Your opinion, Exalted characters polymorphing into demons?

[Shin Okada]

If a powerful character is often taking the shape of fiend to "fight effectively", isn't it like advertising the power and quality of evil being?

 

[werk]

I would rule no, as a DM. "Exalted" characters should dislike the idea of morphing into an incarnation of evil.

When you assume the form of a fiendish outsider you are "at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane." SO you become composed, at least partially, of evil.

 

[Jarrod]

I'm going to weigh in on the side of "no".

Exalted is all about the ends never, ever justifying the means. And when "means" becomes "polymorph into a demon", then.... ick.

I could see coming up with a new Celestial that closely mimicked the stats, if not the form, and allowing the Exalted character to polymorph into that form. But Evil is just better at certain things, and that's a sacrifice the Exalted character needs to make.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Uh... your type and subtype change with Polymorph.

Of course, you can only Polymorph into a demon or devil if your type is already Outsider, but if you do, you pick up the Evil subtype...

But there's nothing stopping someone having the Evil subtype with a Good alignment. That's catered for in the subtype description.

-Hyp.

Ah, that's right. They added that in 3.5. In that case, I wouldn't allow it.

 

[ForceUser]

Any thoughts on the matter?

Can dwarves be paladins? Because I have a chaotic evil one that is.

 

[was]

I wouldn't allow it. It sounds too blasphemous to me for an exalted character to take the form of an unholy creature.

 

[Thanee]

That would not be 'exalted' IMHO.

No problem with a good character, but exalted is more than just good.

Bye
Thanee

 

[interwyrm]

Polymorph is such a silly spell. I mean... the reason those are the best forms is because of their number of attacks/physical ability scores/natural armor, right? It seems kind of silly trhat polymorph lets you change into any statted monster (regardless of whether or not the character has encountered or studied one) but doesn't allow freeform changes. My vote for future edition polymorph is to make it a spell that lets you improve natural armor, add natural attacks and armor, and a few other things.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

That would not be 'exalted' IMHO.

No problem with a good character, but exalted is more than just good.

In 3.0 I would have disagreed. But in 3.5, now that Polymorph changes Type and Subtype, I'm forced to agree. Since polymorphing into a fiend saddles a PC with the [Evil] subtype, clearly there is some kind of evil inherent in the form, or at least inherent in the transformation. Perhaps Polymorph merges its target with a bit of the essense of the desired creature. For whatever reason, the spell leaves one with the [Evil] descriptor. And for an Exalted character, I can't imagine that'd be acceptable.

I could see an Exalted non-spellcaster agreeing to it once, finding the idea distasteful but useful in the battle against the Vile. But once they realise the spell envelopes them in evil, I can't imagine them doing it again.

 

[Li Shenron]

In 3.0 I would have disagreed. But in 3.5, now that Polymorph changes Type and Subtype, I'm forced to agree. Since polymorphing into a fiend saddles a PC with the [Evil] subtype, clearly there is some kind of evil inherent in the form, or at least inherent in the transformation. Perhaps Polymorph merges its target with a bit of the essense of the desired creature. For whatever reason, the spell leaves one with the [Evil] descriptor. And for an Exalted character, I can't imagine that'd be acceptable.

I didn't realize that 3.5 Polymorph give you also an alignment subtype. In that case, I even think that a Good non-Exalted character should never want to do it (tho an extremely rare case may be possible, such as sacrificing herself to save a nation).

It's incredible how now Polymorph cannot give you a creature's darkvision/low-light vision, but can give you the evil subtype. I guess you are still Good but with the Evil subtype, nice mess.