Starting at 2nd level, your connection with nature allows you to magically assume the shape of a beast as an action.

You can use this feature twice, and regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Each time you gain a level in this class, you learn an additional beast shape of your choice.

Your druid level determines the beast shapes you can learn, as shown on the Beast Shapes table. At 2nd level, for example, you can learn the beast shape of a beast that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower that doesn’t have a flying or swimming speed.

In order to transform into a given creature, you must first learn its beast shape. At 2nd level, you know the beast shapes of any beast with a challenge rating of 0, and one additional beast of your choice. To know a beast shape, you must have seen that beast before.

Animal Form

When you transform into a beast shape you know, you take on the animal form of that beast. You can stay in animal form for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hitpoints, or die. While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

Statistics. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature.

If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its statblock is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can’t use them.

When you transform, you assume the beast’s hitpoints and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hitpoints you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.

If your animal form is reduced to 0 hitpoints by an effect that normally kills you outright when it does so, such as disintegrate, you instead revert to your normal form.

Abilities. You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form.

Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you’ve already cast.

You retain the benefit of any features from your class or other sources and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. You do not retain the benefits of features from your race.

Equipment. You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.