Way of the Dragon (5e Subclass)
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You follow a monastic tradition that essentially worships dragons as beings beyond our comprehension, and you have much to learn from them. By honing your skills in the Way of the Dragon, you grow one step closer to truly understanding these hyper-sentient beasts. You learn to harness their power over certain elements, speak their language, see through their eyes, and even assume their form for a time.
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The Way of the Dragon is a rigorous one. |
Draconic Arts
When you follow the Way of the Dragon at 3rd level, you assume minor draconic features, such as reptilian eyes and scales while gaining 3 extra hit points and you gain additional 1 hit point after each level. These become more prominent as you follow deeper into the path. You choose a type of dragon to attune your skills too. You may choose one of any of the Chromatic (typically evil) or Metallic (typically good) draconic types (see table). By choosing a dragon you can use 1 ki point on your bonus action to gain resistance to the damage type associated with the color for 1 min, you can also use 2 ki points on your reaction to gain immunity to the damage type associated with the color. As a bonus action for 3 ki point when you hit with a martial arts attack you add additional damage dice of damage type associated with the color you chose to any martial arts attack for 1 min, this acts like a concentration for a spell. Use your martial arts die to determine the extra damage dealt. You also gain the knowledge on how to read, write and speak Draconic, if you have Draconic than you can chose one Language. You also are gifted Darkvision up to a range of 60ft, if you have Darkvision than your range is increased by 60ft.
Draconic Breath
At 6th level, you gain a breath weapon, which varies based on your chosen draconic type along with damage, You may use it for 4 ki points. At level 11, you can add 1 more ki point to increases by one damage dice and again at level 16. Targets make a saving throw against your breath weapon, and take full damage on a failed save, and half damage on a successful one. This saving throw is made against your ki save DC. If you have a natural breath weapon, (such as in dragonborns) your breath damage changes to the the table below and may use 4 ki to restore your breath weapon, however if you chose a color different than your own you gain an additional breath weapon option of the color chosen this does not give you an extra breath attack and you may use a dual breath, this uses 6 ki and requires the use of your natural breath weapon and does half the damage dice (rounded down) of the two breath weapons, at level 17 you can use 10 ki to use the full damage dice of the two breath weapons.
Color | Range and Save | Damage Type and Damage |
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Black/Copper | 5'x30' line (Dex) | Acid 3d8 |
Blue/Bronze | 5'x30' line (Dex) | Lightning 2d10 |
Brass | 5'x30' line (Dex) | Fire 4d6 |
Gold/Red | 15' cone (Dex) | Fire 4d6 |
Green | 15' cone (Con) | Poison 4d6 |
Silver/White | 15' cone (Con) | Cold 3d8 |
Dragonsense
At 11th level, you gain proficiency in Perception. Your proficiency bonus in Perception is doubled. You also have blindsight within a range of 30 feet. If you were already proficient in Perception, you may choose proficiency in another skill or tool.
Dragon Form
At 17th level, you have trained to the point where you may now use 10 ki points as an action to transform into the young dragon of the color you chosen at level 3 for one hour. The following happens when you assume dragon form:
- When you transform, you assume the dragon's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, 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 dragon 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.
- The transformation lasts for the duration, or until the you drop to 0 hit points or die.
- Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the dragon, 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 dragon. If the dragon has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the dragon's bonus instead of yours. You can use legendary actions and reactions at the cost of removing 2d8 mins off of the transformation, the same with lair actions but you need to set up a lair while you are a dragon.
- 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.
- While you are a dragon you can unarmored defense in place of the you choose dragon AC.
- You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your dragon 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.
- At level 20 you can change into an adult dragon of your chosen color and can make the transformation last for a day for 20 ki points, however you can't regain ki on a short rest when you do this
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