Scalekin (5e Class)
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Scalekin
A companion class intended for characters of the Scalekin (5e Race) race, but usable by any other race. Ideally used by scalekin for narrative consistency, but usable as well by humans, elves, dragonborn, dwarves, or others. Keep in mind that the lore of the Scalekin class is intended to go with the companion race, and may require narrative adaptation if used outside of that.
A Long and Bloody History
Many thousands of years ago, when societies were just beginning to form, an ancient race of dragons hidden away in the mountains vowed to protect each corner of the world. They served as diplomats and kings, and provided their armies and soldiers for their allies in need. They became especially close with the dwarves, giving them magical gems and valuable minerals as gifts of good will, forming an eternal debt to their kind. Draconeans, they called themselves.
Then, as wars across the world ended and dragonkind faded into obscurity, the countries they aided now stable, they sealed away their power, and fled into smaller, weaker bodies. They moved out of the mountains and into societies to live peacefully, their power trapped within their ancestral homes, dormant. Eventually, the scalekin forgot their own heritage as well, and the existence of their kind faded into myth.
Creating a Scalekin
|
|---|
| Dormancy |
What connection to the dragons of old does your character have? How did they discover it? Where did your character find one of the eggs within which their ancestral power was sealed? How have they adapted to their newfound power? Some scalekin in certain regions have retained awareness of their ancestors, and defend their homes, while others have entirely forgotten their history. Some fall victim to pride, and attempt to steal away their ancient power, claiming it as their birthright, while others may accidentally stumble upon an egg. In both cases, scalekin often have a powerful draw back to the source of their powers.
- Quick Build
You can make a Scalekin quickly by following these suggestions. First, Constitution should be your highest ability score, followed by Strength or Wisdom. Second, choose the Outlander or Folk Hero background.
Class Features
As a Scalekin you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Scalekin level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Scalekin level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools:
Saving Throws: Constitution, Strength
Skills: Choose two from History, Arcana, Athletics, Intimidation, and Survival.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a shortsword or (b) a lance
- (a) a shortbow and 20 arrows or (b) 2 daggers
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 20g in funds.
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Transformations | Alternate Form Damage | —Spell Slots per Spell Level— | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |||||
| 1st | +2 | Ancestral Form | 1 | +2 | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Soldier's Strength | 1 | +2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Ancestral Path | 1 | +3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 1 | +3 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 2 | +4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Ancestral Feature | 2 | +4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | One of Few | 2 | +5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | +5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Natural Fury | 3 | +6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Ancestral Feature | 3 | +6 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Deep Magic | 3 | +7 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | +7 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | Dragon's Intuition | 4 | +8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Ancestral Feature | 4 | +8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Ancient Presence | 4 | +9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | +9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | +6 | Savage Might | 5 | +10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | +6 | Swift Transformation | 5 | +10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | +10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | +6 | King of the Skies | 5 + Constitution modifier | +10 + Strength modifier | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Ancestral Form
At 1st level, you have discovered that you are a descendant of ancient dragons. You have found an egg within which the power of your ancestors was sealed, and claimed that power for yourself. You can use an action to change into the form of a dragon for one minute (10 rounds of combat). You gain wings and a flight speed of 30 feet both in and out of your ancestral form. While transformed, your size becomes large.
- Armor Class and Resistances
Your Armor Class is equal to 10 + Dexterity + Constitution. You gain resistance to slashing damage and piercing damage.
- Tooth and Claw
While transformed, you lose the ability to use weapons. Instead, you may attack with tooth (piercing damage) and claw (slashing damage). Use Strength both to hit and as a damage modifier. At 1st level, this is 1d6 damage. This increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 2d8 at 10th level, 3d6 at 16th level, and 3d10 at 19th level. You also may add your alternate form damage as per the table above.
Soldier's Strength
At 2nd level, because of your people's history as soldiers and kings and keepers of peace, you gain advantage on attack rolls made against Chaotic Evil creatures.
Ancestral Path
At 3rd level, your form changes into one of three specialized ancient dragons. Paladins, Scouts, and Forged.
Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
At 5th level, you may attack twice in your turn.
One of Few
At 7th level, your instincts have begun to take over. Fighting comes naturally to you, as it did to your ancestors, and self-preservation is becomes written into your every move. You must live on to defend others. When your hit points drop to 0 while transformed, you can make a Constitution save. If above 10, instead fall to 1 hp and drop out of your transformed state.
Natural Fury
At 9th level, your transformed state has become attuned to the world's underlying magic. You are a force of change. Your attacks count as magical weapons and overcome resistances.
Deep Magic
At 11th level, you have attuned perfectly to the currents of magic in this world and are considered a force of nature itself. You learn to manipulate the energies surrounding yourself and gain access to basic magic while outside of your transformed state. Reference the Scalekin Spell List. Your spellcasting ability is Wisdom.
Dragon's Intuition
Beginning at 13th level, you cannot be surprised, and gain advantage on initiative rolls.
Ancient Presence
At 15th level, your draconic form has become known to your enemies, and invokes the legends of your ancestors. Once per day, you may use your ancestral power to charm or frighten creatures in a 15 foot radius. Creatures effected must make a Wisdom save higher than 10 + proficiency + your Wisdom modifier or be either charmed or frightened for one minute.
Savage Might
Beginning at 17th level, your critical hits deal maximum damage.
Swift Transformation
Beginning at 18th level, you can spend several transformations to stay in draconic form for a longer period of time. If you are knocked out of your transformed state, you do not regain the unused rounds.
King of the Skies
At 20th level, you have mastered your draconic form. Your flight speed increases to 60 feet, and you may also serve as a mount for up to two other creatures in combat. Your proficiency bonus in Intimidation has doubled.
Paladin
Paladins were the kings of dragonkind in ancient times. They stood tall and firm, and their scales were impenetrable to all weapons. The Paladin's form is stocky and thick, and impossible to sway, with massive armored wings. Your flight and movement speed as a Paladin is cut in half, but your armor class becomes 12 + Constitution + Strength.
- Kingly Fire
At 3rd level, you gain the ability to breathe a stream of hot flame in a 15 foot cone. This is a Dexterity save above 8 + proficiency + Constitution. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 damage, and half as much on a successful one. This increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.
- Additional Damage
At 6th level, you gain additional transformation damage. Add your Constitution modifier and Strength modifier both to your transformation damage.
- Aegis
At 10th level, your guardian presence is so powerful that allies within a 10 foot radius benefit from your shielding aura. Any attack roll made on an ally within range has disadvantage imposed.
- Born in Flame
At 14th level, your blood runs hot and your scales have hardened beyond those of your kin. You are an iron-clad forge with wings and legs. You gain immunity to fire damage, and resistance against lightning damage while transformed.
Scout
Scouts served as the right-hand of the Paladins. They were information-gatherers, those who flew ahead, and experts at bargaining. The Scouts led the armies of the Paladins and specialized in infiltration. Noble, yet clever.
- Arrow's Flight
Scouts have aerodynamic draconic forms. At 3rd level, in a single turn, you may double your movement speed either in flight or on the ground, either in or out of your transformation. This cannot be used twice in succession.
- Sinewy Form
At 6th level, you have mastered your new form's fluidity. All of your attacks now have the finesse property, also any Strength save may be rolled with Dexterity instead.
- Expanded Spell List
At 10th level, the scout gains Deep Magic, one level earlier than their brethren. They also gain access to additional spells to choose from, more suited to their skills. A Scout knows all of the spells in the Scalekin Spell List, as well as all of the spells listed here.
| Spellcasting level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | False Life |
| 2nd | Cloud of Daggers, Crown of Madness |
| 3rd | Tongues |
| 4th | Greater Invisibility, Blight |
- Fortitude
At 14th level, your inclination towards diplomacy and deception has made you hard to fool. You gain advantage on saves against being charmed or frightened, and on insight checks.
Forged
The Forged were the backbone of the draconic armies of old. They were scribes and negotiators, and most importantly, inventors and tinkerers. Forged have no wings, and no flight speed, both within their draconic form and outside of it. They make up for this, however, in versatility and stalwart demeanor.
- Cold Justice
Forged sacrifice power for intelligence. At 3rd level, a Forged gains knowledge of two extra languages, and proficiency in either Persuasion or Deception.
- Heat of the Forged
At 6th level, the Forged develop their own internal heat. They learn the spell Hellish Rebuke well before attuning to magic, and gain resistance to fire damage.
- Quick Repairs
At 10th level, the Forged become skilled with their internal heat. They learn the spell Heat Metal before attuning to magic, and can also repair broken items and armor during a short or long rest. Even if the item is broken beyond recognition, or is foreign to them, a DC15 Insight check will allow a Forged to make repairs.
- Indomitable
at 14th level, a Forged's strength of instinct has become even stronger. A forged may retain their transformed state when using One of Few, and also regains hit points equal to their Scalekin level + their Constitution modifier.
Scalekin Spell List
You know all of the spells on the basic Scalekin spell list and additional spells based on your subclass. Bear in mind, you may not use any of these until 11th level. Depending on your class path, spells will not be a viable form of combat. If you wish to play a Paladin, focus on melee attacking ability. Scout and Forged should focus more on spellcasting.
- 1st Level
Burning Hands, Faerie Fire, Charm Person, Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease
- 2nd Level
Gust of Wind, Darkness, Find Traps, Continual Flame, Scorching Ray
- 3rd Level
Daylight, Fireball, Fear, Counterspell, Dispel Magic
- 4th Level
Dominate Beast, Wall of Fire, Confusion
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Scalekin class, you must meet these prerequisites: 13 constitution, 13 wisdom
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Scalekin class, you gain the following proficiencies: Shield
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