casting while polymorphed

[Whyte_Widow]

any suggestions on creatures (prefurrably planar, as my character has knowledge planar just for polymorph.) that allow full spellcasting?

"A creature in an assumed form retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form.

Nevertheless, the creature must be able to speak intelligibly while in its assumed form to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components."

this limits my spellcasting forms.

what are your favorite forms?

[Lord Vukodlak]

Ogres, trolls, giants and the like all have the necessary hands and voice for spellcasting.

It essentially must be a creature with both hands and the ability to speak a language.

[The Dark Fiddler]

You could avoid the problem by casting spells without verbal and somatic components. ...how many spells lack both, though?

[Starbuck_II]

any suggestions on creatures (prefurrably planar, as my character has knowledge planar just for polymorph.) that allow full spellcasting?

"A creature in an assumed form retains any spellcasting ability it had in its original form.

Nevertheless, the creature must be able to speak intelligibly while in its assumed form to cast spells with verbal components and it must have humanlike hands to cast spells with somatic components."

this limits my spellcasting forms.

what are your favorite forms?

I like Treants: you get the smashing object ability. You get Plant Type so immune to mind affecting stuff (like Mind blank but lower level).

[Sinfire Titan]

I like Treants: you get the smashing object ability. You get Plant Type so immune to mind affecting stuff (like Mind blank but lower level).

You need to share a type with the creature all ready in order to Polymorph into it. Shapechange removes this, but when I Polymorph I try to use the lower level stuff before I even think about that spell.

My personal favorite form is Warforged Titan, but I play Factotums anyway.

prefurrably planar, as my character has knowledge planar just for polymorph.

Ugh. "Preferably", and you mean Outsiders, as you have Knowledge (The Planes).

Planetars, Bardbed Devils, Bearded Devils, and most Guardinals work for polymorphing.

Of course, polymorphing into Samuel L. Jackson is always a viable idea...

[Starbuck_II]

You need to share a type with the creature all ready in order to Polymorph into it. Shapechange removes this, but when I Polymorph I try to use the lower level stuff before I even think about that spell.

Dude, that is wrong. You are thinking of Alterself.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorph.htm

The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin.

Now if you could change into same type: then there would be no point to the language or any of the following.

[Sinfire Titan]

Dude, that is wrong. You are thinking of Alterself.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorph.htm

The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin.

Now if you could change into same type: then there would be no point to the language or any of the following.

Then I've been misreading it, badly at that.

[Teron]

Dude, that is wrong. You are thinking of Alterself.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorph.htm

The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin.

Now if you could change into same type: then there would be no point to the language or any of the following.

Unfortunately for Whyte_Widow, that mean Knowledge (the Planes) is useless for picking polymorph forms unless her character is already an outsider (or an elemental, I guess).

[Lord Vukodlak]

Unfortunately for Whyte_Widow, that mean Knowledge (the Planes) is useless for picking polymorph forms unless her character is already an outsider (or an elemental, I guess).

I would say polymorph is useless, in this case.

[Lycanthromancer]

It's easy enough in a lot of games to become an outsider. If you want LA 0 races, star elves, humans with the Otherworldly feat, and neraphim all fit the bill. LA +1 opens things a bit, with planetouched being relatively easily found races to play with (though Thou Shalt Not Lose Caster Levels...but if LA-buyoff is available, feel free, especially at later levels).

[PinkysBrain]

Fiendform + polymorph (or Devil's Ego or Lesser Infernal Transformation and a ton of higher level spells which temporarily give you the outsider type).

[Eldariel]

Polymorph and then Stilled, Silent, Quickened Alter Self. Gets you all the tasty physicals complete with spellcasting capability in any form.


But yeah, uh, most Giant-forms are, as stated, fairly awesome. There are even some abyssal Giants you can K: The Planes on sorta, though they tend to have insane HD. Some of the best bang for your back is Firbolg form [MMII] at solid 36 Strength, 13 Dex and 23 Con, some nice special attacks and Large size. War Troll [MMIII] is another incredibly solid medium HD primate form. Sanguaro Sentinel [Sand] is one of the better plant-forms, being explicitly capable of speech (though somantics may be tough without further magic to generate Hands of the Man or the sort).