Dragonborne (4e Race)

Dragonborne

"An unusual race of humans, with latent dragonborn qualities."

Racial Traits

Average Height: 5´ 10˝–6´ 8˝

Average Weight: 185–275 lb

Ability Scores: +2 to two abilities

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Normal Vision

Languages: Common, Draconic

Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Insight

Human Defense Bonuses: You gain a +1 bonus to reflex, will, or fortitude

Dragonborn Fury: When you’re bloodied, you gain a +1 racial bonus to attack rolls

Bonus feat: You gain a bonus weapon proficiency or implement expertise feat at 1st level. You must otherwise meet the feat’s prerequisites.

Dual Heritage: You qualify as both human and dragonborn for the purpose of meeting racial perquisites.

Draconic Vitality: You learn one extra encounter power of your level or lower from your class, although you cannot take the same power, twice. You may retrain this power each time that you level. When you would otherwise gain or retrain this encounter power, you can instead choose to learn the "Dragon Breath", Dragonborn racial encounter power. You can select powers that modify this power, as if you were a Dragonborn.

Race Description

A relatively hardy and sturdy race, they otherwise resemble humans in nearly all ways, from their diversity and skill, to their ability to excel at a broad range of fields. They differ however in that on average they are much larger and physically fit than the ordinary human; while some Dragonborne are of average weight and size, the majority are far larger, usually a head taller and approximately 50-100 pounds heavier. Naturally muscular and broad, these humans are much more physically fit and generally stronger than the average human, despite otherwise appearing to possess the same features. Like humans, their skin, eye, and hair color all appear the same, with Dragonborn being more likely to have purple and red eyes than humans, and stark white hair. If it wasn't for their slightly larger size, with some Dragonborn being extraordinarily large, it would be difficult to tell them apart at all, and many Dragonborn are mistaken for, or even mistake themselves for humans.

Despite their similarities in appearance, Dragonborn differ quite substantially from ordinary humans, both genetically and due to their latent, Dragon powers. Dragonborne are the result of dragons breeding with humans, largely other humanoid-like dragons, such as the Dragonborn, producing offspring with humans. As most humans cannot breed with Dragons or even dragon-like humanoids, Dragonborne are exceedingly rare, and largely are found in pockets of dragon-human populations with recessive dragon traits. The recessive dragon traits that resulted in the Dragonborn race almost completely disappear when bred with otherwise regular humans, thus removing their more dragon-like features upon successive generations. Despite this, the Dragonborne are not entirely human, possessing features inherent to the Dragons. They still maintain the great size and stature associated with many Dragonborn, and on top of this still maintain the ability to use many abilities long sense believed to only be possessed by Dragons. It's been said that Dragonborne can breathe fire and thunder, as well as the other elements of the dragons, and rarely grow wings and fly. It seems that despite looking human, their latent and dormant Dragon abilities can still emerge, in many circumstances granting them great power. These feature are not inherent to the biology of dragons or dragonborne, but rather magical entities that are passed on to their children. It is rumored that ancient dragons early on bestowed upon themselves magical enhancements that resulted in their ability to fly and breathe the elements, and that these features were passed down to their offspring. As many dragons lack the biology necessary to fly or breathe the elements, with wings too small to maintain flight given their body size or without glands to produce fire or other elements, it is in fact the manifestation of magical powers that grant them their abilities and not a feature inherent to their body.

Not much is known about this race. As Dragonborn and humans rarely intermix, both due to the rarity of Dragonborn in general and the taboo nature of it, there are generally very few in existence. Those that do exist are rarely discovered to be anything more than relatively physically fit, more sturdy and somewhat less versatile humans. Many societies believe such races to be a myth, and for the most part most cultures don't view the few dragonborne they are aware of as distinct species. Humans that do exhibit these abilities are explained as having some form of magical skillset that replicates the effects of a dragon, as apart from being a different subgroup of human. This race is largely "hidden" from mainstream culture, who has an easy way of explaining it with simple magic or deviations that aren't unique to any race. While being a Dragonborne is not taboo per say, it's unlikely many people would believe the story and thus, many keep these facts about themselves quite. Dragonborne open about their heritage would likely be shunned as mentally ill or especially naive, and thus have further reason to hide, making it even harder to find the already small number of Dragonborne within the human population.

All of this is further exacerbated by the fact that most humans simply can't breed with dragonborn at all, which largely is what perpetuates the myth that such a feat is impossible in the first place. Only particular subgroups of humans are likely to be able to breed with the Dragonborn, which means that in the rare off-chance that a Dragonborn tried to have children with a human, there would still only remain a small chance that they would further be compatible. It's likely that the Dragonborn race was created in the past by some sort of mix between humans and dragons that were uniquely compatible, and that some Dragon-human offspring simply never possessed overtly "Dragon" like characteristics, and thus faded from the public eye as ever being uniquely dragon. This once "lost" race has been rediscovered on a small northern Island largely separate from the majority of Khorvaire, which in turn has made their existence somewhat reclusive. A few Dragonborne are known to stray further south on to the primary continent of Khorvaire or wind up there, even a few popping up from the natural breeding of Dragonborn and compatible humans on occasion, but due to their rarity and mythical status are quite often regarded as an oddity, that all but the closest relatives and friends are inherently skeptical about. While few doubt their abilities, most doubt their dragon heritage.

Physical Qualities

Dragonborne would largely resemble humans if it wasn't for their larger-than-average size. Like their dragonborne predecessors, they are unusually large, and generally range between the same heights, or around 5´ 10˝–6´ 8˝. They are slightly lighter, but nonetheless are around 185–275 lb. While some Dragonborne are the same size as humans, they mask their existence as the average Dragonborne is much larger, and only the smallest Dragonborne are average human size. The average Dragonborne male is 6'5 and 240 pounds, while the average dragonborne female is 6'0 and 200 pounds. A large and hearty race, they distinguish themselves from humans almost primarily by their size.

Dragonborne also possess the ability, on rare occasions, to unfold wings or breathe elements. While no other change occurs to their physiology, they can magically manifest wings and elements without a need for special organs. That being said, most Dragonborne with wings do have them as a permanent addition. As an inherently magical race, they blur the lines between physiology and pure magic, but nonetheless reflect both.

Dragonborne tend to live the same length of lives as humans, but mature early. They reach adulthood by 15, and continue to stay incredibly physically fit until their death. Most dragonborn are very physically fit, even if their job does not demand it. Dragonborne sorcerers or wizards tend to be broad and muscular, as do rogues and rangers. They can excel at virtually any class and any task, but emphasize power over utility like most humans.

Human Feats

Dragonborne meet the prerequisites for both Dragonborn races and Human races.

Heroic Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description
Light's Perseverance	You gain proficiency with all heavy and lights blades and a scaling +1/2/3 feat bonus to damage when using them.

Heroic Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description
Claw Fighter	Your claws are weapons.
Dragon Heart	You gain an additional use of the "Dragon Breath" racial encounter power.
Dragon Weapon Proficiency	You gain proficiency with a broad range of weapons, including weapons from the Dark Sun's player's guide, the Triple-headed flail, Tratnyr, Kukri, and Falx, and gain a +2 or +1 bonus to damage with them.
Dragonborn Senses	You gain Darkvision and a +1 bonus to perception rolls.
Empowered Breath	You gain an additional ongoing effect to your dragonbreath power.

Dragonborne Utility Powers

When your Dragonborne character gains a class utility power after 1st level, you can forgo taking a power granted to you by your class. Instead you gain an Dragonborne utility power of the same level or lower.

• Dragonborh Racial Breath power can only be power swapped with the Race's ability "Draconic Vitality". This is for reference only.

Dragon Breath	Dragonborn Attack 1
'As you open your mouth with a roar, the deadly power of your draconic kin blasts forth to engulf your foes.'
Encounter  Primal
Minor Action	Close blast 3, Area burst 1, Close Burst 1
Target: All creatures in area
Attack: Highest Ability Modifier + 2 Vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Highest ability modifier damage. In addition, based on your damage type, you cause an additional ongoing effect that a save can end. With cold the target is slowed, with fire the target takes ongoing damage equal to half your highest ability modifier, with lightning the target is pushed 1 square and deafened, with acid the target a -2 penalty to attack rolls and a -5 penalty to perception rolls, and with poison the target takes a -2 penalty to all defenses. Special:You choose the power’s damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison, and this choice remains throughout your character's life and does not change the power's other effects. The power's range can be close blast 3, use Area Burst 1, or Close Burst 1. However, it may still only be used once per encounter (unless another power otherwise specifically allows it to be).

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Notes

The race is intended to essentially be a very generic human, combined with special abilities of the Dragonborne.

A lot of potential options exist, however, I decided to go with what was chosen mostly for flavor purposes. See the Human, (4e Racial Trait Variants) for additional options, such as replacing the encounter power with utility powers, or the skill bonuses's with +2 to any, and so on. Or even an extra skill. Also, as an extra bonus feat, you could get an extra weapon/implement expertise feat.

They are inspired partially by, but not a replica of, the Dragonborne race of Skyrim.

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