If a (medium size) level 7 Dragon Disciple uses her Dragon Form ability to turn into a (medium size) dragon (as per Dragon Form 1), and she drops her manufactured weapons before transforming (so they don't meld into her body), can she then pick them up and use them? All of her natural attacks will be at -5, but is there anything preventing her from taking all her normal attacks (including iteratives) with her, for example, magical greatsword, and then also making her dragon natural attacks at a -5 penalty?
I think the intent was that the general shape of a dragon, like the general shape of most forms that invoke the "melding" clause, is ill-suited for wielding manufactured weapons. I can kinda see a dragon wielding a sword, but I don't think it was intended to be a thing.
But no, I don't know of any actual rules text that says that a dragon--or a character in dragon form--cannot wield a sword. That sort of thing is specific enough for the rules to leave to GM fiat--some dragons might be "handy" enough, some might not.
Much appreciated!
You also lose the claws attacks as those limbs are busy. So bite and wing attack at -5, and attacks with the great sword.