Once upon a time a group of curious adventurers decided to have an Oriental Adventure to the far-east of Faerun. After traveling through Hordelands following the trade route named The Golden Way, those who dared to challenge the unknown found Shou Lung, a prosperous empire that followed the Path of Enlightenment under the guidance of the Celestial Bureaucracy. Once there, they discovered that the world is bigger than they can imagine. The people from Shou Lung, who called themselves The Shou, taught the adventurers new cultures, ways of living or eating, religions and faiths, etc. One of the thing that wondered the western adventurers were the dragonborns that could walk on the sky.
Physical Appearance
Lung Dragonborns are descendants of the Lung Dragons. Lung Dragonborns are significantly varied in appearance compared to western dragonborns. Their scales are usually smooth and soft, but some may have more rigid textures to their scales and can be rough. They have varied details; be it curious fins that float in the wind, whiskers that trail behind them and twitch from time to time, curious horns that range from resembling antlers to more like stiff fins, and even having patches of fur on the neck, bottom, tail, cheeks, eyebrows, heads and backs. They do not have wings and their complexion is slimmer compared to the western dragonborns.
Origin and Purpose
There are eight known species of Lung Dragons: Yu lung (Carp dragon; the larval stage for the rest of the lung dragons), Chiang lung (River dragon), Li lung (Earth dragon), Lung wang (Sea dragon), Pan lung (Coiled dragon), Shen lung (Spirit dragon), T'ien lung (Celestial dragon), Tun mi lung (Typhoon dragon). Even these dragons were considered as essential members of the Celestial Bureaucracy, each of them had descendants that The Shou called “Lung Dragonborns”. Through time, these Lung Dragonborns and their own descendants diversified from generation to generation until they individually adapted to different elements of nature. These changes or evolutions were considered as if the purity of the Lung Dragons had been stained, however Celestial Emperor’s visions showed everyone that a Great Disaster may come in the distant future and Lung Dragonborns will be the key to the salvation for both material and spiritual worlds. Thank to these declaration, in the present days Lung Dragonborns are taught The Path of Enlightenment and trained to fulfill their destiny in the future. Some even are sent to the far-west to obtain knowledge of the world and learn where this great disaster may come from.
Religion and Philosophies
In Shou Lung, a country where The Path of Enlightenment religion predominates, it is not surprising that the Lung Dragonborns believe and act according to these codes of conduct. The Path of Enlightenment, also called as the "True Path", is the essence and mode of action of most of the Lung Dragonborns. This path encourages people to obey their superiors; owe loyalty to their lords; and venerate the past, the ancestors, the ancient emperors and the priests who taught and preserved the Way.
Although it is not a true religion but a popular ethical philosophy, when it is necessary any Shou can practice "The Way". This is also somewhat dominant in Shou Lung, T'u Lung and other lands of Kara-Tur. This Faith espoused a philosophy that there were no separate forces of good, evil, chaos, and law, but only interconnected and interrelated forces that could be shaped by followers of the Way. His followers divided into a Dark Path and a Light Path.
Alignment
Lung Dragonborns, as descendants of the Lung Dragons, normally learn The Path of Enlightenment religion from their parents. This makes them more respectful and obedient to their superiors. When situations arise, Lung Dragonborns take paths of truth and resolve the situation peacefully. However, it is worth mentioning that some can be seduced by evil or affected by insurmountable tragedies that force them to change their way of acting.
Traits
Ability Score Increase. Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose any +1; choose any other +1; choose any other +1. Age.Young dragonborns 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 12. They live to be around 500. Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. Speed. Your walking speed is 30 ft. Alignment. Due to the religious teaching from young ages, Lung Dragonborns tend to lean towards lawful alignment. Though most are good or neutral, an evil lung dragonborn is not unheard of, and can be terrifying menaces if so.
Size. Lung Dragonborns are taller than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 200 pounds. Your size is Medium. Draconic Ancestry. You have a lung dragon ancestor granting you a special magical affinity. Choose one kind of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. This determines the damage type for your other traits, as shown in the table.
Black - Necrotic
Blue - Acid
Green - Poison
Gold - Radiant
Red - Fire
White - Cold
Yellow - Lightning
Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated to your draconic ancestry. Lung Draconic Strike. At level 3, you learn to infuse the inner magic blessed by the Lung Dragons to their descendants as part of your melee weapon or unarmed attack, before the damage is rolled. It deals 1d6 of the damage type associated to your draconic ancestry. The damage increases to 2d6 at 7th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 15th level. You can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Cloud Steps. Starting at 5th level, you can use a bonus action to generate special clouds from your extremities, these clouds are temporary and function as corporeal steps. The clouds are stable platforms that allow you to move as if walking through thin air. Each cloud would dissipate immediately once your feet or hands leave the space of air where the last cloud was generated. Your speed using Cloud Steps is equal to your walking speed, since this movement is not treated as flying; which means that you wouldn’t fall if you are Incapacitated, Prone or Restrained. While you generate the Cloud Steps, any gaseous or liquid environment where you step would be treated as if walking on solid ground. Hence, moving upward is similar to walking up-hill, effectively treating horizontal movement as difficult terrain. You can use Cloud Steps for 1 minute. Should the traits duration expire while you are still aloft; you’ll fall immediately, taking falling damage as normal. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Language. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. In Shou Lung, Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.
Ancestry - one issue here is that radiant damage is just way, way better than any of the other damage types. I would not include it as an option. I would also probably stick to the color/damage type conventions of other D&D dragons; changing it up is bound to cause some confusion while not actually adding anything lore-wise from what I can see. If something is going to be different, it should be different for a good reason and not just for the sake of being different.
Cloud Steps - This seems very strong. A duration of 1 turn rather than 1 minute would still be very useful and keep all the flavor.
As more of a general gripe, I don't like leveled racial features. You're a 300-year-old dragonborn who lived for centuries amongst the misty mountaintops of Kara-Tur, but you didn't know how to do Cloud Steps until you killed some kobolds in a cave somewhere? I just feel like racial features should be innate stuff you have always had, while features you grow into are better represented by feats and class levels.
Description
Once upon a time a group of curious adventurers decided to have an Oriental Adventure to the far-east of Faerun. After traveling through Hordelands following the trade route named The Golden Way, those who dared to challenge the unknown found Shou Lung, a prosperous empire that followed the Path of Enlightenment under the guidance of the Celestial Bureaucracy.
Once there, they discovered that the world is bigger than they can imagine. The people from Shou Lung, who called themselves The Shou, taught the adventurers new cultures, ways of living or eating, religions and faiths, etc. One of the thing that wondered the western adventurers were the dragonborns that could walk on the sky.
Physical Appearance
Lung Dragonborns are descendants of the Lung Dragons. Lung Dragonborns are significantly varied in appearance compared to western dragonborns. Their scales are usually smooth and soft, but some may have more rigid textures to their scales and can be rough. They have varied details; be it curious fins that float in the wind, whiskers that trail behind them and twitch from time to time, curious horns that range from resembling antlers to more like stiff fins, and even having patches of fur on the neck, bottom, tail, cheeks, eyebrows, heads and backs. They do not have wings and their complexion is slimmer compared to the western dragonborns.
Origin and Purpose
There are eight known species of Lung Dragons: Yu lung (Carp dragon; the larval stage for the rest of the lung dragons), Chiang lung (River dragon), Li lung (Earth dragon), Lung wang (Sea dragon), Pan lung (Coiled dragon), Shen lung (Spirit dragon), T'ien lung (Celestial dragon), Tun mi lung (Typhoon dragon). Even these dragons were considered as essential members of the Celestial Bureaucracy, each of them had descendants that The Shou called “Lung Dragonborns”. Through time, these Lung Dragonborns and their own descendants diversified from generation to generation until they individually adapted to different elements of nature. These changes or evolutions were considered as if the purity of the Lung Dragons had been stained, however Celestial Emperor’s visions showed everyone that a Great Disaster may come in the distant future and Lung Dragonborns will be the key to the salvation for both material and spiritual worlds. Thank to these declaration, in the present days Lung Dragonborns are taught The Path of Enlightenment and trained to fulfill their destiny in the future. Some even are sent to the far-west to obtain knowledge of the world and learn where this great disaster may come from.
Religion and Philosophies
In Shou Lung, a country where The Path of Enlightenment religion predominates, it is not surprising that the Lung Dragonborns believe and act according to these codes of conduct. The Path of Enlightenment, also called as the "True Path", is the essence and mode of action of most of the Lung Dragonborns. This path encourages people to obey their superiors; owe loyalty to their lords; and venerate the past, the ancestors, the ancient emperors and the priests who taught and preserved the Way.
Although it is not a true religion but a popular ethical philosophy, when it is necessary any Shou can practice "The Way". This is also somewhat dominant in Shou Lung, T'u Lung and other lands of Kara-Tur. This Faith espoused a philosophy that there were no separate forces of good, evil, chaos, and law, but only interconnected and interrelated forces that could be shaped by followers of the Way. His followers divided into a Dark Path and a Light Path.
Alignment
Lung Dragonborns, as descendants of the Lung Dragons, normally learn The Path of Enlightenment religion from their parents. This makes them more respectful and obedient to their superiors. When situations arise, Lung Dragonborns take paths of truth and resolve the situation peacefully. However, it is worth mentioning that some can be seduced by evil or affected by insurmountable tragedies that force them to change their way of acting.
Traits
Ability Score Increase. Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose any +1; choose any other +1; choose any other +1.
Age. Young dragonborns 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 12. They live to be around 500.
Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 ft.
Alignment. Due to the religious teaching from young ages, Lung Dragonborns tend to lean towards lawful alignment. Though most are good or neutral, an evil lung dragonborn is not unheard of, and can be terrifying menaces if so.
Size. Lung Dragonborns are taller than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 200 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Draconic Ancestry. You have a lung dragon ancestor granting you a special magical affinity. Choose one kind of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. This determines the damage type for your other traits, as shown in the table.
Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated to your draconic ancestry.
Lung Draconic Strike. At level 3, you learn to infuse the inner magic blessed by the Lung Dragons to their descendants as part of your melee weapon or unarmed attack, before the damage is rolled. It deals 1d6 of the damage type associated to your draconic ancestry. The damage increases to 2d6 at 7th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 15th level. You can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Cloud Steps. Starting at 5th level, you can use a bonus action to generate special clouds from your extremities, these clouds are temporary and function as corporeal steps. The clouds are stable platforms that allow you to move as if walking through thin air. Each cloud would dissipate immediately once your feet or hands leave the space of air where the last cloud was generated.
Your speed using Cloud Steps is equal to your walking speed, since this movement is not treated as flying; which means that you wouldn’t fall if you are Incapacitated, Prone or Restrained. While you generate the Cloud Steps, any gaseous or liquid environment where you step would be treated as if walking on solid ground. Hence, moving upward is similar to walking up-hill, effectively treating horizontal movement as difficult terrain.
You can use Cloud Steps for 1 minute. Should the traits duration expire while you are still aloft; you’ll fall immediately, taking falling damage as normal. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Language. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. In Shou Lung, Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.
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Feedbacks are welcomed.
Ancestry - one issue here is that radiant damage is just way, way better than any of the other damage types. I would not include it as an option. I would also probably stick to the color/damage type conventions of other D&D dragons; changing it up is bound to cause some confusion while not actually adding anything lore-wise from what I can see. If something is going to be different, it should be different for a good reason and not just for the sake of being different.
Cloud Steps - This seems very strong. A duration of 1 turn rather than 1 minute would still be very useful and keep all the flavor.
As more of a general gripe, I don't like leveled racial features. You're a 300-year-old dragonborn who lived for centuries amongst the misty mountaintops of Kara-Tur, but you didn't know how to do Cloud Steps until you killed some kobolds in a cave somewhere? I just feel like racial features should be innate stuff you have always had, while features you grow into are better represented by feats and class levels.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm