D&D 5E Shapeshifting dragons - only metallic?

[CapnZapp]

I noticed only the good guys of 5E Monster Manual dragons got Change Shape.

Is there a story behind this? A reason I'm not aware of? Any Realmslore mumblecore tidbits?

I'm asking because I was inspired by the way the old 3E playtest adventure Into the Dragon's Lair features (15 year old spoiler alert) a blue dragon in human form. Not brass, not silver; blue. When I doublechecked the stat block; yep, she's using a Wand of Polymorph alright.

Now, changing shape using an item (the adventurers can loot) is not the 5E way. But lets go there anyway - there is, after all, such a wand in 5E. Alas, polymorphing for a measly hour at a time is incredibly lame, not to mention how it sucks up your concentration.

(This latter bit isn't just the inner minmaxer in me complaining. Having a shapeshifter always risk reverting to its true form every. Single. Time. it takes any damage is, at the risk of repeating myself, incredibly lame)

So, I'm gonna go ahead and ask. Never mind if I make a fool out of myself, realmswise.

Would there be a good reason why I shouldn't just slap a Change Shape ability on my chromatic dragon?

If there is, how would you convert a 3E style shapechanged NPC into something 5E but also not lame?

 

[Valetudo]

I don't know why bit for some reason they like to give the metallic extra . Which I find weird considering most of the time encounters with them are mostly noncombat, unless you really up or are evillish.

 

[Valetudo]

In my campaigns all dragons of a certain age can shape change and like to hump like rabbits. That's how dragon born came about. Two true dragons shape change and breed.

 

[Ath-kethin]

I noticed only the good guys of 5E Monster Manual dragons got Change Shape.

Is there a story behind this? A reason I'm not aware of? Any Realmslore mumblecore tidbits?

Would there be a good reason why I shouldn't just slap a Change Shape ability on my chromatic dragon?

In ever edition I've played (meaning AD&D 2nd Edition, 3rd, and 5th, it has always been metallics-only for changing shape as a racial ability. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Realms (though not being a Forgotten Realms fan, I concede that there may be a reason presented in a sourcebook somewhere with which I am unfamiliar).

Even in the Council of Wyrms expansion (which was based on the idea of PC dragons, and introduced the half-dragon), the half-dragon options are half-gold, half-silver, and half-bronze. No other dragons could change shape, so no other dragons could breed with humans or elves.

Will it hurt/affect anything if you decide that a metallic dragon (or even all metallic dragons) have this ability as well? Nope.

Edit: 1e Monster Manual also has only Bronze, Silver and Gold dragons as shapechangers.

 

[Illithidbix]

Gold, Silver and Bronze have traditionally it as a innate racial ability.

The 4E Draconomicom series (which was fantastic) presented it an option for chromatic dragons.

There is precedent for Chromatic dragons to have the ability.
In 1E Dragonlance the Red Dragon Ember transforms into humanoid form. In the novels (Dragons of Autumn Twilight) at least, I think this was based off an adventure module.
In far later novels a Green Dragon disguises itself amongst the elves.

It's more debatable whether they have mastered a racial technique or just using their innate magic casting to cast a spell.

I sadly can't think of a example from FR of the top of my head, but I personally think it's well within what a dragon could do.

It might be most chromatics don't bother learning it because they don't care about turning into a lesser being.

 

[steeldragons]

In the case of Ember, if I'm recalling correctly, it was in the module on which Autumn Twilight was based/part of and he had a ring that allowed him to polymorph into human form...or maybe just that he was ancient enough to be a spellcaster and had polymorph self as a spell (it was some time ago). But there was definitely an item or spell, not just "he's old enough to/dragons in Krynn can do that."

As others have noted, from 1e on only the "upper" metallics could. It's just always been a D&D thing. Bronze could transform into animals only. Silver could transform into humans or elves, only. Golds could transform into whatever they wanted. Over the years/editions, their respective shapechanging abilities have just all become any humanoid or animal.

As for the "why"? I would think it probably just has to do with the idea that, "In the beginning...[of D&D]" the number of evil dragons around (or at least encountered) were going to far outweigh the number of good ones. Extrapolating this means that they are a) more numerous than metallics, b) more obvious/visible than metallics, c) more likely to "interfere" with adventurers and/or civilization than are metallics, or d) all of the above: giving them a little "extra" power above what chromatics could do made sense to maintain that ephemeral D&D "balance."

Probably all stemming from the fact that the original game had only Gold as "good" dragons and golds were designed/based off Asian style dragons (who are well-known in eastern myth as highly magical and shapeshifters). They could shapechange. So when more "metal/good" dragons were added to the lexicon, that ability was written in.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I don't know why bit for some reason they like to give the metallic extra . Which I find weird considering most of the time encounters with them are mostly noncombat, unless you really up or are evillish.

That's exactly why they can change shape: so you can have noncombat encounters with them in more contexts.

 

[Sunseeker]

I think it's silly. Dragons are severely underpowered in this edition already and the "special abilities" of the Metallics seem like great all-around dragon abilities. I don't see why a dragon of any color may not shape-shift to work their agenda. It really feels like they built the chromatics to be nothing more than big punching bags, while the metallics, knowing you're not going to be fighting them often, they had to come up with some weird additional reasons why you'd even run into them.

 

[devincutler]

I find this to be discriminating against dragons of colour. We must stand together to stop this injustice! All dragons, regardless of colour or creed, deserve equal access to changing shape.

No polymorph....no peace!

 

[hawkeyefan]

I'm currently running Princes of the Apocalypse, and if I recall correctly, there's a "Lady of Shadows" or "Dark Lady" NPC. She appears as a femal drow, but is in fact either a black dragon or maybe a shadow dragon.

I'm away from my books so I don't recall all the details, but I don't think there was any polymorph item involved. Perhaps someone who has the book handy can confirm?