What abilities remain when using Draconic Exemplar's shapechange ability?

Question

Draconic Exemplar is a Racial Paragon Class for the dragonlike Taninim Race by Rite.

One of the Draconic Gifts is

Humanoid Form (Su): The draconic exemplar can assume a specific humanoid form of the same sex, chosen when this gift is first learned. The draconic exemplar always takes this specific form when using this ability. All dracomorphosis benefits plus all extraordinary or supernatural draconic defenses, draconic gifts and draconic weaponry are considered form-dependent abilities and cannot be used in humanoid form. This ability otherwise functions as the alter self spell except that the draconic exemplar does not gain the spell's size bonus to his ability scores and can remain in the humanoid form indefinitely. This ability can be used 3 times per day.

With changing shape (which functions similar to a kitsunes ability) it is crystal clear that at least some of the abilities of the dragon disappear: Scaled hide, wings, claws, Breath Weapon...

But a Taninim has also other abilities where I'm not sure about. They got darkvision, lowlight vision and also enhanced senses (+2 to perception and sense motive). Later on they can get spell resistance and scent abilities.

What is with these 4 abilities and others like them? Do they stay or also go?

As an addon to this as "draconic gifts" are not available in humanoid form does this mean that:

• The dragon cannot use spells in humanoid form (if he has only the racial paragon class with the gift that allows him to cast sorcerer spells)

Answer 1

The ability acts like Alter Self where not mentioned otherwise, which means it's a polymorph effect:

While under the effects of a polymorph spell, you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on your original form (such as keen senses, scent, and darkvision), as well as any natural attacks and movement types possessed by your original form. You also lose any class features that depend upon form, but those that allow you to add features (such as sorcerers that can grow claws) still function. While most of these should be obvious, the GM is the final arbiter of what abilities depend on form and are lost when a new form is assumed. Your new form might restore a number of these abilities if they are possessed by the new form.

Emphasis mine. Enhanced senses are explicitly listed as form-dependent (You lose your good eyes and nose). Note also that some abilities are explicitly mentioned as not carrying over due to being form-dependent, so the ability itself does not overrule this part of polymorph.

On the other hand, Alter Self, like most (if not all) polymorph effects, does not change your creature type. You merely assume the form of a humanoid, which means you retain the dragon type, including the racial traits

• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects and paralysis effects.

So you might retain part of your enhanced vision after all. But definitely not Scent or Keen Senses.

Natural Sorcery is a draconic gift and is explicitly called form-dependent by the Human Form ability.

Answer 2

MrLemon did a quite good answer there to my question. As a few implications of what he wrote felt strange to me. What he wrote was as written in the book so it is correct, but it felt strange in regards to how the dragons seemed to be so I asked the producers (ritepublishing) if that is how they had planed it or not).

The answer was as follows:

• Movement, Dark vision, low light vision, natural armor, naturl weapons, dexterous claws, glide, unfettered predator are form dependent and thus are not available outside of the dragon form.
• Spatial sense skill bonuses (perception and sense motive bonus) are NOT form dependent and are thus available in every form. The same goes for the sleep and paralysis resistances.
• Animal form and Human form: These two are "subgifts" of the same gift. Thus if you have human form active you can activate animal form and vice versa.
• Natural sorcery is supressed in animal form / human form (thus it is form dependent and only useable in dragon form).

So in total MrLemon s answer was correct for the rules as written but a few things were meant from teh publisher slightly differentl than how they were written.