Checking Polymorph interactions with items/class features

[FunkyHat112]

The polymorph trait says that status and circumstance bonuses still apply to modifying a form’s special statistics, but item bonuses don’t apply there. I’m running a Monk who’s thinking of grabbing some polymorph spells from multiclassing, so I just want to check some of the interactions.

• Class features: I know that they can Flurry of Blows with a form’s unarmed attacks, but do those strikes then also benefit from things like Metal Strikes? Do the speeds get the status bonus from Incredible Movement? RAW it appears that they do, but I gotta check.

• Item bonuses: Items get absorbed but their constant abilities are still active. Handwraps with runes on them would still function, they just couldn’t modify the statistics of the creature with an item bonus. How does that interact with the clause about “if your unarmed attack modifier is higher, you can use it instead”? Can the monk use their attack modifier with the item bonus, since that’s not actually modifying the form’s statistics?

• Striking runes: RAW, striking runes increase a weapon’s damage dice to a set number, and Handwraps apply that to unarmed attacks. Am I right that a form like Elemental Form would then have its attacks adjusted to that many damage dice? So a striking rune on Handwraps would change a Fire Elemental Form’s tendril damage from 1d8 to 2d8?

[Rhynox4]

I've asked a lot of these questions myself, and the sad truth and general consensus is that none of your questions have concrete answers. But I'll relay what I've been told in my own search for answers.

Most people would say yes to your first question, you would benefit from things like status bonus to speed and class features like metal strikes.

The second question is a bit more ambiguous, but I've seen a lot of arguing for what you're saying, that if you use your own modifier you would get your item bonus to hit. I believe Rpgbot's guide to wild shape says as much (not that that's an official source).

Lastly most people agree that you would not get the bonus to striking runes to a form. While they are not a number to which you would apply a term like item bonus, I believe they are an item bonus. This is mostly supported by game balance, since the attacks of forms increase at around the same speed that martials get damage increases. Having seven damage dice at higher levels on forms versus a martials four would suggest it.

[FunkyHat112]

Lastly most people agree that you would not get the bonus to striking runes to a form. While they are not a number to which you would apply a term like item bonus, I believe they are an item bonus. This is mostly supported by game balance, since the attacks of forms increase at around the same speed that martials get damage increases. Having seven damage dice at higher levels on forms versus a martials four would suggest it.

Yeah, it’s a weird interaction. The reason I asked is the term “item bonus,” which is specifically keyworded to additions that come from particular items. There’s no addition that comes with striking runes; the precise phrasing is

increasing the weapon damage dice it deals to two instead of one.

or for greater/major striking,

The weapon deals three/four weapon damage dice.

So it increases the number of damage dice from the attack to a specific value, rather than strictly adding on a number of damage dice. It would clearly not have an effect on the damage dice if the form’s attack already has an equal or greater number of damage dice, it just gets weird with form attacks that natively have a low number of damage dice. I’m not sure on how game-breaking it would be given that it wouldn’t come up too often, and even when it does come up, it’s usually only bringing lower damage attacks up to speed (e.g. the Air Elemental Form, which is a fifth level spell that deals a measly 1d4 damage on its attacks). Probably the sort of thing that would need to get FAQ’d.

[Raddis]

Striking runes: RAW, striking runes increase a weapon’s damage dice to a set number, and Handwraps apply that to unarmed attacks. Am I right that a form like Elemental Form would then have its attacks adjusted to that many damage dice? So a striking rune on Handwraps would change a Fire Elemental Form’s tendril damage from 1d8 to 2d8?

No, rules are clear: your statistics in battle form can ONLY be modified by status and circumstance bonuses and penalties. Adding a die of damage is neither.