Dragonborn

Dragonborn are the third form of the dragonkin cycle. Creatures of dragons, they frequently act as leaders of Kobold dragon cults, working to better their draconic master in the hope of one day being reborn as a dragon themselves. Not all follow this path however, as some lose their memories as a side effect of being reborn as dragonborn from kobolds. These wander away from their nests, and generally are adopted into whatever society they first wander into. As a result, elf tribes, halfling and gnome cities, and human cities often have a minute population of dragonborn. These new residents generally adopt the attitudes of those who took them in, leading to dragonborn serving fiends, celestials, or none at all.

The one place that a dragonborn will almost never be found is in an orc city, as the orc relations with the giants cause them to destroy anything dragon related.

## In game mechanics

***Ability Score Increase.*** Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

***Age.*** Dragonborn emerge from their cocoon full grown, functionally adults upon birth. They can live up to ~80 years of age.

***Alignment.*** Dragonborn tend to extremes, following whatever they follow with great fervor. They will worship their dragon leader (if one is had) in public, though in secret they will worship a separate god.

***Size.*** Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

***Speed.*** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

***Draconic Type.*** During your kobold stage, you were naturally drawn to making traps with specific elements and themes and now you know why. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your breath weapon and damage resistance are determined by the dragon type, as shown in the table.

***Breath Weapon.*** You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation. 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 ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

***Damage Resistance.*** You have resistance to the damage type associated with your draconic type.

***Languages.*** You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.

### Subraces

Dragonborn have two subraces; Amnesiac and Dragon cultists

#### Amnesiac

Amnesiac dragonborn are biologically different from the typical dragonborn. This is evident in their memory, their age, their breath, and the fact that they are trapped as dragonborn for the rest of their lives.

***Flawed Process.*** Something went wrong in your making, whether it was genetic or just sheer luck is unknown. It ahs the following effects.

* You have no memory of your time as a kobold or lizardling.
* You age differently, living up to 200 years of age.
* Your breath weapon is intensified, granting you the Intensified Dragon's Breath feat.
* You are sterile and lack the ability to propagate more lizardlings into the world. The cycle ends with you. You cannot transform into a dragon.

***Adopted Culture.*** Wandering from the dragons nest, or kicked out, you moved into another peoples culture. As such, you get the following benefits from one culture that you pick.

 Human
 Dwarven
 Firbolg
 Smallfolk
of your choice

### Dragon Cultists

The dragonborn that are born as intended, without the flaw of amnesiacs. These dragonborn are much more vicious, and much more in line with the dragon cult they were raised in. They almost always serve celestials, a dragon lord, or themselves. Arrogant creatures, they adopt leadership roles well, and while it is rare to ever see a dragon cultist dragonborn in any civilization, it is conceivable that they would seek protection in another civilization, hiding as an amnesiac, while seeking to raise a clutch of dragons in secret.

Dragon cultists subrace is for all intents and purposes counted as a monstrous race. If you wish to play them, it must be approved by the DM.

***True Dragonkin.*** You are the perfect example of a creature, the only one better being a dragon. As such, you gain the following benefits.

* You can lay eggs of lizardlings, growing them into kobolds over time, growing the kobolds into dragonborn.
* You can transform into a dragon once it feels correct. It requires ~5000 gp worth of objects, and a three month time period to do so.

***Natural Leader.*** You gain the Inspiring Leader feat, provided you have a 13 charisma.

## Two peoples

The dragonborn are effectively two different races in terms of their cultures and abilities.

### Amnesiac

Dragonborn amnesiacs, a flawed dragonborn occuring in 4% of transformations, are rare and are effectively not part of the dragonkin cycle. They are sterile, unable to propagate more lizardlings, and are unable to become dragons. These two features serve to alienate them from all other dragonkin, and if they are kept around, they are treated as an other, not an insider, in their dragonkin circles.

#### Outsiders to their own people

Amnesiac dragonborn may be kept around in a dragonkin cult. When they are kept around, it is ultimately a disappointing affair for all involved. As they are sterile, they are treated as advisors to any higher form, and kobolds will not follow their orders. They may be kept around by other dragonborn as enforcers, though these dragonborn will mistreat them, and if the amnesiac dragonborn possesses too much knowledge or power, are in danger of being killed by a dragon cultist dragonborn. An amnesiac dragonborn is often driven away by this discrimination.

#### Adopted cultures

The amnesiac dragonborn are driven away from the dragonkin cults, whether they just wander away or they are driven away, they will often find acceptance in other cultures. The primary cultures they may find solace in are firbolg, human, dwarven, smallfolk, or elven peoples. They will be adopted into these cultures, fitting in more than they ever did in their own dragonkin cults.

### Dragon cultists

Dragon cultist dragonborn are the unflawed born of the dragonborn. They are natural leaders, and vicious. A dragon cultist leader is frequently violent, though they are not violent for no reason. Everything they do is calculated to forward their goals. While dragon cultists will frequently split off from a dragon cult if theres already a dragon or dragonborn ruling it, they can also raise their own cults, using them to amass wealth and protect them as they transform into a dragon.

Dragon cultists will not hesitate to kill threats to them, leading to a culture of dragonkin filled with fear of their leader. They reside in the fortified lairs of their kobold lessers, relying on them for most of the work, though they do not allow them to do anything important. Dragon cultists often will lead raids of kobolds against people they think they can beat, gathering wealth and destroying lesser beings. A dragon cultists ultimate goal is to become a dragon themselves, once they feel ready.

Occasionally, a dragon cult will be attacked or destroyed. During this time, a dragonborn dragon cultist will choose to flee, hiding in somewhere, whether that is a civilization, or a new cave. If they choose a civilization, they will pretend to be an amnesiac, while they secretly breed kobolds. This has lead to dragonborn crime lords infesting human cities, their kobold servants cementing them into power, along with their intelligence and leadership capabilities.

## Dragonkin

Dragonborn are part of the dragonkin cycle, listed in chronological order

* Lizardlings
* Kobolds
* Dragonborn
* Dragons