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. Spells and Class Actions will only be mentioned in this article if they can be used before 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.
• 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

• Most racial passives:
  • 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).
  • Gnome's  Gnome Cunning.
  • Half-Orc's  Savage Attacks (Requires a Wild Shape with a weapon such as Water Myrmidon).
• 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).
• 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).
• The  Defence Fighting Style (if you were wearing armour before transforming).
• 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 activated before transforming).
  • Berserker's  Frenzy (must be activated before transforming).
  • Wildheart's  Rage: Bear Heart and  Rage: Eagle Heart (must be activated before transforming).
  • Wildheart's  Aspect of the Beast: Wolverine
• 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 activated 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 activated before transforming).
• Paladin's  Aura of Protection (must be activated before transforming).
  • Oath of the Ancients'  Aura of Warding (must be activated before transforming).
  • Oath of Devotion's  Aura of Devotion (must be activated before transforming).
  • Oathbreaker's  Aura of Hate (must be activated before transforming).
• Ranger's  Wasteland Wanderer: Cold,  Wasteland Wanderer: Fire, and  Wasteland Wanderer: Poison.
• Thief's  Fast Hands
• Warlock's  Devil's Sight
  • The Fiend's  Dark One's Blessing
  • The Great Old One's  Mortal Reminder
• War Domain's  War Priest
• Specific 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).
• Many 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).
  •  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).
• Some 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 cast before transforming).
• Most buffs gained before transforming (e.g.  Enlarged).
• All potions and elixirs.

Partially works in Wild Shape

• Some 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).
  •  Mage Slayer (Only the passives work, not the reaction).
  •  Tavern Brawler (It works properly in Explorer, Balanced, and Tactician difficulty but does not give the bonus to damage rolls in Honour mode. The additional +1 STR or CON works in all difficulties but +1 CON will not change the HP of Wild Shape forms).
    • 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).
• 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).

Does not work in Wild Shape

• Almost all equipment in the game.
• Some Feats:
  •  Heavy Armour Master (Does not work even if you were wearing Heavy Armour before transforming).
  •  Tough (Does not double Wild Shape HP).
• Some Illithid abilities:
  •  Charm
  •  Luck of the Far Realms
• Circle of the Spores's  Symbiotic Entity (It automatically ends upon entering Wild Shape).
• 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.