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I was lookin up the RMA's...
"Mantis Form (Su): At 6th level, a red mantis assassin may change into a giant praying mantis, as per the spell polymorph."
ok looked up polymorph
"This spell transforms a willing creature into an animal, humanoid or elemental of your choosing; the spell has no effect on unwilling creatures, nor can the creature being targeted by this spell influence the new form assumed (apart from conveying its wishes, if any, to you verbally).
If you use this spell to cause the target to take on the form of an animal or magical beast, the spell functions as beast shape II. If the form is that of an elemental, the spell functions as elemental body I. If the form is that of a humanoid, the spell functions as alter self. The subject may choose to resume its normal form as a full-round action; doing so ends the spell for that subject."
ok, now i look up giant mantis
"(type)vermin"
ummm???
so does it function as beast shape 2, even tho it doesn't let you become the vermin type?
The Red Mantis Assassin PrC was written for 3.5 rules, where polymorph allowed you to become pretty much anything, including vermin, and also gave you all the extraordinary special attacks of the creature.
Beast Shape II (although for vermin) would be a decent enough fit for PFRPG.
I had to deal with this when doing a conversion for the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path.
I went with Beast Shape II, as any further abilities granted by the higher level versions would not grant anything further.
One thing I noticed though was that there is a big difference between how the 3.5 Mantis and the PF Mantis work. The 3.5 Mantis had a single primary claw attack and a secondary bite attack. The PF Mantis has two primary claw attacks but no bite attack. However, the PF Mantis also has a special ability called 'mandibles' that gives it a secondary bite attack against a foe it has grabbed. And since 'mandibles' is not a special ability granted by any of the Beast Shape spells, it isn't granted when polymorphed into this form.
This posed a problem for the Red Mantis. Particularly a high enough Red Mantis Assassin who has the Blood Mantis ability. The big selling point of that ability is that the Red Mantis can deal 2 points of Con damage with a bite attack while in Mantis form. But in PF the Red Mantis would never get a bite attack in the first place, so it would never get to use this ability!
Theres two ways this could be resolved. One, treat the Giant Mantis 'mandibles' ability as an actual natural weapon attack and not as a special ability. This should work just fine; it would grant the ability with any Beast Shape spell, and the limitation is that it can only be used against a grabbed foe. Or Two, just grant the bite attack as a natural secondary attack as a special exception (and you're already making several special exceptions already to be able to turn into a Mantis in the first place).
I went with two in my conversion, since it seemed silly to give the Red Mantis with the Blood Mantis ability this awesome bite attack, but it either would never get it or it could only be used against a grabbed foe, and most Red Mantis Assassins aren't going to be the best grapplers even with the size and strength boosts from the Mantis form. So I added the secondary bite attack as a regular natural attack, but just for a Red Mantis Assassin in Blood Mantis form.
Here is a link to a Red Mantis Assassin that I converted for my Curse of the Crimson Throne game. I added an entry including the stat changes for her when she is in Blood Mantis form.