If you're a player in my campaign, please be aware of massive spoilers ahead involving your current situation. I'll hide the question behind a spoiler, just in case:
One of my players has a circlet with two charges for polymorph-spell each day. I'm mostly familiar with how polymorph functions and interacts in different situations (shapechangers, swallowed characters, etc.) but how does polymorph affect an oblex and its simulacrums?
In adult oblex entry in MToF, it says that for practical purposes simulacrum is the oblex and it occupies both spaces simultaneously. Does this mean that if polymorph is cast on a simulacrum, the main body is also transformed? Or does simulacrum and/or oblex count as a shapechanger, which would make it immune to the spell?
"A creature" is transformed into "a new form" with Polymorph. If it were something like "the creature's body assumes a new form," I could see the door being left open in situations where a target whose form(s) includes multiple bodies might only have one of those bodies transform.... but whatever a creatures form(s), everything that is that "creature" is now "a new form" (singular). Polymorph contains no conservation of mass premise either, no issues that I see with its mass potentially being in more than one place and needing to disappear.
You can (and probably should) house rule otherwise for your specific circumstances and narrative needs, but Polymorph could really turn that sort of being's world(s?) upside down.
[Edit]The Oblex is not a "shapechanger," so theyShapechangers don't have advantage or immunity to polymorph. If an oblex fails the save, the whole body gets changed.
Just clarifying the point, that as specified at the end of the polymorph spell "A shape-changer may choose to automatically succeed in the saving throw" So if a shape-changer should choose they are completely immune to all Polymorph spells.
Thanks for the answers! True, I might need to house rule some aspects of how the spell interacts with simulacrums... Though it might be interesting to have the player cast the spell at a simulacrum, but instead of transforming, the simulacrum just disappears, as the hiding oblex is transformed into an ape or something, and the group is left to wonder what just happened.
1) The oblex is not a shapechanger so IS affected by polymorph (it is a medium ooze).
2) The text specifically states that the simulacrums are STILL connected to the main body of the ooze.
"This simulacrum appears, feels, and sounds exactly like the creature it impersonates, though it smell s faintly of sulfur. The oblex can impersonate ld4 + 1 different creatures , each one tethered to its body by a strand of slime that can extend up to 120 feet away. For all practical purposes, the simulacrum is the oblex, meaning that the oblex occupies its space and t he simulacrum's space simultaneously. The slimy tether is immune to damage, but it is severed if there is no opening at least 1 inch wide between the oblex's main body and the simulacrum. The simulacrum disappears if the tether is severed."
So the oblex is one body that occupies multiple locations. The only difference between this and a large or huge creature is that the squares it occupies may not be adjacent but they are all tethered together forming one physical body.
If someone cast polymorph on the creature then the entire thing would be polymorphed though where the polymorphed version of the creature would appear would be a DM call.
If you're a player in my campaign, please be aware of massive spoilers ahead involving your current situation. I'll hide the question behind a spoiler, just in case:
One of my players has a circlet with two charges for polymorph-spell each day. I'm mostly familiar with how polymorph functions and interacts in different situations (shapechangers, swallowed characters, etc.) but how does polymorph affect an oblex and its simulacrums?
In adult oblex entry in MToF, it says that for practical purposes simulacrum is the oblex and it occupies both spaces simultaneously. Does this mean that if polymorph is cast on a simulacrum, the main body is also transformed? Or does simulacrum and/or oblex count as a shapechanger, which would make it immune to the spell?
"A creature" is transformed into "a new form" with Polymorph. If it were something like "the creature's body assumes a new form," I could see the door being left open in situations where a target whose form(s) includes multiple bodies might only have one of those bodies transform.... but whatever a creatures form(s), everything that is that "creature" is now "a new form" (singular). Polymorph contains no conservation of mass premise either, no issues that I see with its mass potentially being in more than one place and needing to disappear.
You can (and probably should) house rule otherwise for your specific circumstances and narrative needs, but Polymorph could really turn that sort of being's world(s?) upside down.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
[Edit]The Oblex is not a "shapechanger," so they
Shapechangersdon't have advantage or immunity to polymorph. If an oblex fails the save, the whole body gets changed.Yes they do, but its ok because Oblex aren’t shapechangers :)
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Just clarifying the point, that as specified at the end of the polymorph spell "A shape-changer may choose to automatically succeed in the saving throw" So if a shape-changer should choose they are completely immune to all Polymorph spells.
Dammit. I just read the spell to make sure and completely skipped that line.
Thanks for the answers! True, I might need to house rule some aspects of how the spell interacts with simulacrums... Though it might be interesting to have the player cast the spell at a simulacrum, but instead of transforming, the simulacrum just disappears, as the hiding oblex is transformed into an ape or something, and the group is left to wonder what just happened.
That is a good idea. Lets them see that SOMETHING is up, but will very likely mislead them about the truth!
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
1) The oblex is not a shapechanger so IS affected by polymorph (it is a medium ooze).
2) The text specifically states that the simulacrums are STILL connected to the main body of the ooze.
"This simulacrum appears, feels, and sounds exactly like the creature it impersonates, though it smell s faintly of sulfur. The oblex can impersonate ld4 + 1 different creatures , each one tethered to its body by a strand of slime that can extend up to 120 feet away. For all practical purposes, the simulacrum is the oblex, meaning that the oblex occupies its space and t he simulacrum's space simultaneously. The slimy tether is immune to damage, but it is severed if there is no opening at least 1 inch wide between the oblex's main body and the simulacrum. The simulacrum disappears if the tether is severed."
So the oblex is one body that occupies multiple locations. The only difference between this and a large or huge creature is that the squares it occupies may not be adjacent but they are all tethered together forming one physical body.
If someone cast polymorph on the creature then the entire thing would be polymorphed though where the polymorphed version of the creature would appear would be a DM call.