Dracon

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Dracon can refer to one of three things in a /tg/ context; a race from the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Spelljammer, a Dark Eldar unit in Warhammer 40,000, or a character from the lore of Vampire: The Masquerade.

D&D

The dracons are a scalykind race that have recently appeared on the fringes of the Known Spheres; in appearance, they are often likened to dragon or lizardfolk versions of centaurs, and in this they are a precursor to the Dracotaurs of 3rd edition. They have heavy, gray four-legged bodies with broad, flat, elephantine feet and long tails. Their torsos and arms are human, although their six-fingered hands end in claws, with a particularly pronounced thumb-claw that they use as a natural weapon for self-defense, like an iguanadon. Their heads are reptilian, with the horns and flanges of a dragon.

Dracons are herd creatures, and their lives are comprised of a series of formal rituals designed to allow them to interact with the herd with no dissension. To humans, dracon formality is seen as weak and snobbish; this is superficially supported by the dracon's willingness to flee or discuss a situation rather than fight. More than one human has been surprised, however, at how effective dracons are once the herd has made up its mind.

A lone dracon is a freak. Most dracons cannot survive outside the family unit, and become sick and confused if denied access to the leadership of the eldest of their herd for extended periods of time. A dracon left by itself will try to find another dracon family to adopt it. If this is impossible, it will attempt to form a new herd, even including nondracons in its "family."

Dracons use thin-bladed long swords in war. However, many dracon contests are resolved through a complex form of wrestling that doubles as an effective unarmed fighting form. Since their first contact with humans, the dracons have adopted many human weapons.

Dracons view humans, mind flayers, elves, and dwarves as "the deformed." They are polite and interested in nondracon society but view any creature with fewer than six limbs as disadvantaged. They are not good at distinguishing between the various nondracon races, particularly humans and demihumans, whom the dracons view as one race - leading to comical misunderstandings (or outright fights) when, say, a dracon confuses an elf for a dwarf, or introduces a hobgoblin to an orc. Dracons hate the neogi, but consider the beholders comical.

Dracon families are huge, and there is good evidence that all dracons are members of one enormous kin-group. Dracons use these kinship structures to figure out which dracon should head any herd, particularly if two herds merge, and leadership is always yielded to the more senior bloodline.

The dracon homeworld is dry, with grassy plains, desert, and shallow seas. Seasonal changes keep the herds moving across the landscape, preventing the dracons from establishing any large cities of their own. The exact location of their homeworld is not known to outsiders.

Dracons may be clerics (maximum l2th level) or fighters (maximum 14th level). Dracon clerics are called shalla: they draw their spells from the spheres of Animal, Combat, Creation, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, and Sun. They may not be multi-classed.

Dracons speak their own language and the languages of dragons. A few speak common, although haltingly and with thick accents. In addition, they may speak other languages at the DM's discretion. The number of languages they speak is governed by their Intelligence (see Table 4 in the Player's Handbook) or by the number of proficiency slots devoted to languages (if the optional proficiency system is used).

Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 11/18, Dexterity 3/17, Constitution 8/18, Intelligence 8/18, Wisdom 8/18, Charisma 3/18

Ability Score Adjustments: +1 Strength, -1 Dexterity

Alien: Like all races in the Complete Spacefarer's Handbook, a Dracon with a Charisma higher than 12 treats its Charisma as being 12 when interacting with non-Dracons.

Racial Class & Level Limtis: Cleric 12, Fighter 14

Thieving Skill Adjustments: +5% Open Locks, +10% Find/Remove Traps, -5% Move Silently, -5% Hide in Shadows, -20% Climb Walls, +5% Read Languages

Base Movement 18

Dracons take damage as Large creatures.

Dracons can make two 1d4 damage claw attacks in a single round, using their natural thumb-claws as defensive weapons.

Note that the Strength score for dracons refers only to their upper-body strength, whether lifting objects, swinging weapons, bending bars, lifting gates. opening doors, or performing a military press using their arms. A dracon can body-slam a heavy or stuck door, gaining +4 to its die roll to succeed. All dracons have a carrying capacity separate from their Strength scores.

A dracon can carry up to 150 pounds of weight in properly fitted containers on its back and still move at normal speed. It can carry up to 300 pounds at two-thirds speed (12) and up to 450 pounds at one-third speed (6). A dracon can also drag a wheeled or greased-bottom load of up to l,000 pounds at one-third speed (6) with a properly fitted harness.

40K

These guys are the Dark Eldar sons of bitches that lead Trueborn into battle, thus they are usually allowed second pick of the outlandish weaponry used by the Kabals. They usually either act as a captain (or even second-in-command) to an Archon or decide to dress up like their archon, which leads to all sorts of shenanigans when a rival archon makes the mistake and then shoots them to death. At least in that instance, the archon can rest satisfied knowing that their trusted lieutenant was disposed of before they became a nuisance without getting their hands dirty.

Mechanically, These guys were a sergeant upgrade to a squad of Trueborn, useful for mostly the leadership. Since most people wanted the trueborn for their ability to take more guns when compared to the basic warriors, they were usually equipped with more blasters. However, with 8th Edition axing Trueborn (and Hekatrix Bloodbrides, their Wych equivalents), their relevance has been put into question.

Vampire: The Masquerade

The Dracon was the second and favorite childe of the Tzimisce Antediluvian, whom he subsequently gave birth to in a canon act of mpreg.