Egres
First Post
Can you become advanced versions of creatures with
polymorph* (Player’s Handbook, page 263), or just the most
basic as presented in the Monster Manual?
The rules don’t explicitly prevent this, but for speed of play
(and reasons of sanity) it’s entirely reasonable for a DM to
disallow any forms other than those detailed in the Monster
Manual (or other allowed volumes of monsters). If the DM
chooses to allow advanced creatures, the player must supply
full statistics for the advanced version before play begins.
Remember that the Hit Die limit for the various polymorph
spells still applies (a 7th-level wizard can’t use polymorph to
assume the form of a 10-HD advanced sahuagin).
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
Can you use polymorph* to turn into a creature with a
template?
Again, the rules don’t explicitly prevent this—and in fact,
some creatures whose forms are possible to assume with
shapechange (such as vampires) exist only as templated
creatures—but a player who wants to use this option is
responsible for providing full statistics for the templated
creature to avoid slowing game play. As always, you must still
abide by the rules for the spell in question (for example, an elf
wizard can’t use alter self to become a half-dragon orc, since
that’s a dragon, not a humanoid).
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
Please, note that this answer directly contradicts the Rules of the Game article on Polymorph.
When my human is polymorphed* into another
creature, he loses any extraordinary special attacks and
qualities. Does this include his bonus feat and bonus skill
points? If so, how do I figure out which feat and skill points
are derived from his racial traits?
A human’s bonus feat and bonus skill points—like most
other racial traits—are considered extraordinary qualities, and
thus are lost when the character would lose such abilities
(including when polymorphed). This is a good reason to keep
track of which feat is your human bonus feat, since it might
have wide-reaching effects. (For instance, if Dodge was your
bonus feat, you’d lose the benefits of any other feats that have
Dodge as a prerequisite, such as Mobility and Spring Attack.)
Keeping track of where your bonus skill points are spent is
more onerous, and likely less significant to play. If most of
your skills are maxed out (that is, their rank equals your level
+3, or half that for a cross-class skill), it’s probably easiest
simply to designate one skill as the repository for all your
bonus skill points.
For ease of play, some DMs ignore this side effect, but
doing so represents a clear benefit granted to humans. Be aware
that players of nonhuman characters may resent this “freebie.”
When you use two polymorph* spells in succession, do
you keep any of the abilities gained from the first spell’s
form?
No. This falls into the category of “one effect makes
another irrelevant” (see page 172 in the Player’s Handbook). A
polymorphed elf wizard who then casts shapechange wouldn’t
retain any of the abilities gained from polymorph—only the
wizard’s original form (elf) and new form (from shapechange,
the last spell cast) matter.
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
What kind of spells work on characters polymorphed*
into creatures of different types than their own? Can you
cast hold person on a humanoid who is polymorphed into a
dire bear or would hold monster be required?
If a creature’s type changes (such as from a polymorph
spell), it is affected by spells according to its new type. An elf
polymorphed into a dire bear is immune to hold person (since
she is now an animal), but could be affected by hold animal or
hold monster.
If, while under the effect of a spell that depends on type
(such as hold person), my character is polymorphed* into a
different creature type, does the spell’s effect remain?
Yes. A spell only checks to see if you are a legal target
when it is cast. If you become an illegal target later (such as via
the polymorph spell), the spell remains in effect.
Note: Hypersmurf, with his famous Shillelagh example, wins.
Polymorph* grants the extraordinary special attacks of
the creature that you become. What happens when you
swallow whole an opponent who does not then escape your
belly before the spell expires?
Alter self states that “any new items you wore in the
assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and
land at your feet” which sounds like a pretty close
approximation of what’s happening with swallow whole. Since
your normal form (assumedly) isn’t capable of swallowing
creatures whole, any swallowed creature would appear adjacent
to your space and prone.
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
polymorph* (Player’s Handbook, page 263), or just the most
basic as presented in the Monster Manual?
The rules don’t explicitly prevent this, but for speed of play
(and reasons of sanity) it’s entirely reasonable for a DM to
disallow any forms other than those detailed in the Monster
Manual (or other allowed volumes of monsters). If the DM
chooses to allow advanced creatures, the player must supply
full statistics for the advanced version before play begins.
Remember that the Hit Die limit for the various polymorph
spells still applies (a 7th-level wizard can’t use polymorph to
assume the form of a 10-HD advanced sahuagin).
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
Can you use polymorph* to turn into a creature with a
template?
Again, the rules don’t explicitly prevent this—and in fact,
some creatures whose forms are possible to assume with
shapechange (such as vampires) exist only as templated
creatures—but a player who wants to use this option is
responsible for providing full statistics for the templated
creature to avoid slowing game play. As always, you must still
abide by the rules for the spell in question (for example, an elf
wizard can’t use alter self to become a half-dragon orc, since
that’s a dragon, not a humanoid).
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
Please, note that this answer directly contradicts the Rules of the Game article on Polymorph.
When my human is polymorphed* into another
creature, he loses any extraordinary special attacks and
qualities. Does this include his bonus feat and bonus skill
points? If so, how do I figure out which feat and skill points
are derived from his racial traits?
A human’s bonus feat and bonus skill points—like most
other racial traits—are considered extraordinary qualities, and
thus are lost when the character would lose such abilities
(including when polymorphed). This is a good reason to keep
track of which feat is your human bonus feat, since it might
have wide-reaching effects. (For instance, if Dodge was your
bonus feat, you’d lose the benefits of any other feats that have
Dodge as a prerequisite, such as Mobility and Spring Attack.)
Keeping track of where your bonus skill points are spent is
more onerous, and likely less significant to play. If most of
your skills are maxed out (that is, their rank equals your level
+3, or half that for a cross-class skill), it’s probably easiest
simply to designate one skill as the repository for all your
bonus skill points.
For ease of play, some DMs ignore this side effect, but
doing so represents a clear benefit granted to humans. Be aware
that players of nonhuman characters may resent this “freebie.”
When you use two polymorph* spells in succession, do
you keep any of the abilities gained from the first spell’s
form?
No. This falls into the category of “one effect makes
another irrelevant” (see page 172 in the Player’s Handbook). A
polymorphed elf wizard who then casts shapechange wouldn’t
retain any of the abilities gained from polymorph—only the
wizard’s original form (elf) and new form (from shapechange,
the last spell cast) matter.
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
What kind of spells work on characters polymorphed*
into creatures of different types than their own? Can you
cast hold person on a humanoid who is polymorphed into a
dire bear or would hold monster be required?
If a creature’s type changes (such as from a polymorph
spell), it is affected by spells according to its new type. An elf
polymorphed into a dire bear is immune to hold person (since
she is now an animal), but could be affected by hold animal or
hold monster.
If, while under the effect of a spell that depends on type
(such as hold person), my character is polymorphed* into a
different creature type, does the spell’s effect remain?
Yes. A spell only checks to see if you are a legal target
when it is cast. If you become an illegal target later (such as via
the polymorph spell), the spell remains in effect.
Note: Hypersmurf, with his famous Shillelagh example, wins.
Polymorph* grants the extraordinary special attacks of
the creature that you become. What happens when you
swallow whole an opponent who does not then escape your
belly before the spell expires?
Alter self states that “any new items you wore in the
assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and
land at your feet” which sounds like a pretty close
approximation of what’s happening with swallow whole. Since
your normal form (assumedly) isn’t capable of swallowing
creatures whole, any swallowed creature would appear adjacent
to your space and prone.
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer to all
spells of the polymorph spell chain (including alter self,
polymorph, baleful polymorph, polymorph any object, and
shapechange), as well as to other effects that refer to spells in
the chain (such as the druid’s wild shape class feature).
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