Alter Self/Polymorph - Racial Bonus Feat

[Sekhmet]

The idea is that some things are so naturally talented toward one ideal or another that polymorphing into them grants the same talent.
If we look at the cat for example, as soon as you polymorph into it, you will realize that your strength is insufficient to carry your attacks to any effect, so you must use your agility and speed. You're surprisingly great at it, so you keep doing it. Viola, weapon finesse.
All it would take is one swing to fall into the groove, and so it isn't a problem.

Another example is that of the Hydra. Their typical racial feat is Combat Reflexes, and it makes perfect sense. When they go to attack something on an attack of opportunity, multiple heads are going to react subconsciously, even if you aren't familiar with the form, just because that is how the physiological form works.

 

[Samloyal23]

The idea is that some things are so naturally talented toward one ideal or another that polymorphing into them grants the same talent.
If we look at the cat for example, as soon as you polymorph into it, you will realize that your strength is insufficient to carry your attacks to any effect, so you must use your agility and speed. You're surprisingly great at it, so you keep doing it. Viola, weapon finesse.
All it would take is one swing to fall into the groove, and so it isn't a problem.

Another example is that of the Hydra. Their typical racial feat is Combat Reflexes, and it makes perfect sense. When they go to attack something on an attack of opportunity, multiple heads are going to react subconsciously, even if you aren't familiar with the form, just because that is how the physiological form works.

It should at least take some time and practice in the new form to gain these abilities. Spend a few days in the altered form practicing first before getting to use these abilities...

 

[Dandu]

Who is to say that doesn't happen in downtime?

 

[Samloyal23]

Who is to say that doesn't happen in downtime?

It can, depending on the situation. But if you're in the middle of an adventure and suddenly discover the spell or just researched it and have not used it before, it would be more convincing to require a little practice before getting what amounts to a free feat. Also, I think requiring practice is actually a really good adventure hook in itself...

 

[Dandu]

To be honest, I always assume that if you learn a spell from leveling up, you do not need to spend time figuring out how to use it correctly. If Hemmet the Sorcerer learns Fireball at level 6, he can cast a Fireball the next day, without it flying astray and burning down Londonium. Part of the process of leaning spells is research and practice during downtime, so he learns how to target the right coordinates before he officially adds the spell to his list of spell known, it's only at level 6 does everything come together and allow him to create a ball of fire reliably at a certain location, whereas before he presumably creates a pulse of magical energy that is too weak to have any noticeable effect.

To put it another way, the game assumes that at level X you can do Y. If you are at level X and not doing Y, there will be problems up to and including death.

 

[Greenfield]

It should at least take some time and practice in the new form to gain these abilities. Spend a few days in the altered form practicing first before getting to use these abilities...

The duration of Polymorph is one minute per caster level. The duration of Alter Self is 10 minutes per caster level.

Spending "a few days" in the alternate form isn't an option. Spending a few hours in the new form, continuously, is only possible with Alter Self, and even that's probably with several castings.

I tend to look on Racial feats as being instinctive to the form. They're there.

Had the debate once about turning a cat into a bird or fish. One side argued that, while the cat would be mechanically able to use wings, it wouldn't know that it could, and thus wouldn't actually be able to fly. Similarly, while the cat would be able, mechanically, to swim with fins and a tail, it would struggle to get out of the water as quickly as possible, even if that meant death.

The rest of us looked at what Polymorph actually said and took it at face value.

It was part of an ongoing waste of time about what part of a spell's description is "color text" and what part is rules.

 

[Samloyal23]

To be honest, I always assume that if you learn a spell from leveling up, you do not need to spend time figuring out how to use it correctly. If Hemmet the Sorcerer learns Fireball at level 6, he can cast a Fireball the next day, without it flying astray and burning down Londonium. Part of the process of leaning spells is research and practice during downtime, so he learns how to target the right coordinates before he officially adds the spell to his list of spell known, it's only at level 6 does everything come together and allow him to create a ball of fire reliably at a certain location, whereas before he presumably creates a pulse of magical energy that is too weak to have any noticeable effect.

To put it another way, the game assumes that at level X you can do Y. If you are at level X and not doing Y, there will be problems up to and including death.

Not entirely unreasonable. But it misses out on some great opportunities for roleplaying to put so much "off camera"...

 

[Samloyal23]

The duration of Polymorph is one minute per caster level. The duration of Alter Self is 10 minutes per caster level.

Spending "a few days" in the alternate form isn't an option. Spending a few hours in the new form, continuously, is only possible with Alter Self, and even that's probably with several castings.

I tend to look on Racial feats as being instinctive to the form. They're there.

Had the debate once about turning a cat into a bird or fish. One side argued that, while the cat would be mechanically able to use wings, it wouldn't know that it could, and thus wouldn't actually be able to fly. Similarly, while the cat would be able, mechanically, to swim with fins and a tail, it would struggle to get out of the water as quickly as possible, even if that meant death.

The rest of us looked at what Polymorph actually said and took it at face value.

It was part of an ongoing waste of time about what part of a spell's description is "color text" and what part is rules.

If the cat knew it had been polymorphed and new the difference between a fish, a cat, and a bird, it would know to try different forms of movement. But it would need to be a really smart cat...

 

[Greenfield]

If the cat knew it had been polymorphed and new the difference between a fish, a cat, and a bird, it would know to try different forms of movement. But it would need to be a really smart cat...

Or it could just be a cat under a Polymorph spell, since the spell explicitly grants the movement powers of the new form, and never mentions a disorientation period or learning curve.

 

[Dandu]

Not entirely unreasonable. But it misses out on some great opportunities for roleplaying to put so much "off camera"...

Nothing is stopping people from roleplaying their downtime.