D&D 5E Rare Dragonborn

[Corinnguard]

Currently 5e has 15 different kinds (subraces?) of Dragonborn:

Chromatic- Black, Blue, Green, Red and White
Metallic- Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold and Silver
Gem- Amethyst, Crystal, Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz

And while 15 is nice number (for some ) Dragonborn fans, there are quite number of True Dragons out there in 4e and 5e that could (and maybe even should) have a Dragonborn counterpart. 4e introduced us to five chromatic dragons (Brown, Grey, Orange, Purple and Yellow) and 7 metallic dragons (Adamantine, Cobalt, Iron, Mercury, Mithral, Orium, Steel and Iron. Gem just appears to have the Obsidian dragon. All of whom could have their own Dragonborn counterparts.

So, has anyone created one of these Rare Dragonborn as a character for someone else's 5e campaign or their own?

 

[jmartkdr2]

I've seen a few homebrew Turtle Dragonborn (as in, the dragon is a dragon turtle). I could probably bang out dragonborn types for all the other dragons in Fizban's in an afternoon if the mood struck me.

Mostly because type doesn't impact dragonborn much. It's just a damage type in the PHB version (well, and a shape, but one of two options.) The Fizban update adds one extra buff, but one of three options - I suppose dragon turtles should have amphibiousness instead, but that seems balanced.

If anything the Oriental Adventures dragons would need to most work, I think. (I don't really know much about those myself.)

 

[Corinnguard]

If anything the Oriental Adventures dragons would need to most work, I think. (I don't really know much about those myself.)

This is a Dragonsworn Exorcist from the World of Alessia RPG by Storm Bunny Studios. This IMO would be the best example of what an Oriental Dragonborn might look like.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The planar dragonborn (even that with duck beak), the song dragonborn, the cobra dragonborn (yuan-ti, be jealous! yes, he cobra dragon appeared in the magazine!).

The lung are special because everyones start as yu-lung/carp dragons and when they reach adulthood then the become other type.

And we can't forget the "outer" dragons from Spelljammer (sun, moon, stellar..), and the shadow, mist, pearl, cloud

Time dragonborns may be a true headache. And if we talked about the dzalmus or the brainstealer, OMG!

 

[Marandahir]

4e and Fizban dragon variants were interesting and I'd lean into those for rare Dragonborn.

Chromatic Dragons – Purple, Brown, Grey

Metallic Dragons – Mithral, Orichalcum, Mercury, Iron, Steel, Cobalt

Catastrophic Dragons – Avalanche, Blizzard, Earthquake, Tornado, Typhoon, Volcanic, and Wildfire

Other - Moonstone Dragon, Sea Serpent, Hollow Dragon, Dracolich, Ghost Dragon, Gem Stalker, Liondrake, Drakes in general, Eyedrake, Dragonnel, Deep Dragon (recast of Purple Dragon?), Pact Dragon, Blight Dragon, Draconic Shard, Shadow Dragon, Dragon Turtle, Elder Brain Dragon, Fairy Dragon, Rainbow Dragon, Couatls, Drakkensteeds, Drakkoths, Pseudodragons, Dragonspawn, Draconians, Frostforge Wyrm, Deathmask Dragon, Battle Dragon, Blazewyrm, Dragon Eel, Tempest Dragon, Pyroclastic Dragon, Mirage Dragon, Wretch Dragon, Vampiric Dragon, Abishai…

 

[Corinnguard]

The planar dragonborn (even that with duck beak), the song dragonborn, the cobra dragonborn (yuan-ti, be jealous! yes, he cobra dragon appeared in the magazine!).

The lung are special because everyones start as yu-lung/carp dragons and when they reach adulthood then the become other type.

And we can't forget the "outer" dragons from Spelljammer (sun, moon, stellar..), and the shadow, mist, pearl, cloud

Time dragonborns may be a true headache. And if we talked about the dzalmus or the brainstealer, OMG!

Ryoko's Guide to the Yokai Realms does happen to have a Dragonborn-like race called the Ryujin who just happen to 'evolve' from a race of Koi-like fishfolk called the Nishikin. This transformation into the Ryujin happens when a Nishikin experiences a moment of great euphoria or tragedy. It doesn't happen to all Nishikin, just a few.

 

[Corinnguard]

Catastrophic Dragons – Avalanche, Blizzard, Earthquake, Tornado, Typhoon, Volcanic, and Wildfire

Primal Dragonborn?

 

[Marandahir]

Primal Dragonborn?

They're more like Dragons of the Elemental Chaos, but in 5e with the elements being just as much related to the Prime Material as they are to the Inner Planes, I could totally see Primal Dragonborn. I just think if you're going to do Catastrophic Dragons, the Chromatics sort of move into the Prime Material space, while if you don't do Catastrophics, the Chromatics play up more of their Elemental Natures.

You may notice on that list a few Elemental Dragons that aren't Catastrophic Dragons. That's because they're Chromatics that have become more Elemental due to exposure to one of the Inner Planes / Elemental Chaos, and become Elementals Dragons instead of Natural Dragons (to use 4e parlance of Origin Type + Monster Type rather than conflating the two like 5E does).

 

[Corinnguard]

They're more like Dragons of the Elemental Chaos, but in 5e with the elements being just as much related to the Prime Material as they are to the Inner Planes, I could totally see Primal Dragonborn. I just think if you're going to do Catastrophic Dragons, the Chromatics sort of move into the Prime Material space, while if you don't do Catastrophics, the Chromatics play up more of their Elemental Natures.

You may notice on that list a few Elemental Dragons that aren't Catastrophic Dragons. That's because they're Chromatics that have become more Elemental due to exposure to one of the Inner Planes / Elemental Chaos, and become Elementals Dragons instead of Natural Dragons (to use 4e parlance of Origin Type + Monster Type rather than conflating the two like 5E does).

I do know about these dragons thanks to the Forgotten Realms Wiki. And while they are more elemental than dragon, I could see their elemental nature affecting the eggs of Chromatic Dragonborn and turning the unborn Dragonborn inside into Primal Dragonborn. They could be the Dragonborn equivalent of the Genasi.

Dragonkin – 5th Edition SRD The Dragonkin from Kobold Press' Midgard setting.

 

[cbwjm]

I created a platinum dragonborn, one who is blessed by the platinum dragon elder that can appear in any bloodline. They are considered to have a great destiny. In my campaign, it was an NPC who was a platinum, the child of the current ruler of a dragonborn city-state.

Wasn't anything special rules-wise, just resistance to radiant damage and a breath weapon that deals radiant damage and blinds the enemy.