Dragonborn

Note: The source document does not include the dragonborn racial traits block (or the dragon breath racial power); only the descriptive text and paragon path are present.

Physical Qualities

Dragonborn resemble humanoid dragons. They’re covered in scaly hide, but they don’t have tails. They are tall and strongly built, often standing close to 6½ feet in height and weighing 300 pounds or more. Their hands and feet are strong, talonlike claws with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. A dragonborn’s head features a blunt snout, a strong brow, and distinctive frills at the cheek and ear. Behind the brow, a crest of hornlike scales of various lengths resembles thick, ropy hair. Their eyes are shades of red or gold.

A typical dragonborn’s scales can be scarlet, gold, rust, ocher, bronze, or brown. Rarely do an individual’s scales match the hue of a chromatic or metallic dragon, and scale color gives no indication of the type of breath weapon a dragonborn uses. Most dragonborn have very fine scales over most of their body, giving their skin a leathery texture, with regions of larger scales on the forearms, lower legs and feet, shoulders, and thighs.

Young dragonborn grow faster than human children do. They walk hours after hatching, reach the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3 and reach adulthood by 15. They live about as long as humans do.

Playing a Dragonborn

To a dragonborn, honor is more important than life itself. First and foremost, honor is tied to battlefield conduct. Adversaries should be treated with courtesy and respect, even if they are bitter enemies. Caution and discretion are key to a warrior’s survival, but fear is a disease and cowardice is a moral failing. The drive to behave honorably extends into the rest of a dragonborn’s life: Breaking an oath is the height of dishonor, and attention to honesty extends to every word. A commitment made must be carried out. Ultimately, a dragonborn takes responsibility for his or her actions and their consequences.

A continual drive for self-improvement reveals an additional aspect of dragonborn honor. Dragonborn value skill and excellence in all endeavors. They hate to fail, and they push themselves to extreme efforts before they give up on something. A dragonborn holds mastery of a particular skill as a lifetime goal. Members of other races who share the same commitment find it easy to earn the respect of a dragonborn. The dragonborn dedication to honor and excellence sometimes leads others to view dragonborn as arrogant and proud. Most dragonborn share a great pride in their race’s past and present accomplishments, but they are also quick to admire the accomplishments of others. Even though the tiefling empire of Bael Turath was the enemy of the ancient dragonborn empire of Arkhosia, dragonborn recognize tieflings as worthy companions or opponents, admiring their strength and tenacity as friends or enemies.

Dragonborn seek adventure for the chance to prove their worth, win renown, and perhaps become champions about whom stories will be told for generations. To win everlasting glory through mighty deeds, daring exploits, and supreme skill—that is the dragonborn dream.

Dragonborn Adventurers

Three sample dragonborn adventurers are described below.

Bharash is a dragonborn warlord who leads a group of adventurers in search of riches and glory. Inspired by tales of the ancient heroes of Arkhosia, he seeks his destiny in battle. He dreams of someday leading a mighty army against an orc horde or a hobgoblin host, but he is content in the meantime to coordinate strikes against the lesser forces of evil he encounters in dungeons and ruins. He reveres Bahamut as the god of honor.

Harann is a fighter dedicated to the mastery of her chosen weapon, the bastard sword. She rises early every morning to practice combat maneuvers and constantly strives to master new techniques. Excellence with her weapon is symbolic to her; it represents excellence of character, the perfection of her spirit. When she has achieved perfect mastery of the bastard sword, she believes she will be perfect herself.

Donaar is a paladin of Erathis, the god of cities and civilization. He believes that the dragonborn race is destined to rise from the ashes of its ancient empire and to form a new nation carved from the wilderness. And he intends to be instrumental in that process. As a reminder of his heritage, he keeps a piece of the shell from which he hatched in an amulet around his neck. Although he sometimes thinks that pillaging dungeons is a waste of his effort, he occasionally unearths a remnant of the long-lost dragonborn empire. He believes he can put such items to use one day in forging a new empire for his people.

Racial Paragon Path: Scion of Arkhosia

“By the blood of Io, you will fall!”

Scions of Arkhosia are the descendants of the noble dragonborn heroes of the fallen empire of Arkhosia. In the years since that empire fell, its heirs have scattered across the world, their lineage and heritage confused or lost in the darkness of the present age. Most dragonborn spend their lives unaware of what sort of potential lies within them, but a few manage to awaken and master their hidden reserves of power.

You are one of these scions, and you have begun the long and arduous process of unlocking the power of your noble blood. Your ancestry places you closer to your dragon kin than other dragonborn are. As a result, you gain a greater mastery over your dragon breath, able to alter its substance at will. The clearest sign of your noble heritage, though, is the draconic wings that begin to form on your back as soon as you adopt this paragon path. They take some time to grow strong and large enough to sustain short bursts of flight, but they mark you unmistakably as what you are: a hero of your people reborn.

Path Features

Scion of Arkhosia Powers

You must land at the end of this movement.