Vaalingrade
Legend
Does anyone else find it weird that only the 'good guy' dragons are naturally capable of infiltrating humanoid society?
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D&D 5E Dragons that can polymorph into humanoids...
- Thread starter Casimir Liber
- Start date
Uni-the-Unicorn!
Hero
It goes back to 1e IIRC. All the good dragons where also stronger than the evil ones back then too.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Some adults do as well. At least in the MM stat blocks.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Yeah. I hadn't noticed the absence in chromatics since I don't use many dragons, preferring them to be rare and super impactful when they show up, but I will certainly be adding the ability to them if/when I use one of the appropriate age.
Ancalagon
Dusty Dragon
It "forces" evil dragons to have minions/lackeys to stuff for them, and this is an possible avenue to adventure?
Mind you, this limit seems to be thrown out the window even by WotC when it "fits the plot". See a certain adventure path... (not naming it re spoilers)
Vaalingrade
Legend
Easier to have lackeys when you're approachable by the downtrodden folks that get forced into the role and can actually meet with them instead of being a gigantic terror lizard hermit living so far away no one is going to visit and is too fat to enter a back alley.
it's a throwback to the oriental dragons. The metallic dragons were loosley designed on oriental dragons serving the heavens and the chromatic dragons are loosely designed on being the children of Tiamat the destroyer. I've always wished they'd done a bit more to make them more similar. It's basically sumerian dragons vs oriental dragons .
I think the idea was always that the evil dragons felt mortals were so far beneath them that taking thier form was disgusting and a sign of weakness.
Mirrorrorrim
Hero
In my home campaign, dragons have clutches of 5 eggs. If all goes well, 1 egg might contain a dragon. The other eggs hatch into dragonborn (dragonborn are literally born of dragons, though they also breed true). At a young age, the dragon develops the ability to take on a personal dragonborn form, and fits in with their humanoid siblings. They don't get to be non-dragonborn.
Only very old dragons get the "polymorph into any humanoid or beast" ability, which does not have the same limitations.
This house rule is universal for all non-unique dragons, metallic, chromatic, and gem.
Only very old dragons get the "polymorph into any humanoid or beast" ability, which does not have the same limitations.
This house rule is universal for all non-unique dragons, metallic, chromatic, and gem.
Vaalingrade
Legend
Likely, but that's a throwback to Haye Code logic where villains always have to be bad at their jobs to show the kiddos that evil is self-destructive. Which I think is a bad lesson vs Good cooperates and improves itself... which is denied by things like how the Big Good dragons (and gods) basically don't do anything and wait for the party to do stuff.
