Unique Dragonborn: Chromatic
The dragonborn are a race of humanoids possessing the power of dragons. Their origins differ from world to world.
Dragon-Created. On some worlds, dragons ruled the land in ancient days and engaged in epic conflicts with each other. They turned to the young mortal races as a source of recruits. Dragons performed biomagical experiments to infuse the mortals with their blood or essence, creating a new race.
Dragon-Descended. On some worlds, dragonborn are the eventual product of a dragon mating with a humanoid. They may be the offspring of a half-dragon and another humanoid.
Ritual of Rebirth. On some worlds, dragonborn are not a true race. They instead are humanoids who have abandoned their original form and undergone a ritual of rebirth at the hands of either a draconic deity or a particularly powerful wyrm. They use their newfound power to serve as one of their transformer's elite agents.
The information given here is for Dragon-Created dragonborn. It may differ for Dragon-Descended or Rite of Rebirth dragonborn. For example, Rite of Rebirth dragonborn would be size Small instead of Medium if they were originally a halfling or gnome.
Ability Score Increase
Your Strength or Charisma score increases by 1, and one other ability score of your choice 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 80.
Alignment
Dragonborn have slight tendencies toward the alignment of their draconic progenitor. For example, red dragonborn are more often chaotic than lawful. That said, dragonborn are free to choose their destiny.
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.
Draconic Abilities
You are distantly related to a particular kind of dragon or otherwise wield their power. Choose a type of dragon from the below list; this determines the damage and area of your breath weapon, and the type of resistance you gain. Green dragonborn also have advantage on saving throws against poison.
| Dragon Type | Damage Type | Breath Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Acid | 5' by 30' line (DEX save) |
| Blue | Lightning | 5' by 30' line (DEX save) |
| Brown | Acid | 5' by 30' line (DEX save) |
| Green | Poison | 15' cone (CON save) |
| Orange | Unique | 5' by 30' line (DEX save) |
| Purple | Force | 15' cone (CON save) |
| Red | Fire | 15' cone (DEX save) |
| White | Cold | 15' cone (CON save) |
| Yellow | Unique | 15' cone (STR save) |
Breath Weapon
You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. It deals damage in an area according to the type of dragon whose powers you have. When you use your breath weapon, all creatures in the area must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by the type of dragon whose powers you have. The DC of this saving throw is 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. After using your breath weapon, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Starting at 3rd level, your breath weapon deals extra damage equal to your level.
Starting at 5th level, you can perform a quickened breath as a bonus action. A quickened breath deals only half as much damage as normal.
In addition, you can use your action to perform a very weak version of your breath weapon that affects a target within 5 feet of you. This creates a minor effect that deals no damage. For example, a blue dragonborn could zap an ally, while a purple dragonborn could "poke" someone.
Draconic Aspect
In addition to wielding the power of a particular variety of dragon, dragonborn emulate dragons in several different ways. You have one of the following draconic aspects.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Fierceness. Although all dragonborn have tough scales, yours are especially hard. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield's benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
You also possess sharp claws and teeth which are natural weapons which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with a bite attack, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier. If you hit with a claw attack, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Some dragonborn have tails. If you have the Fierceness trait and a tail, you can use it as a natural weapon too. It deals 1d4 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage on a hit.
Wings. You have a pair of wings. Although they aren't strong enough for you to truly fly with, they are still quite useful. They give you a bit of lift when jumping. Your Strength score is treated as if it was 5 higher than it actually is for determining how far and high you can jump.
Starting at 3rd level, you can use your wings to glide. When you fall and are not incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from your fall when calculating your fall damage and can move horizontally 2 feet for every 1 foot you fall.
Starting at 5th level, when you fall and are not incapacitated, you take no damage from the fall.
Starting at 7th level, when you fall and are incapacitated, your wings naturally unfurl, and powerful ligaments stiffen them. You descend slowly in a tight corkscrew and take only 1d6 points of falling damage, no matter the actual distance of the fall.
Languages
You can read, speak, and write Common and Draconic.
Ritual of Rebirth Dragonborn
If you are a Ritual of Rebirth Dragonborn, you may work with your DM to identify "cultural" racial traits like rock gnomes' Tinker trait that you retain after becoming a dragonborn. As doing so increases the power of this race, it is recommended that you forego choosing a Draconic Aspect if you choose this option.
Unique Aspect
Dragonborn have one or more unique abilities depending on the type of dragon whose power they have.
Black. Black dragonborn not only love pickled and fermented food and drink, but have a particularly well-developed sense of taste that allows them to become skilled chefs and brewers. You are proficient with brewer's supplies and cook's utensils.
Blue. Blue dragonborn can easily mimic sounds they hear. When you make a Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Performance) check that involves imitating a sound or voice, you get a +2 bonus.
Brown. Brown dragonborn are adapted to the heat of deserts. You are immune to the effects of extreme heat, as described in the Dungeon Masters Guide.
Brown dragons lack wings, and so you cannot choose the Wings Draconic Aspect. However, you have access to the Burrowing aspect. Selecting it gives you webbed fingers and a burrow speed of 5 feet. Your burrow speed is increased to 10 if you are digging through sand.
If you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with your breath attack, it dies and its body (but not its gear) collapses into a pile of sand.
Green. Green dragonborn have excellent poker faces. When you make a Charisma (Deception) check and roll a 1 on the d20, you can reroll it. Keep rerolling until you roll something other than a 1; you take the new result.
Orange. Your breath weapon is a bizarre mixture of oily saliva and a deadly, explosive compound. When this compound is exposed to water or air, it detonates in a ferocious explosion. The dragon's oily saliva shields this mixture, but it quickly evaporates. Once it is gone, the compound explodes.
Your breath weapon deals damage at the end of your turn rather than immediately. It deals fire damage.
You have resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against poison.
Orange dragons lack wings, and so you cannot choose the Wings Draconic Aspect.
An orange dragon.
Purple. Purple dragonborn have inherited two of purple dragons' three distinct breath weapons. When you use your breath weapon, instead of creating a cone of force, you can create a blinding flash of light that affects all other creatures within 10 feet of you. If they fail a Constitution saving throw, they are partially blinded for 1 minute. Creatures that succeed are not partially blinded. Affected creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn, ending the effect on a success. This breath weapon deals no damage.
When a partially blinded creature makes an attack roll, it has a -2 penalty. It also has disadvantage on any ability check that requires sight and it has a -2 to AC. Creatures that are immune to blindness cannot be partially blinded. Ignore the penalties of partial blindness if the target cannot see (whether due to actual blindness or darkness).
If you perform a quickened breath with this blinding breath, creatures that fail their saving throw have a -1 to attack rolls and AC and when they make an ability check that requires sight, they roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from the result.
Red. Red dragonborn are real scary when they get angry. When you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check and roll a 1 on the d20, you can reroll it. Keep rerolling until you roll something other than a 1; you take the new result.
White. White dragonborn live for the thrill of the hunt. When you make a Wisdom (Survival) check to track a creature and roll less than a 10 on the d20, treat the result as if you had rolled a 10.
Yellow. Yellow dragonborn are famously fast and difficult to catch. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet. When you make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape being grappled or restrained, you get a +2 bonus. However, you don't have resistance to any type of damage.
In addition, your breath weapon is a cone of binding salt. It deals no damage, and creatures immune to the restrained condition are not affected by it. Creatures that fail their saving throw against it are covered in salt for 10 minutes or until they immerse themselves in water or a creature spends an action to douse them with at least one gallon of water or watery liquid. Creatures that succeed are not affected. An affected creature can also use its action to make a Strength check against your breath weapon DC. On a success, it frees itself.
Creatures covered in salt have a -2 penalty to attack rolls, AC, Dexterity saving throws, and Dexterity checks, and their speed is reduced by 10 feet. If the creature also becomes restrained, ignore these penalties. If you perform a quickened breath, these penalties are halved.
Yellow dragons lack wings, yet can still fly due to a connection with the Elemental Plane of Air. If you select the Wings Draconic Aspect, you do not actually have wings, but nonetheless receive the benefits of the aspect.
A yellow dragon.
Art Credit
White Dragonborn by hey_a_cubed
Arkhan & Tiamat by Jeff Easley
Blue Dragonborn Monk by Hyfigh
Black Dragonborn by Jack Kaiser
Orange and Yellow Dragons by Warren Mahy
Racial Feats
Deep Breath
Prerequisite: Dragonborn
Your breath weapon is particularly strong and it recharges like that of a true dragon. You gain the following benefits.
-
Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
-
Your breath weapon deals extra damage equal to half your level.
-
At the start of each of your turns after you use your breath weapon, roll a d6. If you roll a 6, you regain your use of your breath weapon.
Double Dragonborn
Prerequisite: Dragonborn
You wield the powers of two types of dragons. You gain the following benefits.
-
Increase your Strength, Constitution, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
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Choose one type of dragonborn. You gain its Unique Aspect and resistance to its breath weapon damage type, and you can use that dragonborn's breath weapon in place of your normal one.
Second Aspect
Prerequisite: Dragonborn
Your enhance your draconic abilities. You gain the following benefits.
-
Increase your Strength, Constitution, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
-
You gain a second Draconic Aspect.
Double Dragonborn Notes
Brown. If you choose the Double Dragonborn feat and choose brown dragonborn, only your brown dragonborn breath weapon can reduce creatures to sand. If you choose brown dragonborn and later get the Second Aspect feat, you can choose the Burrowing aspect. Green. If you choose green dragonborn, you also gain advantage on saving throws against poison. Orange. If you choose orange dragonborn, you gain resistance to poison and advantage on saving throws against poison instead of resistance to fire. Yellow. If you choose yellow dragonborn, you don't gain any damage resistance. Brown/Orange. Brown and orange dragonborn with the Double Dragonborn and Second Aspect feats can get the Wings Aspect if their second dragonborn type can.