jgsugden
Legend
I'm working on house rules to fix polymorph/wildshape. I'd like some input if you have the time.
The basic idea would be to alter polymorph/wildshape so that it looks at ECL instead of at hit dice to check and see if a form is available. The idea behind this change is that ECL is a better gauge of balance than HD.
When I began working on this idea, I was faced with the problem that many creatures in the MM and other books do not have ECLs. Further, many of the ECLs present seemed to be off target. So, beyond reworking polymorph, I needed to rework ECLs as well for my idea to fly.
After some reflection, I realized that the major flaw with the ECL system is that some abilities are too strong to be in the hands of PCs beneath a certain level, regardless of other benefits or burdens from the form of the creature. For instance, a natural strength in the high 20s is too strong to be in the hands of an 8th level party. When an 8th level druid wild shapes into a brown bear with 28 strength, he is doing more damage than a pure melee fighter of equivalent level. The answer to this problem was to assign minimum ECLs for strong abilities. For instance a minimum ECL for a strength of 28 might be 12.
The next problem dealt with supernatural and spell-like abilities. These are often a large part of ECL for powerful creatures. If I used the plain ECL for the creature to limit forms, some ECLs would be ridiculously too high. The obvious answer was to assign a creature two ECLs: One with all the abilities (normal ECL) and a Modified Effective Character Level (MECL) that was calculated as if the form had no supernatural or spell-like abilities. A third category for Supernatural Modified Effective Character Level (SMECL) for the presence of Supernatural abilities, but not Spell-like abilities, was also created for use with Shapechange.
By using this approach, I can allow a polymorpher/wildshaper to gain special qualities as well as special attacks. The only remaining issue, other than getting a full series of ECLs, MECLs and SMECLs is with the blending of the retained abilities from the natural form of the caster with the abilities gained by the new form. If we restrict the ECL, MECL or SMECL to less than the level/ECL of the being changing shape, it gives us some room to account for the extra benefits of merging the two forms.
What I ended up with:
Polymorph/wildshape allows you to assume a form with a MECL (ECL without supernatural or spell-like abilities) less than the caster level of the caster and less than the ECL of the target. You gain no supernatural or spell-like abilities, but gain all other abilities of the form (including bonus feats, skill bonuses, etc ...)
Shapechange allows you to asume a form with a SMECL (ECL without spell-like abilities) less than your caster level. You gain no spell-like abilities, but gain everything else.
How does that sound? Any huge flaws that you see?
The basic idea would be to alter polymorph/wildshape so that it looks at ECL instead of at hit dice to check and see if a form is available. The idea behind this change is that ECL is a better gauge of balance than HD.
When I began working on this idea, I was faced with the problem that many creatures in the MM and other books do not have ECLs. Further, many of the ECLs present seemed to be off target. So, beyond reworking polymorph, I needed to rework ECLs as well for my idea to fly.
After some reflection, I realized that the major flaw with the ECL system is that some abilities are too strong to be in the hands of PCs beneath a certain level, regardless of other benefits or burdens from the form of the creature. For instance, a natural strength in the high 20s is too strong to be in the hands of an 8th level party. When an 8th level druid wild shapes into a brown bear with 28 strength, he is doing more damage than a pure melee fighter of equivalent level. The answer to this problem was to assign minimum ECLs for strong abilities. For instance a minimum ECL for a strength of 28 might be 12.
The next problem dealt with supernatural and spell-like abilities. These are often a large part of ECL for powerful creatures. If I used the plain ECL for the creature to limit forms, some ECLs would be ridiculously too high. The obvious answer was to assign a creature two ECLs: One with all the abilities (normal ECL) and a Modified Effective Character Level (MECL) that was calculated as if the form had no supernatural or spell-like abilities. A third category for Supernatural Modified Effective Character Level (SMECL) for the presence of Supernatural abilities, but not Spell-like abilities, was also created for use with Shapechange.
By using this approach, I can allow a polymorpher/wildshaper to gain special qualities as well as special attacks. The only remaining issue, other than getting a full series of ECLs, MECLs and SMECLs is with the blending of the retained abilities from the natural form of the caster with the abilities gained by the new form. If we restrict the ECL, MECL or SMECL to less than the level/ECL of the being changing shape, it gives us some room to account for the extra benefits of merging the two forms.
What I ended up with:
Polymorph/wildshape allows you to assume a form with a MECL (ECL without supernatural or spell-like abilities) less than the caster level of the caster and less than the ECL of the target. You gain no supernatural or spell-like abilities, but gain all other abilities of the form (including bonus feats, skill bonuses, etc ...)
Shapechange allows you to asume a form with a SMECL (ECL without spell-like abilities) less than your caster level. You gain no spell-like abilities, but gain everything else.
How does that sound? Any huge flaws that you see?
