Homebrew Ethereal Dragonborn Species Details

The spring breeze swirling around her, Nyra raised her gleaming blue snout to breathe in the warm, full air, rich with birdsong, the drone of insects, and the scent of growth. The grassy hill beneath her stretched down on and on until the slope merged with the edge of a small wood. Nyra took a moment to simply breathe, feeling the rich air curl and coalesce in her chest. Nearby treetops bobbed and swayed, and the grass beneath her feet rustled gently in the wind.

The breath of the world buffeted her body, whispering to her of new things and adventures. As always, she was happy to oblige to its inviting tug.

Ethereal dragonborn, originally known as dragonkin, are the descendants of a long-dead draconic sky god whose name is lost to time. The ancient race once had a great civilization of its own, predating the dragonborn themselves, but it fell with the death of their divine creator. Now, most ethereal dragonborn happily wander the world.

Many ethereal dragonborn attempt to assimilate into dragonborn society, but are almost always unsuccessful. Though they share their draconic appearance with their relatives, the two races differ in nearly all other respects. The strict and stratified culture of dragonborn society is a poor fit for the independent, whim-chasing dragonkin, and so they ultimately find a more fulfilling existence on their own, the wind and sky their only companions.  

Elegant Dragon Kin

Ethereal dragonborn are slimmer and shorter than typical dragonborn, typically standing between 5 and 6 feet in height. Their plated scales mirror the state of the sky above them in pattern and coloration; on one day, one’s scales might be a crisp robin’s-egg blue; on another, a patchwork of blue and white-grey clouds; and on another, perhaps a wispy storm-grey. At night, an ethereal dragonborn’s scales are a deep blue, speckled with many tiny stars-- unless, of course, clouds conceal the sky above them. 

Their eyes are blue, white, or grey. Unlike standard dragonborn, their hands consist of four talonlike fingers and a thumb, and in addition they possess long winding tails, typically kept coiled around one’s feet. 

Ethereal Dragonborn Traits

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

Alignment

Ethereal Dragonborn follow their whims, always in search of new experiences. They abhor the development of personal habits and thrive on constant change. As a result, most ethereal dragonborn are of a chaotic alignment. 

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Young ethereal 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.

Size

Ethereal dragonborn are shorter and more slender than other dragonborn, standing between 5 and 6 feet tall and averaging 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Damage Resistance

You have resistance to lightning and thunder damage. 

Breath Weapon

You can use your action to exhale either a blast of wind or superheated mist.

Wind 

A cone of strong wind blasts forth from your maw, 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. Each creature caught within it must make a strength saving throw. The DC is 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a fail, the creature is pushed back 20 feet. 

Mist 

You exhale superheated mist in a 15-foot cone. Each creature caught inside must make a dexterity saving throw. The DC is 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 fire 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. As the mist cools, it spreads out to fill a 15-foot by 15-foot square and lingers for 1 minute, creating partial cover for the duration. 

After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

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.