Panda Dragon (5e Race)

Panda Dragon

“	The great Yut Lung requests for your head now, I'm afraid...	”
—Fan DaiLin, Younger brother of the Jade Dragon Syndicate

Physical Description

By Seth Hughes

Panda dragons are beastly creatures with a docile demeanor that can turn frightful when angered. True to their very literal name, panda dragons have the physical features of the cuddly panda and the fierce dragon. Their body for the most part is that of a panda, though a considerable amount of fur and weight is shaved off. The claws of the panda are replaced with the talons of a dragon, covered with tough, keratinous skin. Their hind legs are strong enough to stand upright. From the panda head often sprouts a pair of horns, and a pair of wings grow from their back. Because of these extensions, it is inconvenient for panda dragons to wear clothing. They wear the bear minimum in public, often just using skirts for the simplicity of it. Otherwise, they will trim their fur to be long enough to cover their needed parts.

History

Dragons and pandas are two creatures known on different ends of the scale of auspiciousness. Dragons are often seen as terrible magical beasts but also admired for their strength and power. Pandas are seen as cuddly mascots who laze around eating bamboo all day. In a culture where people believe many creatures are descended originally from dragons, the panda dragon is the apt ancestor of the modern panda. It is said they reside in bamboo forests on the other side of the world, where the trees reach high into the clouds, piercing the heavens. From there, they survey the world below. Few venture out anymore due to the dangers of a modernizing world and their vulnerable status, but some are simply too curious or eager to be dissuaded.

Society

The society of panda dragons above the clouds is considered an enigmatic one, with few outsiders who know if it even really exists. It is a place rumored to bloom yearly with bountiful shoots of bamboo by houses made of wood and misty mountains of lush jade greenery. Outside that, few panda dragons walk the terra, though some have retained presences from times of old. One of the best known of these is the Jade Dragon Syndicate. In contrast with the docile and nonviolence typical of panda dragons, the Jade Dragon Syndicate is ruled by a long line of panda dragon brothers who became disillusioned with pacifism and see corruption as the true power in the world. This is the largest conglomerate of panda dragons below the clouds, though sparse individuals do roam the land without their association. In general, it is observed that panda dragons have a fondness for music.

Panda Dragon Names

Many panda dragons have the southern Lozorian naming convention, though tribes of north Lozor have influenced this.

Male: Buror, Alam, Kengit, Chaag, Po

Female: Asai, Baltern, Jiak, Selin

Panda Dragon Traits

Humanoid pandas with dragons features
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Most panda dragons live to be around 80 below the clouds. It is rumored their lifespans reach 200 up in the bamboo origin.
Alignment. For panda dragons, violence is typically not the answer, and evil begets evil. However, they are corruptible in their virtues, and many who have remained under the clouds have turned evil themselves.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You also have a flying speed equal to your walking speed.
Thick Fur. You have resistance to cold damage. You’re also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
Music Lover. You are proficient in one instrument of your choice. You have advantage on Charisma checks involving this instrument.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Subrace. The race of panda folk are divided into two large groups: those Above Clouds (vellany) and those Below. The ones below are further split into subgroups based on their locations and preferred terrain and small evolutionary differences as a result of such. Each population is quite small, not spanning more than a village's worth of individuals, making it hard to say any of them have their own society. Choose one subrace from the vellany, borial, rhundar, cobar, stalmok, and widor subraces listed below.

Vellany

The vellany are legendary panda dragons who live atop the cloud layer of the world on great bamboo stalks. Few can say they know or have seen vellany. What is known is that vellany have a golden sheen to them like that of a dawn on their fur and scales.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Enlightened Mind. You have advantage on all Wisdom saving throws against magic.
Diverse Talent. Having lived a laid-back life, you were able to devote your time to a pursuit you enjoyed. You are proficient in one skill, tool, or additional language of your choice.

Borial

The borial are one of the subgroups below the clouds. They made their homes within the earthly forests of the island of Lozor, remaining close to their origin. They are known for being more bestial than their other cousins, and they have the claws to prove it.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 1.
Claws. Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Rhundar

These panda dragons migrated westward to the more arid lands on the Endix continent. Living among the sands, they have carved out a niche as traders along the xeric routes connecting east and west. In such a business, they have learned not only the way of coin, but also the keen edge of the blade.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma or Dexterity score increases by 1.
Merchant's Skill. You are proficient in one Charisma based skill of your choice.
Defense Trained. Living as a merchant, you have learned to defend yourself if the need arises on the road. You are proficient with scimitars, shortsword, daggers, and hand crossbows.

Cobar

In contrast to the Borials, the cobar took up residence in the moist jungles and damp wetlands of southeast Endix, particularly along the chain of islands including Doru. They are skilled seafarers, though arguably one of the rarest of the panda dragon race.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Water Rider. You are proficient with water vehicles.
Deck Fighter. You have the know-how to use weapons best suited for fighting on sea as well as land. You are proficient with rapiers, longswords, and one ranged weapon of your choice.

Stalmok

Arguably the best known of the panda dragons below the clouds, the stalmok are the urban-based group that created the Jade Dragon Syndicate. For generations, the syndicate has primarily been comprised of stalmok panda dragons. They are arguably the most cunning of panda dragons, adopting a variety of traditions and techniques from around the cities of the world to add to their repertoire of shady dealings. Through this dirty work, they have become versed in magics to help along their nefarious schemes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Guile. You are proficient in one of the following skills of your choice: Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation, Stealth.
Magical Training. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Charisma is your casting modifier for this cantrip.

Widor

Perhaps the oldest and most enigmatic of the panda dragons below the clouds, the widor were supposedly one of the first panda dragons to have lain foot on the world below. It is said they were the origin of pandas. Much is unknown about them save that they populated the Wastes at some point, and rumoredly still do to an extent. However, most have rejoined with mainstream society outside, and many strange stories surround them.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1. As normal, you cannot increase a score over 20 with this feature.
Wanderer. You are proficient in one of the following skills of your choice: Survival, Nature, Perception, Animal Handling.
Enduring. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 11''	+2d8	170 lb.	× (1d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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