Is there any way to activate the ring?
i know ring of polymorph does it randomly, i just havent figured out the control for using it .
thanks!

Ring of polymorph, eat mutant corpses, get zapped by a god etc...

There is no way to activate the ring. In fact, you can't really activate any of the rings; either they're "on" as long as you're wearing them or their effect goes off at random. If you want something that can polymorph you at will what you want is a wand of polymorph (be advised that this is IMO a total waste of a poly wand given that you can use it on altars and up to 25 items, which can net you extra scrolls, bananas, food, equipment, wands, etc.)

You really just need to man up and try training your dude's stats rather than hoping to rely on polymorph boosts (in fact, even if you're going to rely on polymorph boosts you'll have to train Int at least because you can't manage to voluntarily change into the tougher monsters without more than the base). At the very least train your Int so that you can manage the more valuable artificial limbs. Polymorphing to bigger monsters fails hard as a strategy because a) your stats are factored into how tough the enemies are every time you enter a new dungeon level, so if you waltz into UT3 as a bear you have a fair chance of being absolutely slaughtered by mysterious explosions/a bear clone/etc. as a result of an Ischaldirh overdose; b) the only source of polymorph on demand is the wand, and that's not a common item, making it difficult to depend on as a survival tactic; c) in between times when you have that source available to you, or between times when the ring of polymorph actually goes off, thanks to you saving the tough fights for polymorph your character is going to be weaksauce and will then get his ass handed to him in the event you get jumped before you can (somehow) get that wand of polymorph recharged or before the polymorph ring saves your ass.

I think pretty much everything's been answered. However, I have a little hint for you:

Dual wear a ring of polymorph and a ring of polymorph control when in danger of starving! And in early- to mid-game, transform into guards if you need to lug around heavy stuff.

Turning into a guard early in the game is pretty useful. Though it's kind of strange that you're the only human.

You're the only human anyway

The slave has identical stats as the player upon creation however.

I remember the slave having slightly higher stats than the player.

4zb4 probably meant, the slave has the same randomly generated stats as the player. So, could be slightly higher or lower or the same.

Also if you mod you some starting equipment, the slave gets it too since he uses the same "playerkind" entry in the script files.

yeah I know that, I think slaves get a boost to various stats though. Becuase they always have considerably more arm strength then me. I have never seen a slave with lower stats than the player.

I always notice the slave is capable of carrying a surprising amount of equipment, he takes a lot before he gets burdened. He must have more leg-strength in that case. A stethoscope should help us get to the bottom of this.

Yeah. They have much higher starting stats than you.

Great, now I won't imagine the guards as humans, but as some bizarre fantasy races having helmets for heads.

And they can wear helmets on those helmets, so their brains are protected while being protected.
Also, RoPC is one of the rarest and most expensive rings (rivaling only invisibility one).
It protects you from the most embarrassing deaths possible - getting transformed into a mushroom/plant while next to an enemy is the next deadliest thing after getting beheaded. Everything else gives you SOME chance at survival (amulet of life saving for example).
Can you polymorph into an intelligent creature and somehow skip the transforming back part to transform into a more powerful one? Like, human->mage->angel?

^The thread title is misleading. He meant "is there a way to control the ring of polymorph?"
Also the rival to every single piece of equipment, remotely helpful or otherwise is the Mystic Dark Frog, since there currently isn't an item to resist items being teleported off you. Although a ring of telecontrol can help if they try to randomly teleport you, it will only last until they steal it from you.

The worst thing that happened to my character was being teleported into a secret room sealed off from the rest of the level, and having all equipment that could help me escape (scroll of teleportation, wand of teleportation, rings of tele and telecontrol, pickaxe) taken off by the mystic frogs. It was a choice between starvation or suicide. Suicide won once the frogs refused to teleport me out again. Also I didn't know Sophos.

Coolthulhu:

I'm not an expert on this, but I think it's impossible, since for example to transform into an angel takes 26 Int, and gives 25, and while a mystic dark frog has the intelligence to transform into an elder dark mage, it cannot wear a ring of polymorph control (it might work if there is another tame mystic dark frog nearby, though).

Some basics are:

• Polymorph into a Petrus's wife number 4 when selling/buying stuff.
  
• Quite early you can polymporph into a female servant which trades 11 Int for 20 Int
  
• Necromancers are generally plain stupid, and an angel is only wise, not intelligent
  
• Elder dark mage is a 35->45 trade off.

If i find a RoPC early in the game its fun to cruise GC1-4 as eddy in the spacetime continuum (if I have seen one) or a pure mass of Bill's will. You can go through walls, find gems and find secret rooms. if you transform back while in the earth you will just be teleported to the nearest hallway. It takes minimal intelligence

wow I never thought of this. thats great!