Does the spell Alter Self mask scent?


Rules Questions


This question has probably been asked before, but here goes:

I have a green hag NPC who is going to attempt to pass herself off as our party druid's long-lost grandmother. I assume that via this spell, the hag can look (and even sound) like the druid’s grandmother.

Question: Would the druid's animal companion (a wolf) be able to use scent to pierce the evil hag's disguise? In other words, does Alter Self change how a being smells? I don’t see anything in the spell description about this.


Considering that alter self is a polymorph effect, not a disguise or illusion, seems to me it includes all senses.

Scarab Sages

However, polymorph spells do not allow you to take the form of a specific individual. The hag could look like an elderly woman who could be a grandmother, but not your druid's grandmother.


So, yes it alters a scent, but no, it cannot faithfully reproduce Chanel #5.
Are we in agreement?


I think it does change your smell.

You lose all extraordinary abilities dependent on your body, like the musk of the skunk, which is defined as (ex). It's a bit circuitous, but a skunk would lose that stink from polymorphing. So I suppose it should work with other smells as well.

In another interpretation the spell grants +10 to disguise and it would be up to that skill. The skill doesn't mention scent at all *sigh*


I agree.

Though I would say that if somebody uses Alter Self, it does not change the smell that's already on their clothes. If they don't change or use prestidigitate, then they can still have some of the original scent on them.

It's not as relevant to the above situation, but I'd definitely use in in a quick tracking chase.


Hey thanks everyone. Yes of course, the fact that it's a polymorph transmutation spell means that her scent is probably changed. But not to the scent of a specific individual. Luckily (for the hag), the druid's wolf companion has never met her grandmother... so the hag is probably safe from detection by the wolf's nose.... Thanks again!

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