I'm having some problems figuring out baleful polymorph in pathfinder compared to 3.5. It seems like its very useful against say enemy spellcasters except perhaps druids with natural spell because it completely shuts down spellcasting, but it seems like its also not nearly as useful against melee type characters as the 3.5 version.
In previous games I've played, you would simply cast baleful polymorph at an enemy and turn him into a tortise and put him in a little cage, perhaps feed him a carrot now and then. Now I'm not sure that would do much to an enemy besides reduce his move, bump up his dex, drop his strength, and give a small natural armor boost. Sure, they drop their weapon, but how does the pathfinder implementation of baleful polymorph run now? Does this just give you a tortise that for some reason is nearly impossible to pick up?
Not only that but in many cases you can use it as a permanant buff. Turn the rogue into a monkey, he gets +4 dex, -2 str +1 natural armor, +2 size bonus to hit and ac, acrobatics bonuses, immunity to person spells. Yeah, he'd have to get tiny items, perhaps a little vest and fez, and probably wouldn't be able to speak, but still a permanent buff from how I read the rules.
So how does this spell get played now?
Turn the rogue into a monkey, he gets +4 dex, -2 str +1 natural armor, +2 size bonus to hit and ac, acrobatics bonuses, immunity to person spells. Yeah, he'd have to get tiny items, perhaps a little vest and fez, and probably wouldn't be able to speak, but still a permanent buff from how I read the rules.
So how does this spell get played now?
I don't really have anything to add, I just thought this was hilarious
Not only that but in many cases you can use it as a permanant buff. Turn the rogue into a monkey, he gets +4 dex, -2 str +1 natural armor, +2 size bonus to hit and ac, acrobatics bonuses, immunity to person spells. Yeah, he'd have to get tiny items, perhaps a little vest and fez, and probably wouldn't be able to speak, but still a permanent buff from how I read the rules.
"Pardon me, but does your Minkey bite?"
He might also turn into a monkey mentally. That's definitely not a buff as far as I'm concerned :P (okay, dwarves would trade up).
