So my question is simple. There is a shadow dragon in my campaign who was previously a gold dragon. He remembers vaguely his past and wishes to revert back to his original form. I thought of True Polymorph spell at first but I didn't find it very satisfying. Does anyone have a suggestion or if there is already a known method to revert a shadow dragon back to it's previous form. I don't mind the edition of dnd if there is published method. I want to turn the dragon's request into a side quest for my players
Nothing restricts you from giving your dragon NPC access to a unique ability that allows it to change back and forth between either forms (or just go back to one form permanently, if that's what you're looking for). The list of existing spells and their limitations are imposed on player characters, but there are multiple examples of monsters having unique abilities that operate outside of those spell lists.
For this kind of situation, it's probably easier (and also less confusing for everyone involved) to decide that "There is a unique ability [insert ability name here] that does X" rather than saying something like "There is this variant of the True Polymorph ability, except its duration is X, it is limited to Y, ...".
If you're looking for a specific example of a shadow dragon reverting to its original form in earlier editions, I don't believe there are any. In earlier editions, shadow dragons were just another type of dragon, like gold or red or amethyst.
There are, however, plenty of ways to change one's species in 3.5e. Player's Handbook II has character rebuilding, which allows one to change species, but it's not a great fit here. Savage Species has the Ritual of Unlearning and Ritual of Vitality, which will change the subject's species. These feel like a better fit for this situation, though the numbers would need to be tweaked; transforming into even a baby gold dragon using the Ritual of Vitality would take 13 days and cost 78,000 XP and 169,000 gold pieces (and require a level 13 spellcaster to perform). Frustratingly, it doesn't account for starting species; transforming from one type of dragon to another should be cheaper than transforming from a halfling into a dragon, but not in Savage Species (which was a book notorious for interesting ideas and poor implementation, even by 3.5's standards). Still, the idea of some sort of customized ritual is, I think, a good one, and has the advantage of being an interesting plot hook for a sidequest or even a main goal for the PCs, and the DM can make it as difficult as necessary to pull off. Rather than simply costing gold and XP, it could require rare magical items or reagents, things important to the dragon in question in his youth before becoming a shadow dragon, and so forth.
SAGA: Curse of the Shadow (a.k.a. The Shadow Cabal, Curse of the Dragon Slayer and Rise of the Shadow Warrior) is a fantasy adventure independent film made by Arrowstorm Entertainment. It tells the story of an Elf Bounty Hunter teaming-up with an Orc and a human to save the world from the awakening of the God of Undead.
This is a movie adaptation of the 2008 MMORTS game SAGA, though most markets take the name out of the title. This applies to the US unfortunately due to Executive Meddling from distributor Phase 4 Films.
This film provides examples of:
GalleryShadow-Cursed LandsGeography[1]AliasesShadow landsTypeRegionRegionWestern Heartlands, west FaernLargest cityReithwinSociety[1]RacesGhouls, shadows, shambling mounds, blightsReligionsThe Absolute
Formerly: Shar, SelnePolitics[1]RulerKetheric ThormInhabitants of the shadow-cursed landsLocations in the shadow-cursed landsOrganizations in the shadow-cursed landsSettlements in the shadow-cursed landsItems from the shadow-cursed lands
Natural life in the Shadow-cursed Lands were twisted and corrupted by necrotic energy. Most trees within shriveled up and appeared as if dead, while others retained only a few brown and red leaves. Dessicated 'shadowroots' rose above the earth, forming a lattice of dead plant material that spread out like a network of veins. Patches of otherworldly, red grass appeared sporadically across the withered earth. Flora only appeared in its typical state in regions still-blessed by the goddess Selne, or by other supernatural means.[1]
The region was inundated with necrotic energy and was harmful to any living being that passed within. This 'umbral influx' rendered the flesh of living creatures, and replaced with eerie, blue-green energy. Any creature that succumbed to the curse and died, would rise again in short time as an undead iteration of its previous self.[1]
The use of natural or magical light, such as that from a torch or spells, would negate the effect over a small radius. Receiving the blessing of the goddess Selne, or using the unique moonlanterns, offered more potent protection from the shadow curse and the horrors it created.[1]
Sentient plantlife in the region were twisted and warped by the shadow curse. Notable among these were shambling mounds, along with needle and vine blights. The region's shadowroots sprouted small, bulbous sacs that glowed an eerie green hue. These could be harvested and properly utilized by a skilled alchemist. Black oleander and night orchids were known to grow throughout the Shadow-cursed Lands.[1]
Few traders and merchants operated throughout the Shadow-cursed Lands. Those that did offer mercantile services operated out of the few locales that were protected from effects of the curse itself.[1]
It was either during or around the Year of the Wrathful Eye, 1391 DR, when the shadow curse was set upon the region. General Ketheric Thorm, a once-devout Selnite general fell from grace and took over command of Shar's Dark Justiciars in the region. The general wielded the army in his new goddess' name and was met on the battlefield by allied forces of Harpers and druids from the Emerald Grove. Thorm and Shar's Dark Justiciars were ultimately defeated.[1]
Before he was imprisoned however, Ketheric Thorm unleashed the shadow curse upon the lands. Shadowy tendrils arose over the grand and across its sky, killing and twisting the natural life within and infusing it with the umbral energy associated with the Lady of Loss.[1]
It was believed that the only way to restore the Shadow-cursed Lands to their natural state was to restore the land's spirit whole once again. Unfortunately, a portion of the spirit was taken away into the Shadowfell. While true, that belief did not covey the entirety of the curse's remedy: to remove it entirely, the immortal Ketheric Thorm had to be killed.[1]
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