Half-Dragon

Gold, silver and bronze dragons can take demihuman shape, and in that guise they occasionally father children on demihuman women, usually elves, dwarves or gnomes. A newborn shows little sign of its sire beyond gold, silver or bronze eyes or hair. Draconic gifts awaken in adolescence and strengthen with time and use, changing the body as they come.

Whatever the mother's race, an adult is very tall and slender with an elvish cast of long limbs, pointed ears and wiry build. Its skin feels demihuman but carries the dragon parent's color, and the thick, lustrous hair is a deeper shade. Fingers are long with talonlike nails. The face betrays the bloodline: slit serpent eyes, elongated features and faint horn nubs above the temples. There are no wings, tail or scales. Half-dragons speak their mother's language, and 20% also know a draconic one.

A half-dragon may use any weapon its class allows. It begins with all of its demihuman parent's racial abilities, which draconic abilities replace as they surface. Every variety, whether half-gold, half-silver or half-bronze, picks an optional ability at each of 2nd, 4th and 6th level, while set abilities arrive on their own at 5th and 7th.

Most grow up among their mother's people until their nature shows, then are banished or made miserable enough to go. Loners by habit, they become explorers and adventurers seeking somewhere to belong. They can follow any class and set up lairs in remote borderlands between dragon and demihuman territory.

They eat what their mother's people eat. Lifespans top out at 240 years for half-bronzes, 310 for half-silvers and 350 for half-golds.