Dragonborn

An “artificial” lineage, the true dragonborn (so called to distinguish them from the dragonkin or draconians who result from prolonged human exposure and interaction with dragons) were created in a lab by mages of the Western Empire immediately prior to the War of Souls that destroyed that empire. In fact, their creation sparked the war; they were created by forcibly implanting fragments of dragon souls into unborn human babies conceived on unwilling mothers in factory conditions. [What is it with mortal mages and wanting to create a soldier race? Haven’t they learned it never works out? -ed] [Hubris. It’s an operating requirement to be an arcanist of a certain caliber, it seems. –IB] This so horrified many people that civil war erupted. The new-born dragonborn victims were considered innocents and given a place of their home high on the Nocthian Caldera, now known as Wyrmhold.

Few in number, the dragonborn are a proud, martially oriented people both by nature and by history. Their nation spent 90 years fighting an existential battle against mysterious forces of ice and snow that nearly wiped them out and succeeded in pushing them out of their ancestral home down into the hills south-west of the Fiach Woods. Firce and clan-oriented, the dragonborn take no grief from anyone.

Physically, dragonborn look like man-dragon hybrids. Standing of normal human height, they have scales, clawed feet and hands, dragon-like muzzles, and grow very little hair, if any. They are still mammals; females still have breasts and give birth to live young. Their scales are not always hard enough to provide protection, but they are less sensitive to the elements and general abrasion, so dragonborn often wear less clothing than most other lineage (although armor is still worn). They wear specially constructed boots that allow their talons to jut out (or encase them in armored “toe sheaths” in the case of heavier armor). Their coloration is draconic: they have scales reminicient of one of the colors of dragons and a breath weapon like a wyrmling dragon that matches their soul’s heritage. This is not hereditary; a pair of gold dragonborn might have a silver or white child. Some have nearly vestigial bat-like wings; others have thicker, harder scales that provide some protection from blows.

The dragonkin are rare in Western Noefra, being much more common in the Dragonreach to the east, where humans who serve dragons, over generations, take on draconic forms. Culturally they’re quite different–mechanically they’re very similar.

The two cultures presented here are the Lowland and the Caldera-born. The lowland dragonborn were raised in the rolling hills and plains of Safehold to the east of the Nocthian Caldera. They have a culture of industry, mechanization, and trade. The Caldera-born grew up in the ancestral lands of the Caldera, where life is tougher but pride is higher. Caldera-born often look at the lowland dragonborn as “soft”, while the lowland dragonborn look at the Caldera-born as rural bumpkins who think they’re special.

Lineage Traits

  • Ability Score Increase. +1 Charisma OR Constitution
  • Age. Adult around 16, live to 80-ish
  • Size. Medium. 5′0″ - 6′6″, 110-300 lbs
  • Speed. 30 feet
  • Status. Regional (Western Noefra)
  • Languages. You know Common and your choice of Ngyon Toi (Goblin) or Ard-teang (Orcish).
  • Breath Weapon(+). You can use your bonus action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation. Alternatively, you can use this ability in place of a weapon attack from the Attack action.

When you use your breath weapon, each creature must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.

After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

  • Draconic Ancestry. Choose a color from the Elemental Affinity table and gain resistance to the related damage type. If you have the Breath Weapon feature, this also sets the damage type, saving throw, and shape of the breath weapon.
  • Minor Draconic Trait. Choose one of the following traits:

Elemental Affinity

Color Damage Type Saving Throws Shape
Black Necrotic Constitution 20ft cone
Blue Lightning Dexterity 30ft × 5ft line
Brass Thunder Constitution 20ft cone
Bronze Fire Dexterity 20ft cone
Copper Acid Constitution 30ft × 5ft line
Green Acid Dexterity 20ft cone
Gold Radiant Dexterity 30ft × 5ft line
Red Fire Dexterity 20ft cone
Silver Cold Constitution 30ft × 5ft line
White Cold Constitution 20ft cone

Caldera-born

  • Ability Score Increase. +2 Strength OR +1 Constitution and +1 Strength
  • Additional Proficiencies. You are proficient in Survival and your choice of Ngyon Toi (Goblin) or Too-til (Giantish).
  • High Altitude Acclamation. You are at home at high altitudes and in cold climates, feeling no ill effects of either. Magical or unnatural cold still affects you unless you have resistance.
  • Quick Breath. You can use your Breath Weapon twice between short or long rests instead of only once.

Lowlands

  • Ability Score Increase. +2 Intelligence OR +1 Charisma and +1 Dexterity
  • Additional Proficiencies. You are proficient in one artisan’s tool of your choice and your choice of Ngyon Toi (Goblin), Ard-teang (Orcish), or Draconic.
  • Mechanical Familiarity. When you make an ability check to understand a mechanical device or disarm a mechanical trap, you do so at advantage.
  • Reliable Breath. When you use your Breath Weapon feature, you can reroll any dice that show a 1 or 2. You must use the second result, even if the result is a 1 or a 2.