druid to bear conversion

[Bard]

I have a confusion here: when a druid changes into an animal, does he rolls for a new hp, or uses his hp? And the MM states that brown or cave bears continue fighting at 0 to -8 hp for 1d4 rounds... A druid changed to cave bear gets this in your games?

Another question occurred to my humble player... Can he change into a dinosaur? After all dinosaurs are animals...

[PapersAndPaychecks]

1) When changing form the druid keeps his current maximum hp. If he's taken damage prior to form-shifting, then 10%-60% of the damage is healed on changing form.

2) There is no BTB answer. I would rule that a druid shapeshifted into a boar or bear could continue fighting after technically dead.

3) There is nothing to stop your player turning into a dinosaur, but remember the restriction that the new form can't be more than twice the druid's natural weight. So it'd need to be very small by dinosaur standards.

[Falconer]

Hmm, but brown bears can weigh from 660 to 1720 lbs. Is that why Curley Greenleaf was always described as “portly?”

[BlackBat242]

Or #2 & #3 are answered by limiting the Druid to Black Bear form or smaller.

[Bard]

but remember the restriction that the new form can't be more than twice the druid's natural weight

How could I miss that setence?!?!

Thanks for the answers!

[BlackBat242]

Or #2 & #3 are answered by limiting the Druid to Black Bear form or smaller.

PHB page 21 specifically mentions "black bear" in the examples of "as large as".