How do Polymorph and True Polymorph interact with the Scrying spell

divinationdnd-5epolymorphspells

A wizard has encountered a foe they let flee in a previous fight.
They are now planning to use the Scrying spell, to find out where the foe is hiding.

Does that spell succeed if the foe has cast Polymorph on himself, since he has changed forms? I believe it will not work as the Scrying spell would still work as it is still essentially the same creature.

However, what would happen if the spell was True Polymorph to change into a dragon, and the foe concentrated on the spell for the full hour? In that case, the enemy mage is now considered as a dragon instead of "an enemy mage", so it is unclear to me if they are still considered as the same "particular creature" by the game. I believe that would still work, as the caster knows first-hand the creature they are targeting.

Finally, and this is the trickiest case, what would happen if the mage was casting Scrying based on a second-hand report of the battle? If somebody describes "we were attacked by a red dragon, please find it for us" the wizard could cast the Scrying spell looking for a red dragon, but what would happen to the spell if the dragon had cast True Polymorph on themselves and concentrated for the full duration of the spell ? Is the answer to this question different if the polymorphed into a random object instead of a creature?

Best Answer

Differently

The target of the Scrying spell is "a particular creature you choose".

Polymorph "transforms a creature ... into a new form" - since it's still the same creature, Scrying will find it.

True Polymorph "transform[s] the creature into a different creature" - since it is a different creature, Scrying can't find it.

The "trickiest case" is dealt with in the Scrying spell - this is Secondhand knowledge and gives the target +5 on its saving throw if it can be targeted at all.