Forged Destinies

A flash of color. A whisper in the ear and a gust of wind. A baker’s child drops a case of biscuits as her eyes shine bright with green light. The hands of a nobleman’s second son freeze over in ice, feeling the weight of honor and duty tug on his heart. A Tiefling orphan is thrust into the hands of a hero and told of their fate.

Bringing destruction and desolation with every breath, the chromatic dragons have threatened the very existence of the Material Plane for millennia. Entire families killed, cities burned to the ground. Until the powers that be decided their lands had to be protected. It was time to take action. Five chromatic dragons were hunted down. Their hearts were harvested. And destinies were forever changed as the Dragonknights were born.

A Hero’s Call

Green. Black. White. Red. Blue. Only a few born every 100 years, these individuals are the protectors of a generation. Instilled with the heart of a chromatic dragon, each Dragonknight is bound to duty and destiny, blessed with a power meant to save thousands and a reputation to change entire lands. Coming from varied backgrounds and whisked away from normal lives, they are trained by the elite of the land, mastering the arcane arts and the weaponry that would make them heroes. Some embrace their new duties, others flee from the burden. Rulers will heed their council. The common people greet them as kings. While the call of the Dragonknight is only instilled in those with a pure and good heart, they must fight the primal urges of their chromatic blood and are taxed by their abilities. Nevertheless, fate will guide the Dragonknight to change lives and embrace the call of destiny.

Dragonsoul

You are instilled  with the heart of a single chromatic dragon, creating an inseparable bond as its essence plucked your soul from the void. Your mind and his have merged. You have been granted supreme power, but it takes it toll. Constant exhaustion. Mood swings. A destiny forged from fire is never easy.

Heart of a Black Dragon

You are instilled with the heart of a black chromatic dragon. These intimidating creatures are exceptionally cruel, stalking their victims for miles before snapping their necks with a single bite. They are torturous beasts and inflict pain wherever possible. When fully rested, Dragonknights with this soul are smart tacticians and skilled hunters; commonfolk and noblemen alike will entreat them to snuff out threatening monsters. They are confident and outgoing, willing to try anything once. More religious than their counterparts, these Dragonknights seek to relieve the pain of others and clerics often become their closest friends. At level 2, your Draconic Smite inflicts acid damage. In this shape, you are immune to acid damage and cannot be blinded. These immunities transfer over to your base form once you acquire the Dragonblood feature at level 6.

Once at exhaustion levels 2 or higher, however, the baser instincts of the black dragon begin to shine through your personality. At exhaustion levels 4 or higher, your alignment shifts to Chaotic Evil until a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC is succeeded. The player may re-roll a failed save once every hour or at the end of each round if in combat. After making a number of saves equal to your character level + 2 you are considered to be in control of yourself once more.

Heart of a Blue Dragon

You are instilled with the heart of a blue chromatic dragon. These fierce creatures are are swift and savage aerial fighters, making up in flexibility for what they lack in strength. Remarkably vain, they are fickle dealmakers, taking offense to any offering (preferably mirrors or large gems) that would sully their magnificent hoard. When fully rested, Dragonknights with this soul are talented crafters, known for dedicating countless hours to their works of art. Innate problem solvers, they may utilize their skills to fix a community well or improve the local farming system. While oftentimes shy, they are valued for their out of the box thinking and treasured input. At level 2, your Draconic Smite inflicts lightning damage. In this shape, you are immune to lightning damage and cannot be stunned. These immunities transfer over to your base form once you acquire the Dragonblood feature at level 6.

Once at exhaustion levels 2 or higher, however, the baser instincts of the blue dragon begin to shine through your personality. At exhaustion levels 4 or higher, your alignment shifts to Lawful Evil until a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC is succeeded. The player may re-roll a failed save once every hour or at the end of each round if in combat. After making a number of saves equal to your character level + 2 you are considered to be in control of yourself once more.

Heart of a Green Dragon

You are instilled with the heart of a green chromatic dragon. These cunning creatures are sly and calculating, using any means necessary to gain the upper hand. They are duplicitous beasts and enjoy taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable, preferring to corrupt others and to turn their enemies’ friends against them. When fully rested, Dragonknights with this soul are gleeful tricksters, known for pulling lighthearted pranks on their friends. They are equally adept at both magic and combat and often take up musical talents such as singing or poetry. They bind groups together and forge lifetime friendships with their optimism and joyful demeanor. At level 2, your Draconic Smite inflicts poison damage. In this shape, you are immune to poison damage and cannot be poisoned. These immunities transfer over to your base form once you acquire the Dragonblood feature at level 6.

Once at exhaustion levels 2 or higher, however, the baser instincts of the green dragon begin to shine through your personality. At exhaustion levels 4 or higher, your alignment shifts to Lawful Evil until a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC is succeeded. The player may re-roll a failed save once every hour or at the end of each round if in combat. After making a number of saves equal to your character level + 2 you are considered to be in control of yourself once more.

Heart of a Red Dragon

You are instilled with the heart of a red chromatic dragon. These solitary creatures are prideful and egotistical, lording themselves over others with maniacal superiority. They are angry beasts -burning down entire villages over a single slight- and fiercely territorial. They crave subjugation and power. When fully rested, Dragonknights with this soul are fierce protectors and natural born generals, leading their men into battle with bravery and loyalty. They seek out balance in society, providing wisdom and guidance to those in power. At level 2, your Draconic Smite inflicts fire damage. In this shape, you are immune to fire damage and cannot be grappled. These immunities transfer over to your base form once you acquire the Dragonblood feature at level 6.

Once at exhaustion levels 2 or higher, however, the baser instincts of the red dragon begin to shine through your personality. At exhaustion levels 4 or higher, your alignment shifts to Chaotic Evil until a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC is succeeded. The player may re-roll a failed save once every hour or at the end of each round if in combat. After making a number of saves equal to your character level + 2 you are considered to be in control of yourself once more.

Heart of a White Dragon

You are instilled with the heart of a white chromatic dragon. These primal creatures are stone-hearted and savage, belittling and bullying any creature that comes across their path. Their long and detailed memories make them vengeful and they’ve been known to hold a grudge for decades over the slightest infraction. When fully rested, Dragonknights prefer the arcane arts, wielding powerful spells that can desolate battlefields. They are favored diplomats and, while they do not seek out power naturally, they are often granted it due to their knack for compromise and problem-solving. At level 2, your Draconic Smite inflicts cold damage. In this shape, you are immune to cold damage and cannot be paralyzed. These immunities transfer over to your base form once you acquire the Dragonblood feature at level 6.

Once at exhaustion levels 2 or higher, however, the baser instincts of the white dragon begin to shine through your personality. At exhaustion levels 4 or higher, your alignment shifts to Chaotic Evil until a Wisdom saving throw equal to your spell save DC is succeeded. The player may re-roll a failed save once every hour or at the end of each round if in combat. After making a number of saves equal to your character level + 2 you are considered to be in control of yourself once more.

Draconic Awareness

Your dragon heart has connected you spiritually to other dragons, allowing you to communicate and sense their presence, even out of visual range. Beginning at 1st level, you can use your action and expend one Dragonknight spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether dragons are present within 1 mile of you. This feature doesn't reveal the creatures' specific location, type, or number.

Draconic Smite

Starting at 3rd level, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The type of damage is determined by your dragonsoul. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each Spell Level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a dragon.

 

Dragonshape

Beginning at 5 level, your dragonsoul has fully merged with your material body, allowing you to expend an action to change shape into a young chromatic dragon. The type of which is determined by your dragonsoul. You may only use this feature once per long rest.

You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your Dragonknight level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form, upon which you must make a constitution saving throw of DC=15. If failed, you gain 2 levels of exhaustion. If succeeded, you gain 1. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a Bonus Action on Your Turn. You automatically revert if you fall Unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

1. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature’s bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary actions or resistances, you can’t use them.
2. When you transform, you assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, the number of hit points you had before you transformed are reduced by half based upon the taxing nature of the transformation. Additionally, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.
3. You may not cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning, that you’ve already cast.
4. You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
5. You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature’s shape and size. Your equipment doesn’t change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can’t wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Dragonhide

At 6 level, you gain the Tough feat. Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level as you meld further to the dragon soul within you. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.

Dragonblood

By 6th level, the damage and condition immunities of your dragonsoul are transferred to your material body and are effective no matter your form.

Dragonshape Upgrade

Beginning at 10 level, your Dragonshape has grown from a young chromatic dragon to an adult. At this level, you may take and utilize any traits of the adult chromatic dragon other than legendary resistances or actions.

Inspiring Leader

Beginning at 14 level, you can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to six friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. A creature can’t gain temporary hit points from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.

Scaled Mind

At 15 level, your mind and dragon soul are finally at peace with one another. The physical transformation is no longer as taxing and, if failed, the constitution saving throw (DC = 15) only inflicts 1 points of exhaustion. If succeeded, no effect occurs.

Additionally, your draconic blood has endowed you with a bestial presence fearful to all creatures. You are bestowed with a Draconian crest, an emblem announcing your power to those around you. This crest is instilled with 1 use of the spell Dominate Monster. This spell does not take up a spell slot and is restored after a long rest.

Beast Spells

Beginning at 18th level, you can cast many of your Dragonknight spells in any shape you assume using Dragonshape. You can perform the somatic and verbal Components of a spell while in a beast shape, but you aren't able to provide material Components.

Dragonshape Upgrade

Beginning at 20 level, your Dragonshape is upgraded from an adult chromatic dragon to an ancient dragon. At this level, you may take and utilize any traits of the ancient chromatic dragon. You may utilize legendary resistances and actions.