What are the limits of alter self?

[Rfkannen]

So I was thinking about the alter self ability and had some questions.

For example lets say I have a teifling sorcerrer. What could I turn into? It says general shape but that is not that well defined. Dwarves are also medium but they look completly diffrent. Could I turn into a wererat? A mind flayer?

With the diffrent natural weapon of your choice. Lets say im a multiclass monk wizard. If I grew claws could I still punch people? What are the limits, could I get huge claws like a bone claw? Could I get mind flayer tentacles?


Could I cast it three times and get all three effects? Or would they override each other.

Thank you for awnsering.

[Ferrin33]

So I was thinking about the alter self ability and had some questions.

For example lets say I have a teifling sorcerrer. What could I turn into? It says general shape but that is not that well defined. Dwarves are also medium but they look completly diffrent. Could I turn into a wererat? A mind flayer?

With the diffrent natural weapon of your choice. Lets say im a multiclass monk wizard. If I grew claws could I still punch people? What are the limits, could I get huge claws like a bone claw? Could I get mind flayer tentacles?


Could I cast it three times and get all three effects? Or would they override each other.

Thank you for awnsering.

The duration is "Concentration, up to 1 hour" so multiple castings will just cancel the previous cast. If however multiple casters cast it on the same person you should run it by your DM because of the following;

"Combining Magical Effects: The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect- such as the highest bonus- from those castings applies while their durations overlap."

The problem is that Alter Self gives no easily quantifiable "highest bonus" for its individual effects. One reading would assume that the effect of the different forms don't combine, meaning you wouldn't get the benefit of multiple castings of Alter Self on one individual. Another way to read it is that the effects are individual and don't combine with that effect from the same spell. (No +2 bonus to the attack and damage roll with the natural weapons for instance, but would allow you to change your appearance(Effect 1), and grow Natural Weapons(Effect 2). This is a very tortured reading of the text though as "effects of the same spell" is more likely to mean all effects of that spell.

I don't believe there's a balance issues however as multiple natural attacks don't automatically grant you more attacks or damage, and the other two uses of the spell are utility that don't grant any combat bonuses when stacked with the natural attacks. (unless you're fighting underwater)

Your unarmed strikes' damage type is changed as appropriate to the natural weapon and changes the damage die used to a d6, the monk's Martial Art class feature gives you the choice to change the damage die to what it states in your monk text block. Meaning you can grow claws which changes the die of your Unarmed Strikes to a d6 and damage type to slashing, but you can instead opt to use the d4-d10 your monk level grants you instead while still dealing slashing damage.