Homebrew Dragon Tortle Species Details

Dragon Tortles are a rare, old race evolved from Dragon Turtles that adapted to land, and eventually, settled with Tortles.

What many Dragon Tortles consider a simple life, others might call a life of adventure. Dragon Tortles are born near sandy coastlines, but as soon as they’re able to walk on two legs, they become nomad survivalists eager to explore the wilderness, experience its many wonders, put their skills to the test, and make new acquaintances.

 

Adventurers at Heart

Dragon Tortles have a saying: “We wear our homes on our backs.” The shells they carry around provide all the shelter they require. Consequently, Dragon Tortles don’t feel the need to root themselves in one place for too long. A Dragon Tortle settlement is primarily used as a kind of moot, where Dragon Tortles can socialize with one another, share useful information, and trade with strangers in the safety of greater numbers. Dragon Tortles don’t regard these settlements as places worth defending with their lives, and they will abandon a settlement when it no longer serves their needs.

Most Dragon Tortles like to see how other creatures live and discover new customs and new ways of doing things. The urge to procreate doesn’t kick in until the end of a Dragon Tortle's life, and a Dragon Tortle can spend decades away from its native land without feeling homesick. Dragon Tortles embrace a simple view of the world. It is a place of wonder, and Dragon Tortles see beauty in the ordinary. They live for the chance to hear a soft wind blowing through palm trees, to watch a frog croaking on a lily pad, or to stand in a crowded human marketplace.

Dragon Tortles like to learn new skills. They craft their own tools and weapons, and they are good at building structures and fortifications. They marvel at the works of other civilized creatures, humans in particular, and can lose themselves for years in a city, studying its architectural wonders and learning skills they can put to use when building forts to contain their offspring.

Although they spend a considerable portion of their lives in isolation, Dragon Tortles are social creatures that like to form meaningful friendships. They have no inbred animus toward people of other races. In fact, a Dragon Tortle will often seek out friendships with non Dragon Tortles to learn new customs and new points of view.

Dragon Tortle Traits

Your Dragon Tortle character gains traits that enable it to cope with the perils of a savage world.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Young Dragon Tortles crawl for a few weeks after birth before learning to walk on two legs. They reach adulthood by the age of 15 and live an average of 150 years.

Alignment

Dragon Tortles tend to lead orderly, ritualistic lives. They develop customs and routines, and tend to strike up and abide by deals. Most are lawful good. A few can be selfish and greedy, tending more toward evil, but it’s unusual for a dragon tortle to shuck off order in favor of chaos.

Size

Dragon Tortle adults are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 450 pounds. Their shells account for roughly one-third of their weight. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Claws

Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water. Dragon Tortles are natural swimmers, but have adapted to surface conditions over time.

Natural Armor

Due to your shell and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 17 (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t affect this number). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal. However, Dragon Tortles have larger limbs, preventing them from withdrawing into their shells.

Steam Breath

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of scalding steam in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 damage and half as much damage on a successful save. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10). Being underwater doesn't grant resistance against this damage.

You can use your Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Languages

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