Scourge of the Marshlands - There Be Dracotaurs

The figure of the centaur, in our world's myth, goes all the way back to Ancient Greece. Chiron was a wise instructor who helped Hercules complete the twelve labours. In Dungeons and Dragons, the centaurs are wise sages and fearsome warriors who live on the fringes of society. Or at least that's how I write them, if they're fast talking gunslingers from the old west then that's how you write them. There are no right answers, just new ideas.

It's a done thing to staple two creatures together to make a new one. Evolution did it with the platypus, and I did it with the porcuparrot. Looking at the centaur, I see two very common creatures pushed into one. Let's get strange.

Dracotaurs by Chris Seaman

Dracotaurs

The swamps and bogs far beyond the comforting walls of civilisation are home to many strange beings that want to wear your skin like high fashion and feed your eyes to their children like candy. Lizardfolk do this out of pragmatic survival. Dracotaurs do this for the love of the hunt.

In areas where the jungle is densest, keeping the treeline thick and the way treacherous, many can find columns of smoke and chanting in a strange dialect of draconic.

The dracotaurs are distinctly shaped. Their name was once a colloquial term in Common. They're draconic centaurs, with an upper torso like a reptilian humanoid, and the reptile body beneath them. Natural claws and extended fangs are natural weapons that each individual dracotaur uses with zeal. Traits common to most lizards and reptiles are found on these creatures. Some tribes may have the scales which change according to mood like a chameleon, while some may sport large frills or tall fins.

The dracotaur traces their lineage back to the dragon, but there is neither love nor hatred for their progenitors. The dragon is an elemental being that the dracotaur somewhat fears and respects. The dracotaur rightly treats the dragon as a figure to respect and ultimately ignore, ravaging and attacking beasts and humanoids it rightly thinks it can kill.

Dracotaur Traits

Dracotaur names are derived from the draconic, but are nouns based on things their fear or respect, such as 'fire', 'storm', and 'tree'.

Your dracotaur character has certain traits deriving from your reptilian ancestry.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Dracotaurs mature within the two years of hatching, reaching adolescence within the first six months. Old age comes at around 50 years, but they seldom live long enough.

Alignment. Dracotaurs are often in the Neutral alignment, acting from the basic desire to survive and thrive. The destructive nature of dracotaurs draws them to evil alignment.

Size. Dracotaurs stand around 6 feet tall with reptilian bodies under them. Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Dracotaur Stat block generated on Homebrewery

Poison Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Claws. Your hands and front limbs are natural melee weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. On a hit, you deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier slashing damage instead of the normal bludgeoning damage for an unarmed strike.

Prehensile Claws. Your lower limbs resemble hands far more than feet. You have a climbing speed of 15 feet, and can keep both hands free while climbing something that's intended to be climbed, such as a ladder.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Draconic.

Scales of Insidiousness

For a bit of flair, to help Game Masters introduce the dracotaurs to their world, the stat block for them in combat are also here for your use. Now we want to hear from you. Will they be a race you'd try? Will they be an antagonist they hope to dodge in the swamps? Let us know in the comments below or on our Discord server.

Adam Ray contributes much for adventurers here on Apotheosis Studios. As co-founder of fantasticuniverses.com, he writes about card gaming and PC gaming to a corner of the internet he carved out himself. On Youtube, he can be found game mastering for No Ordinary Heroes, or editing the antics on The Hostile Atmosphere. Follow his Twitter @IzzetTinkerer.