[3.5] Type Change by Class, Spell & Feat (WIP)

[Thurbane]

So, I'm looking to compile a list of classes, spells and feats that can change a creatures type.

All help and input appreciated: looking only at official 3.5/3.0 sources, no PF, no 3rd party, no home brew. Not adding Dragon or Dungeon content at this point, but maybe later.

Not looking at templates, unless they are granted by a class, spell or feat.

Should also have mentioned, not primarily looking for complete and permanent form changes, such as PAO etc. Mainly looking for abilities that change type, without changing fundamental form, if that makes sense.

I'll also not be including monster/savage progression classes, at this stage.

Here's an incomplete list so far:

Class:



Acolyte of the Skin 10
Outsider


Alienist 10
Outsider


Blighter 3
Undead [while using Undead Wild Shape]


Bonded Summoner 10
Elemental (air, earth, fire or water)


Diregsinger 5*
Undead* [corpses only; temporary animation effect]


Divine Crusader 10
Outsider (native)


Divine Disciple 5
Outsider (native?)


Dragon Disciple 10
Dragon [half-dragon template]


Dread Necromancer 20
Undead [lich template]


Elemental Savant 10
Elemental


Exemplar 10
Outsider (native)


Fang of Lolth 10
Vermin?


Fleshwarper 1
Aberration [familiar only]


Glorious Servitor 7
Outsider (native)


Green Star Adept 10
Construct


Incandescent Champion 10
Outsider (native, good)


Initiate of Pistis Sophia 10
Outsider (native)


Knight of the Sacred Seal
Outsider (native)


Master of Flies 9
Magical Beast [vermin only]


Monk 20
Outsider [not a true type change]


Mountebank 20
Outsider [half-fiend template]


Oozemaster 10
Ooze [not a true type change]


Primeval 10
Magical Beast (shapechanger)


Renegade Mastermaker 10
Living Construct*


Rimefire Witch 10
Fey


Risen Martyr 0
Deathless


Shadow Sun Ninja 10
Undead [vampire template]


Shapeshifter 10
Shapechanger? [shapechanger subtype]


Shifter 10
Shapechanger?


Spirit Shaman 20
Fey [not a true type change]


Swanmay 10
Fey


Talontar Blightlord 10
Plant


Tamer of Beasts 1
Magical Beast (animal companions only)


Troubadour of Stars 10
Outsider (native)


Urban Druid 1
Animal [vermin companion only]


Verdant Lord 10
Plant


Walker In the Waste 10
Undead [dry lich template]


Wildrunner 9
Fey


Winterhaunt of Iborighu 10
Elemental (cold7, evil)


Yuan-ti Cultist 10
Outsider





Spells:



Aberrate (Sor/Wiz 1)
Aberration


Animate Dead Familiar (Sor/Wiz 5)
Undead [familiars only]


Aquatic Escape (Drd 1)
Animal (aquatic)


Aspect of the Chromatic Dragon (Sor 8)
Dragon


Aspect of the Earth Hunter (Drd 6, Rng 4)
Magical Beast


Aspect of the Icy Hunter (Sor/Wiz 4)
Magical Beast


Aspect of the Platinum Dragon (Sor 7)
Dragon


Aspect of the Wolf (Drd 1, Rng 1)
Animal


Awaken (Drd5)
Magical Beast [animals only]


Awaken Sand* (Drd 6, Sand 6)
Construct (earth)* [creates a creature from sand, rather than technically changing type]


Baleful Polymorph* (Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5 etc.)
Animal


Body of War (Sor/Wiz 7)
Construct


Create Faux Human (Drd 5)
Humanoid (human or halfling) [animals only]


Devil's Ego (Diabolic 3)
Outsider


Draconic Polymorph (Sor/Wiz 5)
Varies


Dragonshape (Sor/Wiz 9)
Dragon


Dragonshape, Least (Sor/Wiz 3 etc.)
Dragon


Dragonshape, Lesser (Sor/Wiz 6)
Dragon


Dridershape (Sor/Wiz 5)
Aberration


Essence of the Dragon (Sor 2)
Dragon


Feathers (Drd 4)
Animal


Fiendform (Sor/Wiz 5)
Outsider


Form of the Desert Hunter (Sor/Wiz 5)
Magical Beast


Form of the Threefold Beast (Sor/Wiz 5)
Magical Beast


Holy Transformation, Lesser (Clr 4)
Outsider (good)


Humanoid Essence, Greater (Clr 7)
Humanoid [constructs only]


Infernal Transformation, Lesser (Clr 4)
Outsider (baatezu, evil, lawful)


Nar Fiendbond (Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7)
Outsider [humanoids only; permanently applies half-fiend template]


Polymorph (Sor/Wiz 4)
Varies


Polymorph Any Object* (Sor/Wiz 8, Trickery 8)
Varies


Shape of the Hellspawned Stalker (Sor/Wiz 3)
Outsider


Shapechange (Drd 9, Sor/Wiz 9 etc.)
Varies


Spider Form (Sor/Wiz 3)
Magical Beast


Spider Form, Greater (Sor/Wiz 5)
Magical Beast


Trollshape (Sor/Wiz 4)
Giant


Unyielding Form of Inevitable Death (Sor/Wiz 8)
Construct (Extraplanar, Lawful)


Visage of the Deity, Greater (Clr 9, domains 9)
Outsider


Wild Runner (Drd 4, Rng 4)
Monstrous Humanoid


Winged Watcher (Drd 1)
Animal




Feats:



Dragonwrought
Dragon [kobolds only]


Human Heritage
Humanoid (human) [if not already humanoid; otherwise only subtype changes]


Otherworldly
Outsider



Cheers - T

[CIDE]

Just a funny thing to note about Renegade Mastermaker; it does give you the Living Construct subtype but doesn't explicitly change your type to Construct. I know it's semantics and it's implied but I've seen DM's take it very literally.

[Saintheart]

- Awaken Sand (Spell, Drd 6, Sand 6, Sandstorm): The sand the subject of the spell is awakened as an Animated Object, (i.e. from no type to Construct) but has the Earth subtype rather than the normal construct.

[Doctor Despair]

Wildrunner (RotW) changes your type to Fey at level 9

Teeeechnically Dirgesinger (LM) changes one creature's type to Undead... after they are dead. As long as the Dirgesinger performs. :p Although if they're an undead or construct Dirgesinger, that could be forever!

Edit: That is actually a hilarious way to DIY a Necropolitan template in a game where the DM won't allow the Necropolitan template; LA0, as base race, trade ex abilities for undead type. Take Leadership and have a Warforged cohort take 5 levels of Dirgesinger. They go into a hole somewhere and perform forever. Fluff-wise, they love you so much they perform literally forever to keep you around, giving the simple command: don't let death stop you.

Glorious Servitor (Lost Empires of Faerun) changes your type to Outsider (native) at level 7

Troubadour of Stars 10 (Book of Exalted Deeds) changes your type to outsider (native).

Swanmay (Book of Exalted Deeds) 10 changes your type to fey.

Incandescent Champion 10 (Magic of Incarnum) changes your type to Outsider (native, good)

Bonded Summoner 10 (Miniatures Handbook) changes your type to Elemental (appropriate subtype)

[WhamBamSam]

For feats, Otherworldly and Dragonwrought change type. Otherworldly is actually broadly available as well, thanks to the Celestial-Attended Birth option in Champions of Valor.

For spells, Aspect of the Wolf to change your type to animal is a classic (and can set you up for Awaken), and Polymorph changes your type to that of the assumed form.

[Venger]

spells

winged watcher (animal)
aquatic escape (animal)
draconic polymorph (any except construct, outsider, undead, or deathless unless that's your type already)
pao (any except construct, outsider, undead, or deathless unless that's your type already)
shapechange (any)

prcs
rimefire witch (fey)

winterhaunt of iborighu's capstone does turn you into an elemental with the (evil) subtype, but at level 7, you acquire the cold subtype as well, so at the end you're an elemental (evil, cold)

Do you just want type changes, or are you interested in subtypes as well?

[Thurbane]

spells

winged watcher (animal)
aquatic escape (animal)
draconic polymorph (any except construct, outsider, undead, or deathless unless that's your type already)
pao (any except construct, outsider, undead, or deathless unless that's your type already)
shapechange (any)

prcs
rimefire witch (fey)

winterhaunt of iborighu's capstone does turn you into an elemental with the (evil) subtype, but at level 7, you acquire the cold subtype as well, so at the end you're an elemental (evil, cold)

Do you just want type changes, or are you interested in subtypes as well?

Mainly types, but I'm willing to look at subtypes as time permits.

[WhamBamSam]

Remembered another spell. Feathers changes type to animal since it inherits from polymorph.

EDIT: And another. Essence of the Dragon isn't on the list yet.

[Venger]

Mainly types, but I'm willing to look at subtypes as time permits.

Then you can throw mantle of the icy soul for cold and mantle of the fiery spirit on the pile for conferring the cold and fire types respectively.

As the frost also changes your type to outsider. It also confers immunity to cold without the fire vulnerability disability.

[NontheistCleric]

Looking at the lists, you don't yet have:

Classes
Divine Disciple (changes to Outsider)
Walker in the Waste (changes to Undead via Dry Lich)

Spells
Everything else of the Polymorph subschool not yet listed (Aspect of the Chromatic Dragon, Aspect of the Icy Hunter, Aspect of the Platinum Dragon, Dragonshape [least and lesser included], Dreaded Form of the Eye Tyrant, Dridershape, Form of the Desert Hunter, Form of the Threefold Beast, Shape of the Hellspawned Stalker, Spider Form [greater and lesser included], Trollshape and Unyielding Form of Inevitable Death)
Elemental Familiar (https://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011109a) (changes to Elemental)

Interestingly, the Elemental familiar spell requires you to have a familiar in order to cast it, but doesn't require that you target the familiar. So as long as you don't mind the XP cost or have a way to get around it, you can go around turning people into weak, stupid little elementals all day, and they can't ever change back (there is recourse to wish, miracle and limited wish, but only for familiars).

[Maat Mons]

Check that you've got everything from here (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=181.0).

[Wildstag]

Shapeshifter gets a Dragon Magazine (318) 3.5 update that specifies it changes to just the "Shapeshifter" subtype. Granted, you're not adding "Dragon" content, but I've been under the impression that the changes were official, as such they should be included.

On that note though, if/when you get around to subtypes, the Mantle of X spells give the cold and fire subtypes. They're fun to double up on a PC.


For spells, Aspect of the Wolf to change your type to animal is a classic (and can set you up for Awaken), and Polymorph changes your type to that of the assumed form.

For that trick, wouldn't you need an ally to be casting Awaken during the 22/23 hours leading up to casting Aspect of the Wolf? Because you almost certainly wouldn't be able to cast the combo on yourself.

Edit: I swear this is the last change, but the Spirit Shaman base class kinda becomes Fey, but only in regards to spells and magical effects. Could be worth an honorable mention on the list. Contemplative gets this treatment too, but for Outsider (native).

[Anthrowhale]

I'm fuzzy on whether the ghost template class (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a) counts as a template or a class for your purpose but level 1 makes you change type to an undead.

[Venger]

Shapeshifter gets a Dragon Magazine (318) 3.5 update that specifies it changes to just the "Shapeshifter" subtype. Granted, you're not adding "Dragon" content, but I've been under the impression that the changes were official, as such they should be included.

On that note though, if/when you get around to subtypes, the Mantle of X spells give the cold and fire subtypes. They're fun to double up on a PC.



For that trick, wouldn't you need an ally to be casting Awaken during the 22/23 hours leading up to casting Aspect of the Wolf? Because you almost certainly wouldn't be able to cast the combo on yourself.

Edit: I swear this is the last change, but the Spirit Shaman base class kinda becomes Fey, but only in regards to spells and magical effects. Could be worth an honorable mention on the list. Contemplative gets this treatment too, but for Outsider (native).
Dragon 318's 3.0 to 3.5 conversion is official so is considered first party.

The normal way to avoid that problem with awakening yourself is to get whoever's casting it on you to fast cast it somehow

[WhamBamSam]

For that trick, wouldn't you need an ally to be casting Awaken during the 22/23 hours leading up to casting Aspect of the Wolf? Because you almost certainly wouldn't be able to cast the combo on yourself.I generally assume that the intended target is not the Druid (who generally would prefer not to lose caster levels themselves to Magical Beast hit dice), but a different creature who uses Aspect of the Wolf from a scroll or something at the relevant time.

That said, Awaken is a valid target for Rapid spell, which would reduce its casting time to an hour, well within the duration of Aspect of the Wolf at any sort of relevant caster level.

[sreservoir]

Even if you have trouble timing it, awaken is a touch spell so once they're done casting they can just hold the charge until you cast aspect of the wolf anyway.

You can even do it yourself if you can finagle persistent spell flower + rapid awaken.

[Doctor Despair]

I'm fuzzy on whether the ghost template class (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040117a) counts as a template or a class for your purpose but level 1 makes you change type to an undead.

That's really interesting. This offers a lot of advantages to Necropolitan, if I'm reading this correctly. Just to verify though: do you have to take all five levels of ghost, or can you stop at just one?

[ShurikVch]

What, no mentions of Reincarnate?

Spells to make Undead are so numerous:
Animate Dead
Animate Dread Warrior
Animate Legion
Black Binding
Bodak Birth
Bodak's Glare
Create Undead
Create Greater Undead
Oath of Blood
Plague of Undead
Raise Skeleton
Raise Skeleton Mage
Seed of Undeath
Seed of Undeath, Greater
Skeletal Guard
Sticks and Stones

In Ghostwalk, certain ingested items could make you Undead:
Blood of Orcus - Ghoul
Flesh of Orcus - Vampire or Monstrous Vampire

Porcelain Mask (Oriental Adventures): when put on a corpse, works like Animate Dead - but only while worn

Shrouds of the Unholy (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20021031x)

Savage Species:
Wish as a method to change race (and type)
Yuan-ti Cultist PrC and their mixture which able to give the Tainted One or Broodguard template (thus, Monstrous Humanoid type)

The Standing Stone: Create Faux Human spell (Humanoid)

Create Frenzy Dog (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=fr/fx20011025a) (Magical Beast)

Call of Cthulhu d20:
Become Spectral Hunter (Monstrous Humanoid)
Curse of the Rat-Thing (Magical Beast)
Unspeakable Oath (Aberration)

Ghostwalk Web Enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20030607a): Demonic Blood Infusion gives Chaotic and Evil subtypes, and you count as Outsider for spells and effects

[Anthrowhale]

...do you have to take all five levels of ghost, or can you stop at just one?

You can take just one level.

[sreservoir]

That's really interesting. This offers a lot of advantages to Necropolitan, if I'm reading this correctly. Just to verify though: do you have to take all five levels of ghost, or can you stop at just one?

The ghost template class is covered by the general rules for template classes presented in that column (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20030824a), which specifically allows interruptions:


Characters are not required to complete all the levels of a given template class in uninterrupted succession. For example, a character who takes a level of wereboar could then take a level of fighter and a level of rogue (or any other combination of other class levels) before taking another level of wereboar. A character must still take the first level of wereboar before taking the second, just as with a normal class.

[Doctor Despair]

Thanks for the quick answers, friends. I didn't want to de-rail though, so I posted some follow-up questions in the Simple RAW Thread. :)

[Thurbane]

I was mainly trying to focus on abilities that change type without changing the entire creature to a different creature (i.e. PAO, Reincarnate etc.).

I will amend the OP to include suggestions when I get a chance.

[ExLibrisMortis]

Just a funny thing to note about Renegade Mastermaker; it does give you the Living Construct subtype but doesn't explicitly change your type to Construct. I know it's semantics and it's implied but I've seen DM's take it very literally.
That's the best part of the ability. You can become necropolitan before achieving RMM level 10, thus becoming Undead (living construct), with all the fun exceptions in the living construct type (e.g. "you have a Constitution score") applying to your undead type features. Undead with Constitution are the best thing!