Question about Rovagug

[RJ Dalton 89]

So, an adventure I'm setting up for some players is going to feature a small cult of Rovagug that's managed to take over a dwarf fortress with the help of a mid-level demon (who will be, for lack of a better term, the final boss of the dungeon).
I was looking into Rovagug and it says that his clerics get to prepare Baleful Polymorph as 4th level spell.

I'm curious if there's a reason for this. I mean, that seems like a really unusual spell for a god who's goal is the destruction of all life to grant to his clerics that other gods don't (I'd be more inclined to add Disintegrate, if anything). There is no explanation for it that I can find. I mean, for story reasons, I'm probably going to ignore that anyway (long story involving one of the NPC party members for our usually small group of only 2 players), but I'm still curious from an in-world perspective if there's a reason for it.

[Val'bryn2]

Probably something to kind of represent the fact that the Spawn of Rovagug , his children, have wildly different forms, something to showcase his destruction of the base form and replacing it with another one.

[Isaac Zephyr]

Val'bryn2 wrote:

Probably something to kind of represent the fact that the Spawn of Rovagug , his children, have wildly different forms, something to showcase his destruction of the base form and replacing it with another one.

Sounds about right. My Rovagug knowledge was studying for a drow character, and he was what warped them into the drow. Could represent his influence warping things to evil/his chaotic whim.

[Dave Justus]

Rovagug is chaotic as well as destructive. He also creates as a means of destruction (spawn) and has a general weaken and break down vibe to him. Baleful Polymorph fits, although certainly there are other spells that could have been chosen instead.

Clerics of Rovagug that take the destruction domain can get disintegrate as a domain spell. Perhaps part of the reason that Baleful Polymorph was chosen as a special Rovagug spell was that it isn't spell for any domain.

[Val'bryn2]

Anyone else feel that a good spell for him would be something that acts both as a general Polymorph spell, targeting others, with a Murderous Command rider?

[MidsouthGuy]

To quote Rovagug's Antipaladin Code: "The beautiful die first. Their loss wreaks havoc in the hearts of those who love."

Baleful Polymorph is a perfect tool to achieve this goal. Seeing your friend or loved one warped into some kind of mutant horror would break the resolve of many of the most stalwart adventurers.