Grotesque Polymorph spell

8th-Level Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100 feet
Components: V, S, M
Material Component: A lock of hair, nail clipping, or similar bodily fragment taken from a naturally misshapen creature, and an insect crushed during the casting
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Constitution
Available To: Sorcerer, Wizard, Witch, Satire

Alternative Spell Name: Curse of the Warped Flesh

Effect

You attempt to grotesquely transform up to three creatures within range. Each target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target’s body is permanently warped into a distorted version of itself.

The target does not become a different creature. It retains its memories, statistics, equipment, languages, class features, and general body plan, but its form is altered by magical distortion chosen by the caster.

When you cast the spell, choose one of the following severity levels. All affected targets suffer the same severity, though the visible form of the distortion may differ from target to target.

Minor Distortion

The target suffers a visible but limited magical deformity, such as warped skin, distorted facial features, asymmetrical posture, twisted hands, or other marks of unnatural transformation.

The target takes a -2 penalty to Charisma checks and has disadvantage on Charisma checks made to make a good first impression.

Severe Distortion

The target’s body becomes heavily warped. Its balance, coordination, posture, or bearing is visibly damaged by the spell.

Choose two of the following: Strength checks, Dexterity checks, or Charisma checks. The target takes a -2 penalty to both chosen types of checks.

In addition, the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet.

Ruinous Distortion

The target is transformed into a deeply warped version of itself. Movement, expression, posture, and social presence are all damaged by the curse.

The target takes a -2 penalty to Strength checks, Dexterity checks, and Charisma checks.

In addition, the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet, and the target has disadvantage on Charisma checks made to influence creatures that can clearly see it.

Social Aversion

A creature affected by Grotesque Polymorph carries an unnatural aura of aversion. This is not merely ugliness. The spell gives the body a sense of magical wrongness that unsettles ordinary observers.

Creatures that can clearly see the target begin social interactions one step less friendly than they otherwise would, unless they already know the target well or have a strong reason to ignore the transformation. This effect should be adjudicated by the DM and should not override loyalty, love, duty, fear, faith, or strong existing relationships.

This social aversion stacks with any Charisma penalty or disadvantage caused by the spell.

Limits of the Transformation

The target remains the same creature type and retains its normal game statistics except where this spell specifically changes them.

Grotesque Polymorph does not grant natural weapons, special senses, armour, flight, swimming speed, burrowing speed, or other new creature traits. The DM may allow cosmetic changes that suggest such features, but they provide no mechanical benefit.

The transformation is permanent until removed.

Ending the Spell

The spell can be ended by wish without question. It can also be ended by dispel magic, greater restoration, remove curse, break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, or similar magic, but only if that magic overcomes the strength of the original casting.

Because Grotesque Polymorph is a permanent 8th-level transformation, ordinary removal should not be automatic. A caster using lower-level restorative or dispelling magic must succeed on a spellcasting ability check against the original spell save DC. On a failure, the magic does not remove the transformation, though it may reveal the nature of the curse, identify the spell, or briefly soften its visible effects.

For a more dramatic campaign, the DM may require one meaningful act of restoration before the spell can be removed: recovering the original caster’s focus, obtaining a confession from the one who ordered the curse, performing a rite at a sacred spring, or casting the counter-magic with a fragment of the victim’s former body. This keeps the curse serious without making it hopeless.

Grotesque Polymorph spell

School: Transmutation; Subschool: Polymorph
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 8, Witch 8, Satire 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium, 100 ft. + 10 ft./level
Targets: Up to three living creatures, no two of which may be more than 30 feet apart
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

On a failed Fortitude save, each target is transformed into a grotesquely distorted version of itself. The target does not become a different creature, but its body is magically warped in a way that damages its strength, balance, bearing, appearance, or social presence.

When the spell is cast, the caster chooses how many creatures are being targeted. This choice determines the maximum penalty each failed target can suffer.

The caster divides each target’s penalty among Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma. The chosen distribution must be the same for every failed target, though the visible form of the distortion may differ from creature to creature.

For example, if the caster targets three creatures, the maximum penalty for each failed target is -4 total. The caster might choose -2 Strength and -2 Charisma, or -4 Dexterity, or -1 Strength, -1 Dexterity, and -2 Charisma. Every failed target suffers that same distribution.

These penalties are permanent magical ability-score penalties, not ability damage or ability drain. They do not heal naturally, cannot be removed by ordinary healing magic, and cannot reduce any ability score below 3.

In addition to the ability-score penalties, each affected creature suffers a visible aura of magical aversion. Whenever the creature’s altered appearance is relevant and visible, NPC reactions toward it shift one step closer to hostile. This reaction shift stacks with any Charisma penalty caused by the spell, but it should not override strong loyalty, fear, duty, love, or established allegiance.

The spell ends if the target dies, at which point the body returns to its natural form.

Grotesque Polymorph can also be removed by wish or miracle without question. It may be removed by dispel magic, break enchantment, remove curse, limited wish, or similar magic, but only if the caster succeeds on the appropriate caster level check or dispel check against the original spell. Because this is an 8th-level permanent transmutation, the DM should not allow low-level removal magic to end it automatically.

For a more story-driven campaign, the DM may require a specific restorative condition before the curse can be fully undone, such as recovering the caster’s focus, obtaining a fragment used in the original casting, performing a rite at a sacred spring, or securing a confession from the one who ordered the transformation.

Grotesque Polymorph

This special variant of the Polymorph-others spell, changes several creatures into misshapen forms of themselves. The subjects of this spell not only become ugly, but also get impediments from their deformities.

Celtic Druids and the Tuatha de Dannan

By Dominique Crouzet

Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 8, Witch 8, Satire 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level).
Targets: Up to three creature, no two of whom can be more than 30 ft. apart.
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Upon casting the spell, you must determine what kind of deformities your targets will get, and how much it will hinder them. It can be as lenient as getting a few warts on the nose, to grievous as being changed into a club-footed hunchbacked midget with a snarling distorted face. Then, the deformities inflicted will incur impediments and penalties upon the subjects of the spell.

As such you can determine a loss of -2 to -12 points of ability scores among Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma of the targets. The amount and distribution of this loss is determined by yourself, but should match the deformities suffered. For instance, a few warts on the nose would incur a -2 loss of Charisma; while being changed into a club-footed hunchbacked midget with a snarling distorted face, may incur a loss of 4 points of Strength, dexterity, and Charisma each.

Note that this loss must be the same for all the targets, although the deformities they gain may be different. Also, the maximum loss of points is 12, whether there are one, two, or three targets. That is, three targets would loose up to only 4 points of ability score each, while a single target may loose up to 12 points. No ability score may be lowered under 3 by use of this spell.

Otherwise, this spell incurs a secondary effect. The targets· grotesque appearance will now induce aversion in others. That is, from that time on, all reaction rolls concerning the targets will be shifted one factor closer to a ·Hostile Attitude· reaction. Note this is independent from the eventual loss of Charisma points due to the spell, and add to it if any.

Like other polymorph spells, the subjects of this spell return to normal upon death, or through the use of a successful Dispel-magic spell.

Arcane Material Components: a lock of hair, nail, or else, of a naturally malformed character, plus an insect which is crushed upon casting.