DDAL Polymorph and drop monster into a pickle jar.

[jasper]

Okay situation. PC casts polymorph on a monster. Grick Alpha in this case. Turns it into a starfish. Drops it into a pickle jar. Their argument is that even after an hour, it could not shift back due to not having the strength. My counter it depends and you have an hour before I make a decision.

Your input please.

 

[Starglim]

No strength required. When the spell expires, its effect ends. If the subject's volume becomes larger than the pickle jar, the jar will burst. If the container was much stronger than a pickle jar, the creature might take some damage.

 

[Tonguez]

nah a creature that drops to 0 hit points reverts to true form (with normal HP) and takes any excess damage to its true form. I'd assume a tiny Starfish has 1 HP, so drops to 0 as soon as it hits the pickle jar - but then it reverts to an angry 75-"pickling damage" HP Grick Alpha.

I suppose the only counter is that the Pickling Jar does enough damage to outright kill the starfish or not (Dms call if the Grick-fish gets death throes or not)

 

[Clint_L]

Okay situation. PC casts polymorph on a monster. Grick Alpha in this case. Turns it into a starfish. Drops it into a pickle jar. Their argument is that even after an hour, it could not shift back due to not having the strength. My counter it depends and you have an hour before I make a decision.

Your input please.

From the PHB:

The target assumes the hit points of its new form. When it reverts to its normal form, the creature returns to the number of hit points it had before it transformed. If it reverts as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to its normal form.

There's no mention of it not transforming because it is in a confined space, and it happens instantly, so as a DM I would just rule that the pickle jar is obliterated. How you ruled if they used a stronger container, like an adamantium jug, is kind of up to you - I would still rule that this is a magical effect, so the creature has to assume its original form instantly, and anything getting in the way would be destroyed or knocked out of the way.

That seems consistent with the wording of the spell, and also prevents the players from cheesing it. Well, from cheesing it too easily. There are a lot of ways that clever players can exploit polymorph, but I would definitely make them try harder than a pickle jar. YVMV.

 

[Demetrios1453]

From the PHB:

There's no mention of it not transforming because it is in a confined space, and it happens instantly, so as a DM I would just rule that the pickle jar is obliterated. How you ruled if they used a stronger container, like an adamantium jug, is kind of up to you - I would still rule that this is a magical effect, so the creature has to assume its original form instantly, and anything getting in the way would be destroyed or knocked out of the way.

That seems consistent with the wording of the spell, and also prevents the players from cheesing it. Well, from cheesing it too easily. There are a lot of ways that clever players can exploit polymorph, but I would definitely make them try harder than a pickle jar. YVMV.

Drop the creature down a 100-foot deep, 5-inch diameter shaft into the ground and see what happens!

 

[Stormonu]

I really hate 5E polymorph. Spell should have remain split into Polymorph (Self) and Baneful Polymorph. If I turn someone into a cat, I'd like for them not to just be able to throw themselves off a table to turn themselves back without some (serious) risk.

 

[Clint_L]

I really hate 5E polymorph. Spell should have remain split into Polymorph (Self) and Baneful Polymorph. If I turn someone into a cat, I'd like for them not to just be able to throw themselves off a table to turn themselves back without some (serious) risk.

If you turn someone into a cat they would have the mind of a cat. Would a cat know to intentionally injure itself to break polymorph?

 

[humble minion]

Drop the creature down a 100-foot deep, 5-inch diameter shaft into the ground and see what happens!

To be honest though, if I’ve got the means to punch a 100 foot long hole in something, I’m going to use it directly on the monster rather than playing complicated games with polymorph!

 

[Fanaelialae]

The DM can decide it works however they want. If they don't want a pickle jar scenario, they can just have the polymorphed creature shunted into the nearest open space large enough for it. Or they can choose for it to be an instant kill. Or the creature takes some damage and is shunted into the nearest open space. It's magic after all. It should work consistently, but it doesn't need to function logically.

 

[Demetrios1453]

To be honest though, if I’ve got the means to punch a 100 foot long hole in something, I’m going to use it directly on the monster rather than playing complicated games with polymorph!

My post assumed that the hole was previously there - some sort of ventilation shaft for a long-defunct mine that had gotten blocked, or something similar...