How to Polymorph: 5e Spell Exhaustive Guide

“Phaser Cat” by 000Fesbra000, CC Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License

Polymorph Mechanics and Rules
—FAQ

Polymorph Tactics
—Casting on Enemies
—Spells That Target Beasts
—Combat Prowess
—Effective Battle Healing and Buffed Hitpoints
—Space Conflicts
—Beast Traits
—Pet Infiltration
—Animal Magnetism
—Familiar Buffing

Meta Discussion

Introduction

If you haven’t heard, Polymorph is commonly cited as one of the best spells in fifth edition D&D (some say it’s the best spell until double-digit levels when it starts to drop off). I’ve noticed forum DM’s express how they ban or alter Polymorph in their games to curb its power. Players have been heard to say that Polymorph is an automatic choice for initial fourth level spells. For these reasons, let’s explore why Polymorph receives such hype and is the topic of much discussion!

I’ll bring it up a few times in this article, but before you get too far, I highly recommend you download my free spreadsheet of beast game statistics. It’s very helpful for spells like Polymorph, but also for summoning spells, Beastmaster pets, and Druid wild shaping.

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Polymorph Mechanics and Rules

What exactly changes/happens when a creature is polymorphed? D&D employs the rule that a specific rule will trump a general rule, and Polymorph relies on both general and specific rules. Let us begin by breaking down the finer points of this spell’s mechanics in its description:

1. Transforms a visible creature within sixty feet.
2. Unwilling target makes a Wisdom saving throw to avoid being transformed.
3. No effect on shapechangers.
   • The Monster Manual labels creatures as shapechangers. This is probably the only interpretation of shapechanger that RAW intended.
     • “Shapechanger is a Tag (Monster Manual p.7) given to certain creatures. Becoming a druid doesn’t change you from Humanoid (elf) to Humanoid (elf, shapechanger) in the same way that learning the polymorph spell doesn’t change your sorcerer to a shapechanger.” – Dale M of RPG Stackexchange.
   • It’s up to the DM whether or not a Druid counts as a shapechanger since a Druid can Wild Shape.
4. Can’t polymorph a creature if it already has zero hitpoints.
5. Duration stipulations. Spell ends if:
   • One hour passes without willingly ending the spell or losing concentration.
     • If you cast Polymorph on yourself, your Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration will be based on the stats of the beast you’ve become. (see point #7). This could be beneficial or harmful depending on your Constitution score compared to the chosen beast.
   • Target in beast form drops to zero hitpoints.
   • Target dies.
     • It is noteworthy that dying and dropping to zero hitpoints are not the same thing. Power Word Kill will probably kill you on the spot, depending on what you’ve polymorphed into. More on this later.
6. New form can be any beast whose challenge rating is equal to or less than the target’s challenge rating.
   • If the target doesn’t have a challenge rating (like a PC), use the target’s level.
   • ‘Beast’ is a tag used in the Monster Manual (explained p.7). Any creature with this tag can be used. DM’s and other official books certainly have additional beast options.
7. Target’s game statistics are replaced by the stats of the chosen beast.
   • All stats are replaced, including mental stats (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma).
   • What is included in “game statistics”? It’s actually quite simple: if a normal beast that you’ve been polymorphed into could do something, you can do it too. While polymorphed, you cannot do anything other than what that beast could do. A polymorphed Paladin can’t use divine smite, and a polymorphed monk can’t use unarmed defense or martial arts.
     • If you want to read more discussion about this here are two forum discussions from RPG.stackexchange: Polymorph and class features, Polymorph and Subtle Spell Metamagic. 
   • Alignment and personality are expressly retained by the spell’s description (which makes sense since those are not part of your game statistics that are replaced with the beast’s statistics). If a Wizard is a pompous jerk, he becomes a squirrel that is equally pompous but lacking the intelligence to back it up.
8. The target assumes the hitpoints of its new form.
   • When the Polymorph spell ends (see point #5), the affected creature returns to the number of hitpoints it had before it transformed.
   • If Polymorph ends as a result of the affected creature dropping to zero hitpoints, any excess damage carries over to its normal form.
     • If you’re a zebra with ten hitpoints, and you take fifteen points of damage, you’ll revert back to your normal form and take the difference between the damage and the beast form’s remaining hitpoints. In this example, it’s five damage to your normal form.
     • If the excess damage reduces the creature’s true form to zero hitpoints, it is knocked unconscious.
9. The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form
   • Can’t speak.
   • Can’t cast spells.
   • Can’t take any other action that requires hands or speech.
10. The target’s gear melds into the new form.
    • Gear is anything you’re holding, carrying, wearing, etc.
11. The creature can’t activate, use, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of its equipment.
    • This is distinctly different from a Druid’s Wild Shape ability which allows optional, limited equipment utilization.

FAQ’s not answered in spell’s description:

Claustrophobia: Reverting from a small creature to your regular size in a confined space won’t squish you; instead you’d be forced to the next available area with enough space for you to fit.

Belly of the Beast: If a creature has another creature in its belly at either the casting of Polymorph or the ending of Polymorph, it’s up to the DM what happens to the creature in the belly. There is no official rule on this. To me, the easiest ruling would be to expel the creature from the belly. There are other complicated scenarios such as casting Polymorph on a pregnant creature. What happens to the infant in the uterus? And what if you have to pee so your bladder is full, but you transform into a creature with a smaller bladder? I’d rather not grapple with such questions in a friendly game of D&D. Let’s just say it’s magic.

Concentration While Transformed: Rules errata clarifies that while you can’t cast spells while transformed by Polymorph, you can concentrate on a spell. If not so, a Wizard could not Polymorph herself without immediately ending the spell.

Disintegration: If you are polymorphed when a Disintegrate spell reduces your beast form to zero hitpoints, you are not disintegrated by the spell unless the damage also reduces your normal form to zero hitpoints. This ruling has been the subject of much heated debate, but this is the ruling.

Power Word Kill: Unlike Disintegrate, the Power Word Kill spell’s effect of killing a creature is not predicated on reducing a creature’s hitpoints. Power Word Kill will just kill the creature. If you become transformed by an effect like Polymorph, and your hitpoints in beast form are low enough to be affected by Power Word Kill, you just die. To be clear, you’ll die as a beast, causing you to transform back to your true form since the spell ends in this situation, and you will be dead in your true form as well.

AC Modifiers: Can Mage Armor affect a polymorphed creature? Yes, you just pick whichever AC is better: the beast’s natural AC or the Mage Armor AC. The same rule applies to other AC abilities and spells, including the Unarmored Defense ability of a Monk or Barbarian, and the Barkskin spell. 

Casting Polymorph on Currently Polymorphed Creature: PHB p.205 says regarding overlapping spell effects (header is “Combining Magical Effects): “The effects of different spells add together while the durations of those spells overlap. The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don’t combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those castings applies while their durations overlap. Or the most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap.”

• In other words, if you cast Polymorph at the same spell level as the previous casting, your casting replaces the previous (suppressing it as yours begins). If while suppressed your casting of Polymorph ends, the previous casting will take effect again if its duration has not ended. If the previous casting is of a higher level than yours, your own casting has no effect. This is open to some interpretation, so I recommend asking your DM how your game will rule it.
• This concept reminds of the wizards duel from Disney’s classic film “The Sword in the Stone” where two wizards were constantly polymorphing into various beasts.

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Polymorph Tactics

Casting on Enemies:

• Boss fights can occasionally be skipped if a monster fails its saving throw against Polymorph. Transforming a demon into a mouse can simplify a battle.
• I once polymorphed a chimera, and within the duration of Polymorph I was able to carry the chimera in the form of a mouse in my pocket. I took the chimera to my enemy’s mansion, tossed the mouse into the mansion common room, locked the door, and I dropped concentration to restore the chimera to its true form. I then heard the chimera wreak havoc in my enemy’s mansion, softening up the forces so my party could swoop in afterwards to easily deal with our enemy’s remaining defenses.
• If you’re a high-level caster that can cast Power Word Kill, you can kill anything that doesn’t have an immutable form in two turns. You can cast Polymorph to change a creature into a beast with less than 100 hitpoints, and then cast Power Word Kill to actually kill the creature outright.
• If an enemy is flying, cast Polymorph to turn them into a goat so they fall from the sky. They’ll probably lose their goat hitpoints from the fall, ending the spell, but they’ll be vulnerable on the ground just long enough for the melee brawlers to swap blows.
• You can take a polymorphed enemy to a place where they can’t escape, like a cage or prison, and trap them before they return to their normal form.

Spells That Target Beasts:

While polymorphed, a creature becomes a beast, which means spells that affect beasts may succeed against a polymorphed creature. Animal Friendship is an example of a spell that will affect the false beast.

What happens to a polymorphed creature if it’s under the effect of the Awaken spell but it returns to its normal form? Jeremy Crawford has suggested that a good rule of thumb for determining what happens to a spell that is no longer valid is to suppress the spell while it is invalid in its requirements.

In #DnD, the exceptional trumps the general. (No longer being a valid target trumps condition carryover.) https://t.co/HlR4jx99sp

— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) May 27, 2016

Combat Prowess:

Beasts have effective attacks that may be more effective than what a creature can do in its base form. If a spellcaster is out of spells, it may be better to transform her into a giant ape. She’ll do much more damage as a giant ape than she would with cantrips, and she’ll be more durable too. It’s crucial to remember that polymorphing yourself will mean your new form is jeopardized when you take damage because you can lose concentration.

Caution: As mentioned earlier, a polymorphed creature may become especially vulnerable to spells like Power Word Kill.

Effective Battle Healing and Buffed Hitpoints:

Polymorph is excellent for rescuing party members when they’re at low hitpoints, but don’t wait too long because Polymorph won’t work on a creature with zero hitpoints. This is point #4 in the prior summary of Polymorph spell mechanics from its description.

Most healing spells cast at fourth level may heal an average of 20-30 hitpoints. Polymorph doesn’t heal, but it can give someone an effective buffer of hitpoints exceeding 100 hitpoints. Sometimes Polymorph is 3-4x more effective than an average healing spell.

Space Conflicts:

It may be tempting to always assume you can transform into a tyrannosaurus rex for battle, but in tight quarters you’ll need to have other options in mind.

Beast Traits:

• Beasts have a variety of skill proficiencies and abilities that may be useful to you. I’ve actually prepared an entire spreadsheet of beasts for your reference (download for free). I recommend using columns M-V to scout for interesting abilities you can gain as a beast. Examples of notable beast traits include blindsight, darkvision, spider climb, nondetection, restraining attacks, water breathing, flight, echolocation, and damage resistance.
• Remember that you’ll adopt the stats of the beast you’re polymorphed into. If you are the spellcaster that is casting Polymorph on yourself, you might want to choose a beast that has a high modifier for Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration. Appropriate choices include a brontosaurus, giant ape, aurochs, tyrannosaurus rex, giant shark, or mammoth.
• It’s common that Polymorph is used to become a small beast like a fly or a bird in order to spy on a person or group without attracting attention. What’s usually forgotten is that mental stats of a beast may interfere with spying if the beast’s perception bonus is low. For this reason, owls are excellent choices for spying. Giant apes have surprisingly high perception bonuses, but their size betrays their futures in espionage.
• The burly, clunky Paladin can be polymorphed to remove the problem of his noisy armor and lack of stealthiness. The Paladin can become a stealthy beast, such as a giant crocodile, giant wolf spider, female steeder, or crag cat.
  • Seriously, check out the spreadsheet that I spent many hours to compile. The filter in the spreadsheet made it easy to identify beasts with the highest stealth bonuses.

Pet Infiltration:

Enemies with animal companions may or may not notice if your polymorphed party member replaces the animal to get close to your enemy.

Animal Magnetism:

I’ve occasionally been forced to battle massive beasts to progress a story, but it often feels tragic to dispatch a noble beast. Maybe bloodshed can be avoided if a party members polymorphs into an attractive beast to seduce the hostile beast. It could get awkward very quickly, but it’s something that can be attempted if other peaceful options are unavailable.

Familiar Buffing:

• A Sorcerer’s familiar, which is usually limited in what it can do in combat, can be transformed into a beast to contribute to your party’s violent needs. Keep in mind the beast can only be of the same (or lower) CR level as the familiar. Due to this limitation, this may not always be the best option.
• Familiars are easy examples of how to do this, but other creatures can similarly be polymorphed to impressive combat forms. Keep in mind the beast can only be of the same (or lower) CR level as the creature’s original form. Due to this limitation, this may not always be the best option.
• If you want to give your DM a headache, ask if a Beastmaster’s abilities still apply to his animal companion if his companion becomes polymorphed. It’s still a beast, but it’s game statistics are replaced. What do you think? Can the Beastmaster still use class features to synergize with his polymorphed beast companion? (Forum discussion here)
  • There are many similar questions to this. If this question interests you, I recommend checking out these forum topics:
    • Rangers and transformed Deva angels. (not about Polymorph, but still interesting)

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Meta Discussion

I’ve heard countless players and DM’s lament that Polymorph is too powerful. When a spell is too powerful, it almost seems requisite to choose and use it, resulting in the neglect of other spells and lacking variety in gameplay. I believe Polymorph is rightfully powerful as a fourth level spell, but it does lose potency as PC’s reach higher levels. That said, it can become tiresome to have dinosaurs fighting in every session from levels 7-10. This example discussion actually asserts that Polymorph isn’t a good spell at all (there are some mechanical issues with the premise, but it’s a read that will challenge a common point of view). It is correct to conclude that one of the greatest strengths of Polymorph is its versatility.

If you’re a DM that is experiencing Polymorph as a spell that lowers the variety and quality of your game, I recommend you try to give the players challenges that Polymorph won’t solve (I suspect this article will give you ideas to do so). But if you need options for making Polymorph less powerful in your game, I have suggestions:

• Insert limits the Polymorph spell that requires spellcasters to use spell slots of higher level than 4th to achieve particularly high CRs for their beast transformations. This would allow you more flexibility to add beasts with higher CRs to your game. without worrying about buffing Polymorph too much.
• Limit the CR of Polymorph’s beasts to, in addition to the spell’s existing CR limitations, not allow the CR to be higher than the spell slot used to cast Polymorph.
• Remove dinosaurs and giant apes from your game setting so Polymorph won’t have those options.
• Raise Polymorph to a fifth level spell instead of fourth level.
• Require the spellcaster to be familiar with the type of beast that is desired for the Polymorph spell. This is how the Druid’s Wild Shape ability works, so it’s not unprecedented.

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Conclusion

Polymorph is a doozy of a spell. While complicated to understand its many angles, it rewards players who invest the time to master it. If you reviewed this entire exhaustive summary, I commend you for your effort to master the Polymorph spell, and I congratulate you for graduating from Flutes’ School of Polymorph. Did I miss anything about this spell or do you have lingering questions? Comment with any questions and I promise to answer within a few days.

If you want to further explore spells to expand your knowledge, you can find a growing number of spell analysis articles here. I have an article that I’ll be updating irregularly with ideas to improve unpopular spells here.

And these are some of my favorite spells that I’ve analyzed:

• Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere
• Counterspell
• Dream
• Nystul’s Magic Aura
• Time Stop

And Opal has compiled spell lists of recommended spells for various classes:

• Ranger spells
• Underutilized Druid spells: levels 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9 
• Warlock spells (and invocations)

The true test of your spell knowledge will come as you play with your friends, so get out there and play some D&D! Please visit us again soon and tell us about your games.