Source: Unearthed Arcana 23, Druid
The Wild Shape feature in the Player’s Handbook lets you transform into a beast that you’ve seen before. That rule gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility, making it easy to amass a large of array of beast form options for yourself, assuming you abide by the limitations in the Beast Shapes table in that book.
The optional rule presented here is designed for the player and DM who would like to trade some of that flexibility for ease of use. The rules here also create a clear in-world method for learning new beast shapes.
Known Beast Shapes
When you gain the Wild Shape feature at 2nd level, you are deeply familiar with three beasts of your choice and can transform into them.
To choose the three beast shapes, you first need to determine whether your druid grew up in a temperate or a tropical region, consulting with your DM. Then refer to the Common Beast Shapes table that corresponds to the region you selected. That table lists the beasts you can choose from, based on your druid level. The table presents the animals that a druid is most likely to have seen as a novice, to have learned about through mystic research, or to have a special affinity with.
Each time you gain a druid level later, you can choose one more beast shape from the same table you used at 2nd level.
Common Beast Shapes — Temperate
| Druid Level Prerequisite | Beasts |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Badger, boar, cat, deer, draft horse, elk, goat, jackal, lizard, mastiff, mule, panther, pony, rat, riding horse, scorpion, spider, weasel, wolf |
| 4th | Black bear,* crab, frog, octopus, poisonous snake, reef shark, seahorse, warhorse* |
| 8th | Bat, brown bear,* eagle, hawk, owl, raven, vulture |
*A member of the Circle of the Moon can choose this beast at 2nd level.
Common Beast Shapes — Temperate
| Druid Level Prerequisite | Beasts |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Baboon, badger, boar, camel, cat, deer, draft horse, goat, hyena, jackal, lizard, mule, panther, pony, rat, riding horse, scorpion, spider, weasel |
| 4th | Ape,* crab, crocodile, constrictor snake, frog, octopus, poisonous snake, reef shark, sea horse, warhorse* |
| 8th | Bat, eagle, hawk, lion,* owl, raven, tiger,* vulture |
*A member of the Circle of the Moon can choose this beast at 2nd level.
Starting Beast Shapes
To begin using Wild Shape quickly at 2nd level, choose one of the following starting packages, each of which gives you options for combat, climbing, stealth, and serving as a mount.
- Temperate: cat, elk, wolf
- Tropical: panther, riding horse, spider
- Temperate(Circle of the Moon): brown bear, cat, warhorse
- Tropical (Circle of the Moon): ape, tiger, warhorse
Gaining Extra Beast Shapes
In addition to the beast shapes you gain for free when you level up, you can acquire new shapes on your adventures. Do you see a dinosaur, a saber-toothed tiger, a giant eagle, or some other exotic critter that you want to turn into? This rule gives you a method for learning how to do so. It requires you to abide by the limitations in the Wild Shape feature (see the Beast Shapes table in the Player’s Handbook, page 66).
When you see a beast whose shape you’d like to learn, you have two options:
- Observation. You learn the beast’s shape after observing its behavior for at least 1 hour and succeeding on an Intelligence (Nature) check with a DC equal to 10 + the beast’s challenge rating. For this observation period, your vantage point—whether physical or magical—must be within 150 feet of the beast. If you previously spent at least 1 hour reading a scholarly work about the creature, you have advantage on the check.
- Interaction. You learn the beast’s shape after interacting with it peacefully for 10 minutes and succeeding on a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check with a DC equal to 10 + the beast’s challenge rating. For this interaction period, you must be within 15 feet of the beast, and if you spend at least a minute petting it, you have advantage on the check.
Either of these options can be assisted by magic. For example, divination magic can be used to provide safe observation of a dangerous animal, and a spell like animal friendship can lay the groundwork for peaceful interaction.
