[3.5E] What happens to equipment when a non-humanoid ends a polymorph?

[Dark Knight Renee]

The specific case I'm struggling with involves dragons polymorphing into humans, and what happens to their equipment when the spell ends.

The rules are mostly clear about what happens to equipment when a character polymorphs into a differently-shaped form (though slightly vague about what would or wouldn't merge, because by magic some things can and will deform to fit as well as changing size). What the rules appear to say nothing about is what happens when a polymorphed character puts on equipment while polymorphed that isn't compatible with its natural form, and the spell ends while said equipment is worn.

Meanwhile, some types of dragon have the Alternate Form ability, which works differently from polymorph. Instead of merging, equipment is simply dropped in the character's space. No clear answer about what happens when a shapeshifted dragon wearing armor returns to its natural form here either, but at least it's easy enough to infer that the incompatible equipment drops to the ground in the dragon's space, since no merging mechanics were ever in play. Rather more confusing here is what happens to compatible equipment... which I guess is another question.

1. What happens to humanoid-shaped equipment put on by a dragon polymorphed into humanoid form when the spell ends and the character reverts being a dragon. Both incompatible and semi-compatible equipment please, since they obviously act differently in response to polymorph magic.
2. What happens in the same circumstance, but with Alternate Form instead of polymorph?

Am I missing something somewhere? Do the rules really not say anything about this? Is there any indication of what the RAI is on the issue, if there isn't a RAW? And how would you rule on it?

[Duke of Urrel]

You have asked a very good question, and I've been lurking, waiting for somebody to answer. Then I discovered that a partial answer does exist.

The following is a passage quoted from page 320 of the Player's Handbook v. 3.5 (2008), which discusses rules that apply to the Polymorph subschool.


Any gear worn or carried by the subject melds into the assumed form and becomes nonfunctional. When the subject reverts to its natural form, any objects previously melded into the assumed form reappear in the same location on its body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at the subject's feet.

By default, this is how all spells of the Polymorph subschool work. Specific spells make some exceptions to this general rule.

If you can't use equipment that you wear or carry in your altered or polymorphed form when you return to your natural form, my best advice would be to say that the equipment falls off and lands at your feet.

[Dark Knight Renee]

Nice! Thank you :smallsmile:

...Ah ha, I see why I missed that. It seems that neither of the SRDs I have been using says anything about the polymorph subschool, or include that passage in the "special abilities" description of polymorph. I could have sworn that the changes to polymorph were included in the SRDs, but apparently not. (I would say it serves me right for relying on the SRD, but I'm fairly certain my PHB predates the errata that introduced the polymorph subschool...)