So I was thinking about how to change polymorph to where its less of a pain for DM and player alike, and as I contemplated all of the various and sundry forms the PCs can take and what this means, it suddenly occurred to me that Polymorph always seems to be handled from the wrong directions.
How do I mean this? Okay, even though Polymorph isn't suppose to actually change you into the creature you might look like, only alter your form to look like it, the first assumption is to figure out what abilities are inherent in the form as opposed to what abilities are supernatural, etc.
This also leads to problems when new monsters are introduced, especially if new monsters are introduced that have special abilities that are not supernatural, but are dependent wholly on their physical forms.
Now, turn this around and look at this another direction. Polymorph doesn't give you anything more than the appearance that you morph into. If you turn into a large humanoid creature, you still aren't a giant, per se. And if you turn into a troll instead of an ogre, you haven't really done much different.
I think the key to fixing polymorph is to look at the building blocks of the spell. What does it really let you do, and forget about what monster you may or may not look like. For our purposes, a wizard might look like a creature that he completely imagined, and it won't alter at all what he can do with the spell, versus looking like a "real" creature that exists in the setting.
Disguise
First and most obvious the spell should allow for a pretty big disguise bonus. The bonus should probably be bigger if the wizards is trying to look like something simple or something that he knows. Just shifting into another human should be pretty effective at looking like a different person, but shifting into a dragon, even a small one, should be difficult to pull off as a disguise if someone is a dracophile, or draconic themselves.
So a big disguise bonus, perhaps enhanced if you have a knowledge skill related to the creature type you are trying to imitate, and a bonus to those that are that type to see through the disguise, as well as to those that have ranks in a skill that knows about the type of creature.
Movement
There should be a standardized list of movement rates for different forms. A large bipedal form moves at X, a large quadruped moves at Y, and a large multi legged creature moves at Z.
Even the most skilled mage isn't able to perfectly duplicate another creature. Even if a creature's legs look like the real creatures, they can't always perfectly replicate bone structure, muscle, etc. So even if they look like a wyvern, if the base large bipedal form is slower than a wyvern, that's what they move as.
Also, if the mage gives himself wings, he has a set fly speed per size, not the fly speed of whatever he might look like. It doesn't matter what kind of wings he gives himself, a small creature will fly X, a medium one will fly Y, and a large one will fly Z.
Also, even if the wizard changes himself to look like something that can swim, burrow, and fly, he isn't that creature (although he should be able to breathe water if he can gain a swim speed). Even having a similar body doesn't cut it. If he chooses to have a special form of movement, he can have one special form of movement. It will take all of his concentration to haul his strange body through water if he wants a swim speed, and all of his effort to keep aloft if he wants a fly speed.
Damage
A wizard might give himself a slashing attack, or a blunt attack, or a piercing attack, but he only gets one main attack with one general range of damage. He might make his main attack a bite or a slash or a slam, but he only gets that for his main mode.
If the wizard doesn't adapt himself to a special form of movement, he might get a secondary attack, which might be similar to the main attack, or it might be a different appearing attack altogether.
So any large creature will do 2dX, for example, but it can be a piercing, blunt, or slashing attack, whatever the wizard wants when they first take the form. Similarly, a medium form will do dX, and a small one will do dY.
Other than just making the mage's body more able to cause damage, the spell isn't complex enough to allow for highly specialized attacks like swallowing whole or the like.
Ability scores
A large form boosts Str and Con by X, and penalizes Dex and AC by X. A medium form is a wash, and a small form adds X to Dex and subtracts X from Str. Doesn't matter if you look like an ogre, a troll, or a hill giant, you only get +X in str if you take a large form.
The main point
A wizard or sorcerer could look like a wyvern, or a giant with wings and a crocodile head, but the only thing that matters for this spell is that they are a bipedal flying large creature with a piercing attack.
If they choose to look like a "real" creature, the only real effect is that they can try to disguise themselves as that creature. You might use polymorph to look like a creature for disguise, to be able to fly, to be able to breathe water or swim, but in all of those cases, its just building blocks, not a function of any creature you may happen to look like.
Does this make any sense?
Hm . . . either I don't make any sense or the idea is crap. Ah well.
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Hm . . . either I don't make any sense or the idea is crap. Ah well.
Or the boards are busy.
I think you've got a great idea there, from a mechanics point of view. I'm not as happy about it, from a flavor point of view.
Polymorphing characters in literature often transform into critters with unusual-but-handy powers, even if they're overall weak. "Form of...a trout!" I'd like to see people turning into trouts, not into John Carpenter's Thing, disguising themselves as trouts.
It sounds like a more standardized version of Alter Self.
There should be degrees of what you can do for more powerful polymorph spells. Maybe being able to make more than one change at a time. Like in the trout example, a more powerful spell might allow you to change your size substantially as well as giving yourself a swim speed.
Hm . . . either I don't make any sense or the idea is crap. Ah well.Or the boards are busy.
I think you've got a great idea there, from a mechanics point of view. I'm not as happy about it, from a flavor point of view.
Polymorphing characters in literature often transform into critters with unusual-but-handy powers, even if they're overall weak. "Form of...a trout!" I'd like to see people turning into trouts, not into John Carpenter's Thing, disguising themselves as trouts.
I guess I should clarify what I'm thinking here. I think that polymorph should be the "handy toolbox" of transmutation spells. Its a generally flexible spell that a wizard that wants to dabble in shapchanging can use.
On the other hand, I think this version of the spell should exist alongside spells similar to those presented in the Player's Handbook II, and Complete Mage, where the spell is very specific to one form, but gives you more benefits of that particular form.
In other words, if you want a breath weapon and fire resistance, you might have a specific "Red Dragon Form" spell, but that is a separate spell from polymorph, which exists as a general shapechanging spell.
A wizard whose "thing" is to change into other forms for combat should have some of those other shapechanging spells, and they should exist, but a less specialized wizard when it comes to shapechanging can use this to cover many of his needs.
It sounds like a more standardized version of Alter Self.
There should be degrees of what you can do for more powerful polymorph spells. Maybe being able to make more than one change at a time. Like in the trout example, a more powerful spell might allow you to change your size substantially as well as giving yourself a swim speed.
Yeah, I don't have a definite ideas about how many abilities you could get from a polymorph at once, just a general idea of how this could work. For example, you should have set alterations based on size, but then you should have a list of various modifications (swim speed, fly speed, burrow speed, main attack, secondary attack, improved armor), and the caster would choose from X number of these options.
In fact, it would make sense if this was a higher level version of alter self, to a degree.
I vote dropping the spell altogether.
The game is better off without it.
I vote dropping the spell altogether.
The game is better off without it.
Isn't that supposed to be "der_kluge"? Or are you his wife/girlfriend/sister/whatever? ;-P
I wouldn't mind dropping polymorph, but it shouldn't be dropped without an alternative.
Monte's Book of Expterimental Might replaces polymorph with a number of different spells that allow a single form each. They all state exactly what abilities you get out of the deal.
That way, you can control problematic stuff and make it harder for munchkins to abuse the spell. Plus, some of the spells are lower-level, so you can start changing forms quite early.
I vote dropping the spell altogether.
The game is better off without it.
Isn't that supposed to be "der_kluge"? Or are you his wife/girlfriend/sister/whatever? ;-P
I wouldn't mind dropping polymorph, but it shouldn't be dropped without an alternative.
Monte's Book of Expterimental Might replaces polymorph with a number of different spells that allow a single form each. They all state exactly what abilities you get out of the deal.
That way, you can control problematic stuff and make it harder for munchkins to abuse the spell. Plus, some of the spells are lower-level, so you can start changing forms quite early.
Yea, I need to get around and request a name change over here. :)
I was aware that there were replacement spells for Polymorph. That wouldn't be a bad option, I suppose.
One possible means of fixing polymorph and making it very simple would be to just very clearly delineate what aspects of the assumed form a character gains. For instance, limit the in-game effects to certain portions of a creature's stat block, such as...
A character who is subject to a polymorph affect adopts the following statistics of the assumed form, as listed in the monster entry for the assumed form:
Size
Type; if you polymorph into an Orc, then beware of Orc-bane weapons!!!
Space/Reach
Speed(and locomotive ability- flight, burrowing, etc.)
Armor Class
Base Attack/Grapple*; unless that of the base creature is higher.
Attack*; the type of attack, and damage(bite 1d4+Str, Claw 1d6+Str, etc.) are always gained, even if those o the base creature are better. The "to hit" bonus is also gained ,unless that of the base creature is higher.
Full Attack*; "to hit" bonuses and number of attacks are gained, unless the base creature’s "to hit" bonuses and number of attacks are higher.
*"to hit" bonuses are subject to change from any Str bonus/penalty gained from the assumed form.
Special Qualities, but only those designated as Extraordinary(Ex), such as Water Breathing(Ex), Drow Traits(Ex), Poison(Ex)etc. No supernatural(Su)or spell-like(Sp) abilities are gained!!!
Abilities, but only Str, Dex, and Con; even if lower than the original form. Fortitude and Reflex saves may be better/worse depending on the new physical stats gained from the assumed form.
Environment, becomes a native environment while the character is polymorphed.
Just tie the polymorph spell to granting the affected character a list of monster stat categories from the monster stat block and there is nothing left to question.
Polymorph is certainly a complicated affect requiring a bit more effort than any other spell listed. Players should simply keep a list of stats for various assumed forms so that it doesn't need to be figured out during a game, when it will slow things down a bit too much. That is just a simple matter of showing consideration to both the DM and the other players.
Another, much simpler method, would be to add polymorph I, polymorph II, polymorph III, polymorph IV, etc. spells to the game, where each spell enables the caster to change into literally any *one* form, gaining its full stat profile(with a few notable exceptions), but the form assumed must have a CR less than or equal to that of the character's total levels. The initial polymorph I spell entry would therefore be rather small, as it would really only require noting what qualities of the new form are *not* gained. Very likely this would just be base hit points, base attack bonuses, Int, Wis, Cha, plus maybe a few other benefits/hindrances would be included(such as still being able to speak if the original form could speak).
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Prior to PHB 2, I implemented a house rule that limited Polymorph based on an appropriate Knowledge skill check and Caster Level = HD.
1) A caster had to make an appropriate Knowledge check to take a form. Failure indictated the the caster was able to polymorph, but only into an imperfect version of the creature due to gaps in their knowledge of the creature's abilities, limiting his duplication of the new form's abilities to no more than his Intelligence modifier. For example, a wizard with an 16 Intelligence tries to duplicate the form of a Troll; failure of the Knowledge check means he can only take 3 abilities of a true troll.
2) The HD or CR (whichever was bigger) of the new form could not exceed the caster's level.