Is changing shapes useful at all?

Dragonfolk2000

The concept of the cloak of the wolf or druid shapeshifting would be cool to me if there were practicallity to it in a computer game. Is there any reason for any kind of character to use shapeshifting. How about druids? Avengers? Shapeshifters? Are there synergies I'm unaware of?

chebmeh

As far as I'm aware, shifting wasn't given the power it was supposed to have, making changing shapes quite meh. I think the bg2 tweakpacks changed a lot. Sadly, the only thing I've gotten out of shifting lately is a laugh at the paper doll of the wolf. It gave me a chuckle.

elminster

Sword spider (avenger shapechange option) is pretty good.

Syntia13

Shifting into any form changes your statistics to those of the assumed form; the usefulness thereof depends on your starting statistics and the circumstances.
I remember one playthrough when I came across a dying young deserter who had to be transported to a temple else he'd die (BTW - if you take too long in getting him to a healer, he does die).
The problem? The young man was quite heavy, and in my party of spellcasters noone was strong enough to carry him. Solution? Cloak of the wolf - wolf form - strength set to... 18, I think. I got the man to a healer just in time, and moved on feeling very proud of myself.
If I remember correctly, wolf form also increases your speed movement, so you can get to the enemy archers/spellcasters much faster than you would otherwise. Some animal forms have a decent constitution, which translates to more HP when shifted. Some have natural armor or resistances, useful in a battle against certain enemies.
The troll form has regeneration, which can be a life saver during a tough battle (I'm not sure if you can shift into a troll in BG1 though).
And getting polymorphed into a squirrel is plain hilarious. (Coincidentally, this was the way my spellcasters finally managed to kill that horrid greater werewolf once - lover magic resistance - wand of polymorph - SQUISH! ;D )

elminster

Syntia13 said:

Shifting into any form changes your statistics to those of the assumed form; the usefulness thereof depends on your starting statistics and the circumstances.
I remember one playthrough when I came across a dying young deserter who had to be transported to a temple else he'd die (BTW - if you take too long in getting him to a healer, he does die).
The problem? The young man was quite heavy, and in my party of spellcasters noone was strong enough to carry him. Solution? Cloak of the wolf - wolf form - strength set to... 18, I think. I got the man to a healer just in time, and moved on feeling very proud of myself.
If I remember correctly, wolf form also increases your speed movement, so you can get to the enemy archers/spellcasters much faster than you would otherwise. Some animal forms have a decent constitution, which translates to more HP when shifted. Some have natural armor or resistances, useful in a battle against certain enemies.
The troll form has regeneration, which can be a life saver during a tough battle (I'm not sure if you can shift into a troll in BG1 though).
And getting polymorphed into a squirrel is plain hilarious. (Coincidentally, this was the way my spellcasters finally managed to kill that horrid greater werewolf once - lover magic resistance - wand of polymorph - SQUISH! ;D )

You strength is set to 15 for the wolf.

DMC

Cloak of the Wolf seems to allow spellcasting while shapeshifted, so it's not bad for a weaker casting type.

*Edit* Correction, it doesn't grey out spellcasting, but it does add a strong spell failure chance. Not sure if it's as useful in that case. But still it does raise physical stats.

Dragonfolk2000

DMC said:

Cloak of the Wolf seems to allow spellcasting while shapeshifted, so it's not bad for a weaker casting type.

*Edit* Correction, it doesn't grey out spellcasting, but it does add a strong spell failure chance. Not sure if it's as useful in that case. But still it does raise physical stats.

Your statement implies that sometimes spells still work when in wolf form, just unlikely. And idea what the percentage is? How to lower it without shifting back? How does this affect druids?