Special Conversion Thread: Finishing off giants and their kin

[Shade]

Updated.

Stick with alternate form like lycanthropes, or borrow from Stormwrack's seawolf, as follows?

Change Shape (Su): A seawolf's natural form is that of a wolf-headed seal, but it can assume two other forms: a human or wolf-human hybrid. The human form is unique; a seawolf in human form always assumes the same appearance and traits, much as a lycanthrope would. In human form, a seawolf cannot use its bite attack, and it does not convey its curse.

In hybrid form, a seawolf's swim speed is reduce to 20 feet, but it has a much faster land speed, and it gains two claw attacks (or can use its claws to wield weapons, if it prefers). This form otherwise resembles the seawolf form.

A seawolf remains in one form until it chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does a seawolf revert to its natural form when killed. A true seeing spell, however, reveals its natural form if it is in human form.

 

[demiurge1138]

How does this modified change shape differ from alternate form? Those two always give me a headache...

 

[freyar]

Differences between change shape and alternate form are:
1) Change Shape cannot grant aquatic subtype.
2) Change Shape lets you keep your natural armor, Alternate Form does natural armor of new form.
3) Alternate Form spells out that it does not grant Sp and Su abilities of new form, but this seems also implied in Change Shape.
4) In Change Shape, you keep your physical abilities; Alternate Form gives you Str, Dex, Con of new form (but hp don't change).

I'm guessing the dire polar bear has better natural armor and physical abilities (maybe?), so we probably want Change Shape.

 

[Shade]

And confusing the issue further, lycanthropes have the following modified alternate form ability...

Alternate Form (Su): A lycanthrope can assume the form of a specific animal (as indicated in its entry). It does not assume the ability scores of the animal, but instead adds the animal’s physical ability score modifiers to its own ability scores. A lycanthrope also can assume a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands and animalistic features.

Changing to or from animal or hybrid form is a standard action. A slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their animal form, however. Afflicted lycanthropes find this ability difficult to control (see Lycanthropy as an Affliction, below), but natural lycanthropes have full control over this power.

 

[demiurge1138]

Let's go for lycanthropic alternate form, I think.

 

[Shade]

And here's the ability from the therianthrope template in Tome of Horrors...

Alternate Form (Su): A therianthrope’s natural form is that of the base animal. It can shift into two other forms as though using the polymorph spell on itself, though it does not regain hit points for changing forms, and only a specific human form or hybrid form can be assumed. Equipment carried by the therianthrope in human or hybrid form shifts with it and is absorbed into its animal form. Magic items do not function while in this form. When a therianthrope shifts back into human or hybrid form, equipment (including magic items) returns to normal and function normally.

A therianthrope’s first form is that of a human. A therianthrope always assumes the same appearance and traits in human form. In this form, it cannot use its natural weapons or any extraordinary special attacks. It can wield weapons and wear armor however.

Its second form is a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands and animalistic features. The therianthrope retains its natural attacks and extraordinary special attacks in this form, and can also wield weapons or wear armor.

Changing forms is a standard action. A slain therianthrope reverts to its animal form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their human or hybrid form, however.

 

[freyar]

Hmm, does polymorph work more like Change Shape or Alternate Form? I'd say we should streamline the therianthrope's ability to get rid of the explicit reference to polymorph (following the usual errata).

I kind of think the lycanthrope's version of alternate form is a little odd to use here. With the lycanthrope, it's clearly intended to supplement the physical attributes of the (presumably weaker) humanoid or giant when it takes hybrid or animal form. But in our case, the dire polar bear is probably already hugely strong, so does it make sense for it to get stronger when it shifts to giant form?

 

[Shade]

How's this?

Alternate Form (Su): A polarwere's natural form is that of a dire polar bear.
It can assume the form of a specific frost giant (as indicated in its entry). It does not assume the ability scores of the giant (but does apply a size penalty to Str to account for its smaller size in this form). A polarwere also can assume a bipedal hybrid form with prehensile hands and animalistic features.

Equipment carried by the polarwere in giant or hybrid form shifts with it and is absorbed into its polar bear form. Magic items do not function while in this form. When a polarwere shifts back into giant or hybrid form, equipment (including magic items) returns to normal and function normally.

In frost giant form, a polarwere cannot use its natural weapons or any extraordinary special attacks. It can wield weapons and wear armor however.

In hybrid form, the polarwere retains its natural attacks and extraordinary special attacks and can also wield weapons or wear armor.

Changing to or from animal or hybrid form is a standard action. A slain polarwere reverts to its polar bear form, although it remains dead. Separated body parts retain their animal form, however.

 

[freyar]

So I think this is more of Change Shape (modified to include the size penalty to Str). Generally, I think this is about right, but maybe the frost giant form should get increased Dex for being smaller. What do you think?

 

[demiurge1138]

Agreed that if they get less Str as a giant, they should also get more Dex.