You do get quite a few undead-like traits; getting healed by negative energy, a +8 save bonus on things undead are immune to (mind-affecting, disease, poison, sleep, and stunning) and some fairly big stat adjustments based on your size (Huge nets you +6 Str and +6 Nat Armor).
I rated it green in my guide strictly for the potential resistances it offers.
+8 vs. Mind Affecting is better than the 8th level spell Mind Blank since it's apparently untyped (though mind-blank does have the duration advantage if you're somehow not wearing resistance bonus gear.)
It's a defensive buff all around though - I wouldn't use it for the slam attacks as a wizard anyway. Generally speaking I don't like self polymorph spells because they usually have minute/level durations that make it tough to cast ahead of the time - making it so it's usually an expensive standard action to setup.
One thing to remember is that Undead Anatomy explicitly allows templates. So you get to choose from the entire humanoid and monstrous humanoid lists crossed with all the undead templates, allowing you to layer some damage reduction or resistances on whatever movement or special abilities the base form brings to the table. I've haven't really explored the options, but I'm certain someone could find some gems in there.
It is generally going to be more useful for a dedicated melee wizard, though. If you are the sort that is deciding between this and disintegrate, disintegrate would probably be the better choice. Being able to turn into a Storm Giant Lich isn't particularly useful unless you built to take advantage of it, and otherwise the spell is a short duration self-only defensive buff. Good, but not necessarily worth a high level slot for your run of the mill mage.
One thing to remember is that Undead Anatomy explicitly allows templates.
I too have failed to find this anywhere. It is very clear to me that the creators of the spell intended the caster to be able to apply templates, but since they didn't say so in the spell it is disallowed by RAW. This makes the spells pretty bad on the whole, and caused me to rate them yellow at best in my guide. If this wasn't the case they would be great spells.
If you can find an undead on the smaller edge of the scale, these spells are decent defensive self buffs, with the save bonuses.
| 9 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
I too have failed to find this anywhere. It is very clear to me that the creators of the spell intended the caster to be able to apply templates, but since they didn't say so in the spell it is disallowed by RAW. This makes the spells pretty bad on the whole, and caused me to rate them yellow at best in my guide. If this wasn't the case they would be great spells.
Two of the three examples given (Skeleton and Zombie) are templates. As the specific examples are templates, and it allows things like them, it is allowing templates. Beyond that, abilities on the lists come directly from templates (DR 15/bludgeoning and magic is straight from the Lich, Fiery Aura and Death come from the Burning Skeleton). While I should not have said "explicitly," the examples are a part of the rules text, and as such I would say allow the use of templates, rules-as-written.
Two of the three examples given (Skeleton and Zombie) are templates. As the specific examples are templates, and it allows things like them, it is allowing templates. Beyond that, abilities on the lists come directly from templates (DR 15/bludgeoning and magic is straight from the Lich, Fiery Aura and Death come from the Burning Skeleton). While I should not have said "explicitly," the examples are a part of the rules text, and as such I would say allow the use of templates, rules-as-written.
This is an interesting notion, worth a FAQ imo.
Mort, I think we have different ideas of what 'explictly' means. To me explicitly would have been to state that you may apply undead templates. Implicitly is to state you can be a skeleton or zombie without countermanding the rule against polymorph spells using templates. I think this is a case of implicitly indicating that templates are allowed without explicitly stating it. As FiddlersGreen has stated, worth a FAQ.
- Gauss
Ah, yes. I seem to have somehow missed that +8 ability. But still, other than some very spcific circumstances I don't see the spell being very useful in a practicle sort of way.
Thanks for the help guys!
the same could be said for most of the polymorph spells for a wizard. majority of polymorphs help in melee combat but since you don't want any part of that as a weakly caster the only ones of interest are the utility polymorphs.
As I applied the spell I have allowed template versions of your original creature type but not templates applied to other creatures types (like undead solars), ofcourse technically that would allow tieflings to change into undead solars.
I am annoyed with the emphasis on size alteration in PFRPG, I am sure many people will not agree in general it is simply not cool to become a HUGE something, there are some exceptions but the catch all nature of the polymorph spells turns them into a mechanical calculation of benefits, there is virtually no point in turning into some shapes unless you use the best abilities on the list.
I think the polymorph treatment worked well enough for creatures that are largely defined by creature type (dragons) or fairly simple creatures (animals or medium humanoids) not so much for more exotic/diverse creature types with a potentially wide array of abilities (just about everything else), giant shape would have been better served with a spell called troll shape since it is simply an inferior spell if you skip on the regeneration part, becoming big is something that other spells can do much earlier already.
Mort, I think we have different ideas of what 'explictly' means. To me explicitly would have been to state that you may apply undead templates. Implicitly is to state you can be a skeleton or zombie without countermanding the rule against polymorph spells using templates. I think this is a case of implicitly indicating that templates are allowed without explicitly stating it. As FiddlersGreen has stated, worth a FAQ.
Indeed, as I said, I shouldn't have said "explicitly." Since it was an advice question, not a rules question, I didn't actually bother to go back and recheck my language so I didn't make a mistake like this.
But yes, FAQs. If templates weren't intended to be allowed, the examples (if not the ability list) should really be changed. If they were, a note that it supersedes the normal rules would be very useful.
Mort, no worries. I made the mistake of responding to a post before reading your remaining posts for corrections. Sometimes I forget. :D
- Gauss
Buy the Tome of Horrors Complete and statistically speaking, you'll have more undead to turn into!
Indeed, as I said, I shouldn't have said "explicitly." Since it was an advice question, not a rules question, I didn't actually bother to go back and recheck my language so I didn't make a mistake like this.
But yes, FAQs. If templates weren't intended to be allowed, the examples (if not the ability list) should really be changed. If they were, a note that it supersedes the normal rules would be very useful.
I see. I take the parts which are explicitly rules to supersede the examples, but I don't see any reason why the opposite is incorrect. It is confusing though, and really should be errata'd. I know I will certainly be allowing templates with this spell in my games.
As for the original question, like all polymorph spells this works as a defensive buff in combat, but also as a utility. The spell can give you a wide variety of movement modes and other utility abilities like scent and darkvision. These are more useful on the lower level versions, since I probably wouldn't spend a 6th level spell slot on a fly speed, even if it's 90ft. It's really hard to find appropriate creatures without the use of templates. Undead Anatomy IV allows you to become incorporeal, which is pretty awesome if you're a charisma based caster like a sorcerer.
This may seem a bit unorthodox, and it might be that this isn't legal to do but i thought I'd throw it out there for you guys to debate on.
The major draw back to the undead anatomy spell as it stands is two fold one that it is of short duration and that the spell is very... unclear in its wording.
I may have come up with a possible solution for one of the problems that being of duration. The spell permanency has long been a personal favorite and it seems to fit the bill in improving the spell. The down side is you would appear as an undead 24/7 and that makes it dreadfully hard to sell buy and do business pretty much anywhere. The permanency spell was intended to improve upon those spells you really wanted that your race never allowed for like dark vision and arcane sight. Arcane sight just like undead anatomy has a duration of one min. per level so i don't see a reason to disavow the undead anatomy on those grounds. With the spells neatly laid out rules for cost being 2500 gold worth of diamonds per level of spell it makes it simple to figure the total cost and minimum caster level starting at a base of 9 and going up from there. Meaning to cast undead anatomy III you would have to be at least level 15 and would cost you 15000 gold in diamonds. from that point on you could use the reduce person spell and an illusion to allow you into towns.
This may seem like a lot of work to maintain a spell that most think is mediocre at best but it is a possible way to improve it for those bonus saves. For a group like mine who seem to focus on undead and tend to run in the higher level areas this spell though hard to interpret, has many redeeming qualities even if you must find a rather unorthodox way to make it work.