Faiths & Avatars Version[]
Casting this spell transfers the priest's mind into the body of a designated animal. The priest gains all the senses and abilities of the animal, including its hit points, Armor Class, and movement rate, and is in full command of the animal form. For example, a priest could elect to transfer his or her mind into the body of a hawk and fly over an area to determine its terrain, occupants, and other conditions in the locale.
While the spell is in effect, the priest's body is motionless and vulnerable. The priest is unaware of his or her body or anything that might be happening to it. The animal's mind is suppressed throughout the duration of the spell.
If the priest's body is killed, the priest's mind is stuck in the animal's body until the animal dies or a wish is cast to alter the priest's situation. If the animal dies while the spell is in effect, the priest's mind returns to his or her body and she or he suffers 1d12 points of damage and must make a successful Wisdom ability check or suffer a mild form of insanity for a number of rounds equal to the elapsed time of the spell. If affected by this mild insanity, the priest behaves as if she or he were the animal, terrified and hurt, and hisses, spits, moves about on all fours or as if trying to fly, howls, meows, or otherwise vocalizes as the animal, and is generally uncontrollable until the insanity passes.
The spell can be cast on warm-blooded creatures of animal intelligence or less; the creatures do not receive a saving throw. Animals of greater intelligence, such as blink dogs, displacer beasts, animal companions, and other such creatures, receive a saving throw vs. spell. A successful saving throw means the spell was wasted, and the animal was unaffected. Animal transfer cannot be used to transfer into the body of another priest's animal companion or a wizard's familiar. Such attempts always fail and waste the spell.
Priest's Spell Compendium Version[]
Casting this spell transfers the priest's mind into the body of a designated animal. The priest can use all the senses and abilities of the animal, and is in full command of the animal form. For example, a priest could elect to transfer his mind into the body of a hawk and fly over an area to determine the terrain, occupants, and other conditions.
If cast on a warm-blooded creature of animal intelligence or less, the animal does not receive a saving throw. Animals of greater intelligence, such as blink dogs, displacer beasts, and other such creatures receive a saving throw vs. spell. A successful saving throw means the spell is wasted and the animal is unaffected. An attempt to transfer into the body of another's animal companion or a wizard's familiar always fails and wastes the spell.
The animal's mind is suppressed throughout the duration of the spell. If the animal dies while the spell is in effect, the priest's mind returns to the human body. The priest suffers 1d12 points of damage and must make a successful Wisdom check or suffer a mild form of insanity for a number of rounds equal to the elapsed time of the spell. In this case, the priest behaves like the animal, terrified and hurt. He or she may hiss, spit, move about on all fours or as if trying to fly; howl, meow, or otherwise vocalize as the animal: and will be generally uncontrollable until the insanity passes.
While the spell is in effect, the priest's body is motionless and vulnerable. The priest is unaware of his body or anything that might be happening to it. If the body is slain, the priest's mind is imprisoned in the animal's body until the animal dies or a wish is cast to alter the priest's situation.
Notes: Granted by the evil god Malar the Beastlord of the Forgotten Realms setting.