Becoming a true dragon?

[CIDE]

Basically what it says up top. Is there a way for a Dragon to become a True Dragon? Things like a Hellfire Wyrm, Half-Dragons, or anything of the sort? Dragon magazine and limited third party usable for the sake of discussion. Kobolds need not apply.

[Ruethgar]

They have to have been printed in or after Races of the Dragon and therefore fall under Dracinomicon definitions and qualify for them. IIRC it was pretty much Dragon Type, grows stronger with age, twelve age categories. This means that most Faerunian specific dragons and Tiamat’s sister’s kids aren’t True, but Incarnum Dragons are.

[hamishspence]

Most Faerunian-specific dragons do have the full range of age categories though (Mist, Mercury, Deep, etc).

Plus it's worth noting that Oriental Dragons don't have the full range (baby oriental dragons are all represented with the same statblock, as a separate creature), but are still considered True Dragons.

So it may be just "dragon type" plus "has Grow Stronger age categories" - they don't need to be the twelve named ones. Meaning that a half-dragon Phaerimm is a True Dragon.

[Crake]

Savage species as a bunch of options for changing race.

[Feantar]

IFF half-dragons are true dragons (I seem to remember they are), then 10 levels of dragon disciple?

[Vizzerdrix]

Well first, play a kobold...

:biggrin:

[Ruethgar]

The Lung dragons are the exception. RotD sets the absolute list of all True dragons, but doesn’t define them. If something is printed in it or after it, Dragonwrought and Magic of Incarnum for example, then it falls to the earlier, Dracinomicon definition.

RotD has a single line that says half dragons are versions of true dragons making them a bit in the grey if your DM is a super stickler for RAW over reason.

Edit: For just straight up homebrew I did make this for Hellfire Wyrms.

https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?323036-Hellfire-True-Progression

[Darg]

IFF half-dragons are true dragons (I seem to remember they are), then 10 levels of dragon disciple?

Half-dragon dragon disciple who has reached apotheosis to gain another Half-dragon to become 1 whole true dragon!

[Thurbane]

In answer to the OPs question, there is no way I know for other dragons to be counted as true dragons, short of being Polymoprhed into one.

In regards to true dragon types not covered in RotD, here's some from my thread about half-dragon varieties (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?598094):


So, if I'm not mistaken, RoTD (p.69) contains the "definitive" list of half-dragons.

But a few true-dragon types are missing (still technically 1st party though):

...so, how would you stat these up as half-dragons?


Ectoplasmic Dragon (online (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20040123a)): Burst of whitefire (?) / Immunity to dismiss ectoplasm (?) / Chaotic neutral
Incarnum (MoI p.172): Cone of resonating energy (?) / None (?) / LG, LE, CG or CE (player's choice)
Mercury (DoF p.138): Line of light (?) / Immunity to blinding or dazzling (?) / Chaotic good
Mist (DoF p.142): Cone of steam / None (?) / Neutral
Obsidian Dragon (online (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20030124b)): Cone of fire / Immunity to fire / Neutral Evil
Orange (Dragon Compendium p.195): Line of explosive saliva (?) / Water breathing / Neutral evil
Purple (Dragon Compendium p.197): Cone of searing energy (?) / None (?) / Lawful evil
Rattelyr (Shining South): Cone of fire / Immunity to fire / Lawful evil
Steel (DoF p.140): Cone of corrosive (acid) gas / +10 racial bonus on saves vs. poison / Lawful neutral
Yellow (Dragon Compendium p.199): Cone of salt / Water breathing / Chaotic evil

...then there is those from the magazines...

Dragon/Dungeon Magazine:

Adamantine (Dragon 321 p.44): Line of fire / Immunity to fire / Neutral Good
Arboreal (Dragon 321 p.46): Cone of thorns / Immunity to acid or sonic (player's choice)/ Chaotic good
Astral (Dragon 344 p.27): Line of scouring dust/ None (?) / Neutral
Axial (Dragon 321 p.48): Cone of force / Immunity to acid or fire (player's choice) / Lawful neutral
Beast (Dragon 321 p.50): Cone of cold and electricity (?) / Immunity to cold or electricity (player's choice)/ NG or CG (player's choice)
Brainstealer (Dragon 337 p.25): None (?) / Immunity to acid / Lawful evil
Chole (Dragon 344, p.29): Cone of poisonous 'insanity' vapors (?)/ None (?) / Chaotic evil
Chromium (Dragon 356 p.23): Line of solid ice / Immunity to cold / Lawful evil
Concordant (Dragon 321 p.52): Line of 'antithetical' energy/ Immune to poison (?) / Neutral
Cobalt (Dragon 356 p.25): Line of magnetic energy / Immunity to electricity / Lawful evil
Crested Sea Serpent (Dragon 345 p.56): Line of sonic / Amphibious / Neutral evil
Dzalmus (Dragon 349 p.62): Cone of life-draining gas (?) / Immunity to enchantment (?) / Chaotic evil
Elysian (Dragon 344 p.32): Line of sonic energy / Immunity to sonic / Neutral good
Gloom (Dragon 344 p.35): Cone of apathy gas (?) / None (?) / Neutral evil
Greyhawk (Dragon 339 p .51): Line of acid or cone of poisonous gas (?) / poison resistance (?) / Lawful neutral
Hex (Dragon 343 p.39): Line of putrid / Immunity to disease or poison (?) / Neutral evil
Iron (Dragon 356 p.29): Line of sparks / Immunity to fire / Lawful neutral
Lantern Sea Serpent (Dragon 345 p.58): Line of red lightning / Amphibious / Lawful evil
Nickel (Dragon 356 p.31): Line of corrosive gas / Immunity to acid / Lawful evil
Spiked Sea Serpent (Dragon 345 p.61): None / Amphibious / Chaotic evil
Spinewyrm (Dungeon 110/Polyhedron 169 p.95): None / None / Neutral evil
Time (Dragon 359 p.37): Line or cone of 'time' (?) / Immunity to slow (?) / Neutral
Tome (Dragon 343 p.42): Bead of raw elemental material (?) / None (?) / Lawful neutral
Tungsten (Dragon 356 p.33): Line of blasting sand / Immunity to fire / Lawful good


Also, any other "true dragons" that I've missed from official sources?

Cheers - T

[CIDE]

A lot of cool answers but I'm not surprised that my specific request doesn't exist. Still bummed by that. I was hoping there was some special archetype/template/whatever to "upgrade" a lesser dragon into a true dragon without using the same shenanigans (like Savage Species stuff) that's available to anyone and everyone anyway.

[Darg]

A master transmogrifist could theoretically polymorph into a true dragon while having the Ooze's split ability. Because of the wording of split implies the original target for polymorph no longer exists you are made into a true dragon that can't be dispelled. When you up your age category you get all the benefits of that.