What does it mean to polymorph into a different creature type?

[Pielorinho]

I was under the impression that a 3.5 Awakened animal was no longer an animal. I thought it gets turned into a magical beast.

Spider

Well, sure. It's a magical beast.

Until, that is, you cast baleful polymorph on it again .

Daniel

 

[youspoonybard]

The only thing I could think of is if the target was limited to a plant or animal with intelligence 1 or 2...is that the case?

Not getting the feats would hurt weapon finessing animals...hmmm...

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Get the druid to cast maximized Awaken ... it's just easier that way.

 

[coyote6]

The only thing I could think of is if the target was limited to a plant or animal with intelligence 1 or 2...is that the case?

IIRC, baleful polymorph forces any target that's actually polymorphed to make another save, or its mental stats also get changed. If they get changed to the animal's stats . . . Well, you can always voluntarily fail a saving throw.

And then have the guy that polymorphed you dispel the polymorph; it's permanent (AFAIK) and thus dispelable, but awaken animal isn't...

Daniel, that is a neat trick you have there.

 

[LokiDR]

How many times has wildshape, polymorph, and related abilities been changed? They still can't seem to get it right.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

This is the real reason why they got rid of Animal Friendship ... otherwise one druid could make another druid his [word starting with "b"] for life.

 

[DreamChaser]

How many times has wildshape, polymorph, and related abilities been changed? They still can't seem to get it right.

They keep changing it because in every incarnation of any shapechange power or ability there is some munchkin somwhere who will find a way to squeeze every last ounce of advantage out of it to the point where it becomes out of balance and broken.

From a RP perspective, I find the idea of a character that has no problem being transformed permanently into troll or other such creature to be absurd. Imagine the identity issues. BUT, there were still people that did it, thus the end of Polymorph Other.

And so on and so forth.

DC

 

[DreamChaser]

This is the real reason why they got rid of Animal Friendship ... otherwise one druid could make another druid his [word starting with "b"] for life.

or perhaps because the idea the a spell that could only be used by 2 classes under very specific circumstances made no sense. Thus no more Find Familiar spell.

DC

 

[Pielorinho]

They keep changing it because in every incarnation of any shapechange power or ability there is some munchkin somwhere who will find a way to squeeze every last ounce of advantage out of it to the point where it becomes out of balance and broken.

I agree, and it's one of my biggest beefs with the philosophy behind D&D: too often, they design the game to rein in munchkins instead of to allow reasonable players to have fun. They're like the classroom teacher who won't let anyone go out to the playground because a few kids misbehave. IT'S NOT FAIR!!!!!

FWIW, I think in our games we're going to be using Masters of the Wild rules for wildshaping into animals. When a druid in one of our games becomes able to wildshape into plants, we'll renegotiate. We'll almost certainly not rule that your type changes under polymorph or wildshape; such a ruling comes awful close to breaking the game.

Daniel

 

[DreamChaser]

I agree with you in principle. But I like the new versions of polymorph. They are more consistant with other spells (HD cap) and they include a major potential drawback. I don't dislike the type change. It makes more sense to me. I don't think either way is game breaking. Both are open to abuse.

DC