Homebrew Tortle Dragonborn Dragon Turtle Species Details

Age: After hatching, these Tortles know how to crawl and swim automatically. And will be able to walk after a few hours. Helping them greatly in searching for food. This is crucial because not all clans raise their young either by choice or for other unfortunate circumstances. That aside, it is most common to raise the young up to the age of 3.

As seen above these Tortles have quite an accelerated growth rate. That being said, many are raised from ages 0-3. During these ages, they quickly pick up skills and languages, think 3x that of the rate of a human. Quickly growing to the size of the average adult Gnome. While being roughly the mental capacity of a human three times the age.

At ages 3-5 years, they start adolescence minus the raging hormones like humans. At this point, they are more self-sufficient and do many things on their own and/or in groups with others of their own age group. At this point, they have the dimensions of the average adult Dwarf. With the demeanor of an adolescent human teen.

At ages 5-10 they enter young adulthood with a strong sense of exploration. At this point, they still have the dimensions of an adult Dwarf but begin to get denser aka heavier. It is at this point that their aging starts to slow down slightly.

From ages 10-30 they usually go on their first adventures. Sadly not all survive this time, but for those that do, they finally enter adulthood.

Upon reaching adulthood the next decade is dominated by an intense desire to procreate. Usually, this means making their way back home first. But in rare cases, they succumb to their urges first then make their way home. Leaving genetic “bread crumbs” along the way. During this age, their size increases from medium to large. Think of a combination of a tall human with the width of a strong dwarf. During the ages of 30-40, they make many clutches. Each usually has about 1d4 eggs for each decade of life. This game mechanic holds true for older ages too.

Upon reaching 40 this is when their aging starts to slow down. Now their long lives begin and can easily reach up to 700 years.  Mating varies per individual but it generally happens in 100-year cycles.

Traits

Ability Score Increase: +2 Strength, +1 Charisma, -1 Dexterity 

Size: These Adult Tortles stand 5 to 7 feet tall and weigh around 350-550 pounds. One-third of the weight is for their shells. The size of your Tortle character can be up to large at adulthood.

Alignment: As adults, they usually are some sort of Neutral alignment leaning more towards True Neutral, Neutral Good, and Lawful Neutral. Beyond that sometimes there are Chaotic Neutral and further beyond that sometimes Neutral Evil characters do randomly spring up. Of those rare Neutral Evil ones, they generally lean heavily towards the pragmatic side of the alignment. Furtherly rare is an adult Chaotic Good or even Law Evil/Good. But it is possible with the right environment and influences. Beyond that, you never see a Chaotic Evil one naturally occurring from this species.

Natural Armor: 17 Base AC 

Shell Defense: As a bonus action you may retreat into your shell and gain a +4 bonus to AC until you emerge. You have an Advantage on constitution and strength saving throws while in your shell.  But you have a disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws until you pop back out as a bonus action and emerge from your shell. Subsequently one could simply turn their back to the damage gaining a simple +2 bonus to their AC. Please note, Tortles essentially have a giant shield on their back.  So attacks that come from the back essentially have disadvantages.

Base Languages: Common, Aquan, Draconic

Speed: Base Walking and Swimming speeds 30ft because these Tortles are just as comfortable on land as they are in the water.

Hold Breath: May hold breath for up to 1 hour at a time with intense activity before needing to come up for air with no encumbrances. After that, they must make a dc 10 check each hour. The difficulty of Each check after the first goes up by 5. Note that this is for intense activity only. They may hold their breath the entire time they are resting.

Resting:  These Tortles generally need 25% less per short and long rest compared to the average human which comes out to something like 3/6 hours respectively. If your game has different rules for short rests, then that number would be different of course.

Dark vision: 60ft

Survival Instinct: You gain proficiency in Survival skills. Tortles have finely honed survival instincts.

Tail: Bonus action tail attack that deals 1d6 + Strength modifier bludgeoning damage 5ft reach.

Bite: May make a bonus action bite which deals 1d6 + Strength modifier piercing damage.

Claws: Your claws are natural weapons, which may make unarmed strikes dealing slashing damage equal to 1d6 + Strength modifier, instead of the normal bludgeoning.

Resistance: Half damage from Fire and the ability to survive in the Cold Deep with the High Pressures down there. Additionally, if a character spends many trips worth of time down in the deep, they may pick up the resistances to pressure (aka Force) and cold. This would either be bought by the player (because of the justifiable reason) or even possibly granted for free by the DM.

Steam Breath: Once per day you may exhale scalding hot elemental steam in a 30-foot cone. Please while this attack is not a spell. It is considered magical and “fire” damage for resistance purposes.  Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw taking half damage on a successful save. This is as a blast of scalding hot magical elemental stream that comes roaring out! Think something like a strong high pitch steam train horn, with tons of bass! This powerful attack even works underwater, granting no resistance to any unlucky victims hiding there.

The damage you roll starts at 2d6 then increases by 1d6 every five levels 5/10/15/20/etcetera. In addition to this, for every 100 years of life, they gain an additional 1d6. Meaning a 700 years old level 20 TDBDT would have a breath weapon that rolls for a whopping 12d6!

Recharge: Your breath weapon instantly recharges after a short or long rest. One may also attempt a recharge with a DC check of 18. This would be a D20 + Con modifier. On a successful roll, their breath weapon is recharged. In combat, this recharge does not take an action, but may only be done once per turn. It is essentially reflexive for lack of a better name.

Tortle Dragonborn Dragon Turtle Traits

Ability Score Increase: +2 Strength, +1 Charisma, -1 Dexterity