Quick polymorph question.

[uca]

Sorry if this should be obvious to me, but I haven't been playing all that long.

As a 10th level human wizard, am I allowed to polymorph into a ten-headed hydra? With its ten bite attacks?

Thanks much.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Sorry if this should be obvious to me, but I haven't been playing all that long.

As a 10th level human wizard, am I allowed to polymorph into a ten-headed hydra? With its ten bite attacks?

Thanks much.

Depending on how you read polymorph, yes or no.

Some will contend that polymorph, as a result of the text of alter self, cannot cause a change in size of more than one size category, limiting a human wizard to size large forms.

Evidence in the faq, the polymorph any object spell description and the text of polymorph itself all would suggest that this restriction dos not exist.

IOW - yes, you can turn into a 10 headed hydra with 10 attacks. Consider that doing so takes you an action, and that your AC and hitpoints will be quite low when you move in to use those attacks, and that the damage you do will probably be comparable with casting some metamagiced damage spell anyway, and I'm sure you can see why it's not necessarily the most uber of tactics.

Combine it with arcane strike however...

 

[uca]

Hmm. I had imagined that 10 attacks at 1d10+5 each, every round would be overpowered.

Thanks for the input though.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

As a 10th level human wizard, am I allowed to polymorph into a ten-headed hydra? With its ten bite attacks?

I think the consensus on these boards is "no", as per the following from the SRD for alter self:

You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

While "heads" are not technically "limbs", the intent of the statement appears to be to preclude the very abuse you're discussing. Similarly, your wizard wouldn't get four claw attacks if polymorphed into a girallon, only two (plus a bite), because that's how many unarmed attacks your two-armed wizard gets.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[uca]

I had wondered about that. I was reading wotc's errata and came across:

A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

Many DMs and players find this rule puzzling. Essentially, it means that if you suddenly find yourself with two extra arms you can't just pick up four weapons and wade into melee, use a four-handed weapon, fire and reload a heavy crossbow (even a repeating heavy crossbow) in the same round, or perform any other combat tricks that come to mind. You can make attacks that are "normal" for you or normal for your assumed form, but you can't combine them.

Now I'm sure this has been hashed out here before, but that would sure seem to indicate that since the hydra's bites are its normal attack, it would be legit to go ahead and use them. What's the argument against?
Thanks either way.

(Oh, and I read the thread a few pages back conerning the size restrictions for polymorph. I guess if I can't morph to a huge creature this is kinda moot anyhow.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

I was reading wotc's errata and came across:

Note that that isn't errata; that's Skip Williams' Rules of the Game article series, which contains a lot of useful information for new players, and a lot of dubious calls for people looking for what the rules actually say

-Hyp.

 

[uca]

Ah. Thanks for pointing that out.

Well, perhaps I'll just eschew polymorph then. Allthough I was looking forward to giving our druid a run for his money...

 

[meleeguy]

Ah. Thanks for pointing that out.

Well, perhaps I'll just eschew polymorph then. Allthough I was looking forward to giving our druid a run for his money...

Naw, use polymorph. Afterall, wildshape is based on it. It's the pain that keeps on giving. Just be prepared to spend an evening reading nothing but alter self and polymorph. Oh and dozens of threads that will make your brain hurt. I used to hate the new D&D, until I gave into my rules lawyer dark side.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Well, perhaps I'll just eschew polymorph then. Allthough I was looking forward to giving our druid a run for his money...

Don't eschew polymorph. From the level that a wizard can cast the spell, he or she can polymorph into an annis hag. Assuming your wizard is a humanoid, the annis form beats the druid's brown bear form any day - not only can you still cast spells while an annis without needing the Natural Spell feat, all your magic items keep functioning (because they don't meld with the annis form), and you get serious AC from all the good natural armour an annis has. My 11th-level wizard has an AC above 30 when she's an annis, and with fire shield up, is not even someone the bad guys want to try to hit.

Besides its obvious "fully sick" use in combat, polymorph is a versatile spell. Learn it, use it.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[F5]

Polymorph can duplicate the effects of dozens and dozens of other spells (Fly, Water Breathing, Spider Climb, Enlarge/Reduce person, Bull's Strength, or Cat's Grace, just off the top of my head, based on how it's been used in my last 3 or 4 sessions). Especially for a sorcerer, who has a limited number of spells avaialble, it's a great utility spell, because you can do so much.

So, even if you can't polymorph yourself into a meelee god, it's verry verry much worth taking.