Scroll spell casting blunder - could this happen?

[Kalendraf]

As part of a setup for a future adventure, I'm looking into the possibility of a scroll spell casting blunder leading to a certain situation. The rules for what happens on a blunder leave quite a bit of wiggle room, which is great, but I want to know if this sounds plausible.

Suppose a wizard or sorcerer has a scroll of Polymorph, but it is above his level. While he is off alone, he attempts to cast this spell from the scroll, but fails his check, and it results in a blunder. Could the caster end up being permanently polymorphed and unable to speak? Thus, he'd be unable to end the effect and have a very difficult time communicating his problem to others.

If that is plausible, I'll use it. Otherwise, I need to figure out some other way within the 3.5 rules to get a caster stuck in an unusual form that he can't get himself out of easily.

 

[Amal Shukup]

Suppose a wizard or sorcerer has a scroll of Polymorph, but it is above his level. While he is off alone, he attempts to cast this spell from the scroll, but fails his check, and it results in a blunder. Could the caster end up being permanently polymorphed and unable to speak? Thus, he'd be unable to end the effect and have a very difficult time communicating his problem to others.

If that is plausible, I'll use it. Otherwise, I need to figure out some other way within the 3.5 rules to get a caster stuck in an unusual form that he can't get himself out of easily.

The polymorphing is reasonable (and quite cool), however the PERMANENT nature of the effect is a tad harsh.... The Mishap rules suggest such 'bizarre' effects ought only last a short while:

The scroll user suffers some minor but bizarre effect related to the spell in some way. Most such effects should last only as long as the original spell’s duration, or 2d10 minutes for instantaneous spells.

Baleful Polymorph provides almost the effect you want, except the victim also loses their Int Will, and Cha. Certainly an equivalent level variant of the Spell could do what you want.

Perhaps the scroll of 'Polymorph' turns out to be Cursed - so when the caster attempts to polymorph himself, he instead suffers the effect you're looking for. Perhaps Heightened to help ensure the caster fails the save...

A'Mal

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Scroll Mishaps: When a mishap occurs, the spell on the scroll has a reversed or harmful effect. Possible mishaps are given below.
• A surge of uncontrolled magical energy deals 1d6 points of damage per spell level to the scroll user.
• Spell strikes the scroll user or an ally instead of the intended target, or a random target nearby if the scroll user was the intended recipient.
• Spell takes effect at some random location within spell range.
• Spell’s effect on the target is contrary to the spell’s normal effect.
• The scroll user suffers some minor but bizarre effect related to the spell in some way. Most such effects should last only as long as the original spell’s duration, or 2d10 minutes for instantaneous spells.
• Some innocuous item or items appear in the spell’s area.
• Spell has delayed effect. Sometime within the next 1d12 hours, the spell activates. If the scroll user was the intended recipient, the spell takes effect normally. If the user was not the intended recipient, the spell goes off in the general direction of the original recipient or target, up to the spell’s maximum range, if the target has moved away.

Well, those are the SRD's suggestion for scroll mishaps.

Given that Polymorph has a duration of 1 minute per level, a scroll mishap with a permanent duration is probably outside the bounds the rules suggest.

 

[Nareau]

Aw, screw the rules. It sounds like a cool idea, so go with it.

If you feel obligated to follow the RAW, I could see this happening with a "Polymorph Any Object" scroll easily.

Spider

 

[Kalendraf]

Perhaps the scroll of 'Polymorph' turns out to be Cursed - so when the caster attempts to polymorph himself, he instead suffers the effect you're looking for. Perhaps Heightened to help ensure the caster fails the save...

I'd actually considered that, but was looking for ways to make this happen without forcing it to be a curse. That seems plausible though.

Also, it probably wasn't clear, but the character in question is an NPC, not a PC. As for it being "a tad harsh", it's not a PC that will be on the receiving end of this scroll mishap. I just need some plausible in-game way to set up this situation. It's possible that the PCs will encounter the polymorphed caster, but they will not know that's who or what it is.

 

[AuraSeer]

I like the idea, but IMO it's too strong an effect for a simple scroll mishap. I feel like it wouldn't be permanent unless some bigger kind of magic went wrong.

Maybe the NPC was researching a new, more powerful polymorph spell, or was crafting a magic item that would let its wearer wild shape. At a crucial point in the work his laboratory was struck by lightning or invaded by a demon or caught in a wild magic storm, causing the effect to go awry and infuse itself into the caster.

 

[Kalendraf]

Maybe the NPC was researching a new, more powerful polymorph spell

I hadn't considered the research angle, but it may actually fit for the NPC in question. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Hypersmurf]

At a crucial point in the work his laboratory was struck by lightning or invaded by a demon or caught in a wild magic storm...

Bit by a radioactive spider?

-Hyp.

 

[Starglim]

Baleful Polymorph plus "Spell strikes the scroll user" mishap would seem to cover what you described. Note that the target gets a Will save not to lose his personality.

 

[Kalendraf]

Baleful Polymorph plus "Spell strikes the scroll user" mishap would seem to cover what you described. Note that the target gets a Will save not to lose his personality.

However...

As polymorph, except that you change the subject into a Small or smaller animal of no more than 1 HD

...which is much smaller than the form he's gotten himself stuck in.

FYI, I'm definitely going to go with the research angle. My original concept was to have a rather absent-minded professor style wizard who botched a scroll. However, a crazy transmuter who's constantly researching new ways to change this into that will add even more flavor. His goal is to try to create a spell similar to polymorph but with a longer duration. Besides being a Personal spell, the main the trade-off greatly reduces the types and range of creatures allowed. Since the new spell is Personal, he's had to use himself as the guinea pig, and unfortunately, his most recent experiment was a bit too successful.