Comeliness & Polymorph

[Centaur]

I paraphrase: "... the subject is turned into an average member of the creature turned into..." and "... if used a for disguise purposes, you gain a +10 to your roll..."

If one was to assume that the Comeliness Attribute was being used in a campaign and would have it's own Buff spell related to Bull's strength and Cat's Grace called, say "Nymph's Beauty", what effects could polymorphic magics such as Alter Self and Polymorph Self (3e) have on this attribute.

The whole point of these spells is to change someones appearence, either partially or fully. And the huge bonus to disguise suggests some sort of customizability to the form that you choose.

So my question is, do people think that it should be possible to use this spell to change the Comeliness attribute of a character. Either with a stright bonus or penelty based on the level of the caster or some sort of outright new number based on the whims of the caster.

Based on the line that you cannot turn into a Bodybuilder or such, one would initialy assume the answer as no, but then the core rules don't include Comeliness.

If a bonus or penelty can be applied, what 'Type' of modifier would it be? If it's just a new number like the new physical stats that you get from turning into a beast, what should the limits be?

Any thoughts?

 

[Kichwas]

You might want to ask this on the forums for the Book of Erotic Fantasy, which has an Appearance stat.

Check http://valarproject.com You have to register to post there I believe.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I'd probably call for a Disguise check (with the +10 bonus) and come up with an ability value based on the result (perhaps a base value of 10 +2 for each 5 points by which the Disguise check result exceeded 10?).

After all, you have to know how to look attractive in the eyes of others - and that knowledge is probably best represented by the Disguise skill. Sure, the spell helps a lot there - but if you have no technical knowledge of what and what isn't considered beautiful, you will have a harder time transforming yourself into an attractive shape.

At least, that's how I would rule this.

 

[RangerWickett]

When I wrote up the rules for Swimsuit Competitions in Asgard Magazine issue 7, I said that players are free to choose their Beauty score, since it has next to no effect in most situations. If I actually used such a score, I'd let spells that alter your form let you make a Charisma check with a +10 modifier, and the result is your new Beauty score. And yes, a Beauty score of 30+ is possible.

 

[Epametheus]

Polymorph turning you into an average member of the species implies that you truly are utterly generic, both in stats and in appearance.

Isn't pretending to be another race a -10 penalty or so to Disguise checks? The polymorph bonus is probably meant to counter that penalty.

Alter Self, where you mess around with your own physical form, is another matter altogether, and so is the Shapechanging ability of assorted creatures like Succubi. Those could certainly raise or lower a being's personal attractiveness.