Polymorph Self -- Favorite Uses

[Lucius Foxhound]

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.

Wow.. that's damn smart. I've got to remember that. Of course, since that probably counts as a "stressful or demanding situation," you probably should have made a will save (DC 19) or suffer a -2 penalty to that save roll. Even still, the bonus would make it worth it.

 

[Tom Cashel]

The errata is also available for free on the WOTC website. Those additional restrictions are the official way that polymorph is supposed to be played. They actually just put the newest vesion of polymorph into T+B for convenience. And to fill up the pages I'd imagine. I'm actually not sure that T+B even has the final version.

The PH Errata and PH Rules Clarifications are both available on the Wizards site.

But neither of them lists any modifications to Polymorph Self.

I would not allow the "polymorph into a troll for save bonus" gambit noted above. I don't argue that the PC gets the save bonus, but that particular situation is a little too "meta-" for my taste. It strikes me as the PC looking at his watch and saying, "Well, time to get ready for that saving throw!"

On the plus side, I'd rule that the required "humanlike" hands for spellcasting are present in dragon form. Lucius, correct me if I'm wrong--you have a pouch of spell components that you drop on the ground before you change form?

 

[hong]

The PH Errata and PH Rules Clarifications are both available on the Wizards site.

But neither of them lists any modifications to Polymorph Self.

?? T&B has a version of poly self, which explicitly states that it overrides what's in the PHB.

Mind you, all it says is that it's "as poly other, except ...", which is basically what the PHB version said anyway....

 

[alsih2o]

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.

my bad, and my apologies! see my post in how to be a d+D snob

 

[Uller]

Re: Huh? Tome and Blood?

It was sufficiently hilarious that frankly, I think I ruled correctly.

If it was fun...you ruled correctly.

I wouldn't have ruled that way...but if your players enjoyed it that's all that counts.

 

[Tom Cashel]

?? T&B has a version of poly self, which explicitly states that it overrides what's in the PHB.

I'm not paying $29 for splatbooks.

 

[Tom Cashel]

Anything in the Tome & Blood version requiring that the PC have previously seen the creature he's trying to change into?

Can a wizard who's never seen a Formian polymorph into one?

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

Definitely not.. you must have seen the creature to polymorph into it.

And yes, you need to have a bag of spell components that you drop if you want to cast spells with mat. components. But I'd make sure the player explicitly says so ... Polymorph Self is way too powerful to "assume" that he did!

 

[Tom Cashel]

Lucius--see above comments about the "Troll Bonus."

We should come up with a list of creatures you've faced in your travels. Why don't you write up a "wish list" and I'll edit it down? Obviously you've seen a dragon before...

 

[Numion]

I'm not paying $29 for splatbooks.

Neither is anyone else, for that matter. They cost about $20.