Ambiguous Name: Baleful Polymorph

To-do list:

• Since the definition was expanded to include beneficial transformations and the trope was renamed to Forced Transformation, move any Baleful Polymorph wicks that fit and remove ones that don't.

Baleful Polymorph is defined as applying when a character is involuntarily transformed into another form that negatively affects them. However, this ATT expressed concerns that it's being used for any involuntary transformation, regardless of impact on the transformed. A wick check was performed to see if these concerns are founded, and... they are.

• 18/68 wicks (26.5%) use the trope correctly
• 18/68 wicks (26.5%) are used for transformations with no mention of effect
• 13/68 wicks (19%) are used for transformations with a positive effect
• 19/68 wicks (28%) are Zero-Context Examples and potholes

Given the relatively even percentages, I suspect the issue is Trope-Namer Syndrome (it's named after a spell from Dungeons & Dragons) combined with the average user not knowing what "baleful" means (destructive or harmful in effect). Therefore, I am proposing a rename to make the "negative impact" requirement more apparent.

Based on current usage I could also see making "character is turned into something that ends up being useful" and "character is involuntarily turned into something" into tropes if we don't already have them, but the priority is making sure people understand what this trope is supposed to be.

Edited by GastonRabbit on May 22nd 2022 at 5:13:55 AM

Opened.

OK, so I saw that Involuntary Transformation is a redirect to this when it would work better as a redirect to Involuntary Shapeshifting.

I'm leaning toward one of the following:

• Renaming this to something that better indicates that it's a negative transformation (maybe simply Negative Transformation, Harmful Transformation, Destructive Transformation, or Hindering Transformation, or Terrible Transformation if you want something alliterative) and turning Involuntary Transformation into a redirect to Involuntary Shapeshifting instead of this (or maybe disambiguating it between both).
• Expanding this to cover transformations with positive effects. I could go either way on whether we rename it in this case, since expanding to fit misuse would mean less of a reason to rename.

The second might be preferable if it isn't covered elsewhere, since it would mean less work, and because I don't know if we already have a trope for those cases (Involuntary Shapeshifting doesn't cover it, since that's for when the character possesses the ability to shapeshift, but not the ability to control it).

The misuse points toward this being a case of Trope-Namer Syndrome (I'm not familiar with the Trope Namer, and it looks like most other editors aren't either).

Edited by GastonRabbit on Apr 28th 2022 at 10:57:17 AM

Harmful Transformation. The name isn't clear to people who aren't native English speakers or aware of the Trope Namer. Also, yes to redirecting Involuntary Transformation to Involuntary Shapeshifting.

I was editing my second post (the one not announcing the thread being opened) when the above post was posted, and I'm wondering if we have a trope for transformations with positive effects, because expanding to fit misuse would probably be my preferred choice if we don't, and we might not need to rename or even clean wicks if we do that. As I previously said, Involuntary Shapeshifting doesn't cover it because that's when the character possesses the ability to shapeshift without the ability to control it, rather than being transformed by outside forces.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Apr 28th 2022 at 11:02:21 AM

Expand Baleful Polymorph to fit misuse which is for transformations with positive effects? But wouldn't that require a rename then?

I don't see why it would. People are already using it that way under this name, and keeping the name the same would mean we could just change the description to account for the expanded definition and close the thread.

The name would just become an Artifact Title and we could file the usage under Tropes Are Flexible.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Apr 28th 2022 at 12:11:08 PM

I think the issue though is that "baleful" does specifically mean "negative". Obviously that hasn't stopped people from misusing it, but... IDK. It's a little like how they put "figuratively" as a meaning of "literal" in the dictionary.

Could we expand the definition to cover the misuse, make Involuntary Transformation the main name, and keep Baleful Polymorph as a redirect?

Renaming would still be an option if we expanded the definition. I was just giving my own opinion on what to do if we expand the definition; apologies if people thought I was officially shooting down the option of renaming.

(But Baleful Polymorph would need to be a redirect if we rename it; there are too many inbounds to cut it.)

Edited by GastonRabbit on Apr 28th 2022 at 12:10:07 PM

Expand. Maybe rename as well, but it needs own options list, Baleful Polymorph is non-indicative and Involuntary Transformation may create confusion with Involuntary Shapeshifting.

e: Forced Transformation sounds good.

Edited by Amonimus on Apr 29th 2022 at 9:02:21 PM

If we're expanding, then a better name would be Forced Transformation. This should make it clear that someone else is causing it.

If we rename it and keep the definition, I like Hindering Transformation the best, since it shows that the affected doesn't need to be phisicially harmed or something of sorts, just rendered less useful to his objectives.

Edited by good-morning on Apr 29th 2022 at 11:54:08 AM

Well, I don't see a reason not to expand it. Also, changing my vote to Forced Transformation.

I personally think Forced Transformation sounds better than Involuntary Transformation if we expand the definition.

It’s been 3 days. Is a crowner possible?

Crowner is up

Not a fan of the rename idea. The misuse is more about discussing the effects of the the transformation, not the intent, and people at least still seem to understand the intent part. Plus the "positive effect" misuse is less common than straight-up ZCEs.

As a side note, I just don't like unnecessary generification of trope names. If you are a nerd then there is decent chance you are familiar with the term "polymorph," and you can use context clues to figure out that "baleful" isn't exactly a positive thing. The name isn't bland but it's also not totally obtuse.

I'm fine with expanding.

Edited by Karxrida on May 2nd 2022 at 10:41:00 AM

Thing is, the name wouldn't need to be changed unless we expand. Because it won't fit the trope's meaning anymore. You ironically just made a perfect argument against expansion - the title is already decent, and there's more ZCE than outright misuse.

If we expand, the name doesn't matter when we have This Index Is Not an Example.

Edited by GastonRabbit on May 2nd 2022 at 3:56:20 AM

Those are for Trope Namers though, and it seems more like an index of trope namers who aren't an example of the trope named for them, not of unindicative titles as a whole. This one literally has a meaning that, when understood, is very specifically negative, so I genuinely can't see a case for expanding it and keeping the current name.

That said, I'm also not fond of expanding it either, it feels like a supertrope would be way more useful here.

Edited by WarJay77 on May 2nd 2022 at 5:02:02 AM

Fair enough on This Index Is Not an Example.

I still don't think a rename is necessary if people are already disregarding the negative name, but if people want to rename it, then we'll rename it.

Could "involuntary transformation that negatively affects the transformed" be a subtrope, or would that just be The Same, but More Specific?

That's this trope. Like, that's the first paragraph.

Well, Status Infliction Attack is a trope we have, Transformation Infliction Attack is a bit long, though?

Is the core of the trope that the transformation is inflicted by an external, sapient party, without any ethical / moral stipulations?

Edited by Malady on May 2nd 2022 at 6:47:12 AM