Additional Shapechange forms that get Spellcasting enabled

[Steve]

Hello!

LIke the Mindflayer form has with the Shapechange spell (receiving Natural Spell innately), I suggest upgrading 1-2 forms with the same characteristic. Why? So that Good and Neutral shapechangers can have a form more in-line with their...Alignment.

My suggestions then would be:

- Moon Dog (for Good). Moon Dog has opposable digits, can speak Common and other languages, and has innate spellcasting abilities.

- Marut (for Neutral). The Marut speak Common, have innate magical abilities, and where supposedly created by Mystra, and in the Complete Mage there is even a special spell for a mage to use to transform themselves into a Marut-like form and get access to some of their innate powers.

Interested in hearing thoughts about this! Cheers.

[JustAnotherGuy]

My thoughts are that any form that would be similar to the caster's original form, and able to speak, should be able to cast spells. But any form that is NOT one of these should require a separate feat, just as druids have to take in order to get the ability to cast spells while shifted.

My thoughts are this: even if that form has an innate ability to cast magic, the shifter is not practiced in casting in that form, unless they specifically train to do so (hence the feat to represent training to do so, just as druids have to do.) But again, any form that is reasonably similar to their original form (essentially, any humanoid form) should have the ability to cast spells, as they have the same ability to vocalize and move their arms.

[Zeikari]

My thoughts are that any form that would be similar to the caster's original form, and able to speak, should be able to cast spells. But any form that is NOT one of these should require a separate feat, just as druids have to take in order to get the ability to cast spells while shifted.

My thoughts are this: even if that form has an innate ability to cast magic, the shifter is not practiced in casting in that form, unless they specifically train to do so (hence the feat to represent training to do so, just as druids have to do.) But again, any form that is reasonably similar to their original form (essentially, any humanoid form) should have the ability to cast spells, as they have the same ability to vocalize and move their arms.

Yeah, I pretty much agree with this entirely. It would be nice to be able to cast when taking other forms that should realistically be able to.

Though, one other tangential point I would bring up is dragons' breath attacks. It may be an hedge case, but it's pretty weird that a Red Dragon Disciple that turns into a Red Dragon loses the ability to breathe fire...

[Aspect of Sorrow]

My thoughts are that any form that would be similar to the caster's original form, and able to speak, should be able to cast spells. But any form that is NOT one of these should require a separate feat, just as druids have to take in order to get the ability to cast spells while shifted.

My thoughts are this: even if that form has an innate ability to cast magic, the shifter is not practiced in casting in that form, unless they specifically train to do so (hence the feat to represent training to do so, just as druids have to do.) But again, any form that is reasonably similar to their original form (essentially, any humanoid form) should have the ability to cast spells, as they have the same ability to vocalize and move their arms.

Still/Silent would come into play as feats to circumvent needs.

[Steve]

I'm hopeful this is an actual possibility of happening!!

[JustAnotherGuy]

My thoughts are that any form that would be similar to the caster's original form, and able to speak, should be able to cast spells. But any form that is NOT one of these should require a separate feat, just as druids have to take in order to get the ability to cast spells while shifted.

My thoughts are this: even if that form has an innate ability to cast magic, the shifter is not practiced in casting in that form, unless they specifically train to do so (hence the feat to represent training to do so, just as druids have to do.) But again, any form that is reasonably similar to their original form (essentially, any humanoid form) should have the ability to cast spells, as they have the same ability to vocalize and move their arms.

Still/Silent would come into play as feats to circumvent needs.

I would agree with this. I would be in favor of natural spell to be able to cast in forms, or a combination of still/silent to get around it. They both represent a feat investment into realizing "Hey, I can't cast in these forms, I need to do something about that." And even though still/silent would be a two-feat investment, rather than one feat for natural spell, they have more applications beyond just casting while shifted.