Familiars, share spell, and Polymorph.

[RangerWickett]

If I'm an 8th level sorcerer with a cat familiar, and I cast polymorph to turn into a dire lion, can I share the spell with my cat so that it also becomes a dire lion, as long as we stay within 5 ft. of each other? Can we move on the same initiative count so that we stay within 5 ft?

If I use a feat to give me an extra familiar or three (drawn from Dragon magazine), could I have a whole pack of dire lions, as long as they all stay within 5 ft.? Or would share spells turn us all into one dire lion, like Voltron?

 

[smetzger]

Yes, as long as you stay within 5 ft. Although technically you couldn't move more than 5 ft at a time, becuase even though you are on the same initiative someone has to go first. I think its in the spirit of the rules to allow simultaneous movement.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Yes, as long as you stay within 5 ft.

Heh. Edited before I could smite you with the SRD

-Hyp.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Personally I think that assessment of range of continuous acting spells should take place at a particular point in the round.

Which fixes all the "ahhh - we can't use invisibility sphere because we all move on different initiative counts!" problem.

 

[Shallown]

If polymorph has a size limitation that would affect the familiar as well.

I think polymorph says its like alter self and alter self only allows a 1 size shift in direction. I'm not sure if that applies to polymorph if it does then the cat could only go up one size.

Just a thought

later

 

[Saeviomagy]

I think polymorph says its like alter self and alter self only allows a 1 size shift in direction. I'm not sure if that applies to polymorph if it does then the cat could only go up one size.

Polymorph says it's like alter self, except you change the creature into another form of creature. It then goes on to specify what living creatures are valid polymorph forms, which includes:

the same type as the subject, aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin

So, check. The familiar is turning into an animal - permissible.

The assumed form can’t have more Hit Dice than your caster level (or the subject’s HD, whichever is lower), to a maximum of 15 HD at 15th level

Check - a dire lion is 8 hd, and the caster and the familiar have 8hd.

You can’t cause a subject to assume a form smaller than Fine, nor can you cause a subject to assume an incorporeal or gaseous form

Check.

So - dire lion is not a problem. You COULD try reasoning that "within one category" from alter self should apply, because it's never explicitly removed, however
1) That would mean that polymorph has a clause who's sole purpose is to stop a fine creature from polymorphing into a less-than-fine creature - which seems to be a bit pointless.

2) That would mean that the 5hd limit from alter self ALSO applies - because in the same way that the size category is never removed, merely restated in different terms, neither is the hit-dice limit of alter self.