Moon Druid (broken 5E D&D malarkey)

[MrAgdesh]

In a D&D campaign I'm in, one of the players is playing a Moon Druid - he gets to 'Wild Shape' (assume different animal forms) which are effectively different combat suits he wears with a free set of hit points each. If the form dies he just has to wait a while (rest) before he rinse-repeats.

 

Our group has been chatting on how you would approximate this in Hero terms. Multiform is balanced in Hero in that any damage taken is proportioned to the form you assume, but this D&D monstrosity doesn't work like that (only if damage carries over past the form's hit points is it a problem to the Druid's main form hit points).

 

I've said that essentially under Hero this build is something that transfers its consciousness between several, summonable, essentially indestructible repairable robot bodies, but I'm having a mental block as to how best to set this up (although actually, there is probably something in The Book of the Machine that covers this, thinking about it).

 

 

This is purely from a design perspective in creating the above.  - not meant as a legit way to create a broken template. I say 'broken' because in our experience the Druid in question totally outshines all fighting types in our group. 

[tombrown803]

1. buy resurrection regeneration that only works when character dies when in multiform.

2. buy extra BODY in the multiform to simulate the taking of damage that does not transfer.

[ScottishFox]

I like Tom Brown's suggestion above with a slight variation.

 

Buy a pool of BOD / STUN for the 2nd form ABOVE what the normal body has.  That way when it runs out and the druid reverts to their natural form they're at their normal starting values.

Even in D&D damage beyond the threshold required to end the form does carry over.

 

Just from the perspective who DMs a LOT of D&D 5e - The Moon Druid really power spikes at 2nd and 10th levels.  At lower levels, especially, they can seem incredibly tough.

They are decently balanced from 5-9 and 13+ as their forms have AC that is garbage compared to fighters/paladins.  Their seemingly endless piles of HP will get chewed up pretty quickly by standard attackers.

[MrAgdesh]

4 minutes ago, ScottishFox said:

Just from the perspective who DMs a LOT of D&D 5e - The Moon Druid really power spikes at 2nd and 10th levels.  At lower levels, especially, they can seem incredibly tough.

They are decently balanced from 5-9 and 13+ as their forms have AC that is garbage compared to fighters/paladins.  Their seemingly endless piles of HP will get chewed up pretty quickly by standard attackers.

 

At lower levels (we are now 4th) they have seemed incredibly tough - to the point where the fighting types (including two paladins and two fighters) seem to pale by comparison. This particular player has played more 5E than us and says that "later on, after about 6th, I am outclassed by fighters of a similar level". This just seems like shoddy design to us. To design a broken killing machine early doors only to have it fade out if and when the party survive to mid levels?

 

We would undoubtedly be dead on more than one occasion if it were not for the Bear/Spider WildShapes. and not from any strategic play, just from damage dealing and soaking. 

[Doc Democracy]

8 hours ago, ScottishFox said:

Buy a pool of BOD / STUN for the 2nd form ABOVE what the normal body has.  That way when it runs out and the druid reverts to their natural form they're at their normal starting values

 

I'm with Scottish Fox on this.  If the wild shape is essentially just additional hit points, then you buy additional hit points.  I would be tempted by a small VPP to provide one or two things an animal form might be expected to have (tough hide, killing attack, extra STR, extra running, flight etc).

 

Doc