Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gheralt 02-19-04, 05:17 PM	Hey, folks. I like dragons. When using dragons, I prefer the "Schemer" or "Mover and Shaker" ideas put forth in the Draconomicon to the "Monster." That means my dragons (that is, dragons I use!) need to, well, scheme, move, and shake. Part of this course of action involves probable interaction with humans in a village, town, city, or whatever. With the changes to polymorph, how is a dragon to pull this off? Even draconic polymorph lasts a simple one minute per level. LG dragons (bronze, silver, gold) have that niffy shape change ability, but the chromatics, the other metallics, and nearly every other dragon lack the ability. There's Polymorph Any Object, but I can't imagine a dragon willingly dropping his intelligence score to ten. :p Your thoughts? --Gheralt :fight!: Paladin and trusty meatshield.
Nightshade22 02-19-04, 05:39 PM	perhaps a ring or other item.
Bone-Prince 02-19-04, 05:41 PM	Simple, Make your own ability, this is always rule 0.
Wayward Son 02-19-04, 06:06 PM	Quite simple, really: They employ agents. Spies, messengers, soldiers, diplomats . . . everything a small nation might employ to keep it's fingers in the happenings of surrounding nations, a dragon could use to keep itself well-informed and active in the political, criminal, or social "scene" of whatever nation(s) it wishes. Perhaps for brief visits and urgent "hands-on" situations it will break out the transformation magic or an item to change itself, but mostly it can run a thriving spy network from the comfort and safety of its lair. Add to this divination magic, and the need to leave decreases. If the dragon truely wants to remain unknown, it will employ multiple agents who do not know of one another, possiblly working against one another, using transformation magic to hide its form at the rare meetings with those agents. Most reports can be sent magically. Imagine Kaiser Soze with magic and a breath weapon. :D
Autosponge 02-19-04, 06:16 PM	Scrying anyone?
Derren S. 02-19-04, 06:42 PM	Hm..... Making Half-Dragons has to be real fast now.
Illithidbix 02-19-04, 10:07 PM	Edited to correct rather large mistake and irrelivent comment See post below. Originally posted by Bone-Prince Simple, Make your own ability, this is always rule 0. 2nded, if you want your Dragons to behave in a certain manner, then change the rules so it is the case (the DMG almost encourages you to), and in this case changing it will make dragons actually fit their portrayl in the monster manual and other D&D material better. I would also use Wayward Son’s suggestions of a network of non-draconic agents and go betweens as well, I mean even with being able to assume human at will, the dragon is only one individual (although a pretty badass one), if it wants to have serious political influence then he’ll need the agents to gather information and put his plans into action.
Illithidbix 02-19-04, 10:57 PM	Damn the quote button being next to edit button... :embarrass
Perseus 02-20-04, 03:25 AM	Are you sure that the spell and spell-like abilities have the same duration?
Illithidbix 02-20-04, 08:04 PM	Actually, something I missed from the last line of the discription on the metalic dragons alternate form: Alternate Form (Su): A gold dragon can assume any animal or humanoid form of Medium size or smaller as a standard action three times per day. This ability functions as a polymorph spell cast on itself at its caster level, except that the dragon does not regain hit points for changing form and can only assume the form of an animal or humanoid. The dragon can remain in its animal or humanoid form until it chooses to assume a new one or return to its natural form. Whoops, anyway like I suggested, you may want to give this ability to a chromatic dragons as well (or at least Blue and Red dragons).