Ryūketsu
"They burn too brightly, love too hard, and apologise only after the continent has shifted."
Ryūketsu—commonly called dragonfolk or dragon-blooded—are humanoids shaped by ancestral power, unresolved prophecy, and the uncomfortable suspicion that they were not meant to arrive this early in the story.
They are not monsters.
They are not dragons.
But they are close enough to worry both.
Whether born of draconic lineage, cursed inheritance, or metaphysical proximity to something that breathes fire and hoards metaphors, the Ryūketsu carry weight. They do not slip into scenes. They tilt the plot just by standing in it.
Their blood hums with power.
Their presence demands a climax.
And their fashion sense leans dangerously close to “main character.”
Some wield blades. Some wield spells. A few wield both—poorly, beautifully, and usually while shouting.
Resonance Profile
Ryūketsu Threads burn hot, loud, and structurally inconvenient. Their resonance flares under stress—emotional, physical, or narrative—and rarely stabilises until something explodes. Often them.
They gravitate toward pivotal roles, regardless of intention. The Pattern does not assign them stories.
It reacts to their presence by writing new ones—usually in all caps.
Their power is rarely subtle.
Their arcs are rarely optional.
Their growth is never safe.
Cultural Variants (Narrative Only)
Ryūketsu do not splinter by bloodline. They fracture by reputation.
Some carry legacy.
Some carry burden.
A few carry emotional support swords.
Notable archetypes include:
- The Noble Disaster, who wears pride like armour and emotional damage like cologne
- The Quiet Flame, who doesn’t speak often but still sets the room on fire
- The Arc-Breaker, who exists in defiance of genre expectations and remains shirtless for half the series
- The Chosen Fluke, who didn’t ask for this but is now glowing anyway
- The Final Form, who hasn't been defeated, only dramatically motivated
These are not bloodlines.
They are trajectories.
Brace accordingly.
Roleplaying a Ryūketsu
Play a Ryūketsu if you want to:
- Be the reason your party is escorted and arrested
- Glow during arguments
- Accidentally burn down a temple mid-apology
- Be feared, admired, and hopelessly bad at relationships
- Treat prophecy as a to-do list
You are not a dragon.
But the room might not notice that in time.
Ryūketsu Ancestry
Your ancestry grants the following traits.
Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium (typically 5 to 7 feet tall; taller when glowing)
Speed: 30 feet
Draconic Legacy.
You carry the mark of an ancestral dragon—a resonance that shapes both your nature and your combustion method.
Choose one option from the Draconic Lineages table below. This determines the damage type for your breath and resistance.
| Lineage | Damage Type | Breath Shape |
|---|---|---|
| Emberblood | Fire | 15 ft. cone (Dex) |
| Stonecoil | Acid | 5 ft. x 30 ft. line (Dex) |
| Skystorm | Lightning | 5 ft. x 30 ft. line (Dex) |
| Deepfrost | Cold | 15 ft. cone (Con) |
| Venomsoul | Poison | 15 ft. cone (Con) |
| Ashgleam | Radiant | 15 ft. cone (Dex) |
| Dreadspire | Necrotic | 5 ft. x 30 ft. line (Dex) |
| Echoflare | Thunder | 15 ft. cone (Con) |
The choice is not always conscious.
But it is always inherited.
Breath Weapon.
You may exhale raw ancestral force in a defined shape determined by your lineage.
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one attack with this ability.
- Each creature in the area must make a saving throw (type listed in the table).
DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus - Damage: 1d10 of your lineage’s type on a failed save, half on success
- Increases to 2d10 at 5th level, 3d10 at 11th, 4d10 at 17th
- Uses: Equal to your Proficiency Bonus per long rest
This is not a trick.
This is your body remembering something older than consent.
Elemental Resistance.
You have resistance to the damage type associated with your lineage.
The world burns less when you expect it.
Darkvision.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright, and in darkness as if it were dim.
Your eyes were not made for gentleness.
Draconic Flight.
At 5th level, as a bonus action, you may summon spectral wings that erupt from your back and ignore local physics.
- You gain a flying speed equal to your movement speed for 10 minutes
- You may do this once per long rest
- You may roar. This is optional.
- Your clothes may not survive. This is expected.
Language.
You do not track languages. ThreadSpeak ensures you are understood.
Your voice may still make people flinch. This is also expected.
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