What is the general rule for changing type?

[Li Shenron]

In 3.5 there is this new "Augmented" subtype that is applied to your base type - which remains - if your character has encounter some kind of transformation into a new type of creature. For example, if you are a Humanoid and later become an Outsider, you now effectively have the Outsider type and Augmented Humanoid subtype.
If you are Augmented, the MM says that the general rule is that you keep the Humanoid "features", such as BAB, HD, skills and ST, and you gain the Outsider "traits", such as special immunities/vulnerabilities to spells.

But what happens to other things like proficiencies, darkvision, the need to sleep/eat/breathe, immunity to sneak attacks and lack of Constitution score? All of them are always under "traits" in the type description. Is there a general rule for this?

Besides the specific cases (such as gaining a specific template) which are resolved by their own description, I am concerned about those classes which at the end transform you into another type. In the core rules there is only the Monk, which anyway says you are simply treated as a outsider for the purpose of spells, but you don't gain the outsider type really, so I suppose it doesn't get any Darkvision for example.
I am trying to figure out how to handle in 3.5 those PrCls from the splatbooks that makes you become outsider, elemental, ooze, plant, undead or whatever...

 

[Wippit Guud]

You missed the prime example: Dragon Disciple in the DMG:

Dragon Apotheosis: At 10th level, a dragon disciple takes on the half-dragon template. His breath weapon reaches full strength (as noted above), and he gains +4 to Strength and +2 to Charisma. His natural armor bonus increases to +4, and he acquires low-light vision, 60-foot darkvision, immunity to sleep and paralysis effects, and immunity to the energy type used by his breath weapon (see above).

So, yes, they'd gain the physical traits such as darkvision and immunities (although I don't know if oozemaster does, because the mind-affects are based on having no intelligence)

 

[Li Shenron]

I didn't miss it! But it is a specific case, which grants you the Half-Dragon template and that is very clear what gives and what not. The question is what happens when a class simply gives you a new Type, such as Outsider (the most common) or Dragon - although I don't know if there is any which gives the latter.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Hmm.... need the books here, but if the class says they become that type, I would think they get all the traits associated with that type, unless otherwise specified... the monk, for example, becomes an Outsider with all it's benefits and penalties, but it specifically says that the ability to be raised is not as per an outsider.

... hey wow, outsiders don't need to eat or sleep, never knew that....

 

[Li Shenron]

Ok, but the PHB saves us with the Monk, because it doesn't give him the Type Outsider, but only lets us treat him as outsider only for the purpose of spells and magic effects. Therefore, no Darkvision or extra proficiencies...

 

[Wippit Guud]

Grrr.... they could've made this easier...



- Don't do what Donny Don't does.

 

[Flyspeck23]

But what happens to other things like proficiencies, darkvision, the need to sleep/eat/breathe, immunity to sneak attacks and lack of Constitution score? All of them are always under "traits" in the type description. Is there a general rule for this?

If this is treated as a template, the creature gains all the traits of the new type.
Proficiencies are in addition to any the creature might've hade due to class, but it looses those it had due to type.
I haven't got the slightest idea how this could be treated differently...

One comment: the rules on this topic ("features", "traits",...) are IMHO very vague. Take the Summoned Monsters - there are quite a few celestial or fiendish vermin, so they gain Int 3; at the same time that creature gains feats and skills, but which? Can the summoner choose these? That would make summoned vermin very flexible.

 

[Li Shenron]

One comment: the rules on this topic ("features", "traits",...) are IMHO very vague.

Ok, but in the MM there is a sentence about the Augmented subtype "usually" gaining the "traits" of the new type while retaining the "features", and in every type description those two are clearly separated.

If this information is used for example to create a new monster, then it is easy. Not so easy if you become e.g. an outsider after 10 levels in a PrCl. I don't know if in 3.5 books there is such a PrCl, probably not yet before we get to Complete Divine or Complete Arcane... but I am already curious

Anyway, features include HD, BAB, skills and saving throws, which is what you get from your "racial levels" or hit dice. Traits include many immunities or resistances and special abilities (which are not a problem), but also proficiencies (which I am not sure if you would get) and need not to breathe/eat/sleep (which I am quite confident you really should not get).