Dragonborn are a race of humanoids with a scaled hide and dragonlike head, resembling dragons standing erect in humanoid form. They are proud and brave, with strong ties to their clan, tradition, and family. In Dungeons and Dragons 5E, they are described as descendants of an ancestor who hatched from dragon eggs at the time.
Dragonborns have a unique relationship with their clan, as they owe their devotion and respect to their clan above all else, even the gods. Each dragonborn’s conduct reflects on the honor of their clan, and bringing dishonor to the clan can result in expulsion and exile. Dragonborn were only established as a core race starting in 4E, meaning they are relatively new and fresh in Forgotten Realms lore.
In DnD 2024, dragonborns are described as being the descendants of an ancestor who hatched from dragon eggs at that time. They walk hours after hatching, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80 years old. Dragonborns are a player character, so it is not possible for them to have a name.
By roughly age 12, a dragoborn child “is a lanky version of their adult self”. This means that dragonborn finish their growth spurt around around 400 years old. The dragonborn that are “born” through the Rite of Rebirth have a longer lifespan than other dragonborn, living up to be around 400 years old.
Dragonborn explorers left the shores of Argonnessen -74, 000 years ago and landed on the continent of Khorvaire, now called Q’barra. They are not necessarily leaving the clan, except in the purely geographical sense, as someone leaves their spouse and children to go to work. The clan is Mehen’s family, with the current matriarch being Anala, daughter of Mehen. Each dragonborn’s conduct reflects on the honor of their clan, and bringing dishonor to the clan can result in expulsion and exile.
There is still a dragonborn nation on Faerun, but it vanished, leaving the remaining dragonborn with no homeland of their own.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Dragonborn puberty lasts for an average of 7+ years | Dragonborns would begin puberty around the age of 5 (~11.5 human), and finishes around the age of 12 (~16 human), for a total of 7 years in puberty on average. | reddit.com |
| How to get a Dragonborn kicked out of his clan? | The idea came to give a character flaw or have him crew up so badly that the clan elders would kick him out of clan.Then he’ll go on a quest and find a way to … | dndbeyond.com |
| D&D General – Dragonborn maturity | By roughly age 12, a dragoborn child “is a lanky version of his or her adult self.” This means that dragonborn finish their growth spurt around … | enworld.org |
📹 D&D Dragonborn Explained (And how to make them cooler)
We did tabaxis so you know we had to do dragonborn soon enough. I promise not all of my race videos will be about taking an …
How Are Dragonborns Conceived?
Dragonborn have a cloaca-based reproductive system similar to dragons, and their reproduction requires them to mate with their own sub-type. When a female conceives, she lays a clutch of one to five eggs that gestate for four months before hatching. The dragonborn community takes egg-laying seriously, as eggs are often guarded by clans. If dragonborn of different sub-types attempt to reproduce, it complicates conception. Generally, dragonborn are uniquely linked to dragon eggs, originally crafted by draconic gods who merged traits of dragons and humanoids.
This unique lineage is complemented by a distinct biological process, wherein dragonborn may occasionally bear live young instead of laying eggs. The environment also plays a role, with dragon eggs typically found in certain locales, including areas rich in metal or gems or extreme terrains. The creation of dragonborn traces back to powerful dragons or mages who sought to enhance their strength. In varied Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) settings, dragonborn are sometimes depicted as a separate species or as offspring of other races. Despite their formidable heritage, dragonborn often face challenges integrating into a world that views them with suspicion or fear.
How Long Are Dragonborn Pregnant?
Dragonborn women have a pregnancy duration that exceeds that of humans, typically lasting about 10-12 months. Once they lay an egg, it undergoes hardening and hatches within 1-4 days, with early hatching often interpreted as a sign of a child's vigor, suggesting potential for becoming great warriors and hunters. Dragonborn hatchlings are notably smarter and more capable physically compared to human infants, which may indicate superior developmental traits.
Unlike traditional mammals, dragonborn lay eggs one at a time, leading to a lesser tendency for large clutches. While generally, dragons mature slowly due to their long lifespan, various myths depict dragons growing significantly larger in reduced time spans, particularly in Asian folklore.
Dragonborn have a cloaca-based reproductive system, making interspecies conception virtually impossible. Pregnant dragonborn typically bear clutches of 1-5 eggs, which undergo a gestation period of around four months. Although some dragonborn females can give birth to live young through mating with dragonborn or human males, this is rare. Young dragonborn display impressive developmental speeds, reaching adulthood by age 15 and experiencing puberty by age 12. Overall, the reproductive and growth patterns of dragonborn illustrate their unique biological traits within their fantastical framework.
Are We The Last Dragonborn In Skyrim?
The Last Dragonborn, or Laat Dovahkiin, is the protagonist of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and its expansions. The narrative begins on the 15th of Last Seed, 4E 201, when the Dragonborn finds themselves imprisoned by the Imperial Legion after crossing from Cyrodiil into Skyrim during an operation aimed at quelling the Stormcloak Rebellion. "Dovahkiin," translating to "Dragonborn" or "Dragonchild," is derived from the words "Dovah" (dragon) and "kiin" (born).
The concept of the Dragonborn is tied to predictions and prophecies, specifically that the Last Dragonborn will emerge to combat Alduin, the World-Eater. The character is rooted in a forgotten bloodline, possibly related to past rulers. The last known Dragonborn prior to Skyrim, Martin Septim, did not possess the Thu'um, the dragon language abilities. Undoubtedly, the Last Dragonborn gains their powers through encounters with deities and entities like Hermaeus Mora, ultimately having to confront Miraak, a figure locked in another realm.
While the prophecy speaks of the Last Dragonborn, interpretations suggest that this character symbolizes a new lineage rather than the definitive end of Dragonborns. The illusion that they are the last may stem from the dramatic moments following the Oblivion Crisis, leaving the future of Dragonborns uncertain but vibrant.
How Old Are Dragonborn?
Dragonborn typically live to around 80 years, although many prefer to die honorably in battle before reaching that age. They tend to align with extremes of Good or Evil, following Bahamut or Tiamat, respectively. While more dragonborn gravitate towards Bahamut’s principles, villainous dragonborn can be notably dangerous. Physically, dragonborn resemble humanoid dragons, standing upright but lacking wings or tails. Their ancestors had vibrant, colorful scales, but interbreeding has led to a more homogenous appearance in their scales, often brass or similar colors.
Young dragonborn grow rapidly, learning to walk just hours after hatching, and by age 3, they have the physical and developmental traits of a 10-year-old human. They reach adulthood by 15, with their physical maturity peaking around age 13-15, experiencing a form of emotional puberty around age 12. Dragonborn are characterized by a quick maturation rate, wherein by the end of their first year, they are at a three-year-old human's mental and physical stage.
In summary, dragonborn generally experience a rapid growth and early maturity, embrace strong alignments, and exhibit dragon-like physical characteristics, making them unique among other humanoid races. Their lifespan, while reflecting human averages, encourages many to seek glory through combat rather than endure old age.
How Long Is A Dragonborn Pregnancy?
Dragonborn typically have 2-3 children in their lifetimes, with lifespans comparable to humans. Dragonborn women experience a slightly extended pregnancy period of around 10 months, which is divided into three trimesters. The process begins with a percentile die roll to determine conception. Following this, the female will carry the developing eggs for a gestation period of approximately 9 months, with the eggs maturing around a quarter of the way through. Unlike typical dragon eggs, Dragonborn eggs are laid and incubated; they hatch into young Dragonborn that are more intelligent and physically adept than human children.
Young Dragonborn exhibit rapid growth and development. They can walk shortly after hatching and reach the size and capability of a 10-year-old human by age three, achieving full adulthood by age fifteen. Dragonborns generally live until about age eighty. Interestingly, some rare Dragonborn females can give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Dragonborn tend to display strong alignments, navigating their societal roles with extremes.
While they can reproduce primarily within their own kind, reproductive possibilities with humans or other Dragonborn males exist, although dynamics around this vary. Overall, Dragonborn development and family structure reflect unique biological traits and cultural practices in their society.
How Long Do DragonBorns Live?
Dragonborn are unique beings that resemble dragons in humanoid form but lack wings or tails. They mature rapidly, walking hours after hatching and reaching the size and development of a 10-year-old human by age 3. They attain adulthood by 15 and typically live to around 80 years, a lifespan comparable to humans. Historically, they were believed to have longer lifespans, as some legends suggest they could live for hundreds of years, but current canon suggests a maximum of around 80 years.
Rare exceptions exist, such as those "born" through the Rite of Rebirth, who may live up to 400 years. However, many dragonborn die young due to their inclination for honorable combat, often preferring a noble death over old age's infirmities. Their appearance has evolved over generations due to interbreeding, resulting in more uniform, smaller scales, usually of brass or copper, rather than the vibrant hues of their ancestors. Dragonborn are often torn between good and evil, aligning with Bahamut or Tiamat, reflecting their tendency toward extremes in their choices.
On average, they stand between 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 8 inches and weigh around 220 pounds. Despite the differences in lore interpretations, dragonborn remain a fascinating race, embodying a blend of dragon-like traits and human characteristics.
Why Would A Dragonborn Leave Their Clan?
Dragonborn are known for their self-reliance and pride, having escaped slavery through their own hard work rather than divine intervention, leading them to feel that gods do not deserve worship. The clan is of utmost importance to dragonborn, and they typically do not leave unless compelled by a significant reason. A Dragonborn’s conduct reflects their clan's honor, and actions that bring dishonor can result in expulsion. The challenge arises when a character must justify leaving their clan to embark on an adventure 2, 000 miles away.
Reasons for a Dragonborn's departure can include feelings of unfair treatment or personal limitations within the clan. They may also leave to achieve personal growth, acquire power or knowledge to better serve their clan upon return. It's conceivable that a Dragonborn might join a different clan that aligns with their personal beliefs, especially if their original clan's values are compromised, such as in cases of abuse or tyranny.
In role-playing situations, the character could pursue a path to bring honor back to their clan or seek redemption for past grievances. The importance of clan loyalty remains constant, but it’s important to understand that pursuing personal endeavors does not mean abandoning one’s identity. A Dragonborn adventuring should aim to bring back enhancements to their clan’s status, showcasing the complex relationship between personal ambition and clan loyalty. Thus, an adventure can be a quest for honor rather than a departure.
What Is The Lifespan Of A Dragonborn?
Dragonborn do not have a significantly altered lifespan compared to their respective races, typically living around 80 years. Lifespan varies by race, with elves potentially living for centuries and humans about a hundred years. Dragonborn are known for their rapid growth; they can walk within hours after hatching and reach the physical development of a ten-year-old human child by age 3. They attain full adulthood by 15 years old. Despite their quick maturation, most dragonborn prefer an honorable death in battle rather than succumbing to old age, resulting in few living beyond 70 years.
Their physical appearance resembles that of dragons in humanoid form, lacking wings or tails, with their scales traditionally reflecting vibrant hues. However, generations of interbreeding have led to a more uniform appearance with small, fine scales in brass and other colors. Historically, lifespans were influenced by high infant mortality rates, with adults often only living into their 30s or 40s.
The Dragonborn are closely related to draconic deities, and various subtypes, such as Draconblood and Ravenite, were introduced, slightly altering their abilities. In summary, while dragonborn mature swiftly, their lifespan averages around 80 years, influenced by cultural practices and mortality preferences rather than biological factors.
How Did Dragonborn Families Form?
Dragonborn families form clans, groups linked by geography and shared traits, with many clans dedicated to serving dragons involved in the Bahamut-Tiamat conflict. "Family" specifically refers to blood relatives, while "clan" describes military-sided confederations. Dragonborn are tall humanoid dragons, averaging 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 8 inches. The appearance and hatching of their eggs hold significant meaning; auspicious traits include a gold coating or a neat split.
Dragonborn can walk shortly after hatching, and clans, vital for protection, often take precedence over families. Having arrived from Abeir due to the second Sundering, Dragonborn were historically enslaved by dragons. Many believe they were crafted by dragons from the Astral Sea and Elemental forces. Dragonborn society values order, loyalty, and duty to their clans, which sustained them through their enslavement. The Great Moots, essential for decision-making, are marked by stones with clan chiefs' names.
Dragonborn with metallic ancestries claim their resilience comes from brass, bronze, copper, gold, and silver dragons. They embody a mix of dragon and humanoid traits, purportedly created by dragon gods. Marriages within dragonborn societies are typically arranged and result in small family units. Though dragonborn possess unique gifts, they do not have hereditary royal bloodlines; rather, bloodlines are organized into clans, which elect leaders periodically. Historically, dragonborn were enslaved by dragons, especially chromatic ones, on their home world.
What Is The Life Cycle Of A Dragonborn?
Dragonborn have a unique life cycle characterized by rapid growth and development. They can walk just hours after hatching and reach the physical and developmental size of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3. By age 15, they attain adulthood, and their lifespan averages around 80 years. Their growth trajectory is distinct, with puberty commencing around age 5 and concluding by age 12. Dragonborn are bipedal, draconic humanoids known for their proud nature and familial ties.
The race originates from the plane of Abeir and has various names, including Strixiki and Vayemniri. Despite their formidable presence, they often face fear and incomprehension from other species. A dragonborn's development is rapid, achieving the equivalent of a human’s mental and physical maturity by their early years. Some myths suggest they may have been humanoids of different races before becoming dragonborn. Their impressive stature typically exceeds six feet in height, with weights ranging from 250 to 300 pounds.
Dragonborn, believed to be shaped by draconic gods or dragons, exhibit a unique bond with their heritage. Their life cycle includes specialized environments for egg incubation in ruins of ancient civilizations. Overall, dragonborn are a proud race with captivating characteristics that reflect their draconic lineage.
How Tall Is A 15 Year Old Dragonborn?
Dragonborn are imposing beings, standing over 6 feet tall and averaging nearly 250 pounds, making them taller and heavier than humans. They walk shortly after hatching, gaining the size and development of a 10-year-old human by age 3. By the age of 15, they reach adulthood and are considered fully grown, with an average height ranging from 6 to 8 feet. Their lifespan is about 80 years.
The Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Player's Handbook outlines that dragonborn typically fall between 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 8 inches (1. 9 to 2 meters) in height, and can weigh anywhere from 220 to 320 pounds (100 to 150 kg). They do not have tails and are distinguished by their scaly hides that resemble humanoid dragons.
Young dragonborn experience rapid physical growth, achieving full size by age 15, alongside mental maturity. When determining dragonborn height, they start at a base of 5 feet 6 inches plus an additional height determined by a roll of 2d8 inches, with a possible maximum of up to 6 feet 10 inches. Despite variations in size depending on the D&D edition, dragonborn characters consistently embody a striking presence and formidable stature.
📹 How the Dragonborn looks to NPCs
Ever wondered how you, the Dragonborn, must look to #Skyrim NPCs? Wonder no more. Instagram: …
My friend once played a dragonborn that was the product of a human bard and a dragon in a comedy oneshot. Another friend played an old man who was a bard who once seduced a dragon. They came up with these concepts independently. Shout out to Luke the DM for tying their backstories together. A happy little family.
This is actually really similar to my most recent dnd character turned into campaign villain! I made a Dragonborn named Miso who’s whole schtick is that they hate gods and dragons for having been made into ‘Unpaid Interns’ and now seek to destroy the influences of gods and dragons upon the people so that they may create a world that is truly free. I ended up loving the concept so much I just keep them more as an npc rather than a player character
I admire how you actively engage concepts that aren’t specifically to your tastes and create something new from the aspects you enjoy. Also, as a liker of dragons myself, I appreciate your diplomacy! You’re not putting things you’re not keen on down, you’re finding inspiration and that! Is beautiful. The way you create is uplifting.
Youtube has an aspect of luck to it, but it also rewards quality of work pretty well so I knew you would take off. From the thumbnails to article structure plus you end it with something tangible to use in our games? Legend. Also somehow every reference you make speaks to my soul in a deep level, never stop using Disgaea music lmao
Y’know my idea was to pull from other mythologies related to dragons, I have a backlog character that’s a gold dragonborn paladin (IT GETS MORE INTERESTING I PROMISE!) but instead of a standard dragon inspiration, his physicality is based more on East Asian dragon lore, his fire damage breath is a blast of boiling river water, his features are more slender and snakelike than bulky like the wyrms of European lore, he has a mustache like East Asian dragons and “hair” that’s a wild matte of vibrant fire colored feathers extending in an approximation of a mullet over his back, and his personality is based on Dinidan the laughing knight of Arthur’s round table because this oath of the ancients paladin is a wandering music junkie who spreads “the light” by lending aid to any travellers he comes across and aggressively sharing the good vibes of the world with everyone he meets.
I am in awe of your artwork. Your art style is beautiful and dynamic. Your early drafts have so much character to them cos your shadows and shading is so good and your finished pieces at the end are always next level. your colour choices, the blending, the shading, the line work, all of it is just so beautiful and inspiring and I love it. Keep up the amazing work cos they compliment the ideas of the articles beautifully.
You are one of my inspirations! For my D&D campaign I made a “Twist” with the Harpies (I love the idea of people with wings and I think the monster is very underused considering that they speak common and have potential), based in your content I created a society and culture. Your website is a huge inspiration to many other DMs and we love your content S2
Your website is growing because there are lots if youtubers that talk about dnd stuff, but as far as I know only you actually give us awesome free content ( I love most of the stuff but I particularly love the idea around psionic abilities, there are not enough things and abilities that can be gotten without using up feats or character levels.
Been binge perusal your entire catalog soon, and every article, even those with a topic I don’t naturally gravitate towards have been Stellar. Artwork is Amazing, the fresh thinking is super cool and you’re just generally entertaining to listen to/watch. Keep up the great work! Gonna go paste this on the rest of your articles to feed the algorithm gods
I had the same issue with the vanilla lore of Dragonborn, but I have an obsession with making my character’s story match the world they live in, so I very much took bits and pieces from the forgotten realms lore and exaggerated different elements to create a different flavor of dragon born heritage. In the heavily modified version of Tomb of Annihilation that my group plays in, I created a ton of unique lore for my Eastern-dragon themed Dragonborn Paladin character and for my friend’s Dragonborn Wizard character. I basically re-wrote huge portions of the Forgotten Realms lore regarding the creation of the dragons. Here’s the jist of it. Chromatus (generally a facelift of IO/Azgorath; A dragon god with 15 heads; One for each ‘color’ and ‘type’ of dragons, all the gem dragons, all the metallic dragons, and all the chromatic dragons.) assisted in the creation of Abeir-Toril, siding with the primordials. He seeded the world with the Reptilian races (Lizardfolk, Snakefolk, etc), but was sealed away by the intervening gods for this. Some time later, an empire of Reptilians freed Chromatus, who then created the first dragon flights, waging war on the giants and the gods. This war drags on for far too long, and Chromatus regrets putting his kin through so much suffering. He empowers fifteen of his Draconic generals into enlightened Guardians of Dragonkind. Each is blessed with a sliver of Chromatus’s power, becoming true-born metallic, chromatic and gem dragons. These empowered dragons are tasked with assisting Chromatus in his new goal; Split the world into two!
I love extremes. So the reasons to play Dragonborn: 1. Start 6 ft tall. Become Fighter Runic Knight. At 10 lvl become even taller. 2. Play Sorcerer Draconic Bloodline. 3. Play Monk Way of The Ascendant Dragon. 4. Play Ranger Drakewarden. Be all of them. Fighter 11/Sorc 3/Monk 3/Ranger 3. Be more draconic than dragons.
I have been perusal your stuff for a whole but I did just subscribe recently. I love the little character you made (pointy hat) – it has such personality. It’s the perfect VTuber character! The way you explain, dissect and reinvent things from DnD is bound to bring in all the DnD fans on YouTube. The humour is great, you come across as naturally funny. Great job mate, keep doing what you’re doing, you’re doing great!
I really like this, since my favorite player races and classes are usually the plane touched one’s. So a dragon touched race is extremely cool and I genuinely love the variations as it feels like a Tiefling in a way, having their blood manifest in different ways allowing for unique abilities with each one
hello sir, and yes, it surprised me to see how much of a new website you were lol also wow this is the first time I’ve been so early to see no views lol edit: wow another dragon age fan, yeah in DAO the qunari were the most interesting to me, the only reason I even PLAYED DA2 (besides tapestry) is because I wanted to learn more about the qun and the qunari lol
Just randomly came across your articles due to the whims of the algorithm. I have to say I can easily see why your website has gotten so popular so fast. Your articles are well made, funny and genuinely insightful. I have actually made changes and had new ideas for my own campaign after perusal your articles. Exceptional work!
I love these guys! I was a bit concerned at the start that these would be replacements for dragonborn, but having them both in cannon is very cool! I also love how varied they are, I imagine that will work very nicely in making some pretty interesting designs. As for dragonborn themselves, I’ve always liked them due to how unique their designs are. They (canonically at least) don’t look like furriers, having more of a somewhat stout dwarph-like look with weird scale covered tendril dreadlocks (the females even no longer have tits!).
I think you’ve done a good job with the subrace for the Dragonborn! I’m still new to 5e lore so I didn’t know dragons had “unpaid interns” in the canon until now. Glad the algorithm directed me here a little while ago; I think I’ve already watched all your articles up to this one and I enjoyed your spins on classic monsters/classes/etc
THANK YOU for making this article and THANK YOU for saying you have always thought Dragonborn were “boring” (I always felt like I was the only one), and finally THANK YOU for making this cool new race and offering it to us for free! (P.S.: Thank you for your content, your website, and for being YOU! You’re awesome! Keep it up!)
10:45 “Instead of looking for a way to continue living without the need to put others into forced servitude, dragons just looked for a way to have another go at it. But this time, they would make sure that whoever they kept under their thumb would never be able to leave them.” So… they made kobolds, right? I mean, kobolds are usually depicted as being very devoted to dragons, idolizing them and wanting to be them. I highly doubt any of them would want to leave… “Dragons decided that the reason why dragonborn managed to escape was simply because they were TOO similar to dragons, and therefore too strong and too perfect. They made a servant that was too close to the master, and they made sure they didn’t make that same mistake on their second try.” Well, kobolds are more realistic, sometimes even underconfident, in mindset so this still checks out. I mean, sure they do look like dragons a bit, but they don’t have a breath weapon and many can’t fly. “The dragons took people from other races…” No… “They had an issue. To a dragon, they were simply too weak to serve them.” No no no… “Dragons infused them with slivers of their own draconic magic to make them stronger…” No no no no no. “And so the dragontouched were born.” And now you gave every kobold nightmares of a dragon creating a dragontouched gnome. Countless kobolds are going to fall asleep to dream they are serving a dragon master, only to be cast out as the dragon reveals a small gnome with a dragon arm. As the dragon berates the kobold, the gnome will approach our tiny friend and say words no kobold ever wants to hear.
Keep it up Pointy Hat! Everyone in all the DnD groups I know have adopted your concepts for Teiflings with a twist, and I hear everyone going into detail on the shape of their horns and have excellent artwork done for them. Your articles are inspiring a lot of people to be more creative with their character creation.
I love this concept! I am currently playing an Aasimar of Bahamut who is a lawful good cleric of life and a character that I worked with my DM to help design. They are the nicest person you will ever know and are also absolutely frightening when defending you from evil. I flavored him in such a way that he has white shimmering angelic wings, symmetrical small horns, iridescent silvery scale patches on his pale skin, sharper nails, pointed ears, and a silver dragon tail with aspects of feathery light golden fur and feathers. The rest of them is what you would expect from an aasimar: beautiful androgynous human body with no signs of any blemish, long lustrous (blonde) hair, and perching (sky blue) eyes. Kind of my take on what if angels of Bahamut existed that were not full dragons. And I wanted to highlight the life aspect of Bahamut’s domain using the protector Aasimar sub-race as well to emphasize how much the character values life (and love). They have the same stats as a protector aasimar and the dragon flare is mostly for looks/you know who his god is when you see him kind of deal and you should be either very afraid or very relieved. Also yea he is a good boy and will help you with anything and bake you sweets!
Honestly man, or hat, you really keep hitting the nail on the head with these articles. I announced a “dragon-touched” NPC in my campaign two weeks ago, and wanted to expand on his lore, and you just pulled it out. Also you made hags just after I wrote a nice BBEG for a campaign as well. And you improved both rangers and elves in a way that I have been searching for, but couldn’t find until you, brilliant hat, brought them to me. Thank you so much, on my and my players behalf. Keep on doing your thing
My favorite animal is octopus. Cephalopods in general are super super fascinating to me. I have found some homebrew stuff but none of it really satisfied me and I wondered what your take might be for something cephalopodic and possessing tentacles, camo, or other stuff. I’ve tried to homebrew a race myself but my immense passion for how awesome and broken cephalopods are always gets in the way of balance.
I came across your website recently and i must say, i’m really enjoying the content! it’s nice to see different spins and perspectives of all the different classes/races/mechanics of D&D and i will be going through your entire playlist and perusal them all! keep up the great work and i wish you the best!! Thank you!
I’m playing a dragonborn at the moment but because I am playing a crystal dragonborn from Fizbans (A different origin stil!) I avoided the dragonborn backstory by having his egg stolen and sold off. I love your stream lined dragonborn origin story, It gives a much bigger better sense of identify for them as a race, and I feel like it adds a lot to their different motives and ideologies. I do enjoy the concept of the dragon touched but I feel that it is a bit too similar to the different tiefling subspecies and a weird middle step between using dragonborns as “interns” and later Kobolds
this is pretty much cannon in forgotten realms, the creating draconic mutated humanoids that is. all chromatic half dragons come from it and many subraces with draconic influence are because of it, black dragon lizardfolk and frost giants drinking white dragon blood being two i remember from aj pickets article.
Also I just love your articles. The artwork, the creativity, the editing. All of it is A+ and I laugh at a lot of the references to other media in each article. As scary as it is to have so many people viewing your work, you DO deserve all the attention! Thank you for sharing these articles with us. And thank you Bia for the amazing editing! You also deserve all the attention!
As of Fizbans, the Dragonborn can use their breath weapon more than 1/short rest there. There’s also the variants from Wildmount. The first Dragonborn have little to do with the rest of them in games…in 3.5 they were one of the few LA+0 template “races” that were pretty interesting, they had been all highly religious as Bahamut’s counter for the various Spawn of Tiamat that were coming into play at the time. Anyone following Bahamut (and sometimes some of other good dragon dieties). Some of them used to develop wings and other things there (And were theorized to have been based on the Dragon Kith) Then 4e tossed that and just made them another race. Also, the dragontouched you have could work better as just working from the various “Dragonblooded” races that also showed up in 3.5 (That are all various versions of races infused with dragonblood into them)
I often play Dragonborn, it’s one of my favorite races as I like playing Martial classes and I like Charisma classes. And I like dragons 😅. My breath weapon is usually Posion or Cold because I think those resistances are very useful. The Dragon-Touched seem really really cool and interesting, but it seems less of a spin on Dragonborn and more of a spin of adding (pardon the pun) draconic touches to other races. It seems less Dragonborn with a twist and more other races with a twist that happens to be draconic. I was hoping for a twist like, Sea or nature Dragonborns making them similar to Argonians in Elder Scrolls, or making Dragonborn subraces that would add to Dragonborns like the Courtly or Aetherial Elves. Like Dragonborns that despise their Dragonic heritage because they were… “interns” … and try to look less draconic, which over the years changed them, or Dragonborns that lean into that Draconic Heritage and Weird Religion thing and worship their former masters as Gods becoming more bestial and dragon-like with Tails and stuff due to their desire to emulate their Gods. The Dragon-Touched feel more like a new race rather than a twist on an old one. I still like them, it just didn’t seem right for the Dragonborn. Can you cover Warforged next?
I was actually planning on having a nation in my homebrew world based around draconic races. I was going to try to implement half dragons along with dragonborn but your idea could also be a nice extra touch to add. I envisioned the nation as pretty closed and a little racist, so with actual dragons as their rulers it wouldn’t be out of the question for citizens to become dragon touched if they want.
So, I am gonna say that for me personally, this one is a bit of a miss. It definitely reads ” dragonborn for people that don’t like dragonborn” which by your own admission, is a race that doesn’t have any appeal to you. For me it kinda takes away everything that I like about the race and just makes them regular elves/humans/dwarves but with some extra stuff. In a lot of ways it sort of reminds of something WOTC would have come up with in 3.X as a very diluted attempt to give people that wanna play dragons or something draconic a bone thrown their way with a ” there, happy now?” and we’d be like “…well no” cause it sort of is as removed from the original idea as can be without being completely removed, probably out of some fear of imbalance. While I am aware that the first version of Dragonborn appeared towards the end of the 3.X’s life cycle the vast majority of it, we would have gotten something like this I like dragonborn because I love anything saurian. I grew up loving dinosaurs, this lead to a love of dragons and kaiju. Dragonborn are kind of like miniature kaiju, bipedal saurians that breathe energy attacks, and let me fulfill that fantasy. I am just glad we got Fizban recently to finally pep them up and give them stronger options
When you were describing the lore, it’s very similar to the kobolds, if you made the kobolds more generic since they strip the engineering and mining focus and giving a more generic proud buffed clan race. To be honest, I probably won’t play one anyway, but I like the stats, if the GM allows me to reskin them as wyverns, drakes or actual dragons of some kind.
I absolutely LOVE your website. A breath of fresh air. You are original, funny and provide fantastically fun twists for DnD. As a DM myself I love it when my players use new ideas like these. (And I myself, will be using some of you previous articles for some of my campaigns as well, like hags). Above all I enjoy that you give your content out for free to all DnD fans. You are an inspiration (DnD joke) to all of us. Keep it up!
I’d rather them be more beastial than a funny looking human. If you’re going to have a semi-monsterous race playable, you’ve gotta really put the “monster” in their design. A villager peasant wouldn’t realistically know what a dragonborn is, and when they see one, might mistake them for an actual monster until the the dragonborn politely expresses through it’s bonus charisma and well manners that it isn’t a monster and is only passing through the settlement. Or, using it’s +2 to strength, it shatters a nearby rock with a flick of it’s tail (Yes I’m advocating for them, fuck wotc and their close minded racial design philosophy) to intimidate the peasant with a snarl and a crooked eye. I really enjoy Starfinder for this aspect, because some races are downright disgusting conventionally speaking but they work because of their established role within the galaxy. None of them are particularly “perfect”. Everyone has a flaw, be it internal mentally or externally physically, depending on how you see it. Making everything a human but with funny features gets boring, old, and stale. Star wars is a perfect example. 20 billion species in the galaxy but they want humans as the main cast of heroes. Fuck that design. “Hurr but how will people relate through the characters?” Through actually creative writing? Sheesh.
Love your creativity! In addition to your description of the Dragon-touched, I envision setting a campaign between the timeframes, wherein the ‘-touched are still…”interned”, and the Dragonborn, seeing a kindred spirit (giving what they themselves already went through) are making active military campaigns to free the ‘-touched!
So your idea to make the Dragonborn cooler is to make them less draconic and more humanoid… That’s a big fat NO from me. I DESPISE humans and humanoid races. Humans, elves, half elves, etc all just show an incredible lack of creativity, and their over proliferation in games and literature only makes my ire greater every time they crop up yet again. Honestly design-wise your asymmetry and mutation aspect makes me think more of the influence of Chaos from WHFB/40k than an anything else. Lore wise the focus on independence and individuality was an interesting take, though.
I remember perusal a article from an evolutionary biologist years ago talking about why Argonians would have breasts. And their conclusion is that it 100% does make sense for any bipedal humanoid species that have a long term helpless infancy to develop some form of mammaries or mammory like growth for feeding their young. As it is the most efficient evolutionary route for feeding young that they carry in their arms. Though they did conclude that Argonians (and by extension Dragonborn) likely would still not have nipples and would instead secrete a completely different substance from milk, more appropriate to their biological needs. Its the helplessness of bipedal humanoids as babies and the mother carrying them in her arms that necessitate some sort of breast like development on the chest. At least that was their conclusion.
This is a really cool idea! You actually taught me a lot about D&D dragonborn lore. In the fantasy series I’m working on, there are people called dragonborns with very similar powers to the ones in D&D, but they don’t look like humanoid dragons. They’re more like the new variant that you designed: mostly human, but with patches of scales somewhere on their body. The scales are in different places for each dragonborn, and there isn’t really a rhyme or reason for where the patches are. They also have the power to transform into full-blown dragons at will, so I guess they’re like the Manakete from the Fire Emblem series.
Okay so no lie, this new variant is perfect. In my home game Dragonborn are normal people who, for one reason or another, choose to serve a dragon and receive a fraction of that Dragon’s power, and I had no great ideas on how to do that but the Dragontouched are the perfect answer! Once again, you have given me gold, sir. GOLD, I SAY!
LOL Ok… I was hearing this in the background while working on some things and completely zoned out of the article, got super focused and the sudden silence and then the “I love you.” without knowing any context threw me off so badly. Great article though, rewatched it (paying attention this time), love your content, keep it up!
My first DnD character was/is a dragonborn paladin named Shest Managarmr. I only got to play two unrelated sessions with her though, the first on was going to be the start of Lost Mine of Phandelver but we only did one session that ended with me throttling a Goblin with the intent to capture them for interrogation. The other was a one shot where Shest had in order of events; bend a dagger trying to use it to remove the hinges from a door, fail to rip said door off its hinges, ran down a flight of stairs with her eyes closed and fell down half of it causing her to take damage, and lastly using her breath attack on a mirror version of herself that mimics everything she does which even with her cold resistance left her with 2 HP. She was not the sharpest egg in the attic.
WOW thishelps me A LOT. i am a new DM and i was looking for a good history for my players and while hearing the twist i had an idea why dont use dragon touch as its the ealy days of them existing and making my party having them as constant enemies to havo to save them from the clawns of a dragon as the BBEG (he is prob gonna become a dracolich too)
I think Dragon-touched are so cool. Thinking about the specific empowered body part makes me want to play a Dragon-touched character with a dragon’s mouth. Powerful voice, capable speaker, able to manipulate/inspire others, maybe the ability to communicate without a shared language. I don’t know. Very fun and engaging design. Love it!