Polymorph - Gone?!?

[Saragon]

Polymorph as a SERIES of spells, that allow only specific shapes, 1 per spell, would be much easier to work with and control abuses of!

I abuse polymorph regularly in my current 3.5 game, and I agree with this wholeheartedly. It regularly confounds my DM, and this is with an enchanter - not even a transmuter. I do wish that 4E wizards had more polymorph spells, and I wish warlocks had them earlier, but that's just me.

 

[malraux]

Well, hopefully they'll create a Conjurer class in some unspecified future Player's Handbook, after the Druid.

Quite likely. And when it comes out, it won't have to compete with the wizard going the summoning route. Its niche will already be there rather than having to be carved out of where the wizard already is. This is a good thing.

 

[malraux]

Polymorph as a SERIES of spells, that allow only specific shapes, 1 per spell, would be much easier to work with and control abuses of!

That or polymorph is a single spell, but predefines the stats and abilities you gain, while still letting the character define the form. (ie, you can be a bear or a lion, but in either case, you get +4 to attacking and damage, speed changes, etc.)

 

[Kishin]

It's not about brokenness -- it's about AWESOMENESS. .

Its unfortunate that the awesomeness bleeds directly into the brokenness, agreed.

I'm sure we'll see a revamped version of it, especially with the Druid. I'm guessing Wildshape is going to become a lot like the variant rules in the PHB2.

 

[A. Smith]

You can always play a doppleganger... I mean, it's pretty restricted (only other kind of humanoids) but it's still better then anything else we have ATM.

 

[lutecius]

I heard that polymorph (and other shapechange spells) are gone - any info?!?

Yeah, apparently that's how they "fixed" what was broken. Same thing with summon monsters, and the druid won't have nature allies either.

So night hags have no means to alter their appearance, in 4e?

they have change shape at will. It alters appearance but not stats.

 

[Destil]

I'm actually fairly surprised there aren't any wizard pollymorph dailies with sustain minor. Troll Form, Umberhulk Form et cetera. Good old trope of a D&D wizard and I'm sure a small handful of such powers could be both awesome and balanced.

Likewise the lack of a general shapechaning ritual is a crying shame.

My biggest complaint with 4E is that the PH needed another 200 pages.

 

[Samurai]

I'm actually fairly surprised there aren't any wizard pollymorph dailies with sustain minor. Troll Form, Umberhulk Form et cetera. Good old trope of a D&D wizard and I'm sure a small handful of such powers could be both awesome and balanced.

Likewise the lack of a general shapechaning ritual is a crying shame.

My biggest complaint with 4E is that the PH needed another 200 pages.

If the magic items were moved back to the DMG where they belong, there would have been more room. Now magic items feel like shopping in a catalog along with bedrolls, rations, and 10' poles, rather than the mysterious objects the GM doles out to a lucky adventurer. There's plenty of room in the DMG for the few items listed and a whole lot more, and at the same time give more space in the PHB...

 

[The Little Raven]

If the magic items were moved back to the DMG where they belong, there would have been more room.

They belong in the PHB because they are a standard part of the game for players. Their inclusion in that book doesn't change how the DM can handle access to them.

 

[Destil]

No, the magic items belong there. Players use 'em all the time, best to not have to pass around a DMG to find the rules... interesting that we've been seeing a steady migration of info from the DMG to the PH over each edition. I haven't even really cracked my DMG yet, is there anything else left to move?

And the PH needs more space for other things. More high level feats, more racial feats, more at will powers (many builds don't get meaningful choices, now that I've seen it 6-8 should be the minimum). More powers in general. Paragon paths not tied to a specific class. A few more epic destinies. And a page each on multi-classing per class: either better paragon path replacement rules or an explicit paragon multiclass path, which leans back to mystic thurg but should work.