Month of the Dragon: Dragon Tiger Homebrew

Every Friday, I’ll be sharing a new homebrew dragon. These dragons will be inspired by real world animals with the premise that each one is a real animal that has lived an incredibly long time. You can find the statblocks on GM Binder.

10 Facts About Dragon Tigers

1. Draconic Ascension: Tigers achieve dragonhood by surviving 100 autumns. Dragon tigers are larger than the beasts they descend from, gain an additional tail every 100 years, and have stripes in their fur that shift with the patterns of light and shadow falling through the leaves.
2. Unsettled Meals: Wicked dragon tigers hunt and devour humans. These dragon tigers are often followed by the restless souls of those they killed, though the ghosts pose more threat to those who would hunt and kill the dragon tiger than they do to the creature itself.
3. Jungle Guardians: Dragon tigers are fiercely protective of their jungle homes and the creatures that dwell within. More benevolent dragon tigers will also defend humanoid villages within their territory, so long as the creatures that live their respect the jungle.
4. Dragon Eaters: Dragon tigers will fight and kill true dragons that enter their territory. The flesh of true dragons is said to be a dragon tigers favorite meal.
5. Fiendish Foes: Rakshasa fear and despise dragon tigers. Envious of the power attained by these uplifted beasts, rakshasa have been known to hire adventurers to slay tigers on the brink of dragonhood.
6. Shapeshifting Servants: Legends say that a dragon tiger can confer the gift of lycanthropy on those they deem worthy, raising up new weretigers. The truth of this is uncertain, but what is known is that dragon tigers have been seen in the company of such creatures more than once.
7. Silken Stashes: A dragon tiger’s hoard often includes a wide variety of linens, garments, cushions, and other such finery, either stolen from traders or delivered by worshippers of the powerful creatures. It is not unusual to find a dragon tiger buried within a pile of expensive silks, sleeping.
8. Tiger Tension: Even the most gentle and patient of dragon tigers is a fiercely territorial creature. Dragon tigers do not interact with their own kind except by accident or force. Such engagements are always swift and brutal battles for dominance.
9. Quality Coats: Many foolish poachers have died chasing the fur of a dragon tiger. Their hides are believed to have many uses, and it is said a cloak made from the hide of a dragon tiger will make the wearer a great warrior.
10. Feline Superstitions: In areas where dragon tigers are a familiar threat, many superstitions have developed about how to appease and avoid the creatures. Villages that believe a dragon tiger lurks in the area will typically leave offerings in a clearing near the supposed den. Those who travel the jungle paths will wear masks on the back of their heads and carry silvered weapons.

Honest Ben
Dragon Tiger

• Age: Over 400 years
• Bio: Honest Ben is a feared jungle guardian served by dutiful weretiger warriors. Honest Ben has many names, and the villages near his lair revere him as both a dangerous predator and a protective deity.
• Alternative Characterization: Though Honest Ben presents a façade of benevolence and gentility, the ancient dragon tiger is the hot-tempered god of a fanatical cult of lycanthropes, kidnapping those on the jungle’s edge and forcing them to submit to the dragon tiger’s will or become a meal.
• Lair: Honest Ben lives in a ruined temple complex deep within the jungle.
• Hoard: A cloak made from his own fur (Cloak of the Dragon Tiger), 200,000 gp in coins, 10 unique tapestries (each worth 500 gp), an array of silks and other linens with a total value of 2,500 gp, and a collection of gems and jewelry with a total value of 2,500 gp.

Cloak of the Dragon Tiger
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

This cloak appears to be made from the pelt of a massive tiger. While wearing it you gain the following benefits:

• Your Strength score increases by 1.
• Your base speed increases by 10.
• You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
• Your melee attacks become critical hits on 19 and 20.