D&D 5E Safe polymorphing?

[Snapdragyn]

The Polymorph spell changes mental stats as well, although alignment & personality remain the same.

My question is, how can a caster safely polymorph themself given the change to mental stats? Realistically, if you become a mouse, with the mental stats of a mouse, you aren't really going to remember what it is you were supposed to be DOING as a mouse (never mind the question of maintaining spell concentration - which is a very crucial question!).

Likewise, assuming a 'battle form' and then - oops! - being too stupid to tell friend from foe, remember the battle plan, understand what those other meals are yelling at you. 'Stopwe'reyourfriends!' - whatever that means, they sure are tasty!

Anyone have a handy list of MM forms that would be both worthwhile shapes AND have the mental stats to not destroy a character &/or party?

 

[Paraxis]

I mostly see polymorph used offensively to turn boss monsters into goldfish and just wait for them to die from suffocation. But if you want to use it to buff your ally, then I would use this http://kobold.club/enc/#/encounter-builder so that you can filter monsters by CR so you can turn them into an effective and powerful monster.

Looks like at level 9 when you get this spell best choices would be one of the dragons. Giants would be cool if you got the gear in the entry but I don't think you do, so without giant weapons and armor those forms would not be so cool.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

You're reading too much into the stats. A mouse isn't incapable of human knowledge and priorities because it has Int 2; a mouse is incapable of higher reasoning because it's a mouse. If a wizard turns into a mouse, then that's still a wizard brain in control, even if it's temporarily not as good at algebra.

 

[machineelf]

This is one of those areas where I decided it would be better for the game to consider the animal form's intelligence score for skill checks and saving throws and other game mechanics, but to still allow the spell caster to retain enough self-awareness to know what he/she is doing and not let it be a problem. On the scale of verisimilitude vs. gameplay and fun, I leaned toward the gameplay and fun side on this one. I have a hunch that was the intent of the game designers anyway.

 

[pming]

Hiya.

I mostly see polymorph used offensively to turn boss monsters into goldfish and just wait for them to die from suffocation.

...except for that won't work. Once a polymorphed creature hits 0hp, it transforms back into it's normal form at it's regular HP minus any hp over 0 that it took in it's polymorphed state. For example, a beasty with 80hp is polymorphed into a goldfish. Lets give the goldfish 2hp (he's a big one!). In goldfish form, it starts to suffocate and is then squished under the booted heal of the half-orc warrior for 5hp. The goldfish is reduced to 0hp, and the 3 extra hp carry over into the now confused and angry beasty...who has 77hp (80 -3 it went below 0 in goldfish form).

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Paraxis]

Hiya.




...except for that won't work. Once a polymorphed creature hits 0hp, it transforms back into it's normal form at it's regular HP minus any hp over 0 that it took in it's polymorphed state. For example, a beasty with 80hp is polymorphed into a goldfish. Lets give the goldfish 2hp (he's a big one!). In goldfish form, it starts to suffocate and is then squished under the booted heal of the half-orc warrior for 5hp. The goldfish is reduced to 0hp, and the 3 extra hp carry over into the now confused and angry beasty...who has 77hp (80 -3 it went below 0 in goldfish form).

^_^

Paul L. Ming

You are right. For some reason I thought suffocation just made you go unconscious and start taking levels of exhaustion. Not sure how I got that idea in my head but yeah.

 

[pming]

Hiya.

You are right. For some reason I thought suffocation just made you go unconscious and start taking levels of exhaustion. Not sure how I got that idea in my head but yeah.

Actually, that sounds like a pretty nice idea. Hmmmm...may have to look into a house rule for suffocation/exhaustion.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Tormyr]

Hiya.




...except for that won't work. Once a polymorphed creature hits 0hp, it transforms back into it's normal form at it's regular HP minus any hp over 0 that it took in it's polymorphed state. For example, a beasty with 80hp is polymorphed into a goldfish. Lets give the goldfish 2hp (he's a big one!). In goldfish form, it starts to suffocate and is then squished under the booted heal of the half-orc warrior for 5hp. The goldfish is reduced to 0hp, and the 3 extra hp carry over into the now confused and angry beasty...who has 77hp (80 -3 it went below 0 in goldfish form).

^_^

Paul L. Ming

Ah, but if you leave the goldfish alone, it takes 30 seconds to suffocate and drop to 0 hp. The party can spend those rounds wiping out the minions, and then alpha striking the goldfish on round 5 to get the carryover damage.

 

[Tormyr]

Everytime I scroll past this thread title, I imagine a Wizard parent sitting their kid on their lap and having "the talk" about safe polymorphing.

 

[TwoSix]

Ah, but if you leave the goldfish alone, it takes 30 seconds to suffocate and drop to 0 hp. The party can spend those rounds wiping out the minions, and then alpha striking the goldfish on round 5 to get the carryover damage.

Honestly, you're better off turning it into something relatively hardy, so some stray AoE damage doesn't make it pop back up before you're ready. Then you can drop it off a cliff when the battle is over.