The Gaming Den

Something I've always wondered, and never seen spelled out: how does one Polymorph into an Outsider? People talk about using Horned Devils as combat forms and all that jazz, but I haven't been able to figure out in the text how it's supported.

It's also been mentioned that you need to be an Outsider in the first place to accomplish this.

3.5 SRD wrote:
The new form may be of the same type as the subject or any of the following types: aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin.

Bolding mine.

I'm not sure if this is what you are asking, but the bolded text above pretty much says that if you start out as an outsider, polymorphing into an outsider isn't a problem, provided you keep to the other restrictions of the spell, which I refuse to get involved in a debate on.

Game On,
fbmf

And since tieflings and aasimar are playable in most settings, it's generally pretty easy.

The other option involves using another transformative effect (such as Fiendform or Magic Jar) to gain the outsider type and then changing again - but that might not work, dependant on all sorts of crazy ruling.

By far and away, the best way to do it is to take the Otherworldy feat in the PGtF book. You need to be of the race of, spirit folk, or deep imaskari race. But that's usually not a problem to rig-up if you intend on being an "outsider polymorph" specialist.

The feat also gives you 60' darkvision and a +2 to Diplomacy checks. Putting it at the high end of the feat power spectrum. Ya gotta take it at 1st level though since it is a Regional Feat. But big whoop - the return on the investment is pretty nice.

Even UMD Rogues like this feat a lot ... to use with their Wands of Alter Self. Lotsa great combat and utility forms for 5HD of less Outsiders ...

Also Polymorph Any Object turns you into "any creature or object" - so hit die limits or type restrictions are out the window.

So to recap:

[*] A lesser tiefling wizard can Alter Self into a Xill at 5th level.
[*] Any Wizard can PAO into a Solar at 15th level.

-Username17

Don't forget the crazy "and now you become an Outsider" classes. Sure, you can't abuse Alter Self at low-levels or anything, but it is an option.

Failing that, take a Monster Class.

(cross-post from Nifty)

Here's some ways I can think of. I will strive to list only the methods that will not rob you of your sweet, sweet levels to that demonic bandit known as ECL.

Be a frog: The Planar Handbook, and perhaps some other sources, have ECL 0 races like these frog guys. Yep, isn't it cool that the plane of Chaos itself spawns so many frog races? That's CHAOTIC!
At any rate, Frog Guys are actually pretty good for their ECL of nothing. +2 natty armor, proficiency with the annulat (who know what it does, but you get it just for the hell of it), and the ability to rob someone of their dex bonus if you're charging them or throwing a weapon at them.
Oh yeah, and since you're an outsider, you're proficient with all martial weapons.
downside: Dying sucks bad for you. It's really hard to raise a straight-up normal Outsider.

Play Forgotten Realms: And take one of the best feats I've ever seen in a book, Otherworldly, from the Player's Guide to Faerun. You have to take it at first level, and you have to be from certain regions. The easiest is probably an elf, but the other options (Deep Imaskari and Spirit Folk) might be viable too. I don't know much about Spirit Fold, but those Deep Imaskari guys are pretty respectable for an ECL of 0.
What's the feat give you? Well, you get a +2 Diplomacy bonus. How cool is that?
Not very? Fine, be that way. You're also a Native Outsider. That means you get all the pimpin' powers of being an outsider, and none of the grief when you kick the bucket.
downside: Richard Baker, the guy that wrote this feat, refuses to admit that it gives you the numerous perks that being an Outsider grants, such as proficiency with all martial weapons. Oddly enough, errata to the Players Guide to Faerun has come out, giving Richard the perfect chance to change this feat such that he'd be right--but he didn't. In the mean time, though, taking this feat might mean that some people that are prowling the WotC boards might give you grief about trying to use martial weapons, for example. Of course, this doesn't matter if the people in your play group either don't scan the boards, or aren't dumb.

Prestige Classes: A lot of perfectly respectable PrCs, such as the Contemplative, grant you Outsider status at some point in their progression, and it's usually Native Outsider to boot.
downside: You might have to suck up the opportunity cost of choosing one PrC instead of another. With the Contemplative, that's not all that horrible; still, though, if you have your heart set on a particular PrC, having to take up to 10 levels of another one instead can be annoying. Also note that this will only grant you Outsider status late in your career.

High-Level Magic: Polymorph Any Object and Shapechange can actually grant you Outsider status.
downside: Yeah...at like level 15 or 17. Good luck finding the hypothetical wizard out there that will Poly Any Object you at some earlier point in time.

Edit: Freakin' code not transferring perfectly from Nifty...try this, Boulie.

Oberoni, your links don't work for me.