Converting Psionic Creatures

[freyar]

Maybe base it on baleful polymorph, which might be a bit easier than regular polymorph to use?

 

[Cleon]

Maybe base it on baleful polymorph, which might be a bit easier than regular polymorph to use?

The wonderform spell that's in the books is more like polymorph or shapechange in that it's a beneficial spell, turning the recipient into a spellcasting wonder.

There's also mention of wizards turning their enemies into non-spellcasting wonders, but that could just be polymorph any object.

 

[freyar]

Well, if you'd like to crib from polymorph but specify the stats, I'm ok with that. I don't have time to draft the spell right now, though.

 

[Cleon]

Well, if you'd like to crib from polymorph but specify the stats, I'm ok with that. I don't have time to draft the spell right now, though.

We can keep it pretty simple. I'd use something like this:

Wonderform
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7 [?]
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Permanent (D)

This spell functions like shapechange, except it enables you to assume the form of a wingless wonder. You gain all extraordinary and supernatural abilities of a wingless wonder, including its continuous mind blank, but you lose your own supernatural abilities. The wonderform spell ends instantly if you assume the form of another creature but is otherwise permanent until the spell is broken, you even remain in wonderform should you be killed. Any parts of your body that are cut from you (i.e. the wingless wonder's tentacles) do not revert to their original forms.

You can cast spells and use spell-like abilities while in wonderform. Material components that melded into your body when you assumed wonderform can be used to cast spells but are otherwise nonfunctional. Wingless wonders are incapable of meaningful speech, any verbal spell components you utter sound like high-pitched chittering but still function normally. You use your tentacles to perform any somatic components a spell might have.

Other creatures who observe you spellcasting have a -20 penalty on Spellcraft check to identify a spell you cast, due to the wonderform's perturbation of the spell's components.

The alien structure of a wingless wonder's brain puts great strain on your mind. At the end of every 24 hours you spend in wonderform you must succeed at a Will save (DC 15 +1 per day after the first) or take 1d4 Intelligence damage. This damage cannot reduce your Intelligence to below Int 6 (the average score of a wingless wonder), but if your Intelligence is reduced to 6 or lower you lost the ability to dismiss the wonderform spell and will remain a wingless wonder permanently unless another effect breaks the wonderform spell.

There are tales of spellcasters wandering for decades in the shape of a wingless wonder before encountering a helpful creature able to use break enchantment or polymorph to return them to normal.
​

...well, that's pretty simple for me.

Note that I made the Int damage a lot faster than the original, which was only 1 damage/year. I wanted it to operate in a somewhat plausible "adventuring timeframe".

 

[freyar]

I like it! I think I'd slow down the Int damage a bit to 1/day instead of 1d4/day on a failed save, but that's pretty good. I'm not quite sure of the spell level -- due to the drawbacks, I could see reducing it to Sor/Wiz 6 maybe. I'd also add a note that alkadas have at times been popular final forms for polymorph any object in some cultures.

 

[Cleon]

I like it! I think I'd slow down the Int damage a bit to 1/day instead of 1d4/day on a failed save, but that's pretty good. I'm not quite sure of the spell level -- due to the drawbacks, I could see reducing it to Sor/Wiz 6 maybe. I'd also add a note that alkadas have at times been popular final forms for polymorph any object in some cultures.

The original spell was 5th level, but I think that's too far. Indeed, I feel 7th may be too low. They're getting free mind blank in the bargain and that's an 8th level spell.

The original spell specifies "the spell conceals the caster’s true alignment with the chaotic neutral aura of a wingless wonder, as well as shielding the caster’s mind from all contact: it can’t be read, influenced, or attacked".

I was thinking of adding a "detects as chaotic neutral" bit to the spell but thought we'd better discuss it first.

Another issue is the wingless wonder's Spell Resistance. I don't think we should use the CR+21 formula of the monster - 'cause that'll give it SR 36+! We could give them the SR CL+12 of a spell resistance spell (which is conveniently the same as a walking egg's spell resistance). Alternatively, we could fix the spell resistance to the SR 23 of a standard wingless wonder, which is less than the SR 26+ a wizard able to cast a 7th level wonderform spell would get from a spell resistance spell.

Making it an 8th level spell would suit me better, though.

 

[Cleon]

I like it! I think I'd slow down the Int damage a bit to 1/day instead of 1d4/day on a failed save, but that's pretty good. I'm not quite sure of the spell level -- due to the drawbacks, I could see reducing it to Sor/Wiz 6 maybe. I'd also add a note that alkadas have at times been popular final forms for polymorph any object in some cultures.

Oh, and I'd be OK reducing the Int damage a bit. The polymorph any object bit seems like it would belong in the flavour text or an "In Faerûn" subentry.

 

[freyar]

That is really a quite powerful spell now that you mention the mind blank. I can go with 8th level, and I'm also ok with adding "Your alignment detects as chaotic neutral for the duration of the spell." Should that include for the purposes of magical objects (say that bestow negative levels on wielders of the wrong alignment)?

I'll agree to put the polymorph any object note into the "In Faerun" entry (assuming we're doing one).

 

[Cleon]

That is really a quite powerful spell now that you mention the mind blank. I can go with 8th level, and I'm also ok with adding "Your alignment detects as chaotic neutral for the duration of the spell."

Let's make it 8th level and apparently CN then.

What about fixing the spell resistance?

Should that include for the purposes of magical objects (say that bestow negative levels on wielders of the wrong alignment)?

Hmm, I would think non-detection alignment effects would would normally.

I'll agree to put the polymorph any object note into the "In Faerun" entry (assuming we're doing one).

Any preferences for the In Faerun text?

 

[freyar]

Ahh, forgot about the SR. OK, first of all, is the wingless wonder supposed to have SR=CR+21 while the walking egg gets SR=CR+12? I can't find where we talked about SR in the long discussion on these two, but that almost seems like a typo. Anyway, I'm inclined to go with the spell granting the SR of a typical alkada (of appropriate form), since the spell should be geared toward the typical form.
And the final monsters should not have SR=CR+X but rather a fixed numerical value for SR which happens to equal CR+X for the typical specimen. CR+X is just a mnemonic for us, not an absolute formula; DMs need to use judgement about changing SR when they advance critters.