As a DM, would you allow this?

[SolEiji]

Same question, this time for vermin.

Much more difficult and less obviously profitable, other than perhaps trying to become mindless.  But that has its own issues... I can't think of anything that really jumps out, less support and all.

[NunoM]

First of all, as DM, i'd be very very sure of what the PC is trying to get at. Does he/she really want to change the creature type of the character? or just gain the traits of that creature type?

If the PC really wants to change types, then i'd give it all - the good and the bad - even if that involved changing the INT to match the new creature type.
(In the "Animal" type, i always look back to the phrase:"no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal", and to the "mindless" trait in "Vermin".)

OTOH, if the PC only wants the traits, maybe there are some better alternatives out there.
Example: If i wanted a character of mine to have undead traits, i would take a close look into spells like "Veil of Undeath" (SpC p.229) or it's item counterpart, the "Talisman of Undying Fortitude" (MIC p.188), to get the wording just right. Maybe wishing for this spell permanently in effect on the character would do the trick w/o changing the type of the creature.

Just my 2 cents...

[linklord231]

I'd probably allow the Vermin type, with the exception of the mindless trait. Mindless creatures can't learn or remember, and cannot gain feats or skills. That's not appropriate for a PC.

[Argent Fatalis]

With regards to usually "unobtainable" types, I would honestly say base the result off the character's intent - a Shapeshift or even regular Druid might be so animal centric that she wants to truly become part of that. She should be well aware of all the benefits and drawbacks of what exactly that means from her experiences around animals - it is penalizing enough in its own way, especially in a setting where something of that nature wouldn't be socially acceptable or carry some other penalty. Reducing her Intelligence score to 1 or 2 at that point just becomes a huge middle finger to both character and player. Just because she changes type doesn't mean she should "change who she is" in terms of Intelligence and thus personality necessarily; I don't think that's appropriate.

I know Feral Rearing is a silly feat, but it seems to have a similar intention of not entirely screwing over a character who opts for it aside from the Animal type's vulnerabilities.

With regard to the Vermin type, I agree it is still a valid character choice with the Mindless component removed because of the whole actual being mindless quality.

Unless of course that is their intent for some reason.

[Stratovarius]

Well, on the subject of mindless, there is a prestige class (Oozemaster) that turns PCs into Oozes as the 10th level ability. So WotC already more or less allowed for that capability as part of a player class. Likewise the Verdant Lord for plants (although not all plants are mindless, many are).

And constructs, which are nominally mindless, got a subtype that isn't (Living Constructs).

I was actually surprised when I checked the Vermin Lord class to find it didn't turn into a vermin. It becomes a Hivemind, instead.