Permanent transformations and True Seeing

[The Sin-Eater]

So my understanding of spells and effects with a Permanent duration is that the magic fuels the effect but it ceases to be magic afterwards. Mainly meaning it cannot be dispelled only reversed by an opposite ability or spell or another application of the original one. If this is correct how does that work with a permanent transformation of your shape and True Seeing? Is the transformation technically their new true form until otherwise altered again or will True Seeing still see the pre-permanent changed form?

[The Sin-Eater]

No good answer to the question?

[blahpers]

Spells with a permanent duration are just like spells with a finite duration. The only difference is that the duration becomes "permanent" instead of "1 round/level" or whatever. They can be dispelled just like any other spell, which is why permanency is a dangerous thing to spend a lot of money on. Baleful polymorph is an example of such a spell--it's permanent, but it's still a spell, and it's subject to all the usual caveats for an ongoing spell.

Spells with an instantaneous duration are finished as soon as they take effect. There's nothing left to dispel once it's taken place. Flesh to stone is an example of such a spell.

True seeing doesn't care about any of this, though. It sees a thing's true nature regardless of whether it's an ongoing magical effect--or, indeed, whether it's a magical effect at all. It can penetrate mundane darkness and mundane invisibility. It can see through permanent and even instantaneous transformations if those transformations mask the subject's true nature.

[LazarX]

The Sin-Eater wrote:

So my understanding of spells and effects with a Permanent duration is that the magic fuels the effect but it ceases to be magic afterwards. Mainly meaning it cannot be dispelled only reversed by an opposite ability or spell or another application of the original one. If this is correct how does that work with a permanent transformation of your shape and True Seeing? Is the transformation technically their new true form until otherwise altered again or will True Seeing still see the pre-permanent changed form?

That is wrong. Permanent spells can still be dispelled as per the rules on the permannecy spell. They also cease to function in an Anti-Magic Shell. You're confusing permanent spells with the effects of instantaneous spells such as cure, raise dead, and fireball which can not be reversed with dispel magic.