D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Alter Self

[Wippit Guud]

Actually, people are missing an important line in the spell:

Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats

So, if the race gets bonusus to skills or free feats, you get them.
Based on that, going by the monsters in 3.5 MM, here's what you got to choose from, for all bonuses:

Bugbear - +3 natural armor, +4 move silently
Derro - +4 hide, +4 move silently
Gnoll - +1 natural armor
Goblin - +4 move silently, +4 ride
Hobgoblin - +4 move silently
Kobold - +1 natural armor, +2 craft traps, +2 profession miner, +2 search
Lizardfolk - +5 natural armor, hold breath, +4 jump, +4 swim, +4 balance
Locathah - swim 60, gills, +3 natural, +8 swim checks for special actions
Merfolk - swim 50, gills, +8 swim checks for special actions, take 10 on swim regardless of surroundings
Orc - no benefits
Troglodyte - +6 natural, +4 hide (+8 in rocky settings)

Plus all the PC races

 

[Lord Pendragon]

So, if the race gets bonusus to skills or free feats, you get them.
Based on that, going by the monsters in 3.5 MM, here's what you got to choose from, for all bonuses:

You're right, I hadn't thought about that at all. The list you put together is impressive, allowing a +6 to natural armor in a tough fight, a +4 to hide and move silently if you need to sneak, gills and natural armor and a big bonus to swim checks, if you need to swim.

It does still have some serious utility in there. God, I love ENWorld. Now I'm seriously thinking of taking it again. Too bad none of the options you listed seem to have bonus feats.

 

[Wippit Guud]

As I'm stuck at work, I don't have access to anytihng beyond SRD... MM2 or other books may have a humanoid which has a bonus feat...

 

[Lord Pendragon]

As I'm stuck at work, I don't have access to anytihng beyond SRD... MM2 or other books may have a humanoid which has a bonus feat...

Nah, I appreciate the list as-is. It definitely opened my eyes to the possibilities of the spell. Now I'm seriously considering picking it up and waiting until 7th-level to get Detect Thoughts. My lightly armored bard could definitely use a +6 to natural armor, and since I put no points into Hide or Move Silently, those skill bonuses could come in handy, too.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

if anything it sounds more powerful than before, the loss of flight sucks especially since the loss is campaign dependent and not spell power balance dependent, becuase hey if you were in the FR you'd be good.

 

[Tellerve]

I have a tiefling bard, well going to be going wizard soon. And I was looking at the alter self and sad that I can't turn into a human or elf or whatever. However, I found myself happy when I found out I could turn into a Ravid with fly 60 (perfect) and +15 natural armor.

Tellerve

 

[Wippit Guud]

Tieflings are native... Rast's are extraplanar... dunno if that'd work.

 

[Number47]

Well, if alter self allows subtypes for humanoids, such as reptilian or goblinoid, I don't see why an outsider can't alterself to another subtype of outsider.

 

[Number47]

There are also the choices of githyanki and githzerai available.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

There are also the choices of githyanki and githzerai available.

For humanoids or native outsiders?