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Strixhaven

2021-07-17T08:27:14Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:7D00:A7D9:40DC:8F4C: /* Factions */

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Strixhaven is a school (as in university, not discipline) of magic on the plane of Arcavios. The school has five prominent colleges of magic, each hosting two opposing colors. The five colleges were founded some 700 years ago by five elder dragons. As you might have guessed, this is a setting chiefly for wizards but there is space for shamans, clerics, and druids as well.

==Lore==
At the birth of the world, as the mana of two worlds overlapped in conflicting ways, many forms of life adapted to the new structure and many new forms of life were spawned. Five particularly powerful vortices of overlapping mana became luminous spheres, from which hatched five dragons. These dragons have become emblems of the magic of the plane, living symbols of the clashing forces of the five dichotomies.

The Founder Dragons were the first to master the magic of the five opposing combinations. When the humanoid races arose, the dragons were at first angered that mortals would try to harness the wild forces of magic, but they came to realize that only through disciplined study would magic be in safe hands. So, centuries ago, the dragons founded an institution devoted to the study of the five mana dichotomies, and that institution is now known as Strixhaven. The five colleges were based around the magic mastered by each of those dragons.

To this day, the Founder Dragons roam the world, the five deadly sages of the skies. They no longer associate directly with Strixhaven, preferring to let the deans of the colleges speak in their stead. The dragons' wisdom is vast, but their tempers can be short. Mages seek them out only to learn the most elusive of secrets.

==Factions==
Although the main conflict of the plane is centred on not-Voldemort and not-Death Eaters trying to destroy not-Hogwarts for the evulz, the five colleges themselves are based on opposing colors of magic and like Hogwarts they like to encourage rivalries between themselves. They even have their own not-Quidditch sport, Mage Tower, to channel these rivalries, but unlike no-fun-allowed Hogwarts, students from different colleges are encouraged to fight each other in magical duels whenever necessary, the professors themselves encouraging and sometimes getting in on the action as well.

===Lorehold===
Named for the elder dragon Velomachus Lorehold, the college of Lorehold focuses on archaeomancy - that is, drawing magical power from the secrets of the past. Being red and white colors, they try to summon war spirits and awaken statues to fight for them in addition to slinging fireballs and lightning blasts at their rivals. Despite being the history nerds of the setting, their theme appears to revolve around being both sides of Indiana Jones but instead of ancient traps and crazy Nazis to deal with, the statues themselves can come alive with murderous intent...

Since their chief flavour is archaeology, Lorehold has a strong emphasis on artifacts, artifact creatures, and 3/2 Spirit tokens that represent reawakened ghosts of ancient warriors. They don't have a specific mechanic per se but they have surprising amounts of recursion and card advantage for a normally aggressive tempo color combination.

Their heads are Plargg, the Dean of Chaos representing red and Augusta, the Dean of Order representing white.

===Prismari===
The college of arts and performance, named for the elder dragon Galazeth Prismari. They focus on trying to create exquisite masterpieces through magic and paint or breath-taking performances full of fire and color and flaming colors too. They are obsessed with arts and crafts as their way of making bold and/or sophisticated artisitic statements. To give you an idea of how over-the-top they are, their orchestra is so metal their music summons literal thunderstorms and arcane explosions so they always have to practise outside.

Prismari is all about big spells and arguably some of the best ''Magecraft'' abilities in the set. While it is not represented with a keyword, specific Prismari instants and sorceries have an alternate in-box casting option that lets them discard the spell to create a Treasure token. They also often create 4/4 Elemental creature tokens as byproducts of their big spells.

Their heads are Uvilda, Dean of Perfection representing blue and Nassari, Dean of Expression representing red.

===Quandrix===
Who knew mathematics could be magical? The college of Quandrix was founded by elder dragon Tanazir Quandrix and represents all the math nerds out there. Except instead of throwing away the equations and formulas at the end of the day, Quandrix students channel them into elementals called Fractals which can grow exponentially in size through tinkering with the numbers. They like to view magic as formulas and theories to be solved, and programs to feed into gigantic Fractals to crush any who would stand in their way.

Quandrix are all about the big numbers and their spells reflect that with an added twist of duplicating creature tokens and +1/+1 counters. Their spells revolve around modifying and multiplying base power and toughness in various ways and creating 0/0 Fractal creature tokens to build up their numbers.

Their heads are Kianne, Dean of Substance representing green, and Imbraham, Dean of Theory representing blue.

===Silverquill===
The college of literature, debate and eloquence, Silverquill is all about language - and being vicious with it. Founded by the elder dragon Shadrix Silverquill, they draw power from words, verse, script and passage to quite literally bring curses and insults into life to attack their opponents. They have a sinister vibe to them but they're just really into perfection and eliteness.

Silverquill spells emphasise creating cheap and easy +1/+1 counters to put on their 2/1 flying Inkling tokens, and have a heavy emphasis on destruction of all kinds. They do also bring some relevance to +1/+1 counters being on things but otherwise run on a modest but deadly tempo.

Their heads are Embrose, Dean of Shadow representing black, and Shaile, Dean of Radiance representing white.

===Witherbloom===
Not just representing the cycle of life and death but also harnessing the power of both into their magic, the college of Witherbloom excels at all forms of life magic derived from sacrifice and ritual. Founded by the elder dragon Beledros Witherbloom, they cultivate Pests and other swamp nasties to use as blood sacrifices for their spells. They are the premier lifegain college with many spells centred around lifepoint manipulation and creature sacrifice.

Witherbloom like to create Pests, 1/1 creature tokens that net 1 life to the player upon dying. While this may not seem like much they can present a difficult challenge for opponents both on the attack and defense, especially when there are 'gain life' triggers waiting to go off. Their spells revolve around tons of incremental lifegain and graveyard recursion.

Their heads are Valentin, Dean of the Vein representing black, and Lisette, Dean of the Root representing green.

==D&D Content==
Naturally, Strixhaven was chosen to go the same route as [[Ravnica]] and [[Theros]] by becoming a setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]], with ''Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos''' hitting shelves on November 19 2021.

In June 2021, a preview of the book was launched with the [[Unearthed Arcana]] "Mages of Strixhaven", which introduced five new subclasses representing the five magical colleges. These introduced an entirely new mechanic to 5e; a subclass that can be taken by ''several'' core classes, and where rather than having a level-based fixed gain of subclass features, outside of the two 1st level features associated with each subclass, the player gets to choose one subclass feature when they hit a "gain a subclass feature" level in the appropriate core class, so long as that subclass feature is gated behind an equal or lower level.

Any subclass feature that grants bonus spells has the clause that each such spell counts as a class spell, but doesn't count against the character's number of spells known. This means Warlocks and <s> sorcerers</s>(sorcerers got on during Tasha's Cauldron) '''finally''' can get in on that Bonus Spell bandwagon and gain some much-needed versatility! On the other hand, it represents a massive power boost for many of the other classes who aren't wizards (and therefore have tremendous spell versatility already), druids (who could've got domain spells from many of their other subclass options anyway), or sorcerers (who had severe spell-availability options and desperately needed the new onrush of domain spell-equivalents most of their modern incarnations had). Warlocks and bards both get a bit much out of it. And warlocks have it really weird too, since one of their subclasses has a feature that can be recharged by spending spell slots: good for ''literally every other caster in the game'' but not them!

Also, in general, many of the subclasses have severe balance issues, from the Sage Companion breaking bounded accuracy on Intelligence checks (''guidance'' did that in more limited fashion from day one, but this one’s for free with no time limit and the two stack), to Witherbloom's brewable poison not only being comically underpowered but potentially only applying to a single piece of ammunition (the other two out of three options are good), to the Silverquill mage getting to not only turn a ''fireball'' (or any other damage spell) into one of two harder-to-resist damage types but plop a powerful secondary effect on it that goes through even if they save, charming or frightening whole rooms (and paradoxically giving elves and elf-derivatives advantage on said save that does nothing to stop said charm, or halflings and halfling-derivatives the same for frighten). And some of the choices for which classes get which subclasses are weird in terms of flavor or mechanics; the most artistically flavored subclass, the Prismari, isn't for bards because it focuses so heavily on elemental damage and bards don't get much, while the Quandrix, which is actually fairly druid-friendly in both the lore and the card game, doesn't let druids in for ''no'' obvious mechanical reason. Also, with Witherbloom having a 5th level spell, Greater Restoration, given to the subclass at 7th level (Where a players best spell slot is a 4th level), it doesnt really help with making one feel that the UA was given that much love and attention.

Overall, somehow, both an overambitious failure ''and'' undercooked and underbaked. How?! That's like being on fire ''underwater''! And between suddenly being dropped right as the book's been announced as part of a social media scheme, the general mediocre quality control of the ''Magic: The Gathering'' supplements, and the sympathetic-but-not-really-excusable fact that sunk-cost fallacy will have the devs reluctant to dump or radically change really ambitious ideas they probably worked really hard on just because of overwhelming negative response on the surveys, expect few if any changes to the final product.

The '''Mage of Lorehold''' can be taken by a [[Bard]], [[Warlock]] or [[Wizard]]. Its available subclass features are:
* Lorehold Spells: 1st level. Gain Sacred Flame and Comprehend Languages cantrips and these spells:
:::3rd knock, locate object
:::5th speak with dead, spirit guardians
:::7th arcane eye, stone shape
:::9th destructive wave, legend lore
* Ancient Companion: 1st level. After completing a short or long rest, you can create an animated statue companion in one of three flavors; Sage, Warrior or Healer.
* Lessons of the Past: 6th level. Your Ancient Companion gains a new bonus trait depending on which mode you activate it in.
* War Echoes: 10th level. Once per turn, after a creature you can see is hit by a successful attack roll, you can force the target to make a Wisdom save vs. your Spell DC or gain Vulnerability to a damage type inflicted by the attack until the end of its next turn - yes, this vulnerability applies to the triggering attack. You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.
* History's Whims: 14th level. As a bonus action, invoke the powers of chronal chaos for 1 minute. Each turn, choose one of three benefits; Luck (+d6 to saves vs. damage), Resistance (Resist Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing), or Swiftness (+15ft speed, ignore opportunity attacks). You can't benefit from the same benefit two turns in a row. Once used, you can't use History's Whims again until you either complete a long rest or spend a 4th level or higher spell slot.

The '''Mage of Prismari''' can be taken by a [[Druid]], [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerer]] or [[Wizard]]. Its available subclass features are:
* Creative Skills: 1st level. Gain 2 skills from this list; Acrobatics, Athletics, Nature, or Performance.
* Kinetic Artistry: 1st level. As a bonus action, you can Dash and apply either the Boreal Sweep (walk on water, creatures within 5ft must Strength save vs. your Spell DC or be knocked prone), Scorching Whirl (creatures within 5ft must Dexterity save vs. your Spell DC or take 1d4 + your spellcasting modifier Fire damage) or Thunderlight Jaunt (you can move through enemy spaces, and ignore opportunity attacks). You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.
* Favored Medium: 6th level. Whenever you finish a long rest, you gain Resistance to your choice of Cold, Fire or Lightning. Until your next long rest, whenever you use a spell slot to cast a spell that deals that damage type, you emit a 5ft aura until the end of your next nation that grants any creatures you choose Resistance to that same damage type.
* Focused Expression: 10th level. You gain a bonus whenever you activate Favored Medium, which can be activated whenever you deal damage to a target and only hits one specific target of your choice. If you pick Cold, the target takes +1d6 Cold damage and must Con save vs. your Spell DC or lose -10ft speed until the end of its next turn. If you pick Fire, the target takes +1d6 Fire damage and an ally within 30ft gains 1d6 temporary HP. If you pick Lightning, the target takes +1d6 Lightning damage and must Dex save vs. your Spell DC or be unable to use Reactions until the end of its next turn.
* Impeccable Physicality: 14th level. You gain Proficiency in Dexterity saves, unless you already have it, and when making a Dex save, treat all results of 9 or less as a 10.

The '''Mage of Quandrix''' can be taken by a [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerer]] or [[Wizard]]. Its available subclass features are:
* Quandrix Spells: 1st level. Gain Guidance, Guiding Bolt, and the following spells;
:::3rd enlarge/reduce, spike growth
:::5th aura of vitality, haste
:::7th control water, freedom of movement
:::9th circle of power, passwall
* Functions of Probability: 1st level. Whenever you cast a spell using a spell slot, you can choose to target either that same creature or another creature within 30ft, which could be yourself, and invoke either Diminishing Function (target must Wis save vs. your Spell DC or subtract -1d6 from the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn) or Supplemental Function (target can add +1d6 to its next attack roll or saving throw).
* Velocity Shift: 6th level. When a visible creature starts its turn or moves within 30 feet of you, you can spend a reaction to teleport that creature to any point you like within 30 feet - unwilling targets can resist with a successful Cha save vs. your Spell DC. You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.
* Null Equation: 10th level. Once per turn, after damaging a creature, you can force it to make a Con save vs. your Spell DC or suffer Disadvantage on Str and Dex saves as well as half damage with weapon attacks until the start of your next turn. You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.
* Quantum Tunneling: 14th level. You gain Resistance to Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing Damage and the Incorporeal Movement trait - you can move through objects and other creatures as if they were difficult terrain, but take 1d10 damage for every 5ft you move through them, and if you end your turn inside one, you are shunted into the nearest unoccupied space you last occupied.

The '''Mage of Silverquill''' can be taken by a [[Bard]], [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerer]] or [[Wizard]]. Its available subclass features are:
* Eloquent Appearance: 1st level. You gain either Sacred Flame or Vicious Mockery, as well as 2 skills from this list; Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion, or Insight.
* Silvery Barbs: 1st level. Immediately after a creature you can see within 60 feet of you succeeds on an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to demoralize the creature. Unless the creature is immune to being charmed, it rerolls the d20 and must use the lower roll. If the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw then fails, you can choose a different creature you can see within 60 feet of you (you can choose yourself). That creature is empowered, and can reroll one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw it makes within 1 minute and use the higher result. A creature can be empowered by only one use of this feature at a time. You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.
* Inky Shroud: 6th level. You gain Darkness as a bonus spell, and can cast it without using a spell slot 1/day, whereupon it gains these bonus traits; you can see through it as if it wasn't there, and if a creature starts its turn both in the darkness and in your line of sight, it takes 2d10 Psychic damage.
* Infusion of Eloquence: 10th level. When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can change the spell to either do Psychic damage and Frighten the target until the end of your next turn or to do Radiant damage and Charm the target until the end of your next turn. In both cases, you are the fixation of the Fear/Charm effect. You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.
* Word of Power: 14th level. You gain the powers of Deadly Despair (when a creature under Silvery Barbs fails its roll, you can instead give the target Vulnerability to one damage type until the end of your next choice) and Selfless Invocation (if a creature takes damage in 60 feet, you can use your Reaction to grant them Resistance to that damage, at the price of taking Psychic damage equal to the damage they suffer).

The '''Mage of Witherbloom''' can be taken by a [[Druid]] or [[Warlock]]. Its available subclass features are:
* Witherbloom Spells: 1st level. Gain Spare the Dying, Cure Wounds, Inflict Wounds, and the following bonus spells:
:::3rd lesser restoration, ray of enfeeblement
:::5th revivify, vampiric touch
:::7th blight, greater restoration
:::9th antilife shell, mass cure wounds
* Essence Tap: 1st level. As a bonus action, invoke the powers of either Overgrowth or Withering Strike for 1 minute. Invoking Overgrowth lets you spend 1 Hit Dice as a bonus action at the start of each subsequent turn to gain result + spellcasting modifier HP. Invoking Withering Strike allows you to change the damage type of your attacks to Necrotic and ignore Necrotic Resistance. You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.
* Witherbloom Brew: 6th level. Gain Proficiency with Herbalism Kits. After completing a long rest, you produce a number of Brews equal to your proficiency bonus; these Brews are magical potions that come in one of three flavors and retain their powers for 24 hours. You get to choose which flavor each individual Brew is. Fortifying Brews grant Resistance to either Cold, Fire, Necrotic, Poison or Radiant damage. Quickening Brews heal 2d6 damage as well as 1 disease (if any) and allow the drinker to end the Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned or Stunned effect. Toxifying Brews can be applied to a simple or martial weapon and remain potent for 1 hour; the first successful hit in that time inflicts +2d6 Poison damage and forces the target to Con save vs. your Spell DC or be Poisoned for 1 minute.
* Witherbloom Adept: 10th level. Once per turn when you deal necrotic damage or restore hit points using a spell, one target of the spell takes additional damage or regains additional hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
* Withering Vortex: 14th level. When you cast a spell using a spell slot that deals necrotic damage to any number of creatures that aren’t Undead or Constructs, choose one of the creatures that took damage. You drain an amount of life energy equal to half the damage dealt to the chosen creature. One creature other than yourself that you can see within 30 feet of you regains a number of hit points equal to the life energy drained You can use this power Proficiency Bonus times, and it recharges on a long rest.

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Bulette

2021-07-17T05:33:29Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:7D00:A7D9:40DC:8F4C:

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[[File:Bulette 5e.jpg|thumb]]
The '''Bulette''', also known as the '''Landshark''' is a voracious burrowing predator that looks a little like a shark grew legs and started burrowing through the ground instead of swimming through the water. Stupid, mean and hungry, they are some of the most devastating predators in the messed up ecology that is [[Dungeons & Dragons]], swiftly driving off or devouring anything that walks on land in the regions they lay waste to. Thus, they roam incessantly, constantly searching for the vibrations of prey.

Bulettes are one a small group of monsters inspired by a bundle of cheap Hong Kong "dinosaurs" (mostly bootleg knock models of Japanese [[kaiju]] from films like Godzilla and Ultraman) that [[Gary Gygax]] picked up at a local dime store; this makes it kin to the [[Rust Monster]] and [[Owlbear]].

In the D&D world, bulettes are believed to be one of many species of horrors created by mad wizards experimenting with [[fleshcrafting]] - specifically, they are supposed to the result of merging armadillos with snapping tortoises, and perhaps a dash of demon's ichor for extra meanness. In some editions, they are said to relish the flavor of [[halfling]] meat, but to find [[elf]]-flesh too disgusting to swallow and [[dwarf]] to be only marginally tastier than elves. It doesn't stop them from killing either race, mind you.

Bulettes were introduced in the very first issue of [[Dragon Magazine]], and then went on to appear in the [[Monster Manual]] for every edition from [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 1e through to 5th edition. Originally, bulettes were drawn with a more shark-like visage, complete with prominent spinal fin, but from 3rd edition onwards became more smooth and rounded-looking, making the shark-like aspects less visible.

==Bulettes Through the Ages==
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Bulette MM 1e 1.jpg|1e
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Bulette 2e.png
Bulette 3e.jpg|3e
Bulette 4e.jpg|4e
Bulette 5e.jpg|5e
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[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Monsters]]

Draconian

2021-07-17T02:37:42Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:7D00:A7D9:40DC:8F4C: /* 4th Additions */

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When it comes to races, the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] setting of [[Dragonlance]]... generally isn't remembered too fondly. This is, after all, the setting that not only gave us the "bungling incompetent [[Tinker Gnome]]s" and moronic Gully Dwarves as "comedic relief", but also unleashed the dreaded [[Kender]] upon the multiverse. It is also responsible for much of the Asshole [[Elf]] meme, of which the Armach-nesti are arguably the worst. But, despite this general ineptitude at giving us "goodly" races who are actually, y'know, ''good'', Dragonlance has a history of doing much better for the "bad guy" races.

Prior to this setting, the standard [[minotaur]] was a near-mindless beast, lounging in some smelly cave somewhere and scratching its balls as it waited for the next meal to stumble into range. Dragonlance gave them a civilization all of their own and made them unique, years before [[Warcraft]] would repeat the idea of a "minotaur civilization" with the Tauren. Dragonlance gave us [[ogre]]s who were something more than flea-ridden, particularly puny hill [[giant]]s. And, most importantly of all, Dragonlance gave us '''Draconians'''.

We don't really know what possessed Weiss & Hickman to say "Hey, since this setting is all about dragon-backed armies fighting, why don't we replace orcs with some sort of dragonoid?", but the end-result is perhaps the only well-known race from Dragonlance that's generally remembered fondly.

==In A Nutshell==
Draconians are a race of draconic humanoids, resembling a blending of the humanoid frame with distinct reptilian traits. Although there was some early edition waffling over how human-like their features were, leading to the notoriously hideous artwork for the Baaz in the 3e Dragonlance Campaign Setting splatbook, the ultimate picture that has stabilized over editions is very much like the [[lizardfolk]] or [[dragonborn]], the latter of whom can arguably be said to descend from the draconian concept.

Draconian abilities vary widely, depending upon the dragon whose bloodline they originate from. Most species are winged, with only Auraks lacking them, but flight is generally beyond them, and all species have at least one or two innate magical traits.

The most prominent example of this is their "Death Throes" trait; when slain, a draconian undergoes a powerful eruption of raw magical energy, which usually has very nasty consequences for anyone else around them. This is born from a mutation in the organ that, in a proper dragon, would provide a breath weapon; only the Auraks and the Flame Draconians have innate breath weapons, although in 3rd edition a feat allowed all draconians to develop a breath weapon.

Needless to say, going boom like this means draconians are very tough to revive - or even to ''Speak With Dead'' at. Only the high-level spells ''Resurrection'', ''True Resurrection'', and ''Wish'' can bring a departed draconian back to life. Takhisis keeps her secrets.

Draconians were born of evil magic, a ritual initially developed by an obscure Black Robes wizard named Brenn in the year 1015 Pre-Cataclysm. It wasn't until [[Takhisis]] secretly began plotting her return to Krynn in the Age of Despair that the ritual found its fruition. Through a blending of arcane and divine magic, united via the spittle of a malevolent chromatic dragon, unhatched dragon eggs could be transformed into massive groups of smaller, weaker humanoid dragons, which could then be used as more reliable slave-soldiers than the [[goblin]]s, [[hobgoblin]]s, [[ogre]]s and [[minotaur]]s which the various evil armies depended upon. Thus Takhisis became ''the'' queen of Krynn's darkness, up to which (say) Hiddukel had to catch.

However, despite this start, draconians are also creatures with souls of their own. Though brought up as beings of evil, that was a matter of culture, and they can choose otherwise. Since the fall of Takhisis and her vaunted Dragonarmies, the draconians of Krynn have since tried to find a place for themselves as a species, refusing to vanish into the dust of ages with their now-hated creator-deity.

To reflect this, draconians have actually been a playable PC race since at least third edition, with Baaz and Kapaaks appearing in the coerbook and the rest appearing in ''Dragons of Krynn'' - although that [[Level Adjustment]] is a killer, with breeds ranging from +4 LA to +12 LA. Baaz and Kapaks received a 4e update in [[Dragon Magazine]] #421, although much like the Dray it wasn't the best fit - at least they got mechanical variations that tried to emulate the original "feel" of the race.

==Draconians vs. Orcs==
The comparison between draconians and [[orc]]s is something that has grown more obscure over the editions, but in the early days of [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], the two filled much the same role.

See, orcs in those days were Lawful Evil in alignment, due to being the go-to mooks for dark clerics, evil wizards, and any other nefarious would-be warlord. They were aggressive and militaristic, but fell in line rapidly under those who showed off their strength, and served loyally until their "boss" was overthrown. (In later editions and in other settings, orcs would become more "the horde race", as Tolkien intended when there isn't a Dark Lord about; with [[hobgoblin]]s falling into "the evil army race" niche. That just goes to tell how First Edition ''Dragonlance'' is.)

Draconians fill this very niche in Dragonlance history. They are reliable, dependable, non-human troops that are associated with the forces of evil and used without care as expendable mooks by their masters. However, the draconians go about it in a very different way to their orcy counterparts on other worlds.

First and foremost, whilst orcs are (were) Lawful Evil as a general nature, draconians were only that way because they were brought up in the armies of the evil Takhisis. And even then it wasn't always successful - the "stealth operative" orientated Sivaks tended to be Neutral Evil, whilst the Baaz "grunts" usually quickly reverted to Chaotic Evil tendencies when let out from under their leaders' thumbs. Given the chance, many draconians gave up on evil and tried to find a new life for themselves, and modern generations are usually Neutral in some flavor.

Secondly, draconians, unlike orcs, are smart enough to hate being treated as disposable cannon fodder. The callous way they were treated by their creators bred dissent, and made draconians very quick to rebel or escape once the dragonarmies were broken. Finding out that their makers had planned to exterminate all of their females, dooming the race to die out, certainly didn't help.

Finally, with their innate magical abilities, draconians are just naturally far tougher and more dangerous than the standard orc.

==Draconian History==
The Draconians were born out of two things; Takhisis' desire for superior base troopers to the lowly [[goblinoid]]s and [[ogre]]s she had relied upon in the past, and her love for being a dick.

In 287 After Cataclysm, servitors of Takhisis stole the eggs of the goodly dragons from their lairs on the Dragon Isles. When the metallic parents woke up some nine years later, Takhisis blackmailed them: either remain neutral in the coming battle, or see their children slaughtered.

Then, once they agreed, Takhisis ordered her clerics to start experimenting on the captured eggs. (It was later retconned that she did this on Taladas, which by now hosted copious badlands with no good-aligned races around to observe. See below for the Sesk and Traag.) Although this came back to bite them in 352 AC, when the metallic dragons found out about this betrayal and, enraged, joined the forces of light in open war, it still resulted in the birth of the draconian race.

As the tide turned against Takhisis, desperate experiments on chromatic dragon eggs produced the first Noble Draconians, who were inherently goodly and so a terrible failure. Outmatched and overwhelmed, Takhisis' armies shattered, and the draconians fled en mass. Eventually, they founded a fledgeling city-state called Teyr, banding together and swearing that they would survive on their own terms, rather than being slaves and puppets.

==Base Draconians==
The most iconic form of draconians, Base Draconians - a term taken from alchemy, and which they personally find very insulting - are draconians born from the eggs of metallic dragons. Beyond this single trait, the draconians are more a collection of races than a single race - something only made worse by the fact that in some species, different genders [[-4 Str|have different inherent abilities]].

Classically, there are only five species of Base Draconian, but 4th edition added three more to the list in their Metallic Draconomicon; the Adamantine-blooded ''Adamaaz'', the Iron-blooded ''Ferak'', and the Cobalt-blooded ''Kobaaz''.

''Aurak'' draconians stem from the eggs of gold dragons, and are the rarest of the Base Draconians, as only a small number of Aurak hatchlings (1-3) are produced from each corrupted gold dragon egg. Wingless, they make up for this with powerful magical abilities, and served as the closest thing draconians had to generals from their own race, as well as powerful magical troopers. Male auraks can shapeshift into the forms of small animals, an ability that the females lack - at least, that's what their default racial profile says, their racial class makes no mention of it. All auraks can breathe clouds of noxious, blinding, toxic fumes, teleport a short distance 3/day, use a variant ''Disguise Self'' spell 3/day, launch bolts of force from its hands at-will, become invisible at will, cast ''Dominate Person'' 1/day and ''Suggestion'' at will, have high levels of Spell Resistance, and the spellcasting abilities of an 8th level [[Sorcerer]]. With incredible (+4) Intelligence and Charisma, and heightened (+2) Dexterity, it goes without saying that Auraks are proud and arrogant creatures, well and truly convinced of their superiority. The ''Death Throes'' of an Aurak come in the form of an explosion of raw magical force that vaporizes the corpse.

''Baaz'' draconians stem from the eggs of brass dragons, and are the most common of their kind. Hardy but pretty dumb, they were used as grunts. Naturally wild and uncontrolled, with a love of alcohol that fuels their boastful, aggressive, bullying nature. Bottom of the social ladder even after the War of the Lance, Baaz resent their perception as inferior to their kindred. Not helping matters is that they have no inherent magical abilities, other than their ''Death Throes'', which involves transforming into a statue of lifeless stone that crumbles into dust 1d4 minutes later. Sounds harmless, right? Well, not if you get your weapon caught in the corpse and are helpless whilst his buddies want to gut you. Funny thing is, their 3rd and 4th edition artwork depicts them with curling, ramlike horns, whilst their original description portrays them as having no horns. Likewise, female baaz are supposedly smarter, more capable and natural leaders, but have no mental bonuses and the only representation of this is an innate affinity for Diplomacy over the males' affinity for Bluff.

''Bozak'' draconians stem from the eggs of bronze dragons, and were used as junior officers and unit commanders during the War of the Lance. Cruel, cunning and devious, Bozaks make excellent use of their innate affinity for both melee combat and for magic; though not as powerful as the Auraks, the spellcasting abilities of a 4th level [[Sorcerer]] and modest Spell Resistance are nothing to sneeze at. In their ''Death Throes'', a Bozak's flesh crumbles to dust, before their bones explode violently in a cascade of flying, organic shrapnel.

''Kapaak'' draconians stem from the eggs of copper draconians, and were the second most common draconian after the Baaz. Serving as scouts, rogues and assassins, the independent-minded Kapaaks easily took to their new freedom. Weirdly, they supposedly have ''beards'', in the form of "short manes of dark brown or blonde hair hanging from either side of their mouths", although no artwork ever uses this, and for good reason. Male Kapaaks have powerful venom glands that secrete a toxic mucus, allowing them to deliver a venomous bite or poison a weapon's edge by licking it. Female Kapaaks don't have venom, and instead possess a "curative mucus" that heals 2d6 points of damage when applied to a wounded being. Both sexes have a Sneak Attack extraordinary ability that does +1d6 damage. Their ''Death Throes'' sees them dissolve into a 5ft-wide puddle of corrosive venom, which inflicts acid damage on whoever touches it until it evaporates in 1d6 rounds.

''Sivak'' draconians stem from the eggs of silver dragons. Like their progenitors, they are second in power, prominence and rarity only to the golden-blooded Auraks. The biggest of all base draconians at a whopping nine feet, they are also the only base draconians able to fly, and possess powerful tails that they can use as weapons. Male Sivaks are shapeshifters who can assume the form of humanoids they have killed; when slain, their ''Death Throes'' results in them either assuming the form of their killer (if a Large or smaller humanoid) for 3 days before crumbling into black soot (which is the most ''useless'' Death Throes yet) or exploding in a burst of flame. Female Sivaks instead have chameleonic properties; their shapeshifting is limited to a mere ''Disguise Self'' at-will spell-like ability, but also lets them blend into the background. Also, their ''Death Throes'' are always the "explode like a fireball" version.

==Noble Draconians==
When the metallic dragons learned what was being done with their eggs, naturally, they were pretty pissed off about it. So their first major operations were striking at the strongholds where Takhisis' minions were holding their eggs.

This put the servants of the Dark Queen into a bit of a pickle, as they'd always been rather careless with their draconian underlings and now found their "limitless" source of replacements cut off. In desperation, they tried to repeat the process by substituting the eggs of chromatic dragons, only to find, in a pesky case of that vaunted "Balance Between Good and Evil" Krynn so loves, the ritual was responding to the inherent darkness in the chromatic dragon eggs by aligning the resultant draconians with the light.

Naturally, they tried to exterminate them all, but a few have slipped away and still try to fight the good fight.

''Flame'' Draconians were created from the eggs of red dragons. Volatile and tempestuous as their ancestors, Flame Draconians are natural berserkers, but channel that rage into battling Takhisis and all other forces of darkness and evil. They have the innate ability to Rage as per an 8th-level [[Barbarian]], can fly, can cast a Fireball 3/day, have a breath weapon in the form of a cone of fire, and their ''Death Throes'' takes the form of exploding in a massive fireball. Needless to say, they're very, very good at burning down whatever stands in their way.

''Frost'' Draconians were engineered from the eggs of white dragons. Like their progenitors, they're fairly simple-minded creatures, but their natural temperament is gentle, easy-going, affable and sociable. They're poor diplomats because they're too straightforward and guileless, but they really just want to be friends. Of course, they can be as vicious as any white dragon when finally pushed too far. They are amongst the weakest of the noble draconians, and have no innate magic beyond their ''Death Throes'', which sees them freeze solid and then explode in a cascade of razor-sharp icicles. Weirdly, according to their racial class, they should have the Cold subtype, much as Flame Draconians have the Fire Subtype, but this is missing from their racial writeup.

''Lightning'' Draconians, formed from the eggs of blue dragons, were the first of their kind to exist and are generally considered the most noble and goodly of their kind. In fact, they're so pure spirited, they have the same Aura of Courage, Aura of Good, Divine Grace, Divine Health, Lay on Hands, Smite Evil, spells and Turn Undead abilities as a 6th level [[Paladin]]! And on top of that, a Lightning Draconian has the same abilities of flight and tail attack as a Sivak, can deliver a powerful electric shock with its touch or a metallic weapon, and its ''Death Throes'' takes the form of exploding in an arcing cascade of electricity, akin to a Chain Lightning spell.

''Vapor'' Draconians were born from the eggs of green dragons, and so inherit the intelligence and wisdom of their progenitors, but turned to a more benevolent bent. Non-violent by nature, they prefer to heal rather than harm. They were one of the very few races who were able to become [[Mystic]]s even before Chaos was released, and have natural adeptness in this field, gaining a single Mystic domain's granted power and bonus spells and the spellcasting ability of a 4th level Mystic. When slain, their ''Death Throes'' sees them dissolve into a swirling cloud of corrosive vapors.

''Venom'' Draconians are the corrupted (or perhaps ascended) progeny of black dragons. They have a natural affinity for the roguish arts, with a +1d6 Sneak Attack, and also possess a powerful poisonous bite. Like their Vapor Draconian kindred, they dissolve into acid as part of their ''Death Throes'', although slain Venom Draconians dissolve into a pool of corrosive liquid that lingers for 1d6 rounds.

==Failed Experiments==
No ritual gets off to a flying start immediately, and the draconians are no exception. Taladas is where you go to point and laugh at Takhisis' fail.

Initial experiments with brass dragon eggs produced the Traags, a lazy and cowardly race of pseudo-draconians whose lackluster drive for combat, low "birth rate" and tendency to fly into uncontrollable blood-lust fuelled rages when in combat made them distinctly less than a success. Although their birth rates are improving enough to keep their population stable where they're at.

Another round of experiments, conducted on silver dragon eggs, produced the Sesk, intelligent but physically frail and deformed creatures that were too weak to make effective fighters, and too reluctant to accept orders. Sesk were introduced in DLA1, a Taladas adventure, and not much picked up on elsewhere.

Once the ritual was refined and the first true draconians were produced, the surviving Traags and Sesk were simply abandoned on Taladas, the oft-forgotten "lost land" of Krynn, where they have eked out a living ever since. The Traag are making a decent go of it in Old Aurim. The Sesk by contrast are rare and presumably moribund.

Pseudo-draconians have no inherent magic, and can't even trigger the Death Throes power of their successful kin; Traags dissolve into a puddle of smelly slime upon death, whilst Sesk are reduced to a small mound of silvery dust.

==4e Additions==
The 4e draconians only appeared in brief, and so not much is known about the last three Base Draconians. Presumably, more information would have come out for them, perhaps even creating new Noble Draconians based on the Brown, Gray and Purple Dragons of 4e, but the edition's cancellation and replacement with 5th edition means we'll never know.

''Adamaaz'' draconians are born from Adamantine Dragon eggs. Indirect and evasive when in private, on the battlefield they make strong, dutiful, hardy soldiers. Their ''Death Throes'' takes the form of a powerful thunderclap that obliterates their remains in an explosion powerful enough to make other peoples' heads burst.

''Ferak'' draconians are born from Iron Dragon eggs. Aggressive, spiteful and brutal, they are born shock troopers. Their ''Death Throes'' see them explode into choking, blinding clouds of caustic rust.

''Kobaaz'' draconians are born from Cobalt Dragon eggs. Serious, disciplined and driven, they are natural warriors. Their ''Death Throes'' sees them freeze over, becoming a supernaturally cold sculpture of ice so frigid that just being near them can kill from frostbite.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
RacesDlanceBozak.jpeg| Bozak
</gallery>
{{D&D2e-Races}}

[[Category:Dragons]][[Category:Dragonlance]]

Draconian

2021-07-17T02:36:24Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:7D00:A7D9:40DC:8F4C: /* Failed Experiments */

{{NeedsImages}}
When it comes to races, the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] setting of [[Dragonlance]]... generally isn't remembered too fondly. This is, after all, the setting that not only gave us the "bungling incompetent [[Tinker Gnome]]s" and moronic Gully Dwarves as "comedic relief", but also unleashed the dreaded [[Kender]] upon the multiverse. It is also responsible for much of the Asshole [[Elf]] meme, of which the Armach-nesti are arguably the worst. But, despite this general ineptitude at giving us "goodly" races who are actually, y'know, ''good'', Dragonlance has a history of doing much better for the "bad guy" races.

Prior to this setting, the standard [[minotaur]] was a near-mindless beast, lounging in some smelly cave somewhere and scratching its balls as it waited for the next meal to stumble into range. Dragonlance gave them a civilization all of their own and made them unique, years before [[Warcraft]] would repeat the idea of a "minotaur civilization" with the Tauren. Dragonlance gave us [[ogre]]s who were something more than flea-ridden, particularly puny hill [[giant]]s. And, most importantly of all, Dragonlance gave us '''Draconians'''.

We don't really know what possessed Weiss & Hickman to say "Hey, since this setting is all about dragon-backed armies fighting, why don't we replace orcs with some sort of dragonoid?", but the end-result is perhaps the only well-known race from Dragonlance that's generally remembered fondly.

==In A Nutshell==
Draconians are a race of draconic humanoids, resembling a blending of the humanoid frame with distinct reptilian traits. Although there was some early edition waffling over how human-like their features were, leading to the notoriously hideous artwork for the Baaz in the 3e Dragonlance Campaign Setting splatbook, the ultimate picture that has stabilized over editions is very much like the [[lizardfolk]] or [[dragonborn]], the latter of whom can arguably be said to descend from the draconian concept.

Draconian abilities vary widely, depending upon the dragon whose bloodline they originate from. Most species are winged, with only Auraks lacking them, but flight is generally beyond them, and all species have at least one or two innate magical traits.

The most prominent example of this is their "Death Throes" trait; when slain, a draconian undergoes a powerful eruption of raw magical energy, which usually has very nasty consequences for anyone else around them. This is born from a mutation in the organ that, in a proper dragon, would provide a breath weapon; only the Auraks and the Flame Draconians have innate breath weapons, although in 3rd edition a feat allowed all draconians to develop a breath weapon.

Needless to say, going boom like this means draconians are very tough to revive - or even to ''Speak With Dead'' at. Only the high-level spells ''Resurrection'', ''True Resurrection'', and ''Wish'' can bring a departed draconian back to life. Takhisis keeps her secrets.

Draconians were born of evil magic, a ritual initially developed by an obscure Black Robes wizard named Brenn in the year 1015 Pre-Cataclysm. It wasn't until [[Takhisis]] secretly began plotting her return to Krynn in the Age of Despair that the ritual found its fruition. Through a blending of arcane and divine magic, united via the spittle of a malevolent chromatic dragon, unhatched dragon eggs could be transformed into massive groups of smaller, weaker humanoid dragons, which could then be used as more reliable slave-soldiers than the [[goblin]]s, [[hobgoblin]]s, [[ogre]]s and [[minotaur]]s which the various evil armies depended upon. Thus Takhisis became ''the'' queen of Krynn's darkness, up to which (say) Hiddukel had to catch.

However, despite this start, draconians are also creatures with souls of their own. Though brought up as beings of evil, that was a matter of culture, and they can choose otherwise. Since the fall of Takhisis and her vaunted Dragonarmies, the draconians of Krynn have since tried to find a place for themselves as a species, refusing to vanish into the dust of ages with their now-hated creator-deity.

To reflect this, draconians have actually been a playable PC race since at least third edition, with Baaz and Kapaaks appearing in the coerbook and the rest appearing in ''Dragons of Krynn'' - although that [[Level Adjustment]] is a killer, with breeds ranging from +4 LA to +12 LA. Baaz and Kapaks received a 4e update in [[Dragon Magazine]] #421, although much like the Dray it wasn't the best fit - at least they got mechanical variations that tried to emulate the original "feel" of the race.

==Draconians vs. Orcs==
The comparison between draconians and [[orc]]s is something that has grown more obscure over the editions, but in the early days of [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], the two filled much the same role.

See, orcs in those days were Lawful Evil in alignment, due to being the go-to mooks for dark clerics, evil wizards, and any other nefarious would-be warlord. They were aggressive and militaristic, but fell in line rapidly under those who showed off their strength, and served loyally until their "boss" was overthrown. (In later editions and in other settings, orcs would become more "the horde race", as Tolkien intended when there isn't a Dark Lord about; with [[hobgoblin]]s falling into "the evil army race" niche. That just goes to tell how First Edition ''Dragonlance'' is.)

Draconians fill this very niche in Dragonlance history. They are reliable, dependable, non-human troops that are associated with the forces of evil and used without care as expendable mooks by their masters. However, the draconians go about it in a very different way to their orcy counterparts on other worlds.

First and foremost, whilst orcs are (were) Lawful Evil as a general nature, draconians were only that way because they were brought up in the armies of the evil Takhisis. And even then it wasn't always successful - the "stealth operative" orientated Sivaks tended to be Neutral Evil, whilst the Baaz "grunts" usually quickly reverted to Chaotic Evil tendencies when let out from under their leaders' thumbs. Given the chance, many draconians gave up on evil and tried to find a new life for themselves, and modern generations are usually Neutral in some flavor.

Secondly, draconians, unlike orcs, are smart enough to hate being treated as disposable cannon fodder. The callous way they were treated by their creators bred dissent, and made draconians very quick to rebel or escape once the dragonarmies were broken. Finding out that their makers had planned to exterminate all of their females, dooming the race to die out, certainly didn't help.

Finally, with their innate magical abilities, draconians are just naturally far tougher and more dangerous than the standard orc.

==Draconian History==
The Draconians were born out of two things; Takhisis' desire for superior base troopers to the lowly [[goblinoid]]s and [[ogre]]s she had relied upon in the past, and her love for being a dick.

In 287 After Cataclysm, servitors of Takhisis stole the eggs of the goodly dragons from their lairs on the Dragon Isles. When the metallic parents woke up some nine years later, Takhisis blackmailed them: either remain neutral in the coming battle, or see their children slaughtered.

Then, once they agreed, Takhisis ordered her clerics to start experimenting on the captured eggs. (It was later retconned that she did this on Taladas, which by now hosted copious badlands with no good-aligned races around to observe. See below for the Sesk and Traag.) Although this came back to bite them in 352 AC, when the metallic dragons found out about this betrayal and, enraged, joined the forces of light in open war, it still resulted in the birth of the draconian race.

As the tide turned against Takhisis, desperate experiments on chromatic dragon eggs produced the first Noble Draconians, who were inherently goodly and so a terrible failure. Outmatched and overwhelmed, Takhisis' armies shattered, and the draconians fled en mass. Eventually, they founded a fledgeling city-state called Teyr, banding together and swearing that they would survive on their own terms, rather than being slaves and puppets.

==Base Draconians==
The most iconic form of draconians, Base Draconians - a term taken from alchemy, and which they personally find very insulting - are draconians born from the eggs of metallic dragons. Beyond this single trait, the draconians are more a collection of races than a single race - something only made worse by the fact that in some species, different genders [[-4 Str|have different inherent abilities]].

Classically, there are only five species of Base Draconian, but 4th edition added three more to the list in their Metallic Draconomicon; the Adamantine-blooded ''Adamaaz'', the Iron-blooded ''Ferak'', and the Cobalt-blooded ''Kobaaz''.

''Aurak'' draconians stem from the eggs of gold dragons, and are the rarest of the Base Draconians, as only a small number of Aurak hatchlings (1-3) are produced from each corrupted gold dragon egg. Wingless, they make up for this with powerful magical abilities, and served as the closest thing draconians had to generals from their own race, as well as powerful magical troopers. Male auraks can shapeshift into the forms of small animals, an ability that the females lack - at least, that's what their default racial profile says, their racial class makes no mention of it. All auraks can breathe clouds of noxious, blinding, toxic fumes, teleport a short distance 3/day, use a variant ''Disguise Self'' spell 3/day, launch bolts of force from its hands at-will, become invisible at will, cast ''Dominate Person'' 1/day and ''Suggestion'' at will, have high levels of Spell Resistance, and the spellcasting abilities of an 8th level [[Sorcerer]]. With incredible (+4) Intelligence and Charisma, and heightened (+2) Dexterity, it goes without saying that Auraks are proud and arrogant creatures, well and truly convinced of their superiority. The ''Death Throes'' of an Aurak come in the form of an explosion of raw magical force that vaporizes the corpse.

''Baaz'' draconians stem from the eggs of brass dragons, and are the most common of their kind. Hardy but pretty dumb, they were used as grunts. Naturally wild and uncontrolled, with a love of alcohol that fuels their boastful, aggressive, bullying nature. Bottom of the social ladder even after the War of the Lance, Baaz resent their perception as inferior to their kindred. Not helping matters is that they have no inherent magical abilities, other than their ''Death Throes'', which involves transforming into a statue of lifeless stone that crumbles into dust 1d4 minutes later. Sounds harmless, right? Well, not if you get your weapon caught in the corpse and are helpless whilst his buddies want to gut you. Funny thing is, their 3rd and 4th edition artwork depicts them with curling, ramlike horns, whilst their original description portrays them as having no horns. Likewise, female baaz are supposedly smarter, more capable and natural leaders, but have no mental bonuses and the only representation of this is an innate affinity for Diplomacy over the males' affinity for Bluff.

''Bozak'' draconians stem from the eggs of bronze dragons, and were used as junior officers and unit commanders during the War of the Lance. Cruel, cunning and devious, Bozaks make excellent use of their innate affinity for both melee combat and for magic; though not as powerful as the Auraks, the spellcasting abilities of a 4th level [[Sorcerer]] and modest Spell Resistance are nothing to sneeze at. In their ''Death Throes'', a Bozak's flesh crumbles to dust, before their bones explode violently in a cascade of flying, organic shrapnel.

''Kapaak'' draconians stem from the eggs of copper draconians, and were the second most common draconian after the Baaz. Serving as scouts, rogues and assassins, the independent-minded Kapaaks easily took to their new freedom. Weirdly, they supposedly have ''beards'', in the form of "short manes of dark brown or blonde hair hanging from either side of their mouths", although no artwork ever uses this, and for good reason. Male Kapaaks have powerful venom glands that secrete a toxic mucus, allowing them to deliver a venomous bite or poison a weapon's edge by licking it. Female Kapaaks don't have venom, and instead possess a "curative mucus" that heals 2d6 points of damage when applied to a wounded being. Both sexes have a Sneak Attack extraordinary ability that does +1d6 damage. Their ''Death Throes'' sees them dissolve into a 5ft-wide puddle of corrosive venom, which inflicts acid damage on whoever touches it until it evaporates in 1d6 rounds.

''Sivak'' draconians stem from the eggs of silver dragons. Like their progenitors, they are second in power, prominence and rarity only to the golden-blooded Auraks. The biggest of all base draconians at a whopping nine feet, they are also the only base draconians able to fly, and possess powerful tails that they can use as weapons. Male Sivaks are shapeshifters who can assume the form of humanoids they have killed; when slain, their ''Death Throes'' results in them either assuming the form of their killer (if a Large or smaller humanoid) for 3 days before crumbling into black soot (which is the most ''useless'' Death Throes yet) or exploding in a burst of flame. Female Sivaks instead have chameleonic properties; their shapeshifting is limited to a mere ''Disguise Self'' at-will spell-like ability, but also lets them blend into the background. Also, their ''Death Throes'' are always the "explode like a fireball" version.

==Noble Draconians==
When the metallic dragons learned what was being done with their eggs, naturally, they were pretty pissed off about it. So their first major operations were striking at the strongholds where Takhisis' minions were holding their eggs.

This put the servants of the Dark Queen into a bit of a pickle, as they'd always been rather careless with their draconian underlings and now found their "limitless" source of replacements cut off. In desperation, they tried to repeat the process by substituting the eggs of chromatic dragons, only to find, in a pesky case of that vaunted "Balance Between Good and Evil" Krynn so loves, the ritual was responding to the inherent darkness in the chromatic dragon eggs by aligning the resultant draconians with the light.

Naturally, they tried to exterminate them all, but a few have slipped away and still try to fight the good fight.

''Flame'' Draconians were created from the eggs of red dragons. Volatile and tempestuous as their ancestors, Flame Draconians are natural berserkers, but channel that rage into battling Takhisis and all other forces of darkness and evil. They have the innate ability to Rage as per an 8th-level [[Barbarian]], can fly, can cast a Fireball 3/day, have a breath weapon in the form of a cone of fire, and their ''Death Throes'' takes the form of exploding in a massive fireball. Needless to say, they're very, very good at burning down whatever stands in their way.

''Frost'' Draconians were engineered from the eggs of white dragons. Like their progenitors, they're fairly simple-minded creatures, but their natural temperament is gentle, easy-going, affable and sociable. They're poor diplomats because they're too straightforward and guileless, but they really just want to be friends. Of course, they can be as vicious as any white dragon when finally pushed too far. They are amongst the weakest of the noble draconians, and have no innate magic beyond their ''Death Throes'', which sees them freeze solid and then explode in a cascade of razor-sharp icicles. Weirdly, according to their racial class, they should have the Cold subtype, much as Flame Draconians have the Fire Subtype, but this is missing from their racial writeup.

''Lightning'' Draconians, formed from the eggs of blue dragons, were the first of their kind to exist and are generally considered the most noble and goodly of their kind. In fact, they're so pure spirited, they have the same Aura of Courage, Aura of Good, Divine Grace, Divine Health, Lay on Hands, Smite Evil, spells and Turn Undead abilities as a 6th level [[Paladin]]! And on top of that, a Lightning Draconian has the same abilities of flight and tail attack as a Sivak, can deliver a powerful electric shock with its touch or a metallic weapon, and its ''Death Throes'' takes the form of exploding in an arcing cascade of electricity, akin to a Chain Lightning spell.

''Vapor'' Draconians were born from the eggs of green dragons, and so inherit the intelligence and wisdom of their progenitors, but turned to a more benevolent bent. Non-violent by nature, they prefer to heal rather than harm. They were one of the very few races who were able to become [[Mystic]]s even before Chaos was released, and have natural adeptness in this field, gaining a single Mystic domain's granted power and bonus spells and the spellcasting ability of a 4th level Mystic. When slain, their ''Death Throes'' sees them dissolve into a swirling cloud of corrosive vapors.

''Venom'' Draconians are the corrupted (or perhaps ascended) progeny of black dragons. They have a natural affinity for the roguish arts, with a +1d6 Sneak Attack, and also possess a powerful poisonous bite. Like their Vapor Draconian kindred, they dissolve into acid as part of their ''Death Throes'', although slain Venom Draconians dissolve into a pool of corrosive liquid that lingers for 1d6 rounds.

==Failed Experiments==
No ritual gets off to a flying start immediately, and the draconians are no exception. Taladas is where you go to point and laugh at Takhisis' fail.

Initial experiments with brass dragon eggs produced the Traags, a lazy and cowardly race of pseudo-draconians whose lackluster drive for combat, low "birth rate" and tendency to fly into uncontrollable blood-lust fuelled rages when in combat made them distinctly less than a success. Although their birth rates are improving enough to keep their population stable where they're at.

Another round of experiments, conducted on silver dragon eggs, produced the Sesk, intelligent but physically frail and deformed creatures that were too weak to make effective fighters, and too reluctant to accept orders. Sesk were introduced in DLA1, a Taladas adventure, and not much picked up on elsewhere.

Once the ritual was refined and the first true draconians were produced, the surviving Traags and Sesk were simply abandoned on Taladas, the oft-forgotten "lost land" of Krynn, where they have eked out a living ever since. The Traag are making a decent go of it in Old Aurim. The Sesk by contrast are rare and presumably moribund.

Pseudo-draconians have no inherent magic, and can't even trigger the Death Throes power of their successful kin; Traags dissolve into a puddle of smelly slime upon death, whilst Sesk are reduced to a small mound of silvery dust.

==4th Additions==
The 4e draconians only appeared in brief, and so not much is known about the last three Base Draconians. Presumably, more information would have come out for them, perhaps even creating new Noble Draconians based on the Brown, Gray and Purple Dragons of 4e, but the edition's cancellation and replacement with 5th edition means we'll never know.

''Adamaaz'' draconians are born from Adamantine Dragon eggs. Indirect and evasive when in private, on the battlefield they make strong, dutiful, hardy soldiers. Their ''Death Throes'' takes the form of a powerful thunderclap that obliterates their remains in an explosion powerful enough to make other peoples' heads burst.

''Ferak'' draconians are born from Iron Dragon eggs. Aggressive, spiteful and brutal, they are born shock troopers. Their ''Death Throes'' see them explode into choking, blinding clouds of caustic rust.

''Kobaaz'' draconians are born from Cobalt Dragon eggs. Serious, disciplined and driven, they are natural warriors. Their ''Death Throes'' sees them freeze over, becoming a supernaturally cold sculpture of ice so frigid that just being near them can kill from frostbite.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
RacesDlanceBozak.jpeg| Bozak
</gallery>
{{D&D2e-Races}}

[[Category:Dragons]][[Category:Dragonlance]]

Draconian

2021-07-17T02:35:09Z

2603:8001:3500:CB:7D00:A7D9:40DC:8F4C: /* Noble Draconians */

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When it comes to races, the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] setting of [[Dragonlance]]... generally isn't remembered too fondly. This is, after all, the setting that not only gave us the "bungling incompetent [[Tinker Gnome]]s" and moronic Gully Dwarves as "comedic relief", but also unleashed the dreaded [[Kender]] upon the multiverse. It is also responsible for much of the Asshole [[Elf]] meme, of which the Armach-nesti are arguably the worst. But, despite this general ineptitude at giving us "goodly" races who are actually, y'know, ''good'', Dragonlance has a history of doing much better for the "bad guy" races.

Prior to this setting, the standard [[minotaur]] was a near-mindless beast, lounging in some smelly cave somewhere and scratching its balls as it waited for the next meal to stumble into range. Dragonlance gave them a civilization all of their own and made them unique, years before [[Warcraft]] would repeat the idea of a "minotaur civilization" with the Tauren. Dragonlance gave us [[ogre]]s who were something more than flea-ridden, particularly puny hill [[giant]]s. And, most importantly of all, Dragonlance gave us '''Draconians'''.

We don't really know what possessed Weiss & Hickman to say "Hey, since this setting is all about dragon-backed armies fighting, why don't we replace orcs with some sort of dragonoid?", but the end-result is perhaps the only well-known race from Dragonlance that's generally remembered fondly.

==In A Nutshell==
Draconians are a race of draconic humanoids, resembling a blending of the humanoid frame with distinct reptilian traits. Although there was some early edition waffling over how human-like their features were, leading to the notoriously hideous artwork for the Baaz in the 3e Dragonlance Campaign Setting splatbook, the ultimate picture that has stabilized over editions is very much like the [[lizardfolk]] or [[dragonborn]], the latter of whom can arguably be said to descend from the draconian concept.

Draconian abilities vary widely, depending upon the dragon whose bloodline they originate from. Most species are winged, with only Auraks lacking them, but flight is generally beyond them, and all species have at least one or two innate magical traits.

The most prominent example of this is their "Death Throes" trait; when slain, a draconian undergoes a powerful eruption of raw magical energy, which usually has very nasty consequences for anyone else around them. This is born from a mutation in the organ that, in a proper dragon, would provide a breath weapon; only the Auraks and the Flame Draconians have innate breath weapons, although in 3rd edition a feat allowed all draconians to develop a breath weapon.

Needless to say, going boom like this means draconians are very tough to revive - or even to ''Speak With Dead'' at. Only the high-level spells ''Resurrection'', ''True Resurrection'', and ''Wish'' can bring a departed draconian back to life. Takhisis keeps her secrets.

Draconians were born of evil magic, a ritual initially developed by an obscure Black Robes wizard named Brenn in the year 1015 Pre-Cataclysm. It wasn't until [[Takhisis]] secretly began plotting her return to Krynn in the Age of Despair that the ritual found its fruition. Through a blending of arcane and divine magic, united via the spittle of a malevolent chromatic dragon, unhatched dragon eggs could be transformed into massive groups of smaller, weaker humanoid dragons, which could then be used as more reliable slave-soldiers than the [[goblin]]s, [[hobgoblin]]s, [[ogre]]s and [[minotaur]]s which the various evil armies depended upon. Thus Takhisis became ''the'' queen of Krynn's darkness, up to which (say) Hiddukel had to catch.

However, despite this start, draconians are also creatures with souls of their own. Though brought up as beings of evil, that was a matter of culture, and they can choose otherwise. Since the fall of Takhisis and her vaunted Dragonarmies, the draconians of Krynn have since tried to find a place for themselves as a species, refusing to vanish into the dust of ages with their now-hated creator-deity.

To reflect this, draconians have actually been a playable PC race since at least third edition, with Baaz and Kapaaks appearing in the coerbook and the rest appearing in ''Dragons of Krynn'' - although that [[Level Adjustment]] is a killer, with breeds ranging from +4 LA to +12 LA. Baaz and Kapaks received a 4e update in [[Dragon Magazine]] #421, although much like the Dray it wasn't the best fit - at least they got mechanical variations that tried to emulate the original "feel" of the race.

==Draconians vs. Orcs==
The comparison between draconians and [[orc]]s is something that has grown more obscure over the editions, but in the early days of [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], the two filled much the same role.

See, orcs in those days were Lawful Evil in alignment, due to being the go-to mooks for dark clerics, evil wizards, and any other nefarious would-be warlord. They were aggressive and militaristic, but fell in line rapidly under those who showed off their strength, and served loyally until their "boss" was overthrown. (In later editions and in other settings, orcs would become more "the horde race", as Tolkien intended when there isn't a Dark Lord about; with [[hobgoblin]]s falling into "the evil army race" niche. That just goes to tell how First Edition ''Dragonlance'' is.)

Draconians fill this very niche in Dragonlance history. They are reliable, dependable, non-human troops that are associated with the forces of evil and used without care as expendable mooks by their masters. However, the draconians go about it in a very different way to their orcy counterparts on other worlds.

First and foremost, whilst orcs are (were) Lawful Evil as a general nature, draconians were only that way because they were brought up in the armies of the evil Takhisis. And even then it wasn't always successful - the "stealth operative" orientated Sivaks tended to be Neutral Evil, whilst the Baaz "grunts" usually quickly reverted to Chaotic Evil tendencies when let out from under their leaders' thumbs. Given the chance, many draconians gave up on evil and tried to find a new life for themselves, and modern generations are usually Neutral in some flavor.

Secondly, draconians, unlike orcs, are smart enough to hate being treated as disposable cannon fodder. The callous way they were treated by their creators bred dissent, and made draconians very quick to rebel or escape once the dragonarmies were broken. Finding out that their makers had planned to exterminate all of their females, dooming the race to die out, certainly didn't help.

Finally, with their innate magical abilities, draconians are just naturally far tougher and more dangerous than the standard orc.

==Draconian History==
The Draconians were born out of two things; Takhisis' desire for superior base troopers to the lowly [[goblinoid]]s and [[ogre]]s she had relied upon in the past, and her love for being a dick.

In 287 After Cataclysm, servitors of Takhisis stole the eggs of the goodly dragons from their lairs on the Dragon Isles. When the metallic parents woke up some nine years later, Takhisis blackmailed them: either remain neutral in the coming battle, or see their children slaughtered.

Then, once they agreed, Takhisis ordered her clerics to start experimenting on the captured eggs. (It was later retconned that she did this on Taladas, which by now hosted copious badlands with no good-aligned races around to observe. See below for the Sesk and Traag.) Although this came back to bite them in 352 AC, when the metallic dragons found out about this betrayal and, enraged, joined the forces of light in open war, it still resulted in the birth of the draconian race.

As the tide turned against Takhisis, desperate experiments on chromatic dragon eggs produced the first Noble Draconians, who were inherently goodly and so a terrible failure. Outmatched and overwhelmed, Takhisis' armies shattered, and the draconians fled en mass. Eventually, they founded a fledgeling city-state called Teyr, banding together and swearing that they would survive on their own terms, rather than being slaves and puppets.

==Base Draconians==
The most iconic form of draconians, Base Draconians - a term taken from alchemy, and which they personally find very insulting - are draconians born from the eggs of metallic dragons. Beyond this single trait, the draconians are more a collection of races than a single race - something only made worse by the fact that in some species, different genders [[-4 Str|have different inherent abilities]].

Classically, there are only five species of Base Draconian, but 4th edition added three more to the list in their Metallic Draconomicon; the Adamantine-blooded ''Adamaaz'', the Iron-blooded ''Ferak'', and the Cobalt-blooded ''Kobaaz''.

''Aurak'' draconians stem from the eggs of gold dragons, and are the rarest of the Base Draconians, as only a small number of Aurak hatchlings (1-3) are produced from each corrupted gold dragon egg. Wingless, they make up for this with powerful magical abilities, and served as the closest thing draconians had to generals from their own race, as well as powerful magical troopers. Male auraks can shapeshift into the forms of small animals, an ability that the females lack - at least, that's what their default racial profile says, their racial class makes no mention of it. All auraks can breathe clouds of noxious, blinding, toxic fumes, teleport a short distance 3/day, use a variant ''Disguise Self'' spell 3/day, launch bolts of force from its hands at-will, become invisible at will, cast ''Dominate Person'' 1/day and ''Suggestion'' at will, have high levels of Spell Resistance, and the spellcasting abilities of an 8th level [[Sorcerer]]. With incredible (+4) Intelligence and Charisma, and heightened (+2) Dexterity, it goes without saying that Auraks are proud and arrogant creatures, well and truly convinced of their superiority. The ''Death Throes'' of an Aurak come in the form of an explosion of raw magical force that vaporizes the corpse.

''Baaz'' draconians stem from the eggs of brass dragons, and are the most common of their kind. Hardy but pretty dumb, they were used as grunts. Naturally wild and uncontrolled, with a love of alcohol that fuels their boastful, aggressive, bullying nature. Bottom of the social ladder even after the War of the Lance, Baaz resent their perception as inferior to their kindred. Not helping matters is that they have no inherent magical abilities, other than their ''Death Throes'', which involves transforming into a statue of lifeless stone that crumbles into dust 1d4 minutes later. Sounds harmless, right? Well, not if you get your weapon caught in the corpse and are helpless whilst his buddies want to gut you. Funny thing is, their 3rd and 4th edition artwork depicts them with curling, ramlike horns, whilst their original description portrays them as having no horns. Likewise, female baaz are supposedly smarter, more capable and natural leaders, but have no mental bonuses and the only representation of this is an innate affinity for Diplomacy over the males' affinity for Bluff.

''Bozak'' draconians stem from the eggs of bronze dragons, and were used as junior officers and unit commanders during the War of the Lance. Cruel, cunning and devious, Bozaks make excellent use of their innate affinity for both melee combat and for magic; though not as powerful as the Auraks, the spellcasting abilities of a 4th level [[Sorcerer]] and modest Spell Resistance are nothing to sneeze at. In their ''Death Throes'', a Bozak's flesh crumbles to dust, before their bones explode violently in a cascade of flying, organic shrapnel.

''Kapaak'' draconians stem from the eggs of copper draconians, and were the second most common draconian after the Baaz. Serving as scouts, rogues and assassins, the independent-minded Kapaaks easily took to their new freedom. Weirdly, they supposedly have ''beards'', in the form of "short manes of dark brown or blonde hair hanging from either side of their mouths", although no artwork ever uses this, and for good reason. Male Kapaaks have powerful venom glands that secrete a toxic mucus, allowing them to deliver a venomous bite or poison a weapon's edge by licking it. Female Kapaaks don't have venom, and instead possess a "curative mucus" that heals 2d6 points of damage when applied to a wounded being. Both sexes have a Sneak Attack extraordinary ability that does +1d6 damage. Their ''Death Throes'' sees them dissolve into a 5ft-wide puddle of corrosive venom, which inflicts acid damage on whoever touches it until it evaporates in 1d6 rounds.

''Sivak'' draconians stem from the eggs of silver dragons. Like their progenitors, they are second in power, prominence and rarity only to the golden-blooded Auraks. The biggest of all base draconians at a whopping nine feet, they are also the only base draconians able to fly, and possess powerful tails that they can use as weapons. Male Sivaks are shapeshifters who can assume the form of humanoids they have killed; when slain, their ''Death Throes'' results in them either assuming the form of their killer (if a Large or smaller humanoid) for 3 days before crumbling into black soot (which is the most ''useless'' Death Throes yet) or exploding in a burst of flame. Female Sivaks instead have chameleonic properties; their shapeshifting is limited to a mere ''Disguise Self'' at-will spell-like ability, but also lets them blend into the background. Also, their ''Death Throes'' are always the "explode like a fireball" version.

==Noble Draconians==
When the metallic dragons learned what was being done with their eggs, naturally, they were pretty pissed off about it. So their first major operations were striking at the strongholds where Takhisis' minions were holding their eggs.

This put the servants of the Dark Queen into a bit of a pickle, as they'd always been rather careless with their draconian underlings and now found their "limitless" source of replacements cut off. In desperation, they tried to repeat the process by substituting the eggs of chromatic dragons, only to find, in a pesky case of that vaunted "Balance Between Good and Evil" Krynn so loves, the ritual was responding to the inherent darkness in the chromatic dragon eggs by aligning the resultant draconians with the light.

Naturally, they tried to exterminate them all, but a few have slipped away and still try to fight the good fight.

''Flame'' Draconians were created from the eggs of red dragons. Volatile and tempestuous as their ancestors, Flame Draconians are natural berserkers, but channel that rage into battling Takhisis and all other forces of darkness and evil. They have the innate ability to Rage as per an 8th-level [[Barbarian]], can fly, can cast a Fireball 3/day, have a breath weapon in the form of a cone of fire, and their ''Death Throes'' takes the form of exploding in a massive fireball. Needless to say, they're very, very good at burning down whatever stands in their way.

''Frost'' Draconians were engineered from the eggs of white dragons. Like their progenitors, they're fairly simple-minded creatures, but their natural temperament is gentle, easy-going, affable and sociable. They're poor diplomats because they're too straightforward and guileless, but they really just want to be friends. Of course, they can be as vicious as any white dragon when finally pushed too far. They are amongst the weakest of the noble draconians, and have no innate magic beyond their ''Death Throes'', which sees them freeze solid and then explode in a cascade of razor-sharp icicles. Weirdly, according to their racial class, they should have the Cold subtype, much as Flame Draconians have the Fire Subtype, but this is missing from their racial writeup.

''Lightning'' Draconians, formed from the eggs of blue dragons, were the first of their kind to exist and are generally considered the most noble and goodly of their kind. In fact, they're so pure spirited, they have the same Aura of Courage, Aura of Good, Divine Grace, Divine Health, Lay on Hands, Smite Evil, spells and Turn Undead abilities as a 6th level [[Paladin]]! And on top of that, a Lightning Draconian has the same abilities of flight and tail attack as a Sivak, can deliver a powerful electric shock with its touch or a metallic weapon, and its ''Death Throes'' takes the form of exploding in an arcing cascade of electricity, akin to a Chain Lightning spell.

''Vapor'' Draconians were born from the eggs of green dragons, and so inherit the intelligence and wisdom of their progenitors, but turned to a more benevolent bent. Non-violent by nature, they prefer to heal rather than harm. They were one of the very few races who were able to become [[Mystic]]s even before Chaos was released, and have natural adeptness in this field, gaining a single Mystic domain's granted power and bonus spells and the spellcasting ability of a 4th level Mystic. When slain, their ''Death Throes'' sees them dissolve into a swirling cloud of corrosive vapors.

''Venom'' Draconians are the corrupted (or perhaps ascended) progeny of black dragons. They have a natural affinity for the roguish arts, with a +1d6 Sneak Attack, and also possess a powerful poisonous bite. Like their Vapor Draconian kindred, they dissolve into acid as part of their ''Death Throes'', although slain Venom Draconians dissolve into a pool of corrosive liquid that lingers for 1d6 rounds.

==Failed Experiments==
No ritual gets off to a flying start immediately, and the draconians are no exception. Taladas is where you go to point and laugh at Takhisis' fail.

Initial experiments with brass dragon eggs produced the Traags, a lazy and cowardly race of pseudo-draconians whose lackluster drive for combat, low "birth rate" and tendency to fly into uncontrollable blood-lust fuelled rages when in combat made them distinctly less than a success. Although their birth rates are improving enough to keep their population stable where they're at.

Another round of experiments, conducted on silver dragon eggs, produced the Sesk, intelligent but physically frail and deformed creatures that were too weak to make effective fighters, and too reluctant to accept orders. Sesk were introduced in DLA1, a Taladas adventure, and not much picked up on elsewhere.

Once the ritual was refined and the first true draconians were produced, the surviving Traags and Sesk were simply abandoned on Taladas, the oft-forgotten "lost land" of Krynn, where they have eeked out a living ever since. The Traag are making a decent go of it in Old Aurim. The Sesk by contrast are rare and presumably moribund.

Pseudo-draconians have no inherent magic, and can't even trigger the Death Throes power of their successful kin; Traags dissolve into a puddle of smelly slime upon death, whilst Sesk are reduced to a small mound of silvery dust.

==4th Additions==
The 4e draconians only appeared in brief, and so not much is known about the last three Base Draconians. Presumably, more information would have come out for them, perhaps even creating new Noble Draconians based on the Brown, Gray and Purple Dragons of 4e, but the edition's cancellation and replacement with 5th edition means we'll never know.

''Adamaaz'' draconians are born from Adamantine Dragon eggs. Indirect and evasive when in private, on the battlefield they make strong, dutiful, hardy soldiers. Their ''Death Throes'' takes the form of a powerful thunderclap that obliterates their remains in an explosion powerful enough to make other peoples' heads burst.

''Ferak'' draconians are born from Iron Dragon eggs. Aggressive, spiteful and brutal, they are born shock troopers. Their ''Death Throes'' see them explode into choking, blinding clouds of caustic rust.

''Kobaaz'' draconians are born from Cobalt Dragon eggs. Serious, disciplined and driven, they are natural warriors. Their ''Death Throes'' sees them freeze over, becoming a supernaturally cold sculpture of ice so frigid that just being near them can kill from frostbite.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
RacesDlanceBozak.jpeg| Bozak
</gallery>
{{D&D2e-Races}}

[[Category:Dragons]][[Category:Dragonlance]]