Interestingly enough, you could, in theory, pull this off with a character who starts out human (for the bonus feat) from the South (so you can take Southern Magician for later use for Theurge prestige classes), as long as you start as an ECL 4 character. This makes assumptions that you have the full amount of gp for that WBL character from the start of his 1st lvl (or prior to even), and you can use the flaws from Unearthed Arcana.
But I digress...
The point, in the build, was to use PaO to turn into a Beholder so you could take lvls in the prestige class Beholder Mage. I was intrigued so I looked more closely at PaO, which I've never bothered to do before. Obviously, one of the more ambiguous spells, not only because instead of explicitly restating exactly what it does, it uses the famous "...as XXXX, except as noted here." lines, referring to Polymorph.
For all intents and purposes, as far as I can see, PaO simply allows the target to gain the Intelligence of the new form, along with being able to assume a wider variety of forms. However, nothing in its description seems to counter the limitations from the original Polymorph spell, specifically: the new form can not have more HD than the caster has levels or than the target has HD, AND the target does not gain the Extraordinary "Special Qualities" of the new form, nor its Supernatural abilities (it does gain the Extraordinary attack forms, however).
So, first question regards the HD limitation:
How the heck does that work anyway?! What if I want to PaO a bunch of rocks into alligators (albeit for a short period of time)? Don't they gain the HD of the creature? Or do they become 0 HD versions that die instantly? Or do they become 1 HD versions that are useless?
It would seem, based on the intent (uh oh, going into that RAW vs. RAI stuff...) of the spell, you should be able to polymorph objects, which don't have HD, into things that could have HD, hence breaking the limit for the new form based on HD of the target.
In addition, it seems odd that they would gain HD (and, theoretically, anything that went with gaining those HDs) if they can simply be dispelled back to their normal shape, as this would overly complicate certain transformations, not to mention suddenly giving increased BAB, Hps, and Saves.
So, is it possible for someone to pay, as a first level commoner or whatever that just happens to have enough money to get a one time casting, for a city wizard to cast this on him and turn into something that usually has many HD (i.e.: a Beholder)?
This then brings me to my second question, which regards the Extraordinary Special Qualities:
Assuming the first part was possible, and I became a beholder, I'm gonna be dog food based on the limitations of the spell regarding gaining the Extraordinary Special Qualities. Granted, large amounts of dog food, but dog food none the less. This would be because I don't gain the following things from a beholder, which are generally considered Extraordinary Special Qualities: Flight, All Around Vision, and, possibly, Natural Armor.
Now, for the Natural Armor, I could make the argument that my skin, even my whole body, is now that of a beholder's. However, if that was a reasonable argument to gain NA, then wouldn't that also be a reasonable argument for gaining their Fly and All Around Vision abilities? Don't I have their "naturally" boyant organs/body? Don't I have 11 eyes, with 10 of them being on eye stalks that I can manipulate to look in every direction?
One might even say that the former two are ok, but the eye thing is an issue because you don't have the means of dealing with the information from all of those eyes at once, unlike a natural beholder. But isn't that simply how it's brain works? Which, by all accounts of the PaO and from the ability of gaining the new form's intelligence, the target now has?
So, am I a giant 8' diameter meet sack with lots of eyes that can't fly and has poor AC who can't even rotate to see behind him in case of a sneak attacker because apparently his extra eyes, despite being able to face that way, can't let him see?
Or does PaO, again, somehow over-ride this limitation from the original Polymorph spell?
In the first question, I can kind of see how the intent may correct that limitation. I can also see Shapechange as the ultimate in polymorphing as it gives you everything of the new form, including Supernatural abilities. But does that possibly mean that PaO is meant as an intermediary so it can not only turn you into many more forms than the base Polymorph spell, but also is meant to give you their Extraordinary Special Qualities, just not their Supernatural abilities, with Shapechange being the next step up, hence one spell level higher?
I am confused on this on many levels, and I would love to understand what people are thinking when they suggest using PaO to circumvent/meet certain prerequisites. They seem to take a lot "for granted" without really looking at the rules/words used, going off "half-cocked" as it were. And these are people who are not "new" to the PO/TO concepts and discussions. This is what makes me think "what am I missing that they know about this".
The RAW of polymorph any object has all the HD-related problems you mention. For RAI, these excerpts from the FAQ gives you a decent idea how it's supposed to work.
What properties of polymorph are inherited for the spell polymorph any object (PH 263)? The guidelines suggest that it overrides the normal rules for creature type (an object isn’t any type of creature) and Hit Die limits (turning a pebble into a human or a shrew into a manticore, for example), but the spell doesn’t explicitly describe the changes.You correctly note that polymorph any object isn’t as clear as it could be. The intent of the spell, however, becomes clear by reading the accompanying charts. Polymorph any object retains all the limitations of polymorph except as follows:
- It can affect an object, and also adds “object” to the list of new forms allowed. It doesn’t add any more eligible creature types for the new form (you can’t use polymorph any object to assume the form of a construct, elemental, outsider, or undead).
- The assumed form still can’t have more Hit Dice than your caster level (to a maximum of 15 HD at 15th level), but the secondary limit of the subject’s original HD doesn’t apply. A pebble (with no HD) or a lizard (with 1 HD) can be transformed into any form whose HD don’t exceed 15 or the caster’s level, whichever is lower. (Arguably, polymorph any object should have a higher HD cap than polymorph, but that’s not how the spell is written.) The new form can even have no HD at all (as in the case of a creature polymorphed into an object).
If I use polymorph* to turn a target into a 1-HD humanoid (such as an elf or an orc), what class (and level) is it and how are its feats and skill points arranged?Normally, a target retains its class and levels (i.e., Hit Dice) when transformed by polymorph*. An ogre transformed into an orc still has 4 HD and doesn’t gain any class levels (although he retains any he had). This is true in all cases except when the new form is an object (which obviously can’t have HD or class levels).
Now, if the target of the spell has no class levels (or HD), such as an object affected by polymorph any object, the Sage recommends that the new form be treated as a 1st-level commoner, with feats and skills chosen by the DM.
*The question and answer uses “polymorph” to refer specifically to spells that rely on the polymorph or alter self spell to adjudicate their effect (including alter self, polymorph, polymorph any object, and shapechange), psionic powers based on the metamorphosis power (including metamorphosis and greater metamorphosis), and any other effect based on either of these lists.
Natural armor is never listed as a special quality, and is among the things explicitly granted by alter self. Alter self is the base spell for polymorph (and thus for polymorph any object) and also doesn't grant special qualities. I can't see an interpretation where you don't gain natural armor.
Alter self grants flight if it is based on wings. A beholder's flight isn't, and there's nothing else in the spells that would cause you to get it. So, you're stuck with the 5-foot land speed listed for beholders.
You don't gain all-around vision or darkvision. If beholders had low-light vision, you wouldn't gain that either. I don't know why it's designed that way, but polymorphing into something doesn't give you its sensory abilities.
Good for the Natural Armor too. I was wondering how Alter Form might come into play, and that makes sense.
Still, don't get the views, but I don't feel bad about that. What I feel bad about is my 5 foot hop capability (at least I get that, totally missed it in the stat block) for movement.
At least with my Assume Supernatural Ability x2 for Antimagic Cone and Eye Rays, I can keep dogs from killing me. Now if only I could get my spot and listen checks up high enough to notice them before they kill me.
Another quick question: I assume I don't get any of the racial traits, correct? For instance, if they had a +4 racial bonus to some skill(s), I wouldn't get that, correct?