Say somebody true polymorphs their self into a cat. Cats have an intelligence of 3 and can not speak. Would that wizard still be able to cast spells?
Also, I'm a little unsure about how HP works after a true polymorph. Is it like Wild Shape where if your HP goes to 0 in your polymorph form you revert back to your normal form? Or do you just die?
“The target is limited in the actions it can perform by the anatomy of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells.” So no on casting spells.
And it also says:
“The transformation lasts for the duration or until the target dies or is destroyed, but if you maintain Concentration on this spell for the full duration, the spell lasts until dispelled.”
This can get a little odd in the case of a PC, as you’re not dead until you fail your death saves. However if you are dropped to 0 hp, your concentration breaks, so you’d revert to your normal form before making death saves. Now, if you’d kept up your concentration for an hour, and were pretty much permanently a cat now, it would be a DM ruling if you’d get death saves after dropping to 0, or if you’d just die and then turn back into yourself. But likely if you’re permanently a cat, you’ve become an NPC.
“The target is limited in the actions it can perform by the anatomy of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells.” So no on casting spells.
And it also says:
“The transformation lasts for the duration or until the target dies or is destroyed, but if you maintain Concentration on this spell for the full duration, the spell lasts until dispelled.”
This can get a little odd in the case of a PC, as you’re not dead until you fail your death saves. However if you are dropped to 0 hp, your concentration breaks, so you’d revert to your normal form before making death saves. Now, if you’d kept up your concentration for an hour, and were pretty much permanently a cat now, it would be a DM ruling if you’d get death saves after dropping to 0, or if you’d just die and then turn back into yourself. But likely if you’re permanently a cat, you’ve become an NPC.
They've been a cat for days now, I assume it's effectively permanent now.
Could you use True Polymorph to transform yourself into a creature which is a humanoid, like say a human polymorphing themself into a Tiefling? According to the rules as written, would that new Tiefling be unable to speak or cast spells even though a normal Tiefling could? That seems like an oversight in the rules.
Could you use True Polymorph to transform yourself into a creature which is a humanoid, like say a human polymorphing themself into a Tiefling? According to the rules as written, would that new Tiefling be unable to speak or cast spells even though a normal Tiefling could? That seems like an oversight in the rules.
"The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form, and it can’t speak, cast spells, or take any other action that requires hands or speech, unless its new form is capable of such actions."
Unless the new Tiefling is mute and has no hands I think you're safe.
Could you use True Polymorph to transform yourself into a creature which is a humanoid, like say a human polymorphing themself into a Tiefling? According to the rules as written, would that new Tiefling be unable to speak or cast spells even though a normal Tiefling could? That seems like an oversight in the rules.
"The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form, and it can’t speak, cast spells, or take any other action that requires hands or speech, unless its new form is capable of such actions."
Unless the new Tiefling is mute and has no hands I think you're safe.
That's from the 2014 PHB. The 2024 PHB says "The target is limited in the actions it can perform by the anatomy of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells." There no longer seems to be a "unless its new form is capable of such actions" exception anymore. A strictly rules-as-written interpretation of the 2024 rules suggests that a standard humanoid isn't an exception to the mute and can't cast rules. (Although I would hope that the DM would use common sense.)
Could you use True Polymorph to transform yourself into a creature which is a humanoid, like say a human polymorphing themself into a Tiefling? According to the rules as written, would that new Tiefling be unable to speak or cast spells even though a normal Tiefling could? That seems like an oversight in the rules.
"The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form, and it can’t speak, cast spells, or take any other action that requires hands or speech, unless its new form is capable of such actions."
Unless the new Tiefling is mute and has no hands I think you're safe.
That's from the 2014 PHB. The 2024 PHB says "The target is limited in the actions it can perform by the anatomy of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells." There no longer seems to be a "unless its new form is capable of such actions" exception anymore. A strictly rules-as-written interpretation of the 2024 rules suggests that a standard humanoid isn't an exception to the mute and can't cast rules. (Although I would hope that the DM would use common sense.)
We're playing with 2014 rules, but that doesn't really change anything in this specific circumstance.
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Say somebody true polymorphs their self into a cat. Cats have an intelligence of 3 and can not speak. Would that wizard still be able to cast spells?
Also, I'm a little unsure about how HP works after a true polymorph. Is it like Wild Shape where if your HP goes to 0 in your polymorph form you revert back to your normal form? Or do you just die?
Well, it says in the spell description:
“The target is limited in the actions it can perform by the anatomy of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells.” So no on casting spells.
And it also says:
“The transformation lasts for the duration or until the target dies or is destroyed, but if you maintain Concentration on this spell for the full duration, the spell lasts until dispelled.”
This can get a little odd in the case of a PC, as you’re not dead until you fail your death saves. However if you are dropped to 0 hp, your concentration breaks, so you’d revert to your normal form before making death saves. Now, if you’d kept up your concentration for an hour, and were pretty much permanently a cat now, it would be a DM ruling if you’d get death saves after dropping to 0, or if you’d just die and then turn back into yourself. But likely if you’re permanently a cat, you’ve become an NPC.
They've been a cat for days now, I assume it's effectively permanent now.
Yup. Unless someone casts dispel magic on them.
Could you use True Polymorph to transform yourself into a creature which is a humanoid, like say a human polymorphing themself into a Tiefling? According to the rules as written, would that new Tiefling be unable to speak or cast spells even though a normal Tiefling could? That seems like an oversight in the rules.
"The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form, and it can’t speak, cast spells, or take any other action that requires hands or speech, unless its new form is capable of such actions."
Unless the new Tiefling is mute and has no hands I think you're safe.
That's from the 2014 PHB. The 2024 PHB says "The target is limited in the actions it can perform by the anatomy of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells." There no longer seems to be a "unless its new form is capable of such actions" exception anymore. A strictly rules-as-written interpretation of the 2024 rules suggests that a standard humanoid isn't an exception to the mute and can't cast rules. (Although I would hope that the DM would use common sense.)
We're playing with 2014 rules, but that doesn't really change anything in this specific circumstance.