Jack_Simth
2012-12-13, 10:28 PM
Prolog:
Hey all,
At the end of a campaign (in which I was a player), the DM made us gods and set us on collaborative world building (via the Dawn of Worlds (http://www.clanwebsite.org/games/games.html) system, slightly modified, still in progress as I type this), which may very well become the next campaign world we play in.
As part of that, we're making races. The race I made? Dragons. However, that's... umm... a bit much as LA+0, so I'm using the Race Builder (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/arg-creating-new-races). This is a 15 point race, theoretically.
Physical DescriptionDragons vary widely in color and as minor natural chameleons, it changes with their mood and their needs. A dragon starts out life rather Tiny, generally with a body only a foot long as a child, although their size doubles if you count their long, flexible tails. By the time they're considered an adult, they're about twice that. Dragons are, however, quite capable of growing surprisingly large, when the conditions are right. No two dragons look exactly alike, although all have two slightly-curved horns growing out of the back of their heads, and many have spines along their backs. They all have long necks, some mean-looking teeth in their mouths, and claws tipping their three-fingered hands with opposable thumbs... although the claws of most Dragons are not developed enough for use in actual combat.
Age, height, and weight:
Dragons are considered to be adults when they reach the age of 100 years old - the Age of Choice - although depending on their chosen profession, they may stay under the cover of their parents' wings for up to sixty years beyond that.
Nobody is fully certain just how old dragons can actually get - they are as susceptible to death by injury, poison, and disease as much as many of the races, but they don't seem to succumb to the ravages of old age; they seem to simply grow larger as they get older... the speed of which seems tied to diet and exercise, more than anything else.
Random Starting Ages
{table=head]Adulthood|Intuitive|Self-Taught|Trained
100|+4d6 years|+6d6 years|+10d6 years[/table]
Random Length and weight
{table=head]Gender|Base body length*|base tail length*|Length Modifier|Base Weight*|Weight Modifier
Male|20 inches|40 inches|1d6 inches|20 pounds|1 pound per inch
Female|18 inches|36 inches|1d6 inches|18 pounds|1 pound per inch
[/table]
*Note: For dragons that have taken Draconic Growth, simply set the length and weight as appropriate for the upgraded size category. Dragons come in all sizes, this table merely represents 1st level dragons.
Reproduction
Despite having such a long road to adulthood, Dragons are one of the more prolific races in the world. This is the result of a number of factors. The first is that a Dragon female tends to have a clutch of three to twelve eggs (3d4), rather than bearing a single offspring. The second is that exactly one member of each clutch is male; the rest are female. This has had some impacts on their society, one of which is that it is almost unheard-of for long-term pairing between two dragons; the usual arrangement is that the parents stick together long enough for the eggs to hatch, and reach a size where they can accompany their mother on hunting trips (it usually takes about twenty years), and go their separate ways after that. The third is that Dragons don't really seem to age as such - if an individual dragon doesn't get killed by violence, poison, or disease, there doesn't appear to be anything stopping that dragon from living forever.
SocietyAbove all, dragons value choice... a value held just slightly above survival, followed closely by wealth. They do not practice impressment, even in times of great need - the soldier that does not choose to serve is not thought to be of use. While accepting of the give-and-take method of employment needed for a civilized society to run, and while resigned to cultures that practice some forms of slavery within themselves as punishment for crimes, they despise hereditary slavery with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns, and THAT crime is one of the very few things they will declare war over. It is rather fortunate for everyone that this is well known (although it did come as a surprise to the elves a very long time ago), as the race is both prolific and very skilled at warfare as a culture.
A matriarchal society due to the relative scarcity of males, at first inspection, their society seems to be held together fairly loosely; a system of families, tribes, and tribal groups, acting as a hierarchy up a chain until you reach the local ruler... who is, more often than not, little more than a figurehead for a council made up of the most influential of the next few tiers down. A closer look, however, reveals that those "loose" bonds are built of what the Dragons prize above all: Choice. Dragons do not break those bonds lightly, and they will survive some severe strains; threats never work with Dragons for long, and bribery (while useful to get an individual Dragon to go along with things - they do respect an exchange of goods for services) will never be sufficient for one Dragon to betray those to whom they have Chosen to give their loyalty.
Given the emphasis on Choice, it's no wonder that the Dragons have spread far and wide - many Dragons are citified, building clever fortifications and keeping small armies ever ready. Many Dragons Choose to live out in the wilds, far from civilization, living by their wits and their skills at hunting with just their immediate family. Many others live somewhere between, and it is quite common for a Dragon who has reached The Age of Choice to wander very far from what they know; around half of the children of city-dwelling Dragons settle away from civilization, while around half of the children of Dragons who settled far from civilization end up settling in the cities. It is an odd exchange, and causes a measure of equilibrium in their society.
Dragon Settlements:Dragon settlements are an odd affair. While dragons do come in almost any size, most dragons are small, and essentially all of them can fly; their settlements reflect this. When they settle in mass, dragons tend to build their settlements three dimensionally, with major thoroughfares for the larger dragons lined with small openings which are the entrances for the smaller dragons' homes lining the walls as high as the construction method used in the area goes (carving holes in cliff faces is the favoured method, although they will engage in what the other races would consider more conventional construction when there isn't sufficient cliff space). Businesses and public spaces tend to be a little bit larger than is required for the largest citizen in permanent residence, and there are no stairs or ladders to be found anywhere except in the foreigners' quarters, where they station diplomats and engage in trade with non-Dragons.
Relations:Dragons, being fairly skilled in diplomacy in general, can get along well with most races. However, Dragons are always a little suspicious of elves, and try to keep an eye on them, hoping they will not repeat what they tried to do to the Murids (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264469) a very long time ago. Murids they will trust above most other races, having grown somewhat accustomed to how the Murids think of Dragons, and all else being equal, prefer to hire Murids above other races.
Alignment and Religion:With the emphasis on personal choice and liberty, Dragons tend towards Chaotic Good, although Dragons of all alignments can be found in the world.
Most dragons either worship the Creator, Ornald (who is hated by Earth elementals for some reason lost to history), or one of his three closest servants: Bahamut, Tiamat, or Aasterinian, who still walk the world as in times of old; some worship his younger servants, Astilabor, Chronepsis, or Faluzure.
Adventurers:Few paths are closed to Dragons; they have an affinity for magic, and Sorcerers, Clerics, and Wizards are quite common among them. While those Dragons with a more combative bent have a difficult start in life, an accomplished Dragon Warrior is a sight to behold, striking terror into the hearts of lesser creatures; they are extremely hardy and very difficult to harm with mundane weapons.
Dragons! (Racial mechanics)
Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Dragons are wise and dextrous, but their small size makes them weaker than most races. -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis.
Type: Dragons have the Dragon type, which grants 60 foot darkvision, low-light vision, and immunity to magical sleep and paralysis effects.
Size: Dragons are Small creatures (at least at first...) and thus gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Base Speed: Along the ground, these tiny dragons travel at a base speed of 20 feet - however, they can fly at a base speed of 30 feet (clumsy).
Languages: Dragons begin play knowing Common and Draconic. A Dragon with a high intelligence bonus can also know Elvish, Murid, Arachnoch, and Goblin.
Offensive Racial Traits
Bite: All standard dragons have a Bite attack, which deals 1d2 damage.
Defensive Racial Traits
Immunities: As members of the Dragon type, Dragons are immune to sleep and paralysis.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Camouflage: Dragons are weak chameleons, and all of them play Hide & seek as youngsters. This makes Stealth and Perception class skills for all Dragons.
Fly: As natural flyers, Fly is always a class skill for Dragons.
Dragon Heritage: Dragons have access to Dragon Heritage Feats.
Senses Racial Traits
As members of the Dragon type, Dragons get darkvision 60 ft., and low-light vision (Dragons can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.)
Racial Variants (also 15 points):
Fire DragonsFire Dragons have lost their bite attack and their Camouflage - they have a different upbringing, living under the shadow of a volcano - but gain Energized(Fire) as a bonus feat (see below).
Aquatic DragonsWith fewer competitors, and less to hide behind, those dragons that live in the ocean have lost their bite attack and Camouflage; however, they gain the Aquatic feat as a bonus feat.
Dragon Heritage Feats
Draconic Growth (Dragon Heritage)
You have grown large with age and experience in the ways of dragons.
Prerequisite: Dragon, one other Dragon Heritage Feat, at least 6 hit dice.
Benefit: You gain a size category, as per the Giant (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-template-giant-cr-1) template (including the increased natural armor, increased Strength and Con, and decreased Dexterity). Additionally, you gain an extra +10 feet to your land movement speed, and an extra +30 feet to your fly speed. However, your flight manueverability goes down by one step (to a minimum of Clumsy).
Special: You can gain this feat more than once. Each additional copy requires one more Dragon Heritage Feat than the previous (not counting other copies of Draconic Growth), and additional hit dice (12 total hit dice for Large, 18 for Huge, 24 for Gargantuan, 30 for Colossal).
Draconic Scales (Dragon Heritage)
Your scales thicken and harden, making it harder to land a good blow with a weapon.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to your natural armor per Dragon Heritage feat you posses.
Draconic Energy (Dragon Heritage)
With training, you gain access to your Draconis Fundamentum, which gives you a breath weapon, and a measure of protection against your aligned element.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: Pick an energy type (Fire, Cold, Acid, Electricity, or Sonic). Additionally, pick a shape: Line or Cone. You gain energy resistance vs. that element equal to five times the number of Dragon Heritage feats you posses. Additionally, you gain a breath weapon of that element, usable once every 1d4 rounds. The die size is based on your size: d4 if Tiny or Small, d6 if Medium or Large, d8 if Huge or Gargantuan, d10 if Colossal. The number of damage dice is equal to one half your class levels. The range is 10 feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posses for a line, or 5 feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posses for a cone. The save DC (reflex half) is 10 + 1/2 your hit dice + your Constitution modifier.
Special: This feat may be taken more than once. It's effects do not stack. Every time you take it after the first, you must select an energy type from the list you do not already have; you gain the associated energy resistance, and can make your breath weapon deal that sort of energy damage. However, for most purposes, you still only have the one breath weapon - the shape is the same, and they all use the same recharge time. E.g., if you have Draconic Energy(Fire), and Draconic Energy(Cold), use your Cold breath in round 1 and roll a 3 on your recovery time, you cannot use your Fire breath in round 2.
Ferocious (Dragon Heritage)
Your teeth and claws grow much more than those of most dragons... making them useful in battle.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain natural attacks and Ex attacks of a dragon based on your size (Bite, Claw, Wings, Tail Slap, Crush, and Tail Sweep), as listed in the Dragon Monster Entry (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/dragon.html#_dragon), as well as proficiency in their use. The Bite attack from this feat replaces the Bite attack that most dragons have naturally.
Burrowing (Dragon Heritage)
You've tapped into your earthen heritage, and learned the trick of sliding easily through stone and dirt.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain a burrow speed depending on your size category (10 feet at Tiny, 15 at Small, 20 at Medium, 25 at Large, 30 at Huge, 35 at Gargantuan, and 40 at Colossal). If you also have Ferocious, these speeds increase by an additional five feet (so 15 feet at Tiny, 20 at Small, 25 at Medium, 30 at Large, 35 at Huge, 40 at Gargantuan, and 45 at Colossal). You can burrow through anything less than solid stone, and do not leave a tunnel behind.
Special: You cannot have both Burrowing and Aquatic.
Sensitive (Dragon Heritage)
You've tapped even deeper into your earthen heritage, and learned to hear the whispers of the stones
Prerequisite: Dragon, Burrowing
Benefit: You gain tremorsense out to a distance of ten feet per Dragon Heritage Feat you posses.
Constructor (Dragon Heritage)
You're exceptionally good at tunneling, and can get through even solid rock quickly, leaving behind a usable tunnel.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Burrowing
Benefit: Your burrow speed increases by ten feet, and you gain the ability to both burrow through solid rock (although this halves your speed), and to leave behind a usable tunnel of your size if you so choose.
Aquatic (Dragon Heritage)
You've developed an affinity for the water, and find that you're as much at home in it as you are in the air.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain a swim speed equal to your Fly speed, and the ability to breath water.
Special: You cannot have both Burrowing and Aquatic.
Whispers of the currents (Dragon Heritage)
Your ties to the water are exceptionally strong, and you can tell what else is in the water around you, even with your eyes closed.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Aquatic
Benefit: You gain a limited form of blindsense, that only works to detect creatures touching the same body of water that you are. The range is ten feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posses.
Keen Senses (Dragon Heritage)
You have practices observing your surroundings... and are much better at it than other dragons.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: Your senses are unusually sharp. Your darkvision range is 120 feet, rather than 60, your low-light vision extends to four times that of a human, and distance penalties to Perception checks you make are cut in half.
Frightful Presence (Dragon Heritage)
Larger than many dragons, you have learned to take advantage of the fears inherent in many smaller creatures.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Draconic Growth
Benefit: You gain the Frightful Presence (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Frightful-Presence-Ex-) ability, with a few changes: First, it only operates on creatures no larger than yourself. Second, the save DC is based on your total hit dice, not just your racial hit dice. Additionally, all dragons are immune to the Frightful Presence of other Dragons.
Draconic Resilience (Dragon Heritage)
Your thick hide is difficult for mundane weapons to penetrate, even once they do get past the scales.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain DR/Magic equal to the number of Dragon Heritage feats you posses.
Lesser Shapeshifting (Dragon Heritage)
With practice, you extend your natural camouflage abilities to be able to mimic the form of a few common creatures.
Prerequisite: Dragon, level 5
Benefit: You gain the supernatural ability to Change Shape (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Change-Shape-Su-) three times per day. This functions much like Beast Shape I (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/beast-shape) (if you choose an animal) or Alter Self (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/alter-self) (if you choose a humanoid), except it lasts until you dismiss it.
Greater Shapeshifting (Dragon Heritage)
With practice, you extend your shapeshifting abilities to be able to mimic the forms of some of many creatures.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Lesser Shapeshifting, level 9
Benefit: You gain the ability to use Polymorph (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/polymorph) on yourself as a supernatural ability a number of times per day equal to the number of Dragon Heritage feats you posess, except that it lasts until you dismiss it.
Strong Flyer(Dragon Heritage)
You are better at flying than most of your kind.
Prerequisite:Dragon, fly speed
Benefit: Your fly speed increases by ten feet, and your flight manueverability goes up by one step.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. It's effects stack. If this would cause you to exceed Perfect manoeuvrability, you treat winds as being one category less for purposes of how they affect your flight for every step above Perfect flight you would have.
Feel the Air (Dragon Heritage)
Your senses are exceptionally sharp, and you can tell many things about your surroundings by the feel of the shifting air on your wings
Prerequisites: Dragon, Keen Senses, Strong Flyer
Benefit: You gain blindsense at a radius of five feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posess.
Magically Resistant (Dragon Heritage)
You are a creature of magic, and magic has a harder time affecting you against your will.
Prerequisites: Dragon
Benefit: You gain Spell Resistance equal to 11+Your hit dice.
Alternative Breath (Dragon Heritage)
Not all dragon's breath weapon is lethal...
Prerequisites: Dragon, Draconic Energy
Benefit: Select one alternate breath weapon type from the table below. You can cause your breath weapon to deal that status effect, rather than damage; additionally, the save type changes (Fort or Will, rather than reflex) as listed below. Breath weapon shape, range, save DC, and recharge time remains the same as from your base breath weapon.
{table=head]Name | Effect | Save
Paralysis | Subject must save or be Paralized for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Fort
Sleep | Subject must save or be rendered unconscious for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Fort
Repulsion | Subject must save or be rendered unconscious for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. This is a mind-affecting enchantment effect. | Will
Weakness | Subject must save or suffer 1 point of strength damage, plus 1 per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Fort
Slow | Subject must save or be Slowed (as the spell) for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Will
[/table]
Diplomat's Child (General)
You have a dragon in your ancestry (usually, but not always, as the result of a marriage to cement a treaty), and this has had some pretty noticeable effects on your physiology
Benefit: You qualify as a Dragon for the purposes of taking Dragon Heritage Feats.
Special: This feat may be taken at first level only.
Dragon Paragon
Ah, there are dragons, my son, and then there are DRAGONS. Most dragons focus on their day-to-day work, living essentially the same way most people do, and are much like anyone else. And then there are the Paragons. Those that focus on what it truly means to be a dragon. These people can become the toughest, strongest, most ferocious, or wisest people you will ever meet. The largest, too. They are not ones to cross.
Requirements: To advance in this class, you must be a Dragon.
Skill Points: 6+Int per level
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Craft(All skills, taken individually), Diplomacy, Fly, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge(All skills, taken individually), Linguistics, Perception, Perform (all skills, taken individually), Spellcraft, Stealth, Swim, Survival, Use Magic Device,
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special
1|+1|+1|+1|+1| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat(Ferocious)
2|+1|+3|+3|+3|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting*, Divine Arcana
3|+3|+3|+3|+3|Draconic Intuition +1
4|+4|+4|+4|+4| Bonus Feat (Draconic Scales)
5|+5|+4|+4|+4|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
6|+6/+1|+5|+5|+5| Draconic Intuition +2
7|+7/+2|+5|+5|+5| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat(Draconic Growth)
8|+8/+3|+6|+6|+6|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
9|+9/+4|+6|+6|+6| Draconic Intuition +3
10|+10/+5|+7|+7|+7| Bonus Feat (Draconic Energy(any one of your choice))
11|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+7|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
12|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+8| Draconic Intuition +4
13|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+8| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat (Draconic Growth)
14|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+9|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
15|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+9|Draconic Intuition +5
16|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+10| Bonus Feat (Frightful Presence)
17|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
18|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+11| Draconic Intuition +6
19|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+11| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat (Draconic Growth)
20|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+12|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
[/table]
Spellcasting Advancement: At level 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, and every three levels thereafter, you gain spells per day and spells known as though you had also gained a level in Sorcerer. However, other than the Cantrips class feature, you do not gain any other abilities that a Sorcerer would gain. If you do not have Sorcerer levels before entering this class, you are treated as a 0th level Sorcerer at class level 1, a 1st level Sorcerer at class level 2, a 2nd level sorcerer at class level 5, and so on.
Divine Arcana (Ex): At class level 2, pick either Druid or Cleric. Spells from that class spell list are added to your class list for your Sorcerer casting, although they are still treated as Arcane spells (the Divine focus component, if any, is removed). If you selected Cleric, you may also pick two domains, and the spells from those domains are also added to your Sorcerer class list (you do not, however, gain any other benefit from the domains, such as domain powers).
Bonus Feat (Ex): At levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, and every three levels thereafter, you get the bonus feat from the Dragon Heritage list as listed on the table. If you already have that particular Dragon Heritage feat (or do not qualify for the next iteration, in the case of Draconic Growth), you may select any other Dragon Heritage feat for which you qualify. You must meet all the requirements of these feats to take them. You may instead select a fighter bonus feat, but you must still meet all the requirements.
Draconic Intuition (Ex): At third level, you gain a +1 bonus to Stealth, Perception, Appraise, and Sense Motive. These bonuses increase by 1 every three levels (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th, et cetera).
Pinnacle(Ex):At levels 1, 7, 13, 19, and every six levels thereafter, you gain a +2 increase to any one ability score of your choice. This may be taken multiple times for the same ability score.
So: Any obvious problems or balance issues?
Changelog:
12/14/2012: Added "Scary", Tough, flavor text, and let the racial feats be Fighter Bonus feats. There has to be some way to get Colossal dragons pre-Epic, after all
12/15/2012: Upgraded "Energized" to deal more damage on the breath weapon, and increase the energy resistance. Added the Shapeshifting line (many dragons in literature have the ability to assume human form).
12/16/2012: Reduced much of the feat costs, and also got rid of the fighter bonus feat option. Updated Ferocious to be based on the standard pathfinder dragon natural weapons. Added some more flavor text, including aging tables, and dragon magic spells.
12/23/2012: Added Dragon Paragon, Strong Flyer
12/25/2012: Revised the race significantly. Seems there's enough disagreement on the validity of a < CR 1 critter being a +0 LA race that it needs to use the race builder at about 15 points. Oh well. Also deleted Dragon Magic, revised several feats, added the subraces that were added to the game last week. Added Feel the Air, Whispers of the Currents, and Diplomat's Child. Renamed a few feats - Big to Draconic Growth, Scaly to Draconic Scales, Tough to Draconic Resilience. Added Magically Resistant.
12/26/2012: Revised Dragon Paragon, updated Draconic Energy to permit it to be taken more than once, added Alternative Breath.
1/13/2013: Added a section on reproduction, updated society slightly.
Hey all,
At the end of a campaign (in which I was a player), the DM made us gods and set us on collaborative world building (via the Dawn of Worlds (http://www.clanwebsite.org/games/games.html) system, slightly modified, still in progress as I type this), which may very well become the next campaign world we play in.
As part of that, we're making races. The race I made? Dragons. However, that's... umm... a bit much as LA+0, so I'm using the Race Builder (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/arg-creating-new-races). This is a 15 point race, theoretically.
Physical DescriptionDragons vary widely in color and as minor natural chameleons, it changes with their mood and their needs. A dragon starts out life rather Tiny, generally with a body only a foot long as a child, although their size doubles if you count their long, flexible tails. By the time they're considered an adult, they're about twice that. Dragons are, however, quite capable of growing surprisingly large, when the conditions are right. No two dragons look exactly alike, although all have two slightly-curved horns growing out of the back of their heads, and many have spines along their backs. They all have long necks, some mean-looking teeth in their mouths, and claws tipping their three-fingered hands with opposable thumbs... although the claws of most Dragons are not developed enough for use in actual combat.
Age, height, and weight:
Dragons are considered to be adults when they reach the age of 100 years old - the Age of Choice - although depending on their chosen profession, they may stay under the cover of their parents' wings for up to sixty years beyond that.
Nobody is fully certain just how old dragons can actually get - they are as susceptible to death by injury, poison, and disease as much as many of the races, but they don't seem to succumb to the ravages of old age; they seem to simply grow larger as they get older... the speed of which seems tied to diet and exercise, more than anything else.
Random Starting Ages
{table=head]Adulthood|Intuitive|Self-Taught|Trained
100|+4d6 years|+6d6 years|+10d6 years[/table]
Random Length and weight
{table=head]Gender|Base body length*|base tail length*|Length Modifier|Base Weight*|Weight Modifier
Male|20 inches|40 inches|1d6 inches|20 pounds|1 pound per inch
Female|18 inches|36 inches|1d6 inches|18 pounds|1 pound per inch
[/table]
*Note: For dragons that have taken Draconic Growth, simply set the length and weight as appropriate for the upgraded size category. Dragons come in all sizes, this table merely represents 1st level dragons.
Reproduction
Despite having such a long road to adulthood, Dragons are one of the more prolific races in the world. This is the result of a number of factors. The first is that a Dragon female tends to have a clutch of three to twelve eggs (3d4), rather than bearing a single offspring. The second is that exactly one member of each clutch is male; the rest are female. This has had some impacts on their society, one of which is that it is almost unheard-of for long-term pairing between two dragons; the usual arrangement is that the parents stick together long enough for the eggs to hatch, and reach a size where they can accompany their mother on hunting trips (it usually takes about twenty years), and go their separate ways after that. The third is that Dragons don't really seem to age as such - if an individual dragon doesn't get killed by violence, poison, or disease, there doesn't appear to be anything stopping that dragon from living forever.
SocietyAbove all, dragons value choice... a value held just slightly above survival, followed closely by wealth. They do not practice impressment, even in times of great need - the soldier that does not choose to serve is not thought to be of use. While accepting of the give-and-take method of employment needed for a civilized society to run, and while resigned to cultures that practice some forms of slavery within themselves as punishment for crimes, they despise hereditary slavery with the burning passion of a thousand fiery suns, and THAT crime is one of the very few things they will declare war over. It is rather fortunate for everyone that this is well known (although it did come as a surprise to the elves a very long time ago), as the race is both prolific and very skilled at warfare as a culture.
A matriarchal society due to the relative scarcity of males, at first inspection, their society seems to be held together fairly loosely; a system of families, tribes, and tribal groups, acting as a hierarchy up a chain until you reach the local ruler... who is, more often than not, little more than a figurehead for a council made up of the most influential of the next few tiers down. A closer look, however, reveals that those "loose" bonds are built of what the Dragons prize above all: Choice. Dragons do not break those bonds lightly, and they will survive some severe strains; threats never work with Dragons for long, and bribery (while useful to get an individual Dragon to go along with things - they do respect an exchange of goods for services) will never be sufficient for one Dragon to betray those to whom they have Chosen to give their loyalty.
Given the emphasis on Choice, it's no wonder that the Dragons have spread far and wide - many Dragons are citified, building clever fortifications and keeping small armies ever ready. Many Dragons Choose to live out in the wilds, far from civilization, living by their wits and their skills at hunting with just their immediate family. Many others live somewhere between, and it is quite common for a Dragon who has reached The Age of Choice to wander very far from what they know; around half of the children of city-dwelling Dragons settle away from civilization, while around half of the children of Dragons who settled far from civilization end up settling in the cities. It is an odd exchange, and causes a measure of equilibrium in their society.
Dragon Settlements:Dragon settlements are an odd affair. While dragons do come in almost any size, most dragons are small, and essentially all of them can fly; their settlements reflect this. When they settle in mass, dragons tend to build their settlements three dimensionally, with major thoroughfares for the larger dragons lined with small openings which are the entrances for the smaller dragons' homes lining the walls as high as the construction method used in the area goes (carving holes in cliff faces is the favoured method, although they will engage in what the other races would consider more conventional construction when there isn't sufficient cliff space). Businesses and public spaces tend to be a little bit larger than is required for the largest citizen in permanent residence, and there are no stairs or ladders to be found anywhere except in the foreigners' quarters, where they station diplomats and engage in trade with non-Dragons.
Relations:Dragons, being fairly skilled in diplomacy in general, can get along well with most races. However, Dragons are always a little suspicious of elves, and try to keep an eye on them, hoping they will not repeat what they tried to do to the Murids (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264469) a very long time ago. Murids they will trust above most other races, having grown somewhat accustomed to how the Murids think of Dragons, and all else being equal, prefer to hire Murids above other races.
Alignment and Religion:With the emphasis on personal choice and liberty, Dragons tend towards Chaotic Good, although Dragons of all alignments can be found in the world.
Most dragons either worship the Creator, Ornald (who is hated by Earth elementals for some reason lost to history), or one of his three closest servants: Bahamut, Tiamat, or Aasterinian, who still walk the world as in times of old; some worship his younger servants, Astilabor, Chronepsis, or Faluzure.
Adventurers:Few paths are closed to Dragons; they have an affinity for magic, and Sorcerers, Clerics, and Wizards are quite common among them. While those Dragons with a more combative bent have a difficult start in life, an accomplished Dragon Warrior is a sight to behold, striking terror into the hearts of lesser creatures; they are extremely hardy and very difficult to harm with mundane weapons.
Dragons! (Racial mechanics)
Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Racial Traits: Dragons are wise and dextrous, but their small size makes them weaker than most races. -2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Wis.
Type: Dragons have the Dragon type, which grants 60 foot darkvision, low-light vision, and immunity to magical sleep and paralysis effects.
Size: Dragons are Small creatures (at least at first...) and thus gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Base Speed: Along the ground, these tiny dragons travel at a base speed of 20 feet - however, they can fly at a base speed of 30 feet (clumsy).
Languages: Dragons begin play knowing Common and Draconic. A Dragon with a high intelligence bonus can also know Elvish, Murid, Arachnoch, and Goblin.
Offensive Racial Traits
Bite: All standard dragons have a Bite attack, which deals 1d2 damage.
Defensive Racial Traits
Immunities: As members of the Dragon type, Dragons are immune to sleep and paralysis.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Camouflage: Dragons are weak chameleons, and all of them play Hide & seek as youngsters. This makes Stealth and Perception class skills for all Dragons.
Fly: As natural flyers, Fly is always a class skill for Dragons.
Dragon Heritage: Dragons have access to Dragon Heritage Feats.
Senses Racial Traits
As members of the Dragon type, Dragons get darkvision 60 ft., and low-light vision (Dragons can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.)
Racial Variants (also 15 points):
Fire DragonsFire Dragons have lost their bite attack and their Camouflage - they have a different upbringing, living under the shadow of a volcano - but gain Energized(Fire) as a bonus feat (see below).
Aquatic DragonsWith fewer competitors, and less to hide behind, those dragons that live in the ocean have lost their bite attack and Camouflage; however, they gain the Aquatic feat as a bonus feat.
Dragon Heritage Feats
Draconic Growth (Dragon Heritage)
You have grown large with age and experience in the ways of dragons.
Prerequisite: Dragon, one other Dragon Heritage Feat, at least 6 hit dice.
Benefit: You gain a size category, as per the Giant (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-template-giant-cr-1) template (including the increased natural armor, increased Strength and Con, and decreased Dexterity). Additionally, you gain an extra +10 feet to your land movement speed, and an extra +30 feet to your fly speed. However, your flight manueverability goes down by one step (to a minimum of Clumsy).
Special: You can gain this feat more than once. Each additional copy requires one more Dragon Heritage Feat than the previous (not counting other copies of Draconic Growth), and additional hit dice (12 total hit dice for Large, 18 for Huge, 24 for Gargantuan, 30 for Colossal).
Draconic Scales (Dragon Heritage)
Your scales thicken and harden, making it harder to land a good blow with a weapon.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to your natural armor per Dragon Heritage feat you posses.
Draconic Energy (Dragon Heritage)
With training, you gain access to your Draconis Fundamentum, which gives you a breath weapon, and a measure of protection against your aligned element.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: Pick an energy type (Fire, Cold, Acid, Electricity, or Sonic). Additionally, pick a shape: Line or Cone. You gain energy resistance vs. that element equal to five times the number of Dragon Heritage feats you posses. Additionally, you gain a breath weapon of that element, usable once every 1d4 rounds. The die size is based on your size: d4 if Tiny or Small, d6 if Medium or Large, d8 if Huge or Gargantuan, d10 if Colossal. The number of damage dice is equal to one half your class levels. The range is 10 feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posses for a line, or 5 feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posses for a cone. The save DC (reflex half) is 10 + 1/2 your hit dice + your Constitution modifier.
Special: This feat may be taken more than once. It's effects do not stack. Every time you take it after the first, you must select an energy type from the list you do not already have; you gain the associated energy resistance, and can make your breath weapon deal that sort of energy damage. However, for most purposes, you still only have the one breath weapon - the shape is the same, and they all use the same recharge time. E.g., if you have Draconic Energy(Fire), and Draconic Energy(Cold), use your Cold breath in round 1 and roll a 3 on your recovery time, you cannot use your Fire breath in round 2.
Ferocious (Dragon Heritage)
Your teeth and claws grow much more than those of most dragons... making them useful in battle.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain natural attacks and Ex attacks of a dragon based on your size (Bite, Claw, Wings, Tail Slap, Crush, and Tail Sweep), as listed in the Dragon Monster Entry (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/monsters/dragon.html#_dragon), as well as proficiency in their use. The Bite attack from this feat replaces the Bite attack that most dragons have naturally.
Burrowing (Dragon Heritage)
You've tapped into your earthen heritage, and learned the trick of sliding easily through stone and dirt.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain a burrow speed depending on your size category (10 feet at Tiny, 15 at Small, 20 at Medium, 25 at Large, 30 at Huge, 35 at Gargantuan, and 40 at Colossal). If you also have Ferocious, these speeds increase by an additional five feet (so 15 feet at Tiny, 20 at Small, 25 at Medium, 30 at Large, 35 at Huge, 40 at Gargantuan, and 45 at Colossal). You can burrow through anything less than solid stone, and do not leave a tunnel behind.
Special: You cannot have both Burrowing and Aquatic.
Sensitive (Dragon Heritage)
You've tapped even deeper into your earthen heritage, and learned to hear the whispers of the stones
Prerequisite: Dragon, Burrowing
Benefit: You gain tremorsense out to a distance of ten feet per Dragon Heritage Feat you posses.
Constructor (Dragon Heritage)
You're exceptionally good at tunneling, and can get through even solid rock quickly, leaving behind a usable tunnel.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Burrowing
Benefit: Your burrow speed increases by ten feet, and you gain the ability to both burrow through solid rock (although this halves your speed), and to leave behind a usable tunnel of your size if you so choose.
Aquatic (Dragon Heritage)
You've developed an affinity for the water, and find that you're as much at home in it as you are in the air.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain a swim speed equal to your Fly speed, and the ability to breath water.
Special: You cannot have both Burrowing and Aquatic.
Whispers of the currents (Dragon Heritage)
Your ties to the water are exceptionally strong, and you can tell what else is in the water around you, even with your eyes closed.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Aquatic
Benefit: You gain a limited form of blindsense, that only works to detect creatures touching the same body of water that you are. The range is ten feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posses.
Keen Senses (Dragon Heritage)
You have practices observing your surroundings... and are much better at it than other dragons.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: Your senses are unusually sharp. Your darkvision range is 120 feet, rather than 60, your low-light vision extends to four times that of a human, and distance penalties to Perception checks you make are cut in half.
Frightful Presence (Dragon Heritage)
Larger than many dragons, you have learned to take advantage of the fears inherent in many smaller creatures.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Draconic Growth
Benefit: You gain the Frightful Presence (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Frightful-Presence-Ex-) ability, with a few changes: First, it only operates on creatures no larger than yourself. Second, the save DC is based on your total hit dice, not just your racial hit dice. Additionally, all dragons are immune to the Frightful Presence of other Dragons.
Draconic Resilience (Dragon Heritage)
Your thick hide is difficult for mundane weapons to penetrate, even once they do get past the scales.
Prerequisite: Dragon
Benefit: You gain DR/Magic equal to the number of Dragon Heritage feats you posses.
Lesser Shapeshifting (Dragon Heritage)
With practice, you extend your natural camouflage abilities to be able to mimic the form of a few common creatures.
Prerequisite: Dragon, level 5
Benefit: You gain the supernatural ability to Change Shape (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Change-Shape-Su-) three times per day. This functions much like Beast Shape I (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/beast-shape) (if you choose an animal) or Alter Self (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/alter-self) (if you choose a humanoid), except it lasts until you dismiss it.
Greater Shapeshifting (Dragon Heritage)
With practice, you extend your shapeshifting abilities to be able to mimic the forms of some of many creatures.
Prerequisite: Dragon, Lesser Shapeshifting, level 9
Benefit: You gain the ability to use Polymorph (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/polymorph) on yourself as a supernatural ability a number of times per day equal to the number of Dragon Heritage feats you posess, except that it lasts until you dismiss it.
Strong Flyer(Dragon Heritage)
You are better at flying than most of your kind.
Prerequisite:Dragon, fly speed
Benefit: Your fly speed increases by ten feet, and your flight manueverability goes up by one step.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. It's effects stack. If this would cause you to exceed Perfect manoeuvrability, you treat winds as being one category less for purposes of how they affect your flight for every step above Perfect flight you would have.
Feel the Air (Dragon Heritage)
Your senses are exceptionally sharp, and you can tell many things about your surroundings by the feel of the shifting air on your wings
Prerequisites: Dragon, Keen Senses, Strong Flyer
Benefit: You gain blindsense at a radius of five feet per Dragon Heritage feat you posess.
Magically Resistant (Dragon Heritage)
You are a creature of magic, and magic has a harder time affecting you against your will.
Prerequisites: Dragon
Benefit: You gain Spell Resistance equal to 11+Your hit dice.
Alternative Breath (Dragon Heritage)
Not all dragon's breath weapon is lethal...
Prerequisites: Dragon, Draconic Energy
Benefit: Select one alternate breath weapon type from the table below. You can cause your breath weapon to deal that status effect, rather than damage; additionally, the save type changes (Fort or Will, rather than reflex) as listed below. Breath weapon shape, range, save DC, and recharge time remains the same as from your base breath weapon.
{table=head]Name | Effect | Save
Paralysis | Subject must save or be Paralized for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Fort
Sleep | Subject must save or be rendered unconscious for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Fort
Repulsion | Subject must save or be rendered unconscious for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. This is a mind-affecting enchantment effect. | Will
Weakness | Subject must save or suffer 1 point of strength damage, plus 1 per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Fort
Slow | Subject must save or be Slowed (as the spell) for 1d6 rounds, plus 1 round per copy of Draconic Growth that the dragon has. | Will
[/table]
Diplomat's Child (General)
You have a dragon in your ancestry (usually, but not always, as the result of a marriage to cement a treaty), and this has had some pretty noticeable effects on your physiology
Benefit: You qualify as a Dragon for the purposes of taking Dragon Heritage Feats.
Special: This feat may be taken at first level only.
Dragon Paragon
Ah, there are dragons, my son, and then there are DRAGONS. Most dragons focus on their day-to-day work, living essentially the same way most people do, and are much like anyone else. And then there are the Paragons. Those that focus on what it truly means to be a dragon. These people can become the toughest, strongest, most ferocious, or wisest people you will ever meet. The largest, too. They are not ones to cross.
Requirements: To advance in this class, you must be a Dragon.
Skill Points: 6+Int per level
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Craft(All skills, taken individually), Diplomacy, Fly, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge(All skills, taken individually), Linguistics, Perception, Perform (all skills, taken individually), Spellcraft, Stealth, Swim, Survival, Use Magic Device,
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special
1|+1|+1|+1|+1| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat(Ferocious)
2|+1|+3|+3|+3|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting*, Divine Arcana
3|+3|+3|+3|+3|Draconic Intuition +1
4|+4|+4|+4|+4| Bonus Feat (Draconic Scales)
5|+5|+4|+4|+4|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
6|+6/+1|+5|+5|+5| Draconic Intuition +2
7|+7/+2|+5|+5|+5| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat(Draconic Growth)
8|+8/+3|+6|+6|+6|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
9|+9/+4|+6|+6|+6| Draconic Intuition +3
10|+10/+5|+7|+7|+7| Bonus Feat (Draconic Energy(any one of your choice))
11|+11/+6/+1|+7|+7|+7|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
12|+12/+7/+2|+8|+8|+8| Draconic Intuition +4
13|+13/+8/+3|+8|+8|+8| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat (Draconic Growth)
14|+14/+9/+4|+9|+9|+9|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
15|+15/+10/+5|+9|+9|+9|Draconic Intuition +5
16|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+10|+10| Bonus Feat (Frightful Presence)
17|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
18|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+11| Draconic Intuition +6
19|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+11| Pinnacle, Bonus Feat (Draconic Growth)
20|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+12|+1 Level of Sorcerer casting
[/table]
Spellcasting Advancement: At level 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, and every three levels thereafter, you gain spells per day and spells known as though you had also gained a level in Sorcerer. However, other than the Cantrips class feature, you do not gain any other abilities that a Sorcerer would gain. If you do not have Sorcerer levels before entering this class, you are treated as a 0th level Sorcerer at class level 1, a 1st level Sorcerer at class level 2, a 2nd level sorcerer at class level 5, and so on.
Divine Arcana (Ex): At class level 2, pick either Druid or Cleric. Spells from that class spell list are added to your class list for your Sorcerer casting, although they are still treated as Arcane spells (the Divine focus component, if any, is removed). If you selected Cleric, you may also pick two domains, and the spells from those domains are also added to your Sorcerer class list (you do not, however, gain any other benefit from the domains, such as domain powers).
Bonus Feat (Ex): At levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, and every three levels thereafter, you get the bonus feat from the Dragon Heritage list as listed on the table. If you already have that particular Dragon Heritage feat (or do not qualify for the next iteration, in the case of Draconic Growth), you may select any other Dragon Heritage feat for which you qualify. You must meet all the requirements of these feats to take them. You may instead select a fighter bonus feat, but you must still meet all the requirements.
Draconic Intuition (Ex): At third level, you gain a +1 bonus to Stealth, Perception, Appraise, and Sense Motive. These bonuses increase by 1 every three levels (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th, et cetera).
Pinnacle(Ex):At levels 1, 7, 13, 19, and every six levels thereafter, you gain a +2 increase to any one ability score of your choice. This may be taken multiple times for the same ability score.
So: Any obvious problems or balance issues?
Changelog:
12/14/2012: Added "Scary", Tough, flavor text, and let the racial feats be Fighter Bonus feats. There has to be some way to get Colossal dragons pre-Epic, after all
12/15/2012: Upgraded "Energized" to deal more damage on the breath weapon, and increase the energy resistance. Added the Shapeshifting line (many dragons in literature have the ability to assume human form).
12/16/2012: Reduced much of the feat costs, and also got rid of the fighter bonus feat option. Updated Ferocious to be based on the standard pathfinder dragon natural weapons. Added some more flavor text, including aging tables, and dragon magic spells.
12/23/2012: Added Dragon Paragon, Strong Flyer
12/25/2012: Revised the race significantly. Seems there's enough disagreement on the validity of a < CR 1 critter being a +0 LA race that it needs to use the race builder at about 15 points. Oh well. Also deleted Dragon Magic, revised several feats, added the subraces that were added to the game last week. Added Feel the Air, Whispers of the Currents, and Diplomat's Child. Renamed a few feats - Big to Draconic Growth, Scaly to Draconic Scales, Tough to Draconic Resilience. Added Magically Resistant.
12/26/2012: Revised Dragon Paragon, updated Draconic Energy to permit it to be taken more than once, added Alternative Breath.
1/13/2013: Added a section on reproduction, updated society slightly.