Shapechange: This Changes Everything

Spell Level: 9

School: Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Components: V, S, M (A jade circlet worth at least 1,500 gp, which you must place on your head before you cast the spell)

You assume the form of a different creature for the duration. The new form can be of any creature with a challenge rating equal to your level or lower. The creature can’t be a construct or an undead, and you must have seen the sort of creature at least once. You transform into an average example of that creature, one without any class levels or the Spellcasting trait.

Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the chosen creature, though you retain your alignment and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus listed in its statistics is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus in place of yours. You can’t use any legendary actions or lair actions of the new form.

You assume the hit points and Hit Dice of the new form. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. If you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.

You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them, provided that your new form is physically capable of doing so. You can’t use any special senses you have (for example, darkvision) unless your new form also has that sense. You can only speak if the creature can normally speak.

When you transform, you choose whether your equipment falls to the ground, merges into the new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal. The GM determines whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change shape or size to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge into your new form. Equipment that merges has no effect in that state.

During this spell’s duration, you can use your action to assume a different form following the same restrictions and rules for the original form, with one exception: if your new form has more hit points than your current one, your hit points remain at their current value.

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

Ah, Shapechange. The spell that satisfies the player who really wants to do everything. If you’ve seen it, you can be it. The only thing holding this spell back is concentration and how it removes the Spellcasting feature, but even with these caveats, Shapechange is still a top tier spell.

At its worst, it can offer you creatures CR 17 or lower, and at its best, CR 20. We’re looking at stuff like Pit Fiends, Ancient Dragons, Dragon Turtles, Dracoliches, and Death Knights. You have access to some of the craziest abilities imaginable for an hour, and can freely switch to whichever you please over and over. You have your pick of the best attacks from among the scariest things you’ve ever faced.

Need any of the major 20d6+ breath weapons the dragons have? Want a natural AC of 20 and 341 HP? Want to just always be able to discern truth from lies? How about an at will 120 ft. action to teleport and an extra reaction each round? Need Truesight? You can have all of these at once and swap between them for a single action! All you need to do is witness what you want to transform into and its abilities are yours for the taking!

Notably, because the spell requires concentration, you’ll often want Shapechange to mimic out of combat world shaping abilities as opposed to combative ones. Still, should you pick options that exceed at not taking damage, this can be a few rounds of some of the deadliest creatures imaginable, and will only ever grow in power and utility over time.

Of all the 9th level spells this probably has the highest power ceiling. If you can catalog some of the craziest creatures in all of existence, you can tap into near unlimited power for an entire hour. The limit is only tied to the deeply flawed CR system and what monster’s your DM is willing to allow into existence.

Shapechange could be an awesome premise for an entire upper tier campaign; imagine a villain traveling the planes in search of the most powerful beings to ever grace the cosmos to collect them into their Shapechange pool. Alternatively, it could be themed around the player’s hunting down a specific creature to unlock an ability unique to it to save the world. It has a great DM power release valve, giving the DM the tools to shut down attempts to break the game through acquiring a list of specific creatures. Even with this system in place to catch game breaking shenanigans, it still maintains a ton of power in the hands of an average player facing average threats for their level.

For a 9th level spell, Shapechange delivers even with all the caveats holding it back. It can open up the game to new directions of play, offers ludicrous power at the majority of tables it's cast at, and holds up well against some of the strongest other spells in the book.

5e Spells

Shapechange: This Changes Everything