[RPG] Is a Druid’s Wild shape multiple or one form

dnd-3.5edruidwild-shape

I'm currently playing my first Druid (currently level 6) in a D&D 3.5e campaign. For the wild shape ability I just can't find anywhere that says whether you choose one wild shape form (e.g. an animal) and always turn into that every time you use it, or if you can choose a different form every time. From what I've gathered so far I think it's the latter, but that seems a bit OP… Maybe there is a limited pool of forms one can choose?

Best Answer

You can assume any form which doesn't contravene limitations set by Wild Shape class feature.

There is no statement in the feature description to limit you with one chosen form. So you may assume different ones*. What the feature does, it limits Type, Size, and HD of the new form.

Do however note that you not necessarily are able to turn into any sufficient form in all books you have. Depending on the campaign, setting, and your DM there may be some limitations other than mechanical ones:

  1. Some creatures may just be missing in a setting you play. Frequent example here are dinosaurs. At least some settings' lore may completely lack any of them. They just never existed in some worlds.

  2. You should be familiar with the animal whose form you are going to assume. The approach is different here:

    • Some DMs just ignore this.

    • Some require Knowledge checks of some sort to know if you are familiar with that kind of creatures.

    • Others flat-out ban all animals not from your home region/climate/whatever.

I recommend you ask your DM about those lines.

*: Each use of wild shape allows assuming one form. For example, switching from the original human form to cat form requires one use of wild shape then switching from cat form to dog form requires a second use of wild shape.

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