I think there are two points that need to be separated here.
Should Changeling be more clear that the Shapeshifter feature gives them the [shapeshifter] keyword? Yes. 5e intentionally moved away from keywords and this is one case where it hurt the clarity of the game.
Should the Shapeshifter description include immunity to polymorph? No, it should not. Calling out a particular spell is different than calling out a particular status condition, because:
It would also have to call out true polymorph and any other existing spell or effect that it may override. You can't just say the 'polymorph' condition because it doesn't exist. Again, no keywords in 5e.
Any newly introduced spells or effects that this feature would interact with would require errata to the race.
It eases the load on new players. On someone's first day, they shouldn't need to go look up a fourth level spell (and a ninth level spell) to understand what their class feature does. You don't need to do that with sleep because it's a condition we all know and understand.
So regarding the second point, it really is the right way to do things from a design standpoint. You design base components like races to be as forward-compatible as possible. This means referring to general rules and terms only and leaving more specific interactions to be described in the more specific component.
Should the Shapeshifter description include immunity to polymorph? No, it should not. Calling out a particular spell is different than calling out a particular status condition, because:
It would also have to call out true polymorph and any other existing spell or effect that it may override. You can't just say the 'polymorph' condition because it doesn't exist. Again, no keywords in 5e.
Any newly introduced spells or effects that this feature would interact with would require errata to the race.
It eases the load on new players. On someone's first day, they shouldn't need to go look up a fourth level spell (and a ninth level spell) to understand what their class feature does. You don't need to do that with sleep because it's a condition we all know and understand.
So regarding the second point, it really is the right way to do things from a design standpoint. You design base components like races to be as forward-compatible as possible. This means referring to general rules and terms only and leaving more specific interactions to be described in the more specific component.
You don't need an exhaustive list of spells, which isn't the model that is being suggested. You model it after the Elves. Alternatively, you could write similar to how they did things in MotM (or might have been the 1D&D UAs, I don't remember which) and just say something along the lines of: "You count as a shapeshifter for the purposes of any spells, effects, features etc that affect shapeshifters". Or just straight put them as the Shapeshifter type. Just something that makes it explicit that they should or should not be considered valid targets for Polymorph et al.
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@scatterbraind are you saying they are immune, or not?
What about Warforged? They're basically a construct, right? But they can be polymorphed?
They're specifically talking about the arguments about game design that lead to the confusion, rather than specifically whether Changelings are immune or not.
As for Warforged, there is, from my memory which admittedly isn't perfect, nothing in the stats that, RAW, would indicate they're immune to Polymorph. They're humanoid rather than a construct, if I remember rightly.
As for Changelings, there's a problem, for reasons I've laid out earlier in the thread. It's likely that they intended that they were immune, but if a player tried to Polymorph one, I'd probably accept that they succeed due to the lack of clarity and the fact that RAW is not obvious and clearcut (which is the entire point of RAW, which is another discussion).
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Changelings are humanoids too, so that argument means that they can be polymorphed.
If something were to cast it on my character, I would expect to have to make a saving throw. If I fail, I turn into a rat, or whatever. I can't turn back into myself from being a rat, because I don't know how to turn into a rat.
Well, then I can just "shift" all of my wounds away, just like liquid terminator.
You can hide them, but the ability doesn't recover hit points, so not really.
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Well, then I can just "shift" all of my wounds away, just like liquid terminator.
You can hide them, but the ability doesn't recover hit points, so not really.
Yeah, because I only shift, not shape change, That's the entire point.
Yes you can.
Your problem is thinking change shape must mean like going from a man to a cat. But "shape" is actually: the external form, contours, or outline of someone or something. Add a finger? You've changed the outline, and so the shape. Changed eyes to something feline? You've changed the shape. Grown horns? The nose? All changing the outline, contours and external form.
'Shape' has a broader meaning that you are giving it credit for. The term "shapechanger" just means something that can or has changed shape and if we want to get all 'well, actually' and 'broaden the goal posts' about it, every human in the real world is technically a shapechanger because you've changed shape as some point - even in size, which I'm sure many a mother and their vajayjay is thankful for. Fun fact, over time, some people have been known to change hair, eye and skin tone. As you age the face, cranium and jaws change shape. So does your musculature (especially for bodybuilders). My point is overreliance on dictionary applications to a fantasy game is not worth the brainspasms.
It doesn't matter if it is called Shapechanger, It could even be called Jigglewigglespiffypuffer. The Jigglewigglespiffypuffer still defines what you can do. Hell it doesn't need to be related or make sense. The Jigglewigglespiffypuffer could state you can fart a healing gas - and if a spell all about transformation stated a Jigglewigglespiffypuffer was immune, then with or without sense, you and your healing farts are immune to that spell - it's just the way the spell works. It states you are, so you are.
Polymorph states Shapechangers are immune and Changelings are Shapechangers. Whethe that Shapechanging trait means they can transform into anything, grow limbs, become a cat or just fart healing gas - it doesn't matter. Hell, even if you as a Changeling have Shapechanger trait letting you fart healing gas, while another race has a Shapechanger trait that lets them eat food through their armpits -- you're both Shapechangers and both immune to Polymorph, not because of how accurately named the traits are for you, or what they do or how they might work - but simply because you have them named such and the spell itself provides immunity.
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Oookay, but I really wanted to become a Giant Ape and smash the crap out of enemies and throw boulders at them. :(
Be a Druid?
You're not immune to Wild Shape. ;)
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Druids are not shapeshifters, they can wild shape (class ability), that's different. Changelings are shapeshifters (racial ability), the polymorph spell doesn't work on them.
The reason their racial description doesn't call out immunity to polymorph is that it doesn't need to. It only becomes important when someone tries to cast Polymorph onto them, and the DM will point it out at that time. Otherwise any time a new book comes out with a new spell in it, they'd have to re-write every race to update who is or who is not immune/resistant. It makes more sense to just put it in the spell description like they did.
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Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
I think there are two points that need to be separated here.
So regarding the second point, it really is the right way to do things from a design standpoint. You design base components like races to be as forward-compatible as possible. This means referring to general rules and terms only and leaving more specific interactions to be described in the more specific component.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
@scatterbraind are you saying they are immune, or not?
What about Warforged? They're basically a construct, right? But they can be polymorphed?
You don't need an exhaustive list of spells, which isn't the model that is being suggested. You model it after the Elves. Alternatively, you could write similar to how they did things in MotM (or might have been the 1D&D UAs, I don't remember which) and just say something along the lines of: "You count as a shapeshifter for the purposes of any spells, effects, features etc that affect shapeshifters". Or just straight put them as the Shapeshifter type. Just something that makes it explicit that they should or should not be considered valid targets for Polymorph et al.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
They're specifically talking about the arguments about game design that lead to the confusion, rather than specifically whether Changelings are immune or not.
As for Warforged, there is, from my memory which admittedly isn't perfect, nothing in the stats that, RAW, would indicate they're immune to Polymorph. They're humanoid rather than a construct, if I remember rightly.
As for Changelings, there's a problem, for reasons I've laid out earlier in the thread. It's likely that they intended that they were immune, but if a player tried to Polymorph one, I'd probably accept that they succeed due to the lack of clarity and the fact that RAW is not obvious and clearcut (which is the entire point of RAW, which is another discussion).
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Warforged are humanoids, not constructs, and even if they were constructs, polymorph doesn't say it doesn't work on constructs.
Changelings are humanoids too, so that argument means that they can be polymorphed.
If something were to cast it on my character, I would expect to have to make a saving throw. If I fail, I turn into a rat, or whatever. I can't turn back into myself from being a rat, because I don't know how to turn into a rat.
Sure but that doesn’t change the fact that Changelings are immune to Polymorph because of their Shapeshifter Trait.
Well, then I can just "shift" all of my wounds away, just like liquid terminator.
You can hide them, but the ability doesn't recover hit points, so not really.
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Yeah, because I only shift, not shape change, That's the entire point.
Right, but this was an issue in UA, and they resolved it by changing the name of the Trait, so that it doesn’t work with Polymorph. Also JC said so
Yes you can.
Your problem is thinking change shape must mean like going from a man to a cat. But "shape" is actually: the external form, contours, or outline of someone or something. Add a finger? You've changed the outline, and so the shape. Changed eyes to something feline? You've changed the shape. Grown horns? The nose? All changing the outline, contours and external form.
'Shape' has a broader meaning that you are giving it credit for. The term "shapechanger" just means something that can or has changed shape and if we want to get all 'well, actually' and 'broaden the goal posts' about it, every human in the real world is technically a shapechanger because you've changed shape as some point - even in size, which I'm sure many a mother and their vajayjay is thankful for. Fun fact, over time, some people have been known to change hair, eye and skin tone. As you age the face, cranium and jaws change shape. So does your musculature (especially for bodybuilders). My point is overreliance on dictionary applications to a fantasy game is not worth the brainspasms.
It doesn't matter if it is called Shapechanger, It could even be called Jigglewigglespiffypuffer. The Jigglewigglespiffypuffer still defines what you can do. Hell it doesn't need to be related or make sense. The Jigglewigglespiffypuffer could state you can fart a healing gas - and if a spell all about transformation stated a Jigglewigglespiffypuffer was immune, then with or without sense, you and your healing farts are immune to that spell - it's just the way the spell works. It states you are, so you are.
Polymorph states Shapechangers are immune and Changelings are Shapechangers. Whethe that Shapechanging trait means they can transform into anything, grow limbs, become a cat or just fart healing gas - it doesn't matter. Hell, even if you as a Changeling have Shapechanger trait letting you fart healing gas, while another race has a Shapechanger trait that lets them eat food through their armpits -- you're both Shapechangers and both immune to Polymorph, not because of how accurately named the traits are for you, or what they do or how they might work - but simply because you have them named such and the spell itself provides immunity.
Welcome to D&D 5th Edition.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
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Oookay, but I really wanted to become a Giant Ape and smash the crap out of enemies and throw boulders at them. :(
Be a Druid?
You're not immune to Wild Shape. ;)
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
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...which nobody finds the least bit strange, right? 😂
Not even Circle of the Moon druids can Wild Shape into a Giant Ape: the CR is too high.
Now, what's strange is that druids aren't immune to Polymorph.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Well, they shouldn't be. It's a race thing, not a class thing.
Druids are not shapeshifters, they can wild shape (class ability), that's different. Changelings are shapeshifters (racial ability), the polymorph spell doesn't work on them.
The reason their racial description doesn't call out immunity to polymorph is that it doesn't need to. It only becomes important when someone tries to cast Polymorph onto them, and the DM will point it out at that time. Otherwise any time a new book comes out with a new spell in it, they'd have to re-write every race to update who is or who is not immune/resistant. It makes more sense to just put it in the spell description like they did.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
There's no restriction for a Changeling to Wild Shape. I don't see much of a difference between the two.