Path of the Hungry Dragon

Inspired by the "Path of the Dragon" by Xanotoz, "Path of the Hungry Dragon" and it's alternate, "Path of the Natural Dragon", are still developing. Chat with your DMs, test and balance it for yourself! And have fun!

A tradition of instilling fear from their very presence has been maintained by dragons through the ages. Because of it, many look to avoid encountering them, seeing them as the deadly ferocious creatures of legend. In the times where dragons have attacked various races across the world, land and sea, only the most ravenous warriors have reveled in the opportunity to engage in combat with these ferocious beasts. Some of them managed to be lucky enough to escape with their lives, while others, have found themselves at the stepping off point of life into whatever lies beyond. Of the ones that survived the deadly encounters, they forsook their chosen paths to chart a new one. One that leads the right into the clutches of a dragon. Upon those forsaking Barbarians, there were two brothers, Yusemal and Dama, who one day decided to scour an uncharted region to the east of their edge of the world, untouched by everything but the force of nature, in hopes of discovering a dragon in the absence of other beings. They sailed for three days over treacherous waves, and on the evening of the third day, without notice, an opalescent mist began to fill the air as the water calmed. They began to pick up speed, and within the hour a land mass was visible, but to their avail, they could not slow down for a safe landing. Thus, they sought to jump ship once they were close enough to shore to swim. On the count of One, two, three! They leaped with all their might to the safety of the nearly shallow waters, nearly opaque in the now night sky. Oddly enough, the ship seemed to slow to a gentle stop on the shore after they had abandoned it. Swimming until they could stand, they approached the half submerged in water, wading until finally, they had taken their first dry step on land. In that instant, a voice, clear as their own thoughts entered their heads. As though it were a dying whisper, it spoke, saying "Should you enter, I warn you that on the path you walk, in time you will no longer see each other". Confused and slightly threatened by the voice of which they could not see, they link arms, determining that they will not be separated, and enter the island.

Traversing deeper into the forest of the island, the air becomes warm honey as if the whole island were in soothingly sweet slumber. Soon it becomes too dark to see. So dark that one could not tell if the darkness was that absence of light in the open sky or from their blocking the light with their own eyelids. Their eyes slothful, blink for an instant, and in the next, a cave appears to them. Stepping into it, they enter in and after not too long find themselves in a chamber. Yusemal and Dama spot a darkened figure towards the back of the room. As they step closer, a soft sparkling pattern appears as their eyes move to study it. Enthralled by the pattern captured in his vision, Dama does not realize the massive size of the creature, who steps forward to face them. On instinct, Yusemal reaches for a weapon to draw on the dragon, but in the next moment, Dama is face to face with what looks to be a golden dragon. Dama, as if in a trance, becomes almost frozen as the dragon moves its face within a breath of Dama. Yusemal, terrified of the dragon's closing distance on his brother, looks to strike the dragon in the head. Yusemal, enraged rushes forward to swing at the open neck as the nose of the dragon touches the tip of Dama's forehead, and from the swing, the life of the dragon slips out through its neck......

For you, much like Yusemal, the power is in the blood......drink

To choose which elemental type you would like to have first, you must roll a 1d20+ Con mod. What you roll determines what options are available to you. Below 10 = Acid; Above 10 = Acid, Poison & Lightning; Above 16 = Acid, Poison, Lightning & Cold; Above 20 = Acid, Poison, Lightning, Cold & Fire. Afterward, pick a color matching your element of choice. White/Silver - Cold; Black/Copper - Acid: Blue/Bronze - Lightning; Green - Poison; Red/Brass/Gold - Fire. Note: All elemental damage scales as follows - at lvl 3 is 1d4; lvl 6 is 1d6; lvl 10 is 1d8; lvl 14 is 1d10;

*Saves are DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + (ability) modifier

(Additionally, to drink another dragon's blood would unlock their elemental damage type to you)

 **Also check out alternate Path of the Natural Dragon**

Draconic Natural Weapons

Beginning at 3rd level, as your blood boils in rage, the dragons blood bonds to yours and alters your physical appearance. Your limbs take on scaly features as your hands become claws, your jaw enlarges to house your large and sharp teeth, and your tail bone extends away from your body in a scaly suit. As a bonus action, you can strike with these physical enhancements, choosing to attack with either Claws [2d4 Slashing], Tail [1d8 Bludgeoning - Reach] , or Bite [1d10 Piercing]. The blood also imbues your natural weapons with the dragon's elemental power [1d4 damage]. The unwelcome transformation causes considerable bodily strain from use and coming out of rage, you suffer one point of exhaust

*Check elemental damage scale*

 

Force of the Lair

Beginning at 6th level, as you rage you gain significant elemental control in close combat, allowing you to treat the surrounding area as your own personal lair to manipulate. On initiative count equal to your Dex. ability score (losing initiative ties), the player takes a lair action to expel the element at will in a 10 ft radius origination from you in two forms; (1) A deadly strike to the ground requiring a Dex save and on a failed save, enemies in the area take 1d6 elemental damage and are knocked prone: (2) A charged elemental cloud requiring a Con save and on a failed save, enemies in the are take 1d6 elemental damage and are blinded for one round. On a successful save the enemy takes half damage and receives no status effect. You may use a lair action up to 5 times per rage. However, the player cannot use the same effect two rounds in a row, and you must announce at the end of your turn if you intend to use it next round.

Beginning at 14th level, the radius increases to 20 ft and lair action no longer has use limit.

*Check elemental damage scale*

Body of a Dragon

Beginning at 10th Level, the dragon's blood enhances your physical body and presence. Your digestive organs are affected, as you may gain sufficient nutrition by eating soft minerals, such as clay, for a number of days equal to your constitution modifier before needing regular food. Your eyes no longer heavily depend on light, gaining Darkvision up to 60ft. Your hardened scaly skin, which now remains without raging, makes you immune to exhaustion caused by a give climate's extreme cold and extreme heat, and high altitude. Your physically intimidating presence gives you the chance to frighten the first enemy you attack, and requires a Strength save. On a failed save, the target is frightened for their next turn and you can frighten additional enemies when attacking them for the first time. On a successful save, you cannot frighten any enemies that can see you up to 60ft away.

*This ability does not allow you to burrow.* 

Death From Above

Beginning at 14th level, you become Death from Above, proving equally deadly in the air as you are in the ground. While Raging, you sprout a pair of large draconic wings from your back, granting you a fly speed equal to your normal movement speed and making you immune to falling damage. Once per rage, if the attacker is your size or smaller and within five feet of you, you may use a reaction to make a wing attack against them. Vigorously working your wings, the target must make a Strength (athletics) saving throw, with smaller creatures saving at a disadvantage. On a failed save, they take bludgeoning damage of 1d6 + Str, and are pushed back 10 ft. If the target succeeds, it resists and nothing happens.