Homebrew Dragonbuilt Race Details

"What are you?" Phineus asked.

 Shumari Silvertooth smiled. "I am a proud product of the Zadani Clan!"

Althea and Ivy exchanged worried glances.

Quatra sneered at the strange dragonborn-shaped construct. "You are an abomination."

"Not an abomination," said Shumari. "An innovation."

— Friday Night Quests - Act 4: A Dragonborn City Sonata, Episode 4

In the city known (for now) as New Sorosis, the Zadani Clan seems to have discovered something that eludes most other arcane scholars, researchers, and religious figures - the secret to bringing the dead back to the world of the living. This method is expensive and costly, and the process is the most closely-guarded secret the clan holds. They have only performed this procedure on a small number of subjects thus far, and those who have been re-constructed from death effectively represent the prowess of the dragonborn.

Dragonborn Returned to Life

Dragonbuilt superficially represent dragonborn, looking like robotic dragons standing erect in humanoid form. They stand tall, close to 6½ feet tall and weighing 500 pounds or more. Their hands and feet are strong, talonlike claws with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. These digits are carefully articulated to be able to perform complex tasks. Like their former bodies, dragonbuilt do not possess wings or tails, though rumors tell that some dragonbuilt could be enhanced with these features for an exorbitant fee.

Living on Borrowed Time

While most would rejoice at the postponement of their own deaths, dragonbuilt are not free from obligation to those who returned them to life. They may be expected to boast of the Zadani Clan's abilities, or perhaps even tasked to work for or with the Zadani for an extended period of time, to work off the costs incurred by their construction. A dragonborn adventure might have been sent out into the world to run an errand for the Clan, or to represent the Clan's interests by displaying their handiwork. Still others might be on a quest to earn enough money to pay off the clan, in an attempt to free themselves from a draconian deal.D

Dragonbuilt are a very new phenomenon in the world. The technology that enables their existence has only been discovered within the past two decades, and while reports vary on how many subjects have been successfully brought to life, it is unlikely that there are more than one hundred dragonbuilt in the world. Even tales of their construction are so recent that the average citizens of the Taleem Empire are just as likely as not to have never heard of a dragonbuilt. Seeing one out in the wild is not uncommon, but a shocking moment that could shake the foundation of one's very understanding of life and death. After all, ever since the Collapse, it's common knowledge that the dead cannot be brought back to life... yet the dragonbuilt seem to stand in defiance of this idea. The consequences of their existence, and what they might mean for the state of the natural world order, have yet to be fully understood.

Dragonbuilt Names

Dragonbuilt sometimes continue to use the names they were born with as dragonborn, while others might take new names to denote their new lives. While many dragonbuilt still belong to their clans from life, others strike out on their own and create new clan names.

Male Names: Amash, Besharak, Boazaz, Demerra, Ezoka, Grox, Huroth, Kaza, Marr, Miros, Noth, Pagaraj, Rhestrin, Shumaral, Sudusk, Targg, Tul

Female Names: Adrama, Buliri, Dunat, Freela, Hethra, Hram, Javrak, Kowarka, Kvin, Meldra, Nairash, Prezizi, Regarzinn, Shraa, Sumull, Thrir, Urdaldj

Original Clan Names: Azarr, Clethadentha, Dargrama, Dretcarziazo, Duludorshimri, Fek, Keprekail, Kthotzormir, Kurdrej, Llathragjimi, Mrahriiti, Nimiralos, Nuzzdorporkralthka, Okapaldik, Palhradomo, Szermahlgorm, Tromzhor, Xemezatifi, Zadani, Zmir

Modern Clan Names: Beaconring, Cogswell, Eversteel, Glowheart, Irontongue, Lenseye, Neverrust, Pistonpal, Silvertooth, Zadanish

DRAGONBUILT IN OTHER SETTINGS

The collective unconscious permeates through the multiverse on a grand scale. While the secrets of the dragonbuilt are not known beyond the Zadani Clan, the force of their inspiration may have rippled through the planes, prompting similar creations in other worlds. If your DM allows the use of a dragonbuilt in your setting, the technology may have a very different origin. Perhaps a lonely alchemist constructed an artificial body to prolong the life of her ailing wife. Perhaps the idea struck a powerful wizard who wished to prolong his wife without resorting to lichdom. Maybe there was a disaster that claimed many lives, but the souls of the dead were automatically transferred to long-buried automatons, who have now risen and begun wandering the world, searching for meaning.

Your DM determines how common or uncommon dragonbuilt are in your setting. You may come across an entire nation of robots, or you may be the first functional prototype. Our recommendation is that dragonbuilt should be incredibly rare in low-magic settings, while high-magic settings lend themselves more naturally to such a monumental discovery becoming ubiquitous.

Your DM may also determine whether all dragonbuilt in your system truly have a previous life as a dragonborn. While the Zadani Clan must approve any dragonbuilt candidate, usually limiting it to a deceased dragonborn of some significance, you could be the exception to this rule. Perhaps you were a human who paid the right people while you were alive, ensuring your life would continue after your death. Maybe you were an elf from a noble house, whose family peitioned the Zadani to revive you. You could even be an anonymous halfling, who was unknowingly used as a test subject for the experimental dragonbuilt technology, and now lives on in a strange, mechanical body.

 

Dragonbuilt Traits

Your draconic ancestry is represented with arcane and artificial methods in your new form.

Arcane Breath Weapon

Your breath weapon is arcane in nature, and functions as a 2-level spell for the purposes of counterspell and similar magical limitations.

Construct

Your creature type is construct, rather than humanoid.

Artificial Form

You gain the following benefits from your mechanical form:

• You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance to poison damage (if you did not have it already).
• You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
• You are immune to disease.

Soul Crystal

Unlike most constructs, you still carry the soul of a living creature, and thus you still need to sleep. When you do so, your body enters a low-power mode, and you are no more aware of your surroundings than the average creature. In addition, some magics can interrupt the crystal’s connection to your form. If you are affected by a spell or effect that attempts to interrupt your arcane motor functions, such as dispel magic, you instead take one level of exhaustion. If you enter an antimagic field or a similar effect, you gain a level of exhaustion upon entering, and another level for every hour you remain in the area.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution 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 to extremes, making a conscious choice for one side or the other in the cosmic war between good and evil (represented by Bahamut and Tiamat, respectively). Most dragonborn are good, but those who side with Tiamat can be terrible villains.

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 have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your breath weapon and damage resistance are determined by the dragon type, as shown in the table.

Draconic Ancestry

Dragon	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. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation. When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 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 increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Damage Resistance

You have resistance to the damage type associated with your draconic ancestry.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. 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.