How do things like +str and +dex work when shifted? Is my understanding correct that if you have +8 dex from gear that will not carry over into form?

So if you are in form and even when you have a bunch of +stat gear on, will things like cranial and impale, etc. decrease your dex based from the baseline of your form (and not count any gear +stats)?

So as a general rule for shifters, different than pretty much all other classes, you want to gear for all +hp and +mana and don't care about the other + or - stats from gear...is this right?