Changes and Additional Content to Tyranny of Dragons

The World Itself

The time in which this campaign starts is the autumn of 1453, which is about 30 years before the original setting. This means that this campaign will also take place way before any of the other campaigns run by me, Gina, or Anne. If you want to discuss how things would tie into the future, discuss this with your DM. Like Curse of Strahd, this campaign will follow the Tyranny of Dragons story with alterations that seem fit and appropriate to the timeline and interest of the players. Because of this different time period, there are certain changes which need to be accounted for such as the following:

Dragon

Dragons and draconic creatures are of great importance in the world. Many settlements have made a pact with dragons (or lesser dragons such as Drakes and Pseudodragons, see Bestiary for more information) to co-exist within the same safe walls. It would not be surprising to see an adventurer travel around with a drake, or sometimes even a dragon wyrmling. Bigger cities such as Waterdeep, Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter commonly use these dragons for transportation, guarding important shipments, and often seek knowledge from one-another.
This being said, most dragons would respond neutral to civilized humans as long as this bond will be held up with respect. Dragons that are in contact with civilization make sure that they get something back from it such as knowledge, interest in humanity, treasure, or to simply put an end to boredom. If this respectful cooperation ceases to exist, the dragon will not be merciful to say the least.
In less urban areas such as deserts or swamps, dragons are still closely connected to civilizations or tribes. They either take care of an area together, or seek another shared purpose/ideal.
There are however, tons of dragons which consider this bond with civilizations an act of filthening the draconic heritage. They often stay as far away from humanity as possible, in their own lairs, and react viciously whenever someone disturbs them.
Considering all of this, as a Beast Master Ranger or if you take the Animal Companion Feat, you are allowed to take on a draconic companion (again, see the ToD Bestiary). This however must be discussed with your DM!

Weaponry

Any kind of firearm such as pistols, shotguns, rifles, etc. are incredibly rare. Technically they do exist, they are extremely uncommon and do not exist on the common market. Even the most experienced smiths do not know of such an item. To summarize, if you were to play a character with items like these, you better have a good reason and discuss this with your DM.

Religion & Education

Even though dragons are closely connected to civilizations, the following of Tiamat is still considered as an evil act. Not all ''civilized'' dragons follow Bahamut per say, but they can follow their own gods as they please. Generally speaking, Metallic Dragons are still considered to be the ''good type of dragon'', Chromatic Dragons are still valued members of society.
Unfortunately, some dragons display a bad example of the fury and hatred that dragons sometimes seem to receive. One major bad event, could outlive one of positive influence.
Draconic is being taught at any form of higher education, especially in larger cities. In primary schools this language is not taught yet because of its difficult phonetic aspects. If a character has been to a highschool, they are not proficient in the language, but they can roll a general Intelligence check to perceive certain words. Draconic in the Sword's Coast is slowly becoming a second language to the educated.

Starting the campaign

In this chapter, you will get some options to either flesh out your character's backstory and you will be able to create a link with the start of the campaign. You may, of course, pick your own background, as long as you have a reason to go to Greenest.

Backstory

A secretive group by the name of the Cult of the Dragon is sprouting up from underground. Actions such as robbing well off merchants, killing nobels, or taking over copious strongholds have drawn attention. Your character has some form of knowledge of these schemes and has in some manner a connection to dragons. The following options provide you with bonds tailored to the Tyranny of Dragons campaign. You may choose to implement your own connection, or pick one from below.

Leosin Erlanthar, a wandering monk, once saved your life. He’s sent urgent word for you to meet him in a small town called Greenest . Looks like it’s time to pay off that debt.

When an orc raid drove your family from your home, the people of Greenest took you in. Anyone who threatens Greenest is your sworn enemy.

Ontharr Frume, a crusading warrior and champion of good, is your friend and mentor. He has asked you to travel to Greenest in search of rumors of increasing dragon activity. This indicates that you are not fond of the connection between dragons and civilization.

Being the grandchild of a legendary dragon usually does you good, but just last week a gang of ruffians attacked you. You barely escaped with your life, but as you fled, the ruffians told you that the Cult of the Dragon never forgets and always avenges. You’re hoping to lie low in a sleepy little town called Greenest until this blows over. This option indicates that you are a half-dragon or dragonborn.

On his deathbed, your father confessed that he had become involved with a group called the Cult of the Dragon. They paid him to smuggle goods across the Sword Coast. Wracked by guilt, he begged you to investigate the cult and undo the evil he may have helped foster. He urged you to begin your search in a town called Greenest .

The dragons destroyed everything you hold dear. They killed your family and destroyed your home. Now, with nothing but what you carry on your back and a horrid scar of the near fatal wounds you sustained in the attack, you seek revenge. You despise draconic creatures. You end up in Greenest.

You and your family were members of the Cult of the Dragon, until your rivals in the cult arranged to wipe you out. Though they slaughtered your kin, you survived, but they think you’re dead. Now is your chance for vengeance! You have a hitlist and your information leads you to Greenest.

You have infiltrated the ranks of the Cult of the Dragon. Having spied on the organization for quite some time, you are familiar with its inner workings and customs. You have a second identity as an initiate of the cult, enough of a facade to blend in as a simple grunt or servant. Your next assignment is in Greenest and you have been sent there to scout out the place.

Races

Besides the races listed on the homepage, this variation of Tyranny of Dragons runs a great addition of races that can be implemented on D&D Beyond. If you would like to pursue a race listed below discuss this with Gina.

Dragonborn Subraces

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 were created with the essence of true dragons as a unique race, combining the best attributes of dragons and humanoids. Some dragonborn (reluctantly) serve true dragons, others form the ranks of soldiers in great wars, and still others find themselves adrift, with no clear calling in life. The blood of a dragon runs strong through all dragonborn. A dragonborn’s color imparts many traits upon them, including varying types of breath weapon, as well as scales that closely match those of their dragon ancestor — bright red, green, blue, or white, lustrous black, or gleaming metallic gold, silver, brass, copper, or bronze. In addition, each dragonborn possesses a fragment of what makes up a true dragon. Those whose fragment grants them a tail are often shunned, due to it being considered a bad omen for a dragonborn to have a tail.
In addition to being aligned to a particular type of dragon, dragonborn also possess fragments of what makes up a true dragon. These blessings cause them to be divided into four subraces, with Dreadcaller being the most common. Murkdwellers are the only ones with a tail, and are often shunned because of it. Even while half dragons, known for their long tails, are accepted within dragonborn society.
Dreadcaller Dragonborn
Murkdweller Dragonborn
Steelscale Dragonborn
Wayfarer Dragonborn

Half Dragons

Many dragons are not only fearsome beasts, but renowned masters of magic as well. As such, it is not uncommon for one to change shape and walk among the masses, or even take a mortal lover. The children of such unions are known as half dragons. Not quite as monstrous looking as the dragonborn, but still very much recognizable due to their draconic traits. The difference between both races is that the dragonborn were artificially created, whereas the half dragons are born from a union between a dragon and a mortal, or are descendants from such unions. Regardless of their origin, both races are generally on good terms.
Half Dragons

Revised Kobold

Kobolds are often dismissed as cowardly, foolish, and weak, but these little reptilian creatures are clever with their hands, and viciously work together in order to overcome their physical limitations. Kobolds are short in stature, despite the draconic blood running in their veins, with the tallest of them barely reaching 3 feet and weighing no more than 35 pounds. Because of their small size, kobolds often have to adopt unorthodox means of achieving victory. This usually leads to traps, which kobolds are well known for making.
Revised Kobold

Classes & Subclasses

Over the generations dragons have heavily influenced creatures all over the world, some follow different paths in their classes to, for example, worship dragons or base their fighting style on them.
Barbarian: Path of the Dragon
Bard: College of Playful Mockery

Other than these subclasses, I will integrate this version of the Revised Ranger. As for the Ranger Beast Master subclass, feel free to take a look at the ToD Bestiary for optional companions, these however must be discussed with your DM.

Feats

Improved Breath Weapon

Prerequisite: Half Dragon
Extensive training has granted you greater control over your Breath Weapon, allowing you to enhance its speed, power, and range.

When you roll to regain the use of your breath weapon trait, you regain it on a 5 or 6 on the d6 die roll.

You gain a number of empower points equal to your proficiency bonus. Each time you use your Breath Weapon trait you can expend an empower point and choose one of the following benefits: You can use your breath weapon as a bonus action, its damage is increased by 2d6, or its range is doubled (30-foot cone or 60-feet long line that is 10 feet wide). You can only gain each benefit once per use of your breath weapon, but you can expend more empower points to gain multiple different benefits at once.

You regain one empower point after finishing a short rest, and all of them after finishing a long rest.

Draconic Heritage

Prerequisite: Dragonborn
You are blessed by Bahamut, Tiamat, or another dragon god, granting you another fragment of what makes a true dragon. You can take this feat up to three times.

Increase your Strength, Constitution, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

The damage of your Breath Weapon racial trait increases by 1d6.

When you take this feat you gain a trait of one of the other dragonborn subraces which you didn't choose. You can take this feat up to three times, but each time you must choose a dragonborn subrace whose trait you don’t have yet. You gain the following trait based on your choice:

Subrace	Trait
Dreadcaller	You gain the Draconic Fear trait.
Murkdweller	You gain the Hardened Scales trait.
Steelscale	You gain the Hardened Scales trait.
Wayfarer	You gain the Wings trait.

Kobold Inventor

Prerequisite: Kobold, the Skilled Trapper racial trait
You are resourceful and clever for a kobold, although quite eccentric as well. You gain the following benefits:

Your created traps (found on page 84 of Xanathar's Guide to Everything) deal double the standard damage. You can create a trap once outside your short rests, and within 1 minute. You regain the ability to make a trap this way after finishing a short or long rest.

You carry six of your inventions with you, and you can use each of the options listed in the Kobold Invention table as an action once. Their DC is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. All initial damage caused by your inventions increases by an additional 1d6 at 8th level, 12th level, 16th level and 20th level. You also add your proficiency bonus to the attack rolls of your insect swarms. You can choose to panic and use one of your inventions as a bonus action instead of an action, however you must then roll a d6 die to determine which invention you use. If you roll a used invention, then nothing happens. While using an invention this way, you can choose not to cause its effects. You can only

(try to) use one invention each turn. After finishing a long rest, and spending 10 minutes to forage and prepare, you regain all expended uses of your inventions.
These inventions look like a mess of scrap or alchemy, therefore others are unwilling to purchase them. Other creatures are unable to use your inventions.

Pack Tactics

Prerequisite: Kobold
You excel at teamwork, since it is after all the dreamwork, fighting side by side against all odds.

You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. You can only benefit from this feature once on each of your own turns.

When you gain the effect of your Fleeting Courage racial trait, and before you benefit from this boon yourself, you can use your reaction to grant this boon to an ally who can see you instead.

Nimble Kobold

Prerequisite: Kobold, the Center of Attention racial trait

Your nimble nature allows you to take advantage of openings in enemies defences made by an allies attack.

You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than you.

You can take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on each of your turns. When an ally makes a melee attack against a creature within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make one melee weapon attack against that creature.

Urd

Prerequisite: Kobold
Dragonwrought kobolds have strong ties to their draconic ancestors, and are revered by other kobolds. Kobolds who become dragonwrought later in life are called Urds.

You gain the Hardened Scales and Wings racial traits from the dragonborn (page 7).

You have advantage on saving throws against being paralyzed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

You have resistance to the damage type associated with your dragon ancestor. Choose a dragon from the dragonborn's Draconic Ancestry table to determine the damage type.