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Josh_Kablack
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### Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Josh_Kablack » Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:14 pm

The following spells are all deleted and replaced by the rewrites in this handout:
Alter Self
Polymorph
Baleful Polymorph
Animal Shapes
Polymorph any Object
Shapechange
Additons and changes to class spell lists:
*Bard Spells
2nd Level - Alter Self
*Cleric Spells
Animal Domain
9th Level - Shapechange
Trickery Domain
8th Level-Polymorph any Object
*Druid Spells
5th Level- Malefic Metamorphosis (replaces Baleful Polymorph)
7th Level - Alter Other, Mass (replaces animal shapes)
8th Level - Malefic Metamorphosis, Mass
9th Level - Shapechange
*Ranger Spells
2nd Level - Alter Self
*Sorc/Wiz Spells
2nd Level
Alter Self
3rd Level
Alter Other
4th Level
Malefic Metamorphosis
5th Level
Polymorph Self
6th Level
Polymorph Other
7th Level
Alter Other, Mass
Polymorph any Object
8th Level
Greater Polymorph
Malefic Metamorphosis, Mass
9th Level
Shapechange
Descriptions of new and revised spells
Alter Self:
Transmutation (Polymorph)
Level: Bard 2, Sor/Wiz 2, Ranger 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min/level
You alter your physical form and appearance to another form of your choice. This change provides you with your choice of any two of the following abilities as appropriate to the new form. (you must select two different abilities and may not select the same ability twice). If you select an option which provides a bonus to a movement mode you do not normally possess, this spell also grants you a base speed of 0’ with that movement mode.
You can freely designate the new form’s cosmetic physical qualities (such as hair color, skin color, gender) so long as the form’s chosen abilities are apparent. For example, you could decide that your ‘Swimmer” form has a tail like a mermaid or that it has webbed hands and feet like a locathah You may also designate the new form’s height and weight, so long as they are appropriate to your size category.
If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 circumstance bonus on your Disguise tjeck (and the casting time of the spell replaces the usual time needed to create a Disguise)
A creature may only be the subject of one (polymorph) effect at a time, so multiple castings of Alter Self overlap and do not stack.
Once the new form is chosen, it remains for the duration of the spell. If you are slain while in your new form, you automatically revert to your normal form.
Cumulative Options (the two different types of option don’t matter here, but they will for higher level spells)

- Fast / Extra Legs: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to ground speed and recipient is treated as a quadruped for purposes of stability and weight carried. If an aquatic creature gains this ability, it gains the amphibious special quality for the duration of the spell.
- Climber: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to climb speed and other benefits of having a climb speed.
- Swimmer: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to swim speed and other benefits of having a swim speed. Also grants the aquatic subtype and amphibious special quality for the duration of the spell.
- Flyer: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to flight speed and increases flight maneuverability by 1 class. (creatures without a flight speed gain maneuverability of poor)
- Tunneler: +5 ft enhancement bonus to burrow speed.
- Armored: +2 enhancement bonus to Natural Armor
- Increased Strength: +2 enhancement bonus to Strength
- Increased Constitution: +2 enhancement bonus to Con
- Increased Dexterity: +2 enhancement bonus to Dex
- Camouflage: +4 competence bonus to Hide tjecks
- Graceful: +4 competence bonus to Balance tjecks
- Flexible: +4 competence bonus to Escape Artist tjecks
- Keen Vision: +4 competence bonus to Spot tjecks
- Keen Hearing: +4 competence bonus to Listen tjecks
- Keen Scent (or other sense): +4 competence bonus to Survival tjecks made for tracking
- Leaper: +4 competence bonus to Jump tjecks

Non-cumulative options:

- Scent (as described on page 314 of the MM)
- Darkvision 30’
- Low-Light Vision
- 2 additional arms: Both are treated as off-hands
- Natural Weapon: 2 claws with damage per your size (see MM 296)
- Natural Weapon: bite with damage per your size (see MM 296)

Higher level variations of Alter Self :
Alter Other: 3rd level, as Alter Self, but range close, target any living creature and has a Fort negates (harmless) save.
Mass Alter Other: 7th level, as Alter Other, but one living creature/level, no two of which can be more then 30’ apart.
Malefic Metamorphosis
Transmutation (Polymorph)
Level: Druid 5, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Close (25 ft +5 ft/2levels)
Target: One Living Creature which may not be Gaseous nor Incorporeal
Duration: Permanent or 1 day/level (D) (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates, Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes.
You change the subject into an animal of Challenge Rating 1 or lower. The animal form chosen must be native to the environment where the subject is located when the transformation occurs. In cases where no animals are native to the environment, (such as on certain outer planes) the subject may be changed into a magical beast as long as the magical beast has the augmented animal subtype, is CR 1 or lower and the subject is not of an alignment opposed to an alignment subtype of the magical beast form. In cases where there are no animals nor magical beasts native to the environment, (such as many areas of the Negative Energy Plane) this spell fails outright.
A subject who fails the initial Fortitude save has his or her physical form transformed into that of an animal, but is entitled to a secondary Will save to retain his or her own mind and mental faculties.
The subject loses the ability to speak and to manipulate most objects or use most equipment. Thus the subject may not complete verbal or somatic components, may not ready material components, may not wield weapons, may not activate spell completion, spell-trigger or command-word items, etc. In some cases a transformed subject may still be able to use use-activated items, wear barding or be able to cast spells without components (see below).
The subject loses all (Ex) abilities save for those gained from feats, skills or class features and those also possessed by the assumed form.
The subject also loses all (Sp) or (Su) abilities it possesses, unless the secondary Will save is successful, in which case it retains those (Sp) and (Su) abilities which are gained through class features (such as a Paladin’s Divine Grace).
Note that the lack of speech and object manipulation will still prevent the use of some abilities granted by class features. Without a voice or instrument, a bard cannot use Bardic Music; without a holy symbol a cleric cannot Turn Undead and so forth.
Abilities not typed as (Ex), (Su), or (Sp), (such as the ability of hydras to grow extra heads when decapitated) are generally lost with the new form, but in some rare cases the DM may deem them appropriate to both forms.
The subject retains its original Class(es), Levels, Hit Dice, Base Attack Bonus, Base Saves, Feats, Skill Ranks, and Alignment, although changes to ability scores may result in a change to total hit points or total save modifiers. If the secondary Will save is successful, the subject also retains its mental ability scores and class features. (This may result in an animal with an Intelligence score of greater than 2) The subject also retains the ability to understand any language it knew prior to the transformation.
The subject’s type changes to animal (or magical beast as appropriate), and it gains the augmented subtype. While transformed, the subject loses any subtypes it may have, save for augmented, shapechanger, chaotic, evil, good and lawful, all of which are retained. This change of type may render certain ongoing spell effects irrelevant, if a continuous spell would not affect a creature of the target’s new type, its effects are suppressed while the target is transformed but the duration of the suppressed spell still expires normally.
The subject gains the size, speed, natural armor bonus, attack forms, space, reach, special attacks, special qualities, physical ability scores, and extraordinary abilities of the new form. The subject does not gain any (Su) or (Sp) abilities of the new form. If the secondary will save is failed, the subject also gains the mental ability scores and mindset of the assumed form.
You can freely designate the new form’s cosmetic physical qualities (such as hair color, skin color, gender) so long as they fall within the normal range for the new form’s species. For example, you could decide to change the target into a poodle with white curly hair or a jet-black pug, but you couldn’t decide to turn the target into a six-legged blue schnauzer. If you use this spell to disguise the subject as a particular animal, you get a +10 circumstance bonus on your Disguise tjeck (and the casting time of the spell replaces the usual time needed to create a Disguise)
You may choose to transform the subject for 1 day per caster level, or you may choose to transform the subject permanently. If you chose to transform the subject permanently, you must set a condition by which the subject can end the spell. When the condition is met, the subject reverts to his or her true form. You cannot set a condition that requires the subject to kill itself or perform actions that would result in its certain death, and if you set an open-ended condition (such as “wait here” or “guard this room”) the subject is considered to have met that condition once it has performed that action for a period of one day per caster level.
Additionally The effect of Malefic Metamorphosis can be ended in a number of alternate ways. Break Enchantment, Dispel Magic, Remove Curse, Limited Wish, Miracle, Wish and similar effects all dispel the polymorph. Furthermore, any other [polymorph] effect on the subject (including Alter Self, Wildshape, Alternate Form, or even a second Malefic Metamorphosis) can be used to dispel the effect and restore the subject to its original form. A creature with the shapechanger subtype may resume its original form as a standard action. The Heal skill may be used to treat a patient transformed by a Malefic Metamorphosis, this requires 10 minutes of treatment and has a DC equal to 35 + the caster level of the spell.
If the subject is slain while in the assumed form, it automatically reverts to its normal form and the effect of Malefic Metamorphosis ends with the subject’s death.
Arcane Material Component: A drop of blood from the type of animal the subject is to be transformed into.
Higher Level Variations of Malefic Metamorphosis
8th level Mass Malefic Metamorphosis - as Malefic Metamorphosis, but up to one target per caster level, no two of which can be more than 30’ apart and all of which must be changed into the same form with the same duration/condition.
Polymorph Self:
Transmutation (Polymorph)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min/level
You alter your physical form and appearance to another form of your choice. This change provides you with a number of the following abilities as appropriate to the new form. You may select up to one ability per caster level, up to a maximum of 15. You may only select any non-cumulative option once, but you may select any of the options labeled as cumulative up to twice per option. If you select an option which provides a bonus to a movement mode you do not normally possess, this spell also grants you a base speed of 0’ with that movement mode. If you select a cumulative option which provides a competence or enhancement bonus multiple times, those bonuses increase with each additional selection, but do not stack with other bonuses of the same type. For example: selecting Increased Strength twice provides a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength, but this enhancement bonus does not stack with other enhancement bonuses to Strength.
You can freely designate the new form’s cosmetic physical qualities (such as hair color, skin color, gender) so long as the form’s chosen abilities are apparent. For example, you could decide that your “Swimmer” form has a tail like a mermaid or that it has webbed hands and feet like a locathah You may also designate the new form’s height and weight, so long as they are appropriate to the new form’s size category.
If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 circumstance bonus on your Disguise tjeck (and the casting time of the spell replaces the usual time needed to create a Disguise)
Once the new form is chosen, it remains for the duration of the spell. If you are slain while in your new form, you automatically revert to your normal form. A creature may only be the subject of one (polymorph) effect at a time, so multiple castings of Polymorph Self overlap and do not stack.
Polymorph Self Cumulative Options you may select each of these up to two times, bonuses are cumulative with themselves but otherwise stack normally

- Increased Size: Provides a one-size category increase to your size up to a maximum of Colossal. This modifies your Str, Dex, Con, Natural Armor, AC, Attack, Hide, Reach, Grapple and other statistics. See table 4-2 on MM 291 for details.
- Decreased Size: Provides a one size category decrease to your size down to a minimum of Fine. This modifies your Str, Dex, Con, Natural Armor, AC, Attack, Hide, Reach, Grapple and other statistics. See table 4-2 on MM 291 for details.
- Resistance to Energy: Specify one type of energy, you gain Resistance 5 against that type. You may select this option multiple times for multiple types of energy or to increase your resistance against a previously selected type by another 5.
- Increased Reach: Increases your natural reach by 5’
- Additional Limb: Is treated as an off-hand.
- Fast / Extra Legs: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to ground speed and recipient is treated as a quadruped for purposes of stability and weight carried. If an aquatic creature gains this ability, it gains the amphibious special quality for the duration of the spell.
- Climber: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to climb speed and other benefits of having a climb speed.
- Swimmer: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to swim speed and other benefits of having a swim speed. Also grants the aquatic subtype and amphibious special quality for the duration of the spell.
- Flyer: grants a +30 ft enhancement bonus to flight speed and increases flight maneuverability by 1 class. (creatures without a flight speed gain maneuverability of poor)
- Tunneler: +5 ft enhancement bonus to burrow speed.
- Armored: +2 enhancement bonus to Natural Armor
- Increased Strength: +2 enhancement bonus to Strength
- Increased Constitution: +2 enhancement bonus to Con
- Increased Dexterity: +2 enhancement bonus to Dex
- Camouflage: +4 competence bonus to Hide tjecks
- Graceful: +4 competence bonus to Balance tjecks
- Flexible: +4 competence bonus to Escape Artist tjecks
- Keen Vision: +4 competence bonus to Spot tjecks
- Keen Hearing: +4 competence bonus to Listen tjecks
- Keen Scent (or other sense): +4 competence bonus to Survival tjecks made for tracking
- Leaper: +4 competence bonus to Jump tjecks

Polymorph Self Non-cumulative options: you may only select each of these options once.

- Improved Grab: If you hit a creature one or more size categories smaller than your assumed form with a natural weapon or unarmed strike, you deal damage normally and may attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. See MM 310 for further details.
- Swallow Whole: As described on MM 315. You may only select this option if your assumed form already has a bite attack and the Improved Grab ability, whether natural or gained through this spell. Any creature you swallow takes bludgeoning damage equal to your bite damage +1.5 x your Str bonus
- Pounce: You may make a full attack when you make a charge.
- Powerful Charge: You deal double damage when you charge. If you can make multiple attacks while charging, your damage is only doubled for the first attack.
- Trample: Creatures one or more size categories smaller than your assumed form. deals slam (MM 296) + Str x 1.5. DC 10+1/2 HD + Str,
- Tremorsense 10’
- Cold Subtype: You become immune to cold, but take 1.5x damage from fire. May not have both Cold and Fire subtypes.
- Fire Subtype: You become immune to fire, but take 1.5x damage from cold. May not have both Cold and Fire subtypes.
- Scent (as described on page 314 of the MM)
- Darkvision 30’
- Low-Light Vision
- Natural Weapon: Bite. Damage as per the size of your assumed form (see MM 296)
- Natural Weapons: 2 claws. Damage as per the size of your assumed form.(See MM 296)
- Natural Weapon: Slam. Damage as per the size of your assumed form.(See MM 296)
- Constrict or Rake: This special attack deals additional damage to an opponent with a successful grapple tjeck. If the form chosen also has the improved grab special attack, then it deals constriction damage in addition to the damage dealt by the weapon used to grab. The damage dealt by constrictions varies with the form’s size: fine 1 point; dimunitive1d2, tiny 1d3, small 1d4, medium 1d6, large 1d8, huge 2d6, gargantuan 3d6, colossal 4d6. Damage is piercing for Rake and bludgeoning for Constrict.
- Other DM-Approved Ability. For example, some DM’s may wish this spell to be able to grant the Ferocity ability of the boar or the Ink Cloud ability of the Octopus.

Higher Level Variations of Polymorph Self
Polymorph Other: 6th level, as Polymorph Self, but range close, target any living creature and has a Fort negates (harmless) save.
Polymorph Any Object
Transmutation (Polymorph)
Level: Sor/Wiz 7, Trickery 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Round
Range: Close (25 ft +5 ft/2levels)
Target: One creature or object of Gargantuan or smaller size.
Duration: Variable, see text
Saving Throw: Variable, see text
Spell Resistance: Yes.
You change one object or creature into another object or creature.
Used to change one creature into another creature:
Polymorph any object can duplicate the effects of either malefic metamorphosis or polymorph other, save that polymorph any object can also affect non-living creatures (such as constructs and undead) and creatures normally immune to polymorphing (such as plants) with those effects.
Used to change an object into a creature:
You change an object into an animal of up to 12 hit dice. The subject gains the animal type, the hit dice, hit points, size, speed, natural armor bonus, attack forms, space, reach, special attacks, special qualities, physical ability scores, and extraordinary abilities of the new form. The subject also gains the mental ability scores and mindset of the assumed form. (Save for in the case of intelligent magic items and similar objects which already have mental ability scores - in which case the original mental ability scores and mindset are unaltered by this spell)
You can freely designate the new form’s cosmetic physical qualities (such as hair color, skin color, gender) so long as they fall within the normal range for the new form’s species. If you use this spell to disguise the subject as a particular animal, you get a +10 circumstance bonus on your Disguise tjeck (and the casting time of the spell replaces the usual time needed to create a Disguise)
This effect lasts for 1 day per caster level or until dispelled. A magic or attended objects gets a Fortitude save to negate this effect.
This effect can be ended in a number of ways. Break Enchantment, Dispel Magic, Remove Curse, Limited Wish, Miracle, Wish and similar effects all dispel the polymorph. Furthermore, any other [polymorph] effect on the subject can be used to dispel the effect and restore the subject to its original form.
If the transmuted object is slain while in the creature form, it automatically reverts to its normal form (now broken) and the effect of polymorph any object ends with the subject’s death.
Used to change one object into another object:
Polymorph any object can duplicate the effects of fabricate, make whole, stone shape, wood shape, warp wood, or major creation. At the DM’s option, polymorph any object may duplicate similar transmutational spells or have other effects in line with the power level of those spells.
Used to change a creature into an object:
Polymorph any object can be used to change a living creature into an object. The subject gets a Fortitude save to resist this effect. If the save is failed, the subject is changed into an object of your choosing. You may choose to transform the subject into any object within one size category of the subject’s initial size and composed of vegetable matter, stone, crystal and/or base metals. This polymorph takes one full round to take effect, so that a shapechanger or spellcaster may be able to negate the spell via one of the means below before being rendered completely inert.
While in the transmuted form, the subject is mindless and inert. The subject gains all properties of the transmuted item, including, but not limited to: weight, hardness, object hit points, break dc, and usual vulnerabilities of an item of the chosen type.
If the transmuted form is destroyed or broken, the subject dies and the spell ends. If the spell ends by any other means, the subject reverts to the same condition (hit points, health, spells prepared, etc) that he was in when the initial transformation took place. Damage dealt to the transmuted form does not carry over to the original form (unless it was enough damage to break the transmuted form)
You may choose to transform the subject for 1 day per caster level, or you may choose to transform the subject permanently. If you chose to transform the subject permanently, you must set a condition by which the spell may be broken. When the condition is met, the subject reverts to his or her true form. You cannot set a condition that is the same as any of the other means of ending the spell.
This effect can be ended in a number of ways. Break Enchantment, Dispel Magic, Remove Curse, Limited Wish, Miracle, Wish and similar effects all dispel the polymorph. Furthermore, any other [polymorph] effect on the subject (including Alter Self, Wildshape, Alternate Form, or even a second Polymorph any Object) can be used to dispel the effect and restore the subject to its original form. Additionally, breaking the object ends the spell, although it also kills the subject.
Arcane material component: a lump of clay
Greater Polymorph:
Transmutation (Polymorph)
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Close
Target: Any 1 living creature
Duration: 10 min/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates (Harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (Harmless) and See Text
This spell functions like polymorph other, except that:
·You may select up to one ability per caster level, up to a maximum of 30.
·You may select each cumulative option up to 4 times.
·The following additional options listed below are available.
Greater Polymorph additional cumulative options you may select each of these up to four times, bonuses are cumulative with themselves but otherwise stack normally

- Fast Healing: The subject gains fast healing 1/round. If the subject previously had fast healing (from a previous selection of this ability or from another source), its fast healing rate increases by 1/round.
- Spell immunity: The subject becomes immune to one spell of 4th level or lower, as per the spell immunity spell.
- Breath Weapon: The subject gains a (Su) breath weapon which deals 3d6 acid, cold, fire, electric or sonic damage. It effects either a line or cone area appropriate to a dragon of your assumed form’s size (See MM 69). You choose the damage type and area of effect when you select this option. Targets of this breath weapon may make Reflex Saves for half damage, with the save DC equal to 10 + ½ the subject’s hit dice + the subject’s Con modifier.Using this breath weapon is a standard action, and after using this breath weapon, the subject must wait 1d4 rounds before it can use it (or any other breath weapon it has again)Each time you select this option, the damage the breath weapon deals increases by 3d6.
- Damage Reduction: The subject gains damage reduction 1/-. If the subject previously had x/- damage reduction (from a previous selection of this ability or from another source), then its damage reduction increases by another 1/-

Greater Polymorph additional noncumulative options you may only select each of these options once.

- Poison: One of the subject’s natural weapons (or unarmed strikes) now also poisons those he or she strikes with it. This poison deals 1d4 points of temporary Con damage as both initial and secondary damage. The save DC is equal to 10 + ½ the subject’s hit dice + the subject’s Con modifier.
- Paralysis: One of the subject’s natural weapons (or unarmed strikes) now also paralyzes those he or she strike with it for 1d4+1 rounds. Opponents may ignore this effect with a successful Fortitude saving throw. The save DC is equal to 10 + ½ the subject’s hit dice + the subject’s Con modifier.
- Frightful Presence: The subject gains a Frightful presence ability which activates automatically (as a free action) whenever the subject attacks or charges. This ability affects all foes within 30’ of the subject who fail a Will save (DC=10+ ½ subject’s hit dice + subject’s Cha modifier). Foes with fewer hit dice than the subject become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Once a foe has successfully saved against this ability, it cannot be affected by any frightful presence abilities possessed by the subject.Frightful presence is a mind-affecting fear effect.
- Gaseous Form: The subject becomes gaseous and insubstantial, as per the gaseous form spell
- Blindsense 30 ft
- Blindsight 10 ft
- Other DM-Approved Ability. For example, some DM’s may wish this spell to be able to grant the Disease abilities of dire rats, bearded devils and ghouls or the Double Damage Against Object ability of treants. In general, no individual ability granted by this spell should be more powerful than an ability available from a 3rd level spell.

Shapechange:
Transmutation (Polymorph)
Level: Animal 9, Druid 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min/level
You may greater polymorph yourself as a swift action, up to once per round for the duration of shapechange.
"But transportation issues are social-justice issues. The toll of bad transit policies and worse infrastructure—trains and buses that don’t run well and badly serve low-income neighborhoods, vehicular traffic that pollutes the environment and endangers the lives of cyclists and pedestrians—is borne disproportionately by black and brown communities."
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Josh_Kablack
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Josh_Kablack » Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:36 pm

Known issues with these rules:
Currently, their interaction with Wildshape is undefined - that's a biggie.
There are still a couple cut and paste typos lurking in there. If you see any, please point them out.
The duration on Alter Self assumes that you have houseruled a 10 min/level duration on Bull's Strength and similar spells, otherwise Alter Self is significantly better.
Malefic Metamorphosis still opens the door to Awaken and Animal Growth abuse. This has been fixed on the Awaken side in my games.
Malefic Metamorphosis also still allows for stat replacement, but on a very limited scale.
My version of Polymorph Self is objectively better than Tenser's Transformation, despite Tenser's being a level higher - at the very least the material component and spellcasting restriction should be removed from TT if you use these rules.
My version of Polymorph any Object is potentially abusive when conjoined with templates which do not increase hit dice or change type (such as Paragon Creature)
My version of Polymorph any Object can be used to duplicate other spells which are potentially abusive in the RAW. You may wish to houserule on Fabricate and/or other such spells.
"But transportation issues are social-justice issues. The toll of bad transit policies and worse infrastructure—trains and buses that don’t run well and badly serve low-income neighborhoods, vehicular traffic that pollutes the environment and endangers the lives of cyclists and pedestrians—is borne disproportionately by black and brown communities."
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fbmf
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by fbmf » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:24 pm

> Josh_Kablack at [unixtime wrote:1118421407[/unixtime]]Known issues with these rules:
> Currently, their interaction with Wildshape is undefined - that's a biggie.

Do you plan on addressing this at some point?
Game On,
fbmf
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Josh_Kablack
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Josh_Kablack » Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:36 pm

Yes.
Probably about the same time someone plays a Druid in one of my games. My current thoughts on it are to either
A> Ignore it and just use the stopgap "MM Animals only, no templates, no monster advancement, elemental means MM 95-10 only, no Awakening" patch. This sucks as a fix, but damn it's easy to implement.
or
B> give Wildshape its own menu(es) and have wildshape let you pick additional options off of each menu as you go up in level. This is the fix I want, but it will take more time than I have to write up.
or
C> Ditch wildshape entirely and just move the Alter Self at will ability of A Thousand Faces down in level, since my revised Alter Self does most of what Wildshape needs to do. This is the middle ground.
"But transportation issues are social-justice issues. The toll of bad transit policies and worse infrastructure—trains and buses that don’t run well and badly serve low-income neighborhoods, vehicular traffic that pollutes the environment and endangers the lives of cyclists and pedestrians—is borne disproportionately by black and brown communities."
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RandomCasualty
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by RandomCasualty » Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:21 pm

I have to say, this is by far the best polymorph revision I've seen.
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Username17
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Username17 » Fri Jun 10, 2005 11:27 pm

> Josh wrote:Damage Reduction: The subject gains damage reduction 1/-. If the subject previously had x/- damage reduction (from a previous selection of this ability or from another source), then its damage reduction increases by another 1/-

I just want to say that this is absolutely always how it shouldwork under every circumstance. Non-stacking DR is just perplexing and is in all circumstances retarded.
I have yet to ever see a situation in any game in which non-stacking of DR wasn't more ricockulous than stacking DR.
-Username17
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RandomCasualty
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by RandomCasualty » Sat Jun 11, 2005 3:09 pm

Out of the list, this is the only one that struck me as being immediately problematic.

> Josh_Kablack at [unixtime wrote:1118420093[/unixtime]]
> Increased Size: Provides a one-size category increase to your size up to a maximum of Colossal. This modifies your Str, Dex, Con, Natural Armor, AC, Attack, Hide, Reach, Grapple and other statistics. See table 4-2 on MM 291 for details.

This bonus is pretty much hands down better than armored, increased strength, increased con and the reach advantage.
I'd advise just breaking this one up. Size increase alone, with just reach/skills/grapple modification is probably enough. Adding strength and natural armor puts it way out of balance with the rest of the choices.
Also, you may want to consider adding flaws of sorts, where you can get more abilities by taking a disadvantage. Appropriate disadvantages might be stuff like "Reduced magic item slots", "Unable to manipulate weapons and objects" and so forth.
Mainly, this would make animal shifts feel more animal like.
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Josh_Kablack
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Josh_Kablack » Sat Jun 11, 2005 5:53 pm

> RandomCasualty at [unixtime wrote:1118502583[/unixtime]]Out of the list, this is the only one that struck me as being immediately problematic.

> > Josh_Kablack at [unixtime wrote:1118420093[/unixtime]]
> > Increased Size: Provides a one-size category increase to your size up to a maximum of Colossal. This modifies your Str, Dex, Con, Natural Armor, AC, Attack, Hide, Reach, Grapple and other statistics. See table 4-2 on MM 291 for details.

> This bonus is pretty much hands down better than armored, increased strength, increased con and the reach advantage.

Yeah, I strongly considered making it a half a size category per selection, but decided that using partial selections introduced too much additional complexity.
Maybe I could try basing it off of Enlarge Person, where the Str gain is more reasonable?

> Also, you may want to consider adding flaws of sorts, where you can get more abilities by taking a disadvantage. Appropriate disadvantages might be stuff like "Reduced magic item slots", "Unable to manipulate weapons and objects" and so forth.
> Mainly, this would make animal shifts feel more animal like.

Thanks for inadvertantly pointing out that I left the (D) off of the duration.
But again, I have to think that doing anything like that would introduce more complexity than I am willing to accept.
If I wanted to parcel out drawbacks, they would be wholecloth on the spell and not pick-and-choose the ones which don't matter to you right now - that would be a lot like just giving more options with the spell.
"But transportation issues are social-justice issues. The toll of bad transit policies and worse infrastructure—trains and buses that don’t run well and badly serve low-income neighborhoods, vehicular traffic that pollutes the environment and endangers the lives of cyclists and pedestrians—is borne disproportionately by black and brown communities."
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Username17 » Sat Jun 11, 2005 6:00 pm

> Josh wrote:Maybe I could try basing it off of Enlarge Person, where the Str gain is more reasonable?

By "reasonable" you mean "almost everyone collapses under the weight of their own clothing"?
Size increases are a huge problem in D&D, because there's just no way in the current system for people to have a realistic amount of strength for a big creature without just plain breaking the game. It's a linear scale, and people having edge case human strength is already problematic. Anything more than that (which you need just to walk at 20 feet tall) is ungamebalancing in the extreme.
Size changes probably just shouldn't happen unless and until the game system gets a Champions-like strength scale in which people can go ahead and lift a couple tonnes without the game falling apart.
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RandomCasualty
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by RandomCasualty » Sun Jun 12, 2005 3:13 am

> Josh_Kablack at [unixtime wrote:1118512384[/unixtime]]
> Maybe I could try basing it off of Enlarge Person, where the Str gain is more reasonable?

Yeah that wouldn't be too bad. Honestly I could live with the problem of worrying about stuff not being able to carry it's encumbrance and all. That inconsistency is a lot more favorable than a combat stat balance problem IMO.
And I suppose if you wanted to deal with the carrying capacity problem you can just say something like "increase strength by +8 for purposes of determining carrying/lifting capacity only."
Really though, I wouldn't worry about it. It's one of those things that you can totally handwave away and not care. It is magic, so there's no reason your equipment has to increase in weight at all.
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Crissa » Sun Jun 19, 2005 8:51 am

Size increase for encumberance use has a multiplier in the Player's Handbook; that's better to use than a numberical increase in strength.
That way the number from the Strength stat refers to combat-usable strength, and does not lead to balancing issues.
Also note that going from two legs to flying or quardupedal halves or doubles the encumberance score.
It's just simpler than Enlarge, which just plain makes no sense.
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by User3 » Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:51 pm

Is Darkvison so good you have to limit it to only 30' for the whole chain? I would put it in the Cumulative Options since you can't pick the same one twice for alter self, and picking it twice (60') at 9th caster level or 4 times (120') at 15th isn't even exciting, Superior darkvision is line of sight and is a 4th level spell...
-Maybeso
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Josh_Kablack
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### Re: Josh's Polymorph Houserules

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Post by Josh_Kablack » Tue Jul 19, 2005 2:23 am

> Guest (Unregistered) at [unixtime wrote:1121385107[/unixtime]]Is Darkvison so good you have to limit it to only 30' for the whole chain?

No.
It was just easier to write all the unusual senses as binary rather than scaling. I mean, writing the extra
"or the range of existing darkvsion (either innately or from a prior selection of this ability) increases by 30 feet" was just too hard for me to do.
Plus I didn't want Alter Self to give you everything Darkvision did plus more when they're both 2nd level spells and then I totally cut and pasted.
"But transportation issues are social-justice issues. The toll of bad transit policies and worse infrastructure—trains and buses that don’t run well and badly serve low-income neighborhoods, vehicular traffic that pollutes the environment and endangers the lives of cyclists and pedestrians—is borne disproportionately by black and brown communities."
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