Pseudodragon (5e Race)

Pseudodragon

Design Note: See Tiny Player Characters (5e Variant Rule)

Differing from their lesser kin, this sub-sect of psudodragons have higher intelligence and the ability to speak.

Physical Description

A typical pseudodragon

Pseudodragons resemble cat sized red dragons with a sinuous stinger at the end of their tail. Their colour varies between lush scarlet, deep burgundy and fire orange. They stand in a quadruped stance, but have articulate hands.

History

A God of Knowledge found their kind to have potential, then deciding to grant some a boost of intellect. The newly enlightened pseudodragons grouped together and ventured into the world; some mages attempted to take some of these more intelligent pseudodragons as familiars but were met with ferocity as the pseudodragons wanted to have their own lives, thus many became mages themselves in order to prevent themselves from becoming familiars or to spite the norm of spellcasters.

Society

As with normal pseudodragons, they revel in knowledge and such many of superior intellect choose to become mages and thus are often found in associated places. They generally don't have their own culture, choosing to learn and involve themselves with another race's or order's society. This means that individual pseudodragons can have vastly different customs and ideals to one another.

Pseudodragon Names

Many pseudodragons of this variety draw from the Draconic language like the dragonborn but also draw from notable scholarly figures or create derivations of deities that they align with in honor of them.

Male: Apophis, Arjhan, Balasar, Ghesh, Heskan, Kriv, Medrash, Mehen, Nadarr, Ogmal, Pandjed, Patrin, Rhogar, Socrates, Tarhun, Torinn

Female: Akra, Biri, Farideh, Freya, Harann, Hypatia, Jheri, Kava, Korinn, Mishann, Mystril, Perra, Raiann, Sora, Surina, Thava, Uadjit

Pseudodragon Traits

A more intelligent variant of the smallest of dragons.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Age. Pseudodragons, being cousins of true dragons, share their long life. They mature at the age of 5 and can live for 160 years.
Alignment. Most pseudodragons are pleasant in demeanor, commonly being neutral leaning towards good. Extreme and evil alignments are incredibly rare, but not unheard of.
Size. Pseudodragons are commonly cat-sized, with their tail equal length to their bodies, they stand to about a foot at the shoulder and are often 2-3 feet long. Your size is Tiny.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 15 feet and you have a flying speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dragon. You may be the smallest of the dragons but you are still a dragon. Your creature type is dragon.
Keen Senses. You are proficient in the Perception skill.
Language of Emotion. You can magically communicate simple ideas, emotions, and images telepathically with any creature within 100 feet of you that can understand a language. This form of telepathy doesn't allow the receiving creature to telepathically respond.
Stinger. When you make a melee attack against a creature within 5 feet of you, as a bonus action you can attempt to strike a creature with your tail dealing 1d4 piercing damage. You are considered proficient with this attack and it uses your Dexterity modifier. In addition, when you do this, you may attempt to poison the creature forcing them to make a Constitution saving throw equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failed save, the target becomes poisoned for 1 minute. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target falls unconscious for the same duration, or until it takes damage or another creature uses an action to shake it awake. You cannot use this poison again until you finish a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common, and Draconic.

Random Length and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
1′ 8''	+2d8	5 lb.	× 1 lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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