dnd transforming into animals class alternatives

[helldivers is racist]

is there other classes in dnd that allows you to transform into animals or supernatural beings without having to be a druid?

[salamander]

perhaps i am misremembering, but all casters can be learning the ability to transform into animals in dnd, right?

[helldivers is racist]

Originally posted by salamander:

perhaps i am misremembering, but all casters can be learning the ability to transform into animals in dnd, right?

i may have to search that. i dont remember casters doing that.

[Sir Seanicus, Esq.]

Polymorph.
https://5e.tools/spells.html#polymorph_phb

There's Blood Hunter made by Matt Mercer with the Lycan subclass for werewolf transformation.
https://5e.tools/classes.html#blood%20hunter_bh2022,state:sub-lycan-bh2022=b1

[Pinky Green]

Originally posted by Howard the duck:

Originally posted by salamander:

perhaps i am misremembering, but all casters can be learning the ability to transform into animals in dnd, right?

i may have to search that. i dont remember casters doing that.

Magical weapons or armor sometimes have spells other classes can use.

[Pinky Green]

Hellhound Cloak and Cloak of the Bat both have shapechanging powers. https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items

[Adversary]

Originally posted by Howard the duck:

Originally posted by salamander:

perhaps i am misremembering, but all casters can be learning the ability to transform into animals in dnd, right?

i may have to search that. i dont remember casters doing that.

Polymorph is a 4th level Transmutation spell for Wizards and Sorcerers. Druids have Wild Shape starting at 5th level. Factorums starting at 10th level could technically use Polymorph as a spell-like ability once per day by spending an inspiration point, but they would have had to prepare it prior. These are three examples.

Anything past Third Edition isn't canon and to suggest otherwise is heresy.

[helldivers is racist]

Originally posted by Vector Victor:

Hellhound Cloak and Cloak of the Bat both have shapechanging powers. https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items

very interesting!

[MinionJoe]

"In order to not give any one class an advantage over any other, Hasbro as decided that all classes are now able to do everything in their Dungeons and Dragons game."

[permanent name]

you could contract lycanthropy. this gives you willful control over transformation after your first moon, and allows you to transform back from a baleful polymorph at will. so you can turn into a small lizard then back to a wolf. then a human or whatever you were.

however it influences your alignment, so you have to go hunting for a closely-aligned wereanimal first.

vampirism is a convenient way as well and comes with many benefits and only one major drawback, but the average process of becoming a fledgling and ditching your sire is typically as difficult as every stronghold quest stacked on top of eachother. and you still need to drink blood and avoid sunlight after all that. but you can turn into a bat or a wolf or a fart.

[AustrAlien2010]

Anyone who owns the rights to the IP gets to decide that. They can do anything they want.
But normally only the druid can shapeshift. The other classes need books or items or whatever.
The druid can just do it without anything. They inherently have the ability to shapeshift.
But it also doesn't make sense, because it's a story and you can just make-up anything you want. If you want to have a sentient cloud or whatever other random thing you can think of, that is also possible.


It depends on the rule-set.
You can do anything you want in your fantasy story. But the "good" and "evil" concept has been done to death.

[permanent name]

alignment can be concrete too, like an animal's instincts influence. it doesn't have to be implemented as good and evil perse.

[AustrAlien2010]

"Good," "evil" and "neutral" they use I think. It has a clear rule-set.
They can't go out of that box.