Dragon-Kin [a new race]

[rollfrenzy]

I am creating a homebrew steampunk world. I am looking to create a new race/s based on a humanoid creature evolved from Dragons.

I really want this to be a base class and not have a LA.

So far I picture them looking mostly human with some lizard like facial features and small snake like scales.

I was going to have them be chromatic with different abilites/features/stat adjustments/ personalities depending on what color they were. (without being a ripoff of Dragonlance)

Any thoughts?

I don't have an absolute knowledge of balancing issues, and I'm at work ;) so I don't have my books with me.

[Baron Corm]

+2 str -2 dex

-medium size
-base land speed 30 feet
-free Alertness feat
-+1 Natural armor from faint scales (or none if they're really faint, i'm not sure how you wanted it)
-immunity to sleep and paralysis
-+2 to each of the three skills specific to a color of dragon (hide, move silently, and swim for a black dragon)
-low-light vision
-resistance of 1-5 to the appropriate damage type (im not sure how close to humans/dragons you want them)
-favored class: sorceror

should be LA +0. i'm not sure if the steampunk setting changes anything.

[Mewtarthio]

So, a humanoid with draconic heritage? Try this:

-4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
Small size: +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#attackRoll), +4 bonus on Hide (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm) checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#grappleChecks), lifting and carrying limits ¾ those of Medium characters.
A kobold’s dragon kin's base land speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#darkvision) out to 60 feet.
Racial Skills: A kobold dragon-kin character has a +2 racial bonus on Craft (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/craft.htm) (trapmaking), Profession (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/profession.htm) (miner), and Search (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/search.htm) checks.
Racial Feats: A kobold dragon-kin character gains feats according to its character class.
+1 natural armor bonus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#naturalArmorBonus).
Special Qualities (see above): Light sensitivity.
Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Common, Undercommon.
Favored Class: Sorcerer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#sorcerer).
Level adjustment +0.