Polymorph Self -- Favorite Uses

[barsoomcore]

Re: Re: Huh? Tome and Blood?

Like maybe their website? Errataed Polymorph is in the PHB errata file. Where everyone can find it.

Oh sure, what if I don't have a computer? Or access to the internet? Huh? Didya think of that? Yeah, right, just cause I'm here posting on this board you're thinking "Ooh, that Barsoomcore, can't be bothered to do some basic research before he shoots his mouth off." You never thought that maybe I have to trek 78 miles through freezing snow and wind, UPHILL BOTH WAYS, just to get the use of a Commodore 64 that runs on a hand-crank and connects with a phone line made of paper clips, just for the purpose of posting on this board, now did you? Huh?

A little consideration, a little tolerance, that's all I'm asking for.

That, and the right to shoot my mouth off with doing any basic research.

 

[Xarlen]

Mrrow. Hiss hiss.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

Almost on topic-

The Dwarf tank in my Greyhawk campaign lost a foot while far away from clerical help -- he's in another prime material plane (WWII Occupied Poland, if you must know). And I was all set when the next game session came around with rules for what it would take for the party members to fashion a peg leg, or even better an animated prosthetic for him, and they came up with a better, far simpler solution:

Polymorph other -- the party enchantress polymorphed him into himself, with both feet. Which will work fine as long as he never is hit by a dispell magic. (Hee hee hee.)

-rg

 

[mythusmage]

A mouse. An everyday, ordinary house mouse. Can get in tight places, and has a marvelous sense of smell. Besides, who expects a mouse to pose any threat.

Now make that mouse a polymorphed 5th level fighter with 40 hit points, an AC of 23, and +3 teeth, and you've got something.

For real nightmares, make him a polymorphed 20 level character, Wizard 10th/Archmage 10th with 70 hit points, an AC of 35, and spells. (If an awakened mouse wizard can cast spells, then, by God, a Wizard in the form of a mouse can cast spells.) Who's gonna believe your Font of Unutterable Darkness (a fine Westinghouse product) was disintegrated by a mouse.

 

[alsih2o]

Polymorph other -- the party enchantress polymorphed him into himself, with both feet. Which will work fine as long as he never is hit by a dispell magic. (Hee hee hee.)

-rg

again, not possible by official rules, he can only be made inot an avg of the specie

 

[Radiating Gnome]

again, not possible by official rules, he can only be made inot an avg of the specie

Actually, as I read it, it is possible. In Tome and Blood (the revision of the spell) it says towards the end of the description " The subject can be changed into a member of its own species or even into itself."

As I read "even into itself", it indicates that the spell can be used to restore a character's form if, perhaps, she has been polymorphed into something else, or, as in this case, damaged in some way.

 

[Xarlen]

Cool. So all I need to do is cast Polymorph Self and it acts like an Insta-Heal.

Make a Will Save vs. Sarcasm.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

Cool. So all I need to do is cast Polymorph Self and it acts like an Insta-Heal.

Well, I guess. Except that Polymorph is permanent, not instantaneous (like healing spells)-- and that means that the magical effects is always in effect unless it's dispelled or interfered with in some way. This means that down the line, if the character is ever hit with a dispel magic he'll not only lost a lot of his magic items and buff spells, but also be about a foot shorter. That risk does not exist in the case of a Heal spell.

In the long run it makes a decent stop-gap solution for the problem of a missing limb -- it lasts longer than Alter Self, which would be useful for short spurts to make the same restoration -- but it's really not a good substitute for the real heal.

-rg

 

[Broken Fang]

Something Small....Pixie is good...recon!

 

[DrSkull]

Once I was hit by a vampire and had a negative level imposed.

The next day when it was time to make the save to see if the level loss was permanent or not I used a polymorph spell to change into a Troll. This gave me a really high Constitution, which made it that much more easy to succeed at the Fortitude Save.