Dragonborn 5e: Traits, Breath Weapon, Ancestry and Best Builds (2024)

What traits does a dragonborn get in 5e?

The 2024 dragonborn is a much better species than the 2014 one. It kept the dragon flavor and fixed the two big complaints: a breath weapon you could use once per fight at best, and no darkvision. Here is everything on the sheet. Want a name to go with it? The D&D name generator has dragonborn names ready to roll.

Languages come from character creation in 2024 (Common plus two more you choose), not from your species. The 2014 dragonborn knows Common and Draconic.

Which draconic ancestry should you pick?

Your ancestor decides one thing in the 2024 rules: the damage type of your breath and your resistance. Breath shape is now your choice every time you use it, so color is about damage type and flavor.

• Fire (red, gold, brass): fire resistance guards against one of the most common damage types in the game. The catch is that monsters shrug it off a lot: 56 of the 341 SRD monsters resist or ignore fire, second only to poison, fiends and elementals especially.
• Lightning and acid (blue, bronze, black, copper): rarely resisted, so your breath lands at full value more often. A solid default.
• Cold (silver, white): good resistance for icy campaigns, middling breath.
• Poison (green): the worst breath type. Poison is the type monsters resist or ignore most: 71 of the 341 SRD monsters, including most undead, constructs and fiends. The resistance is handy, though.

Pick for the campaign if you know it. A dragonborn in a game about fighting red dragons will thank you for fire resistance when an adult red dragon breathes on the party.

How does the dragonborn breath weapon work in 2024?

When you take the Attack action, you can swap one of your attacks for a breath. Choose a 15-foot cone or a 5-foot-wide, 30-foot line. Everyone in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw against DC 8 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. On a failure they take the full damage; on a success, half.

The 2014 version hits harder per use at levels 1 to 4, but it eats your whole action and comes back only on a rest. The 2024 version is cheaper (one attack out of several from level 5 for martial classes) and you get 2 uses at level 1, 3 at level 5 and up to 6 at level 17.

Example: breathing on goblins

A level 5 dragonborn fighter with Constitution 14 (+2) has Proficiency Bonus +3, so the breath DC is 13. Four goblin warriors (Dex +2, 10 HP) are bunched in a 15-foot cone. Each one fails on a d20 roll of 10 or lower, a 50% chance. The 2d10 breath averages 11 on a failure and 5.25 on a success, so the expected damage is about 8.1 per goblin and 32.5 across all four. A failed save kills a goblin outright 64% of the time. Then the fighter still makes their second attack. You can check the spread yourself with the dice probability calculator.

The common mistake is breathing on a single target. One sword swing usually does more to one enemy. Save the breath for two or more enemies in a line or cone.

Can dragonborn fly?

Yes, in the 2024 rules. Draconic Flight starts at character level 5. Take a Bonus Action and spectral wings made of your breath's energy appear for 10 minutes. You fly at your normal Speed (30 feet, or more with boosts). The wings vanish early if you are Incapacitated or choose to drop them. You get one use per Long Rest.

Ten minutes covers most fights, so use it when the battle needs it: reaching an archer on a ledge, crossing a chasm, or staying out of reach of a melee brute. Flying over a long drop is a risk; if you get knocked out, you fall. The 2014 dragonborn has no flight at all, although some later supplements (Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, 2021) gave metallic and gem dragonborn similar breath-in-place-of-an-attack rules and, for gem dragonborn, short flights.

What are the best classes for a dragonborn?

Because 2024 ability scores come from your background, any dragonborn can play any class well. The species traits favor characters who take the Attack action and have decent Constitution, since Constitution powers the breath DC.

• Paladin: the classic. Breath clears weak enemies while your other attack carries a Divine Smite. Resistance stacks nicely with a front-line role.
• Fighter: with Extra Attack (and later three or four attacks), giving one up for an area blast costs very little.
• Barbarian: high Constitution means a high breath DC, and Rage plus your ancestry resistance makes you very hard to burn down.
• Sorcerer: the flavor match. A red dragonborn Draconic sorcerer throwing Fireball is about as on-theme as D&D gets. Note that a caster who casts spells instead of attacking rarely takes the Attack action, so the breath gets less use.
• Warlock and bard: fine choices, but these classes cast more than they attack, so the breath sits idle more often.

Quick build: dragonborn paladin (level 1)

1. Ancestry: blue (lightning). Rarely resisted damage.
2. Background: Soldier, putting +2 Strength and +1 Constitution. Soldier also gives you the Savage Attacker feat.
3. Scores (standard array plus background): Strength 17, Dexterity 10, Constitution 14, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 12, Charisma 14.
4. Gear: chain mail, shield, longsword (AC 18).
5. Breath DC: 8 + 2 (Constitution) + 2 (Proficiency) = 12, with 2 uses per Long Rest.

If you'd rather roll your scores, use the stat roller, or build the whole sheet in one go with the character generator.

Is the dragonborn good in 5e?

In the 2014 rules, the dragonborn was one of the weakest options in the Player's Handbook: no darkvision, a breath weapon that cost your action, and an ability bonus that only suited a few classes. In 2024 it is a solid, simple species. You get a resistance, darkvision, reliable area damage several times a day and a flight button at level 5. It is a great pick for new players, because every trait is easy to remember and fun to use. Compare it with other options on the species page, or look at the goliath if you want another big front-liner.

FAQ

Can dragonborn fly in 5e?

In the 2024 rules, yes. From character level 5 a dragonborn can take a Bonus Action to grow spectral wings for 10 minutes, gaining a Fly Speed equal to their Speed, once per Long Rest. The 2014 Player's Handbook dragonborn cannot fly.

How many times can a dragonborn use breath weapon?

In the 2024 rules you get uses equal to your Proficiency Bonus (2 at level 1, up to 6 at level 17) and regain them on a Long Rest. In the 2014 rules it is once per Short or Long Rest.

What is the dragonborn breath weapon save DC?

The DC is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. A level 1 dragonborn with Constitution 14 has DC 12. In 2024 the save is always Dexterity; in 2014 some colors use a Constitution save.

What is the best class for a dragonborn?

Paladin is the classic pick because it uses Strength and Charisma and benefits from extra area damage. Fighter, barbarian and sorcerer (especially Draconic Sorcery with a matching damage type) are also strong.

Do dragonborn have darkvision?

Dragonborn in the 2024 Player's Handbook have Darkvision out to 60 feet. The 2014 Player's Handbook version does not have darkvision.

Related

• DnD Name Generator
• Paladin 5e Class Guide (2024 Rules)
• Goliath 5e: Traits, Giant Ancestry Options and Best Builds (2024)
• DnD Character Generator