Gruftzwerg
2016-03-29, 05:29 AM
The warlock invocation Hellspawned Grace seems to be really unique and odd in its nature.
As far as I can tell, it is the only ability that makes 100% use of the polymorph subschool rules without altering it by its own rule text. (Any other spell from other Casters has some kind of exceptions, like you keep your BAB/Saves,keep Mental Stats(!), keep your spellcasting or temporary HP..). Your mental stats seem to be replaced too:"The target retains its own alignment (and personality, within the limits of the new form's ability scores)."
This limits the forms usage. While Wiz/Sor get poly spells every spell grade to compensate the main weakness of the subschoool (that the forms don't get better while you lvl), the warlock has only access to this form.
So what to do, when you rise in lvl, but your forms stats (mainly BAB) stays the same. Your magic equip melted into your new form and you lost all feats & class abilities (including the ability to dismiss this invocation, it isn't dismissable willingly until the duration warlock lvl/2 rounds ends)
The only solution to buff this form would be permanent magical effects on (the body of) the warlock. My first thought was, Greater Magical Fang - permanent with +5 bonus. My second thought was Kensai. When I magically enhance my unarmed strike/natural attacks (?) with kensai, the effects should stay too when I polymorph I guess. Cause the effects on my body are not the class ability, they are permanent magical effects. The class ability would be that the kensai can apply magic to his signature weapon, which he would lose when polyed.
Is my ruling ok here?
Another funny part is:
Hellspawned Grace lets you qualify for Warshaper. But you lose all class feature when you polymorph to a Hellcat.. Well, you could say, Hellspawned Grace isn't meant to become Warshaper. Than you get the ugly situation that there isn't anyone left anymore that can qualify for Warshaper with a SLA (as stated in the requirements, a possibility for the class entry). All Monsters who had "SLA polymorph" have been errataed to be (Su) Shape Change or something else. There isn't any other SLA poly effect left beside from warlock (pls correct me if I am wrong here) as far as I can tell.
What else could be done to buff the form? (magical items melt, and the only magical enhancement for items to not melt works only for wild shape..)
The only other Spell/Effect that suffers so hard is the warlock invocation from Drows of the Underdark, that gives you a spider form. Beside from these 2 invocations there is nothing that takes the polymorph subschool rules for 100%. (at least I couldn't find anything else)
Edit: Since I can now add Links, here is a link to the Polymorph Subschool
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=5
maybe this will help to get some response to this thread, even if it's already on page 2..^^
As far as I can tell, it is the only ability that makes 100% use of the polymorph subschool rules without altering it by its own rule text. (Any other spell from other Casters has some kind of exceptions, like you keep your BAB/Saves,keep Mental Stats(!), keep your spellcasting or temporary HP..). Your mental stats seem to be replaced too:"The target retains its own alignment (and personality, within the limits of the new form's ability scores)."
This limits the forms usage. While Wiz/Sor get poly spells every spell grade to compensate the main weakness of the subschoool (that the forms don't get better while you lvl), the warlock has only access to this form.
So what to do, when you rise in lvl, but your forms stats (mainly BAB) stays the same. Your magic equip melted into your new form and you lost all feats & class abilities (including the ability to dismiss this invocation, it isn't dismissable willingly until the duration warlock lvl/2 rounds ends)
The only solution to buff this form would be permanent magical effects on (the body of) the warlock. My first thought was, Greater Magical Fang - permanent with +5 bonus. My second thought was Kensai. When I magically enhance my unarmed strike/natural attacks (?) with kensai, the effects should stay too when I polymorph I guess. Cause the effects on my body are not the class ability, they are permanent magical effects. The class ability would be that the kensai can apply magic to his signature weapon, which he would lose when polyed.
Is my ruling ok here?
Another funny part is:
Hellspawned Grace lets you qualify for Warshaper. But you lose all class feature when you polymorph to a Hellcat.. Well, you could say, Hellspawned Grace isn't meant to become Warshaper. Than you get the ugly situation that there isn't anyone left anymore that can qualify for Warshaper with a SLA (as stated in the requirements, a possibility for the class entry). All Monsters who had "SLA polymorph" have been errataed to be (Su) Shape Change or something else. There isn't any other SLA poly effect left beside from warlock (pls correct me if I am wrong here) as far as I can tell.
What else could be done to buff the form? (magical items melt, and the only magical enhancement for items to not melt works only for wild shape..)
The only other Spell/Effect that suffers so hard is the warlock invocation from Drows of the Underdark, that gives you a spider form. Beside from these 2 invocations there is nothing that takes the polymorph subschool rules for 100%. (at least I couldn't find anything else)
Edit: Since I can now add Links, here is a link to the Polymorph Subschool
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060501a&page=5
maybe this will help to get some response to this thread, even if it's already on page 2..^^