What happens to an object True Polymorphed into a creature when the magic is dispelled?

Question

Object is True Polymorphed into creature
Creature lives for a while as a creature, presumably creates memories as a creature
True Polymorph is dispelled, creature turns back into an object

I would assume nothing special happens here, my real question is what happens when:

Object is True Polymorphed back into a creature

Does the creature retain its memories from the previous time it was a creature?

(And, if it had taken class levels, would it retain those as well?)

Highly related: If a corpse is True Polymorphed into a creature, does it retain personality?, What happens to memories when using True Polymorph? — Someone_Evil, Jul 26 '22 at 22:40
Also, Welcome to RPG.SE! Take the [tour] if you haven't already and see the [help] or ask us here in the comments (use @ to ping someone) if you need more guidance. Good Luck and Happy Gaming! — Someone_Evil, Jul 26 '22 at 22:40
If the answer is that the memories are lost, there is an obvious follow-up question about whether the un-transformation counts as death, for purposes such as the creature's soul going to an afterlife, etc. — Tektotherriggen, Jul 27 '22 at 07:05
@Tektotherriggen You raise an interesting question, but another follow-up question could be: if dispelling True Polymorph leads to a creature being turned into an object, is that different from casting True Polymorph onto the creature to turn it into an object? — bigchickcannibalistic, Jul 28 '22 at 13:02
@bigchickcannibalistic yes because in your scenario, presuming the first casting has become permanent, when the second casting expires they will revert back to the creature form — Michael, Jul 28 '22 at 19:46

Michael · Answer 1 · 2022-07-27T20:43:36.943

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The second casting of polymorph would transform the object into an entirely new creature. Even if that creature happened to be the same type and species and even look identical, it would be a new creature without any of the memories or experience of the dispelled form.

In the same way that summon monster summons a creature; a different, newly substantiated one every time and not your friend Joe the Archon; polymorph transmutes the target into a creature of the kind you want, not the specific individual (if it did you could just transmute a corpse back into your friend and you wouldn't have to resurrect them).

At least that's the boring answer based on how I read the polymorph spell and other transmutation effects. Now, you could absolutely make it more interesting and worldcraft the idea of the embodied soul remaining dormant in the material of the object to be reawakened on the second casting. That sounds way cooler to me.

edited Jul 27 '22 at 20:43

answered Jul 26 '22 at 23:11

Michael

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This ruling makes sense, but answers should be based on rules, lore, experience etc, not just your opinion on how it should be read – Mołot Jul 26 '22 at 23:26
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@Molot The source material is linked in the question; I don't really feel the need to quote it again in the answer. – Michael Jul 27 '22 at 00:21
A link may eventually break. It's always good to have your answer in a state where it does not require outside sources – Exempt-Medic Jul 27 '22 at 11:06

Nobody the Hobgoblin · Answer 2 · 2022-07-27T07:25:53.253

The new creature has no memories

An object has no mind or mental stats that can retain memories. When the creature reverts to being an object, the object retains no memories, because there is nothing it could retain them with. The spell does not create a magical storage for the memories to persist - it would need to say so, if it could. The memories are lost when its transformation ends.

@Molot suggested in comments that the creature that is created by polymorph could have a soul, and that the soul would persist after the spell ended and could be a storage place for memories. The soul however would be part of the creature if it is created with the creature, so it also will end when the transformation ends, as objects have no soul.

You transform (...) the object into a creature (...). The spell lasts for the duration, or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies. If you concentrate on this spell for the full duration, the spell lasts until it is dispelled.

If the object is turned into a creature again, this is a new creature, with a new, magical created mind that can start collecting new memories. Other than in the Creature to Creature case, which says the creature "retains its alignment and personality", there is no memory, alignment or personality to retain, because there was none. It is all created new.

All that said, the spell obviously does not adress this explicitly, so ask your DM. Maybe they think the object should remember, and that's how it will be at your table.

Your ruling makes sense, but it would be a better answer if you could reference rules or lore. For now, it's just as valid as ruling that first spell created a soul and it's still there, waiting, with memories and personality. — Mołot, Jul 26 '22 at 23:25
Is there anywhere in the rules that says objects don't have souls? In some fantasy settings objects are depicted as having souls. For example, look at soul casting in Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive books. https://www.tor.com/2017/09/22/an-introduction-to-soulcasting-in-brandon-sandersons-cosmere/ — Logan Kitchen, Jul 27 '22 at 16:20
@LoganKitchen not that I know of. Everyday things in 5e are supposed to behave as we'd expect. I actually put out a question on this, you can read that here — Nobody the Hobgoblin, Jul 27 '22 at 16:28

What happens to an object True Polymorphed into a creature when the magic is dispelled?

2 Answers2

The new creature has no memories