Polymorph and Equipment

[Hypersmurf]

I think I might have asked this before recently, but I can't recall what replies people gave.

If a human wearing plate armor polymorphs into a dragon, his armor melds into the dragon form; when the polymorph ends, he reverts to the form of a human wearing plate armor.

If a dragon polymorphs into a human and puts armor on, then when the polymorph ends, he turns back into a dragon... which can't be good for the armor.

But what if the dragon polymorphs into a human, puts armor on, and then polymorphs into a horse? The armor melds with the form of the horse.

A dragon's polymorph ability lasts "until the dragon assumes another form or reverts back to its own form".

So when the dragon changes from human to horse, the original polymorph - from dragon to human - expires.

When he reverts back to his own form, he goes from polymorphed-form-with-melded-armor to unpolymorphed-form-that-doesn't-wear-armor.

What happens to the armor this time?

Does it stay melded with the unpolymorphed dragon? Does it appear nearby when the polymorph ends? Does it try to appear being worn by the dragon and get destroyed? Does it open a gate to the astral plane, drawing any creatures within a 10 foot radius through with it?

-Hyp.

 

[MrZoink]

I doubt that there is any officially justifiable answer to this, but here's my take on it.

The polymorph spell seems to go out of it's way to avoid doing damage to objects and people though transformation, so I'd say that the armor would fall off unharmed.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The polymorph spell seems to go out of it's way to avoid doing damage to objects and people though transformation, so I'd say that the armor would fall off unharmed.

Heh. That leads to the next question, based on the "Fly in an antimagic field" thread.

Would there be a difference between dispelling the polymorph, and having it suppressed by an AMF?

-Hyp.

 

[MrZoink]

I agree with the theory that holds that dispelling a fly spell effectively ends it as if the duration had expired, but that the anti-magic field causes the spell to fail as if it had never been in effect, so if you happen to be 100 feet in the air, gravity takes over.

But only until you leave the field. Then the spell resumes as normal.

edit: I guess I should answer the question you asked.

Dispel Magic would cause the duration to expire, safely expelling the armor.

Anti-magic field would suppress the effect. I think that we're now taking the system beyond it's breaking point and any DM's call is as good as any other. I would still safely expell the armor on the basis that it stops the endless "but what if's..."

 

[andargor]

Heh. That leads to the next question, based on the "Fly in an antimagic field" thread.

Would there be a difference between dispelling the polymorph, and having it suppressed by an AMF?

-Hyp.

You enjoy this, don't you?

They should call you The Anti-Smurf, or The Wolf in Smurf's Clothing.

Andargor

 

[Hypersmurf]

I agree with the theory that holds that dispelling a fly spell effectively ends it as if the duration had expired, but that the anti-magic field causes the spell to fail as if it had never been in effect, so if you happen to be 100 feet in the air, gravity takes over.

Yup. So if a polymorph spell, when it ends, "goes out of its way" to avoid destroying equipment... wouldn't suppression by an AMF bypass those "safety features"? No chance for the magic to safely get the plate mail out of the way before the guy wearing it turns back into a dragon...

-Hyp.

 

[MrZoink]

I can't deny the logic of your argument.

I just wouldn't adjudicate it that way at my table.

 

[Hypersmurf]

You enjoy this, don't you?

[suspicious look]

What's that s'posed to mean, hmm?

-Hyp.

 

[Arc]

Hmmm... if you decide that the sudden size change manages to rip apart clothing and possesions, then the fragments are going to have to go somewhere, and fast, right? I'm thinking d6 to all within 5', reflex dc 17 for half?

 

[Kraedin]

I'd tend to agree with the concept that polymorph goes out of it's way to preserve equipment, so in response to the first post, I agree with MrZoink.

In response to the interaction between anti-magic field and polymorph, I'd probably have the dragon snap back to his normal form inside the armor, which would be very bad for both. I would actually rule that the armor stays in the same posistion that it was in before the AMF was put up, so that you'd have a dragon with a suit of armor sticking out of him.

I don't really see the dragon expanding back to his normal size when placed into an AMF, but rather, simply being his real self inside the field.

Edit: Thinking more about it, a lot of how this works depends on the precise properties of an AMF. If the field, for example, has variable intensity, such that things on the outside edge of the effect start to weaken, but don't actually stop until farther in, you could get the dragon expanding inside the armor, instead of simply "snaping back" inside the effect.

Also, the anti-magic field doesn't really exclude all magic from inside it's effect. Epic spellcasters, deities, and artifacts all function insdie an AMF, as do creatures that live off of magic such as golems or dragons. Because it only partially suppresses magic, I could see the polymorph spell retaining enough "umph" to eject the armor from the dragon before anything unseemly happens.