Looking at a polymorphed creature through true seeing

[Crow_Nightfeath]

I'm curious what it would look like? Would you see the creature as a solid version of itself, even if its true form would occupy space other creatures are in? If so would that block line of sight to other creatures. Or is it a ghostly image? The spell doesn't give any clarification, it just says you can see a polymorphed creatures true form.

This might be relevant in an upcoming campaign I'm going to run, where a group of enemies are various creatures in disguise, most appear smaller than they actually are.

[Axle-Gear]

True Seeing doesn't say anything about seeing through polymorphed creatures. Additionally, the larger form is not an illusion but a physical object. I would rule that you still get some kind of visual 'ping' or indication of a polymorphed creature's true form, but their body still blocks line of sight as normal.

[Crake]

True Seeing doesn't say anything about seeing through polymorphed creatures. Additionally, the larger form is not an illusion but a physical object. I would rule that you still get some kind of visual 'ping' or indication of a polymorphed creature's true form, but their body still blocks line of sight as normal.

Uhhh...


You confer on the subject the ability to see all things as they actually are. The subject sees through normal and magical darkness, notices secret doors hidden by magic, sees the exact locations of creatures or objects under blur or displacement effects, sees invisible creatures or objects normally, sees through illusions, and sees the true form of polymorphed, changed, or transmuted things. Further, the subject can focus its vision to see into the Ethereal Plane (but not into extradimensional spaces). The range of true seeing conferred is 120 feet.

Yes it does?

[Zombimode]

I'm curious what it would look like? Would you see the creature as a solid version of itself, even if its true form would occupy space other creatures are in? If so would that block line of sight to other creatures. Or is it a ghostly image? The spell doesn't give any clarification, it just says you can see a polymorphed creatures true form.

This might be relevant in an upcoming campaign I'm going to run, where a group of enemies are various creatures in disguise, most appear smaller than they actually are.

How True Seeing conveys the Information depends probably on the case. One Thing to Keep in mind however is that True Seeing lets you perceive more. Not less. You will always know that this invisible creature that you can clearly see thanks to True Seeing, is normalle invisible. And you will know a polymorphed creature is polymorphed.

[Geddy2112]

In the rare cases it has come up, I have allowed players to see both the polymorph creature's true form and their polymorph form, much like seeing the outline of a disbelieved illusion.

[Bronk]

In the rare cases it has come up, I have allowed players to see both the polymorph creature's true form and their polymorph form, much like seeing the outline of a disbelieved illusion.

That's what I do too, since it doesn't say you can't see the altered form, just that you can see the true form. Otherwise, I try to avoid bringing it up.

[Crow_Nightfeath]

Okay, yeah that works.

[Psyren]

The aesthetics don't matter; mechanically, you see both the fake and true forms if they are within range. Describe it however you need to in order to convey that information clearly.

[Axle-Gear]

Uhhh...



Yes it does?

I meant 'through' as in is 'doesn't allow you to see past physical obstructions,' not 'doesn't allow you to detect magically enhanced ruses.'

Ex: If I used Polymorph Any Object to turn a creature into a stone wall over a doorway, I would rule the True Seeing tells you that said wall is a polymorphed creature, but does not let you see past said wall through the doorway it is covering.

EDIT: Re-Reading the OP, I would also rule again that you use the polymorphed form for drawing line of sight. As another example: If I polymorphed a dragon into a pebble and set it in front of a doorway, True Sight would tell you the pebble is a polymorphed dragon, but you would still be able to see through said doorway.