Old School Polymorph Other?

[Tarlek Flamehai]

So I was reflecting back on the early days of AD&D and considering the changes in spell effects, and I got to thinking about Polymorph Other. In those days the spell was permanent and had a chance to kill the target (and another chance if dispelled); it also had a chance to alter the targets mind and alignment to match the new form.

That would actually be an awesome plot hook. So other than DM fiat, how would I change the target's mind and alignment to match it's new form in 3.5edition?

[Brookshw]

Will saves vs. Alignment change and mental stat change. Daily saves, perhaps with increasingly difficult dcs as the original is slowly lost.

For example, LG character is polymorphed in to a umber hulk. Each day it makes a save. First time it fails, it loses one point in each mental stat until they reach the new creatures stats (or gains a point depending). Same with alignment, going from, say LG to CE, first fail, LN, second, TN, third, CN, fourth, CE.

[Duke of Urrel]

What you propose sounds like an expansion of the Baleful Polymorph spell, one which would allow target forms of various sizes and creature types, instead of only small Animals.

The description of the Baleful Polymorph spell includes the following:

"If the subject remains in the assumed form for 24 consecutive hours, it must attempt a Will save. If this save fails, the subject loses its ability to understand language, as well as all other memories of its previous form, and its Hit Dice and Hit Points change to match an average creature of its assumed form. These abilities and statistics return to normal if the effect is later ended."

Suppose we create a higher-level version of the Baleful Polymorph spell and you fail your saving throw against it. If the target form belongs to a species with an invariable alignment that differs from yours, a process of alignment change like the one Brookshw described would be set in motion.

[Petrocorus]

As far as i remember, Baleful Polymorph is a nerf of Polymorph Other, which was considered as too powerful and quite complicated. I don't remember that Baleful Polymorph existed in 2nd Ed.

But if you do use it. I think was several saves before the actual personality change.