From a young age, your entire life has been in servitude of a Dragon. Many people serve against their own will, held in thrall by powerful magic. A dragon servant can have many roles, from guard, informant, hunter, or even keeper - tasked to polish and care for the dragon's hoard. Adventurers who have the background Dragon servant may have run away from the lair, fleeing the tedious life of a servant, or may still be a servant, doing the dragon's bidding from afar.
With your DM, discuss the events that led to your servitude. Were you a Cult of the Dragon fanatic, willing to do anything for your draconic masters? Were you captured on a raid by the Dragon's thralls? Also, discuss your role in the lair. Were you a guard? Hunter? Entertainer? Or something else entirely?
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose one skill of your choice out of Perception, Deception, Stealth, Insight, Athletics and Survival. Think about your character's personality - were they rebellious, trying to escape from the lair every chance they could get? If so, perhaps stealth is the right choice.
- Tool Proficiencies: Proficiency in a tool of your choice. Your tool proficiency is dependent on your role in the Dragon's lair. If you were an Entertainer, choose an instrument. If you were a Cook, choose Cook's Utensils, and so on.
- Languages: You know how to read, write, and speak Draconic.
- Equipment: Dragon servants usually don't have much to their name but the clothes on their back. The only items that you possess that link to your background are small trinkets that you scavenged.
You have a mark - A scar, tattoo or the like - essentially branding you as a dragon's servant. Choose one of the options below or create your own.
| d4 | Dragon's Mark |
|---|---|
| 1 | A disfiguring scar made by the Dragon's breath weapon |
| 2 | A small tattoo marking you as a slave, either on your forehead or forearm |
| 3 | A ring, earring or necklace shaped like a dragon |
| 4 | A strange magical mark or quirk. Perhaps one of your eyes glows a strange colour, or a tattoo of a mocking face appears on a different part of your body each day |
Your time serving as a slave granted you a large trove of knowledge on Dragons. You worked silently by their side for years, seeing many a small detail others may have missed. You have advantage on Insight and intelligence checks pertaining to Dragons.
Suggested Characteristics
Regardless of whether they were a willing servant or a captured slave, a Dragon Servant is deeply shaped by their experience.
As a slave, you might find it hard to break the behaviors so heavily ingrained into you. You might look out only for yourself or you might go out of your way to help and save others in similar positions as you once were. Depending on experiences and choices, you could be a reckless - yet kind - person, doing anything to make sure no-one has to go through what you have. Or, you could be someone willing to betray your closest friends if it meant being free. Regardless of your experiences, you will probably tend to put freedom above other things you value.
As a willing servant, you might be subservient, so weak-willed that you find it hard to stand up to people. On the other hand, you could be dedicated to everything you try, making sure everything is perfect. You are used to blending into the background, unnoticed.
You were the right hand man of the Dragon, a favourite among you and your peers. As such, the Dragon has blessed you with an otherworldly gift.
Choose the type of Dragon your master was (Red, Green, Gold, etc). You have advantage on Con/Dex saves against the element the dragon is closely associated with. For example, if you were in the servitude of a red dragon, you would have advantage on saves against fire.
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