Helldritch
Hero
One thing I would like you all to remember is that though you keep your personality by being polymorphed, you also inherit all stats of the creature. You may retain friend of foe notions but tactics and understanding speech is not part of the spell.
Gartakor, the now T-Rex, will not attack Ismalda the sorceress, but tactics and speech are not in his bag of competence any longer. Gartakor the T-Rex will fight one target at a time, headless of positioning and personal safety, might even get in the middle of foes thus preventing AoE spells and effect. Even the mighty Giant Ape is in this category even more so. If wounded badly, our mighty Giant Ape will be prone to act like any ape will do when wounded and near death: It will flee. I would personally allow a wisdom or intelligence check to stay in combat if the tide is obviously in the favor of the character's side but if the save is failed, Gartakor the mighty Giant Ape will flee for its life. He is a Giant Ape after all.
It is this part of the spell that a lot of people often forget. You take on the stats of the creature you are polymorphed into. You keep your personality so you do not attack your friends but that is about it. Do not expect any animal to linger there to get killed unless trained for that or magically bound to do it...
Some might call this DM's Fiat. But my T-Rex, when badly wounded would try to flee. The same with my giant ape. Why would a polymorphed character supposed to take on the characteristic of the beast would not do the same? The personality thing does not mean that the intelligence and wisdom of the character are still there. It just mean that you will not attack your friends. It is, after all, only a 4th level spell...
Gartakor, the now T-Rex, will not attack Ismalda the sorceress, but tactics and speech are not in his bag of competence any longer. Gartakor the T-Rex will fight one target at a time, headless of positioning and personal safety, might even get in the middle of foes thus preventing AoE spells and effect. Even the mighty Giant Ape is in this category even more so. If wounded badly, our mighty Giant Ape will be prone to act like any ape will do when wounded and near death: It will flee. I would personally allow a wisdom or intelligence check to stay in combat if the tide is obviously in the favor of the character's side but if the save is failed, Gartakor the mighty Giant Ape will flee for its life. He is a Giant Ape after all.
It is this part of the spell that a lot of people often forget. You take on the stats of the creature you are polymorphed into. You keep your personality so you do not attack your friends but that is about it. Do not expect any animal to linger there to get killed unless trained for that or magically bound to do it...
Some might call this DM's Fiat. But my T-Rex, when badly wounded would try to flee. The same with my giant ape. Why would a polymorphed character supposed to take on the characteristic of the beast would not do the same? The personality thing does not mean that the intelligence and wisdom of the character are still there. It just mean that you will not attack your friends. It is, after all, only a 4th level spell...