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Dragon (10 RP)
A dragon is a reptilian creature with magical or unusual abilities. A dragon race has the following features:
Dragons have the darkvision 60 feet racial trait.
Dragons have the low-light vision racial trait.
Dragons are immune to magical sleep effects and paralysis effects.
Dragons breathe, eat, and sleep.
Medium (0 RP): Medium races have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. A Medium creature has a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
Normal Speed (0 RP): The race has a base speed of 30 feet.
Standard (0 RP): Members of this race gain a +2 bonus to one physical ability score, a +2 bonus to one mental ability score, and a –2 penalty to any other ability score.
+Charisma, +Strength, -Wisdom
Standard (0 RP): Members of this race start with Common plus their racial language (if any). Furthermore, choose up to seven languages (except for Druidic or other secret languages). Members of this race with high Intelligence scores can choose from any of these additional languages.
Racial Language: Draconic
Additional Languages: Aquan, Auran, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan, Sylvan, Terran
RACIAL TRAITS
Natural Armor (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 natural armor bonus to their Armor Class.
Improved Natural Armor (1 RP): Prerequisite: Natural armor racial trait; Benefit: Members of this race gain a +1 natural armor bonus. Special: This racial trait can be taken multiple times. Each additional time you take this trait, increase its cost by 1 RP. Its effects stack.
TOTAL: 3RP, +2 natural armour
Skill Bonus (2 RP): Prerequisites: None; Benefits: Pick a single skill. Members of this race gain a +2 racial bonus on skill checks made with this skill. Alternatively, pick two related skills—each member of this race gains a +1 racial bonus on these skills during character creation. Special: This trait can be taken up to three times. Each time it is taken, choose a different skill (+2 bonus) or two different skills (+1 bonus on one of character's choice).
Black - Swim
Blue - Bluff
Green - Stealth
Red - Intimidate
White - Survival
Brass - Knowledge (local)
Bronze - Sense Motive
Copper - Perform (comedy)
Gold - Diplomacy
Silver - Heal
Breath Weapon (1 RP): Prerequisites: Aberration, construct, dragon, humanoid (reptilian), monstrous humanoid, or outsider (native) with ties to an elemental plane; Benefit: Choose one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. If the creature is an outsider (native), it must have ties to an elemental plane, and it must pick an energy that corresponds to the plane it has ties to (acid [earth], cold [water], electricity [air], or fire [fire]). Then pick either a 15-foot cone or a 20-foot line. Once per day, as a standard action, members of this race can make a supernatural breath weapon attack that deals 1d6 points of the damage type chosen in the area chosen. All creatures within the affected area must make a Reflex saving throw to avoid taking damage. The save DC against this breath weapon is 10 + 1/2 the user's character level + the user's Constitution modifier. Those who succeed at the save take no damage from the attack. Special: You can take this trait more than once. Each time you do so, the cost of this trait increases by 1 RP. When do, you can augment the breath weapon in the following ways (augmentations marked with an asterisk
-Extra Breath*: The member of this race can use its breath weapon an additional time per day.
-Increased Damage*: Increase the damage by an additional d6.
TOTAL: 3RP, 2d6
Energy Resistance (1 RP): Prerequisite: Outsider (native) with ties to an elemental plane; Benefit: Pick one of the following energy types that corresponds to the breath type of the Draconic heritage: acid (earth), cold (water), electricity (air), or fire (fire). Members of this race have resistance 5 to the corresponding energy type. Special: This trait can be taken more than once. Each time it is taken, select an additional energy type that corresponds to another elemental plane the race has ties to.
I haven't thought of flavour yet, but I'd like people's opinions on whether this is an attractive option for players and whether it serves well as a "Draconic" race.
I've waived the Outsider prerequisite to the Energy Resistance trait as I think it's definitely appropriate.
I would have liked to give the race claws or extra skills, alternate racial traits, maybe?
All ideas and thoughts welcome!
Why do they have a penalty to wisdom? Are they not particularly pensive? I would almost want to give these guys a dex penalty (as I guess I can more easily imagine dragon people as being more hulking and clumsy than generally absentminded).
I think you should make feats that step up the damage die of that breath weapon or alternately assign the breath weapon various status effects on a failed save. Otherwise, it becomes completely useless at higher levels. Maybe one feat could increase the damage to an amount of damage equal to 1/2 your character level and then another feat at level 16 or so could increase the damage to 1d6 per character level. Unlike a lot of racial abilities, those that deal raw damage are almost always going to be outmoded by other at-will attack options.
I too would drop the wisdom penalty, though I honestly don't know what should take its place. Then again, I'm also a bit hesitant whenever a race gets a strength bonus. If you want flavor over balance, I'd give them str and cha. For balance over flavor, give them con and cha.
I would suggest giving them a well balanced base form, and then let them unlock dragon stuff with feats. So wings, natural attacks, breath weapon etc. could all be unlocked by race feats.
They could also have some magical qualities.
Overall, it's a good start.
Okay thanks guys. Yeah, Wisdom was because, really, I didn't know what should take its place; I rationalised it with something about inherent draconic arrogance which can cloud their judgment.
I never thought about racial feats at all, awesome idea. Are there rules for designing feats in a balanced way?
Good point about the breath getting outmoded at higher levels. I was (am) very keen to include it because it's the iconic "dragon" ability, at least for the Western ones off which the Metallics and Chromatics are based.
Ah magical qualities, I wanted a different spell-like ability for each colour, like I have done for the skills. Would you advise dropping the breath to once a day 1d6 and adding the spell-like abilities?
Thanks for all the feedback!
The only stat that a dragon is deficient with is Dex.
The only rule of thumb I've ever heard when dealing with feats is that traits should be half a feat, so logically the reverse can also be a decent measure if there is any similarity.
My advice would be to look at similar feats and see how much they give and for what requirements. For example, I know a guy who has made several races that improve their spell like abilities with feats, and he always looks at the drow nobility feats as a guide.
For the breath weapon, I think it might be best to just let it scale with HD, and then make it once a day by default. Then let feats add uses per day and maybe status effects. With enough feats, it could even become unlimited uses per day, but with a recharge time.
You could also make spell like abilities accessible through feats. I think that makes more sense than totally nerfing the breath weapon for balance, or making them alternate race traits and making people choose one or the other.
You could give each color a bonus to spellcasting, increasing DCs or caster levels for certain schools or spells with certain descriptors. That wouldn't be overpowered but would give them something magical and flavorful by default.