I miss the polymorph spells. What is a more iconic within fantasy literature than turning someone into a toad?
Of course, WotC has been increasingly hostile to the spell, and released a monster redesign (for 3.5) to castrate it.
Play balance be damned -- when I play a swords & sorcery game, I want traditional elements of swords & sorcery. Otherwise, let's just remove orcs, elves, unicorns, talking trees, magic swords, and knights in shining armor. We've still got knights and armor -- they've just lost their lances.
The spell makes the genre more fun. I want it back >:|
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I miss the polymorph spells. What is a more iconic within fantasy literature than turning someone into a toad?
Of course, WotC has been increasingly hostile to the spell, and released a monster redesign (for 3.5) to castrate it.
Play balance be damned -- when I play a swords & sorcery game, I want traditional elements of swords & sorcery. Otherwise, let's just remove orcs, elves, unicorns, talking trees, magic swords, and knights in shining armor. We've still got knights and armor -- they've just lost their lances.
The spell makes the genre more fun. I want it back >:|
The idea is cool but the execution was horrific. Choker wizards flinging two spells per round and the like.
I miss the polymorph spells. What is a more iconic within fantasy literature than turning someone into a toad?
Of course, WotC has been increasingly hostile to the spell, and released a monster redesign (for 3.5) to castrate it.
Play balance be damned -- when I play a swords & sorcery game, I want traditional elements of swords & sorcery. Otherwise, let's just remove orcs, elves, unicorns, talking trees, magic swords, and knights in shining armor. We've still got knights and armor -- they've just lost their lances.
The spell makes the genre more fun. I want it back >:|
Well, when the Druid comes out next March, we'll likely see what we should expect from Polymorph here in 4E. I expect it will likely give a buff or ability relevant to the creature turned into, but with a different power per creature, much like 3E was heading towards, with spells like "Troll Form" or "Giant Form".
I expect we won't really see anything like Baleful Polymorph unless it is either A) save ends or B) similar to how systems like Hero treat Polymorph, where if the "damage" of the polymorph exceeds the HP, then the creature is polymorphed, otherwise they are fine. (Hmm, Firefox is ok with polymorph, but not polymorphed, strange.)
Cheers! :)
Well, when the Druid comes out next March, we'll likely see what we should expect from Polymorph here in 4E.
Hopefully. But I want to be able to turn somebody into a toad -- or be turned into one.
For all of WotC's (perfectly reasonable) objections to the spell, I never once met a player that thought it should be removed from the game.
Cheers! :)
Back at ya! :)
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I miss it. I houseruled that a polymorph spell allowed the caster to change into a creature for which they possessed a relevant knowledge skill high enough to allow them to identify it, and can select only one creature type per research of polymorph. Sort of like how protection from spells are seperate, you need polymorph into magical beast or polymorph into devil
For example, to change into a 12 HD Magical Beast, the caster needs a +12 on Knowledge (arcana). Avoids the problems of searching the MM endlessly - but still gives lots of options that retains the original attraction of the spell.
Hey, if a wizard wants to become a choker and fling 2 spells, go right ahead. Just be certain that enemy spellcasters can do the same.
Hopefully. But I want to be able to turn somebody into a toad -- or be turned into one.
For all of WotC's (perfectly reasonable) objections to the spell, I never once met a player that thought it should be removed from the game.
Lol, true true. It seems like that is a unfortunate casualty in the choice to get rid of instant death effects. It's a bit of a mixed bag. Maybe they could bring it back similar to how Disintegrate works now, with multiple saves needed before you're 'morphed? Oooh, that seems like a good idea now that I think of it ...
Maybe they could bring it back similar to how Disintegrate works now, with multiple saves needed before you're 'morphed? Oooh, that seems like a good idea now that I think of it ...
I agree. You should send the idea to them -- it's excellent.
I want my toads back!
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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I file polymorph in the same place as using an unidentified magic item. It's a fantasy trope that is awesome when used well in a story, but that breaks down when attempted in the game. Polymorph is like voltron - there's no good reason not to use the same broken form over and over again and the only thing that keeps it in check in fiction is narrative convenience. The voltron team should form voltron and kill the robeast as a matter of course, they shouldn't even bother with the robot lion forms - all that does is give the bad guy an opportunity to prevent them from forming Voltron. Similarly, once you've figured out an optimal form for polymorph, you should just use that form all the time. At that point, you effectively are Merlin, Hill Giant Wizard, rather than Merlin, that wizard dude who can change into a Hill Giant and does so from time to time.
Anyway, I do love me some polymorph, but I think it's a tough thing to pull off. If you're in a group that is more storytelling oriented and less optimization friendly, it probably works out better.
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Hey, if a wizard wants to become a choker and fling 2 spells, go right ahead. Just be certain that enemy spellcasters can do the same.
Yep. But the fact is that it was so highly abusable that it needed to either be completely nerfed or simply removed altogether.
I like your modifications but most Wizards only really wanted choker or barbed devil for the party tank.
That spell was so badly broken.
...but most Wizards only really wanted choker or barbed devil for the party tank... That spell was so badly broken.
Most? In thirty years of playing, I never once saw the spell abused.
Just sayin' :/
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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I file polymorph in the same place as using an unidentified magic item. It's a fantasy trope that is awesome when used well in a story, but that breaks down when attempted in the game. Polymorph is like voltron - there's no good reason not to use the same broken form over and over again and the only thing that keeps it in check in fiction is narrative convenience. The voltron team should form voltron and kill the robeast as a matter of course, they shouldn't even bother with the robot lion forms - all that does is give the bad guy an opportunity to prevent them from forming Voltron. Similarly, once you've figured out an optimal form for polymorph, you should just use that form all the time. At that point, you effectively are Merlin, Hill Giant Wizard, rather than Merlin, that wizard dude who can change into a Hill Giant and does so from time to time.
Anyway, I do love me some polymorph, but I think it's a tough thing to pull off. If you're in a group that is more storytelling oriented and less optimization friendly, it probably works out better.
Just because it had these problems in the past doesn't mean it has to in the future. Just of the top of my head, a polymorph spell could steal a concept from AD&D and have a drawback that the anytime you stay in a form not your own for more than 1 minute you need to start making will saves or assume that you ARE the creature you're polymorphed into (or take Int damage until you're at zero and then assume that), or something like that. If there's a risk to balance the reward, then there's a reason not to simply stay in the ultimate form forever.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Just because it had these problems in the past doesn't mean it has to in the future. Just of the top of my head, a polymorph spell could steal a concept from AD&D and have a drawback that the anytime you stay in a form not your own for more than 1 minute you need to start making will saves or assume that you ARE the creature you're polymorphed into (or take Int damage until you're at zero and then assume that), or something like that. If there's a risk to balance the reward, then there's a reason not to simply stay in the ultimate form forever.
*shrug* Then you start off each combat and change into the new form. Same basic result.
The spell has yet to see a version that is effective and balanced, but if you think you can accomplish what two generations of game designers couldn't fix "off the top of your head" I'd be fascinated to see what you've got. I think Paizo has come the closest with its latest generation of spells, but balance comes at the cost of flexibility.
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Hey, if a wizard wants to become a choker and fling 2 spells, go right ahead. Just be certain that enemy spellcasters can do the same.Yep. But the fact is that it was so highly abusable that it needed to either be completely nerfed or simply removed altogether.
I like your modifications but most Wizards only really wanted choker or barbed devil for the party tank.
That spell was so badly broken.
I like things that are broken - it gives them character.
Nah, I agree that the potential for abuse is extreme given enough time to pour through a monster manual. I have been thinking, what about a limit based on Level Adjustment?
Usually, the creatures that provoke the most abuse have special abilities that give them a pretty high LA or a N/A. Let's say a limit of LA +X where X must be less than the creature's HD.
For example, under this rule the choker is unplayable as it has LA = N/A. The bearded devil is unplayable because it has LA = 6 which is equal to its HD of 6.
Pretty quick solution, with the argument being that a creature of such extreme LA has abilities that cannot be controlled through a spell like polymorph. Now, you could make a greater polymorph that breaks this rule...maybe up to HD+3.
EDIT: I could also envision doing an ECL calculation on creatures, which replaces the normal HD limits. For creatures with LA of N/A you could assume an LA of +10 (giving the choker an ECL of 13).
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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I imagine that the 'new' polymorph breakdown will be SEVERAL powers, each with a specific (or rigid choice of) animal for each power. You won't get /just/ polymorph.. you would get 'Gopher Form' as a power.
Given that single-form spells were the direction WotC was taking things in the Spell Compendium and Paizo is taking things in the alpha PFRPG, I would say that's a safe bet.
I think we've hit on something, though, about the druid, with the use of this spell. 4E doesn't seem to want to have anything in the rules that the DDI can't handle... Polymorph seems like it would be pretty high on the list - at least as a 'free form' spell.
I've seen this meme going around, but it seems no matter how many times I stomp it out, it just keeps going. The DDI does not adjudicate ANY rules, what so ever. In fact, in no way is it limited to playing 4E. You can play any edition of DnD you want on it, or even Pathfinder, or SR, or whatever (although I don't know what options we'll have for minis, so things outside fantasy might be tougher ...)
The VTT is just a table-top, no mechanics involved.
As for how Druids are going to work ... that's mostly how things have been trending already, so that seems most likely to me. Check out PHB II where WHAT you turn into doesn't matter ... it's just fluff. The polymorph itself gives you certain set abilities. Expect a bit of that too! :)
I file polymorph in the same place as using an unidentified magic item.
I disagree. In my default homebrew world magic items are extremely difficult to identify, and that's led to a lot of fun and mystery surrounding some of these ancient items that people aren't supposed to know much about.
Most? In thirty years of playing, I never once saw the spell abused.Just sayin' :/
Me either. Ah well...
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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I disagree. In my default homebrew world magic items are extremely difficult to identify, and that's led to a lot of fun and mystery surrounding some of these ancient items that people aren't supposed to know much about.I file polymorph in the same place as using an unidentified magic item.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that it's not cool to have mysterious magical items (assuming you're in a campaign that can deal with having that layer hidden behind the screen instead of in front of the players - which is not a core RAW assumption). But, the scenario that people imagine when they think about using magic items is something like the following:
Red dragon closes on the characters and they know that it will kill them. Seeing no other choice, Chubby McWizard pulls out the iron rod he found and tries pronouncing the command word. At the last moment, he speaks the word of power and a blast of arctic air hits the dragon killing it.
What really happens is this:
Red dragon closes on the characters and they know that it will kill them. Seeing no other choice, Chubby McWizard pulls out the iron rod he found and tries pronouncing the command word.
DM: Wait. You don't know the command word. You haven't identified it.
Chubby: It's written on the side of the wand. I just say that word.
DM: You don't know how it's pronounced.
Chubby: Come on, how hard can it be. I'll go through every way I can think of to pronounce it.
DM: Okay, you manage to succeed.
At the last moment, Chubby speaks the word of power and the Dragon suddenly increases in size.
Chubby: WTF?
DM: Wand of enlarge.
You can always substitute fireball, fly, light, bull's strength, cat's grace, remove poison, protection from evil, protection from good, or any number of other useless spells in for enlarge. The point is that using a magic item where the power is completely unknown rarely works out unless you've got players that just like to do wacky stuff like that (which again, can be fun, but is not consistent with my experience). My players tend to be conservative about using magic items they don't know and would normally take any number of actions with known results rather than gamble on the hail mary pass of magic item use.
Chubby: WTF?
DM: Wand of enlarge.
Heh. Yeah, I could see that happening. Most of what the PCs have come across in my homebrew world are ancient weapons and maybe a ring or two. The art of making such things has been lost for the most part, so magic items aren't discovered too often to begin with. But at least with weapons they know generally that it has some offensive purpose.
Well, for all the trouble of Polymorph, there were FAR more efficient ways of slaying your opponent. Polymorph worked a LOT better in non-combat, more "sneaky" situations.
Very true. I don't miss polymorph because it was powerful -- I miss it because it's cool :(
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Heh. Yeah, I could see that happening. Most of what the PCs have come across in my homebrew world are ancient weapons and maybe a ring or two. The art of making such things has been lost for the most part, so magic items aren't discovered too often to begin with. But at least with weapons they know generally that it has some offensive purpose.Chubby: WTF?
DM: Wand of enlarge.
Just had this happen - the party went to rescue an alchemist Transmuter, and the party sorcerer was unconscious after a protracted battle. Since they hadn't found the alchemist yet, they had no choice but to choose a potion at random.
The sorcerer grew rippling muscles and was still unconscious. Potion of bull's strength.
My group loves the feel of a low-magic, mystery world. But it is easier to tell a story like that with the game by removing things than it would be to assume a low-magic setting and force people to ADD magic items.
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...but most Wizards only really wanted choker or barbed devil for the party tank... That spell was so badly broken.Most? In thirty years of playing, I never once saw the spell abused.
Just sayin' :/
Consider yourself a very very fortunate individual. Seriously. Once the munchkin nature of this spell becomes apparent very few can resist the urge to use and abuse it.
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Me either. Ah well...Well, for all the trouble of Polymorph, there were FAR more efficient ways of slaying your opponent. Polymorph worked a LOT better in non-combat, more "sneaky" situations.
Have you ever seen a hasted 16th level barbed devil dervish/scout/swashbuckler with two large scimitars with both holy and sacred enchantments and a +6 INT and STR boost?
The combat effect is positively insane.
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Me either. Ah well...Well, for all the trouble of Polymorph, there were FAR more efficient ways of slaying your opponent. Polymorph worked a LOT better in non-combat, more "sneaky" situations.
Have you ever seen a hasted 16th level barbed devil dervish/scout/swashbuckler with two large scimitars with both holy and sacred enchantments and a +6 INT and STR boost?
The combat effect is positively insane.
Just out of curiosity, what is the Will save bonus for such a character?
I would hate to see such a monster turned against its own party of munchkins... :)
Consider yourself a very very fortunate individual. Seriously. Once the munchkin nature of this spell becomes apparent very few can resist the urge to use and abuse it.
Most of the people I play with are people I've been gaming with for a long time. We don't really have much of a munchkin problem, and the few times we've had people join who were clearly of this mindset, they were asked to leave after two or three sessions.
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Most of the people I play with are people I've been gaming with for a long time. We don't really have much of a munchkin problem, and the few times we've had people join who were clearly of this mindset, they were asked to leave after two or three sessions.Consider yourself a very very fortunate individual. Seriously. Once the munchkin nature of this spell becomes apparent very few can resist the urge to use and abuse it.
Oh, the player that does this is definitely NOT a munchkin. Polymorph is just one spell - but it is one heck of a powerful spell. You do not need to be a power gamer to make this one work for you.
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Tried it. He has (thanks to a core LG mod) a cap of Prot Evil - that prevents domination.Just out of curiosity, what is the Will save bonus for such a character?
I would hate to see such a monster turned against its own party of munchkins... :)
Domination from an evil character, but what about a Neutral one temporarily helping an evil villain? Or a fey could come along...;)
That is harsh though, the only other thing I can suggest is grapple monsters.
Domination from an evil character, but what about a Neutral one temporarily helping an evil villain? Or a fey could come along...;)
That is harsh though, the only other thing I can suggest is grapple monsters.
I *think* prot. from evil prevents mental domination from ALL sources, not just evil ones. It's kinda a wonky spell.
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I *think* prot. from evil prevents mental domination from ALL sources, not just evil ones. It's kinda a wonky spell.
Domination from an evil character, but what about a Neutral one temporarily helping an evil villain? Or a fey could come along...;)
That is harsh though, the only other thing I can suggest is grapple monsters.
Yes, you are correct. I had not remembered the spell correctly.
But you can use instantaneous mind-affecting spells, such as command, or mind-affecting spells that aren't dependent on control, such as cause fear, etc.
Polymorph is very cool, but as a DM there are several things I will not miss about it. The biggest being that it is a game stopper. The Wizard wants to cast polymorph in the middle of a fight, flips through the MM for a while and then spends several minutes re-calculating his stats. In the meantime everyone is waiting and telling the player never to memorize that spell again. If I want to use the spell as a DM it usually means that I have to decide ahead of time what the NPC will turn into and then make an alternate stat-block for the occasion. Making stat-blocks is time-consuming so having to make more than one for the same NPC means that I use that slot for something else unless it is very important to the story.
Powers for different forms that are quick and simple to make the adjustments I will enjoy a lot more. I would rather see something that gets a lot of use at the table that is less flexible than something that is more flexible but too annoying to employ.
They added a bunch of illusion spells in last month's class acts in Dragon - I wouldn't be surprised if they gave transmuters a similar treatment sometime soon.
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Polymorph is very cool, but as a DM there are several things I will not miss about it. The biggest being that it is a game stopper. The Wizard wants to cast polymorph in the middle of a fight, flips through the MM for a while and then spends several minutes re-calculating his stats. In the meantime everyone is waiting and telling the player never to memorize that spell again. If I want to use the spell as a DM it usually means that I have to decide ahead of time what the NPC will turn into and then make an alternate stat-block for the occasion. Making stat-blocks is time-consuming so having to make more than one for the same NPC means that I use that slot for something else unless it is very important to the story.
Powers for different forms that are quick and simple to make the adjustments I will enjoy a lot more. I would rather see something that gets a lot of use at the table that is less flexible than something that is more flexible but too annoying to employ.
They added a bunch of illusion spells in last month's class acts in Dragon - I wouldn't be surprised if they gave transmuters a similar treatment sometime soon.
This has never been a problem at my table. if the player cannot finish in a reasonable amount of time, they 'hold their action' and we continue through initiative. If they haven't gotten their act together by the end of the round, they are still standing there, undecided what to transform into in game, and lose their action. This pretty much ends this problem after it happens one time (twice for the truly slow witted).
...but most Wizards only really wanted choker or barbed devil for the party tank... That spell was so badly broken.Most? In thirty years of playing, I never once saw the spell abused.
Just sayin' :/
I'm in the same boat with Tatterdemalion here. I've been playing for nigh-on 30 years now...*never* seen or had a problem with polymorph. Mind you, I play 1e, so maybe 3e(2e?) borked it.
*shrug*
{EDIT = As to allowing MM consultation during a game} Maybe it's the DM allowing a player to "flip through the monster manuals" to pick something to change into. Want to fix that problem? DON'T ALLOW PLAYERS ACCESS TO ANY BOOK OTHER THAN PHB/CLASS-BOOKS! That means no MM's, no FF's, no "monster-of-the-week" books...none. I guess I'm old, but any player that whipped out a DMG or a MM during a game would get a roll on the HMST in a heartbeat.
(*HMST: HackMaster Smackdown Table)
Me either. Ah well...Well, for all the trouble of Polymorph, there were FAR more efficient ways of slaying your opponent. Polymorph worked a LOT better in non-combat, more "sneaky" situations.
Have you ever seen a hasted 16th level barbed devil dervish/scout/swashbuckler with two large scimitars with both holy and sacred enchantments and a +6 INT and STR boost?
The combat effect is positively insane.
And it can't happen. 3.5 PHB Polymorph: The new form may of of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin.'
Not outsider. So, you can't polymorph into a Barbed Devil unless you naturally are a devil or other outsider. You *can* shapechage into one, but that's a 9th level spell.
However you could, that above combo would not be hard to counter.
First, slow takes down the haste.
As for the devil part, the options are myriad. Just using wizard spells from the PH, with an 8th level cap, since the example PC is level 16, so nothing he would not have access to, no other sources, here's how the devil could be dealt with:
Level 3: Dispel Magic
Level 4: Charm Monster
Level 5: Break Enchantment, Dismissal (?), Feeblemind, Hold Monster, Baleful Polymorph!,
Level 6: Anti Magic Field, Greater Dispel Magic, Flesh to Stone
Level 7: Banishment (?), Sequester, Insanity, Force Cage, Limited Wish
Level 8: Greater Planar Binding (?), Trap the Soul, Temporal Status
15 to 18 answers. In one book. The three with ? are based on if the caster is considered a devil. I'd say 'yes', but some DMs might say No, and they come off the list in a no case.
And let's not forget the RP answer. Caster X who becomes a Devil all the time will likely face a ton of RP issues and problems.
Anything in Pre 4E is counterable - it's the DMs job to decide how often to counter it. You want you let things work some of the time, for fun, but you should never let any tactic always work. 4E seems to move away from the threat-answer paradagim of 3rd, which has both good and bad aspects :)
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This has never been a problem at my table. if the player cannot finish in a reasonable amount of time, they 'hold their action' and we continue through initiative. If they haven't gotten their act together by the end of the round, they are still standing there, undecided what to transform into in game, and lose their action. This pretty much ends this problem after it happens one time (twice for the truly slow witted).
As reasonable as that sounds it is not actually fair to the wizard. Even if I know what form I want it will still take a really long time to get all of the math done. You can't blame the player for a problem with the rules.
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a whole bunch of good stuff
Yep - the barbed devil was pre-errata. The thing is you can just find a new broken form to take on.
The rest is just the rock-paper-scissors effect. The opposition either has some of the things you mentioned or they do not.
In this case it does not much matter because that 16th level dervish demon whirlwind of death thing had an 18th level Wizard watching his back.
High level play in 3.5 is just so very very broken on so many levels.
DON'T ALLOW PLAYERS ACCESS TO ANY BOOK OTHER THAN PHB/CLASS-BOOKS!
Most of the time, the player's are looking at their own copy of whatever to get the resource they need. Tell someone they can't use the book THEY paid for? That'll go over well! :P
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DON'T ALLOW PLAYERS ACCESS TO ANY BOOK OTHER THAN PHB/CLASS-BOOKS!In 3.5 that is not an option. A player needs the MM for summoned creatures and any number of shape changing spells. If you take access away then you may as well just remove all summmon and alter spells from the game.
Umm... yes you can? It is completely reasonable to expect a player to have the math pre-completed for several of their favored forms (for polymorph) or summoned creatures (for summons spells). Lets be honest, every player will develop a limited number of favored choices for these spells. It is their responsibility to be ready when they want to use the spell. For the once in a blue moon where they need (or want) to try something new, well, they had better be efficient with their use of time.
I'm seeing now why high level play was never a huge time problem in my campaign. People don't screw around at my table dithering over decisions they likely could have planned for before play.
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Hey, folks. Add me to the list of the people who like Polymorph.
Sebastian, I can't say that I've solved all of the spell's problems, but I can say that I've made two changes that have addressed any problems with the spell that have cropped up in my campaign, or in the munchkin-filed campaign of a friend of mine.
1) Knowledge of form: To transform into a target form, the caster needs to succeed in an appropriate Knowledge roll, DC 20+LA. (So, if you wanted to transform into a troll, +6 LA, you'd need to make a DC 26 Knowledge (nature) roll.
DC Modifiers: -2 if you've ever seen the form. Another -2 if you've seen the form during the last few days. Another -2 if you have a specimen present.
1a) You can "memorize" forms by spending a skill point, like learning a language. So if you want to turn into a troll on a regular basis, learn "Troll form".
(In practical use, most players rely on memorized forms, which means they have the calculated stats all ready.)
2) Experience Penalty: Casters receive experience based on the table in the DMG, appropriate to their current effective character level. (If your 11th-Level Sorcerer spends the entire adventure polymorphed into a ECL 18 Blue Dragon, he receives expereince for the entire adventure as a Level 18 character.)
(So there's a reason not to trqnsform into the biggest, baddest, critter you can and then stay there.)
Again, I don't think this is The Final Answer, but it addresses what we saw as the problems with the spell: characters polymorphing into War Trolls and other forms they'd never seen, and always picking the nastiest battle-forms they could think of.
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DON'T ALLOW PLAYERS ACCESS TO ANY BOOK OTHER THAN PHB/CLASS-BOOKS!Most of the time, the player's are looking at their own copy of whatever to get the resource they need. Tell someone they can't use the book THEY paid for? That'll go over well! :P
So if you're running a premade module & they buy a copy its perfectly fine for them to leaf through it during the game? No? then there is no reason for a player to use the DM guide or any monster product during the game. If it damages the play experience, you have the right to stop them. reading the adventure as you play is just a little worse than stopping the game while you look up a half dozen creature options in the MM.
So if you're running a premade module & they buy a copy its perfectly fine for them to leaf through it during the game? No? then there is no reason for a player to use the DM guide or any monster product during the game. If it damages the play experience, you have the right to stop them. reading the adventure as you play is just a little worse than stopping the game while you look up a half dozen creature options in the MM.
We're touching on different points here. In my games, I am upfront with my players that I don't want summoning/polymorphing/whatever to be a drag on what can already be (at high levels) a very slow game. So anything you summon/polymorph into needs to be statted out ahead of time. Denying them access to any books they personally own in this endevor would really be a non-starter.
Likewise, if someone wanted to buy the module we were running and read it, that is their choice. I'd expect them to not use their knowledge to give themselves or the party any kind of advantage, however, and considering the difficulty of not acting on possessed knowledge, I think most (probably all) would decline to read the module before/during running.
That said, I don't use a screen, and a few players have been caught checking out maps during play. Most of the table ends up yelling at them when it happens but I don't stop them. It's their choce. We're all adults after all. :)
Edit: Me no speaka da gud englsh
1) Knowledge of form: To transform into a target form, the caster needs to succeed in an appropriate Knowledge roll, DC 20+LA. (So, if you wanted to transform into a troll, +6 LA, you'd need to make a DC 26 Knowledge (nature) roll.
DC Modifiers: -2 if you've ever seen the form. Another -2 if you've seen the form during the last few days. Another -2 if you have a specimen present.
1a) You can "memorize" forms by spending a skill point, like learning a language. So if you want to turn into a troll on a regular basis, learn "Troll form".
(In practical use, most players rely on memorized forms, which means they have the calculated stats all ready.)
2) Experience Penalty: Casters receive experience based on the table in the DMG, appropriate to their current effective character level. (If your 11th-Level Sorcerer spends the entire adventure polymorphed into a ECL 18 Blue Dragon, he receives expereince for the entire adventure as a Level 18 character.)
I'm not sure about the Experience Penalty, but the Knowledge of Form rule is pretty clever Chris. If my group wasn't moving to 4E, I'd have to give some thought to seeing if they'd accept it. :)
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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I've always required that the player actually have seen the creature they want to polymorph into. Some can be assumed, like most animals native to the region, but if a player wanted to polymorph into a war troll, that would have required them to have seen one, and survived the encounter. If there's a particular form I wouldn't want them to use, it's easy to limit their exposure to it.