This is not in direct response to anything that might have been said already here; so I apologize in advance if I'm stepping on toes here:Humanoids, Monstrous Humanoids, Giants, most Fey, a few Aberrations (Elan, Illithid, umm...), most Outsiders and a few other creatures are all shaped the damned same. Why can I alter self into a goblin but not a bugbear or an elan? The humanoid shape should be a subtype, and make Humanoids into People, and Monstrous Humanoids into Monsters. Anything referring to the humanoid type for polymorphic purposes gets those expanded options.
I'd prefer changing the text for
alter self to read much like the change shape special quality, but reference number of limbs rather than creature type, thusly:
What I really see as 'brokded' about the polymorph line of spells is that they offer many options for buffing that are covered by other spells: NA (
barkskin), Stat modification (
bull's strength,
cat's grace), and movement options (
waterbreathing, fly). I'd rather see
polymorph, or at least
alter self, as not a buffing spell, but as a disguise and utility spell.
As I've rewritten
alter self, I could change into a wolf or dire wolf shape, a succubus shape, a medium or large snake shape, or an octopus (its head is its body, so eight limbs (head, tail, 2 arms, 2 legs, +2 for the spell). Other than disguise, natural weapons (up to one on each limb, so up to 8 secondary attacks, at -5 to hit unless you take the multiattack feat), and movement options, I get zilch. Nada. But I don't lose what I've already got unless I don't have the right parts. That came out wrong. Good.
Whaddaya all think?