Homebrew Wood Drake Species Details

DISCLAIMER: These are heavily based upon 1e DnD's Wood Drakes, or whichever version they appeared in. The majority of their stats are similar to an elf, making most of the roleplay flavor backstory and socially induced.

Wood Drakes are rare and elusive beings, hiding within the forests and feywild.

Elusive Wyverns

While Wood Drakes are called, well, drakes, they are much closer in bodily relation to wyverns. With their draconic bodies, they appear, shapewise, closest to a red dragon without his front legs. Colorwise, the emerald green and brown hues of a Green Dragon cause Wood Drakes to be mistaken for a true dragon.

They tend to hoard shiny things as dragons do, however their hoards are not nearly as massive as true, successful dragons.

Wood Drakes tend to be over 5 feet, reaching over six with their neck outstretched. They only weigh 90-130 pounds, due to their lightweight and hollow bones for flight.

Wood Drakes do not adorn themselves in items like other races, unless they are taking the form of another race.

Not All Green

Wood Drakes age similarly to humans, reaching adulthood around 20, however they live much longer lives around 200 years. It is extremely rare to find any Drake above the age or 30 or 40, as hunters or adventures have often killed them before that milestone.

Wood drakes are very curious about anything new that enters their forest home, and may take such an intense interest in something that they tend to stalk the point of interest. However, if it is a living being, they'll disguise themselves as a humanoid to make communication and learning easier. Wood drakes tend to have a dislike towards true dragons, as they are the cause for a majority of their misfortunes. 

They are very witty and petty, holding light grudges for months, even years before getting their revenge with a simple snarky reply or- if the insult is great enough, a full on trap.

Young Drakes stay in small family groups, with their parents often leaving as soon as they can change their shape. These sibling groups are often tight-knit when young, but as the drakes get territorial and food is spare, they begin to split.

Hidden Woodland Realms

Most Wood Drakes live nearby elf dwellings, small forest villages hidden among the trees. While they do not actively interact with them, they may come across each other whilsit venturing around. Drakes are excellent hunters and gatherers, omnivores at heart. Their interactions with non-elf races are few and far between, as most do not wander into the territory of such a creature.

Exploration and Adventure

Wood Drakes may take up adventuring out of pure curiosity and boredom. The drakes enjoy learning of exploration and discovery, and of course doing it theirselves. Generally, they dislike  human society, which is far too organized for their tastes.They prefer to find simple tasks that let them travel and do as they please...

Envious and Greedy

Wood drakes, while commonly solitary, tend to form very biased opinions on other races, based off of experiences.

Elves. “Elves, the tall, long-lived people. Elves are far more tolerable than humans, and they often have great wisdom to impart to others. In our short interactions, they're often decently friendly. Easily the most respectable of other creatures... Jealous? Perhaps. Anyone would be envious of a long lived race that has humans swoon at their mere sight.”

Halflings. “Halflings are... interesting. I don't understand how they are so aloof and happy, especially being so small and defenseless. However, they tend to have a good eye as well, and do not usually judge us for our scales.”

Humans. “Humans tend to mistake us for dragons and true wyverns the most. If they would simply use their senses more often, they'd find we aren't the vicious, destructive creatures they think we are. Perhaps if they weren't the reason we stay hidden so often, we'd get along well. Their accomplishments are admirable, especially with such short lives. Not that we live much longer.”

Wood Drake Names

 

Wood drakes like to make simple nature-y names for other races, as they usually refer to one another as sister, brother or sibling rather than saying names.

Common names: Leaf, Flower, Breeze, Daisy, Hemlock, Ivy, Yarrow, Moss,

On rare occasions they may give themselves the name of a crime, like Arson, to show their chaotic nature.

 

Wood Drake Traits

Wood Drakes have many skills at their disposal with their unique draconic bodies.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

Wood Drakes age similarly to humans, reaching full growth at around 18-25, however they can live to be 200 years old. However, it is very rare to see drakes over the age of 30.

Alignment

Wood Drakes despise extremely strong order, like a dictatorship, and will go out of their way to destroy such things. Wood Drakes tend to lean towards chaotic alignments, however some are far more at peace with rules than others.

Size

Wood Drakes range from over 5 feet to over 6 feet tall and have slender, draconic builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the [Tooltip Not Found] skills.

Fey Ancestry

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

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Fairy, Elvish and with animals. 

Magical Abilities & Flight

Wood Drakes have numerous fey-magics at their disposal. They can also fly.