Wildshape/polymorph and ability damage

[ChaosMage]

This came up in play recently, and I wasn't sure if there was a rule about it- what happens if you take ability damage when you're in another shape? Say you've wildshaped into a bear and take strength damage from poison or a shadow's attack. When you change back to normal, is your strength affected? What about other forms you take?
If 3.5 answers this, I'd welcome the info; my books have yet to arrive.

 

[Sagrabah]

My understanding is that you're dealing with ability enhancements and penalties. In polymorph you get ability enhancements by changing form because you've probably changed to a form, who's average physical stats are higher than your natural ones. These enhancements go away when the duration ends or you change back to normal. Penalties also have a separated duration, such a spell duration or 24 hours in the case of ability damage.

In a way you've almost answered your own question. The penalites go with you, what ever you do, even if you change forms, until cured or dispelled.

 

[Planesdragon]

Say you've wildshaped into a bear and take strength damage from poison or a shadow's attack. When you change back to normal, is your strength affected?

Yes.

When you turn into a bear, your Str, Con, and Dex all change. (You should gain the new form's racial modifiers, not their "average scores." @#$!%...) When you change back to human, your ability scores change back--they lose the modifier that they got from being a bear.

If you have other modifiers to ability scores--such as active enhancement items, ability damage, or a buff spell--you retain the modifiers when you turn into or turn out of your wild shape, no matter the source.

This can very easily cause you to drop to 0 in an ability score--not recommended for the faint of heart.