Is your race considered a racial benefit (or feature) for the purpose of Shapechange?

Question

Shapechange is a 9th level spell that allows you to transform into another creature, while retaining the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source, provided that your new form is physically capable of using them. This seems to mean that feats can generally be carried over with that spell.

What I'm wondering is whether your creature type (your race) is itself considered a feature/benefit from your race, for the purpose of other things that only work when you are of a certain creature type, like racial feats. In other words, whether you are still considered of your initial creature type on top of your new creature type.

For example, if a Human Druid with the Prodigy feat (requirement: human, half-orc, or half-elf) Shapechanges into an Giant, do they still retain the benefit of their racial feat ? In other words, is being a human a human benefit/feature ?

I think the other half of this question is whether you transiently lose access to racial feats if your race changes temporarily. Maybe the intent is that being a halfling is a requirement to take the feat, not to keep it? — Ryan C. Thompson, Jan 14 '20 at 15:27
Related on Do you lose racial feats when reincarnated out of your race? — NotArch, Jan 14 '20 at 15:44
@TheAussieSlime Please don't answer, even partially, in comments. You can definitely take that comment and expand it with support to answer this! — NotArch, Jan 14 '20 at 15:44
Somewhat related: "Where are prerequisites for feats listed?" — Exempt-Medic, Jan 14 '20 at 16:09
I edited your title because, as far as I'm aware, creature type refers to things like humanoid/fey/beast — Exempt-Medic, Jan 14 '20 at 16:16

TheAussieSlime · Answer 1 · 2020-01-14T16:17:51.693

3

It is DM Discretion

But personally I lean towards no, because being a human is not listed as being a racial feature of being human.

You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them, provided that your new form is physically capable of doing so. (the spell shapechange)

so logically when you shapechange you lose the prerequisite for the feat.

You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use that feat until you regain the prerequisite. (Page 165 PHB)

But then there is also the specific beats general rule, which for the feat "Prodigy" which gives skill proficiency's interacts strangely with the shapechange spell because of this excerpt.

You also retain all of your skill and saving throw Proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature

Just as a bonus clarification, the same issue exists in large part with the druid ability Wildshape as well

TLDR; The main issue is if being a race is a racial feature of that race, and unless it is clarified one way or the other it is DM FIAT.

edited Jan 14 '20 at 16:17

answered Jan 14 '20 at 16:05

TheAussieSlime

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Feel free to comment anything relevant I may have missed. – TheAussieSlime Jan 14 '20 at 16:07
One thing we know is that creature type is part of your race (humanoid/beast/fey) but I'm unsure if that actually helps any or sheds any light on this – Exempt-Medic Jan 14 '20 at 16:13
@Medix2 would love to know where it says that, but in this case no, its not relavent. As creature type is not the prerequisite, but the race itself. – TheAussieSlime Jan 14 '20 at 16:16
At the very least Centaur have the Fey trait: "Fey. Your creature type is fey, rather than humanoid." – Exempt-Medic Jan 14 '20 at 16:17

Is your race considered a racial benefit (or feature) for the purpose of Shapechange?

1 Answers1

It is DM Discretion