i am just getting into polymorphing... and i have a question...
when polymorphed, is there any benefit from existing character stats?... for example, when fire school polymorphed, would there be any benefit from existing stats like percentage increase of fire damage, percentage increase of fire accuracy, and increase of fire critical rating?
Re: Polymorphing - any benefit from existing stats?
No. The morph replaces the player's stats with that of the creature you have morphed into. If you are going to use polymorphs I suggest studying both the spells and stats they will give you, as they all have strong and weak points.
Re: Polymorphing - any benefit from existing stats?
No, while it would be nice to see existing stats kept, this is not the case. Your looks, stats, and spells are all traded out for new ones. As for getting into it-I started to, then greatly regretted it and ended up retraining my points to get rid of them. It does hardly any good, except for the Polymorph Treant, allowing you to use Power Pips with life spells; this means you can more easily heal yourself and others and not use so many pips (assuming you don't have or can't afford a life mastery amulet, this spell is really the only Polymorph I would suggest training).
Re: Polymorphing - any benefit from existing stats?
Yes, polymorphs do get their own boosts. Treant, the one I own, gives me +25% outgoing heal and 25 life critical rating. However, your existing stats do get overwritten, so if you have 25% universal resist and use the Treant polymorph, you will no longer resist all schools.
Re: Polymorphing - any benefit from existing stats?
in my apinion polymorph sucks since all it does is minus your health for 4 rounds and allows you to use other class spells like if your death and use fire polymorph you get lower health but you can use fire spells for 4 rounds which to me is a waste of an action point. spells in the star in sun classes are better like vengeance which gives 20% extra crit rating for 4 rounds and empower which lasts 4 rounds and if you hit or get hit you get an extra pip which is sometimes handy and toughness that adds some extra damage to your attacks. so polymorph is useless because if you like death and you want to use fire spells why didnt you just go fire in the first place
Re: Polymorphing - any benefit from existing stats?
From my understanding your stats switch over to the stats of the new school of the morph. For example, lets say you have 231 critical and use a polymorph. Now, you have a rating of 231 critical. This is just my understanding so it might not be accurate. If it is actually not true, that is a new idea for polymorphing. But i am pretty sure what i said is accurate.
Re: Polymorphing - any benefit from existing stats?
thanks for replies! :)
i agree... i have now been playing with polymorph... and while it is kind of fun... it does not seem to offer any advantage... and now i wish i had not spent the training point on it...
i think a free 're-specification' at some point would be fair and nice... it is easy to spend training points 'wrong' when one plays the first time, and training point are expensive in time cost (and limited in number)... it costs too much in REAL money to do so... and as a subscriber i really should not have to pay more $$$ to do so for such a basic RPG function that all such games provide WITHOUT requiring $$$...
it would be nice if the designers could explain why they think polymorph is a good thing... such as what advantages it has and when it is wise to use it... since it seems to be a trap to get one to waste training points as it is... especially if one can't improve it... at later levels the hit points of the polymorph characters are way to low... so no matter what, polymorph eventually becomes obsolete and useless without being able to improve it...
it is also kind of unfair that one can't see one's stats while polymorphed... otherwise it would be clear and obvious why NOT to waste training points on polymorph spells... i have no idea why current stats do not improve polymorphed characters, since without this, it is kind of a dumb idea... oh well...
however, i have not played all of the game, so it is possible a free specification (or a way to earn it) is offered at some point, and i have not reached that point...
lvl 82
critical and use a 
polymorph. Now, you have a rating of 231