Help w/ Poly Self

[Veldrane]

Well, I'm not used at this spell, so I'd appreciate if you can help me out a little...

You acquire the physical stats of the new form (natural armor, str, dex, con). What about the physical skills (skills related to physical characteristics, such as Listen, Spot etc...)?

I'd have to use this spell for various purposes... ...so, if the previous question's answer is Yes, what form u think fits best the scout role?

And what form for pure combat (I mean Melee)? I thought of a dragon, or a dire bear, but any suggestion is really welcome...

Last, which form is IYO the best for spellcasting purposes, maybe in combination with helpful abilities such as fly?

Any suggestion is welcome, thnx in advance...

Edit: I know Listen, Spot, etc are not actually related to physical Stats, but I imagine a Hawk doesn't have a high Spot bonus because of its Wisdom....

 

[Little_Buddha]

Which version of Polymorph Self are you using? The latest is in Tome&Blood. From memory, there's a scan of it somewhere in the Black Pages...

 

[Veldrane]

The T&B one...

...plz plz plz answer meeee.... (I'm playin' in a couple of hour and I'll take the spell as soon as the session begins)...


Thnx again...

 

[Lord Pendragon]

A lot of this depends on your level. Remember that you can't assume the shape of a creature with more hit dice than your PC.

One of the best choices for my PC is the troll. Good natural armor, large size, huge strength increase, and reach. Plus it gains the benefit of all your equipment and has the voice and hands needed for spellcasting.

In the same vein later on is the Stone Giant, but that will need to wait a few more levels.

For flight, I'd go with a dragon.

The Annis hag is even better than the Stone Giant or Troll if you're willing to turn into an ugly witch-creature-thing.

 

[nharwell]

Which version of Polymorph Self are you using? The latest is in Tome&Blood. From memory, there's a scan of it somewhere in the Black Pages...

Actually, the most recent revision is in the Psionics Handbook errata at http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/er/er20010819a

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

You get racial skill bonuses that have a physical component. For instance, a hawk's incredible visual acuity gives it Spot bonuses in daylight. If you polymorph into a hawk, you get that skill bonus. A halfling is nimble, gaining +2 to Jump checks. If you polymorph into a halfling, you gain +2 to Jump checks.

If you're a mage, turn into something with high Dex and natural armor (like a troll). If you're a psion, a girallon is probably a better choice (since you don't need a voice).