Dragonborn in Dragonlance

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Clive Squire

Dragonborn, Children of Bah'Mut

Krynn has had a great deal of wars, many of them have involved dragons as part of the armies, both on the side of darkness and the side of light. The dragons of Krynn have been, for the most part, willing partners in the struggles of the mortal races. That was until the War of the Lance and the theft of the good dragon eggs.

During the War of the Lance, Takhisis gathered her evil servants together and spread them across the world to search for the hidden lairs of the good wyrms of Paladine and steal their precious eggs. Takhisis then working through her evil clerics and black robed mages, she corrupts the eggs of the good dragons and turns them into the foul draconic corruptions of dragonkind – draconians.

Even though the good dragons eventually went against the Oath that Queen Takhisis had forced the good dragons to give and entered the war, a whole generation of dragons had been forever lost into darkness. Then, no more than 30 years later, the Summer of Chaos came and more of dragonkind perished. Then the Dragon Purge in the wake of the arrival of the Dragon Overlords, devastated many of Krynn's metallic dragons, and they feared that their entire clans would lost to the world. To that end, the metallic dragons held council to discuss their options. For many months they deliberated about the state of the good dragon clans, the loss of their children, the absence of the gods and the Overlords.

During this deliberation, the silver dragon Solomirathnius arrived at the Isles of the Dragons from the Citadel of Light with the dark news about the creation of a new variety of evil dragon creation – dragonspawn. Dragonspawn were created by the Dragon Overlords in a fell rite that transformed mortals into draconic warriors, much like the draconians were in the War of the Lance.

With the information that was supplied by the Guardian of the Citadel, the great gold dragon Aurum, undertook a dangerous journey to see the creation of dragonspawn first hand, and from that work out the processes of their creation and see about undoing that process.

During his journey, Aurum found the companionship of a ragtag group of mortals, each with a similar goal in mind – to stop the Overlords from creating more spawn. Unfortunately, being mortals the companions soon fell prey to the attacks of the various servants of their selected Overlord, Frost.

In the last of those battles, Aurum and the surviving two members of his companions were trapped in a glacial cave near Morgash Bay, the forces of Frost covering large areas around them in search for them.

Aurum's companions, a stout-hearted dwarf from Hillhome named Harn Hammerstroke and the seafaring kender from Hylo, Foam Sea-knot, were critically injured. So bad were there injuries, that Aurum's magic could not save them. Aurum was torn between leaving them in the icy cave to die alone or his flight away from Southern Ergoth, drawing the forces of evil away from his friends.

At this critical juncture, just as it seemed that all was soon to be lost, Aurum decided to stay with his two companions, stay until the end came for them and comfort their journey into the otherworld. Aurum used his magic to alter the ice of the cave they were in, to form a slightly curved shell around the two injured mortals and began a night long meditation over them, praying to the long silent Paladine to guide and guard them as they slowly died.

As they two companions drew what Aurum thought were their lasts breaths within the icy shells, Aurum started to cry and some of those tears fell onto the shells. In that moment, the skin of the companions started to alter, becoming tougher and more scale-like, forcing the companions hair to fall out. The faces of the companions elongated and became more draconic and they gained sharp teeth and claws.

Aurum stood flabbergasted at the change that he had witnessed in his companions, too shocked to even notice that they had started to move and free themselves from the icy shell.

Aurum had, albeit unknowingly throughout the night, besieged the two companions to continue the fight against evil dragonkind and the Overlords, infusing them with his draconic magic to help strengthen and heal them. The companion had heard Aurum and had willingly dedicated themselves to his struggle and in that final act, Aurum shedding a tear, was the final catalyst which transformed the companions into the first of Krynn's dragonblood.

During the Age of Starbirth, the High God had laid down the laws of creation for the world of Krynn. Paramount in these laws was the Law of Balance. The evil Dragon Overlords had created the dragonspawn, forcefully changing captive creatures into foul draconic corruptions. Aurum, through love and the willingness to sacrifice had allowed a creature to choose: to either continue on their path or to be reborn into draconic flesh and fight the evils of dragonkind.

Creating Dragonborn Characters

Dragonborn characters use the information in Races of the Dragon for the Rite of Rebirth, amended with the information below. In all other ways, Krynnish dragonborn follow the information as presented in that book.

Dragonborns, called the Children of Bah'Mut after the ancient title that metallic dragons call the greatest God of Light and the father of dragonkind – Paladine, can only be created by the creature willingly and knowingly wishing to be transformed into a dragonblood and the assistance of a metallic dragon.

Only those that are truly dedicated to the cause of good dragondom and that have a good dragon sponsor them can ever hope to become dragonborn. The metallic dragon must help the aspirant in the construction of the egg-shaped construct and spends the night with the aspirant. If at the end of the night's ritual the aspirant meets all of the requirements for the Rite of Rebirth, he emerges at the end of the night as a dragonborn.

Dragonborn and Krynn's Classes

Mariners: Dragonborn who become mariners work to rid the oceans of the Queen of Darkness' spawn, the evil sea dragons and amphi dragons. Often they will quickly act on information leading to such creatures, and dispatch them.

Masters: Dragonborn do not easily take to the life of the master, the idea of applying themselves to one craft, profession or understanding is a hard concept for the proactive dragonborn to deal with. When a dragonborn enters one of the master classes, it is normally the master craftsman or master sage classes, as these allow the dragonborn to understand the dragons' arcane magics or histories and craft weapons and armours to aid them in their fight against evil dragondom.

Mystics: Dragonborn mystics tend to the hurts of those injured and harmed by the forces of evil dragonkind, seeking answers within themselves, they gracefully hand out mercy and administrations to those in need. Many mystic, still feeling the loss of the father of dragondom, Paladine, and take up a domain associated with him – Good, Law, Nobility, Protection or Sun.

Nobles: Dragonborn nobles see themselves as the rightful heirs to their fathers mortal realm, they seek to lead others in to the light of good, leading by example. The dragonborn noble's powerful presence is awe inspiring.

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