D&D 5E Dragons that can polymorph into humanoids...

[Richards]

In my current campaign I've granted all dragons the ability to take on a humanoid form, but each one gets one particular humanoid form that they choose. So if a particular dragon opts to assume the guise of a male gnome, that's the only humanoid form it will ever get to assume (short of spells beyond its own inherent shapechanging ability).

Johnathan

 

[the Jester]

In my game they polymorph into their human form, so one and only one. However, that's just my world's lore and has nothing to do with the rules. By the rules they just cast the polymorph spell.

Same here.

Examples in the literature seem to be similar- for instance, Silvara in DragonLance had a very specific humanoid form, and Bahamut typically assumes the form of the old man with the canaries. (He might be a bad example because he's a god, though; so it would be neither surprising nor particularly persuasive if he has appeared in other forms.)

I don't think a dm would be out of line either way. There might also be a "they are usually like this when in humanoid form but don't have to be" approach, combining the best of both options. "Holy cow, that dwarf was Silvara??"

 

[Clint_L]

Polymorph also doesn't say anything about whether you can transform into various individuals of each form, so it can be interpreted either way.

Hmmm...to me it would be a strange interpretation to say that you can only polymorph into one particular version of a halfling, wolf, a giant turtle, etc. How is that version chosen? Does the DM decide? It seems both counterintuitive, but also a bit unfair. IMO, if the spell doesn't impose this specific limitation, then it shouldn't be limited. The wording just says "into a new form" (polymorph; later clarified as humanoid or beast), "into a different creature" (true polymorph), "a humanoid or beast" (change shape). Changing into one humanoid form and later a different humanoid form are both consistent with the wording of the spell and don't seem to obviously conflict with the intent of the spell.

 

[humble minion]

I was reading an old Dragonlance novel recently in which a dragon was experimenting with what humanoid forms she could change into. She could certainly choose some details of her humanoid appearance, but was frustrated because she could not become less than conventionally attractive, even when she wanted to take a form that was unremarkable and would not attract attention.

Examples in the literature seem to be similar- for instance, Silvara in DragonLance had a very specific humanoid form

Silvara was the dragon i was referring to in the above quote. In the Chronicles novels she sticks to the silver-haired female wood elf form, firstly because it's a long-established role that she was trying to maintain, and later because the guy she fell in love with fell in love with her in that particular form and has distinct capital-I Issues about her dragon self.

Much later, in The Odyssey of Gilthanas, she experiments, attempting to take on physically unattractive forms because she's still holding a One True Love candle for Gilthanas and finds it depressing to continually attract and have to knock back hopeful suitors whatever guise she wears.

 

[Casimir Liber]

The other annoying thing is that 5e doesn't specify which dragons can polymorph, only "some". I can't find it discussed anywhere

In my world, I've tied it all up in lore by making it a gift from Tiamat and Bahamut - gods derive power from numbers of (free-willed) followers. Hence a few dragon followers gives Tiamat much less power than thousands of kobold followers. Dragonborn are the result of a union between a dragon in humanoid form and a humanoid (but also breed true subsequently). The Dragon Queen had hopes for them becoming free-willed followers of her, but many went their own way...

 

[Clint_L]

The other annoying thing is that 5e doesn't specify which dragons can polymorph, only "some". I can't find it discussed anywhere

It is in their descriptions in the Monster Manual or whatever book they are in. If they can shape change, it is specifically identified as one of their abilities. For instance, RAW an ancient gold dragon can shape change, but an ancient red dragon can't.

Though I just let all adult or older dragons have it.

 

[Maxperson]

The other annoying thing is that 5e doesn't specify which dragons can polymorph, only "some". I can't find it discussed anywhere

It's in the stat blocks. The metallic dragon section says that metallic dragons gain the ability to shape change at some point during their long lives. It does not say that about the chromatic dragons. The adult and young brass dragon blocks do not have the ability, but the ancient block has change shape listed.

 

[dave2008]

The other annoying thing is that 5e doesn't specify which dragons can polymorph, only "some". I can't find it discussed anywhere

In my world, I've tied it all up in lore by making it a gift from Tiamat and Bahamut - gods derive power from numbers of (free-willed) followers. Hence a few dragon followers gives Tiamat much less power than thousands of kobold followers. Dragonborn are the result of a union between a dragon in humanoid form and a humanoid (but also breed true subsequently). The Dragon Queen had hopes for them becoming free-willed followers of her, but many went their own way...

In DnD Beyond all ancient metallics have the change shape action. I haven't checked my book to see if it is the same in the MM. Here is the brass dragon:

and here is the lore from the MM:

 

[Casimir Liber]

Man I must have been hungover or very tired when looking. I missed some of these

 

[Li Shenron]

I have never used it, but the MM text troubles me a bit...

I don't see a major impediment against letting a Dragon (or whoever) change shape into any type of humanoid, or possibly even into any individual humanoid (subject to possible checks by others to recognize that maybe it isn't really that individual).

On the other hand, I do not like how that text could be used to justify changing shape into a stock NPC, i.e. not a specific individual but perhaps a default archmage or similar unnamed humanoid with lots of abilities that aren't strictly from a class because stock NPCs have no class.