Class: Dragon
The rampaging drake. The elemental wyrm. The sorcerous serpent. With colors ranging the spectrum of the rainbow and the coin purse, dragons come in many varieties. The word “dragon” brings an image to everyone’s mind, but no two images are the same.
Whether a noble protector of what is right, or a greedy monster out to take what they deserve, dragons are proud, hailing from one of the oldest and most powerful creatures on the material world. But even beings whose power can rival the gods have to start somewhere.
Living Weapon
Dragons are beasts of fang and claw, wing and terrible breath, and innate magic. They are powerful in melee, with formidable natural weaponry and defenses. They are mobile combatants, using their wings to leap around and eventually fly through the battlefield. With their breath weapon, they excel at taking on hordes of weaker enemies, and their potent bites and claws excel at fighting single foes. As they grow older, they become more resilient, and their magic adds new capabilities. While they begin small, their size grows with age, marking new stages in their power.
Age and Power
Dragons start out as dangerous beasts from the moment they hatch, and they only get stronger with age. Some say the accumulation of treasure increases a dragon's power, encouraging some to adventure and see the world. Young dragons are more likely than adults to travel, not yet having the instinct to establish a lair.
Creating a Dragon
The dragon class is only accessible to the dragon hatchling race. There you chose your draconic lineage, be it a chromatic color or a metallic metal. Are you a common example of your kind, be it a talkative brass or a hateful red? Or are you uncommon, like a green who cares about their forest home or a silver who thinks they should rule the world?
Most dragons want little more than than a safe territory, a defensible lair, an enviable hoard, and respect (or fear), but you're different. What drives you to adventure? Do you have grand plans, or just believe it is your duty to make the world a better place? Is there simply more treasure to be gained in the wider world, or are you above such greedy needs? Decide what sets you apart from your solitary kin.
Quick Build
You can make a dragon quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score, and make Constitution or Charisma your second highest score (depending on which archetype you’re interested in). Second, choose the chromatic or metallic dragon background. Last, decide the nature of your starting hoard, such as coin, gem, or trinket composition.
The Dragon
Level-Proficiency-Bonus-Breath Weapon-Features
1st +2 — Draconic Lineage, Draconic Senses, Dragon Wings
2nd +2 3d6 Dragon Breath, Energy Immunity
3rd +2 3d6 Draconic Archetype, Alternate Form
4th +2 4d6 Ability Score Improvement
5th +3 5d6 Age Category (Wyrmling)
6th +3 5d6 Dragon Wings (Short flight)
7th +3 6d6 Archetype Feature
8th +3 7d6 Ability Score Improvement
9th +4 7d6 Dragon Magic
10th +4 8d6 Draconic Resilience
11th +4 9d6 Age Category (Young)
12th +4 9d6 Ability Score Improvement
13th +5 10d6 Archetype Feature
14th +5 11d6 Dragon Wings (True Flight)
15th +5 11d6 Dragon Magic
16th +5 12d6 Ability Score Improvement
17th +6 13d6 Recharge Breath
18th +6 13d6 Frightful Presence, Archetype Feature
19th +6 14d6 Ability Score Improvement
20th +6 15d6 Living Legend
Optional Rule: Multiclassing
If your group uses the optional rule on multiclassing, here's what you need to know if you choose dragon as one of your classes.
First Class. Members of the True Dragon race must take their first class level in the Dragon class. Discuss with your DM how aging and leveling will be handled.
Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character, you must have at least a Strength score of 13 to take a level in another class.
Spell Slots. If your dragon archetype grants spell slots (like the Serpent archetype), add one third your levels (rounded up) in the dragon class to the appropriate levels from other classes to determine your available spell slots.
As a dragon, you gain the following class features
Hit Dice: 1d12 per dragon level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution Modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier per dragon level after 1st
Armor: None
Weapons: None
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose three from Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, and Persuasion.
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
50 gp worth of treasure (such as 5 10 gp gemstones, 50 gp, or a mix of gems and coins)
Your draconic lineage is decided upon your racial package: Black, Blue, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Green, Red, Silver, and White. Your choice of color determines the energy type of your breath weapon (see below) and your energy immunity (see below), as well as your dragon magic feature later. This elemental power builds within you and threatens to escape. When you hit with your bite attack, you deal an additional 1d4 points of damage of your lineage's energy type. This damage improves as you increase in age category (see below).
A dragon’s senses are especially keen, attuned to sights, sounds, and even smells and vibrations that other beings may miss. You gain blindsight with a 10 ft radius. Blindsight allows you to perceive your surroundings without relying on sight, within the specified radius. This counters certain kinds of invisibility (like the invisibility spell), but not others (like etherealness), but you still need to make Wisdom (Perception) checks to locate hidden creatures (they just are not able to use invisibility or darkness to hide, but they may use cover to hide). Neither blindness nor deafness will negate your Blindsight.
At 11th level, your blindsight reaches a 30 ft. radius and your darkvision improves to 120 ft.
While you were born with your wings, they take time and exercise to mature. You have some limited use of your wings, represented in various abilities which utilize a bonus action or a reaction. As you age and gain levels, your wings improve.
While your wings are not strong enough yet to allow you to fly, you can use them to propel you. You can use the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is both doubled and not penalized if you make a standing jump. Each foot of distance you clear with your jump costs a foot of movement, as usual.
You are able to use your wings to block and interfere with your opponent’s attacks. As a bonus action, you can gain a +2 bonus to your Armor class until the start of your next turn.
If you fall, as a reaction, your rate of descent slows to 60 feet per round until you land as you open your wings and hold them rigid. When you use this ability, you take no falling damage and land on your feet.
Starting at 6th level, your wings have become strong enough to allow you to fly to a limited degree. As a bonus action, you gain a fly speed equal to your land speed for one round, but you automatically fall at the end of your turn if you do not end your turn on solid ground. When you use this bonus action to fly, your space increases by 5 feet on each side, and you cannot fly if you would need to squeeze to fit in your space. For instance, a 6th level dragon’s space increases to 10 by 10 ft.
Starting at 14th level, you become far more adept flier, and no longer need to land. You gain a fly speed equal to your land speed (you can still use your bonus action for aided leap to dash and increase your speed). While you fly, your space increases by 5 feet on each size, and you cannot fly if you would need to squeeze to fit in your space. For instance, a 14th level dragon’s space increases to 15 by 15 ft. This replaces your Short Flight ability.
Starting at 2nd level, your draconic power has grown, and you can now manifest the dragon’s chief ability; your breath weapon. You can use an action to exhale destructive energy. Your energy affinity determines the damage type, and your subrace determines the size and shape of the exhalation: it is a 30 ft line for black, blue, brass, bronze, and copper dragons, and a 15 ft cone for gold, green, red, silver, and white dragons. This size increases as you gain levels (see Age Category below).
When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your draconic lineage: Dexterity for Black, Blue, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Red, and Constitution for Green, Silver, and White. You use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for your dragon breath.
Breath Weapon Save DC = 8 + your proficiency
bonus + your Constitution modifier
A creature takes 3d6 damage of your lineage’s energy type on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save. As you gain levels, your breath weapon’s damage increases, as shown on the Dragon table.
Once you use your breath weapon, you must complete a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Starting at 2nd level, the elemental power of your breath weapon enhances your energy resistance. You gain immunity to damage from your energy affinity: Acid for black and copper, Cold for silver and white, Fire for brass, gold, and red, Lightning for blue and bronze, and Poison for green. This immunity replaces your racial energy resistance. Most intelligent creatures know of a dragon’s energy resistance, but it will protect you from your own breath.
At 3rd level, you choose which draconic archetype you wish to follow. Choose Drake, Serpent, or Wyrm.