One of my PCs wants to play a trans character with the goal of using True Polymorph to change their gender 'permanently' and I was wondering if this works, or if there's a better solution?
True Polymorph is only permanent as long as it doesn't get dispelled - which essentially means it's not reliable. If it's something they want and you're the DM - make something up yourself. Give them a quest for some long lost spell or whatever (Critical Role has a good example of that).
Yeah, I would really not recommend doing this in any way that could be dispelled. True Polymorph is also a very high-level spell, and if being trans is something your setting's societies have a concept of, I guarantee you people are going to figure out much easier ways of accomplishing a... magical transition, or whatever. Just make something up, be it a spell or a ritual or what have you, make it "instantaneous" duration (i.e. the change is not maintained by magic; after the spell or whatever, the new physical form is completely mundane, can't be dispelled or anti-magicked or what have you).
Polymorph and True Polymorph and Reincarnate all do a lot more than change sex. Even Alter Self does more than change sex. There's no reason that a spell which specifically and only changes sex should have to be at or near their spell level, and elevated outside the reach of commonly-available magic. Make it a level 1 ritual on every class' spell list or something, why not.
I'd make any spell that changes Race a different spell, and potentially it might warrant being a little higher level, or taking some serious resources and time to cast, so that you don't get player's hot-swapping races to prepare for adventures by picking up new resistances or dark vision or something. Or, don't worry about that, and let 'em!
We allowed a true Polymorph to lock for a gender change IF they get pregnant as females, then they were locked to form and only a wish would restore. We also had cursed magic items change too. The number one desire of many Male to Females is wanting children. In fantasy this is possible. So Wemade magic that let same sex couples hsave children too. The place where one can do this is seen as counter to society and evil. So fun is the politics too.
We made one characters change into an epic story, she has had 3 girls over a span of 33 years game time. Oh and also is a Drow Dark Elf. But ur olnly lock for Maleto female true polymorph was having a kid.
This seems like a very easy thing to address from a story standpoint. If a player at my table wanted their character to change gender or race, there would very quickly be a rumor about a magic spring deep in a fey glen not too far away that appeared in the story to facilitate such a change.
In the end, players need to play the characters they want to play. This is a lot simpler and (IMO) more fun than just scrapping the current character and rerolling a new one the way they want it.
My suggestion is look to dnd 3.5 where it specifically talks about permanently changing race/species and just apply that to dnd 5e with cost/material/system changes to for your campaign. Being the gm gives you vast power to do these things as you see fit even if you choose to do so or not.
Dungeon masters often forget it is a world where they make the rules fit the story they are telling for and with the players so long as everyone is having fun for the most part. I say most part because every now and then you'll have players who don't have fun unless they're causing trouble for other players and not all people have fun doing the same thing.
Players and dms should at least have a base idea of what to expect from each other and have talked it out before the game starts. This ideally will help for a more enjoyable experience for all.
Within the scope of "using the tools expressly laid out for players", True Polymorph is the best option, though stretching RAW a bit; and thus if I was doing it I'd stretch a little further and just set aside any ability to dispel that specific change. Really, in terms of what a player wants as a character trait from the start, I'd work in a gender-transition macguffin well before 4th tier play. Race transition I'd be a little more leery of; mechanically I'd be worried about someone trying to game the system a bit, particularly if they're trying to carry over things from the previous pick since then it feels like they're trying to game the system and lore-wise that kind of complete transformation seems like the kind of thing that should remain fantastic and thus very rare, rather than just spending enough money for the right item.
One of my PCs wants to play a trans character with the goal of using True Polymorph to change their gender 'permanently' and I was wondering if this works, or if there's a better solution?
True Polymorph is only permanent as long as it doesn't get dispelled - which essentially means it's not reliable. If it's something they want and you're the DM - make something up yourself. Give them a quest for some long lost spell or whatever (Critical Role has a good example of that).
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Yeah, I would really not recommend doing this in any way that could be dispelled. True Polymorph is also a very high-level spell, and if being trans is something your setting's societies have a concept of, I guarantee you people are going to figure out much easier ways of accomplishing a... magical transition, or whatever. Just make something up, be it a spell or a ritual or what have you, make it "instantaneous" duration (i.e. the change is not maintained by magic; after the spell or whatever, the new physical form is completely mundane, can't be dispelled or anti-magicked or what have you).
I mean, outside of creating another solution....the wish spell is an option.
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Wish would be more reliable than True Polymorph. T.P. only lasts, as Emmber said, until dispelled.
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Polymorph and True Polymorph and Reincarnate all do a lot more than change sex. Even Alter Self does more than change sex. There's no reason that a spell which specifically and only changes sex should have to be at or near their spell level, and elevated outside the reach of commonly-available magic. Make it a level 1 ritual on every class' spell list or something, why not.
I'd make any spell that changes Race a different spell, and potentially it might warrant being a little higher level, or taking some serious resources and time to cast, so that you don't get player's hot-swapping races to prepare for adventures by picking up new resistances or dark vision or something. Or, don't worry about that, and let 'em!
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
We allowed a true Polymorph to lock for a gender change IF they get pregnant as females, then they were locked to form and only a wish would restore. We also had cursed magic items change too. The number one desire of many Male to Females is wanting children. In fantasy this is possible. So Wemade magic that let same sex couples hsave children too. The place where one can do this is seen as counter to society and evil. So fun is the politics too.
We made one characters change into an epic story, she has had 3 girls over a span of 33 years game time. Oh and also is a Drow Dark Elf. But ur olnly lock for Maleto female true polymorph was having a kid.
This seems like a very easy thing to address from a story standpoint. If a player at my table wanted their character to change gender or race, there would very quickly be a rumor about a magic spring deep in a fey glen not too far away that appeared in the story to facilitate such a change.
In the end, players need to play the characters they want to play. This is a lot simpler and (IMO) more fun than just scrapping the current character and rerolling a new one the way they want it.
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I know I'm late on this, but here's my two cents.
My suggestion is look to dnd 3.5 where it specifically talks about permanently changing race/species and just apply that to dnd 5e with cost/material/system changes to for your campaign. Being the gm gives you vast power to do these things as you see fit even if you choose to do so or not.
Dungeon masters often forget it is a world where they make the rules fit the story they are telling for and with the players so long as everyone is having fun for the most part. I say most part because every now and then you'll have players who don't have fun unless they're causing trouble for other players and not all people have fun doing the same thing.
Players and dms should at least have a base idea of what to expect from each other and have talked it out before the game starts. This ideally will help for a more enjoyable experience for all.
Another option could be with magic items, older D&D editions and 5E homebrew had Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity or Girdle of Gender for example.
Within the scope of "using the tools expressly laid out for players", True Polymorph is the best option, though stretching RAW a bit; and thus if I was doing it I'd stretch a little further and just set aside any ability to dispel that specific change. Really, in terms of what a player wants as a character trait from the start, I'd work in a gender-transition macguffin well before 4th tier play. Race transition I'd be a little more leery of; mechanically I'd be worried about someone trying to game the system a bit, particularly if they're trying to carry over things from the previous pick since then it feels like they're trying to game the system and lore-wise that kind of complete transformation seems like the kind of thing that should remain fantastic and thus very rare, rather than just spending enough money for the right item.
True polymorph is still a DC 19 to dispell.
Other Homebrew solutions: cast alter self at 5th lvl once a day for 100 days to make a permanent change.
Attack: [roll]3d20dl2+6[/roll] Damage: [roll](if([roll:-1:critical], =0, 1d8, 2{1d8}.expand()))+4[/roll] Sneakattack: [roll](if([roll:-2:critical], =0, 2d6, 2{2d6}.expand()))[/roll]