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. Originally compiled from Reddit.

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

General Information

• It is neither possible to cast spells while in Wild Shape nor take any action outside of those available while in Wild Shape. Such actions are only mentioned in this list if their effects persist after transforming.
• Equipped items are merged into the beast form and most of them do not have any effect until reverting back. If any equipment is not listed here then it probably 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 list notes the exceptions when permanent bonuses or feats actually change those ability scores while in Wild Shape.
• Due to the way they are coded, many reactions do not trigger in Wild Shape. However, using  Disguise Self or  Disguise Kit before transforming can cause some of these reactions to work.
• This list is NOT meant to imply that all these features should work with Wild Shape - many of them are not supposed to work due to the rules of 5th Edition D&D.
• This list is far from complete. Please add any missing information noticed.

Works in Wild Shape

Class Features

• Fighting Styles:
  •  Defence - if wearing armour before transforming
  •  Duelling - for Fire Myrmidon and Air Myrmidon forms only
  •  Great Weapon Fighting - for Water Myrmidon form only
•  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
• Barbarian
  •  Fast Movement - if not wearing heavy armour before transforming
  •  Rage - must be used before transforming. Resistances work but not the damage bonus.
  •  Unarmoured Defence - if wearing no armour before transforming and base armour of form is less than 10 + CON mod
  • Berserker
    •  Frenzy - must be used before transforming
  • Wildheart
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Bear
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Eagle
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Chimpanzee
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Crocodile
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Elk - must be used before transforming
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Honey Badger - can trigger Rage while transformed
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Stallion
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Tiger
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Wolf - must be used before transforming
    •  Aspect of the Beast: Wolverine
    •  Rage: Bear Heart - must be used before transforming. Resistances work but not the damage bonus.  Unrelenting Ferocity isn't available.
    •  Rage: Eagle Heart - must be used before transforming; both the normal resistances and the additional passive effects work properly
    •  Rage: Elk Heart - must be used before transforming; both the normal resistances and the additional passive effects work properly
    •  Rage: Tiger Heart - must be used before transforming; both the normal resistances and the additional passive effects work properly
    •  Rage: Wolf Heart - must be used before transforming; both the normal resistances and the additional passive effects work properly
• Druid
  •  Improved Wild Strike - works for all wild shapes, including Myrmidons with weapons even though the game description states "Unarmed Strike"
• Fighter
  •  Action Surge - must be used before transforming
  • Champion
    •  Improved Critical Hit
• Monk
  •  Evasion
  •  Unarmoured Defence - if wearing neither armour nor shield before transforming and base armour of form is less than 10 + WIS mod
  •  Unarmoured Movement - if wearing no armour before transforming
  •  Wholeness of Body - must be used before transforming
• Paladin

 Aura of Protection - must be used before transforming

• • Oath of the Ancients
    •  Aura of Warding - must be used before transforming
  • Oath of Devotion
    •  Aura of Devotion - must be used before transforming
  • Oath of Vengeance
    •  Relentless Avenger
  • Oathbreaker
    •  Aura of Hate - must be used before transforming
• Ranger
  •  Wasteland Wanderer: Cold
  •  Wasteland Wanderer: Fire
  •  Wasteland Wanderer: Poison
• Rogue
  •  Evasion
  •  Uncanny Dodge
  • Assassin
    •  Assassin's Alacrity
    •  Assassinate: Ambush
    •  Assassinate: Initiative
  • Thief
    •  Fast Hands
    •  Second-Story Work
• Sorcerer
  • Draconic Bloodline
    •  Draconic Resilience - if wearing no armour before transforming and base armour of form is less than 13
• Warlock
  •  Devil's Sight
  • The Fiend
    •  Dark One's Blessing
  • The Great Old One
    •  Mortal Reminder
• Wizard
  • Abjuration School
    •  Arcane Ward - must be stacked up before transforming
  • Divination School
    •  Expert Divination - it is even possible to fulfill the prophecies while in Wild Shape
    •  Portent
  • Transmutation School
    •  Experimental Alchemy
    •  Transmuter's Stone - all versions of the stone work

Equipment

•  Armour of Moonbasking
•  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
•  Corvid Token
•  Gloves of the Automaton - must be used before transforming
•  Martial Exertion Gloves - must be used before transforming
•  Shapeshifter's Boon Ring
•  True Love's Caress - must be used before transforming, works in both directions
•  True Love's Embrace - must be used before transforming, works in both directions

Feats

•  Alert
• Elemental Adept - applies to wild shape forms that deal elemental damage such as the Myrmidon and Dilophosaurus forms
  •  Elemental Adept: Acid
  •  Elemental Adept: Cold
  •  Elemental Adept: Lightning
  •  Elemental Adept: Fire
  •  Elemental Adept: Thunder
•  Heavily Armoured
•  Lucky
•  Mobile
• Resilient - the +1 bonus to any stat and save proficiency persists in wild shape
  •  Resilient: Charisma
  •  Resilient: Constitution - Wild Shapes with odd CON values do not gain HP from the +1
  •  Resilient: Dexterity
  •  Resilient: Intelligence
  •  Resilient: Strength
  •  Resilient: Wisdom
•  Savage Attacker - only works for wild shapes which wield weapons (i.e. the Myrmidons)
• Sentinel - fully works for wild shapes which wield weapons (i.e. the Myrmidons); only the passives work for wild shapes that do not wield weapons.
  •  Sentinel: Opportunity Advantage
  •  Sentinel: Snare
  •  Sentinel: Vengeance

Illithid Abilities

•  Ability Drain
•  Cull the Weak
•  Favourable Beginnings
•  Freecast - cannot 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 (e.g.  Auntie Ethel's Hair,  Potion of Everlasting Vigour, and Mirror of Loss)
• Permanent conditions:
  •  Githzerai Mind Barrier
  •  Loviatar's Love
  •  See Invisibility from  Volo's Ersatz Eye
  •  Sweet Stone Features
  •  Tharchiate Vigour

Potions and Elixirs

• All potions and elixirs seem to work properly.

Races

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

Special Features

•  Astarion's  Happy

Partially works in Wild Shape

Class Features

• Barbarian
  •  Reckless Attack - only works in the Myrmidon forms and if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
• Bard
  •  Bardic Inspiration - cannot cast this while transformed but allies can cast it on you and it works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
  • College of Lore
    •  Cutting Words - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
  • College of Valour
    •  Combat Inspiration - cannot cast this while transformed but allies can cast it on you and it works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming.  Valiant Damage only works with Wild Shapes which use weapons
• Cleric
  • Divine Strike - only works if using  Disguise Self beforehand and then using  Riposte
  • Light Domain
    •  Improved Warding Flare - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
    •  Warding Flare - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
  • Nature Domain
    •  Dampen Elements - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
  • Tempest Domain
    •  Wrath of the Storm - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
  • War Domain
    •  War God's Blessing - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
    •  War Priest - only works by using the "Attack" button until getting an option to use the War Priest Charge; does NOT work if trying to use the bonus action attack first by selecting the War Priest Charge button
• Fighter
  • Battlemaster
    •  Riposte - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
• Ranger
  • Gloom Stalker
    •  Dread Ambusher - extra initiative and movement speed work, but the bonus attack does not
• Rogue
  •  Sneak Attack - only works for Fire Myrmidon if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
• Sorcerer
  • Wild Magic
    •  Tides of Chaos - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
• Wizard
  • Abjuration School
    •  Projected Ward - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
  • Mage Armor - only works if not wearing armor and cast before transforming

Equipment

•  Mutilated Carapace
  •  Faceless Masquerade - does not work
  •  Formless Slaughter - works
•  Shapeshifter Hat - the +1 Nature bonus disappears in Wild Shape and the extra Wild Shape charge disappears if taking a short rest while in one of the Myrmidon forms; only dismissing the Myrmidon form before the short rest preserves the charge
• Bugged equipment. Saving and reloading the save while in Wild Shape causes certain equipment auras to reappear as if the character was not transformed. This applies to the following auras:
  •  Abyss Beckoners -  Demonspirit Aura
  •  Bhaalist Armour -  Aura of Murder
  •  The Blood of Lathander's  Lathander's Light
•  Torch - ignites flammable surfaces and clouds on contact; only works if torch is held before transforming)

Feats

• Athlete (+1 STR or DEX does not).
  •  Athlete: Standing Up - works
•  Dual Wielder - the +1 AC persists if dual-wielding before transforming into an unarmed wild shape form; however, if transforming into an armed myrmidon form, the +1 AC does not apply
•  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
  •  Great Weapon Master: All In - works only for Water Myrmidon form
  •  Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack - does not work
•  Heavy Armour Master - only the +1 STR applies; the damage reduction does not work even if wearing Heavy Armour before transforming
• Mage Slayer
  •  Mage Slayer: Attack Caster - reaction only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
  •  Mage Slayer: Break Concentration - works
  •  Mage Slayer: Saving Throw Advantage - works
•  Martial Adept -  Riposte - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
•  Tavern Brawler - the bonus to unarmed attack and damage rolls works properly; the additional +1 STR or CON does not apply in Wild Shape; requires a Wild Shape with unarmed attacks (i.e. everything except three of the Myrmidons)
• War Caster
  •  War Caster: Concentration - works
  •  War Caster: Opportunity Spell - does not work
•  Weapon Master - the weapon proficiencies work with the Myrmidon forms but the stat bonus does not carry over to Wild Shape

Illithid Abilities

•  Charm - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
•  Luck of the Far Realms - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
•  Psionic Backlash - only works if  Disguise Self is used before transforming

Permanent bonuses

•  Vampire Ascendant - the additional 1d10⁠⁠Necrotic damage applies to forms that attack with weapons

Miscellaneous

•  Tenacity - only works for Wild Shape: Air Myrmidon if  Disguise Self is used before transforming
•  Infernal Fury - only works for the Myrmidon forms, and requires either raging beforehand or dropping the Myrmidon's hp to 1/4

Does not work in Wild Shape

Class Features

• Barbarian
  • Giant -  Boot of the Giants
• Cleric
  • Tempest Domain -  Destructive Wrath
  • War Domain -  Guided Strike
• Druid
  • Circle of the Spores
    •  Symbiotic Entity (This automatically ends upon entering Wild Shape)
• Fighter / Paladin:
  •  Protection (Does not work even if wearing a shield before transforming)
• Monk
  •  Deflect Missiles
  •  Ki-Empowered Strikes
  •  Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strike
  • Way of the Open Hand
    •  Manifestation of Body
    •  Manifestation of Mind
    •  Manifestation of Soul

Equipment

• Almost all equipment in the game

Feats

• Ability Improvement (Using this to increase STR, DEX, or CON does not carry over to Wild Shape)
•  Defensive Duellist (Fire Myrmidon form cannot use the reaction even if  Disguise Self is used before transforming)
•  Lightly Armoured (The stat bonus does not carry over to Wild Shape)
•  Moderately Armoured (The stat bonus does not carry over to Wild Shape)
• Polearm Master
  •  Polearm Master: Bonus Attack (No Wild Shape has an applicable weapon)
  •  Polearm Master: Opportunity Attack (No Wild Shape has an applicable weapon)
•  Tough (Does not double Wild Shape HP)

Illithid Abilities

•  Psionic Dominance

Spells

• It is not possible to cast Spells while in Wild Shape.
  • This includes spells which 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.