Re: Rules Q: Lycanthropes and Natural Spell

Dragonkat wrote:
On Mar 29, 11:02 am, Simon Lipscomb <simon.lipsc...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
As you say, it doesn't seem overly powerful (in this case, the
lycanthrope is most powerful in its hybrid form, so adding spells to the
animal form really doesn't increase the power level anyway).- Hide quoted text -


Why not call it Lycanthropic Spell?
Why not in Hybrid as well? It would mean a wider range of options,
but casting a spell & full attack can't be stacked. Either/or...

I think, having learned programming on the old 8-bit machines with a whole 64K to play with (if you were lucky), I find something like this where Natural Spell and 'Lycanthropic Spell' give basically the same effect (i.e you can cast spells in animal form) to be...in-elegant and poor design. It strikes me as needlessly specific for the feat to *only* work for Druids who are shapeshifting through Wild Shape when with a bit more open wording it could be shunted to other shapeshifters too. I don't have Oriental Adventures - what do Hengeyokai do, for example?

(On a side-rant, it's similar to all those feats they added in 3.5 that give you +2 to two skills. The simple and elegant variant, as per Arcana Evolved, is to have *one* feat (Skill Application) whereby each time you take it you gain +2 in two thematically-linked skills. Same thing, a lot less space in the rule book.

*Deep breath*

To your second question - I see no ruling that says you can't cast spells in hybrid form anyway. It could be ruled that, with a beast head, you can't form the words of the spells with verbal components and can only go 'grr, rarr'. I can't see anything in the SRD that specifically states this is or isn't possible, nor anything that hints as to whether or not it can be done. The only 'communication' skills that the example lycanthropes have are Intimidate and Handle Animal, both of which could be accomplished without being able to enunciate clearly.

I suppose (grudgingly) that 'Lycanthropic Spell' could be specifically written to state that it allows spell-casting in animal *and* hybrid form, thus making it different from Natural Spell. It's not like it's a big problem to include, but it does feel like re-inventing the wheel!

Cheers for all the replies.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Rules Q: Lycanthropes and Natural Spell
    ... lycanthrope is most powerful in its hybrid form, ... animal form really doesn't increase the power level anyway).- Hide quoted text - ... I suppose that 'Lycanthropic Spell' could be specifically ...
    (rec.games.frp.dnd)
  • Re: Rules Q: Lycanthropes and Natural Spell
    ... As you say, it doesn't seem overly powerful (in this case, the ... lycanthrope is most powerful in its hybrid form, ... Why not call it Lycanthropic Spell? ...
    (rec.games.frp.dnd)
  • Re: Cardinal Fang
    ... spell is permanent. ... Why would permanent spells end? ... One of the arguments that's made for this is that the target of the ... A druid in animal form doesn't change type. ...
    (rec.games.frp.dnd)