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Thank you, this helps a lot!

My Xenowarden Mystic is currently level 4 and this is what I have for his first Polymorph 2 form.

(AA2, pg124)
Tashtari, Polymorph 2
CR 3
Natural Attack: bite +4 (1d4+3+Str P)
Speed: 40 ft (land)
Size: Medium (+1 Bonus to Str checks)
Type: Magical Beast
Special abilities: Darkvision 60ft, Bristle Flash, Muzzle Beam

I agree with you that I'd probably rule that any specific creature under the max CR of the spell would probably be brought up to the max, at least for the natural attacks.

For the special abilities, I assume it's up to the GM if I can have both of these specific ones. They are both physical Tashtari abilities, so it seems reasonable to me.


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Xenocrat wrote:


If you want to pick Mountain Eel as a specific creature, you can add an additional ability that the Mountain Eel has. The only thing available that the above build doesn't already have is an "other abilities" option of Paralyzing Gaze, which is a GM permission thing.

In no circumstances does imitating a specific creature require or enable you to match everything about it. If it's bigger or smaller than your allowed size range, you're a weirdly sized version of it.

Xenocrat wrote:


Yes, and I can't imagine what rule you think prevents it. You pick your abilities from the spell options, regardless of what you call the creature, and if you pick a specific creature you pick only abilities that creature actually has. Size isn't an ability, it's an...

Well, the spell rules that state there are limited CR and sizes. But I see now that those are just for your chosen forms size itself, not for choosing a creature to mimic (which is how I was reading it).

I wanted to mimic exact creatures to make it easier on myself and get the extra special ability. It was (and still kind of is) unclear if I am allowed to pick, say, a CR 4 Large Juvenile Nyssholora (AA2, pg86) as a Polymorph 2 form, and just reduce it's size to Medium and have it's CR be 3.

In this instance, according to you, I would not gain the extra ability, since it is not the exact same as the stat block, even though it is still based upon a specific creature, correct?

Sorry for the confusion!

EDIT:

Here is the part that confused me as well:

(AA2, pg 142) When you design a polymorph form, the target can gain the same maximum number of special abilities as an expert NPC of a CR equal to the spell’s maximum CR (using the array on page 130
of the Alien Archive). Alternatively, if you base your form on
a specific creature (which must be of a CR no higher than the
spell’s maximum CR), you can select only abilities that the
base form has, but you can select one ability more than the
normal maximum.


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Follow-up question (sorry for the double post):

The prebuilt form "Blue Dragon", how does this make any sense?

The written rules apply explicit limitations as to what types you can polymorph into, and Dragon is not listed.

I thought maybe this is one of the "imagination" forms, but in-game it wouldn't really make sense either.

It's easy to pick abilities, traits, speed, etc that is similar to that of a Dragon, but if you aren't allowed to be the Dragon type, what would this look like to the other PCs? What "form" do you actually take?

Overall I like the flexibility of the Polymorph spell, but it is SO ambiguous and inconsistent in some areas.


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I am extremely confused by some of the Prebuilt Forms in AA2, I tried to use them as a reference when creating my own forms (generally based upon specific creatures) but it did not help me at all.

For example: 2nd-level Polymorph has a max CR of 3, plus a max size of medium; the prebuilt uses a "Juvenile Mountain Eel" form.

A mountain eel (AA, pg. 78) has a CR of 6 and is a huge creature, so how does this work exactly?

Does the "juvenile" moniker reduce it's size by 2 steps and halve it's CR? Is it just up to my imagination, thus allowing me to make any creature and just reduce it's stats to fit the polymorph level?

If so, I don't really see the point in the limitations (in regard to CR / size) enacted by the polymorph spell levels.

Another example, Caypins (AA, pg. 26) are a CR 6 large magical beast. Could I, as a level 2 polymorph spell, create a "juvenile" Caypin?

Following the written rules, I don't think it should be allowed, but following the prebuilts it seems like it doesn't really matter...