Warforged Polymorphics

[Fuzzy Math]

Happy local time of day, Playgrounders! Back again with yet another character build (when wielding forks, electrical outlets are sometimes too tempting!), and I decided to challenge myself by playing a 23rd level warforged (bard 9/virtuoso 1/sublime chord 2/virtuoso 8/mindbender 1/virtuoso 1/bard 1) with Virtuoso and Mindbender advancing SC spellcasting.

Stats:
STR: 13
DEX: 22 (16 Base, Magic Item +6)
CON: 19
INT: 18
WIS: 14
CHA: 26 (16 Base, 5 Level Bumps, +5 Tome)

Feats chosen:
Mithral Body, Mithral Fluidity, Melodic Casting, Spell Focus (Conjuration), Summon Elemental Reserve, Augment Summoning, Force of Personality, Mindsight

While looking through all of the spell options, I'm coming to realize while I rarely play full Arcane spellcasters, because I get so lost in all of the various rules when less than straightforward wooj is involved. To get more to the point, I am greatly stumped by three specific spells: Alter Self, Polymorph, and Shapechange. Here is my understanding currently for all three:

Alter Self (up to 5 HD): Retain/Lose
Retain Ability Scores
Retain Class and Level
Retain Hit Points
Retain Alignment
Retain Base Attack Bonus
Retain Base Save Bonus
Retain (Su) and (Sp) special attacks and qualities, unless they require a specific body part to use
Retain (Ex) special attacks and qualities from class, lose racial
Retain creature type and subtype
Retain any spellcasting ability if assumed form can speak for V components or has limbs capable of fine manipulation for S/M
Alter Self: Gain
Natural Size of assumed form one step larger or smaller
Mundane Movement (Burrow, Climb, Walking, Swim, Flight with wings) Max flight speed: 120, Max non-flight speed: 60ft
Natural Armor Bonus
Natural Weapons
Racial Skill Bonuses
Racial Bonus Feats
Alter Self: Do NOT Gain
(Ex) Special attacks or qualities not noted above, such as darkvision, etc.
(Su) Special attacks or qualities
SLAÂ’s

Polymorph (up to 15 HD): Retain/Lose
As Alter Self; except as noted below
Polymorph: Gain
Natural Size of assumed form, down to Fine up to HD associated size
Mundane Movement (Burrow, Climb, Walking, Swim, Flight with wings) Max flight speed: 120, Max non-flight speed: 60ft
Natural Armor Bonus
Natural Weapons
Racial Skill Bonuses
Racial Bonus Feats
Physical Stats
(Ex) Special Attacks
Type/Subtype: Original, aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin
Polymorph: Do NOT Gain
(Ex) Special qualities not noted above, such as darkvision, etc.
(Su) Special attacks or qualities
SLAÂ’s
Type/Subtype: Incorporeal or gaseous form

Shapechange (up to 25 HD): Retain/Lose
See Polymorph; except as noted below
Shapechange: Gain
Any nonunique creature, down to Fine up to Colossal/HD associated size (whichever is first)
Mundane Movement (Burrow, Climb, Walking, Swim, Flight with wings) Max flight speed: 120, Max non-flight speed: 60ft
Natural Armor Bonus
Natural Weapons
Racial Skill Bonuses
Racial Bonus Feats
Physical Stats
(Ex) Special Attacks and qualities
(Su) Special Attacks and qualities
Type/Subtype: Any
Shapechange: Do NOT Gain
SLAÂ’s

Is this correct? If so, what do I retain from my warforged as far as feats go? I've been looking around and I've seen some posts saying I keep the armor bonus from Mithral Body, but I'm not sure on that as it's not tied to class. For Alter Self, I've narrowed down to what I think I can turn into, with the understanding that my casting will be limited as most of these options cannot speak and/or have necessary limbs:

Animated Object, Small
Animated Object, Medium
Animated Object, Large
Automaton, Pulverizer
Automaton, Hammerer
Clockwork Horror, Electrum
Raggamoffyn, Tatterdemanimal
Raggamoffyn, Common
Warforged Charger (Does Adamantine Body override Mithral Body? If so, do I get the Adamantine Fists(Ex) since it's tied to that bonus feat?)
Clockroach
Golem, Force (Not even sure what I get with this one outside of slam and natural armor.)
Golem, Magmacore (Not sure with this one either.)
Adamantine Spider
Iron Cobra
Necrophidius

If I'm having this much difficulty with the basic polymorphing spell, is there another recommendation that allows for similar versatility (not including Shadow Evocation/Conjuration)?

[Rebel7284]

Is this correct? If so, what do I retain from my warforged as far as feats go?


All of them? There is nothing implying that you lose you existing feats. Some might be unusable if you no longer qualify for them or your physical stats are too low in the new form, but you still have them.



I've been looking around and I've seen some posts saying I keep the armor bonus from Mithral Body, but I'm not sure on that as it's not tied to class.


Not clear why class has to do with it. RAW you keep your feats. With that said, if you think about the flavor of the feat giving you bonuses because you have a layer of Mithral, sometimes players chose to flavor it as the forms they take also having a layer of Mithral (which makes disguise harder).

I could see someone arguing that due to your type and subtype changing, you no longer qualify for Mithral Body. However, nothing in Polymorph explicitly stops you from being a Warforged, you're still a warforged but with completely different types and subtypes


If I'm having this much difficulty with the basic polymorphing spell, is there another recommendation that allows for similar versatility (not including Shadow Evocation/Conjuration)?

It's a very poorly written set of spells and even experienced players have trouble using them sometimes. There is the age-old question if Alter Self -> Human gives you a bonus feat for example.

Outside of maybe Limited Wish/Wish/Miracle, there isn't much that gives as much versatility as Polymorph and especially Shapechange. Shapechange is pretty much the best spell in the game since most other spell effects can be duplicated by turning into the right creature. Even wish can be done by turning into a Zodar. With that said, other flexible spells include:
- Draconic Polymorph: Technically not a spell you mentioned, but inherits all the problems of polymorph.
- Planar Binding (Lesser/Greater/regular): Expensive and risky, but you call a creature with ALL of their abilities.
- Various summoning spells can also be very flexible while being significantly more limited.
- Prestidigitation is technically the most versatile spell in the game.
- Silent Image and such are known for being VERY powerful when used right.

[SirNibbles]

You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

...

When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When you revert to your true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form.


Player's Handbook, page 197






Composite Plating: The plating used to build a warforged provides a +2 armor bonus. This plating is not natural armor and does not stack with other effects that give an armor bonus (other than natural armor). This composite plating occupies the same space on the body as a suit of armor or a robe, and thus a warforged cannot benefit from the effects of magic armor or magic robes.

Races of Eberron, page 8


If the new form is not capable of wearing Composite Plating (and therefore Mithral Plating), it melds in and becomes nonfunctional. It is my understanding that only a Warforged can wear Composite Plating. Mithral Fluidity applies to your Mithral Body so it would cease functioning as well.