Creatures with alternate forms and their ability scores

[Dogmeat]

So I am running a dragon heavy game and want to run some of them in human guise. They have the alternate form ability which allows them to assume the forms of medium and smaller animals and humanoids.

How does this affect their ability scores?
Do they keep their natural armor?
Can they use their breath weapon?
What about frightful presence or other special abilities?

I have recieved conflicting signals from the books and was wondering if anyone had researched this more fully. Thanks.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Note that not all dragons have the innate ability to alternate form. Others can still use magic, though.

This works almost like polymorph, so they have the average physical ability scores of the assumed form (Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10 for humans).
They lose their extraordinary abilities that are not derived from class levels (including natural armour).
They retain their spell-like and supernatural abilities except those that rely on a body part your new form doesn't have any more

So concerning ability scores and natural armour, they're screwed. Frighful presence is extraordinary, so that goes, too, but they retain their breath weapon. Their immunities, SR, and improved sense also go with their draconic form.

 

[Dogmeat]

Wow, that hurts. It does go with some of the fluff though.

Does that include Int, Wis, and Cha?
Is that the ruling on the innate abilities as well as the spell?


thanks.

 

[IcyCool]

Wow, that hurts. It does go with some of the fluff though.

Does that include Int, Wis, and Cha?
Is that the ruling on the innate abilities as well as the spell?


thanks.

Read the Polymorph and Alter Self spells, everything you need is there. I asked a similar question about a week ago (wanted to have an old red dragon polymorphed into a human), and I managed to get the stat block hammered out here. The discussion was here.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Does that include Int, Wis, and Cha?

I can't help you with verifiable rulings on the rest of it, but I do know that they keep mental scores regardless of form. Indeed, I believe the only transformation magics that can change these are Baleful Polymorph and Polymorph Any Object.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Wow, that hurts. It does go with some of the fluff though.

Does that include Int, Wis, and Cha?
Is that the ruling on the innate abilities as well as the spell?


thanks.

Int, Wis and cha remain the same. The innate ability works almost exacly like polymorph (and states so, something like: "this works like polymorph, except).

I must say that the part about the ability scores is what I like least about Polymorph. But that dragon still has his breath weapon and his magic, and frightful presence would have been a dead giveaway, anyway.