Dracoryctes mutabilis*, the changeable dragon-blooded Ridgeborn.
Born of an experiment meant to make dragon blood stronger, the Ridgeborn Unbound escaped the laboratories that made them with immense bodies and minds still finding their shape.
At a glance
Darkvision 60 ft.
Languages Common, Draconic
Height 9 to 15 feet when fully extended; many stoop or fold their limbs in ordinary rooms.
Weight 650 to 1,800 pounds, varying widely with height and build.
Lifespan 70 to 100 years
At the table
Your walking speed is 30 feet. Your great reach and long arms do not increase your space or the reach of your attacks.
You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with a claw strike, you can deal slashing damage equal to plus your Strength modifier instead of the normal damage of an unarmed strike.
You have proficiency in the Athletics skill. Your powerful arms and practiced movement help you climb, brace, and haul, though they do not let you climb faster or carry more than the normal rules allow.
Common, Draconic
These altered Ridgeborn tend toward Strength and Constitution, though players assign any ability score increases according to their character's background and choices.
Broad, overlapping scales form a natural ridge along the shoulders, forearms, and spine.
These Unbound bear the most visible protective draconic traits. They are often sturdy and deliberate in their movements, though their size and scales do not grant extra defense.
Born of an experiment meant to make dragon blood stronger, the Ridgeborn Unbound escaped the laboratories that made them with immense bodies and minds still finding their shape. Their claws can frighten a room, but no two respond to fear, memory, or trust in quite the same way. They are not monsters by nature. They are people learning, often painfully, that their choices belong to them.
Ridgeborn Unbound are the result of an attempt to intensify the dragon-blooded traits of ordinary Ridgeborn through invasive prenatal experimentation.
They grow to extraordinary heights, with some reaching fifteen feet when fully upright, and possess long, heavy arms with the proportions and reach of a great ape. Their hands end in thick, hooked claws capable of tearing hide and wood. Scales, horns, crests, and other draconic features vary from one individual to the next; some bear only patches of hard scale, while others have pronounced ridges or a tail. Their bodies are frequently marked by old injection scars, surgical seams, or restraint injuries. The transformation affected temperament and memory as unevenly as it affected flesh. Their minds are not inherently broken or cruel, but many experience unstable recollections, sensory overload, and sudden changes in attention. Their towering stature is a matter of appearance, not a change to their game size: for play, they are Medium creatures and occupy a standard Medium creature's space.
Underground
Newly separated from the laboratory, often with fragmentary memories and little knowledge of life beyond confinement.
Learning to manage an unfamiliar body and build chosen habits, loyalties, and a sense of self.
A seasoned survivor who has shaped a stable identity, though stress may still unsettle old instincts.
Their unusual growth does not reliably predict age. Most show the signs of aging at roughly the same pace as other Ridgeborn.
They were made as experimental subjects, not born into a shared culture, and have no single customs or collective identity.
Escaped individuals often learn through peer support: choosing personal names, agreeing on touch and privacy, and building routines that help with fragmented memories. Some keep written journals or ask trusted companions to help distinguish recollection from fear. Their minds vary greatly. A history of trauma may make concentration or trust difficult, but it does not erase their ability to reason, learn, care, or make decisions.
No faith or alignment is inherent to them.
Some find comfort in gods of healing, freedom, or memory; others distrust institutions that claim authority over their lives. Their ethics are shaped by experience and choice, not by dragon blood or a supposed lack of stable mind.
Many people see their size and claws before they see a person, so trust is often built through restraint and consistency.
Other Ridgeborn may regard them with grief, anger, or wary kinship, especially when the experiments are remembered as an affront to their whole community. They can form powerful bonds with those who respect their boundaries, but no individual should be presumed violent, helpless, or unstable merely because of their origin.
They have no ancestral homeland.
Their first surroundings were often tiled chambers, reinforced pits, and barred holding rooms built by researchers who feared their strength. Those who escape favor broad passages, high lintels, sturdy railings, and open courtyards where they need not crouch. Some communities adapt old mines or cavern halls with ramps and large, low furnishings; others reject permanent settlements and keep to places where no door can be locked behind them.
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