Polymorph, Wild Shape and Shapechange, oh my! (comparison charts)

[Surreal]

One of the things I dislike most about polymorph and its kin (aside from the fact that it's huge amounts of bookkeeping and skews game balance) is trying to keep track of what changes and what doesn't. So I procrastinated from work this morning and whipped up a chart comparing alter self/polymorph/shape change/alternate form/change shape/wild shape. Tables below, pdf and spreadsheet files at the end.

Enjoy.












p.s. let me know if there are any mistakes

[Surreal]

These are the same images as above. I just uploaded them to the second post, that's all.
#1: Alter Self/Polymorph/Shapechange
#2: Change Shape/Alter Self/Wild Shape
#3: Metamorphosis/Metamorphosis (for objects)/Greater Metamorphosis


edit: I've deleted the spreadsheet attachments; they were all corrupted for some reason.

[awaken DM golem]

Sweet.
My impression of Metamophosis is that it's similar enough to Polymorph, to ignore any attempt at translation.
But I might be wrong on tinsy specifics.

[woodenbandman]

it's called Natural Spell you twit!

[Lycanthromancer]

Metamorphosis does do several things differently than polymorph, although it does give you most of the same benefits.

A.) It affects even undead or construct creatures (ie, nonliving ones). Polymorph only affects living critters. However, it can only affect you, feats, items, and special abilities notwithstanding.

B.) You can turn into an object.

C.) It doesn't affect your ability to manifest/cast unless you're in object form. Polymorph sometimes makes casting almost impossible.

D.) Due to the wording of alter self and how it's referenced in polymorph, you cannot take a form greater than one size larger or smaller than your own. Metamorphosis has no such restrictions.

E.) Polymorph allows ectoplasmic forms. This means that, unlike metamorphosis, you can, ironically, polymorph into [living] astral construct forms (assuming you're a living construct, anyway).

F.) And I believe that's it.

[Surreal]

Updated the files with metamorphosis and gr.metamorphosis, and fixed a couple errors. I also put up an excel version.

Can anyone tell me an easy way to format these so they can be posted directly to the board? I tried attaching images to the second post, but it didn't work the way I wanted to (bleh, I suppose I could upload to imageshack or something...)

[Lycanthromancer]

Oh, and metamorphosis remains unaffected by polymorph errata. Which means your hp do change when your Con score does, among other things.

[Lycanthromancer]

Also, greater metamorphosis doesn't require a focus or component (except for XP).

Question: you gain type and subtypes for many of the abilities mentioned, but most of them don't grant Ex qualities that aren't attacks.

So, do you gain the special qualities granted by the type and subtype? Such as the ability to breathe water for [aquatic] critters, or fire vulnerability for [cold] critters? Otherwise, there's no point whatsoever.

[CannibalSmith]

Updated the files with metamorphosis and gr.metamorphosis, and fixed a couple errors. I also put up an excel version.

Can anyone tell me an easy way to format these so they can be posted directly to the board? I tried attaching images to the second post, but it didn't work the way I wanted to (bleh, I suppose I could upload to imageshack or something...)

Code: [Select]

[img]http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3479.0;attach=725;image[/img]turns into

[awaken DM golem]

My impression of Metamophosis is that it's similar enough to Polymorph, to ignore any attempt at translation.
But I might be wrong on tinsy specifics.

Oops.

YOU DAMN DIRTY (polymorphed) APE !!

[Surreal]

Made a few updates, fixed up the first page with images. Ding!

[Kuroimaken]

Surreal, what about Polymorph any object? Could you elaborate a table for that too?

[Surreal]

I kind of figured PaO was in a class of its own. I'm not really sure how I can fit it into a table. If you're going creature to creature, then you just replace your original creature stat block except you retain your original wisdom and charisma.

[Operation Shoestring]

Do your Soulmelds remain functional during wildshape/polymorph/shapechange?

[Surreal]

They should, unless you no longer have that particular body part to which they were assigned/bound.

[Brainpiercing]

There's yet MORE trouble with transmutation effects I came across yesterday: It's the "Humanoid Shape" invocation of the DFA.

Why is it trouble? Because it's not like Alter Self, it's like the Change Shape supernatural ability. And that doesn't specify class features at all. So what does that do, really?

[Surreal]

You only lose the special Ex attacks of your original form. You should retain all class features.

[Brainpiercing]

You only lose the special Ex attacks of your original form. You should retain all class features.

That's the way I understood it, but what about Breath weapons? It explicitly says you lose Breathweapons. I also take that to mean those from my original form, and not those from class features, but is there any explicit or implicit rule about that?

[PhaedrusXY]

D.) Due to the wording of alter self and how it's referenced in polymorph, you cannot take a form greater than one size larger or smaller than your own. Metamorphosis has no such restrictions.

That's pretty debatable, actually. I think the restrictions might be lifted, per the way Polymorph is worded, and that's the interpretation that has been taken in the two Polymorph threads, also.

, nor can you cause a subject to assume an incorporeal or gaseous form.

The underlined part is a size restriction. It could be argued that that replaces the size restrictions from Alter Self, although technically you could enforce both, I guess.

It's also nonsensical, as there is no size smaller than Fine in D&D...

[Operation Shoestring]

It's also nonsensical, as there is no size smaller than Fine in D&D...

It's to prevent "i turn into an e coli bacterium" nonsense.  Believe me, people would try it otherwise.