Homebrew Half Dragon Species Details

 

 

“I know everything, you see”, the old voice wheedled. “The beginning, the present, the end. Everything. You now, you see the past and the present, like other low creatures: no higher faculties than memory and perception. But dragons, my boy, have a whole different kind of mind.” He stretched his mouth in a kind of smile, no trace of pleasure in it. “We are from the mountaintop: all time, all space. We see in one instant the passionate vision and the blowout.” —John Gardner, Grendel

 

 

When a dragon in polymorphed form mates with another creature, the union sometimes produces half-dragon offspring. A creature might also transform into a half-dragon as a result of a mad wizard's spell or a ritual bath in dragon's blood. In all these cases, the result is a creature that combines the essence of a dragon with the form of its original race. Regardless of their origins, all half-dragons have similar features and appearance, gaining special senses, resistance to destructive energy, and a breath weapon. Half-dragons are incapable of having natural-born offspring. Those that wish to propagate must find other ways to do so, almost always involving magic. By way of compensation, half-dragons are blessed with long life. Barring unforeseen misfortune, a typical half-dragon's life expectancy is twice to three times that of its non-draconic line, so that a half-dragon human might live more than three centuries old. Half-dragons inherit personality traits common to their draconic heritage, so that half-gold dragons are often shy and secretive, while half-copper dragons are impish and playful. Half-green dragons are deceitful, while half-white dragons are often dim-witted brutes. These traits are tempered by a half-dragon's other lineage, but greed, arrogance, and paranoia are qualities that even good-aligned half-dragons often possess.

In appearance, they can vary almost as much as the mortal bloodline that mingled with the blood of their scaled progenitor. From looking like miniature, humanoid versions of the same time of dragon that sired them or more like a version of the humanoid race that is their other half with only slight features or somewhere in between the two. Rarely do two half dragons look alike, apart from the rare twin or triplets, and even then siblings can still vary one way or another. Some with scales, wings, or tails, while others only have small patches of scales on their body. Some chose to follow in their Dragon parent's footsteps, while others typically shy away or feel cursed by this potent blood gift. They age at the same rate as their humanoid parent, but will outlive them by centuries or more, depending on the draconic bloodline they carry. Many become detached, seeing this long life in an aloof fashion that makes it hard to build personal relationships, while others may treasure and cling to each friend they make throughout their long lives and horde each memory much the same way that dragons are well known for collecting troves of treasure in most stories.

Half Dragon Traits

Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other dragonborn.

Ability Score Increase

Your Draconic nature increases your Constitution by 2. Your Humanoid versatility grants you a +1 to any other ability score of your choice.

Age

Young half dragons age slower than most races. Typical age range for human half dragons ( the most common) end around 300 years of age (typical extension varies based on race, with older races living slightly longer lives, typically 2 or 3 times the average lifespan)

Alignment

Half dragons tend to follow the alignments of the humanoid race, typically being raised among them as outcasts or outsiders.

Size

Half dragons are typically larger than their humanoid races, but can vary as much as the humanoid parent. 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 3d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 6d6 at 6th level, 9d6 at 11th level, and 12d6 at 16th level. After you use your breath weapon, at the start of each of your turns roll a single D6. On a roll of a 5 or 6, this ability recharges.

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.

Dark Vision

Half Dragons have keen senses, gaining the ability to see in the dark up to 60ft