D&D 5E Rare Dragonborn

[RoughCoronet0]

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 recall both Metallic and Chromatics were subjected to the transformations into Catastrophic Dragons. I definitely remember that the Wildfire Dragons in particular were once Red and Gold Dragons.

Grant it, it always made more sense to me that the classifications of Chromatic and Metallic Dragons didn't really exist until after Tiamat and Bahamut came into being to create such a divide, so technically Catastrophic Dragons were never actually Metallic or Chromatic to start.

I also classify them as Primordial Dragons in my world.

 

[Marandahir]

Oh I think I remember that, but I also remember that in Draconomicon 1, the definition divide between Elemental Planar Dragons and Catastrophic Dragons was that Elemental Dragons were influenced but Catastrophic Dragons were original. But then when MM3 came out and introduced Catastrophics for real, they were elemental-influenced as well. UGH.

 

[Marandahir]

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.

I love that. A Mithral Dragonborn would function similarly, I'd assume.

I wonder if you could have a Quinchromatic Dragonborn whose breath was variable and had traits of Tiamat

 

[cbwjm]

I love that. A Mithral Dragonborn would function similarly, I'd assume.

I wonder if you could have a Quinchromatic Dragonborn whose breath was variable and had traits of Tiamat

I have considered that, this is what I have for dragons in my campaign setting:

Warped Dragons
Some dragons are born warped by the power of Tiamat, the Five-fold Dragon-Queen. These dragons might have a different breath weapon, an ability to switch between two, different resistances, immunities, or vulnerabilities. Sometimes a frost dragon might have the spell-like abilities of a flame or other dragon type, using them to surprise their enemies. In the mythic age, these dragons formed her dragon brood.

Dragonborn are, quite literally, descended from dragons in my setting so any type of dragon-blood can appear in dragonborn as well. Though warped dragonborn may not be held in such high esteem as platinum dragonborn.

 

[Corinnguard]

Level Up does have something like the Oriental Dragons. In this RPG they're called Essence Dragons.

Essence dragons fly wingless over distant shores, their serpentine pennant-like bodies snapping back and forth magically as they soar. Their spirits are intertwined with the magic of the land and are usually tied to a specific sea, river, or mountain, or to a separate plane entirely.

The first Monstrous Menagerie mentions three of them- Earth, River and Shadow. Several other Essence Dragons have been mentioned in Level Up's Adventurer's Guide- Celestial, Chaos, Spirit and Underworld. I feel like there should be an Essence Dragon that embodies Order.

 

[the Jester]

I allowed an amethyst dragonborn.