User:Average/Dragonborn
The Dragonborn emerged after a particular event that occurred in Greyhawk. When they had slain an ancient Red Dragon, the gods split it into several shards to become the dragonborn: dragon-hearts dressed in the form of humans.
For this reason, dragonborn cannot and should not slay any of it's kind (although exceptions are made for pale white dragons -- see below). They have innate stealthiness (from a hidden reserve of ASM). They should probably remain unisex and not choose a gender.
Their primary trait is "fierce" with subcharacteristics of assertive + cunning. Since they are part reptilian they exercise both.
Unlike other races, they don't deteriorate (much) with age and continue accumulating HP and CON, but they age slower than other players (4hrs play for 1 month) depending on what they eat, about half as fast, and get bigger. The tradeoff is that they curate their experiences into their body (becoming hardier), adding +CON as they pass every 5 levels. If you multi-class this race, it may grow another head.
When their mana gets depleted, they lose their ability to think, and can only act as a brute.
There are two primary paths for this race: to return to being human or to turn into a dragon via the ritual of kolinarh. The difference is whether you choose a lawful or a chaotic trajectory. The latter can slay other players and commoners at will. There is no reversing once the choice is made, and make it they must, for the boundary in-between can serve no purpose to either good nor evil.
Kolinarh[edit]
Dragonborns, remarkably, turn into a dragon. This is called the "kolinarh" (see below). But they start as younglings inside and prepare their body over the course of their life. As they age or as they generate fear, they get bigger. By age 60, they'll be too big to fit in a human room. You'll have to start looking for a lair, perhaps use a shrinking spell/potion. If this race drops out of level accumulation (it must be permanent with no turning back), you can reside permanently within the game as a special type of NPC, fighting other players. This is the only exception to "no player-killing (NPK)" (they are reptilian, afterall). Only Magistrates (past your level) can perhaps confer additional levels afterwards (although they cannot give levels above thier own), otherwise thier destiny is only to accumulate hoardes.
How big you get depend entirely on your level at the time of jumping; otherwise, thereafter, you only get fat. There are several after-transformation effects, they may or may not improve your overall character, so plan ahead: ASM ability gets sublimated into a new trait/ability called "Fierceness". This ability controls the power of breath effects (emitting fire and whatnot). PTY is moved to STR, CHR to INT, ??? . This is true regardless if values go above 20. CON becomes the primary agent of the transformation, if you don't have enough, you will be a runt draqon. Instead of normal constitution, CON becomes the emitter for voice and breath effects and gets consumed and must be restored, so if 0 you lose both (as well as normal 0 CON problems). DEX promote flight. INT become WIS. WIS become your PER and source of cognition. The amount of XP you possess determines and becomes your mass. YOU have to imagine what this implies for your transformation and PC behavior.
(Does character go to 0 XP and must kill to gain some new stat "power"? Yes and no: it gets moved under CON, giving breath effects.)
Another interesting item, if you're really serious about this. XXXFIX redundancy Dragonborn transform and get wings through a special dragonborn ritual: the kolinarh. Dragonborn contemplate their transformation, and as they do so they accumulate a special quanta reserve for the transformation. Ultimately they must jump off a cliff to commit to the process, like a baby bird may get shoved out of the nest to ensure that they become mature. There is some percentage of possibility that their transformation will complete for each second of fall, otherwise they crash on the rocks (or sea) below, dying (generally) or remain alive with some and a runt transformation (incomplete transformation). The odds are related to the amount of time contemplating the transformation into flight and/or the amount of CON points accumulated. Each round of contemplation adds a percentage (you must actually imagine the transformation, not sit there scratching your ass), and then the gods add an additional modifier (could be negative). 10 rounds of contemplation = 10% chance for each second of fall. Don't expect me to calculate how many feet this requires, but assume gravity acceleration is something proportional to PC mass ft/sec/sec (law of gravity is probably different, and depends on the gods). You'll want 5 seconds of falling to give you 50/50 odds at 10% contemplation or (#CON) and 32 lbs of mass. That's probably considerably smaller than your character, so for this reason, dragonborns trek to the highest cliff they can find on a day (or hour) of favor. The time of day is different for each color of the chromatic spectrum. Purple dragons, for example, transform best in the night with only starlight. Blue dragons, under the full moon. Feeling lucky?
The process for growing bigger if you're small is generally through generating fear from the commoners or other players. The more fear (perhaps eating them, hmm?), the bigger you get (effectively you get HP from the mana expended and that get transformed into mass).
Need to know how much mana you consume when flying? Depends on your weight. We'll get back to you on that. Best guess so far: #weight points of mana per second of flight. Where you gonna get all that mana to fly across the continent? Probably eating a cow. Figure about 100 mana for every pound eaten.
Once you choose this path, you cannot go back.
This race can gain a semi-permanent position in the realm that lasts for player life by developing their lair. They must protect their own accumulation of power.
Can change class at any time, but they drop back down to Hero level and do not get class-stacking privileges (they won't have two heads or breathe fire from their blue head) -- so choose carefully based on all the dragon lore you can find about each color. Keep a record of XP from prior classes -- this will affect transformation at their kolinahr. Mostly effecting density of outer armour and form.
Alignment is different on dragonborn. Dragons are not aligned along the good vs. evil axis (except sometimes the black and white variety), they are aligned along the FEARED vs. fearful axiis or "respected" vs. "ignored". But they earn their respect by being chaotic against petty structures or forces which disturb the realm, and lawful most anytime else. If players come into your space, you just master how to protect it. If you want respect though, you best learn how to earn it.
Colors[edit]
There can only be 6 dragons total that make it past epic level across the whole game. That means every game in the universe: yours, your neighbots (neighbors), Afghanistan. Each corner or color has their own semi-permanent lair which bespeaks of it's epicness. If you think you have what it takes to keep this corner of the game universe, you will be up with other contenders coming into your lair who claim your color and you will have to figure out how to resolve the conflict. Good luck looking scary if you run away.
The red variety (terminal warrior class) is resistant to fire, and could probably walk through fire with only singed hair. The flames move around him/her out of respect. In most cases, it lives now in the dragonborn until the dragonborn bring it back. It is currently in the Underdark, enslaved. That is at least one part of the challenge.
Here are the colors, the trait that is noticed about them, and their classes:
- Glass Dragon: <claimed>
- Red Dragon: fierceness, Warrior, to be claimed first, probably somewhere deep in Under Mountain or in the Underdark, destroying anything less than perfect.
- Orange: their agility, Craftslan, engineered structure, like the halls of Moria or castle, demolishing cruft or excessive structures
- Yellow: countenance, Healer, crystal caves, can come to the aid of downed PC or NPCs that have no other way to survive...
- Green: mutualistic, Herbalist, forest lairs, under or nesting in a large tree, name of Smaug.
- Blue: perceptivity, Navigator, cloud lair, gathering forces of lightening, transforming metal into gold...
- Purple Dragon: intelligence though often not noticed as their intelligence is far above mortals, Mage, somewhere, perhaps never settling, dreaming adventures...
- Metllyc: fiesty, Druid, under the sea, always hiding in the water, the source of warlock powers, which are now considered poor gaming. Hence the reason for the existence of the other 7 dragons -- they preserve the realms from sinking into the sea. Probably to be claimed by James Wyatt.
Class designations should be seen as probabilities, not certainties. Other classes may indeed exemplify the traits of each color.
Since these are lifetime lairs, the contact info (email or phone number) for the highest holder of the 8 corners should be known at all times by WOTC, except perhaps the Violet Dragon which may not like to be found. They shouldn't necessarily know where each other is and remain independent until the Final Battle foreseen below.
I will tell you straight out that I am claiming the corner of the Glass Dragon, writing the rules for this version (v6) of D&D as an umbramancer. Feel free to get big to find and subdue yours truly to create the next ruleset/version of the RPG universe.
The predicted time of this World's End, that is the SAGA which is D&D, is some era far into the future is when some PC, somewhere claims 7 chromatics, by multi-classing all six primary color classes, plus one of the poles, and having 7 heads. Therefrom, should it ever transpire, the gaming universe will be swallowed whole in either defeat or victory.
Until then, protect the magical universe!
HERE'S SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING (awaiting approval): This race, developed into a dragon, once they get to legendary levels, can become one of the heads of Wizards of the Coast. The Red Dragon would be Director of Profitability and Finance. The Blue Dragon Director of Invention: creates new campaigns, equipment (Mike Mearls?). The Purple Dragon is Creative Director: art (gray-haired guy...?). White Dragon can be the head of the organization (James Wyatt?). Orange Dragons, Director of Revenue and Merchandising. Yellow Dragon, Director of Outreach. Green Dragon: a friendly fellow gamer that helps other gamers (Chris Perkins?). They have to defend their position to any other potential player for the head in the WotC, DM'd by the existing White Dragon or head of WotC.
DM Notes:
- Chromatic dragons should be guided towards skills for taking positions in the WotC.
