Plant Body Question

[backpackjack]

I was just reading over the Druid 5 spell Plant Body from the Spell Compendium (159). Cool spell. Quite handy, actually. The general idea of this spell is that you get some of the benefits of being a plant creature and, according to the flavor text, end up looking something like a shambling mound. Fair enough.

It's a nice spell because it gives you immunity to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, etc., just like a plant. That part of the description is straightforward. Unfortunately, it goes on to say, in part, "(although your new form might make it difficult or impossible for you to use certain skills or feats)." What the heck is that supposed to mean?

[Marnath]

Well, if you're a shambling mound, you won't be doing much climbing, and you might be too clumsy to jump or tumble. You probably can't Perform(sing) without a mouth either. Things like that.

[backpackjack]

The problem is that the description which suggests shambling mound looks much more like flavor text. But even if it is true that you become some shambling mound-like creature, it's difficult to know how to apply it to creatures that move, fight, sense, etc. quite differently than a shambling mound.

Myself, I'm thinking that it's just fine for a fifth level spell to turn your body green and mossy, give you the benefits of being a plant, but not screw up gaming because of the vague descriptions of some amorphous limitations. I don't know.

[bloodtide]

Having your body look like a plant, will effect all your Charisma type skills. You won't have a good chance of sweet talking the princess while your a salad. So you can't much use skills like diplomacy. The same way the guard will be harder to bluff as you look like a plant monster. And an animal might not react well either for handle animal.

{Scrubbed}

[backpackjack]

{Scrubbed the original, scrub the quotes too.}

There's no need to try to be a pizzle, bloodtide; you only sully good advice (your apt comments about diplomacy) and your reputation on these boards with unnecessary remarks like the above.

I'd recommend in the future reading, thinking, and then commenting constructively in place of useless and misguided assumptions about players you don't know. That said, I'm not interested in breaking any spell, but rather interested in how others who've considered this spell think about getting around its less than clear verbiage.

Please, bloodtide, don't bother responding unless you've got something constructive to say. I'd still welcome suggestions about how to think about applying this spell given its awkward description.

[Marnath]

Aside from the vitriol, bloodtide has a good point. You would probably take penalties to CHA skills. Druids who can make the spellcraft check to know it's a spell effect probably will treat your CHA score as normal however. Druidic brotherhood, and all that.