High intelligence races tend to resist transmuter spells much more than dumb ones. If you're facing the transmuter as a gnome, elf, woof-elf, or any race with a high int, you're much more likely not to get completely frozen, regardless of your saves. Sadly, there isn't a much of a way to combat them otherwise. Even having divine saves as a giant or duergar isn't likely to let you live through the neuro.