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<blockquote data-quote="IceFractal" data-source="post: 3594523" data-attributes="member: 27704">I think the new changes are in completely the wrong direction, for a number of reasons:1) Sorcerers get the shaft.&nbsp; It was bad enough when spells like Emotion and Symbol were split in their component parts, but now a Sorcerer can only turn into one or two things, ever, because each form is a different spell?&nbsp; Great, just great.2) Replaces creativity with preset options.&nbsp; Forget about oddball strategies or interesting plans from form-changing, just take your static combat bonuses.3) Lack of depth.&nbsp; Polymorph inspired devotion, it inspired significant planning and research into its uses.&nbsp; These new spells are about as memorable as a crossbow bolt.&nbsp; Also, better strategy in it's use yielded better results, which is the way it should be.4) Personal range limits cooperation.&nbsp; Why the heck is this a good thing?&nbsp; The Wizard buffing the tank with Polymorph is teamwork, it's what they're supposed to do!&nbsp; If the spell only effects the caster, then either they end up a stronger warrior than the tank, which makes the tank feel useless, or they're still weaker, in which case why bother casting it?5) Totally ignores the non-combat applications of Polymorph.&nbsp; Want to sneak into an ogre encampment, or tunnel under a wall, or navigate a cavern system?&nbsp; Forget it; it isn't combat, so it's too hard to balance.6) Tramples fun under the heavy hand of balance.&nbsp; Balance is a good thing, but it is not the only thing, or even the most important thing.&nbsp; Fun should trump balance, and (IMO) Polymorph is a lot more fun than the new replacements.But apparently, balance was more important than all that.&nbsp; I can understand if a group like the RPGA bans or alters it, because they need consistent rules across all their games.&nbsp; But for a home group, why is this necessary?There are dozens of ways to flat-out break the game, so it's necessary to voluntarily not do so, instead of following the rules as the only input.&nbsp; Players simply need to exercise restraint, and DM's need to sometimes lay down the law.&nbsp; If someone is using spell X to break the game, tell them to stop breaking it, instead of banning spell X.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="IceFractal, post: 3594523, member: 27704"] I think the new changes are in completely the wrong direction, for a number of reasons: 1) Sorcerers get the shaft. It was bad enough when spells like Emotion and Symbol were split in their component parts, but now a Sorcerer can only turn into one or two things, ever, because each form is a different spell? Great, just great. 2) Replaces creativity with preset options. Forget about oddball strategies or interesting plans from form-changing, just take your static combat bonuses. 3) Lack of depth. Polymorph inspired devotion, it inspired significant planning and research into its uses. These new spells are about as memorable as a crossbow bolt. Also, better strategy in it's use yielded better results, which is the way it should be. 4) Personal range limits cooperation. Why the heck is this a good thing? The Wizard buffing the tank with Polymorph is teamwork, it's what they're supposed to do! If the spell only effects the caster, then either they end up a stronger warrior than the tank, which makes the tank feel useless, or they're still weaker, in which case why bother casting it? 5) Totally ignores the non-combat applications of Polymorph. Want to sneak into an ogre encampment, or tunnel under a wall, or navigate a cavern system? Forget it; it isn't combat, so it's too hard to balance. 6) Tramples fun under the heavy hand of balance. Balance is a good thing, but it is not the only thing, or even the most important thing. Fun should trump balance, and (IMO) Polymorph is a lot more fun than the new replacements. But apparently, balance was more important than all that. I can understand if a group like the RPGA bans or alters it, because they need consistent rules across all their games. But for a home group, why is this necessary? There are dozens of ways to flat-out break the game, so it's necessary to voluntarily not do so, instead of following the rules as the only input. Players simply need to exercise restraint, and DM's need to sometimes lay down the law. If someone is using spell X to break the game, tell them to stop breaking it, instead of banning spell X. [/QUOTE]

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