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Dragonkin

Dragonkin are smaller and more humanoid than their true dragon cousins, yet more intelligent than brutish drakes and wyverns.

Probably the greatest distinguishing feature of the dragonkin is their near-magical ability to bond with a non-dragonkin partner, traditionally a ryphorian. Living and working together— and often training to complement each other in combat—a dragonkin and his partner can develop such a deep bond that they begin to literally read each other’s thoughts, allowing them to act with perfect synchronization.

Dragonkin live according to tradition, yet those who make their homes in the cramped quarters of ships and space stations have a diminished ability to fly—a fact that drives a wedge between traditionalists and the newer breed, the latter of which claim that a good starship provides the only wings they need.

Dragonkin tend to be intimidatingly stoic to strangers but loyal and fun with their friends. While the Skyfire Legion has an unusually heroic code of ethics for a mercenary unit, dragonkin in general are no more good or evil than humans, finding their own religious or moral codes or simply doing whatever it takes to protect their friends and families. While legionaries don’t like to admit it, many dragonkin (and even their humanoid partners) are perfectly happy working for the chromatic-run corporations, conducting shady operations and making sure humanoids remain properly cowed. Dragonkin have a particularly complicated relationship with the vesk, as the normally aggressive reptilian race have ancient religious scriptures claiming that the spirits of the greatest warriors would be reincarnated elsewhere in a form suspiciously similar to the dragonkin, and thus vesk have always treated dragonkin with respect and deference, even when their two systems were at war.

The average terrestrial dragonkin is 15 to 20 feet long and weighs roughly 2,000 pounds, while the spacefaring variety can be as small as half that size.

Racial Traits

Ability Adjustments: +4 Str, –2 Dex

Hit Points: 6

Size and Type

Dragonkin are Large dragons with a space and reach of 10 feet.

Breath Weapon

As a standard action, a dragonkin can breathe a 30-foot cone of flame that deals 1d6 fire damage. At 3rd level, a dragonkin adds 1-1/2 × his character level to the damage. A creature in the cone can attempt a Reflex save for half damage (DC = 10 + half the dragonkin’s character level + his Constitution modifier). A dragonkin can’t use this ability again until he has taken a 10-minute rest to recover Stamina Points.

Draconic Immunities

Dragonkin are immune to sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against effects that cause paralysis.

Draconic Vision

Dragonkin gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision, meaning they can see in dim light as if it were normal light.

Flight

A dragonkin gains an extraordinary flight speed of 30 feet with average maneuverability. Until a dragonkin is 5th level, he must end his movement on the ground at the end of each turn or fall.

Partner Bond

A dragonkin can form a permanent bond with one willing non-dragonkin creature. Once this bond is made, a dragonkin cannot form another partner bond unless its current partner dies. A dragonkin and its partner can communicate with each other as if they both had telepathy with a range of 100 feet. In combat, when a dragonkin is within 30 feet of its partner, both creatures roll initiative checks separately and treat the higher result as the result for both of them.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Starfinder Alien Archive © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: John Compton, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Jason Keeley, Jon Keith, Steve Kenson, Isabelle Lee, Lyz Liddell, Robert G. McCreary, Mark Moreland, Joe Pasini, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, and Josh Vogt.