Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Build Discussion Moon Druid Subclass Implementation: Discussion & Feedback

Great game, generally a great implementation of the 5e ruleset. Honestly all the positives of this game make it all the more glaring how broken Moon Druids and Wild Shape are in their current form.

Disclaimer: I know coding is not easy. I�m sure Wild Shape presents some very challenging coding issues. And this also isn�t a gripe about min/maxing. This post is about pointing out that Wild Shape simply isn�t functional in its current state, and it breaks immersion over and over again using it.

First, the forms you get vary wildly from source material. This is forgivable, but a bit jarring. A polar bear? No multi attack? But ok, fine, like I said, easily forgivable.

What�s not forgivable is the way magic items and near zero multi class features work while wild shaped. Those issues go beyond simply tweaking the animal stats for balance reasons. These are bugs, straight up. And if they aren�t bugs, then we have diverged from the RAW to the extent that it ruins the class fantasy.

Druids should be able to retain multi class features while wild shaped. If not the active abilities, at least the passives. And the vast majority of passives conflict in some way with wild shape. Magic items simply not working anymore? Ouch. Ouch. Again, at least the passives from magic items should remain functional.

Don�t even get me started on concentration spells not functioning correctly in wild shape. At least that has been clearly identified as a bug - I think?

To put it simply: Wild Shape is immersion breaking, over and over again. And in a game that centers around RPG immersion goodness, playing a class that breaks immersion during its core mechanic is a big no-no.

That�s my gripe list. How to fix it? I�m not a coder, so I hate to complain and not help. One thing they could do is treat the animal forms basically as PCs. My gut says a lot of the issues stem from animal forms being given all sorts of strange abilities and modifiers, instead of just being treated like a Ranger pet or like any other animal with certain ability scores. Make the animal form stats and capabilities based purely on ability scores, with unarmed attacks that have slightly higher values and a different name like �claw� or �bite�. But they are still just unarmed attacks based off of strength.

Make animal AC values based purely on dexterity, with a straight forward �+X� value for Natural Armor. Instead natural armor is being treated AS regular armor instead of a modifier, creating all sort of issues with Unarmored Defense and AC modifying spells.

Like I said, I�m no coder. Maybe my suggestions (I.e. SIMPLIFYING animal stats and attacks instead of treating them as some special category of abilities) wouldn�t help, but that seems like the most intuitive, straight forward, and satisfying way of remedying the current issues with Druids and Wild Shape.

If most other classes can multiclass without an issue, namely because the PC is always treated as a PC, let�s start by treating our wild shape forms as PCs. PCs with regular PC stats and abilities. Not loading them up with unusual modifiers and work arounds that interfere with other game mechanics. Feels like we�ve cut the nose off to spite the face in the name of �balancing� the forms with all sort of strange modifiers that cause conflicts.

In other words: Wild Shape feels broken, from an amateur�s perspective, because they made the animal forms IN REVERSE. They wanted them to have XYZ stats and actions and engineered the forms to fit that vision using all sorts of tweaks and work arounds� instead of simply setting up the ability scores and actions/talents of the animals forms first, then working from that base template to tweak as appropriate. Switch the emphasis from how the end form performs in battle, to making a simple RAW base form functional, and Wild Shape may function a heck of a lot better.

I love this game, and that�s all the more reason I want my favorite class to work correctly. Give Druids some love and attention Larion, because right now Wild Shaping just feels confusing and so so icky to play. I assume most of us Druids would love a multi class dip (who doesn�t?) and multi classing as a Druid is just straight punishment with Wild Shape in current form. Serves almost no purpose besides RP. And I love to RP, except when my RP choices completely break immersion. Besides, even without the multi class issues the concentration bugs and magic items issues make a single class Druid immersion breaking.