Beast Shape I on a Toad


Rules Questions


quick questions

casting beast shape I on your familiar e.g. a toad

the toad is diminutive and has crappy 1STR 12DEX and 6CON 16AC

if you beast shape it into a medium animal say wolf

does it just get the +2STR +2Nat armor

for a miserable 3STR 12DEX 6CON 18AC

OR

by pushing the diminutive critter up to medium size instead gives it

10STR 6DEX 8CON 13AC

then add the beast shape

12STR 6DEX 8CON 15AC

OR

would you give it the base template stats for a medium sized creature of
10STR 10DEX 10CON and then add the 2STR and 2nat armor ?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Phasics wrote:

quick questions

casting beast shape I on your familiar e.g. a toad

the toad is diminutive and has crappy 1STR 12DEX and 6CON 16AC

if you beast shape it into a medium animal say wolf

does it just get the +2STR +2Nat armor

for a miserable 3STR 12DEX 6CON 18AC

OR

by pushing the diminutive critter up to medium size instead gives it

10STR 6DEX 8CON 13AC

then add the beast shape

12STR 6DEX 8CON 15AC

OR

would you give it the base template stats for a medium sized creature of
10STR 10DEX 10CON and then add the 2STR and 2nat armor ?

Beast Shape is a personal ranged spell and thus cannot be cast on others.


Ravingdork wrote:
Phasics wrote:

quick questions

casting beast shape I on your familiar e.g. a toad

the toad is diminutive and has crappy 1STR 12DEX and 6CON 16AC

if you beast shape it into a medium animal say wolf

does it just get the +2STR +2Nat armor

for a miserable 3STR 12DEX 6CON 18AC

OR

by pushing the diminutive critter up to medium size instead gives it

10STR 6DEX 8CON 13AC

then add the beast shape

12STR 6DEX 8CON 15AC

OR

would you give it the base template stats for a medium sized creature of
10STR 10DEX 10CON and then add the 2STR and 2nat armor ?

Beast Shape is a personal ranged spell and thus cannot be cast on others.

Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Phasics wrote:

Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

Doesn't that end the moment they move more than 5 feet from you though? That would make it extremely subpar.

Scarab Sages

It would just gain what the spell says it gains. James has covered this in another thread using the example of a large creature getting the same benefits even if he goes to a medium animal.


Ravingdork wrote:
Phasics wrote:

Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

Doesn't that end the moment they move more than 5 feet from you though? That would make it extremely subpar.

Where does it say that? The description of Share Spells on page 83 of the PFCR doesn't mention anything of the sort.


Ravingdork wrote:
Phasics wrote:

Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

Doesn't that end the moment they move more than 5 feet from you though? That would make it extremely subpar.

where does it say that?

Grand Lodge

I'd apply the difference between standard values for Diminutive and Medium creatures from the Bestiary (+9 STR, -6 DEX, +2 CON), then the adjustments for beast shape I (your second option).


Phasics wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
Phasics wrote:

Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

Doesn't that end the moment they move more than 5 feet from you though? That would make it extremely subpar.
where does it say that?

I think that's the first time I've ever ninja'd anyone. This is the happiest day of my life.


Per the CR, Page 212:

If a polymorph spell is cast on a creature that is
smaller than Small or larger than Medium, f irst adjust
its ability scores to one of these two sizes using the
following table before applying the bonuses
granted by
the polymorph spell.

Creature’s Adjusted
Size: Diminutive +6 str –4 dex

Then you would apply the modifiers from Beast Shape I.


on a side note

anyone know where to find the base stat block of a pig or goat for use in the witches familiar ?


not out yet, ya have to use some stand in's

Grand Lodge

Bikis wrote:

Per the CR, Page 212:

If a polymorph spell is cast on a creature that is
smaller than Small or larger than Medium, f irst adjust
its ability scores to one of these two sizes using the
following table before applying the bonuses
granted by
the polymorph spell.

Creature’s Adjusted
Size: Diminutive +6 str –4 dex

Then you would apply the modifiers from Beast Shape I.

Seems sensible.

Remember also that the toad's AC 16 may include a size bonus and DEX modifier, so those would go away if its Size and DEX changed.


Starglim wrote:
I'd apply the difference between standard values for Diminutive and Medium creatures from the Bestiary (+9 STR, -6 DEX, +2 CON), then the adjustments for beast shape I.
Almost. If one reads the rules for Polymorph in the Magic Chapter (which is NECESSARY to understand all Polymorph spells) you know this is already covered:
Quote:

If a polymorph spell is cast on a creature that is smaller than Small or larger than Medium, first adjust its ability scores to one of these two sizes using the following table before applying the bonuses granted by the polymorph spell.

Creature's Original Size Str Dex Con Adjusted Size
Fine +6 –6 — Small
Diminutive +6 –4 — Small
Tiny +4 –2 — Small
Large –4 +2 –2 Medium
Huge –8 +4 –4 Medium
Gargantuan –12 +4 –6 Medium
Colossal –16 +4 –8 Medium

I'm not sure why it's giving you an 'adjusted size', since besides this table there are no variables based on your original size, and all polymorph abilities state the sizes you can turn into.

ANYWAYS, If you apply that to the OP's toad:
1STR 12DEX and 6CON Base
+6 STR -4 DEX Adjustments for Diminutive Polymorpher
+2 STR +2 Nat Armor Beast Shape I
=9 STR 8 DEX 6 CON , +2 Nat Armor - 1 Dex Mod = 11 AC

There's probably some other familiars that actually result in more impressive Polymorph shapes, but Toads are both weak and below-par DEX for their Size.

RavingDork wrote:
Phasics wrote:
Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).
Doesn't that end the moment they move more than 5 feet from you though? That would make it extremely subpar.

No, there's nothing that prematurely ends spells. The ability gives you the ability to CAST the spell, after that it functions normally.


Very interesting

It makes the Companion Imp Diabloist companion an interesting target for this group of spells, since he's got a decent stat block to start with and get animal companion progression HP at d10 and not 1/2 your HP

Liberty's Edge

MultiClassClown wrote:
Phasics wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
Phasics wrote:

Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

Doesn't that end the moment they move more than 5 feet from you though? That would make it extremely subpar.
where does it say that?
I think that's the first time I've ever ninja'd anyone. This is the happiest day of my life.

The 5' rule is from 3.5 not Pathfinder. I can understand why the mistake was made.


Sargon Greymore wrote:
MultiClassClown wrote:
Phasics wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
Phasics wrote:

Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

Doesn't that end the moment they move more than 5 feet from you though? That would make it extremely subpar.
where does it say that?
I think that's the first time I've ever ninja'd anyone. This is the happiest day of my life.
The 5' rule is from 3.5 not Pathfinder. I can understand why the mistake was made.

Yeah, that's perfectly understandable.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Sargon Greymore wrote:
The 5' rule is from 3.5 not Pathfinder. I can understand why the mistake was made.

It's not in Pathfinder? *Does a happy little jig*

EDIT: But it appears I have to cast the spell multiple times if I want to effect my familiar too, unlike 3.5 where I could get us both with a single casting.

*Jigs anyways*

The enemey will soon learn to fear my sorceress and her imp familiar when we both transform into Dragons for hours and hours at a time.


Just remember "Temporary" (<24 duration) ability buffs don't affect things like STR/CON-based ability DCs per RAW. I actually don't know if that's Errata or not (it seems weird for INT/WIS/CHA to affect DCs but not STR/CON), so I'm reporting soon along with some other Errata I'm typing up.

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