Simple Shapeshifting nerf? (3.5)

[Grod_The_Giant]

This isn't going to instantly make polymorph spells and the like balanced, but I hope that it'll make them playable. For all "open ended" shapechanging abilities (Alter Self, Polymorph, Draconic Polymorph, Shapechange, and Wild Shape), make the following changes:

The creature loses any racial ability score modifiers it might have had to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, and gains the racial ability modifiers of its new form. To calculate modifiers when they are not listed, take the listed ability score and subtract 10 (if even) or 11 (if odd).
Magic and Shapeshifting: Trying to cast spells in an unfamiliar shape is just as difficult as trying to cast them from inside a suit of armor. Spellcasters gain an spell failure chance based on how different their new form is from the original one.


{table=head]New form|ASF
Same type and subtype|5%
Same type|10%
Related type*|25%
Unrelated type*|50%[/table]
*"Related types" are defined as those which can be identified by the same Knowledge skill.

In addition, your new form must be capable of speech to cast spells with a verbal component, and must have hands in order to cast spells with a somatic component.


What do you think? Simple enough? Too complicated? Not enough impact to be worth using?

[Amnoriath]

This isn't going to instantly make polymorph spells and the like balanced, but I hope that it'll make them playable. For all "open ended" shapechanging abilities (Alter Self, Polymorph, Draconic Polymorph, Shapechange, and Wild Shape), make the following changes:

The creature loses any racial ability score modifiers it might have had to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, and gains the racial ability modifiers of its new form. To calculate modifiers when they are not listed, take the listed ability score and subtract 10 (if even) or 11 (if odd).
Magic and Shapeshifting: Trying to cast spells in an unfamiliar shape is just as difficult as trying to cast them from inside a suit of armor. Spellcasters gain an spell failure chance based on how different their new form is from the original one.


{table=head]New form|ASF
Same type and subtype|5%
Same type|10%
Related type*|25%
Unrelated type*|50%[/table]
*"Related types" are defined as those which can be identified by the same Knowledge skill.

In addition, your new form must be capable of speech to cast spells with a verbal component, and must have hands in order to cast spells with a somatic component.


What do you think? Simple enough? Too complicated? Not enough impact to be worth using?

1. Alter self does not change any attributes so you basically gave the first spell of the line a further boost in power.
2. Related types in most characters of PC's would mean the exact same thing as the same type as most of the races to choose from are humanoid.
3. Would this penalize races with some sort of shifting abilities? (Shifters, Changelings..etc)
Otherwise it does make sense and scales slightly against the forms with the most options when they try to get them while being simple as a rule.