Can Aranae Choose Changling for Their Humanoid Alternate Form?

[Ravens_cry]

Title says it all, really. Well, not quite all: do you think this a good idea, a bad idea, a redundant idea, or what?

[Crake]

Since they don't get the supernatural abilities via alternate form, they COULD choose changeling, but they would have the changeling base form, and not be able to change into anything else, so probably not the outcome you were thinking of.

[Sutr]

I agree with Crake on that same note this might be the one time Assume supernatural ability from Savage Species may not be broken. I'd have to check on Aranea for that though.

[Ravens_cry]

Since they don't get the supernatural abilities via alternate form, they COULD choose changeling, but they would have the changeling base form, and not be able to change into anything else, so probably not the outcome you were thinking of.
At least the Savage Species monster class says "An aranea’s humanoid form has all the abilities of the form (for example, an aranea in dwarf form has dwarven racial traits)." Isn't 'Minor Change Shape' a Changeling racial trait?

[MisterKaws]

At least the Savage Species monster class says "An aranea’s humanoid form has all the abilities of the form (for example, an aranea in dwarf form has dwarven racial traits)." Isn't 'Minor Change Shape' a Changeling racial trait?

The Savage Species monster class uses the outdated 3.0 Aranea. The 3.5 MM Aranea has Change Shape instead of Alternate Form, and it should be changed accordingly in the racial class.

Here's the glossary description for Change Shape:


Change Shape (Su): A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature (usually a humanoid), but retains most of its own physical qualities. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the creature’s natural form. A creature using change shape reverts to its natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. A creature cannot use change shape to take the form of a creature with a template. Changing shape results in the following changes to the creature:
—The creature retains the type and subtype of its natural form. It gains the size of its assumed form.
—The creature loses the natural weapons and movement modes of its natural form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its natural form not derived from class levels.
—The creature gains the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary abilities and attacks of its assumed form.
—The creature retains all other attacks and special qualities of its natural form, except for breath weapons and gaze attacks.
—The creature retains the ability scores of its natural form.
—Except as described elsewhere, the creature retains all other game statistics of its natural form, including but not necessarily limited to Hit Dice, hit points, skill ranks, feats, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses.
—The creature retains any spellcasting ability it had in its natural form, although it must be able to speak intelligibly to cast spells with verbal components, and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components.
—The creature is effectively camouflaged as a creature of its assumed form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.
—Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its assumed form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its assumed form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and vice versa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

You're better off trying to get something like a Raptoran for flight or some of the more obscure humanoids for other odd (Ex) abilities. Here's a list (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=15686.msg276414#msg276414).

[Crake]

At least the Savage Species monster class says "An aranea’s humanoid form has all the abilities of the form (for example, an aranea in dwarf form has dwarven racial traits)." Isn't 'Minor Change Shape' a Changeling racial trait?

Savage species is 3.0, the 3.5 aranea uses the general "change shape" ability, with no extra stipulation on what it does/does not gain in terms of abilities, so it defaults to the standard for the change shape ability, which in this case is:

"The creature gains the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form."

This means no Ex special quaities, and no Su abilities at all. This means an aranea turning into a drow for example, would not gain darkvision 120ft, though it would retain it's own 60ft darkvision.

[Ravens_cry]

OK, thanks for the replies, folks, much appreciated.