Registered Member #511
Joined: 3:04:01 pm GMT 05/03/05
Posts: 542
Now the Polymorph spell in the DND books read as such: this spell functions like alter self, except that you change the willing subject into another form of living creature. The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin.
These are just a few questions I have about Polymorph self in an RPing sense.
1. Could you RP that you have Polymorph yourself into another PC or NPC, creating the perfect disguise?
2. If you turned into a fey could you RP that you could fly to other places on the island?
3. Why don't morphed fey forms move faster then regular character? (I ask this because I have a fey as a familiar and it can move as fast as a hasted character and also because if you are morphed into a fey all you can really do is run away. )
4. Why don't hostile creatures treat a morphed PC as they would any other creature of that type? (A zombie wouldn't attack a zombie; a troll wouldn't attack a troll, etc.)
5. Why would a polymorph into a fey cause guards to become hostile to it? (My fey familiar as been around the guards and peasants without anyone saying a thing about it and last I checked feys aren't naturally considered "evil creatures." )
Just some things I was wondering about, be gentle.
Registered Member #302
Joined: 12:14:08 am GMT 10/18/04
Posts: 348
Vakal was actually using the spell 'alter self' which I admitedly came up on a whim and didn't think it all the way though. I probably should have stated the spell that he used exactly but I was pretty busy this week and didn't get the time to fit it in just how I liked.
But to answer your question it doesn't create a perfect disguise because if I recall a true sight spell reveals the illusion and that alone would stop it.
In the post I had Vakal draw his cloak around his face due to him recognising the true sight on Zach and thus made the attempt to hide his identity beefore Zach got to close.
//edited to add to the last sentence//
[ Edited 09:16:07 AM 09/02/05 ]
Registered Member #5
Joined: 6:48:49 pm GMT 02/16/04
Posts: 4184
Jcd-Jmg_Hml wrote ...
1. Could you RP that you have Polymorph yourself into another PC or NPC, creating the perfect disguise?
Don't the same D&D books also say that polymorph self only gives a +10 to disguise checks? I can't read them at work so need to check. You have the same form as the other creature, but not necessarily all the mannerisms and knowledge that would pass you off as naturally of that form.
jj wrote ...
2. If you turned into a fey could you RP that you could fly to other places on the island?
You could RP flying to places already accessible, but lots of horrible things would break if you said you could fly to otherwise unaccessable areas.
jj wrote ... 3. Why don't morphed fey forms move faster then regular character? (I ask this because I have a fey as a familiar and it can move as fast as a hasted character and also because if you are morphed into a fey all you can really do is run away. )
What's the movement rate of fey? Again I'd need to check the books. But if it helps, NWN does away with different movement rates for most things racial, for purely gameplay reasons (otherwise gnomes and halflings would be slower than humans etc.) Hmm.. but as fey familiar move fast.. good point. I expect it's probably related to the code of what happened when you polymorph - not all that many changes really happen, it's more like a layer ontop of your normal character, but something we could look at.
jj wrote ... 4. Why don't hostile creatures treat a morphed PC as they would any other creature of that type? (A zombie wouldn't attack a zombie; a troll wouldn't attack a troll, etc.)
Poisonwood elves attack feywood elves, razorfang humans attack bloodguard humans. There's more than just race at play here, there's social groups, alignment and hostility to consider.
jj wrote ... 5. Why would a polymorph into a fey cause guards to become hostile to it? (My fey familiar as been around the guards and peasants without anyone saying a thing about it and last I checked feys aren't naturally considered "evil creatures." )
Because the code doesn't distinguish between 'friendly' shapeshifted forms and 'unfriendly' ones. Not sure how easy it is to check that kind of thing, but maybe something worth considering if it's not much effort. [ Edited 09:36:30 AM 09/02/05 ][ Edited 09:40:35 AM 09/02/05 ]
Registered Member #511
Joined: 3:04:01 pm GMT 05/03/05
Posts: 542
Thank you kalniel and I had forgotten about True Seeing Jaded. The most important thing I wanted to know is if it was ok to RP polymorph as a disguise beyond the five choosable types. Basically for spying and/or hidding out somewhere that you know well enought that you could easily fit in, provided you did your research before hand.
FEAR the Moorhen of Death (tm). Registered Member #26
Joined: 4:31:20 pm GMT 02/25/04
Posts: 3209
To be honest, I'm not sure that is okay unless it's okay with any and all other players involved. How is someone supposed to know that you're pretending to be polymorphed into, say, a penguin, when you actually look like an umber hulk?
This is the sort of thing that needs to be decided on a case-by-case basis with those involved, really - and in general, even if others were ok with it, I think NWN game mechanics do rather restrict it happening, because, quite simply, people can only react to what they see.
Registered Member #345
Joined: 2:28:49 am GMT 11/25/04
Posts: 1954
jj wrote ... 3. Why don't morphed fey forms move faster then regular character? (I ask this because I have a fey as a familiar and it can move as fast as a hasted character and also because if you are morphed into a fey all you can really do is run away. )
Kal wrote ... What's the movement rate of fey? Again I'd need to check the books. But if it helps, NWN does away with different movement rates for most things racial, for purely gameplay reasons (otherwise gnomes and halflings would be slower than humans etc.) Hmm.. but as fey familiar move fast.. good point. I expect it's probably related to the code of what happened when you polymorph - not all that many changes really happen, it's more like a layer ontop of your normal character, but something we could look at.
I'm pretty sure you do move faster as a Fey. At least I've had that impression the few times I've cast the spell. Though when you stealth as a Fey, you're movement is the same as if you were stealthed in your standard form.
Oh, and when Gaelwyn turns into a Fey I RP the fact that he is still male... silly graphics making him wear a dress! Next thing you know, he'll be going around collecting teeth, or something.
Oh yeah... that reminds me... I need to cross Hammersong bridge repeatedly in Fey form... I'm curious to see what a Fey looks like when they trip.
Registered Member #198
Joined: 6:30:40 pm GMT 08/02/04
Posts: 2228
Vaedryan wrote ... Oh, and when Gaelwyn turns into a Fey I RP the fact that he is still male... silly graphics making him wear a dress! Next thing you know, he'll be going around collecting teeth, or something.
Or hanging out in the Blue Oyster club.
On another note, I agree with Yas. You would have to have a constant macro of "((NOT AN UMBERHULK, I AM A CUTE LITTLE BUNNY THAT IS TWO FEET HIGH. YES I KNOW IT IS NOT LITTLE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN))" which just distracts from RP.
If I see a basilisk, its a basilisk. Cathe kills basilisks. If I see an umberhulk, its an umberhulk. Again, Cathe kills umberhulks. Did I mention I treat polymorph, shapechange and shifters as MPCs?
Registered Member #511
Joined: 3:04:01 pm GMT 05/03/05
Posts: 542
I agree that it would be difficult to make someone understand: Big Bug = cute bunny.
It is just a little something I have been thinking about. The five types kind of work if you do it right. For instances, small woodlen creature you would repersent as a fey, disguising yourself as another PC (or simply NPC if PC is going to far) would be repersented by being a zombie, etc.
[ The Island of Thain ]
Examining Polymorphself
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