Polymorph question

[Canada_K]

A quick question for the rules gurus.

My current campaign has a blind cleric NPC (eyes clawed out years ago). Recently, a party member cast a "polymorph other" spell and polymorphed the cleric into himself, but with eyes.

Is this a correct use of the spell in other peoples' opinions? I allowed it at the time because I thought it was a creative and intelligent use of the spell, and it also contributed a lot to the story line of the campaign.

What are your thoughts?

K.

 

[IceBear]

If I remember correctly, you can only turn yourself into an "average member" of the type of creature you turned yourself into. Thus, I don't think you can use it to turn yourself into someone specific.

As you said, if it furthered the plot I might allow it to work (I'm pretty lenient), but I don't think it was legal by the rules.

IceBear

 

[Orco42]

I think it is legal. But you need to make sure his str, dex and con become 10(if he is human).

 

[IceBear]

Yeah, since it's on the same spell chain as Alter Self, it's not too unreasonable to allow a human to turn into a specific human. Maybe I'm reading too much into the "average member of the species" part.

IceBear

 

[Henrix]

You get +10 to your disguise check, just as with Alter Self, so yes, you probably could change yourself into somebody who looked just like your former self, but with average physical stats.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Doesn't the spell have a qualifier "(or even yourself)" or something similar?

 

[Orco42]

Doesn't the spell have a qualifier "(or even yourself)" or something similar?

Good point. I don't have the errata here but the PHB says if changed into yourself the above mentiond penalties and disorientation do not apply.

I am not sure if the average physical abilities is one of those penatlies.

 

[DizzyKungFu]

Alter Self allows a character to create a form with wings and actually fly with that form, so I wouldn't see a problem changing into a form with eyes.

The problem with using Polymorph Self in this manner is that the form with eyes is not "itself". So I would apply the following from the Polymorph text:

"The new form can be disorienting. Any time the polymorphed creature is in a stressful or demanding situation (such as combat), the creature must succeed at a Will save (DC 19) or suffer a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks until the situation passes. "

So the character would be able to see, but might become disoriented in combat due to the unusual sensations.

Again, since the form is not "itself", making the character take average (10 or 11) ability scores for Str, Dex, and Con is not unreasonable, as they would have to assume an "average" form of their same race. But since the spell says that they can control "minor physical qualities"... i.e. hair color, hair texture, and skin color, they could easily make a form that looks like themselves, except with eyes.

 

[IceBear]

Teaches me to post without looking at the spell first (I didn't think that +10 to Disguise checks was in Polymorph description, only in Alter Self)

Though in all fairness these spells have been errataed so much I don't even know where to look anymore

IceBear

 

[Henrix]

Though in all fairness these spells have been errataed so much I don't even know where to look anymore

Yes, it is a mess. I go by the Tome & Blood version. Has that been seriously errataed as well?


The "changed into itself" seems to only be in the PHB version.
The reason it is not in the later version is that the disorientation effect has gone, and the full PHB text is "If changed into itself, it does not suffer the abovementioned penalties from the disorientation of a new form."