Segev
2020-04-07, 03:54 PM
Design thoughts and motivations: Tenser's transformation has always been in a very weird place, ever since 1e AD&D (which is where teenaged-me first saw it and thought, "Why would I ever cast this?") wherein it specificaly did not give you proficiency with new weapons, did eliminate your casting, but supposedly made you a powerhouse warrior that was not quite on par with a fighter.
In 3e, where the question as to why you'd play a fighter because the caster can do it better with various buff spells is still asked to this day, tenser's transformation is notably not one of the spells used to achieve this.
In 5e, it wasn't even a core spell; it's printed in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, and...well, it's potentially okay-ish, maybe, but it has some glaring flaws and is overly complicated. Most notable, to me, is that it grants armor proficiencies that are literally impossible to use if you don't have them without the spell, because it lasts exactly long enough to don said armor and then run out before you could use it (and you can't pre-don it, because 5e rules say that spell failure occurs if you cast spells wearing armor you're not proficient in).
Combine this with the very neat way 5e has for handling polymorph-type effects, and this is termed "Tenser's transformation," and I propose the following as a complete replacement:
Tenser's Transformation
6th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a few hairs from a bull)
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You endow yourself with endurance and martial prowess fueled by magic. When you cast the spell, select up to one shield and suit of armor that can fit a creature of your size and body type within 5 ft. that is not being worn by an unwilling creature. That shield and armor flies from wherever it is and onto you, donning itself properly. Until the spell ends, you can’t cast spells, gain proficiency with the shield and suit of armor you're wearing, and with all martial weapons. You become more muscular and hale, and gain the statistics of the champion (as printed in Volo's Guide to Monsters), save for your armor class (determined by the armor you're wearing) and the specific weapon damage and range/reach statistics based on whatever you're wielding. These stats entirely replace yours while this spell lasts, though you retain your personality and memories and basic knowledge and languages. This spell ends if you hit 0 hp.
When this spell ends, the armor and shield falls off of you and collapses in a space adjacent to you, and you regain your normal build and however many hit points you had before the spell was cast. If the spell ended due to you reaching 0 hit points, any additional damage applies to your normal hit point pool.
At higher levels. If cast with an 8th or 9th level spell slot, you also gain the benefits of the haste spell while this spell lasts.
The champion is a CR 9 warrior-type NPC. If the player and the DM wish, they can customize it for the caster's actual race, but the idea here is to give him a combat form taht is close to, but not quite at, the level he's supposed to be. Given that a CR 9 is supposed to challenge a full group of 4 level 9 PCs, and this can be cast at the earliest at level 11, I think it's probably about the right power level.
The upcast option is there so it can stay relevant if the caster REALLY wants it to, giving him an extra action to play with and a few other perks. I figure the spell should at least be as powerful as a polymorph, hence a full-stat-replacement with something that matches the archetype aimed for.
In 3e, where the question as to why you'd play a fighter because the caster can do it better with various buff spells is still asked to this day, tenser's transformation is notably not one of the spells used to achieve this.
In 5e, it wasn't even a core spell; it's printed in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, and...well, it's potentially okay-ish, maybe, but it has some glaring flaws and is overly complicated. Most notable, to me, is that it grants armor proficiencies that are literally impossible to use if you don't have them without the spell, because it lasts exactly long enough to don said armor and then run out before you could use it (and you can't pre-don it, because 5e rules say that spell failure occurs if you cast spells wearing armor you're not proficient in).
Combine this with the very neat way 5e has for handling polymorph-type effects, and this is termed "Tenser's transformation," and I propose the following as a complete replacement:
Tenser's Transformation
6th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a few hairs from a bull)
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
You endow yourself with endurance and martial prowess fueled by magic. When you cast the spell, select up to one shield and suit of armor that can fit a creature of your size and body type within 5 ft. that is not being worn by an unwilling creature. That shield and armor flies from wherever it is and onto you, donning itself properly. Until the spell ends, you can’t cast spells, gain proficiency with the shield and suit of armor you're wearing, and with all martial weapons. You become more muscular and hale, and gain the statistics of the champion (as printed in Volo's Guide to Monsters), save for your armor class (determined by the armor you're wearing) and the specific weapon damage and range/reach statistics based on whatever you're wielding. These stats entirely replace yours while this spell lasts, though you retain your personality and memories and basic knowledge and languages. This spell ends if you hit 0 hp.
When this spell ends, the armor and shield falls off of you and collapses in a space adjacent to you, and you regain your normal build and however many hit points you had before the spell was cast. If the spell ended due to you reaching 0 hit points, any additional damage applies to your normal hit point pool.
At higher levels. If cast with an 8th or 9th level spell slot, you also gain the benefits of the haste spell while this spell lasts.
The champion is a CR 9 warrior-type NPC. If the player and the DM wish, they can customize it for the caster's actual race, but the idea here is to give him a combat form taht is close to, but not quite at, the level he's supposed to be. Given that a CR 9 is supposed to challenge a full group of 4 level 9 PCs, and this can be cast at the earliest at level 11, I think it's probably about the right power level.
The upcast option is there so it can stay relevant if the caster REALLY wants it to, giving him an extra action to play with and a few other perks. I figure the spell should at least be as powerful as a polymorph, hence a full-stat-replacement with something that matches the archetype aimed for.