- You can remain in animal form for a number of hours equal to half your level (rounded down).
- Once the time has elapsed, you return to your normal form unless you spend another use of this ability.
- You can also return to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn.
- You automatically revert to your normal form if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points or die.
As long as you are transformed, the following rules apply:
- Your game stats are replaced by those of the beast, but you retain your personality and your Charisma, Intelligence and Wisdom values. You also retain your saving throw and skill proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiencies as you and its bonus in that stat block is greater than yours, use its bonus.
- When you transform, you also take on the animal's hit points and life dice. When you revert to your original form, you regain the number of hit points you had before your transformation. What's more, if you re-transform because you've fallen to 0 hit points, any additional damage is taken by the hit points of your normal form. For example, if you take 10 points of damage in animal form when you had only 1 hit point left, you revert to your normal form and take 9 points of damage. As long as this residual damage doesn't cause your normal form's hit points to drop to 0, you won't fall unconscious.
- The use of your powers, your ability to speak or perform any action requiring your hands are limited to the possibilities offered by your beast form.
- You retain the benefits of all your class abilities or those of any other origin, and can use them if you are physically able. However, you can't use special senses, such as seeing in the dark, unless your new form also possesses them.
- You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground, merges with your new form or is worn by your new form. Worn equipment functions correctly, but the MD decides for each piece of equipment whether it is possible for your new form to wear it, depending on the morphology and size of the beast. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to fit your new form, and any equipment the new form can't wear either falls to the ground or merges with you. Equipment that fuses with the new form has no effect as long as you remain in that form.