Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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In the latest Errata, the original description of True Polymorph—“The spell ends early on the target if it has no Temporary Hit Points left”—has been revised to:
“These Temporary Hit Points vanish if any remain when the spell ends.”
The new wording removes the “ends early” clause, instead specifying what occurs “when the spell ends.” I believe this grammatical adjustment transforms the former condition (Temporary Hit Points reaching 0) into an outcome triggered upon the spell’s conclusion, thereby eliminating the premature termination mechanic. This aligns True Polymorph with its 2014 version and restores RAI.
Actually, it doesn't align with the 2014 version. In 2014, if you turn someone into a rat, then do 1 point of damage to them, they turn back to their original form with full hit points. In 2024, they don't turn back until you kill them (requiring going through all their normal hit points).
I believe the SAC’s clarification helps us understand RAI:
In reality, there are two distinct public comments by D&D designers on this matter.
Given that this pertains to 2014-era RAI, we may never receive an official Errata. Thus, let us agree to disagree on which interpretation to adopt.
When we are relying on RAI it becomes what I suggested very DM dependent. I've played in multiple games where it is not run that way as they did not see that RAI as the rule. Their assumption is your memories become that of a sort of generic planatar or whatever you got turned into as the only thing you retain per the rule was personality/alignment. You are gaining memories, skills, abilities. If you have your memory when turned into a dragon do you retain proficiency in your skills. You could make some argument on with physical skills are lost as you are not used to the new body, but why would you forget history. And further why does wild shape include memories. If memories are part of this why isn't it mentioned here, when it is with wild shape.
It is one of those arguments that can both ways on a spell only does what it says it does. Sure it does not say you lose your memories but it does not say you keep them either. You become a bear with your personality and alignment not a bear with your memories, alignment, personality.
That being said when we need RAI it does make it a bit more open for the DM to run it in the way that is best for their table. Do you want that 4th level polymorph spell to be that good of a buff spell. Or do you want it to be weaker. It is an easy place to make a judgement call without even needing to house rule things. If keeping the memory is better for your game keep it, if not, its lost. And sure feel free to house rule all you want, but when its just a judgement call on how a rule is interpreted there is usually less chance of it backfiring on you as you didn't see all the problems with that new magic item or whatever.
Seriously? None of the shapeshifting spells specify that. If someone argues that memories are lost under the effect of (True) Polymorph, the same argument can be made for Shapechange, which becomes utterly useless under this interpretation. I mean you would even forget that you are concentrating on a spell which may lead you to cast another concentration spell.
It is more than obvious that memories are kept as a part of "personality". Why one looses proficiency in knowledges such as e.g. Arkana or History is weird but probably rarely relevant in practice.
I've always (and always will) run it that you retain memories (because you do by RAW, that's what a personality is) and you also retain knowledges and skills, however depending on the nature of the transformation, the ability to use them varies. You're also trying to filter out your new Instincts, so a lot of things (read "people") might be seen as food when the hunger hits.
Example: you can still write as a T-Rex, but your ability to remember correct spelling, make the letters legible, etc is all garbage due to your -4 Int mod. Same for the facts you might try to communicate. You're likely to bungle.
In a very wild game I'd allow someone to "train" in their new permanent form to recover class features. Probably take a month per level up to 5 and then 6/level to 11 and so on. Then you'd need to pull other shenanigans. Get Awaken cast on yourself to be able to talk and have an average Int. Get a headband or a bunch of feats to get your Int back to a competitive level if you want to be a T-Rex Wizard, or an Dual Wielding Otter etc.
Am I correct in reading the True Polymorph rules in that, if I use True Polymorph to turn a level 20 character into a Ancient Brass Dragon:
Even though Ancient Brass Dragons know Draconic and Common they would not be able to speak?
Even though Ancient Brass Dragons know six spells, they wouldn't be able to cast them (including Shapechange)?
And, if made permanent, at the end of a long rest, the character would lose their 332 Temporary Hit Points, and (depending on how you interpret the rules) the character either loses their form, or continues as a ****** Ancient Brass Dragon with the HP of the original character?
If so, what even is the point of this spell?
It can do a bunch of useful things. It's just that using it to permanently buff another PC isn't one of them. The major use cases are
I think this falls under the heading of, "I recognize WotC has made a decision. But given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it"
Temp HP is okay, I guess, but they shouldn't end after a long rest. Eventually attrition will wear them down to the standard HP of the player character, but the transformtation won't end unless the spell is dispelled.
The character will be able to speak and to cast the spells that the creature could cast IF that creature could speak and cast spells in the first place. Obviously they will not be able to cast spells from their regular class if they are Polymorphed.
I've just about finished the Fate of Drakkenheim podcast, and towards the end they have to destroy an object that can only be damage by ancient dragon fire or level 6 and higher spells. So they went in with two ancient dragons and a colossus, who kept failing their 5+ recharges. If they'd used True Polymorph to make four out of the six party members (the four who couldn't actually do anything) Ancient Brass Dragons they'd have had seven characters capable of damaging the object, and a much higher chance of rolling that 5+ each turn.
Technically they'd still have been able to do the same thing with the nerfed version of True Polymorph, they just wouldn't have been able to shapechange into human form or communicate without telepathy.
Although, in that case an Ancient White Dragon might be a better choice, since it doesn't have spellcasting so isn't wasting its CR20 power budget on abilities that the player characters can't use. In that case the only thing the characters are sacrificing is HP, and some of their characters had upwards of 200HP anyway.
It comes under the category of "true polymorph in 2014 was a stupidly broken spell, and now it's a somewhat less stupidly broken spell". Of course, it's a level 9 spell so stupidly broken is kind of normal and it's not really the way I'd fix it, but "permanent change into CR 20" was always a bad idea (I assume the spell is intended to emulate Polymorph Any Object from prior editions, but it's a lot more broken than those those spells).
Under my interpretation (and I think I'm not alone on this), the Temporary Hit Points granted by the spell are part of its effects and should end when Concentration is broken or the spell's Duration expires (as included in the latest errata)
Also, the spell doesn't say it ends early when you have no Temporary Hit Points. Check Shapechange for comparison.
This was also discussed in Polymorph spell: 2014 vs 2024 - no real difference? - Rules & Game Mechanics