Rejiggering Spells and Spell Levels: Improved Invis, Haste, Poly Other . . .

[Forrester]

Howdy, all. Based on what I've read about others' campaigns, and in the interests of keeping my campaign interesting, powered at core3E levels, and somewhat powergamer resistant, I've made a few house rules to my campaign.

I'd like to know what you think, and then, ask a question about changing Polymorph Other.

Current changes: Haste is now a 4th level spell (and still oh, so very very good). Improved Invis is a 5th level spell. (Now, these spells aren't necessarily auto-taken.)

I've also made it so that one needs more information in order to teleport -- either an exact distance, or familiarity with the area. No Scry/Teleport, Scry/Teleport. I had to institute this rule or else the party I'm DM'ing would be dead already, as they've got powerful foes. (The party doesn't even have the ability to Scry yet.)

Next spell that's on the block: Polymorph Other (Tome & Blood errata'd version). Even with the errata, it allows anyone and everyone traveling with a 7th level wizard to eventually, PERMANENTLY, get a huge boost to strength, 10' reach, and +7 to +10 natural armor (depending on whether you're going the troll route, the stone giant route, the hag route, or whatnot).

Or, you could just turn into a Gold Dragon and get +20 or so to natural armor, and a bunch of other nifty attacks besides.

I guess what I'm saying is that Polymorph Other seems a bit strong for a 4th level spell. First, it's a save or die spell (almost). Add on top of that permanent gains in natural armor, reach, and strength . . . not to mention the fact that one's NORMAL armor is supposed to expand to fit this form . . . well, does anyone else feel this way?

The main foes of my party are (surprise surpirse) nasty elves -- drow below, high elves above. And they have access to better magics than the party. I worry about EVERY single party hunting in the Underdark being made up of a mix of Trolls and Dragons, Giants and Dragons, and Hags and Dragons. Including any and all spellcasting sentients hunting down the party.

Anyway, possible changes. (I'm considering using any and all of them)


1) Natural armor above +4 is considered "Extraordinary", and would not be granted by the spell.

2) Gear would not change size when one is polymorphed. (Tough to defend this one if you play in a campaign where all magical stuff can resize to fit both kobolds and stone giants)

3) The spell has a duration of one day (or one hour/level, or whatever). Perhaps the caster can make it permanent, in which case the target must make a Fort save when he's changed back, or die.

Ideas? Responses? Childish Insults from Forgotten Realms players? I await your feedback.

 

[Forrester]

*bump*

Maybe I should have posted this in D&D Rules, given it's minor tweaking to already existing spells, as opposed to completely new ones.

No opins out there?

 

[Plane Sailing]

I didn't reply originally because I didn't really have any comment to make, but I've thought of one now.

It is quite a simple but far-reaching change to Polymorph spells.

Give it the same limit as Wildshape - everything on the target is absorbed into the new form.

This has several advantages:

a) Although it still works as a "save or die" spell, you lose the targets equipment (or at least you can't just waltz along and pick it up).

b) As a spell to use on friends, it becomes far less useful - stuff which is on them (armour, weapons, rings) get absorbed into the new form and are non-functional for the duration. If the fighter puts his sword down and picks it up after the polymorphing it is still only a M sized weapon, and he doesn't get the bonus of it suddenly growing.

- if you think about it, this makes much more sense than the spell "knowing" whether to shrink or grow equipment or incorporate-it-into-the-new-form-if-not-humanoid. It simply changes the target and all it carries into a new form.

I think that this approach mirrors the existing rules for wildshape, makes it less appealing as a "constant" buff for a wizards companions and very slightly less effective as an offensive spell.

Hows that for an opinion? (I think I might utilise this ruling in my own campaign BTW)

 

[Forrester]

Thanks for the feedback.

Two ways to go -- either make it like Wildshape (all the stuff gets absorbed), or just make it pop off (no size changes). Because in my campaign armor and weapons don't "resize" for the wearer very much (maybe within one size, if that; it's never made sense to me that you can fit a Stone Giant with Adamantine armor by making a magical suit of the armor for a halfling . . . upon which it Resizes when the giant tries to put it on), either is an acceptable solution, if only partial.

Still, the Natural Armor bonus worries me.

I think that topping the Natural Armor bonus at +3 or +4, AND making it so that items pop off when you're Polymorphed (they do not resize) might be sufficient. Still thinking of making it one hour/level, as well, though.

 

[kreynolds]

I had to institute this rule or else the party I'm DM'ing would be dead already, as they've got powerful foes. (The party doesn't even have the ability to Scry yet.)

You had to institute that rule? Don't take this the wrong way, but if you threw enemies at them that are that powerful, it's your own fault. If, however, your players are at fault for making such powerful enemies, like mouthing off to the wrong wizards guild, then they deserve to get squashed. No reason to change the rules.

 

[Forrester]

Part of the theme of the campaign is that the Bad Guys (nasssty elves) have considerably more resources (magical and otherwise) than the poor, downtrodden humanoid party.

This works fine in most other aspects of the campaign -- the party can do things to stay alive, even though they are often outmatched. But the "Scry/Teleport" cheese is one thing they can't get around.

And let's face it -- it *is* cheese. If I keep it around, I can't have a campaign where the party is ever significantly outclassed by a hostile, magically inclined group of NPCs who wants to kill them.

Given that I want a campaign where the party is ALWAYS significantly outclassed by a hostile, magically inclined group of NPCs who wants to kill them . . . you understand my problem .