Urbanmech said:
All the plant creatures in the MM have Plant Traits listed under Special Qualities. So a druid turning into an animal gains low light vision and natural attack, but one changing into a plant doesn't gain low light vision and other plant goodies. It seems like Andy Collins hasn't really looked at the way the rules spell things out.
I give you an egg. Then, a few seconds later I *don't give you an egg*. Do you still have an egg? Unless you threw it at something (probably me), you still have it. Not granting the specific special qualities of the creature does not change what was already given when the type was taken and traits were adopted.
Go through polymorph in order. When you change the creature's type, it gains the traits. Then, later, the polymorphed creature gains the special attacks of a creature, but does not gain the special qualities of that creature.
The effect of this is that you gain all traits (including qualities) and then you gain all special attacks specific to that form, but you do not gain special qualities specific to that creature type. This has no effect on special qualities granted as traits when the new type was adopted that happen to be redundant in the special qualities list.
This, like a few things in the 3.5 PHB, is poorly worded (IMO), but the intention, according to the lead designer of the PHB, was to grant traits, but not specific special qualities peculiar to that form. If you decide to go against this grain and rule it differently, you are likely going to have to change your ruling when clarifications/errata finally are released (or else continue on with what you're doing as a house rule). It is possible that they'll adopt errata that is not consistent with what he intended, but considering that he is highly involved in the PHB errata and he is aware of the confusion, he is likely going to see the clarification made.
On the flip side, there is an apparent mistake that goes against everything I've said. Some subtype grants supernatural or spell-like abilities (archon, angel, etc...). These should not be granted via polymorph. Normally, these forms may not be assumed via polymorph, but an outsider with polymorph can assume those forms.
The intention was to *not* grant any supernatural or spell-like abilities, even from traits, with polymorph, but it goes directly against what I have said before. My best guess is that this was an unintentional error due to Andy's lack of familiarity with how they were handling subtypes (and the lack of familiarity by his staff).
All I'm telling you now is what has been reported to me as the intentions of the designer ... who is working on the errata. You can do as you wish, but the safe money, IMHO, is to play like it was intended so that the errata/clarifications don't mess me up.
