The End of an Era

The reign of the saurians was long but so far in the

distant past that none but their own scholars even recall
the details of it. In the modern age, saurians remain in
ancient, gilded cities deep in the forgotten places of the
world. Hidden away in these lands lost to time, saurians
remain committed to the culture and traditions of their
ancestors. Even as their numbers grow fewer with each
passing decade, saurians still look to the past rather
than embrace the future.
In that bygone age, the saurian people ruled sprawling

Saurian empires from capitols littered with gold and precious

gems, enlightened by the doctrine of their religious
“Did not learned men, too, hold, till within the philosophy, and pioneered a great number of the
last twenty-five years, that a flying dragon was an mundane and mystical arts practiced today. At least, that’s
impossible monster? And do we not now know that there what the saurians claim. With their numbers shrinking
are hundreds of them found fossil up and down the since before recorded time, some saurians embrace a
world? People call them Pterodactyles: but that is only fatalistic stance that their race was born dying.
because they are ashamed to call them flying dragons,
after denying so long that flying dragons could exist.”
—Charles Kingsley, The Water Babies Breaking With Tradition
Saurians are an isolationist and monocultural people
Like their behemoth kin, the saurians are relics of an
and have been for the length of recorded history. When
ancient time and unknown to nearly all inhabitants of
a saurian becomes an adventurer, they leave the highly
the worlds of D&D. As a people, saurians struggle to
structured society they come from and embrace a world
uphold time honored traditions while they maintain the
of dizzying freedom. A saurian might take this dramatic
ruins of their once opulent city states. Individually, each
leap because they reject the caste they’ve been born
saurian must decide for themselves if they will maintain
into, they’ve committed a great crime, or they’re the last
their culture in its long decline or leave their ancestral
survivor of a once great city-state. Whatever the reason,
home to find a new life.
saurians typically know little of the customs of other
people and often struggle to adopt new ways of thinking.
Kin to Behemoths Saurians serve adventuring parties well as historians.
Saurians are long lived as individuals and, collectively,
Saurians tower over other humanoid races. The size of look to the past for answers to present challenges. A
the saurian race is proof, saurians say, of their mandate saurian might recall the details of how a great force of
of rulership over the younger races and their connection evil was contained or defeated long ago, or remember
to the primordial origins of the world. When their foot the solution to an ancient riddle.
falls shake the earth and echo off the hills, even the
skeptical are inclined to give their point consideration.
Their appearance is further evidence of their ancient Saurian Names
and titanic origins. All saurians resemble the behemoths
Every saurian is given a personal name at birth. In
commonly believed by scholars to have ruled the
adolescence the saurian is taught the personal names
world in prehistoric times. Different saurian subraces
of all of its ancestors and these form the saurian’s
resemble different species of behemoths but all are
extended name. Saurians traditionally greet others
covered with a scaled or feathered hide, possess large
by announcing their personal name and as much of
black eyes, and have a tail.
their extended name as they can remember. Between
saurians it is considered rude to list a longer extended
name than someone older or in a higher social status.
Races | Saurian
2
Ankylos Names: Bhatha, Bhima, Charma, Gada, contiguous bone plates that create a shell and their tail
Gadadhar, Khethah, Laguda, Sainya ends in a club formed from a dense nodule of the same
Deinony Names: Babila, Javana, Pathika, Rajaduta, bone plates.
Rewa, Turanya, Vanik, Yathu Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases
Plesios Names: Aayaata, Annapurna, Karshakka, by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Maalaakaara, Ogha, Puura, Riddhi, Samudra Club Tail. You have a club tail which you can use to
Pteradas Names: Aakaash, Aksha, Daksha, Pataga, make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal
Silpa, Vihaga, Yantram, Yukti 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage.
Sarchos Names: Dawati, Hantaram, Makara, Nakra Heavy. You have advantage on saving throws against
Raja, Peck, Tanupa, Udadhi, Urmi being moved and knocked prone.
Triceras Names: Acharya, Agamya, Aparavid, Natural Armor. You have a bone plated back you can
Chanaakya, Gyana, Itihaasa, Katha, Vidvat use to intercept attacks when you have no better shield
Tyrannos Names: Abhiraj, Adhip, Bhayan, Mahesh, on hand. While you are not using a shield you gain +1 to
Mahiipat, Rajaan, Upadravin, Virochan your AC.
Slow. Your base movement speed decreases to 25 feet.
Saurian Traits Deinony
Your saurian shares an inheritance of traits and abilities With their heightened speed and relatively smaller
with other saurians, passed down by your ancestors frame, the deinony serve saurian society as
since time immemorial. ambassadors, merchants, and rangers. In ancient eras
Age. Saurians mature slower than humans do, the deinony would travel from one saurian city-state
reaching maturity at the age of 100, and can live up to a to another delivering their ruler’s lists of demands,
thousand years. requests, or peace offerings. It has been centuries since
Alignment. Saurians are creatures of habit and two great saurian city-states have been close enough
custom and are almost always lawful. Saurians have for such a relationship so deinony today serve as the
an even temperament and a dislike for trouble, making primary face of saurian society to the outside world, if
them disinclined toward good or evil. the outside world knows of saurians at all.
Size. Saurians are between 6 to 8 feet tall and weigh To the uneducated eye, a deinony might look like a
between 350 and 450 lbs. A saurian’s size varies by particularly feral lizardfolk. To those who are familiar
subrace with Pteradas being the smallest and lightest, with both races the deinony’s size, protruding nose,
Plesios being the tallest, and Ankylos being the heaviest. and dagger-sized talons on their feet make the two
Your size is Medium. impossible to confuse.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Dexterity, and
Intimidating Size. When you make an Intimidation Charisma scores increase by 1.
ability check against a creature your size or smaller you Clawed Toe. You have dagger like claws at the end of
gain advantage. your feet that you can use to make unarmed strikes. If
Long Memory. You have proficiency in the History skill. you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning
determining your carrying capacity and the weight you damage normal for an unarmed strike.
can push, drag, or lift. Clever. You have a natural talent for providing openings
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and advantages for others. On your turn, you can use a
and Draconic. The saurian dialect of Draconic is bonus action to take the Help action. You can use this
obvious to other speakers of the language and unless feature again after you complete a short or long rest.
you learn Draconic again from another source, your Raptor Agility. Your reflexes and agility allow you to
speech in Draconic will always be notable for its move with a burst of speed. When you move on your
saurian idiosyncrasies. turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end
Subrace. Saurian society is divided into castes of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again
primarily determined by a saurian’s subraces. Ankylos until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.
are expected to become a member of the military or
city guard. Deinony serve their people as ambassadors
and traveling merchants. Plesios are depended on as
farmers and explorers of saurian society. Pteradas are
known for their creativity and expertise as artisans.
Sarchos are found almost exclusively in coastal cities
and often make up whatever naval forces a saurian city-
state has. Triceras are encouraged to become scholars
and bureaucrats. Tyrannos are the leaders of saurian
society, as likely to be feared as they are admired.

Ankylos
By tradition, the ankylos are the military caste of
saurian society. Ankylos are introduced to fighting
in small groups as a competitive team sport for the
entertainment of other saurians. As ankylos age, they
take on roles in the city guard, in militaries, or as
bodyguards and warriors.
These combat roles well suit the ankylos, who are the
heaviest among saurian kind and possess both natural
weapons and defense. Along their back the ankylos have

Races | Saurian
3
 Plesios forward. Sarchos are sometimes mistaken for large
Plesios form the bulk of the agricultural caste of saurian crocodiles by humanoids unfamiliar with saurians.
society. Plesios are naturally gifted at tending the land Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases
and the sea and are taught horticulture and herbalism at by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.
a young age. Many plesios become farmers but some rare At Home in Water. Your base movement speed
few serve their communities as druids or rangers instead. decreases to 25 feet, but you have a swimming speed of
Plesios are the tallest of the saurian owing in no small 30 feet.
part to their sizeable neck. Plesios stand nearly 8 feet Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to your
tall on average with their neck comprising about 2 feet Constitution modifier in hours (minimum 1).
of that height. Despite lacking any external gills, plesios Powerful Jaws. Sarchos have powerful jaws they can
are equally at home above and below water. Their skin use to grapple and control enemies with in combat.
produces an oily sheen when they remain out of water When you make a grapple attempt you may use your
for extended periods of time. mouth instead of a free hand. If you do, and you
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases successfully grapple a creature, that creature takes your
by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1. strength modifier in damage.
Darkvision. Accustomed to darkened waters, you have Scaley Hide. Whenever you complete a short or a
superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see long rest you gain temporary hit points equal to your
in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern
color in darkness, only shades of gray. Triceras
Aquatic. You have a swimming speed equivalent to your Triceras are regarded as gifted scribes and ritualists
base walking speed and you can breathe air and water. and make up the majority of the scholar caste in saurian
Catch of the Day. When you are near a body of water society. As such, triceras are called on to remember the
you can spend 10 minutes fishing. You catch 10 fish customs and traditions of the past as well as interpret
which function identically to the berries created by the and implement the application of historical laws.
spell, goodberry. You can use this feature again after you Triceras fulfill their function as members of the scholar
complete a long rest. caste by serving as judges, priests, and lorekeepers.

Pteradas
In saurian society, pteradas make up the artisan caste.
In a culture that changes as slowly as saurian society
does, pteradas are given a limited freedom to innovate
and experiment with new forms of art and thinking. In
practical roles, pteradas become artists, philosophers,
and inventors.
Physically the pteradas are the smallest and lightest
of all saurians. Their relatively spry stature allows
them to use their wings, a membrane between the
bottom of their palms and their top of their hips, to
fly. Their heads are long and angular, due to their
pronounced beaks.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases
by 1, and your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Flight. You have a fly speed of 30 feet. You cannot fly
using this feature when you are carrying more than half
of your encumbrance rating in weight. While flying in this
way you cannot make attack rolls, cast spells, or maintain
concentration on spells you had previously cast.
Tool Proficiency. Choose and gain proficiency with
any one tool kit.

Sarchos
Sarchos occupy a precarious position in saurian
society. It’s an accepted fact that sarchos were one of
the youngest of the saurian races and their unique gifts
leave them ill-suited for landlocked settlements. While
historically the sarchos made up the bulk of saurian city-
state’s navies, today few such city-states exist and those
that do are hard pressed to muster enough members to
call it a “navy.” As a result, sarchos are largely forgotten
by other saurians or sometimes even viewed as
suspicious outsiders. In the rare saurian city-states that
have long and proud naval traditions, the sarchos are
still accepted as members of society, but often take roles
that keep them at sea.
Sarchos have long snouts, a thick scaled hide, short
powerful legs, and long tails. While their gait on land
could be described as awkward, they swim with the grace
of a sea serpent, using their tails to propel themselves

Races | Saurian
4
 The most striking physical characteristic of the Optional Saurian Feats
triceras is their forehead which forms an elevated ridge If your DM allows the use of feats from chapter 6 of the
that separates the front of their skull from the back. Player’s Handbook, your saurian character has access to
Three horns protrude from the front facing side of that the following special feats.
ridge. A shorter horn sits directly above the triceras’
beak and two longer horns grow on either side of
central horn. Intimidating Size
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Intelligence Prerequisite: Saurian
scores increase by 2.
Living Fossil. Your proficiency bonus is doubled when Your towering stature is unsettling to others. You gain
you make Intelligence (History) ability checks. the following benefits:
Tricorn Headbutt. You have three horns on your head
that you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit • Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your • When you use threats of violence or demonstrate your
Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage physical power to frighten another, you can add your
normal for an unarmed strike. Strength modifier instead of your Charisma modifier
Ritualist. Choose any 1st-level spell with the ritual tag. to your Intimidation ability check.
You can cast this spell as a ritual. Intelligence is your • When you make an Intimidation ability check against
spellcasting ability for this spell. a creature your size or smaller you gain advantage.

Tyrannos
Along with the blood of the mythical Tyrant King, the Primordial Resilience
tyrannos inherit the birthright of leadership and form Prerequisite: Saurian
the ruling caste of saurian society. Historically, the
tyrannos proved their worth as rulers by launching The reign of the saurian empire was so long because
extended military campaigns against one another. As its warriors could not be broken. You have inherited
the numbers of their subjects dwindled, the efficacy a measure of your ancestors’ resilience. You gain the
of such campaigns became unsustainable. Traditional following benefits:
tyrannos do little today but rule over the decaying
ruins of their once great society while enterprising • Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum
tyrannos may attempt to start trade with the wider of 20.
world. Tyrannos are given a wide berth in terms of the • When you complete a short rest, you gain your level in
functional roles they play in society but most often act temporary hit points.
as politicians, rulers, and merchants. • When you complete a long rest, you gain twice your
The tyrannos are easily identified by their large heads, level in temporary hit points.
which they claim are a result of their superior intellect
and political prowess, and their short arms, which
everyone else should be careful never to call to attention.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases
by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1. Credits
Carnivorous Bite. You have rows on rows of sharp Product Lead: Benjamin Huffman
teeth which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If Sterling Vermin Adventuring Co.
you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to
2d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning Join us on:
damage normal for an unarmed strike. Patreon Facebook
Small Arms. You have disadvantage on attack rolls Twitter Reddit
with heavy weapons. Writing & Game Design: Benjamin Huffman
Tyrant King. You have proficiency in the Editing: Alan Tucker
Intimidation skill.
Terrifying Roar. You can use your action to roar with Layout & Graphic Design: Nathanaël Roux
rage, shocking your inferiors into submission. When Cover Illustrator: Tze-Chiang Lim
you do, all creatures within 30 feet must pass a Wisdom Interior Illustrators: Tze-Chiang Lim, Nathanaël Roux
saving throw or be frightened until the end of your next
turn. The DC for this saving throw is equivalent to 8
+ your Charisma modifier + your proficiency modifier.
After you use your terrifying roar, you can’t use it again
until you complete a short or long rest. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the
Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon
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This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of

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All other original material in this work is copyright 2016-2019

by Benjamin Huffman and published under the Community
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Races | Saurian
5