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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lancelot" data-source="post: 6665268" data-attributes="member: 30022">Aaah... I stand corrected, then. I wasn't aware that you were talking about a Transmuter class feature. I thought you were talking about the actual polymorph spell.In that case, I guess I'm with Fanaelialae's and Sword of Spirit's comments above, then. There are some options which have a modicum of intelligence, and it's useful as a scouting feature nonetheless.If you're into classic fantasy fiction, I'm actually reminded of the Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursula le Guin. Wizards in that setting are capable of polymorphing themselves into a variety of shapes. The principal character, Sparrowhawk, uses this power in a number of different ways. However, it's explicitly stated in the novels that such magic is perilous. Remaining in the shape of a creature too long, you begin to adopt it's unique mental patterns. Sparrowhawk himself nearly suffers this fate after fleeing a deadly enemy in the shape of a bird. He remains in the bird's shape (Int = 2...?) for too long, and only the intervention of an ally helps him regain his own shape and mind afterwards. If he hadn't received this assistance, he might have forgotten that he was a wizard entirely, and remained in bird shape for the rest of his life....which is kind of an interesting take on it, for me. It creates a number of story-based opportunities. Maybe that strange parrot on the pirate's shoulder is actually a Transmuter who legitimately forgot to turn back into human form after his last adventure. The parrot glows when subjected to a detect magic. If the party casts a dispel magic on the bird, then helps nurse the wizard's broken mind back to sanity, then maybe they gain a powerful new friend...As for your own Transmuter, perhaps there's something in that approach to help roleplay it. Maybe your Intelligence (in roleplaying terms; forget the mechanics for a moment) doesn't immediately drop to 1 or 2. You have enough intellect to go scouting for a while, or outfly your pursuers, or squeeze through the tiny crack in the wall, or whatever cool thing you want to be doing in small animal form. But the longer you stay in the form, the more your Intelligence actually gets closer to 2. You begin losing sense of who you really are, and begin picking up more animalistic traits (curious about bright objects, hungry, getting attracted to that female chimpanzee over there). Your Transmuter needs to remember to pop out of Shapechanged form before they lose their mind completely. I think that'd be a ton of fun to roleplay!</blockquote>

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