Spell question: Alter Self

[delericho]

No, it doesn't. If anything about the new form makes it unable to wear those specific clothes (whether it's size changes or shape changes or, as in Elf Witch's example, extra limbs) then those clothes meld into your new form.

IMC, if the new form is one that would ordinarily wear clothes, then the character's own clothes will always adjust to match. But that's purely a matter of convenience - I don't want to have to deal with the suddenly-naked character (and the 'hilarity' that would no doubt ensue).

Besides, that seems to fit with the "fairy-tale logic" that goes with magic.

(I don't, however, claim that this is a RAW interpretation - it's just what I do.)

No, if the character changes size or shape the clothes don't change to match - and if the difference is great enough to make them unwearable, they meld.

It is worth noting, however, that if a character has magic weapons and/or armour, these do resize to fit his new form (at least in 3.5e) - that's a property of the magic item, not of the spell. But that only applies if it's just a size change that's required, not a shape change as well - so full plate +1 would resize to fit an ogre but not a centaur.

The key difference being that the game doesn't distinguish between an ogre, a troll, or a human who has received enlarge person - they're all Large bipeds and can all wear a Large suit of full plate armour, but it does distinguish between an ogre and a centaur - armour crafted for a quadruped costs twice as much. (Of course, per RAW a human could kill a harpy and immediately loot and wear whatever armour she had, without need for modification. So, I guess there's a question about how pedantic the DM wants to be about this - if he's going to allow this, should he not also allow the human, if he then shapechanged into a harpy, to retain the use of the armour in the new form? Conversely, if he's not going to allow it in the case of shapechange, surely he similarly shouldn't allow characters to immediately use looted armour?)

 

[Dozen]

IMC, if the new form is one that would ordinarily wear clothes, then the character's own clothes will always adjust to match. But that's purely a matter of convenience - I don't want to have to deal with the suddenly-naked character (and the 'hilarity' that would no doubt ensue).

You can always carry some spare clothes for your favourite forms and disguises. I do.

Besides, that seems to fit with the "fairy-tale logic" that goes with magic.

Please do not say stuff like that. I understand you can play D&D with a Light Fantasy mindset, but please, don't say it like that was the average. I can barely hold back the ostensibly justified nerdrage.

 

[delericho]

You can always carry some spare clothes for your favourite forms and disguises. I do.

The Changeling in our party was in the habit of carrying around some spare sets of clothing, for disguise purposes. However, in those instances when she didn't have a particular disguise in mind (and, particularly, when she had to adopt a new form on the fly), she would change shape without worrying about changing clothes immediately thereafter.

Please do not say stuff like that. I understand you can play D&D with a Light Fantasy mindset, but please, don't say it like that was the average. I can barely hold back the ostensibly justified nerdrage.

I didn't claim it was "the average". In fact, I explicitly noted that it was "just what I do".

 

[MDK]

"When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional."

In other words (in my campaign), your clothes will indeed be transformed.
A human in shirt and trousers turning into a centaur will become a centaur wearing a shirt, and as the centaur is large, so is the shirt. The trousers meld, as a centaur can not wear them, but the shirt just gets bigger. Same for shoes (meld), belt (meld), gloves (resize), cloak (resize) and hat (resize). A bear uses no clothing at all, so everything melds, whereas a giant can use everything, so it all resizes.
Obviously, YMMV.

 

[Dozen]

I didn't claim it was "the average". In fact, I explicitly noted that it was "just what I do".

Ah, right. I see. So sorry.

 

[delericho]

Ah, right. I see. So sorry.

Actually, it's me who owes you an apology. Having reread my previous post, I was unnecessarily snippy. Although it's no excuse, you caught me at a bad moment.

Sorry.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

Yep. Polymorph into a bear and your clothes disappear. Polymorph into a hill giant and your clothes disappear. Unless you're polymorphing into "hill giant with pants," that is.

I'm not sure what to make of your quote. I quite explicitly said that if changing into a form that normally wears clothes that would fit the new form with only minor changes or a size adjustment, it should probably be expected that the clothes the character currently has should be changed by the spell, at least by my opinion. So changing into a bear (not possible with Alter Self by the way, which is what's being discussed instead of polymorph) would of course make the clothes disappear, but changing into a hill giant (which can't be done via Alter Self due to HD restrictions) should still allow the clothes.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I'm not sure what to make of your quote. I quite explicitly said that if changing into a form that normally wears clothes that would fit the new form with only minor changes or a size adjustment, it should probably be expected that the clothes the character currently has should be changed by the spell, at least by my opinion. So changing into a bear (not possible with Alter Self by the way, which is what's being discussed instead of polymorph) would of course make the clothes disappear, but changing into a hill giant (which can't be done via Alter Self due to HD restrictions) should still allow the clothes.

You asked a question ("are you naked after casting it?"), then went on answer it based on your interpretation ("no"). I was responding to the question with my own interpretation ("yes").

[Regarding creature type and HD limits: okay, say you're a halfling trying to change into a gnoll.]