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Ignoring for the moment the actual ability/stat modifications, is there anything other than a strict interpretation of the statement that "you become a Medium chromatic or metallic dragon" preventing a PC from using Form of the Dragon/Shapechange to become a Medium sized half-dragon?
Remember that the half-dragon template changes the base creature to "dragon" and (to my knowledge) the only possible half-dragons available are chromatics and metallics.
I think its technically legal, but it may violate the intent of the spells.
Thoughts? Concerns?
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You become a Medium chromatic or metallic dragon. You gain a +4 size bonus to Strength, a +2 size bonus to Constitution, a +4 natural armor bonus, fly 60 feet (poor), darkvision 60 feet, a breath weapon, and resistance to one element. You also gain one bite (1d8), two claws (1d6), and two wing attacks (1d4). Your breath weapon and resistance depend on the type of dragon. You can only use the breath weapon once per casting of this spell. All breath weapons deal 6d8 points of damage and allow a Reflex save for half damage. In addition, some of the dragon types grant additional abilities, as noted below.
Nothing says you gain a template. These abilities are not consistent with half dragons. You are basically saying that you must ignore everything and let it make it do something else because it uses the word "dragon". The first sentence in the spell answers your question. It does not say Dragon(and something else) Form.
Every spell of the Polymorph subschool have certain rules they must follow. One of them being:
Unless otherwise noted, polymorph spells cannot be used to change into specific individuals. Although many of the fine details can be controlled, your appearance is always that of a generic member of that creature's type. Polymorph spells cannot be used to assume the form of a creature with a template or an advanced version of a creature.
Half-dragon is a template, and you can never take the form of templated creatures. Unless the specific spell says you can, but none of the polymorph spells in the core rulebook specifically say that you can, so the general rule of "no templated creatures" applies.
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Nothing says you gain a template. These abilities are not consistent with half dragons. You are basically saying that you must ignore everything and let it make it do something else because it uses the word "dragon". The first sentence in the spell answers your question. It does not say Dragon(and something else) Form.
Maybe back at PRPG release I could buy that argument. But taken in context with the Undead Anatomy spells clearly allow one to take the vampire template, I no longer see the "no template allowed" argument as being a sovereign defense.
To be clear, I'd treat the "half-dragon" form as any other polymorph ability, where the PC would get the LESSER of the abilities granted by the template or the form of the dragon spell (the lower Str mod, the lower darkvision, the lower claw attack, etc).
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Every spell of the Polymorph subschool have certain rules they must follow. One of them being:
Unless otherwise noted, polymorph spells cannot be used to change into specific individuals. Although many of the fine details can be controlled, your appearance is always that of a generic member of that creature's type. Polymorph spells cannot be used to assume the form of a creature with a template or an advanced version of a creature.Half-dragon is a template, and you can never take the form of templated creatures. Unless the specific spell says you can, but none of the polymorph spells in the core rulebook specifically say that you can, so the general rule of "no templated creatures" applies.
Now that's a better citation than a "nothing says you can" argument. Which makes me wonder about Undead Anatomy as I cited above. Thanks!