Polymorph question

[Starchild7309]

Ok so as a sorcerer I cast polymorph on myself. According to the rules I can maintain concentration on the spell even though my form (leopard) has a 2 INT. I think my DM is screwing me as we were investigating a crime scene I used polymorph for the advantage to investigate dealing with scent. Once I found nothing (it was a good try I suppose), I wanted to search in a different part of the house. The DM told me I was too dumb to think about searching there since the first place came up empty (that annoyed me, but ok whatever). What really got me is I was told I was too stupid to know I didn't need to be cat form anymore and he wouldn't let me drop concentration. He made other party members roll animal handling checks to try to get me to follow them. I spent most of the investigation in a bedroom playing with a ball of yarn since I couldn't be directed to do anything and I couldn't apparently come up with any ideas on my own or drop concentration on Polymorph. What's up with that?

[Fflewddur Fflam]

That's.... pretty lame. The spell description says you retain your personality in the new form, how could you do that if you didn't retain your sense of self? You still know who you are and what you really are, even if your mental faculties are diminished. Bad DM.

[Foxhound438]

That's.... pretty lame. The spell description says you retain your personality in the new form, how could you do that if you didn't retain your sense of self? You still know who you are and what you really are, even if your mental faculties are diminished. Bad DM.

agreed. you've been jerked around by total bs.

[SharkForce]

you're a cat, not a robot. hunting animals know how to hunt.

[RickAllison]

you're a cat, not a robot. hunting animals know how to hunt.

Well, you are a humanoid whose thoughts and ambitions are being pushed through a cat's body. To me, that creates an interesting dichotomy:

1) Active ambition. If the transformed is actively trying to do something, his personality will be predominant.

2) No active ambition. At this point, the transformed has no active things to concentrate on, no strong feelings to latch on to and maintain control. This is when the cat starts playing with yarn, because it doesn't have the humanoid impulses telling it to disobey its hunting urges.

[SharkForce]

Well, you are a humanoid whose thoughts and ambitions are being pushed through a cat's body. To me, that creates an interesting dichotomy:

1) Active ambition. If the transformed is actively trying to do something, his personality will be predominant.

2) No active ambition. At this point, the transformed has no active things to concentrate on, no strong feelings to latch on to and maintain control. This is when the cat starts playing with yarn, because it doesn't have the humanoid impulses telling it to disobey its hunting urges.

well, the cat also has nothing to tell it to keep concentrating if 1 isn't true. so it will stop concentrating on the spell and start concentrating on the ball of yarn.

we know the spell doesn't immediately fail and take you out of whatever form you took, so we have to presume that 2 is not the case.

[Saeviomage]

Make a character with 20 int and demand that he tell you the best course of action at all times.

[Gort]

That's.... pretty lame. The spell description says you retain your personality in the new form, how could you do that if you didn't retain your sense of self? You still know who you are and what you really are, even if your mental faculties are diminished. Bad DM.

That is what the Polymorph spell says. Its arguable that the caster can't even maintain concentration if he shifts himself into an animal. Which makes the spell weak. The druid wild shape does not have this limitation. Personally I think it is bad wording or design. The rules should should specifically allow the caster at least to maintain their intelligence.

A good GM would come up with a compromise and make it workable.

[Foxhound438]

Make a character with 20 int and demand that he tell you the best course of action at all times.

problem solved

[Christian]

I wonder what your character's minimum Intelligence stat needs to be for you to be allowed to play it? (Looks at Feeblemind spell effect.) Apparently, 1. 2? More than enough.

Sure, there are things you just can't do. Cast a spell, have a conversation, even understand what's being said to you, for that matter. That's plenty limiting, I think. No need to lock you down to playing with a ball of yarn.

[Dalebert]

Watch out for casters with the laser pointer cantrip.