Levels stacking for Wild Shape
 

I am currently converting the 3.5 Arcane Hierophant PrC (from Races of the Wild) as a Mystic Theurge Archetype. The ArHi class levels stack with the Druid class levels for Wild Shape; I have been able to do that by starting with the Shaping Focus feat script.

However, I do not want ArHi to grant wild shape if the character did not have it before getting into the class (for ex: for a Druid level 3). Right now, if I add ArHi levels to a Druid 3, he will get wild shape because of the stacking levels. How can I prevent this?

I have tried
doneif (tagis[Hero.WildShape] = 0)
at the top of the script, but it doesn't work (Pre-levels 5000, like Shaping Focus)

Right now, I use
doneif (#levelcount[Druid] < 4)
but this would not account for Wild Shape being gained through some other mechanism than Druid levels, or for a Druid archetype that would gain Wild Shape earlier than 4th level.

That would sum up to how to script "if the tag is there, but the ability is not enabled, then do nothing" Any ideas???

Thanks!

Try:

Thanks, but it does not work: Wild Shape does not improve beyond what is gained from druid levels

Same result with

doneif (hero.childfound[cDrdWild].tagis[Helper.ShowSpec] = 0)

Should the timing be different? Right now Pre-Levels 5000

Try checking for the Helper.ShowSpec tag on the wild shape special in a script sometime in the Levels phase. If it is present then add to the extra level field. I'm not sure of the timing, and about to go to bed, but it might be pretty finicky.

Sorry. I guess I should have tested that a little better on my own AH class. I've tried several different timings in and out of the Levels phase, and can't seem to find anything that works. You may be better off just sticking with the Drd class levels = 4 since I think that's the only way to get it right now.

Ah, here's an idea.

The issue seems to be that you need to add extra levels which has to happen before the levels phase, but you want to only do it if the level is high enough to already have the ability, which you can't detect until after it is too late to add the extra levels.

I believe that the cTotalLev field on the class helper is set early in GlobalTest, so you'll want to test off that. However, you still need to make sure the Wild shape ability hasn't been moved to a later level, as there are several druid archetypes that do that (for example, Ape Shaman). Those archetypes apply their scripts at Pre-Levels 10000 so

At Pre-Levels 11000 have your eval script go to the wild shape special, pull the ClSpecWhen tag and store it's value in a variable. Then add to that variable the value of the xExtraLev value (to account for any archetype adjustments).

Now compare the value of your variable to the cTotalLev field on the class helper, if it is equal or greater, add the extra levels to wild shape. Make sense?

The problem is, not only does it deprives a class/archetype gaining WS earlier than level 4 of any further improvement (I don't think there are any such classes/archetypes right now), but it also grants WS to archetypes that should not get it if they get into ArHi before actually gaining WS from their druid levels (a few druid archetypes gain WS later than 4th level)

Yes. I always forget about that. Probably because it infuriates me that nearly every archetype messes with Wild Shape. Were you able to try Aaron's suggestion?

Workin' on it. The logic of it is flawless, my programming skills less so. I need to find how to "pull a tag". I'll post the script-in-progress after.