shapechange casting limitation?

[ken-do-nim]

I had been under the assumption that shapechange was a broken spell because it allows the caster to assume a form much more powerful than their normal one yet still cast spells. Then I read the natural spell feat and now I'm not so sure.

For instance, one of the "broken" forms is a choaker. 2 standard actions per round, allowing your shapechanged wizard to cast 2 spells per round. Or would the caster need a feat similar to natural spell, but applicable while polymorphed?

I have yet to see the shapechange spell used in third edition, so I'd like to know how to rule this. I suppose it applies equally to polymorph self. If a wizard polymorphs into a griffon, can they cast spells or not? What happens to a wizard's spell component pouch? Can they only cast spells without material components? If so, the eschew materials feat just got better.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Natural Spell only applies to Wild Shape.

If a caster wants to Polymorph into something and cast spells he still has to fulfil the somatic, verbal, material and focus requirements, either by being in a form that allows it or using feats to meet them.

Chokers can speak and can probably meet the somatic requirements with their tentacles. If the DM rules against using the tentacles for somatic gestures the spellcaster would have to take Still Spell, use items or refrain from spells with somatic components.

[ken-do-nim]

Natural Spell only applies to Wild Shape.

If a caster wants to Polymorph into something and cast spells he still has to fulfil the somatic, verbal, material and focus requirements, either by being in a form that allows it or using feats to meet them.

Chokers can speak and can probably meet the somatic requirements with their tentacles. If the DM rules against using the tentacles for somatic gestures the spellcaster would have to take Still Spell, use items or refrain from spells with somatic components.

One could argue that natural spell is unnecessary if the DM allows it, because animals can make sounds and they certainly have arms & claws & paws & what not, which are just as good as tentacles.

Right, so I guess it's all up to the DM then. Let me throw out my favorite shapechange forms from the DMG, and people can reply and say what they think about the spellcasting prospects:
pit fiend
balor
trumpet archon
ghaele eladrin
leonal
choker (already covered)
iron golem
dragon (as old as possible) - this also will cover the PHII dragonshape spell
troll - this also will cover the PHII trollshape spell

Then there's the spell components question. I guess you could always toss your pouch to the ground so that it doesn't change with you, and provided you have a hand capable of picking it back up, reaching in and grabbing the ones you'd need you'd be all set. From the list above, I guess maybe the trumpet archon and ghaele eladrin would be the only one.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Rule of thumb: Anything that can hold and attack with a manufactured weapon can also meet somatic requirements.

With respect to spell components remember that:



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. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form.