Metallic Dragon Player Character Race
My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit or There and Back Again
Dragons are legendary creatures. Metallic dragons in the guise of a humanoid are almost always on some sort of grand mission, sent by visions from Bahumat or some other great deity. Other dragons, such as a Copper dragon, might be in thirst for adventure and stories. All dragons have one thing in common, they love treasure. They tend to keep hordes of it and guard it with their lives. Younger dragons seek out places to maintain a horde, and collect treasure for it, while ancient dragons spend centuries sitting upon their collections. Dragons are powerful and curious creatures, and as such, your backstory should include a good reason as to why your Dragon character is adventuring instead of sitting atop a horde.
Dragon Traits
Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Dragons are Wyrmlings from the age of 5 or less. They are considered Young if they are between 6-100 years old. An Adult dragon is typically 101-800 years old, and ancient dragons are 801 years old and higher. They can live for up to 2000 years. A dragon adventurer must be a Young dragon.
Alignment. Metallic dragons serve good deities. Your alignment cannot be evil.
Size. While typical dragons are Medium (Wyrmling), Large (young), Huge (adult), and Gargantuan (ancient). Your size will be large.
Creature Type. Your type is considered Dragon. If you use your Shape change feature, you are still considered Dragon, but also have the Humanoid type, for the purposes of spells and abilities affecting Humanoids and Dragons.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 15 feet. You have a flying speed of 40 feet.
Darkvision. Dragons are accustomed to dark and dim light conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Natural Armor. Dragon scales are notoriously tough. Dragons cannot wear armor, wield weapons or a shield. They can benefit from necklaces or other forms of jewelry that might benefit your AC at DM discretion. As such, dragons calculate their AC as 11 + your Constitution modifier.
Claws. Your claws are natural melee weapons for you. You are proficient with them, and they deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier in slashing damage.
Breath Weapon. You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic subrace 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 subrace. 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 long rest. When you reach 14th level, you can use your breath weapon twice before a long rest, but only once per combat.
Shape change. Metallic dragons can shape shift into humanoids. As an action, you can turn into any humanoid of medium or small size. You can be any race you want, but you benefit from none of their racial features. Your base walking speed becomes 30 feet, and you lose all your features granted to you by your dragon form. You also lose any other bonuses to speed granted to you by your race. You retain only your Darkvision and elemental resistance while under the affects of Shape Change. In your humanoid form, you can wield weapons, armor, and shields as normal, as well as carry things. When you shape change back into your dragon form, you choose if everything you carry and wear merges with you or not. When Dragons shape change, they generally stick to one persona. A metallic dragon cannot shape change into another person that already exists.
Languages. You can speak Common and Draconic.
Subrace. There are five types of metallic dragons, each of which has their own resistance and breath weapon type. You retain your resistance granted by your draconic subrace in your humanoid form, but nothing else.
Gold Dragon
Gold dragons are resistant to fire damage, and their breath weapon deals fire damage in a 15 ft. cone, requiring a Dexterity saving throw. Gold dragons have a swimming speed of 10 ft. and the Amphibious trait- they can breathe air and water- while in their dragon form.
Silver Dragon
Silver dragons are resistant to cold damage, and their breath weapon deals cold damage in a 15 ft. cone, requiring a Constitution saving throw.
Brass Dragon
Brass dragons are resistant to fire damage, and their breath weapon deals fire damage in a 5 by 30 ft. line, requiring a Dexterity saving throw. Brass dragons have a burrow speed of 10 ft in their dragon form.
Bronze Dragon
Bronze dragons are resistant to lightning damage, and their breath weapon deals lightning damage in a 5 by 30 ft. line, requiring a Dexterity saving throw. Bronze dragons have a swimming speed of 10 ft. and the Amphibious trait- they can breathe air and water- while in their dragon form.
Copper Dragon
Copper dragons are resistant to Acid damage, and their breath weapon deals acid damage in a 5 by 30 ft. line, requiring a Dexterity saving throw. They also have a climbing speed of 10 ft. in their dragon form.
Racial Feats for Dragons
Here are a few racial feats specifically for Dragons. Take note of any prerequitsites before considering taking a feat.
Improved Humanoid Form
You gain the ability to shape change as a bonus action. You also gain one language and one tool proficiency, as you have adapted to life amongst humanoids.
Variant Rule (DM Discrection)
With DM permission, you can play a Chromatic Dragon. As a Chromatic Dragon, you lose the Shapechange option. Your alignment cannot be good. Your subrace can be one of these five:
Black: Your draconic resistance and damage is acid. It is a line attack, you gain the Amphibious trait and a swim speed of 10 ft.
Blue: Your draconic resistance and damage is lightning. It is a line attack, you gain a burrow speed of 10 ft.
Green: Your draconic resistance and damage is poison. It is a cone attack, you gain the Amphibious trait and a swim speed of 10 ft.
White: Your draconic resistance and damge is cold. It is a cone attack, you gain a burrow speed of 10 ft.
Red: Your draconic resistance an damge is fire. It is a cone attack, you gain a climb speed of 10 ft.
A note on spellcasting dragons
A Dragon can perform the somatic and verbal components of spells while in their dragon form. They may also provide material components, as equipment has merged with them. A DM can rule that material components cannot be provided.