Polymorph and EXISTING templates

[PeyEll]

I am playing a transmutation specialist that often polymorphs his improved familiar into other things. My familiar has gained the fiendish template.

I understand that polymorph cannot be used to arbitrarily add templates to the new form but what happens to the existing templates when you polymorph? If I change my fiendish familiar into a dragon, is it a fiendish dragon? Does my familiar retain his damage reduction and spell resistance from the template?

On a related note, I am considering adding even more templates to this creature via the mineralize warrior and nar fiendbond spells. These spells can only be cast upon a humanoid but that can be overcome by having someone else cast successive polymorph spells so that the familiar has the humanoid type during the entire 1h casting duration. So the inverse question comes up. What happens to templates applied to your altered form when you go back to your normal form? Do I successfully make a minerlized human which loses the template when he reverts to his natural form or does the template remain?

Since I suspect it will come up, the familiar's normal form is a valid choice for what creatures those templates may be applied to, just not what targets the spell may be cast on.

If it matters, I read in an official FAQ somewhere that spells only check for valid targets at the time of casting and continue to effect that target for the duration even if they become invalid (although that probably doesn't matter since both mineralize warrior and nar fiendbond are instantaneous.)

[Necroticplague]

I understand that polymorph cannot be used to arbitrarily add templates to the new form but what happens to the existing templates when you polymorph? Nothing. Your templates are wholly unrelated to your Polymorphing and co. Depending on the exact ability you use, you may get to keep some of the abilities, though.


If I change my fiendish familiar into a dragon, is it a fiendish dragon?
No.


Does my familiar retain his damage reduction and spell resistance from the template? Depends on what spell you use.
Assuming Polymorph:Yes. Those are Supernatural Special Qualities, which polymorphing lets you keep.


On a related note, I am considering adding even more templates to this creature via the mineralize warrior and nar fiendbond spells. These spells can only be cast upon a humanoid but that can be overcome by having someone else cast successive polymorph spells so that the familiar has the humanoid type during the entire 1h casting duration. So the inverse question comes up. What happens to templates applied to your altered form when you go back to your normal form? Do I successfully make a minerlized human which loses the template when he reverts to his natural form or does the template remain? The templates only alter how they presently are. So, in this case, they'd snap back once they're no longer in that form.


Since I suspect it will come up, the familiar's normal form is a valid choice for what creatures those templates may be applied to, just not what targets the spell may be cast on. Wholly irrelevant.


If it matters, I read in an official FAQ somewhere that spells only check for valid targets at the time of casting and continue to effect that target for the duration even if they become invalid (although that probably doesn't matter since both mineralize warrior and nar fiendbond are instantaneous.)
The fact they're instantaneous is why they'd be lost. They're alterations that only occur to a form once: on cast. They don't maintain persistence in applying the template past that point.

[PeyEll]

Ah. Thorough and succinct. Thank you greatly.