by Don Perrin
Dracart knew from the earliest experiments in creating draconians that female dragon embryos created female draconians while male embryos gave rise to males. As he watched the first generation of male draconians thrive and turn into fierce warriors, he feared that the draconians might become a threat to the other races of Krynn. The draconians were loyal to Takhisis and her priests now, but Dracart feared a future in which draconians might rebel against their masters. He decided that the best way to keep the draconians under control was to deny them a way to propagate except through the corruption ritual.
Dracart wanted to destroy all female metallic dragon eggs in the possession of the dragonarmy, but Takhisis forbade it Instead, she decreed that the eggs containing females be hidden in a different location than Sanction. The eggs that contained the females were not allowed to hatch.
The Heart of Dracart: When the Whitestone Forces mounted a serious opposition to the dragonarmies, Takhisis decided that she need a more efficient method to ensure an ongoing supply of draconians than the corruption ritual. She ordered Dracart to create such a method, one that didn’t depend on metallic dragon eggs or a union of powerfully evil beings. She was confident the draconians would remain loyal to her.
Through means known only to him and the Dark Queen, Dracart created the crystal that he called the Heart of Dracart. This artifact creates hundreds of new draconians from an already existing one, shattering the spirit inhabiting the draconian and putting slivers of it into the copies. The process kills the donor draconian. The replicas are not as smart, powerful, or long-lived as the original, but they are docile, obedient, and able to fight.
Designers: Steve Miller, Don Perrin, and Margaret Weis
Editor: Julia Martin
Creative Director: Hike Selinker
Based on the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game by Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
DRAGONLANCE® material based on original designs by the original pioneers of Krynn: Jeff Grubb, Tracy Hickman, Harold Johnson, Doug Niles, Carl Smith, Margaret Weis, and Michael Williams
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, DRAGONLANCE, and the Wizards of the Coast logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All D&D characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ©2000 Wizards of the Coast. Inc. All rights reserved.
Maranta’s Ambition: Dracart never used his artifact. As the Whitestone Forces searched the ruins of Neraka after the city fell, they found the infamous wizard dead with his throat slashed. The Heart of Dracart was not recovered.
The Heart of Dracart was stolen by Maranta, an Aurak. He knew that any draconian created by the artifact would be little more than a mindless slave. He had every intention of destroying the artifact, but found he could not bring himself to do it.
As time passed, draconians began to age and die. Their species truly became endangered, and the idea of creating an army of mindless slaves that would continue the species, at least somehow, began to appeal to Maranta. By about twenty years after the War of the Lance, Maranta had already built a base of power, and he hoped that the surviving draconians would gather under his leadership. Now, he also started to consider the possibility of becoming the savior of the draconian species. In truth, he cared little for the draconians who served him and never hesitated to order his troops to defend him while he remained safe in his fortress.
Kang’s Discovery: During the Chaos War, another draconian leader, a Bozak engineer named Kang, discovered Dracart’s hidden collection of female dragon eggs. After a conflict with the dwarves of Thorbardin, Kang secured the eggs and allowed them to hatch.
Twenty female draconians emerged from the eggs: one Aurak, two Sivaks, three Bozaks, four Kapaks, and ten Baaz. With the knowledge that his race now would be able to reproduce naturally, Kang saw the need for a place where draconians could raise their young and that they could call their own. In the company of the females and the draconians who had been his companions since the War of the Lance, Kang set out to find such a home.
Kang Against Maranta: Kang and his group eventually clashed with Maranta. Despite their shared desire to see the draconian species continue, Kang and Maranta were motivated by two very different ideals. Kang wanted to find a secure place where draconians could thrive, while Maranta was interested in ensuring his own continued power. Maranta saw Kang and the female draconians as a threat. He feared that Kang’s talk of establishing a city of draconians would cause those who had been loyal to Mantra to shift allegiance to Kang.
During a goblin attack upon Teyr, Maranta put his plan to save the draconians into action and used the Heart of Dracart. Appalled by Maranta’s actions, Kang battled the Aurak, defeated him, and destroyed the artifact.
Draconians and the Nation of Teyr: With the defeat of Maranta, Kang became the leader of Teyr, a free nation inhabited by draconians. Most of the inferior draconians Maranta created were killed in the battle against the goblins, but a few survived. Kang took pity upon them and brought them with him to the new city he established. Unfortunately, these draconians were sterile. Maranta’s dream of continuing the species could have actually ensured the end of it, since so few fertile draconians lived in Teyr that it would have been nearly impossible to sustain the species.
What the future holds for Kang and the draconians of Teyr has yet to be revealed.
Draconians in the D&D® Game
Aurak Baaz
Medium-Size Monstrous
Humanoid Medium-Size Monstrous
Humanoid
HD: 8d8+24 (60 hp) 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Init: +6 (+2 Dex, +0
+4 Improved Initiative)
Spd: 40 ft. 20 ft
AC: 20 (+2 Dex, +8 natural) 16 (+6 natural)
Atk: 2 fire energy rays 2 claws +2 melee;
+ 10 ranged touch; or 2 claws or halfspear +2 melee
+ 12 melee; bite +7 melee
Dmg: 1d8+4 fire energy ray; Claws 1d4; halfspear 1d6
claws 1d4+4; bite 1d6+2
F/R: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft. 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
SA: Spells, spell-like abilities, Death throe
mind control, breath weapon
SQ: Spell resistance 18, divine grace, Spell resistance 11, glide,
keen senses, disease immunity, disease immunity,
low metabolism low metabolism
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +12 Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +2
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Str 10, Dex 11, Con 14,
Int 18, Wis 15, Cha 18 Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 10
Skills: Appraise +10, Diplomacy +10, Bluff +5, Disguise +5,
Forgery +10, Gather Information +10, Gather Information +5,
Hide +9, Innuendo +8, Listen +5, Spot +4
Intimidate +10, Intuit Direction +10*.
Listen +2, Spot +4
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Alertness, Run
Casting, Improved Initiative,
Spell Focus (Evocation),
Spell Penetration
Clm/Terr: Any land Any land
Org: Solitary or pair Band (4d10)
CR: 8 1
Treasure: Double standard Half standard
Align: Often lawful evil Usually neutral evil
Adv: 9–24 HD (Medium-size) 3–6 HD (Medium-size)
Bozak Kapak
Medium-Size Monstrous Medium-Size Monstrous
Humanoid Humanoid
HD: 4d8+8 (26 hp) 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Init: +1 (Dex) +1 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft 20 ft.
AC: 18 (+1 Dex, +7 natural) 18 (+1 Dex, +7 natural)
Atk: 2 claws +6 melee; bite +4 melee; 2 claws +6 melee; bite +4
melee;
or short sword +6 melee or short sword +6 melee
Dmg: Claws 1d4+2; bite 1d6+1; Claws 1d4+3; bite 1d4+1
short sword 1d6+2 and poison; short sword
1d6+3 and poison
F/R: 5 f
t. by 5 ft/5 ft. 5 ft. by 5 ft/5 ft.
SA: Spells, death throe Poison or healing, death throe
SQ: Spell resistance 14, divine grace, Spell resistance 14, disease
glide, disease immunity, low immunity, low metabolism
metabolism
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +7 Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Str 16, Dex 13, Con 15,
Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 14 Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +8*, Disable Device +6, Hide +7,
Hide +7, Intimidate +4, Listen +6, Move
Knowledge (religion) +6, Silently +7, Open Lock +7
Listen +3, Move Silently +7,
Spot +9
Feats: Alertness, Combat Casting, Dodge, Multiattack, Run
Multiattack, Run
Clm/Terr: Any land Any land
Org: Band (2d6) Band (2d10)
CR: 4 4
Treasure: Standard Standard
Align: Usually lawful evil Usually lawful evil
Adv: 5–12 HD (Medium-size) 4–9 HD (Medium-size)
Sivak
Large Monstrous
Humanoid
HD: 6d8+24 (SI hp)
Init: +1 (−1 Size, +2 Dex)
Speed: 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
AC: 19 (−1 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural)
Atk: 2 claws +10 melee; bite +8 melee;
or bastard sword +10 melee
Dmg: Claw 1d6+5; bite 2d6+2;
bastard sword 1d10+5
F/R: 5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft.
SA: Trip
SQ: Spell resistance 15, shapeshift,
blend, divine grace, spells, disease
immunity, low metabolism
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +8
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 15, Con 19,
Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 15
Skills: Bluff +7, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +7,
Gather Information +7, Intimidate +7,
Listen +8, Spot +7
Sivak
Feats: Alertness, Multiattack, Power Attack, Run
Clm/Terr: Any land
Org: Band (2–12)
CR: 6
Treasure: Standard
Align: Usually neutral evil
Adv: 7-18 HD (Urge)
Draconians have short, stubby tails, lizard snouts, and scaly bodies. Their coloration serves as a dim reminder of the dragons from which they were spawned. Baaz scales have an unmistakably brassy coloration, Bozaks are the color of tarnished bronze, Kapaks are reddish with greenish tints like oxidized copper, Sivaks are a polished silver color, and Auraks are a deep golden hue. Female draconians tend to be shorter and more finely built than males, with female Bozaks being the only exception to this trend.
While all draconians except Auraks have wings, only Sivaks can truly fly. Draconians move either by walking upright, running on all fours while flapping their wings, gliding down from heights (for a distance four times greater than the height from which they launched), or running on all fours while flapping their wings. This latter form of movement is their fastest, and it kicks up an intimidating dust cloud on the battlefield. All winged draconians have the Run feat for free, allowing them a faster running speed while running on all fours and flapping their wings.
Draconians are drawn to evil dragons and revere them. They serve dragons willingly and eagerly, while only reluctantly serving leaders of other species. When a dragon commander is within line of sight or when entering a battle under the command of a dragon (in the chain of command), draconians receive a +1 morale bonus on all attack rolls and saving throws.
Draconians have an unknown life span. Draconians are reptilian and reproduce as other reptiles do. Female draconians lay 2d4 eggs per clutch. All draconians love ale and spirits.
When draconians die, the magical energies that are inherent in their bodies are released in a death throe with spectacular and catastrophic effects.
Draconians
Draconians are proficient with all simple and martial weapons.
Disease Immunity (Ex): Draconians are immune to all natural diseases.
Low Metabolism (Ex): Draconians can survive on one-tenth the food and water it takes to sustain a human.
Auraks
Auraks are the most innately powerful of all draconians. They are also the rarest. They often work as special agents and enforcers. They are arrogant, self-absorbed, and view themselves as superior to all creatures except dragons and the Dark Queen herself. Aurak males are about 7 feet tall, while females are slightly shorter.
Aurak Combat
Auraks hardly ever use their natural weapons in combat, preferring instead to rely on their ability to generate rays of fire energy from each of their hands that deal damage equal to 1d8 plus the draconian’s Charisma modifier with each successful ranged touch attack. These rays can strike targets up to 60 feet distant. When using change self, Auraks appear to be using a weapon appropriate to their form, but they are really attacking with their rays. These rays are a supernatural ability.
Spells: Auraks cast spells as 8th-level sorcerers. Their preferred spells include the following: enlarge, shocking grasp, emotion, stinking cloud, blink, lightning bolt, phantasmal killer, and wall of fire. Female Auraks prefer Illusion spells.
Breath Weapon (Su): Three times a day Auraks can breathe a noxious cloud (5-foot cone). Victims aught in the cloud are dealt 20 points of damage and blinded for 1d4 round unless they succeed at Fortitude saves (DC 17). Those who save take only 10 points of damage.
Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): Auraks can change self three times per day to resemble any individual human or humanoid and to perfectly imitate its voice. This effect only lasts for 2d6+6 minutes.
Up to three times per day, Auraks can perform limited short-range teleportation. This ability functions exactly like the dimension door spell except that it has a range limited to 60 feet and Auraks can only transport themselves and their equipment.
Auraks can turn invisible (as the spell) up to once every 10 minutes. (The use of their mind control ability on another does not make them visible.)
Male Auraks an polymorph self, as the sorcerer spell, three times per day.
Mind Control (Su): An Auraks most insidious power is the ability to affect the minds of others. Auraks can use suggestion once every 10 minutes at will, as the sorcerer spell. Once per day, they an also mind control one creature of 8 or fewer Hit Dice for 2d6 rounds (requires concentration). The draconian controls the actions of the subject as if the subject’s body were his own. The target of a mind control must succeed at a Will save (DC 18) to avoid being controlled. The save is only rolled as the draconian attempts to take control of the target.
Death Throe (Ex): On the round that an Aurak reaches 0 or fewer hit points, its flesh transforms into eerie green flames. The Aurak enters a fighting frenzy that grants him a +4 morale bonus to all attack rolls and saving throws. Anyone adjacent to the draconian who attacks it in melee takes 1d6 + the draconian’s Charisma modifier points of fire damage each round from the flames (Reflex half DC 17). Six rounds later or when the Aurak reaches −10 hit points, it transforms into a whizzing ball of lightning that strikes with an attack bonus of +15 and deals 2d6 + the Auraks Charisma modifier points of electricity damage to those struck. After three rounds of lightning attacks, it explodes with a thunderous boom, stunning all within 10 feet for 1d4 rounds (2d4 if underwater) and dealing 3d6 points of sonic damage to all within 10 feet. A successful Will save (DC 18) negates the stunning effect. The explosion destroys any items carried by the draconian.
Keen Senses (Ex): Auraks’ senses are so fine that they have low-light vision and can detect hidden and invisible creatures within a 40-foot radius. They can also see through all illusions.
Skills: *Female Auraks have 8 ranks of Intuit Direction for free. Male Auraks do not possess this skill.
Baaz
Baaz occupy the bottom rung on the ladder of draconian social order. They are often abused and treated
as slaves by other draconians. In the past, the Baaz could do little to change this situation, so they remained aloof from others not of their kind. However, with the arrival of female Baaz, this is beginning to change. Baaz females are organizers who work well in groups. They are working to change the status of Baaz at large by refusing to cooperate with those who abuse them and encouraging the males to follow their lead.
Baaz are often encountered prowling through civilized lands in disguise. Their size and build is such that they can pass themselves off as human by wearing large hoods and masks and concealing their wings under robes. Baaz males serve as scouts and spies, while female Baaz are rapidly becoming highly prized managers and low-ranking military commanders.
Baaz are the physically weakest and most plentiful of all draconians. Male Baaz stand between 5 feet and 6 feet in height, with the majority of them being on the short side. Female Baaz tend to be lighter in build than males.
Baaz Combat
Death Throe (Su): On the round that a Baaz reaches 0 or fewer hit points, his body turns to stone. The creature that struck the deathblow must roll a successful Dexterity check (DC 13) or have his weapon fused to the draconian. The Baaz “statue” crumbles to dust after 1d4 minutes. Items carried by the Baaz are unaffected by the petrification and subsequent dissolution. Any stuck weapons can be retrieved after the Baaz crumbles away.
Glide (Ex): A Baaz can use his wings to glide, negating any damage from a fall of any height and allowing him to travel horizontally up to four times the vertical distance descended.
Bozaks
Bozaks are intensely spiritual beings. They sometimes organize religious services. Others have turned their need to believe in something to believing in draconians themselves. This has strengthened their already considerable leadership abilities.
Bozaks display no gender differentiation in height and build. They stand between 6 feet and 6 1/2 feet tall. Both sexes have keen organizational abilities. Males have served as leaders in draconian military units since the War of the Lance.