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Scalenex
2007-01-02, 10:51 PM
So how do clothes fit into Polymorph? It was not mentioned in the SRD either way. Would clothes change with the polymorphed individual.

Example one, a human druid turns into a dire bear

a) the druid's clothes disappear when he changes and come back when he changes back to human

b) his clothes rip when he grows into his new form and he turns back naked (or wearing tatters)

Example two, a silver dragon takes the form of a human woman.

a) the dragon shows up appropriately clothed for the vocation and status of the identity she wishes to assume.

b) the dragon takes the form of a naked woman, which may or may not benefit from the dragon's fairly high charisma.

Example three, an elf is hit by a baleful polymorph spell and turned into a small lizard

a) the clothes disappear and the lizard is standing where the elf used to be

b) the lizard is buried in a pile of elf clothes.

Skyserpent
2007-01-02, 11:01 PM
Depends on the nature of the game. If it's an innocent happy and heroic game, chances are clothes go with outfits. If it's more random and laughter based, whatever ends up being the most inconvenient for players.

TheOOB
2007-01-02, 11:02 PM
If the spell or ability does not specifically mention what happens to clothing and items worn then nothing happens. If your clothing and items don't fit on your new form, then they either fall off or break, depending on the nature of the item and the nature of your new form.

Shazzbaa
2007-01-02, 11:03 PM
Well, polymorph is based on the spell Alter Self, and in my PHB, Alter Self has this to say:

When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When you revert to your true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms at the time of reversion are still held in the same way.

So I'd say,

Scenario one: (A) the clothing that he can't effectively wear melds into his form and becomes non-functional, effectively disappearing. He'll have it again when he changes back.

Scenario two: (B) by raw, but she'd probably have clothes for the occasion.

Scenario three: (A) the clothing, once again, melds into his new form, as per scenario one.

Scalenex
2007-01-02, 11:06 PM
It was brought to my attention that Polymorph referenced the Alter Self spell so I should have checked that first. It covers the safe absorbtion of old clothes and equipment but not the formation of new equipment.

Baleful polymorph says that the targets equipment all stays as is so the lizard would be in a pile of elf clothes.

Okay my bad, I should have read more carefully. Though my basic question remains valid that there are some abiguities.

Also the polymorph spells are inconsistent. I like the idea of going with the mood of the game but I'd be afraid to reenge on it.

I like the idea of not having the clothes work to match the form. I have a friendly but naive NPC dragon that hangs out with the party that might make the faux paus of showing up in a village naked but I also have shape changing villains I wouldn't want to be hampered in sneaking around and form changing alot.

EDIT: Long and short of it, the rules are fairly clear on people becoming animals/monsters but not on monsters/animals becoming people because equipment melding into a new form is one thing but gaining new clothes and equipment is not spelled out.

Shazzbaa
2007-01-02, 11:15 PM
...You could use disguise self to give the appearance of the proper outfit, then, if you didn't want to worry about donning and doffing clothing all day long.
Polymorph doesn't say you can make clothes, and it says that any clothing you put on in a new form falls off when you transform back, so it seems pretty clear to me that you don't get new clothing. I seem to specifically remember the dragon example being given somewhere (that they would be nude, but probably would have appropriate clothing for such an occasion), but I can't for the life of me figure out where.

...I can't find where it says in Baleful Polymorph that your equipment doesn't change. We're using 3.5, right?