Dragonborn
Born of dragons, as their name proclaims, the dragonborn walk proudly through a world that greets them with fearful incomprehension. Shaped by draconic gods or the dragons themselves, dragonborn originally hatched from dragon eggs as a unique race, combining the best attributes of dragons and humanoids. Some dragonborn are faithful servants to true dragons, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and still others find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
- Age. Young dragonborn grow quickly. They walk hours after hatching, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80.
- Alignment. Dragonborn tend towards extremes, making a conscious choice for one side or the other between Good and Evil (represented by Bahamut and Tiamat, respectively). More side with Bahamut than Tiamat (whose non-dragon followers are mostly kobolds), but villainous dragonborn can be quite terrible indeed. Some rare few choose to devote themselves to lesser dragon deities, such as Chronepsis (Neutral), and fewer still choose to worship Io, the Ninefold Dragon, who is all alignments at once.
- Size. Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.
- Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Draconic Ancestry. You are distantly related to a particular kind of dragon. Choose a type of dragon from the below list; this determines the damage and area of your breath weapon, and the type of resistance you gain.
| Dragon Color | Damage Type | Breath Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (DEX save) |
| Blue | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (DEX save) |
| Brass | Fire | 5 by 30 ft. line (DEX save) |
| Bronze | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (DEX save) |
| Copper | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (DEX save) |
| Gold | Fire | 15 ft. cone (DEX save) |
| Green | Poison | 15 ft. cone (CON save) |
| Red | Fire | 15 ft. cone (DEX save) |
| Silver | Cold | 15 ft. cone (CON save) |
| White | Cold | 15 ft. cone (CON save) |
- Breath Weapon. You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. It deals damage in an area according to your ancestry. When you use your breath weapon, all creatures in the area must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your ancestry. The DC of this saving throw is 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 increase to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th, and 5d6 at 16th level. After using your breath weapon, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
- Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated with your ancestry.
- Languages. You can read, speak, and write Common and Draconic.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dragonborns are scaled people with heads resembling the heads of dragons. They have clawed hands and feet, and sharp, pointed teeth. Their eyes are snake-like with slits for pupils.
Genetics and Reproduction
Dragonborn reproduce through eggs, with the female laying one egg per pregnancy. Eggs take about 9 months to hatch. They are compatible with largely any humanoid. As with most races, interspecies children will favor the mother.
Ecology and Habitats
Dragonborn can live anywhere a normal humanoid can live.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Typically follow the same naming convention as dragons, with most names including hyphens. Usually their names have strong links to their draconic roots.
Major Organizations
They have a few kingdoms that largely consist of Dragonborn. When not a part of a kingdom, they often travel in clans or bands.
Beauty Ideals
Dragonborn of chromatic, gem or metalic ethnicities will often stick to their own individual kinds.
Relationship Ideals
Once a child is born to a pair of Dragonborn, either parent leaving before the child grows up is highly stigmatized.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Common and Draconic
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Dragonborn do occasionally form relationships outside of their race and ethnicity, but it is uncommon. A Dragonborn pairing up with a race outside of Yuan-Ti, Lizardfolk, Viashino or Naga is often frowned upon.
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