Physical Characteristics
Not to be confused with Dragonborn, half-dragons have an uncomfortable (and often unsettling) mix of humanoid and draconic features. The lucky ones have symmetrical features with smooth transitions between dragon scales and normal flesh, but for most, their draconic heritage manifests in uneven patches all over their bodies. It's not unusual for them to have entirely different-sized limbs or other physical difficulties due to their condition. The color and texture of their scales is dependent on the kind of dragon they inherited them from.
A half-dragon lifespan can stretch upwards of 500 years, but eventually their humanoid parts will degrade and wear down at a rate even their draconic constitution can't maintain, keeping them from reaching the longevity of their ancient relatives.
Culture & Experiences
Half-dragons are the direct result of an extremely unlikely encounter. More often than not, the dragon does not stick around to meet their child, and any parenting responsibility falls to the humanoid. Depending on their parent's situation, half-dragons could have a happy childhood just as easily as they could be abandoned at an early age - but all half-dragons grow up feeling distinctly different than the people around them.
There are so few half-dragons alive that it's unlikely they'll ever meet another of their own kind. Some half-dragons try to embrace their draconian heritage or steep themselves in dragonborn culture as a next-best-thing, while others simply internalize the culture of wherever they happened to grow up.
A few traits common to all half-dragons are possessiveness, hoarding, and a deep appreciation for treasures. As such, they tend to make for good adventurers by default.
Abilities
At character creation, half-dragons get a +2 to STR and a +1 to INT.
After this, they have the same abilities and level progression as dragonborn, including their breath weapon. The player may choose to describe this weapon as more of a "magical phenomena" that happens around the character instead of the literal dragon's breath.
If the half-dragon has claws, they have the same stats as a dagger (1d4 + STR/DEX) and cannot be unequipped unless the claws are clipped or the hand itself is removed.
