Month of the Dragon: Half-Dragons

Expanding on Monster Mondays, I’m spending March digging deep into dragons. Inspired by James Jacobs’ 10 goblin facts written for Pathfinder, I’m working my way through the Monster Manual creating ten facts about each creature based on their art and lore. The goal is to provide habits, scene-setting tools, and plot hooks for encounters.

As with kobolds, 10 facts about half-dragons just didn’t seem like the right approach. Instead, I thought it would be more interesting to look at what some of the D&D ancestries might think about half-dragons.

Half-Dragons Among Humanoids

1. Aarakocra: Aarakocra half-dragons are a rarity, but when they do appear, they often resemble small dragons, replacing the feathers of their aarakocra ancestry with scales.
2. Bugbear: Northern dwelling bugbears consider the appearance of a half-dragon in their midst to be an auspicious occasion. Half-white dragons especially have a special place within bugbear society, seen as manifestations of winter’s favor.
3. Bullywug: Bullywug half-dragons, sometimes simply called dragon toads, are often cast out of their homes. Many bullywug cultures consider dragons an embodiment of hunger and fear that the dragon toads would bring ruin to the village with ravenous appetites.
4. Dragonborn: Among dragonborn, it is considered in poor taste to mention one’s half-dragon heritage. Half-dragons are a common part of dragonborn society and are virtually indistinguishable from other dragonborn. Many half-dragon dragonborn do not know of their heritage.
5. Dwarf: Many dwarves regard half-dragons with some suspicion. They have a reputation as thieves, covetous of the dwarven arts. However, some dwarf cultures embrace half-dragons, especially those who can breathe fire, celebrating how their unique ancestry can shape their skills as artisans and warriors.
6. Elf: Long-lived elves typically show little shock at the presence of a half-dragon. Half-gold dragons, in particular, are welcomed. Their lifespans are incredible, even among elves, and they often serve as historians, chronicling the long lives of their kin.
7. Gith: Attitudes vary between the githyanki and the githzerai, but so long as a half-dragon is willing to live by the tenets of their gith parent, they are typically accepted. Among githyanki, half-red dragons are not uncommon.
8. Gnoll: Devout followers of Yeenoghu pursue half-dragon status to make themselves more efficient killers. Even gnolls that have rejected the demon lord tell stories about those who devoured the flesh of dragons and became like them.
9. Gnome: To the average gnome, a half-dragon is just another curiosity. Half-dragon half-gnomes tend to enjoy experimenting with their breath weapons.
10. Goblin: Goblins believe that half-dragons are the result of a curse that turns goblins into kobolds. A goblin mother with a half-dragon child will typically seek out a kobold den, leaving the child there lest the curse’s magic spread.
11. Grimlock: Grimlocks and dragons rarely come into contact, but the rare half-dragon half-grimlock is rarely treated as anything other than another grimlock.
12. Halfling: Halflings may be responsible for the goblin story about half-dragons being a curse that turns small people into kobolds. To halflings, though, this is a jest meant to frighten children. Still, halflings are wary of half-dragons, especially chromatic half-dragons.
13. Hobgoblin: Among hobgoblins, half-dragons are seen as blessed individuals, destined for prowess in battle and leadership.
14. Human: Humans (and many others on this list) often mistake half-dragons for dragonborn. The birth of a half-dragon comes as a shock, but metallic half-dragons especially are considered destined for greatness.
15. Kenku: There is nothing stealthy about spitting fire or lightning, consequently, the rare half-dragon half-kenku is seen as a clumsy burden by kenku kin.
16. Kobold: Kobolds will claim half-dragonhood to impress one another. If there’s evidence that one of their own is actually a half-dragon, the kobolds will fill that individual’s head with stories about how they might become full dragons.
17. Kua-toa: There may never have been a true half-dragon half-kua-toa. Due to the nature of kua-toa collective magical manifestation, the rumor of half-dragonhood alone may be potent enough to will such a creature into existence.
18. Lizardfolk: Lizardfolk, like dragonborn, see very little difference between themselves and half-dragons in their midst. A breath weapon is just another talent.
19. Merfolk: Merfolk half-dragons are cursed with an unfortunate resemblance to merrow and are therefore often outcasts.
20. Orc: Among certain orc cultures, every leader must be a half-dragon. Before a new leader can take charge, they must undergo a ritual to become half-dragon, and should the ritual fail, the would-be leader dies.
21. Quaggoth: Among the quaggoth, the presence of a half-dragon is seen as an ill omen. Ancient quaggoth tales describe rites, similar to those the orcs use, meant to create a half-dragon. These rites, however, were only used when a quaggoth clan had failed in some way, and the half-dragon was brought into the world to destroy the clan.
22. Sahuagin: Half-dragon half sahuagin are a rarity, but the sahuagin have legends about half-dragons in their midst, fabled warriors who led attacks on coastal kingdoms and brought riches to their people.
23. Thri-kreen: The thri-kreen attitude to half-dragons is something of a mystery. Combining the insectoid and reptilian features of the two parent species produces an utterly alien creature, and most thri-kreen don’t even recognize them as being the same species, though they are not necessarily hostile toward the half-dragons so long as they’re cooperative and peaceful.
24. Troglodyte: Troglodytes venerate half-dragons, believing them to be demi-gods.
25. Yuan-ti: Yuan-ti half-dragons blend in with the strange serpentfolk. An enterprising yuan-ti spymaster may see in a half-dragon the opportunity to infiltrate dragonborn or lizardfolk society without risking exposure.