Spellscale

Among the humanoid races, spellscales are the most creative, experimental, and varied. Most generalities about spellscales collapse under examination, because each spellscale displays a unique philosophy and behavior. What’s most true of them as a group is that these dragonblood humanoids have a very strong racial inclination toward sorcery. It has long been known that many sorcerers have dragon blood in their veins. For the majority of these individuals, their spellcasting abilities are often the only hint of their draconic heritage, but sometimes the evidence is clearer. Occasionally, when two humanoid sorcerers produce a child, the infant displays decidedly draconic features and physiology. The child is, in fact, a spellscale rather than a member of either of the parents’ races. In much more rare instances, a sorcerer of great power produces such a child by mating with someone who is not a sorcerer. To those who believe that some (or all) sorcerers have draconic heritage, these children are strong evidence of the theory’s truth—if such a child’s draconic characteristics did not come from the sorcerer, then how else to account for them?
In certain situations, a spellscale infant might arouse speculation about the mother’s having mated with a dragon and might be misidentifi ed as a half-dragon.
Spellscales are, however, a distinct race. They breed true among themselves and almost never interbreed with other humanoids. In such an odd instance, any child produced is a full-blooded spellscale.

Nim's Dragon Codex

Spellscale

Spellscales are a rare draconic mutation born of a humanoid parent or parents that practice sorcery. A completely separate race from their parents, that sire full-blooded spellscales no matter what humanoid they mate with. Due to their draconic features, they are often confused with half-dragons at birth.

ability score increase: Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) choose three different +1

age: Young spellscales grow quickly. They walk within a week of being born, and attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 5, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 140

Size: Medium

speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.

race features:
Blood Quickening. You can perform a draconic meditation that creates a magical bond between yourself and one dragon deity. You perform the meditation over the course of 4 hours, which can be done during a long rest. When you perform this meditation, choose from one of the Blood Quickening Meditations below.
You can only benefit from one meditation at a time. If you meditate and choose a different option, the benefit from the first meditation fades away.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Draconic Nature. You have draconic blood within your veins. You have two creature types: dragon and humanoid. You can be affected by a spell or ability if it works on either of your creature types.

Blood Quickening Meditations

Meditation of Aasterinian

When you focus on this whimsical deity’s trickery, originality, and quick thinking, you gain the following benefits:

• When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die. You must use the new result, even if it is a 1.


• At 5th level: You can cast the Counterspell spell once as a 3rd-level spell. You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Meditation of Astilabor

Focusing on the Hoardmistress brings about a sharpened perception of the value of things, you gain the following benefits:

• You know the Hoard Gullet cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
• You gain proficiency with the Deception and Persuasion skills.
• At 3rd level: You can cast the Identify spell once as a 1st-level spell. You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
• At 5th level: You gain advantage on Charisma checks todetermine the price of anything.

Meditation of Bahamut

Meditating upon the King of the Good Dragons enhances a spellscale’s ability to oppose evil creatures, you gain the following benefits:

• You know the Guidance cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.


• At 3rd level: You can cast the Protection from Evil and Good spell as a 1st-level spell. You may cast this spell a number of times this way equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.


• At 5th level: When you cast Protection from Evil and Good on a creature, it gains the following additional benefit for the duration of the spell: "When such a creature deals damage to the target while within 20 feet of it, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 radiant damage."

Meditation of Falazure

Focusing upon the Night Dragon attunes you to the immensity and power of death, you gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on death saving throws.


• You know one necromancy cantrip of your choice from anyspell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. The spell must be chosen when the meditation is performed.


• At 5th level: You can cast one 3rd-level or lower necromancy spell of your choice from any spell list once as a 3rd-level spell. You must finish a long rest to cast a spell with this trait again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. The spell must be chosen when the meditation is performed.

Meditation of Garyx

Considering the power of the All-Destroyer evokes ways in which to broaden your knowlledge of spells, especially the destructive kind, you gain the following benefits:

• You know one evocation cantrip of your choice from any spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. The spell must be chosen when the meditation is performed.


• At 3rd level: You can cast one 1st-level evocation spell of your choice from any spell list once. You must finish a long rest to cast a spell with this trait again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. The spell must be chosen when the meditation is performed.


• At 5th level: You can cast one 3rd-level or lower evocation spell of your choice from any spell list once as a 3rd-level spell. You must finish a long rest to cast a spell with this trait again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. The spell must be chosen when the meditation is performed.

Meditation of Io

A spellscale who considers the role of the Great Eternal Wheel in the multiverse acquires insight into the workings of magic, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with the Arcana and History skills.


• You know one cantrip of your choice from any spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. The spell must be chosen when the meditation is performed.


• At 3rd level: You have advantage on Intelligence checks regarding information about dragons or magic.


• At 5th level: You can cast one 2nd-level or lower spell of your choice from any spell list once as a 2nd-level spell. You must finish a long rest to cast a spell with this trait again. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell. The spell must be chosen when the meditation is performed.

Meditation of Lendys

Contemplating the Scales of Justice requires a stillness of mind and body, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with the Insight and Investigation skills.


• At 3rd level: You can cast the Zone of Truth spell once as a 2nd-level spell. You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.


• At 5th level: You can cast the Wrathful Smite spell as a 1st-level spell. You may cast this spell a number of times this way equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Meditation of Tamara

Meditating about Tamara's mercy renders a spellscale better able to sustain life and thwart death, you gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with the Medicine and Survival skills.


• At 3rd level: You can cast the Healing Word spell as a 1st-level spell. You may cast this spell a number of times this way equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.


• At 5th level: You can cast the Beacon of Hope spell once as a 3rd-level spell. You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Meditation of Tiamat

Focusing on the Creator of Evil Dragonkind enhances a spellscale’s ability to oppose good creatures, you gain the following benefits:

• You know the Toll the Dead cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.


• At 3rd level: You can cast the Hex spell as a 1st-level spell. You may cast this spell a number of times this way equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You must finish a long rest to cast this spell again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.


• At 5th level: When you cast Hex on a creature, it gains the following additional effect for the duration of the spell: "When a creature within 5 feet of the target hits it with a melee attack, the attacker regains 1d6 hit points."

Basic Information

Anatomy

Spellscales exhibit all the best characteristics of dragons in a compact humanoid form. Their skin, formed of lustrous scales, comes in a wide variety of hues, including nearly every color of the rainbow. No spellscale is merely one color, but each displays a rich spectrum of variants on his main color. A spellscale who is primarily green might have patterns of a deeper, forest green over his body, fi ngernails and toenails of a slightly lighter green, and eye ridges and nostrils that are a deep greenish aquamarine. The coloration is complex, making a spellscale look much more elegant than other scaled humanoids such as kobolds or lizardfolk.

Behaviour

Of all the wondrous aspects of the world, the most exquisite is magic. Spellscales feel the pull of their dragon blood toward the magic that suffuses their very beings. Magic sings and thrums throughout the multiverse, but it resonates more strongly and purely in the spellscale race than it does in any other humanoids.
Spellscales are perpetually curious and full of wideeyed wonder at the beauty and diversity of life. They seek encounters of all sorts to broaden their understanding. Anything and everything can attract a spellscale’s curiosity. No matter how objectively lovely or horrifi c an object, creature, or experience is, it merits deep attention. The myriad colors of a sunset, the whorls and patterns on a human’s fi ngertip, the fur and feathers of an owlbear, even the diversity of sizes and shapes of a gibbering mouther’s many maws—all these phenomena are unique, noteworthy, and attractive to a spellscale who might later incorporate these details into song, art, or even dance.
Despite spellscales’ deep-seated curiosity and fascination with exploration, they do not act foolishly. Although one might admire the fur and feathers of an owlbear, he has the common sense to render the creature harmless before examining it in detail.
Spellscales’ curiosity is not limited to the outside world. Even as toddlers, spellscales expend a great deal of time and effort on self-analysis. They focus their attention on their bodies and minds. Spellscales listen to their heartbeats and breathing when at rest and after vigorous activity. They heed their true thoughts and feelings, expressing them when doing so is prudent. What pleased me today? What angered me? What bored me? How can the next day include more of the interesting and less of the dull?
Most spellscales spend part of each day in introspection, examining the physical, mental, and emotional changes their recent experiences have wrought. They then focus their energy upon the coming day and prepare to face it by dedicating themselves to one of the draconic gods. This blood-quickening meditation can center on any dragon deity, not necessarily one of an alignment compatible with that of the meditating spellscale.

Living Without Apology or Explination

While a spellscale meditates and seeks inner truth, he views his interpretations as subjective. He lives life without lingering regret. After all, everything he has experienced or done has contributed to the individual he is today. A spellscale is usually happy with who he is.

Apologies

A spellscale can’t bring himself to apologize for anything. Perhaps the outcome wasn’t what he anticipated, but trying the action was what he fully intended to do. One shouldn’t apologize for something one meant to do.
Parents of spellscale children quickly learn that demanding their child apologize for any action either leads to a rebellious but truthful refusal or a white lie. False apologies become more apparent when the child resumes the activity that prompted the situation in the first place.
Parents of a spellscale child soon come to learn that telling their child to behave well is practically fruitless. The equivalent spellscale parental saying is, “Be wise.”

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Spellscales born to spellscale parents usually are given elaborate names in Draconic. Their names refl ect their parents’ philosophy and interests at the time of the child’s birth. It’s typical for these names to be idiosyncratic. Many a spellscale has a name or part of a name that translates from Draconic into odd aphorisms such as “Diamonds Are Forever” or “Barbarians Are Butch,” haughty statements such as “Daughter of the Master of the Illusion School” or “Prettiest Child,” or even moment-dependent sentiments such as “Rainy Season” or “Blooming Daisies in a Vase on the Windowsill.”
Spellscales born to nonspellscale parents have names of normal sort for members of their parents’ race. A spellscale daughter born to an elf might be named Qillathe Liadon, while one born to a half-orc sorcerer might be called Ownka or Shautha.
Spellscales value their individuality and have distinctive personalities. Along with that individuality comes more than a touch of egotism. Most feel very strongly about their names and representations of their identities. They enjoy fame and recognition. Because of this, they never abandon their birth names and family names, though they might add monikers they earn such as “the Brave” or “the Talented.”