Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Bard Tells All 10-31-05, 06:16 PM	I understand how the spell alters a PC into another type of character, but a question came up and I thought I would pass this on to all DM's: The bard in the party has taken Alter Self, he fell off the ship and into the water and then said, "I alter myself to grow gills, so I can breath under the water." He also thought he could just grow "wings" and fly. Are either really possible? I thought it was a "creature" type, but I ruled he could do it until I found out what other DM's ruled. My "understanding" of the spell is it "shouldn't" work, but I've been wrong plenty of times and I don't want to make a ruling that would hurt the PC's. Thank you in advance!
scott644 10-31-05, 07:02 PM	Best resource is the SRD: You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. I'd say it's safe to categorize gills and the ability to breathe water in this category - wings are a given. The primery limitation here is: You assume the form of a creature of the same type as your normal form. So you'll need to come up with a basically humanoid form (assuming the PC is humanoid) that has similar qualities to what is sought. In this case, a Raptoran for wings or pretty much any aquatic species for gills. In other words, your player's using the spell correctly. Just be sure to make them stick within the correct uses.
Slumbersigh 10-31-05, 08:55 PM	If I could cast an Alter Self spell, I would change who I am, my flaws. This thing inside me that led to that terrible, terrible night that changed my life forever. May Jesus Christ forgive what I did.
StormCrow42 10-31-05, 09:36 PM	In the MM there are three races that are both humanoid (as I assume your character is) and aquatic (so they can swim and breath water). They are the Locathah, the Merfolk, and the Aquatic Elf. Any of them are suitable to gain a swim speed and waterbreathing with Alter Self. Wings are more difficult, I can't find any winged human races in any of the three Monster Manuals or Fiend Folio. The raptorians from Races of the Wild might qualify, but they don't actually get flight right off the bat, so I probably wouldn't let that work either.
The Bard Tells All 10-31-05, 10:10 PM	The "wings" were my problem the most. He's a gnome and he thought he could just produce wings, since he's "altering" himself. I thought he had to be a specific type of humanoid. Same with breathing in the water, but at least I found those 3 mentioned in the MM. I appreciate the replies.
olshanski_home 10-31-05, 10:32 PM	The spell would have been better written if it just gave some defaults: Lets you grow wings and fly at 10' OR Legs you grow gills and breathe underwater OR lets you grow extra limbs so you can cast spells while wielding 2 handed weapon and shield. OR lets you grow extra legs so your speed increases by 10 and you get stability bonus VS trip. OR Lets you grow scales for +4 natural armor. Or something along those lines.
allenchan 10-31-05, 10:34 PM	Avariels from Races of Faerun are humanoids who have a flight speed