Alter Self hit dice

[UltimaGabe]

As a Monk you are an Outsider (can be Turned, right?)

Not quite. Unless the Cleric has the Planar Turning Epic Feat, but considering you'd have to be a 20th-level Monk to do it, it's assumed that eventually you'll encounter an Epic Cleric, and in that case a simple disguise could get a Monk destroyed quite easily.

 

[Pickaxe]

Yeah, that's what I thought, but this threw me off:
It seems like you could argue the new form has 5 HD.

It's admiitedly vague, but I took it mean that you a) can't choose a form with HD greater than your caster level, and b) you can't choose a form with more than 5 HD.

So-- since I can't think of a good illustrative example-- a 5th or higher level caster can choose any form of the same creature type with 5 HD or less, but a 3rd level caster would only be able to choose a form with 3 HD or less. The HD limit the selection of forms, but does not affect any other aspect of the caster.

--Axe

 

[sullivan]

It's admiitedly vague, but I took it mean that you a) can't choose a form with HD greater than your caster level, and b) you can't choose a form with more than 5 HD.

So-- since I can't think of a good illustrative example-- a 5th or higher level caster can choose any form of the same creature type with 5 HD or less, but a 3rd level caster would only be able to choose a form with 3 HD or less. The HD limit the selection of forms, but does not affect any other aspect of the caster.

--Axe

However that all is contradicted by the FAQ that Hypersmurf quotes, if you choose to drink from that punch bowl. Their example gives a 12 HD creature and one aspect change in the caster. They are then affected as a HD creature of the new form. Thus the danger of a caster or magic item user disgusing themselves as generic low HD creature (assumingly even of their same race).

 

[Pickaxe]

However that all is contradicted by the FAQ that Hypersmurf quotes, if you choose to drink from that punch bowl. Their example gives a 12 HD creature and one aspect change in the caster. They are then affected as a HD creature of the new form. Thus the danger of a caster or magic item user disgusing themselves as generic low HD creature (assumingly even of their same race).

The FAQ contradicts itself. So, the same FAQ also corroborates my interpretation, then gives an example that contradicts its own words, as well as what I've stated. Sounds like the FAQ is giving me my choice of interpretations, so I'll take the one that matched my original interpretation of the spell description(s).

--Axe

 

[sullivan]

The FAQ contradicts itself. So, the same FAQ also corroborates my interpretation, then gives an example that contradicts its own words, as well as what I've stated. Sounds like the FAQ is giving me my choice of interpretations, so I'll take the one that matched my original interpretation of the spell description(s).

--Axe

Try harder grasshopper. To understand the FAQ you must consist solely on Fruit Loops moistened with chocolate sirup from full moon to full moon. Then hop backwards one foot while wearing nothing but a toupee (body location of your choice) hum Herman's Hermits Henry The Eighth over and over till you reach enlightenment.

...or, just learn from the wisdom I gained doing this: The FAQ does not contradict itself if you take your Hit Dice are considered to be the same as your normal Hit Dice as a poorly worded reference to keeping the casters original hit points. It then goes on to give the example, examples being a good thing to use if you suck at constructing precise, acurate language.

 

[Diirk]

But wait, racial HD and class HD are different.. so if a 15th level druid wildshaped into a 12 HD dire bear, wouldn't he then be a 12 HD dire bear with 15 levels of druid = 27 HD total ?! (For the purposes of effects relating to HD, such as blasphemy, he'd still have the HP/BAB etc of a 12th level druid)


PS: Ok, I'm not serious. But the rules don't make sense anyway.