UA has some nice ideas. You just have to pick through the irrelevant stuff to get to it.
You're right whirling frenzy and cloistered cleric come from there. Still this isn't one of them.
The classes, though, are not meant to be combined with just any setting; they must be agreed upon by both DM and players involved.
They aren't valid for comparing balance unless you're talking about radical change.
What classes? The UA classes. What you just said applies to all clasees and everything else for that matter, so. Meh.
A Wildshape Ranger isn't unbalanced, though, since most of the power involving Wildshape comes from the fact that Druids can also cast their fucktastic spells while doing so.
Really? Are you sure? A big part of it has to do with wildshape being Polymorph "lite" and the ability ignore physical stats until you can become a Siliver back Gorrilla. Then an elemental...Then a Tyranosaur...etc...
Also... A wildshape ranger isn't unbalanced compared to what?
Cause already we're giving the new ranger full animal compaion progression and some extra damage dealing mechanic is getting in obiously be it skirmish or Favored Enemy: any like some people suggest.
Wildshape is unbalanced itself because becoming monsters is unbalanced.
A straight-out warrior that turns in to animals is just that; still a warrior.
No. No it isn't. It is then a druid or a witch, or a lycanthrope and a passable assassin. Or whatever the fuck it needs to be because it's then a shapeshifter.
Wildshape isn't a fucking combat style, its a superpower and is a footnote in a book of variants...
...and I can't take anything you say seriously because we both dislike each other you're biased vs M_v and I dont' like you either so to hell with your opinions.
So generally I'm not talking to you but for the sake of everyone else.
In short, they SHOULD get Wildshape as a fighting style
Why?
What ranger archtype does it fill?
Any? Can I get one mythological, folk, popculture reference to a ranger that turns into a wolf? Whose primary character motivations isn't "I'm a druid, I'm a lycanthrope, I'm other wise a mage?
Be serious. . . that is just garbage.
My point
Wildshape itself needs a hard look before we can attempt to balance the wildshape ranger with the Traditional 2 fighting styles. It should not be a consideration when balancing the base ranger. Its should be considered when we tackle the druid.