What kingdoms do undead, contruct, outsider belongs to?

[ayvango]

Polymorph Any Object spell specifies only three kingdoms without "etc" magic world: animal, vegetable, mineral.

Should undead considered being animal and constructs minerals? What if construct is made from bones?

[hamishspence]

I figure the only undead that really qualify as mineral are ones with a rocky composition - like Revived Fossils.

[ColorBlindNinja]

It occurs to me that Polymorph Any Object is the only spell I know of that uses this form of classification instead of creature types. :smallsigh:

I don't think Undead would be animals, since they're clearly not alive. I would put them in their own miscellaneous category.

[hamishspence]

The corpse of an animal, may still qualify as "related", even if not "animal".

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorphAnyObject.htm

A wool coat is possibly "same size" "related" and "lower intelligence" compared to a sheep, hence +6 bonus.

[ayvango]

The corpse of an animal, may still qualify as "related", even if not "animal".
I agree. But the question was about kingdoms classification. Does undead belongs to the same kingdom as living? If not what kingdom does it belongs?

[hamishspence]

Maybe they wouldn't have one - thus, if you want to turn Undead A into Undead B (say, turning a Zombie into a Wight or vice versa), you'd need to look at the other duration factors?

[Der_DWSage]

Huh. I hadn't really thought about it either. I suppose I would put them under 'Animal(Former)' or in the case of Undead that have moved far from being a simple Zombie or Skeleton, 'Magic,' much like I would an Air Elemental or a Living Spell.

[OgresAreCute]

I'd say things like undead are of the same kingdom as they were before death, and constructs are of the same kingdom as the material they're made of. For example, a flesh golem is in the animal kingdom, a wood golem is in the plant kingdom and an iron golem is in the mineral kingdom. Outsiders are probably animals for the most part. Not sure about elementals, especially air and fire ones.

[Duke of Urrel]

I have house rules for this!

(Warning: All ye who pass this way must abandon all natural science, most particularly any biology ye may have learned.)

For your consideration:


1. Kingdoms

I recognize only three Kingdoms: Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral.

I allow nothing to have more than one Kingdom, and I consider some things to be Kingdom-less.

I consider every living creature that belongs to any one of the following types belong to the Animal Kingdom: Aberration, Animal, Dragon, Fey, Giant, Humanoid, Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, and Vermin. I also consider every living creature of the Outsider type to belong to the Animal Kingdom, unless it belongs to the Mineral Kingdom or is Kingdom-less. (See below.)

I consider every living creature or object* of the Ooze type or the Plant type to belong to the Vegetable Kingdom.

I consider every living creature of the Elemental or Outsider type that has the Earth subtype to belong to the Mineral Kingdom.

I consider every living creature of the Elemental or Outsider type that has the Air, Fire, or Water subtype to be Kingdom-less.

I consider every quasi-living creature of the Undead type to belong to the same Kingdom as the formerly living creature from which it was created.

I consider every quasi-living creature of the Construct type whose mass consists mostly of inorganic material to belong to the Mineral Kingdom.

I consider every quasi-living creature of the Construct type whose mass consists mostly of organic material to belong to the same Kingdom as the living or formerly living creature that contributed the most organic material to its mass.

I consider every nonliving object whose mass consists mostly of inorganic material to belong to the Mineral Kingdom.

I consider every nonliving object whose mass consists mostly of organic material to be Kingdom-less.

[*What is a "living object"? It's a normal plant, such as a tree or a flower. It's also a normal dungeon fungus that is not considered to be a creature.]


2. Classes

I require everything that has a Kingdom to have one or more Classes as well.

Conversely, I require everything that is Kingdom-less to be Class-less as well.

I consider every Class to represent one or more Class traits, all of which are easily observable or at least demonstrable.

I consider every creature with a Kingdom to have one Class for every kind of Class traits it has.

I consider every quasi-living Construct that has a Kingdom to belong to the same Class or Classes as the living creature (or creatures) or nonliving object (or objects) from which it was created.

I consider every quasi-living Undead that has a Kingdom to belong to the same Class or Classes as the living creature from which it was created.

I consider every nonliving object of the Mineral Kingdom to have one Class for every kind of Class traits it has.

I consider every nonliving object that is Kingdom-less to be Class-less as well.

I add the Class duration factor of +2 only once, even if the subject of the Polymorph Any Object spell shares two or more Classes with the new form.


3. Animal Kingdom

I recognize six classes in the Animal Kingdom: Mammalian, Avian, Reptilian, Amphibian, Subaquatic, and Vermian.

I allow a creature of the Animal type to have no more than two Animal Classes. A creature of the Animal type that has two Animal Classes must have either the Amphibian Class or the Subaquatic Class plus one other Animal Class.

I allow a living or quasi-living creature of the Animal Kingdom that is not of the Animal type to have up to five Animal Classes, but I do not allow any creature to have both the Amphibian Class and the Subaquatic Class.

Mammalian: This Class includes all living mammals of the Animal type and all living creatures of other types that have Mammalian traits, such as breasts or teats, fur, hooves, paws, or whiskers.

Avian: This Class includes all living birds of the Animal type and all living creatures of other types that have Avian traits, such as beaks, feathers, or bird-like feet.

Reptilian: This Class includes all living reptiles of the Animal type; all creatures of the Dragon type; and all living creatures of other types that have Reptilian traits, such as dry scales, a lizard-like tail, or a turtle-like shell.

Amphibian: This Class includes all living amphibians of the Animal type and all living creatures of this type and other types that must breathe, but can breathe both in air and under water, or that strongly resemble frogs, toads, or salamanders.

Subaquatic: This Class includes all living fish, echinoderms, aquatic crustaceans, aquatic mollusks, and various other aquatic creatures of the Animal type; and all living creatures of other types that must breathe, but can breathe only underwater.

Vermian: This Class includes all living slugs, snails, and worms of the Animal type; all living insects, scorpions, spiders, and centipedes of the Vermin type (including both normal and monstrous kinds); and all living creatures of other types that have Vermian traits, such as antennae or feelers, an exoskeleton or a snail-like shell, mandibles or a radula, pincers, spinnerets or a stinger, tentacles, compound eyes, glassy wings, a slime-coated or segmented body, segmented legs numbering more than four, or the lack of a spine.


4. Vegetable Kingdom

I recognize three Classes in the Vegetable Kingdom: Viridian, Fungal, and Primordial.

I allow a creature or a living object of the Vegetable Kingdom to have only one Vegetable Class.

Viridian: This Class includes all living creatures and objects of the Plant type that are green (that is, all monstrous Plant creatures and all normal Plants that are green); all living creatures of other types that have Viridian traits, such as bark, flowers, or green leaves; and all Constructs and Undead whose mass is at least 20% Viridian material, such as cotton, flax, hemp, or wood.

Fungal: This Class includes all living creatures and objects of the Plant type that are not green (that is, all monstrous fungi and all normal fungi), as well as all living creatures of other types that have Fungal traits.

Primordial: This Class includes all living creatures and objects of the Ooze type (that is, all monstrous Oozes and all dungeon slimes).


5. Mineral Kingdom

I recognize four Classes in the Mineral Kingdom: Earthen, Petriform, Crystalline, and Metallic.

I allow a living creature of the Mineral Kingdom to have only one Mineral Class.

I allow a quasi-living creature or a nonliving object of the Mineral Kingdom to have all four Mineral Classes.

Earthen: This Class includes all living creatures of the Elemental or Outsider type that have the Earth subtype and whose bodies are made of clay; all quasi-living Constructs whose mass is at least 20% clay; and all nonliving objects whose mass is at least 20% clay.

Petriform: This Class includes all living creatures of the Elemental or Outsider type that have the Earth subtype and whose bodies are made of stone; all quasi-living Constructs whose mass is at least 20% stone; and all nonliving objects whose mass is at least 20% stone.

Crystalline: This Class includes all living creatures of the Elemental or Outsider type that have the Earth subtype and whose bodies are made of crystal (such as salt, quartz, or sand); all quasi-living Constructs whose mass is at least 20% crystal; and all nonliving objects whose mass is at least 20% crystal.

Metallic: This Class includes all quasi-living Constructs whose mass is at least 20% metal and all nonliving objects whose mass is at least 20% metal.


6. Related

I recognize only two relationships: (1) being related by shape and (2) being related as whole to part or as part to whole.

I add the relationship duration factor of +2 only once, even if the subject of the Polymorph Any Object spell shares two relationships with the new form.


6a. By Shape

I consider two creatures to relate by shape if they meet two conditions: firstly, they both have or seem to have the same number of heads, limbs, and appendages, such as arms, legs, tails, and wings; and secondly, their bodies both have the same orientation with respect to the ground when they are awake, that is, vertical or horizontal.

Some limbs and appendages are vestigial or rudimentary. I count such features as part of a creature's shape only if they have some function. For example, the short horns and tail of a kobold are functionless; therefore, I do not count them as part of a kobold's shape, and consequently, I allow kobolds to relate by shape to humans, who have neither horns nor tails. In contrast, I consider the nixie's racial bonus of +8 on Swim checks to depend upon this creature's webbed feet and hands; therefore, I count these features as part of a nixie's shape, and consequently, I don't allow nixies to relate by shape to humans, whose feet are not webbed.

I allow two creatures or objects to relate by shape even if they do not share the same size category, Class, or Kingdom.

I consider every true elemental to relate by shape to every other true elemental of its own subtype or any other subtype (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water). I consider golems and shield guardians, by default, to relate by shape to each other.


6b. As Part to Whole or Whole to Part

I allow every nonliving object belonging to the Mineral Kingdom to relate as part to whole to a more complex nonliving object that has more Mineral Classes, including at least one Class that it shares with the simpler object.

Conversely, I allow every nonliving object belonging to the Mineral Kingdom to relate as whole to part to a simpler nonliving object that has fewer Mineral Classes, including at least one Class that it shares with the more complex object.

Although I consider every nonliving object not of the Mineral Kingdom to be both Kingdom-less and Class-less, I allow it to relate as part to whole to any living creature that belongs to the same Kingdom and Class as the creature from whose organic material the object was created.

Conversely, I consider every living creature or object, regardless of Kingdom or Class, to relate as whole to part to any nonliving object that was created from some organic material that this living creature or object (or another one belonging to the same Kingdom and Class) has.


7. Same or Lower Intelligence

If a polymorphed creature's Intelligence drops below three, I require it to lose its ability to read and write. However, even if a polymorphed creature's Intelligence is eliminated, I still allow the creature to understand the spoken languages it understands in its natural form.

If a polymorphed creature's Intelligence drops below three, I require it to lose its ability to read and write. However, even if a polymorphed creature's Intelligence is eliminated, I still allow the creature to understand the spoken languages it understands in its natural form.

[Clistenes]

Polymorph Any Object spell specifies only three kingdoms without "etc" magic world: animal, vegetable, mineral.

Should undead considered being animal and constructs minerals? What if construct is made from bones?

Anything coming from an animal belongs to the animal kingdom, so Flesh Golems, Wax Golems and most physical undead belong to the animal kingdom.

Anything made of metal, glass, crystal or stone belongs to the mineral kingdoms. So Iron Golems, Clay Golems, Stone Golems, Brass Men, Helmed Horrors...etc., belong to the mineral kingdom.

Wood Golems, Scarecrow Golems and Undead Treants would belong to the Vegetable kingdom, I think...

Stone Elementals would be mineral kingdom. I think Water, Air and Fire Elementals could be considered mineral kingdom too, but it stretches it... Still fits better than putting them in any of the other two kingdoms

Ghost and Outsiders are complicated. I think Outsiders should be put considered Animal Kindgom if they resemble beings made of flesh, but I have no idea what kingdom a Ghost should belong to.... Animal by default, I guess?

[Powerdork]

I consider every quasi-living creature of the Construct type whose mass consists mostly of inorganic material to belong to the Mineral Kingdom.

I consider every quasi-living creature of the Construct type whose mass consists mostly of organic material to belong to the same Kingdom as the living or formerly living creature that contributed the most organic material to its mass.

So are living constructs like the warforged (wooden musculature, integrated stone and metal plating) mostly vegetable or mostly mineral?

[Duke of Urrel]

So are living constructs like the warforged (wooden musculature, integrated stone and metal plating) mostly vegetable or mostly mineral?

It's a judgement call. All that I have written are just guidelines!