Hi there! After a quick bit of consideration, we've decided that qilin and their Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cousins would qualify as Chimera. This decision includes all of their traits, of course, ranging from a fire ability that might only burn the wicked to whether they have cloven feet like a deer Faun can.

You would also be correct about the scales - while they might be a classification of Chimera, your friend could reference Chimera, Dragons, and Fauns for an idea of what traits to manifest, and how much coverage they can have. The world is their oyster, and we certainly can't wait to see what they do with it.