Segev
2021-07-15, 06:42 PM
The rules for the polymorph subschool (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/Magic/#TOC-Transmutation-Polymorph) of transmutation spells say that, if your new form grants swim speed, you can also breathe underwater. The polymorph spells - such as beast shape II (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/beast-shape) - grant abilities like swim speeds if the form you're turning into grants them.
The psionic rules for psychometabolism (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/) say, "For the purpose of Ppsionics–magic transparency, psychometabolism powers are equivalent to powers of the transmutation school (thus, creatures immune to transmutation spells are also immune to psychometabolism powers)," but that doesn't really say it uses the polymorph subschool rules.
Metamorphosis (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/m/metamorphosis/), itself, doesn't actually say you gain powers from the specific form you choose, but that you can change your form to look however you like, then pick from a menu of items for your added abilities. None of these include breathing underwater. I'd argue that we should follow precedent from the Swim Speed rule of the polymorph subschool, mentioned above, but then we look at the Metamorph (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-prestige-classes/metamorph/) PrC, and note that its Menu A supernatural features include "breathing underwater." Which implies not only that it's a distinct menu option from a swim speed, but that a Psion(Egoist) who isn't a Metamorph cannot get water breathing ability from his shapeshifting powers.
Am I reading this right? Or is the Metamorph doing an almost literal (albeit slightly reversed) air-breathing mermaid thing, and creating a feature that, in its creation, removes functionality from previously-printed material?
Should you need a separate menu item, or should it just come with swim speed? DOES it, and I'm just not quite parsing the rules correctly?
The psionic rules for psychometabolism (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/) say, "For the purpose of Ppsionics–magic transparency, psychometabolism powers are equivalent to powers of the transmutation school (thus, creatures immune to transmutation spells are also immune to psychometabolism powers)," but that doesn't really say it uses the polymorph subschool rules.
Metamorphosis (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/m/metamorphosis/), itself, doesn't actually say you gain powers from the specific form you choose, but that you can change your form to look however you like, then pick from a menu of items for your added abilities. None of these include breathing underwater. I'd argue that we should follow precedent from the Swim Speed rule of the polymorph subschool, mentioned above, but then we look at the Metamorph (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-prestige-classes/metamorph/) PrC, and note that its Menu A supernatural features include "breathing underwater." Which implies not only that it's a distinct menu option from a swim speed, but that a Psion(Egoist) who isn't a Metamorph cannot get water breathing ability from his shapeshifting powers.
Am I reading this right? Or is the Metamorph doing an almost literal (albeit slightly reversed) air-breathing mermaid thing, and creating a feature that, in its creation, removes functionality from previously-printed material?
Should you need a separate menu item, or should it just come with swim speed? DOES it, and I'm just not quite parsing the rules correctly?