List of features that work in Wild Shape

This page is about the features that do or do not work in Wild Shape. For details on the stats and effects of Wild Shape, see  Wild Shape or  Combat Wild Shape.

Most equipment, many feats, and some class passives do not work while in  Wild Shape. This list clarifies what works and what does not work.

General Information

• You can't cast spells while in Wild Shape, and can't take any action outside of those available to your Wild Shape. Such actions will only be mentioned in this article if their effects persist after transforming.
• Your equipped items are merged into your beast form and most of them do not have any effect until you revert back. If any equipment is not listed here then it does not work in Wild Shape.
• As a general rule, Wild Shape replaces a character's Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution with those of the creature. This article notes the exceptions when permanent bonuses or feats actually do change those stats while in Wild Shape.
• Due to the way it is coded, many reactions will not trigger in Wild Shape. However, using  Disguise Self or Disguise Kit before transforming can cause some of these reactions to work.
• This article is NOT meant to imply that all these features should work with Wild Shape- many simply aren't supposed to work due to the rules of 5th Edition D&D.
• This list is far from complete. Feel free to add to it if you notice any missing information.

Armour of Moonbasking- one of the few equipment that works in Wild Shape

Works in Wild Shape

Class Features

• The  Extra Attack of martial classes (It even stacks with Druid's  Wild Strike to give them 3 attacks in Wild Shape the same way that  Improved Wild Strike does).
• Certain Fighting Styles:
  •  Defence (if you were wearing armour before transforming).
  •  Duelling (for Fire Myrmidon form only).
  •  Great Weapon Fighting (for Water Myrmidon form only)
• Abjuration School's  Arcane Ward (must be stacked up before transforming).
• Barbarian's  Fast Movement (if you were not wearing heavy armour before transforming).
• Barbarian's  Rage (must be used before transforming).
  • Berserker's  Frenzy (must be used before transforming).
  • Wildheart's  Rage: Bear Heart,  Rage: Eagle Heart,  Rage: Elk Heart,  Rage: Tiger Heart, and  Rage: Wolf Heart (must be used before transforming. Both the normal resistances and the additional passive effects work properly).
  • Wildheart's  Aspect of the Beast: Elk (must be used before transforming).
  • Wildheart's  Aspect of the Beast: Wolverine
  • Wildheart's  Aspect of the Beast: Honey Badger (can trigger Rage while transformed).
  • Wildheart's  Aspect of the Beast: Stallion
• Barbarian's  Unarmoured Defence (if you were wearing no armour before transforming).
• Draconic Bloodline's  Draconic Resilience (if you were wearing no armour before transforming).
• Divination School's  Portent
• Fighter's  Action Surge (must be used before transforming).
  • Champion's  Improved Critical Hit
• Monk's  Unarmoured Defence (if you were wearing no armour before transforming).
• Monk's  Unarmoured Movement (if you were not wearing armour or a shield before transforming).
• Monk's  Wholeness of Body feature (must be used before transforming).
• Paladin's  Aura of Protection (must be used before transforming).
  • Oath of the Ancients'  Aura of Warding (must be used before transforming).
  • Oath of Devotion's  Aura of Devotion (must be used before transforming).
  • Oath of Vengeance's  Relentless Avenger
  • Oathbreaker's  Aura of Hate (must be used before transforming).
• Ranger's  Wasteland Wanderer: Cold,  Wasteland Wanderer: Fire, and  Wasteland Wanderer: Poison.
• Thief's  Fast Hands
• Thief's  Second-Story Work
• Warlock's  Devil's Sight
  • The Fiend's  Dark One's Blessing
  • The Great Old One's  Mortal Reminder
• War Domain's  War Priest

Equipment

• Shapeshifter's Boon Ring
• Armour of Moonbasking
• Corvid Token
• Boots of Striding (The +1 Athletics bonus works and the  Prone immunity persists through Wild Shape. Somehow the  Prone immunity continues even if concentration is broken and only ends once the Wild Shape does).

Feats

•  Alert
•  Dual Wielder (if you were dual-wielding before transforming).
•  Heavily Armoured
•  Lucky
•  Mobile
•  Resilient (The +1 bonus to any stat and save proficiency persists in wild shape).
•  Savage Attacker (Only works for wild shapes that wield weapons (i.e. the Myrmidons).
•  Sentinel (Fully works for wild shapes that wield weapons (i.e. the Myrmidons). Only the passives work for wild shapes that don't wield weapons).

Illithid Abilities

•  Ability Drain
•  Cull the Weak
•  Favourable Beginnings
•  Freecast (Can't be used while in wild shape but can be used to cast wild shape without expending wild shape charges).
•  Mind Sanctuary (Must be used before transforming).

Permanent bonuses

• Permanent stat bonuses such as those provided by Hag hair, Potion of Everlasting Vigour, or Mirror of Loss.
• Permanent conditions (e.g.  See Invisibility from Volo's Ersatz Eye).

Potions and Elixirs

• All potions and elixirs work properly.

Races

• Racial passives that provide resistances (e.g.  Dwarven Resilience or  Hellish Resistance).
• Racial passives that affect movement speed (e.g. both Fleet of Foot and Shortened Stride).
• Racial passives that provide  Darkvision or  Superior Darkvision.
• Duergar's  Enlarge (must be used before transforming).
• Gnome's  Gnome Cunning.
• Half-Orc's  Savage Attacks (Requires a Wild Shape with a weapon such as Water Myrmidon).

Partially works in Wild Shape

Class Features

• Abjuration School's  Arcane Ward (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
• Barbarian's  Reckless Attack (Only works in the Myrmidon form and if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
• Battlemaster's  Riposte (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
• College of Lore's  Cutting Words (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
• Light Domain's  Warding Flare and  Improved Warding Flare (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
• Tempest Domain's  Wrath of the Storm (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
• War Domain's  War God's Blessing (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).

Equipment

• Shapeshifter Hat (The +1 Nature bonus disappears in Wild Shape but the extra charge works).
• Mutilated Carapace (The +1 to attack rolls and damage rolls works, but the AC bonus and advantage on deception and persuasion checks does not).

Feats

•  Athlete (Passive effects work but the +1 STR or DEX does not).
•  Durable (Gives the additional +1 CON and full heal but the increased CON does not change the HP of wild shape forms).
•  Great Weapon Master (Only works for Wild Shape: Water Myrmidon. The  All In component works, but the bonus action attack does not).
•  Heavy Armour Master (Only the +1 STR applies. The damage reduction does not work even if you were wearing Heavy Armour before transforming).
•  Mage Slayer (Only the passives work, not the reaction).
•  Tavern Brawler (The bonus to unarmed attack and damage rolls works properly in Explorer, Balanced, and Tactician difficulty but but only applies to attack rolls in Honour mode. The additional +1 STR or CON does not apply in wild shape form).
  • Requires a Wild Shape with unarmed attacks (i.e. all of them except Circle of the Moon's Myrmidon forms).
•  War Caster (Only the passives work, not the reaction).

Illithid Abilities

•  Luck of the Far Realms (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
•  Charm (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).
•  Psionic Backlash (Only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).

Miscellaneous

•  Tenacity (Only works for Wild Shape: Air Myrmidon if  Disguise Self is used before transforming).

Does not work in Wild Shape

Class Features

• Certain Fighting Styles:
  •  Protection (Doesn't work even if you were wearing a shield before transforming).
• Circle of the Spores's  Symbiotic Entity (It automatically ends upon entering Wild Shape).
• Monk's  Deflect Missiles
• Monk's  Ki-Empowered Strikes
• Monk's  Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strike
  • Way of the Open Hand's  Manifestation of Body,  Manifestation of Mind, and  Manifestation of Soul.
• Tempest Domain's  Destructive Wrath
• War Domain's  Guided Strike

Equipment

• Almost all equipment in the game.

Feats

•  Ability Improvement (Using it to increase STR, DEX, or CON does not carry over to Wild Shape).
•  Polearm Master (No Wild Shape has an applicable weapon).
•  Tough (Does not double Wild Shape HP).

Illithid Abilities

•  Psionic Dominance

Spells

• You cannot cast any Spells while in Wild Shape.
  • This includes spells that cost a reaction (e.g.  Shield or  Counterspell) or spells that are triggered by an action (e.g.  Divine Smite) even if  Disguise Self is used before transforming.