Can Su abilities be suppressed at-will?

[RoboEmperor]

Asked in the RAW thread but no one answered for a day so making a thread!

I plan on binding a Paeliryon and a Mature Nabassu, then use the Paeliryon's at-will polymorph to perpetually polymorph both of them into will-o-wisps that orbit me, and when something threatens me, one glowing orb fires Meteors and the other fires Enervation, covering most of my bases (most fire immunes are not immune to energy drain.)

It's gonna be so cool.

BUT, Paeliryons have Stinky Perfume (Su) ability that's gonna give away that it's a Paeliryon instead of an innocent ball of light when traversing cities, and since it keeps Su abilities when it is polymorphed I was wondering if it could suppress it. Is its stinky perfume voluntary or mandatory?

[Silva Stormrage]

Don't know if there is a RAW answer for this. I would have to say no just out of common sense readings.

I know you can suppress immunities but I don't think there is anything in the rules that just lets you suppress abilities as if you didn't have them. A lot of monsters have SU drawbacks and it seems silly if they could just suppress them at will

[RoboEmperor]

Don't know if there is a RAW answer for this. I would have to say no just out of common sense readings.

I know you can suppress immunities but I don't think there is anything in the rules that just lets you suppress abilities as if you didn't have them. A lot of monsters have SU drawbacks and it seems silly if they could just suppress them at will

Could you name a few so i can look them up? If I can see it, I'll probably believe your interpretation.

[Crake]

From Alter Self:


You retain all supernatural and spell-like special attacks and qualities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have (such as a mouth for a breath weapon or eyes for a gaze attack).

I would say that the paerlyon's perfume ability is based on it's form, much like a glabrezu's stench ability. I would imagine polymorphing out of that form would make you lose the ability, which would solve your issue.

[RoboEmperor]

From Alter Self:



I would say that the paerlyon's perfume ability is based on it's form, much like a glabrezu's stench ability. I would imagine polymorphing out of that form would make you lose the ability, which would solve your issue.

I would agree as well.

I'm gonna look into this to see if there's any rule contradicting it, but if not then thanks!

[Silva Stormrage]

Lets see,

Voidmind Template has "Mind Flayer's Host" be an SU ability of the void mind creature. It seems somewhat odd for the Voidmind to be able to willingly suppress it's own enslavement.

Dryad's Tree Dependency likewise is SU. Which is the more important example. Any ruling that suggests a Dryad can just willingly suppress her requirement to be next to it's tree seems a bit silly :smallbiggrin:

The polymorph suggestion above seems to fit your goals quite well though.

[Goaty14]

Dryad's Tree Dependency likewise is SU. Which is the more important example. Any ruling that suggests a Dryad can just willingly suppress her requirement to be next to it's tree seems a bit silly :smallbiggrin:

...So if you stick a dryad in an AMF it stops getting homesick? Weird...

[Asmotherion]

Highly Debatable. Discuss with DM.

A good example is a Lich's Fear Aura. It's obviously a Su Effect dependant on the fact that you look Undead, And an Alter Self covers it as a Switch-Off for some DMs, It's also a Magical Aura effect, so the spell of the same name can be cast with a target of Self to Mask the Aura. As a DM, I'd rule the latter.

Wile a Lich, you obviously can't go into town without a good instance of Alter Self, and Possibly Disguise Self if you're extra Paranoid. However the Profane Magic you've used to transform is not so easy to hide, so here is were the Magic Aura Spell comes to Effect. This way, people won't start running for their lives at the mere sight of you, without even knowing why (natural instict I suppose?).

I'd say the same train of thought applies for most things. As a general rule for when RAW gets unclear (and you're not the DM), if you think you should do something, better do it, or the DM will show you you should have the bad way. Otherwise, ask your DM.

[Vaern]

The paeliryon's ecology section in the fiendish codex says that they "bathe in filthy waters polluted by the noxious oils that drip from their bloated bodies."
I'd say that if they're polymorphed into another form then they cease to produce the noxious oils that likely cause their intoxicating perfume effect, though they would be unable to suppress the ability in their true form.

[RoboEmperor]

The paeliryon's ecology section in the fiendish codex says that they "bathe in filthy waters polluted by the noxious oils that drip from their bloated bodies."
I'd say that if they're polymorphed into another form then they cease to produce the noxious oils that likely cause their intoxicating perfume effect, though they would be unable to suppress the ability in their true form.

I decided to rule with No, you can't suppress Su abilities, and Polymorph does not carry that ability over because it's a physical Su ability.

In any case Polymorph has solved my problem so ^_^

[daremetoidareyo]

If you could suppress Su abilities at will, hellbred have nothing to fear when they die