everything else for stuff it does. So cats and dogs and horsies and spiders. Plus some things.

Over CR1, just pick something you need to do things, and fight.

There will probably be a ruling that you can't ever be a swarm, or summon swarms as beasts with certain spells, eventually. But since 5th is pretty heavily RP'able, be a dinosaur. Because you can.

[Nunkuruji]

As you build this, perhaps consider equipment as well. While it is far less guaranteed to have access to specific Rare+ items, I think its worth noting whether certain wildshape forms can cover a weakness, or otherwise become incredibly useful with such things as a Belt of Giant Strength. Big cats and snakes might take a back seat to bears in terms of raw damage, but once that's equalized, pounce and constrict look a lot better.

You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it.

In most cases, a magic item that's meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they magically adjust themselves to the wearer. - DMG p.140