I wrote this glog class some months ago for a game I didn’t end up running. I might have stolen some of the abilities from somewhere else but I can’t find it now (inbox me if you recognise something so I can stick a link to it here and give credit where it’s due).

At the time I was writing I had an advancement idea similar to GLΔG but less diegetic: that characters would level-up upon completing certain conditions instead of when they hit xp requirements. This is the ‘advance when’ statement on the classes.

A note on chromatic/metallic dragons

I was going to run this game for players with a variety of experience with d&d. Some of the players  would know the difference between chromatic and metallic dragons (and have further expectations about how a white dragon might act vs how a blue dragon might act. However others wouldn’t even be aware that the colour of the dragon would mean anything in particular.

A zombie is useful because everyone knows how it is going to act. A chubby, grey-skinned, knee-high fellow with a tall purple hat and a wide grin is useful because nobody knows what it is and how it will react.

Coloured dragons straddle this awkward spot where there is a high variance of expectations amongst players and their characters. Some people know exactly what to expect from each colour and others just know ‘dragon=dangerous and greedy’.

To get around this (the campaign was to be set on an island renowned for its many dragons) I decided that the dragons would be non-chromatic and non-metallic.

Cue Astral Dragon, Magma Dragon, Rainbow Dragon, Lightning Dragon, Ice Dragon and Flower Dragon.

Gimme the actual class so I can cannibalise it for parts

You are a baby dragon also known as a Wyrmling. Advance when you eat magical or monstrous prey larger than yourself.

A: Baby Dragon Biology
Dragonspeech
Draconic Flavour
B: Growth
Dragonflight
C: Growth+
Draconic Terror
D: Growth++
Draconic Breath

Baby Dragon Biology: You are a small dragon, the size of a cat. You have a limited carrying capacity. You cannot fly but you can glide. You have a coldblooded metabolism and can go a long time without food if you are not exercising or exerting much energy. You are a hypercarnivore. Your teeth and claws are as dangerous as a light weapon. Civilians and guards may react very badly toward you.

Dragonspeech: You understand and can use Dragonspeech, the language of dragons. Draconic is to Dragonspeech as a three-year-olds rambling babbles are to Shakespeare.

Draconic Flavour: Choose your Draconic flavour. Learned folk, especially Elves and mages, know about the different flavours and may judge you accordingly.

1. Astral Dragon: You are very difficult to spot in the night’s sky. You have increased luck, at night, when outdoors.
2. Magma Dragon: You are immune to fire damage
3. Rainbow Dragon: You can change the colour of something by licking it
4. Lightning Dragon: You always emit sparking light and must be careful to avoid setting things on fire. You have an advantage on initiative rolls.
5. Ice Dragon: You are resistant to the cold
6. Invisible Dragon: As long as your eyes are closed and you are holding your breath, you are invisible (takes an action to turn invisible)

Growth: You are as big as a medium-sized dog.

Dragon Flight: Your wings are developed enough to fly for 1d4 rounds, though you cannot hover and must keep moving. Your wings get tired easily so you must take a breather before flying again.

Growth+: You are as big as a large dog. Your teeth and claws are as dangerous as a medium weapon.

Draconic Terror: You have advantage on attempts to induce fear/intimidate.

Growth++: You are the size of a lion. Your teeth and claws are as dangerous as heavy weapons.

Draconic Breath: You can unleash a dangerous breath attack which recharges when spells recharge (default once per day). The attack is a 15ft cone unless you have a better idea.

1. Astral Dragon: Your breath attack can light up those it strikes for 1d6 rounds, enemies get advantage when attacking them and they get disadvantage to hiding
2. Magma Dragon: Your breath attack is a plume of hot ash, which damages those it hits for 1d6 fire damage, can set fire to suitable targets, and leaves a lingering smoky cloud giving disadvantage to attacks in/through it.
3. Rainbow Dragon: Your breath attack can mesmerize those with a neutral or better disposition toward you that it strikes, freezing them in place. Charisma saves to avoid it, and again each round to break it.
4. Lightning Dragon: Your breath attack does 2d6 damage to the target, and can chain (1/2 chance for those in melee, 1/6 chance for those near but not in melee) to other nearby individuals.
5. Ice Dragon: Your breath attack is a freezing torrent of wind and ice, coating everything in the area with a sheen of slippery ice, dexterity saves are required for any movement more than half-speed per turn. It also does 1d6 cold damage.
6. Invisible Dragon: Your breath attack turns those it hits invisible for 1d6 rounds.

Notes on the Dragon Wyrmling Class

This class is supposed to be a pseudo-fighter, with some varied utility depending on the draconic flavour. Like the Really Good Dog it has some in-built roleplaying challenges and boons. You could easily make new subclasses, all you need is a breath attack and a small A template boon.

Some of the subclasses are probably more powerful than others but a lot of balance would come from how the GM plays out NPC reactions to you so I think the imbalance is fine. The subclasses are hopefully different enough to be relatively incomparable too.