So I was thinking up an alchemist, when a question occurred to me; if I use a polymorph spell (like Beast Shape), do I keep my vestigial arm discovery?
Polymorph says that you lose any abilities of your old form, but calls out as exceptions things that allow you add abilities, like a sorcerer growing claws. Is vestigial arm, being an addition based on a class feature rather than a function of your race, one of those exceptions?
The extra arm would not pass through to the new form. You are trading your current form for a new form.
+1
Unlike the sorcerer claws, it isn't an ability that you can call forth, and as such it isn't added to your form, but a part of your form.
The Wings Discovery on the other hand, should still function during your polymorphed duration. Because like the Sorcerer claws its something you can choose to manifest.
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The Wings Discovery on the other hand, should still function during your polymorphed duration. Because like the Sorcerer claws its something you can choose to manifest.
Actually, it would see that you lose the wings too, as per the polymorph rules. Note that it is an Extraordinary Ability (Ex)that are grown by the Alchemist, like the Vestigial limbs.
Wings (Ex): The alchemist gains batlike, birdlike, or insectlike functional wings, allowing him to fly as the fly spell for a number of minutes per day equal to his caster level. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute increments. An alchemist can select this discovery multiple times; each time he does so, he adds his caster level to the number of minutes per day that he can fly with the wings. This flight is an extraordinary ability. An alchemist must be at least 6th level before selecting this discovery.
While under the effects of a polymorph spell, you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on your original form (such as keen senses, scent, and darkvision), as well as any natural attacks and movement types possessed by your original form. You also lose any class features that depend upon form, but those that allow you to add features (such as sorcerers that can grow claws) still function. While most of these should be obvious, the GM is the final arbiter of what abilities depend on form and are lost when a new form is assumed. Your new form might restore a number of these abilities if they are possessed by the new form.
The Wings Discovery on the other hand, should still function during your polymorphed duration. Because like the Sorcerer claws its something you can choose to manifest.Actually, it would see that you lose the wings too, as per the polymorph rules. Note that it is an Extraordinary Ability (Ex)that are grown by the Alchemist, like the Vestigial limbs.
Wings (Ex): The alchemist gains batlike, birdlike, or insectlike functional wings, allowing him to fly as the fly spell for a number of minutes per day equal to his caster level. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute increments. An alchemist can select this discovery multiple times; each time he does so, he adds his caster level to the number of minutes per day that he can fly with the wings. This flight is an extraordinary ability. An alchemist must be at least 6th level before selecting this discovery.
While under the effects of a polymorph spell, you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on your original form (such as keen senses, scent, and darkvision), as well as any natural attacks and movement types possessed by your original form. You also lose any class features that depend upon form, but those that allow you to add features (such as sorcerers that can grow claws) still function. While most of these should be obvious, the GM is the final arbiter of what abilities depend on form and are lost when a new form is assumed. Your new form might restore a number of these abilities if they are possessed by the new form.
You also lose any class features that depend upon form, but those that allow you to add features (such as sorcerers that can grow claws) still function.
I can bold too. You're selectively picking which descriptors to emphasize. You can make a strong argument that Alchemical Discoveries are class features that "allow you to add features" especially considering the description of the Polymorph spell were written BEFORE the Alchemist was written as a class. If its not in the errata anywhere then that line about the GM being the final arbiter seems to be the most important.
I can see the argument for the vestigial arms not working, but I'd support the wings functioning, as it's an ability you can add with a limited duration. And nowhere in the wings description does it state that it requires you to be in your original, unaltered form, so I don't think it would qualify as an ability or class feature that depends on your form.
Here's a question, though. What if you gained the Vestigial Arms discovery while under the effects of a polymorph spell? Would it then become a part of the polymorphed form? A druid of sufficient level could theoretically spend all his time in Wild Shape. If he was forever in the particular form, would he get to be a dire tiger with extra arms? ;)
Here's a question, though. What if you gained the Vestigial Arms discovery while under the effects of a polymorph spell? Would it then become a part of the polymorphed form? A druid of sufficient level could theoretically spend all his time in Wild Shape. If he was forever in the particular form, would he get to be a dire tiger with extra arms? ;)
No, as the ability states you gain a vestigial arm, not your current form gains a vestigial arm.
The wings would go away when polymorphed, just like the vestigial arm. The wings are part of the alchemist's body that just have a limited amount of flight capability during the day. They're not something manifested when the alchemist needs to fly.