Dragonborn Expanded

The idea behind this rework is to make the Dragonborn race not necessarily very powerful, but more flavorful and fun to use. I feel that the version presented in the PHB is a bit lacking and not so fun to play. I aim to correct that while simultaneously making them a more competitive option for those that feel the race is underpowered.

Dragonborn Names

Follow the guidelines and conventions in the PHB. The lore bits in the PHB and SCAG also remain relevant.

Dragonborn Traits

Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other dragonborn.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Young dragonborn grow quickly. 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 150.

Alignment. Dragonborn tend to extremes, making a concious choice for one side or the other in the cosmic war between good and evil (represented by Bahamut and Tiamat, respectively). Most dragonborn are good, but those who side with Tiamat can be terrible villains.

Size. Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Low Light Vision. Your draconic blood grants you a limited ability to see in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light.

Draconic Ancestry. You have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your breath weapon, damage resistance, bonus ability score increase, and adpatation are determined by the dragon type, as shown in the table.

Breath Weapon. You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation.

When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. A creature takes 1d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 5th level, 5d6 at 11th level, and 7d6 at 17th level.

After you use your breath weapon, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Breath Utility. You may use your action to exhale to create minor and harmless effects related to your Breath Weapon. The effects you create must fit within a 5-foot cube. Some examples of this include lighting a torch with your fire breath and using poison breath to create a foul smelling cloud. DMs are encouraged to allow their players to be creative. You may use this ability as often as you like, provided you have use of your action. You may use this feature even if you have already used your Breath Weapon.

Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated with your draconic ancestry.

Adaptation. Your draconic ancestry causes you to be adapted to certain environments. Shown in the Adaptation column of the Draconic Ancestry table, you might have any of the following adaptations:

Altitude Adaptation. You are acclimated to high altitudes and do not suffer any ill effects from being in such environments. Furthermore, you have resistance to bludgeoning damage taken due to falling.
Climber. You have a climb speed of 30 feet.
Cold Adaptation. You are naturally adapted to cold climates. You automatically succeed on the saving throw to avoid exhaustion due to Extreme Cold.
Heat Adaptation. You are naturally adapted to hot climates. You automatically succeed on the saving throw to avoid exhaustion due to Extreme Heat.
Ice Walk. You can move across and climb icy surfaces without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of ice or snow doesn't cost extra movement.
Perceptive. You do not suffer disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks due to Strong Wind or Heavy Precipitation. Also, lightly obscured objects and creatures count as not being obscured at all for you.
Survivor. You can subsist on a quarter of the amount of food and water as normal PCs without suffering any ill effects. Furthermore, you may add your proficiency bonus when foraging, even if you are not proficient in Wisdom (Survival), or double your proficiency bonus if you are.
Swimmer. You have a swim speed of 30 feet.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.

A Note on Alignment

Many Dragonborn follow the alignment of the dragon blood in their veins, but it is by no means a rule. The Heritage Alignment column of the Draconic Ancestry table is meant to serve as a quick reference guide to the true dragon's alignment to help you create your character.

Draconic Ancestry

Dragon	Heritage Alignment	ASI	Adaptation	Damage Type	Breath Weapon
Black	Chaotic Evil	+1 Dex	Heat Adaptation, Swimmer	Acid	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Blue	Lawful Evil	+1 Wis	Heat Adaptation, Survivor	Lightning	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Brass	Chaotic Good	+1 Int	Survivor	Fire	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Bronze	Lawful Good	+1 Wis	Cold Adaptation, Swimmer	Lightning	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Copper	Chaotic Good	+1 Dex	Heat Adaptation, Climber	Acid	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Gold	Lawful Good	+1 Cha	Perceptive	Fire	15 ft. cone (Dex. save)
Green	Lawful Evil	+1 Int	Cold Adaptation, Climber	Poison	15 ft. cone (Con. save)
Red	Chaotic Evil	+1 Cha	Altitude Adaptation	Fire	15 ft. cone (Dex. save)
Silver	Lawful Good	+1 Str	Altitude Adaptation	Cold	15 ft. cone (Con. save)
White	Chaotic Evil	+1 Str	Ice Walk	Cold	15 ft. cone (Con. save)

Optional Feats

If your DM allows the use of feats from chapter 6 of the PHB, your dragonborn character has access to the following special feats (these are meant to replace and expand upon the options provided in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything):

Draconic Scion

Your Draconic Heritage is stronger than most dragonborn. You can select this feat multiple times.

Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
If your DM allows the Variant rule to the right, you may select a variant trait you don't already have, or you may select both Breath Weapon and Breath Utility if you don't already have them.

Ambivalent Blood

Prerequisite: Mixed Heritage

Although you are not pure-blooded, your mixed heritage has proven to be powerful enough to push out all other bloodlines. You can select this feat multiple times.

You gain one ASI, one Adaptation, and one Damage Type from your mixed bloodline that you don’t already have, following all the same restrictions you followed when creating your character. If your new Damage Type is either Cold or Fire, and you already have Cold or Heat Adaptation, respectively, you lose that adaptation.
Any feature that mentions your Damage Type now considers the new one you acquired from this feat in addition to what it did before.

Variants

If your DM allows it, you may replace both Breath Weapon and Breath Utility with one of the options to the right.

Draconic Legacy. You know the following spells and cantrip depending on your Damage Type, all of which you can cast without material or somatic components: Control Flames (Fire), Shape Water (Cold), Minor Illusion (Acid), Druidcraft (Poison), Dancing Lights (Lightning). Once you reach 3rd level, you may cast Absorb Elements as a 2nd-level spell once. When casting Absorb Elements with this feature, it makes you immune to your damage type if you chose it. Once you reach 5th level, you may cast the Enlarge part of Enlarge/Reduce on yourself once. You regain the use of both spells upon completing a long rest. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Dragon Hide. Your scales are hard enough to deflect some blows. Your AC is 15, even if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC.

You have retractable claws, sharpened teeth, and/or a thick tail that count as natural weapons. You can use them to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage as appropriate equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.

Fearsome. Once per short rest, you may use your action to invoke the frightful presence of your draconic ancestors. Each creature of your choice that is within 30 feet of you and aware of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to your Fearsome ability for the next 24 hours.

Furthermore, you have advantage on Charisma checks made against creatures that are frightened of you.

Powerful Wings. You have draconic wings that give you a flying speed of 30 feet. While flying, you require at least as much space as a creature one size larger than you would use. You cannot squeeze while using them. While flying, you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Breath Mastery

Prerequisite: Breath Weapon

Your Breath Weapon has been honed after repeated and expert use.

Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You may add your Constitution modifier to the damage of your Breath Weapon. Additionally, when you roll damage for your Breath Weapon, you may treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2. Finally, your Breath Weapon ignores resistance to its damage type.
You may use a bonus action to increase the range of your breath weapon until the end of your turn. This increases turns 15-ft cones into 30-foot cones, and 5-by-30 ft lines into 10-by-60 ft lines.
If you also have the Breath Shaping feat, you may choose between a 15-foot cone and a 5-by-30 foot line for its range when using your Breath Weapon.

Breath Shaping

Prerequisite: Breath Weapon

You've tapped into the inherent elemental magics of your Breath Weapon.

Increase your Draconic Heritage Ability Score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
The Save DC for your Breath Weapon increases by 1.
Breath Utility can now create effects that fit within a 10-foot cube.
You gain an additional Breath Weapon related to your damage type: Weakening (Fire), Paralyzing (Cold), Sleep (Poison), Repulsion (Lightning), and Slowing (Acid). You may expend your use of your Breath Weapon to use it and its range is a 15-ft cone.
- Weakening. Targets must succeed on a Strength saving throw or have disadvantage on Strength based attack rolls, checks, and saves for 1 minute. They may repeat the save at the end of their turns.
- Paralyzing. Targets must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the start of your next turn.
- Sleep. Targets must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or fall unconcious for 1 minute. The effect ends for a creature if it takes damage or someone uses an action to wake it.
- Repulsion. Targets must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from you.
- Slowing. Targets must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they can't use reactions and their speed is halved for 1 minute. They may repeat the save at the end of their turns.

Elemental Hegemony

Prerequisite: Draconic Legacy, level 7

Commandment of the elements is your birth right.

Increase your Draconic Heritage Ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You may cast Elemental Bane once using Constitution as your spellcasting ability and without the somatic component. You regain your use once you finish a long rest. When casting it in this way, you may only choose your Draconic Heritage Damage Type.
If you also have the Strong Blood feat, you may concentrate on both the casting of Elemental Bane granted by this feat and the casting of Elemental Weapon granted by that feat at the same time, though losing concentration ends both spells.

Strong Blood

Prerequisite: Draconic Legacy, level 5

Your Draconic bloodline is stronger than most.

You now regain your use of Absorb Element from Draconic Legacy upon completing a short rest.
Furthermore, you learn one of the following cantrips based on your Damage Type, which you can cast without material or somatic components: Produce Flame (Fire), Ray of Frost (Cold), Acid Splash (Acid), Poison Spray (Poison), Shocking Grasp (Lightning). Constitution is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
You may cast Elemental Weapon once on a weapon you are wielding, or any natural weapons you have. You may only enchant your weapon with the damage type associated with your Draconic Ancestry. The spell ends if you stop wielding the weapon, and you may cast it without the somatic component. You regain your use once you finish a long rest.

Plated Scales

Prerequisite: Dragon Hide

Your scales are as hard as steel.

Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
The damage die for your natural weapons increases to a d6. If it is already a d6, it increases to a d8.
While not wearing armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage you take from non-magical weapons is reduced by 3.

Draconic Ferocity

Prerequisite: Dragon Hide

Your teeth are swords. Your claws are spears.

Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
The damage die for your natural weapons increases to a d6. If it is already a d6, it increases to a d8.
You may use your bonus action to charge one of your natural weapons with elemental energy. If you hit with an attack with it before the end of your turn, it deals additional damage of your Heritage Damage Type. This damage is equal to your natural weapon damage die.
If you also have Plated Scales, your natural weapons are considered magical.

Mixed Heritage Variant

Not all Dragonborn come from a pure bloodline. With your DM's permission you may use the following variant:

Mixed Heritage. Your ancestry is mixed, with two or more dragon types showing their colors and features in your appearance. Pick two or more dragon types in the Dragon column of the Draconic Ancestry Table. You may choose one ASI and one Damage Type from any of those rows. The Damage Type you choose is tied to its corresponding Breath Weapon entry. You may also choose one Adaptation from any of those rows that isn’t Heat Adaptation or Cold Adaptation. If your Damage Type is neither Fire nor Cold, then you may choose Heat Adaptation or Cold Adaptation in addition to your other adaptation, but only if one of the rows you picked either had that Adaptation or had the Fire or Cold Damage Type, respectively. You can’t obtain traits that your ancestors didn’t have.

For instance, you wish for your character to have a mixed Green/Red heritage. First, choose either +1 to Intelligence or +1 to Charisma. Next, choose either Altitude Adaptation or Climber for your Adaptation. Now, choose either poison or fire for your Damage Type. If you choose poison, your Breath Weapon will be a 15-ft. cone (Con. save) and if you choose fire, your Breath Weapon will be a 15-ft. cone (Dex. save). If you chose poison, you need to pick either Cold Adaptation (which came from your Green side) or Heat Adaptation (which came from your Red side's fire type) in addition to your other adaptation.

On the other hand, if you wished your Dragonborn to have a Brass/Gold heritage, you could not give them, for example, the Climber adaptation, since neither Draconic Ancestry gives that adaptation.

Metallic dragons are more likely to mix with other Metallic dragons, and the same goes for Chromatic dragons. It is also unlikely that a Dragonborn would have more than two different dragon types in their bloodline, as the others tend to get diluted as time goes on. Your dragonborn can only have as many ancestors as it displays in its traits.

Terrifying Mantle

Prerequisite: Fearsome

You have the inherent frightful presence of your progenitors.

Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You may now use Fearsome any number of times.

Menacing Visage

Prerequisite: Fearsome

Your visage causes fear in your enemies, especially in the middle of combat.

Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
When you hit a creature with a melee attack or are hit by a creature's melee attack, you may use your reaction to use Fearsome on that creature, expending its use, unless you also have Terrifying Mantle. It has disadvantage on the initial saving throw when used in this way.

Dragon's Swiftness

Prerequisite: Winged

Your wings are a testament to your heritage as they are capable of carrying you swiftly and powerfully.

Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You may add your proficiency bonus to any Initiative rolls, so long as you have use of your wings when you roll.
When you use your wings to fly in a straight line on your turn, you can double your fly speed until the end of the turn. When flying in this way, you may use your bonus action to Dash along that same line. After doing this special Dash, you cannot do so again until you do not use your wings to fly on your turn.
When pushing, dragging, or lifting weight in excess of your carrying capacity while flying, your speed is not reduced. You are still limited to your normal maximum limit for pushing, dragging, or lifting.

Winged Hurricane

Prerequisite: Winged

Your wings leave behind hurricane-like winds in your wake.

Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Once per short rest, you may use your bonus action to beat your wings. Each creature within 5 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier) or take 2d6 + Strength modifier bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. Once using this ability, you may immediately move up to half your fly speed.
If you use Dragon's Swiftness to move twice your normal speed before this ability, the range increases to 10 feet and creatures have disadvantage on the saving throw.`

List of Changes

Changed the ASI. +2 Con to allow more character variety, couple with slight optimization opportunities in color choice.
Age. Made them live a little longer.
Draconic Ancestry. Now affects the 3rd ASI, and your Adaptation.
Breath Weapon. Now scales differently. On average, it does less damage early on, but more later on. Also changed the levels it scales at to match cantrips.
Breath Utility. Codified a popular homebrew rule. Should allow for more RP opportunities.
Adaptation. Adds some much needed out of combat usefulness to the race as well as flavor. Also gave Heat Adaptation and Cold Adaptation to non-Fire and non-Cold dragon types. Fire and Cold resistance already grant that by default, which is why some (Acid, Poison, and Lightning) Draconic Ancestry options have two Adaptations instead of one.
Low Light Vision. Not as strong as Darkvision, but provides the Dragonborn with part of an ability that all dragons have.
Variants. More options for a campaign whose dragonborn are a bit more varied. They should all roughly be equivalent to a feat in power.
Mixed Heritage. Added this variant for fun and optimization opportunities.
Optional Feats. For players who want to live that dragon fantasy.

Balance Analysis

Here, I will examine the balance of this rework using two popular metrics: The Musicus Scale and the Detect Balance Scale. This is to hopefully nip most of the more obvious balance problems in the bud.

Musicus Scale

Original Dragonborn (Score: 4.5)

Feature	Score
ASI +3	3
Breath Weapon	1
Damage Resistance	.5
Draconic Ancestry	0

This score places it below the recommended average of 5.5 to 6. For reference, one ASI is valued at 1.

Dragonborn Reworked (Score: 6)

Feature	Score
ASI +3	3
Breath Weapon/Variant Traits	1.5
Damage Resistance	.5
Draconic Ancestry	0
Adaptation	.5
Breath Utility/Variant Traits	.5
Low Light Vision	0

This score puts the Dragonborn on the higher end of our average range. Although not huge, my change to breath weapon feels like a buff in the end, so I bumped up the score for that to 1.5. The variant traits replace both the Breath Weapon and the new Breath Utility, so I tried to balance them around 2 points. Adaptation valued at .5 using examples as a guideline. Same story with Breath Utility (I ranked it as a cantrip similar to Prestidigitation). Darkvision is rated at .5, and Low Light Vision is weaker than that, but the scale does not use .25s. I decided to rate it as a "0" but keep it in the list.

I like that Breath Weapon and Breath Utility add up to 2, because it makes the variant traits easier to balance, as that makes them about equal to 2 ASIs or a feat.

Detect Balance Scale

Original Dragonborn (Score: 21)

Feature	Score
ASI +3	12
Breath Weapon	6
Damage Resistance	3

This system ranks the Dragonborn as just about below the power curve as Musicus did. They are both "one ASI" below the curve. The average here is about 25, with one ASI being valued at 4.

Dragonborn Reworked (Score: 26)

Feature	Score
ASI +3	12
Breath Weapon/Variant traits	7
Damage Resistance	3
Adaptation	2
Breath Utility/Variant Traits	1
Low Light Vision	1

This score puts the Dragonborn on the upper end of the recommended range of 24 to 27. Again, although not huge, my change to breath weapon feels like a buff, so I bumped up the score for that to 7. The variant traits replace both the Breath Weapon and the new Breath Utility, so I tried to balance them around 8 points. I valued Breath Utility at 1, as per the guideline in the system for ribbon features. Adaptation offers a little bit more than ribbon, so I valued it at two, which is in line with the system's guidelines for swim speed and climb speed. I rated Low Light Vision as equal to a ribbon feature, as it isn't likely to see much real usefulness.

I like that Breath Weapon and Breath Utility add up to 8, because it makes the variant traits easier to balance, as that makes them about equal to 2 ASIs or a feat.

Credit

Rework by u/Wuorg. Created using GMBinder.

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