[RPG] How do Polymorph and Find [Greater] Steed interact

dnd-5epolymorphspells

A bard has used magical secrets to select either Find Steed, or Find Greater Steed and has summoned a mount.

They then cast Polymorph on themselves and turn themselves into a T-Rex, because they are cool.

Find [Greater] Steed says

While mounted on it, you can make any spell you cast that targets only you also target the mount.

So Polymorph can affect both targets. However, since the steed is less than CR7 what happens?

  1. Both bard and steed both become a T-Rex
  2. Bard becomes a T-Rex and has to select a different form for the steed according to it's CR
  3. The bard becomes a T-Rex but the spell fails on the steed
  4. The spell fails entirely because the steed isn't a valid target to become a T-Rex
  5. The bard and steed become some kind of conjoined T-Rex abomination

If there is a difference between the spells, please use Find Greater Steed as the spell I care about, and assume the mount is a Griffon.

Best Answer

The steed can't become a T-Rex.

Polymorph:

The new form can be any beast whose challenge rating is equal to or less than the target's (or the target's level, if it doesn't have a challenge rating).

The steed is in fact the target of the spell (it says so right there in find steed) so you need a beast of equal or lower CR. Best case, you're using find greater steed and the steed is a griffon, pegasus, or other CR 2 creature. It uses the normal stats for the creature (except for its creature type and Intelligence, as noted), so it's still CR 2 when summoned as a steed. A T-Rex is definitely higher than that (I believe it's CR 8).

You might be able to choose a different creature (of a legal CR) for the mount to turn into. Polymorph doesn't have provisions for choosing more than one kind of creature, because it normally only has one target. The DM would need to make a ruling on whether you can choose another form for the mount in this case.

Note that for the spell to be replicated onto the mount, you must be mounted when you cast it, so whatever your mount turns into, it will then be sat on by a T-Rex.