Balancing Polymorph?

[andargor]

The wizard in my group finally has access to 4th level spells. Two "problem" spells have been cited often here.

They are Polymorph Other and Polymorph Self.

I've read horror stories about how these spells may be abused. However, they are very fun and useful spells and we are loathe to ban them outright.

We have come up with some house rules on how to limit the potential for abusiveness, while keep them interesting spells.

We are mature players, having played D&D for more than 20 to 25 years. Hence such abuse would come unintentionally. We want to avoid nasty surprises to the DM in a critical situation that could ruin the plot (and everyone's fun).

I would like to have your opinion on the following house rules:

For Polymorph Other, an important body part of the creature type to be polymorphed into must be used. This body part is determined by the DM depending on the creature. It can be the heart, head, or other similar organ. It also has to have been "harvested" from a freshly killed body of the appropriate creature type within the hour, or the component is spoiled.

This is to avoid having a full party of characters polymorphed into Trolls wandering around dungeons (limits the uses). It makes it interesting, because the creatures available will always change depending on where the party is, so the party can try different creatures.

For offensive use, the wizard would simply carry a cage with inoffensive creatures, such as mice, and use them when necessary.

For Polymorph Self, a minor part of the appropriate creature type must be used as a component. For example, hair, a little blood, nail clippings, etc. There is a maximum of three uses that can be obtained from a single creature. For example, three hairs would allow three uses. The number of uses per creature may be less as decreed by the DM. These components have a shelf life of one month, and could possibly be bought but at high cost.

Comments?

Andargor

 

[Spatzimaus]

Those aren't bad tweaks. I'm one of those people who thinks it needs to be changed, but everyone's got there own opinions on how.

Since this IS the House Rules forum, here's the stopgap rule we came up with. Basically, it requires the target to be a form you're familiar with, in the same sense that Teleport has to be to a place you're familiar with. In fact, we just copied Teleport's table and changed what each thing means.

Note: this is based on pre-errata spells, so Polymorph Self still allows changing through multiple forms. The rules for Self and Other are very similar, so I'll just append notes as PS or PO as appropriate.

So, for familiarity:
"Very Familiar" is a creature you're around on a daily basis, or that's standing in front of you when you cast the spell.
"Studied Carefully" is something you've spent a good amount of time around (maybe you grew up on a dairy farm and want to turn into a cow), or that you've spent a good amount of time researching.
"Seen Casually", "Viewed Once", and "Description" are pretty self-explanatory. "False Destination" means you tried to change into something that never existed, like a mythical creature.

The idea is, if you roll anything other than On Target, you end up in a flawed or inferior form.
On Target: you get the form you wanted. For PS, if you decide to change forms again you have to roll again.
Off Target: You turn into a closely-related form, sharing most of the target's characteristics (size, type, ability to use equipment) but a CR of 1d3 less. Instead of a Stone Giant you ended up as a Hill Giant.
For PS, you can't change forms any more but you can still dismiss back to your original form.
Similar Area: You turn into a similar form, sharing most of the characteristics but a CR of 1d6 less. Instead of a Stone Giant you end up as an advanced Ogre.
For PS, again you can no longer shift forms but can still dismiss back to the original.
Mishap: You end up as a totally unrelated form with a CR of 2d6 less. Any relationship to the original will be coincidental, although a sadistic DM will pick something that is the exact opposite of what you wanted and that has a similar name ("Grick" instead of "Grig"?). The new form will never be one that can use equipment, and will usually be a Plant, Ooze, Vermin, or Abberation. Instead of a Stone Giant, you're a Gelatinous Cube.
For PS, you also lose the ability to dismiss the effect, so you're stuck in this new form until the duration expires or someone dispels you.
(Even a sadistic DM shouldn't pick something that can't survive at all in the environment, like a fish)

All of this was written from the point of view of PS, where you want a strong form. For Polymorph Other it's the reverse, so you ADD CRs and get more useful forms. A Mishap turns you into something that CAN use equipment. And, it's only permanent if you get it right. So, go like this, if you were aiming for a Squirrel:
Off Target: add 1d3 CR (say, an Advanced Squirrel) and it expires in 1 hour per level.
Similar Area: add 1d6 CR (an Advanced Dire Squirrel) and it expires in 1 minute per level.
Mishap: add 2d6 CR (a Hill Giant) and it expires in 1 round per level.

This assumes you were trying for something weak. If you're buffing a friend with PO and screw up, subtract CRs like you would for PS, but keep the duration reduction of PO. It's the DM's call which way to go, of course, but it should be obvious whether the person is trying for a harmful or beneficial effect.

Anyway, the idea is to make it unpredictable enough that people have second thoughts about always turning into a new form.

 

[AEtherfyre]

One alternate version that I thought was a great idea has been brought up before on the forums. Here's a link to it:

Polymorph Revisions

It's an interesting take, in my opinion, and I think it reduces most of the exploits possible with the original.

 

[Otterscrubber]

In our campaign we simply roleplay the fact that most peole dont like to be changed into something they are not unless it is a dire circumstance. Hence, fighters are loathe to become slimy, filthy trolls simply to get a strength or AC bonus. You get the point. If people powergame then polymorph is a problem, if you actually roleplay the fact that magic scares most people who dont use it, then you run into fewer of these problems. Min/Maxers will always find ways to unbalance any system so there are really no ways I can suggest to alter polymorph, so we dont.