Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Dragonborn

#dungeonsanddragons #baldursgate3 #dragonborn
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[@TheGamingDragons]

During the development period of Skyrim, Bethesda submitted a copyright for the word "Dragonborn". Aparently they didn't played Dungeons & Dragons because by that time D&D have been using dragonborns for many years. As expected, the copyright was denied.

[@frankenstein6677]

The Gaming Dragons Trying to copyright a word that is made by glueing 2 existing ones is pretty scummy for starters.

[@andrewarchibald988]

The Gaming Dragons Not true though, TES essentially began as the homebrews for the creators' campaign

[@keulron2290]

I think it wouldve been earlier as it's used in Oblivion and possibly earlier.

[@sagesheahan6732]

@@frankenstein6677 that.

[@dizzygunner]

​@@frankenstein6677most things that are copywited are just 2 words smashed together....

[@CarrowMind]

I love that house rule about Dragonborn needing to sleep on gold! Such a fun lore addition. Of course, that party would have to be reasonably wealthy in the first place to be able to afford such an extravagance merely so that one of them can sleep on it. I would imagine a Dragonborn just starting out wouldn't have much wealth, and would ask the party to spill all their copper and silver coins on his sleeping mat so that he can at least have *some* precious metals to sleep on, though I imagine copper and silver won't feel as luxurious to a Dragonborn, or a regular dragon too, a bit like sleeping on a lumpy bed. Another house rule I would implement is all Dragonborn project a weaker and more subtle aura corresponding to their color. So a copper Dragonborn would have a slight cheerful affect on everyone around him, the longer you spend time with him the more joyful and mischievous you'll be. Whereas a black Dragonborn would have a nasty affect on people, making them more aggressive and impatient, highly prone to catching an illness or disease and generally generate a gloomy and horrible presence around themselves. So most towns would welcome a cooper Dragonborn with open arms and might even try to persuade it to stay, whereas a black Dragonborn would be shunned and reviled by every town they visit and might even get denied entry in the first place, if the local guards are more knowledgeable of the nature of black dragons and their ilk. Only the most desperate or depraved would willingly travel with a black Dragonborn and it would open up your group to some great roleplaying.

[@wagz781]

"They find birthing live young to not be an improvement over laying eggs" I knew I loved these little guys for some reason.

[@rufinlooks6956]

Watching this so I can learn about my Baldur's Gate 3 character lmao

[@therope340]

Dark Urge 🗿

[@Firstgenamerican21]

I’m creating my own. Still can’t decide if I want a Dragon Sorcerer, Wizard, Paladin or Ranger. Thoughts.?

[@rufinlooks6956]

@@Firstgenamerican21 Barbarian. Me like smash things with big heavy weapon. No need spells. But I can also be intelligent in dialogue because Dragonborn are cool intellectuals too lol.

[@Firstgenamerican21]

@@rufinlooks6956 I..honesty don’t know why I didn’t think Barbarian. Guess I’m so used to people playing them foolishly. Will try!

[@Aggrofool]

Dragonborn Paladin is a classic. Plus it's the most useful class for BG3

[@steveno3141]

Dragonborn lich, head of a dragon cult. Seems like a bad ass main villain.

[@douglasphillips5870]

Dragonborn are giant kobalds, but they're too proud to admit it.

[@AJPickett]

Douglas Phillips daaaaamn son!

[@strangent404a7]

True

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Technically not untrue Kobolds will eventually turn into Dragonborns And we eventually turn into dragons likewise through this the population is grown although it takes 1000 years for one of us to become a dragon and 500 for one of them to become a one of us

[@jaymevosburgh3660]

@@charlottewalnut3118 I have never heard that before. Where does it say that people become dragons?! Because that sounds a little, hmm...crazy.

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Jayme Vosburgh in my world they do. Seems cool right

[@nin_tan]

I'm playing my first game of d&d soon, and I'm making a bronze dragonborn pirate/fighter. This is seriously the coolest race concept ever. Gonna have hella drinking contests and swim in giant heaps of treasure.

[@fenrirswolh3]

Currently running a pacifist Dragonborn Samurai with a prosthetic arm holding his lethal blade. He uses a wooden sword to incapacitate people, all while asking then to peacefully surrender and reconsider their life decisions. He aims to give you opportunities to change yourself and only kills when he is absolutely forced to, as he views all life as precious and to be protected, but understands when violence is needed. He's been fun in Icewind Dale.

[@Michael-Drizzt]

I like the idea that Dragonborn are the descendants of half-dragons that formed communities and their bloodlines are what became Dragonborn generations later. Similar to how many tieflings are the descendants of Cambions, Alu-fiends and other half-fiend races.

[@rubyamateurtactician4354]

Ah, brings back memories of Oxventure, and the many feats of dragonborn paladin Egbert the Careless, who once successfully launched himself over a great wall by lighting an explosion under his shield, but who also chased a foul-smelling barrel into an alley thinking it was a ninja turtle. (-1 wisdom is the gift that keeps on giving)

[@mattman8436]

I bet this race will still change over the years. Awesome job, I learned a lot.

[@aarondobbs2958]

This is the best source of info for new players like me wanting to make characters and create my own campaign. Thank you AJ!!!!! Youre a savage nerd mate.

[@archhighgrandmaster664]

MrRhexx did dragonborn lore and it's a little different. but i like it as well

[@aarondobbs2958]

Been considering that channel as well but I love aj. Hes so easy to listen to.

[@danielderamus9573]

Ah a fellow connoisseur. These 2 are by far favorites. AJ definitely brings in more of the old school look at things and Rhexx sensationalizes while also being knowledgeable insightful and above all entertaining.

[@Krishnath.Dragon]

@@aarondobbs2958 Both are good, and between the two you get some pretty good lore about D&D stuff, and get lots of ideas for the game.

[@BIGESTblade]

Ah! My favorite race for playing fighters, barbarians and paladins. Just the feel of being a large chunk of destructing power and the looks of amazement of pretty much everyone around you is already worth it, but then you have an incredibly deadly on lesser levels dragon breath and damn usefull 50% resist to damage from a single element.

[@harryrcarmichael]

The total surface for the muscle to attach to is key - a modern example would be the ridge on most canines, felines, and Ursa.

[@BackgroundJoshua]

I'm glad that I found this. I really want to get into DnD and I really want to play as a Dragonborn or a human raised by a Dragon. The first thing my character will say no matter if I am human or Dragonborn, will be in Draconic.

[@unwavering3594]

draconic.twilightrealm.com/ you can use that I think it's kind of cool to be honest no were near all the word ever but it seems to be growing at least

[@BackgroundJoshua]

@@unwavering3594 That is an awesome website. Thank you for sharing. It definitely helps with building my character. My character will have a saying in Draconic, told to him by his mother a lot. Said in Draconic it says "qe versvesh sia vrak." When translated to common it comes out, "be strong my child."

[@deadknight1402]

This is the most comprehensive video on Dragonborn I can find. Which is great.

[@digunder14]

the new wildemount subraces/variants now got one which gives them tails, so now bet they will be even more often confused for half-dragons

[@CantHandletheFlumph]

I am both entertained and proud of how you chose to keep in and not edit your struggle with specificity. I absolutely love it and spend hours listening to your talks about creatures places and things.

[@AJPickett]

Ugh, that word! And yet, later on I manage to snap off some elven with seeming ease. I appreciate your comment, also, I have no idea if I pronounced the name of the avian creator race correctly or not.. I am waiting for someone to tell me I got it wrong, if not, I guess I got it right :)

[@CantHandletheFlumph]

It's hard to pronounce a fictional species wrong. I think you did well.

[@CantHandletheFlumph]

If it was me I would say Air-ee myself, but i probably spoke it wrong myself

[@davidlewis8814]

The analogy that stealing the Dragonborn’s golden blanket is like stealing my bed and money doesn’t seem to go far enough - more like if I came home and someone had stolen my dog! I would never stop looking and Celestial help the perpetrators!! Poor thing is missing me, and no one knows how to take care of it and love it the way I do. I will pay any price, turn every stone, and annihilate any obstacle!!!

[@mikegould6590]

This. Was. Brilliant. I have a White Dragonborn Barbarian planned for my next character and this was very helpful. It feels good to know that my instincts were spot on for behavioural traits. Thank you.

[@dakotastein9499]

i LOVE the Dragonborn...some of my favorite characters were Dragonborn. i once played a very awesome dragonborn/half celestial with platinum scales,great feathery wings,eyes like starry galaxies and a cone of electricity for a breath weapon.

[@benthomason3307]

I feel like realistically every structure in a dragonborn settlment would be made out of stone, since otherwise Arson (accidental or otherwise) would be an incredibly common problem, given that a good portion of the population is born with the ability to spew murderflames form their face at a moment's notice.

[@ahealthkit2745]

What about the kinds that breath acid? Ain't no fix for that.

[@susinator]

AJ, you'd love my Dragonborn Paladin 9/Sorcerer 5. His scales are a copper color. He, of course, is a Lawful Good paladin of Bahamut. His sorcerer blessing came from one of the gold dragons that travels with Bahamut. So he became a golden copper color, with more dragon like features.

[@AJPickett]

Correct, I do love that character build.

[@AJPickett]

By the way, this is made using my new computer, with updated editing software and a new microphone, so, let me know if it looks or sounds better, how the volume level is, etc.

[@duncanmarshall9020]

AJ Pickett it's sounding better and looks nice

[@DED_MEEM]

AJ Pickett I T ' S G O O D

[@murlockingdrako4371]

I'm actually starting a DnD campaign soon and it's actually my first ever time playing DnD as well as a few of my friends who are going to be playing. My character is a red Dragonborn Monk, that being said I found this video as well as your videos on Bahamut and Tiamat very helpful so thank you

[@AJPickett]

You are most welcome.

[@timmorris8932]

In my Greyhawk campaign Dragonborn are simply giant kobolds. They are hatched from extremely rare eggs laid by an urd female, an event that in and of itself a rare event. These eggs are only ever laid in a Kobold clan which has no dragon to serve, and sages think it is a consequence of the Kobolds themselves needing “a god” to serve. Dragonborn tend toward the chromatic end of the scale, but metallic ones are possible. Regardless of the type Dragonborn are worshipped by their clan and treated extremely well. PC Dragonborn need to justify becoming an adventurer, and detail how and why they have left “their people” behind. As I said in my comment on the Tiefling video, suspicion and fear are the usual reaction they will get, even more so than Tiefling. But let’s be honest, in a world where the dead get up and walk, demons occasionally pop up to steal your sons and daughters away, and actual gods have been known to walk Oerth, seeing a humanoid with scales and a tale is hardly “the strangest thing I’ve seen this week”. Given the extreme rarity of Dragonborn outside of Kobold clans it is entirely possible that common people may assume that the PC is the result of a curse of some kind. Especially as that is one of the hazards of being “one of those questionable adventuring types”. IMO Dragonborn females, in the event you have them as an actual separate race, would NOT have "curves". Their dimorphism would be much less pronounced and in humans and most of the other PC races. Mostly it will be seen in them having slightly duller colors than the males, and their tails being slightly shorter and chunkier, especially right where the tail connects to the rest of the body. Think crocodilians. I have a mild annoyance with this insistence that females of other species have to meet some sort of human standard of appearance. That's some ethnocentric bullshit right there. Female Half-orcs are bestial, female Dwarves look just like the males and have beards, and female Dragonborn do not have tits.

[@davidfletcher6703]

I imagine a scenario where a human and their Dragonborn companion joking around and the Dragonborn letting out a loud guffaw, and patting his human friend on the back and knocking the wind out of them

[@robinmcgee9277]

It's funny you would mention the war between Io and the primordials. I'm using that as the structure for the birth of bahumute an tiamat. I'm playing a special dragonborn that has no elemental alignment and has a breath weapon of pure force. His scales are pure white speckled with shining colors of thw whe spectrum. When born he was toched by the Devine energy left behind by the split of Io. In the game he is destined to rebuild the legacy of Io and become his herald. Through Nah-Groth will come the second coming of Io and the unification of the dragons, so all of dragon kind can rise up and do what they were always meant to do. Gide mortals to an age of true prosperity.

[@ThetrueDrnastyflaps]

Brilliant as always Mr Pickett. Gnomes and Dragonborn have always been my favourite player races so feeling particularly blessed that you've covered them fairly early on in our adventures into the zoology of the forgotten realms.

[@AJPickett]

I am of a like mind on that count, I am looking forward to talking about the Firbolg next, because they actually have some excellent history and a known, official origin, full of drama :)

[@toa_zohaku6]

My favorite character to play is a winged gold dragonborn. I absolutely love the lore and culture around this race.

[@felscorf456]

This video came out great; I haven't given Dragonborn much thought before now to be honest, seeing them as a power player race but after watching this, yeah, if they have a strong backstory to fit the strong race I can totally see them working.

[@AJPickett]

Thanks Glen. Yeah, they are great in the hands of a good role player.. not so great in the hands of a player who just wants to work through some of their social issues.. I've seen it go both ways, but that's not an issue with the playable race, it is an issue with the player.

[@RyanKassel]

Glen Yardley realized how great an RP opportunity dragonborns are after watching Matt Colville do his (Sir Alkizovar?) And Performance Check Lorekeepers campaign has one as well. Sooooo good!

[@TheRedneckGamer1979]

The book series Erin M. Evans's book series "The Brimstone angels" features a main character who is a dragonborn and deals with dragonborn society and culture, book 4 is actually set in the capital of Dejerad Thimar (i'm probably spelling that very wrong). However dragonborn in forgotten realms tend to be directly opposed to the open worship of the gods (ESPECIALLY the dragon gods) as they see the gods as just another tyrant.

[@anathema1828]

There’s a wealth of at the table jewels here! Thank you for sharing AJ ♥️

[@johnharvath2522]

What ever you do, don't steal a Dragonborns bankie!

[@H3xx99]

I actually miss the 3.5 Dragonborn, where it was a calling and a dragonborn was a reborn individual. I had a Dragonwrought Kobold named Samash Drakax (his Dragonborn name) who literally lived two whole lifetimes, nearly 1000 years in total. During his first life he went a pretty insane and developed some really serious psychosis and phobias and eventually pledged himself to Bahamut during his recovery.

[@UltramanExplained]

Thank you so much for your hard work aj. You do great work and have helped my game immensely (and given me days of amazing content to binge). Thank you.

[@shazamsanders4901]

I'd love to know if there is more lore on Dragonborn. Along with lore on Tymanther, this video is so helpful! Thank you!

[@AJPickett]

The forces of Tymanther have mostly migrated to Murghom and Brightstar Lake, where the Dragon Princes gather their power.

[@shazamsanders4901]

@@AJPickett Oooh okay! Where can I find in depth lore for these locations? Magazines, source books, exd Thank you for taking time to reply!

[@DracoMaverick]

No wonder i love rp'ing these guys

[@buttonmasher7615]

I'm surprised that after one year it seems like no one has made the obligatory "dragon boob" comment. So this will be that comment. Edit: Nevermind I found it.

[@ahealthkit2745]

In the heavily modified version of Tomb of Annihilation that my group plays in, I created a ton of unique lore for my Eastern-dragon themed Dragonborn Paladin character, and for my friend's Dragonborn Wizard character. I basically re-wrote huge portions of the Forgotten Realms lore regarding the creation of the dragons. Here's the jist of it. Chromatus (generally a facelift of IO; A dragon god with 15 heads; One for each 'color' and 'type' of dragons, all the gem dragons, all the metallic dragons, and all the chromatic dragons.) assisted in the creation of Abeir-Toril, siding with the primordials. He seeded the world with the Reptilian races (Lizardfolk, Snakefolk, etc), but was sealed away by the intervening gods for this. Some time later, an empire of Reptilians freed Chromatus, who then created the first dragon flights, waging war on the giants and the gods. This war drags on for far too long, and Chromatus regrets putting his kin through so much suffering. He empowers fifteen of his Draconic generals into enlightened Guardians of Dragonkind. Each is blessed with a sliver of Chromatus's power, becoming true-born metallic, chromatic and gem dragons. These empowered dragons are tasked with assisting Chromatus in his new goal; Split the world into two! One world for the kin of the elementals and the dragons, and the other for the gods. During the ritual, something goes awry. It's implied to be ancient lore, and many dragons and dragonkin have varying takes on what happened. Some say it was a betrayal from a group of Guardian dragons, others say it was an attack from the Primordials intended to disrupt the ritual, others still say it was all a part of the plan of Chromatus, while those who worship the later dragon gods claim that Chromatus went mad. Either way, Chromatus's goal of splitting the world was successful, but at a grave cost. The god of Dragons was shattered into three, Bahamut; The god of Metallics, Tiamat, the goddess of Chromatics, and Sardior; The god of Gem dragons. Due to the new personalities and war-like mentality of the descendants of Chromatus as well as potential resentment over splitting them from what was rightfully theirs (Toril), the Primordials relationship with the majority of Dragon-kind worsens greatly. Initially referred to as the Triumvirate, Bahamut, Tiamat and Sardior begin to infighting. Guardian dragons and other powerful ancient dragons from the wars on Abeir-Toril fret over which of the three dragon gods to worship. Others still pledge allegiance to the Primordials, who they believe are the true creators of Abeir and Toril. A schism forms when the followers of Tiamat begin to wage war against the elemental titans dwelling on Abeir, against the counsel of Bahamut, Sardior and the majority of the Guardian dragons. The power Tiamat's dragonkin received for devouring the elemental titans made them a considerable threat to the rest of Dragonkind, kicking off the first Dragon war on Abeir. The war is long and bloody, fueled by dragons devouring elemental titans for their powers. At the height of the war, the dragon-god Sardior is slain, while Tiamat mysteriously goes missing (thought to have been summoned to Toril). In the wake of the war's abrupt and bloody end, Bahamut and the remaining Guardian dragons outlaw dragon-god worship on Abeir. The unfair over prosecution of Tiamat worshipers led to another split, with the majority of dragons formerly loyal to Bahamut becoming disenfranchised with his cruelty to their kin. Around this time, independent dragons begin to form petty kingdoms on Abeir, using a blood ritual to create lesser dragonkin; like kobolds and dragonborn. Most dragonlords treat their newborn kin as slaves from birth, expected to carry out the less-pleasant but necessary tasks of forming an army to protect their hoards and sacred places. The few Guardian dragons that remain are mostly sympathetic to their lesser dragonkin; while they are never treated as equals, they are given the opportunity to be bestowed with great power in reward for their service. Additionally, the Guardian dragons have an upperhand over the rest of the dragons on Abeir; They can use the power they received from Chromatus to divine the future of dragon kind. Most of these visions predict a second dragon war, but gradually, more visions predict portals opening up across the realm in the wake of the Spellplague. Those that have these visions report hearing voices beckoning them through to the other side. Eventually, these portals open up. 9 Guardian dragons decide to lead their clans through the portals, while the remaining six decide to remain on Abeir, using magic secretly stolen from the gods long ago to enact a form of connection through the portals allowing them to spy on the other dragon clans on Abeir, while the rest seek new lives on Toril. This magic also allows them to spiritually connect to their kin, acting as advisors and leaders to those who reach out to them. This meditative practice is called Jundo. Many of the Guardians defect from the original plan. A group of them abandon their clans and side with enthralling factions on Toril, such as the Shou, or the dragon cults of Tiamat. The confused and abandoned lesser dragonkin form their own clans and go their separate ways, while others elect to remain with their draconic overlords. Eastern-style Dragonborn are called Celestial Dragonborn, and are direct descendants of a Guardian dragon that chose to protect their lesser dragonkin, steering them away from the Shou and Kara-tur, and leading them to the islands of Kozakura. They worship Chromatus and practice Jundo as a way to connect with their once-unified ancestry. Over time, this faith gradually fell away as Dragonborn culture became more prominent in the area, overtaking the rule of dragons after the Guardian dragons that brought them to Kozakura faded away into mythology. Very recently, due to Shou occupation of Kozakura, a group calling themselves the Redoran have reingited worship of Chromatus in secrecy, as part of a movement intended to unify the celestial dragonborn against the Shou invaders, who seek to erase worship of Chromatus and replace it with practice of the 'Path of Enlightenment', a form of worship of the Celestial Bureaucracy. It's implied that each of the dragonborn clans have very different appearances, based generally on the Guardian they were born of. Some have tails or wings, some don't, some have breath weapons, some don't, some have distinctive features never seen on dragons native to Toril, due to their connection with the Guardians.

[@ChasoGod]

I personally feel that Wizards really messed up on Dragonborn when they were designing them. Then they released some racial feats to try to make them more appealing, but these feats should have been racial features they should have naturally. So I will post what I think Dragonborn should be designed so they actually feel like humanoid bipedal dragons, and not feel like humans with just a resistance and breath weapon that are inferior to any Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer. Also I used the Pathfinder Race Builder to calculate all these features. The original Dragonborn only have 2RP, compared to Tieflings who have 10RP, while this version now has 10RP and is now more viable. Dragonborn Ability Bonuses: +2 Strength +1 Charisma Size: Medium Speed: 30 Darkvision 60 Claw 1d4+Str Slashing Natural Armor- When not wearing armor you have an AC of 13+Dex* (Optional) Draconic Presence : Dragonborn are proficient with Persuasion and Intimidation skills. Draconic Heritage Energy Resistance: Nothing to ad here I feel it's good enough Breath Weapon: The original version of this Feature was very weak, being only ONCE PER REST, this needed some reworking. Damage- 2d6 Damage type varied depending on Scale Color, +1d6 at levels 6, 11, and 16 for total of 5d6 Range- 15ft Cone or 30ft line, what ever the Dragonborn wants when used Uses- Either Recharge 5-6 like other creatures with a Breath Weapon or a 1d4 Round Cool-down** Save- Metallic and Chromatic Dragonborn still have a Save DC=8+Con+Prof, Save depends on the Energy type. (Optional) Draconic Maturation Upon reaching level 7 a Dragonborn develops an additional physical characteristic of their draconic ancestry depending on the path they choose (either Sky, Land, or Sea). This process can be painful and to add additional roleplay value to them upon reaching level 7 their body is wracked with pain as the process starts, they must make a Constitution Save of 15 or pass out from the pain where they take a mandatory Long Rest (8 hours). If they pass the save they remain awake and they delay the development until the next time they take a Long Rest. These are more to add variety with the Dragonborn physically giving them more movement options. Sky: A pair of scaly dragon wings erupts from the Dragonborns back giving them a Fly speed of 30 feet (20 if wearing heavy armor), at level 14 Fly Speed increases to 50 (40 if wearing heavy armor). Land: The dragonborns forelimbs are strengthened and their Claw attacks increase to 1d6+Str Slashing damage, they also gain a Climb speed of 20 and the Powerful Build feature like Goliaths. At level 14 they gain a Burrow speed of 20 in soft earth such as soil or sand. Sea: The dragonborns hands and feet become webbed giving them a swim speed of 30 andyour tail also becomes more flexible to help with swimming but also gives you a Tail Slam attack with 1d8+Str Bludgeoning damage***. Then at level 14 they are able to hold their breath for 15 minutes at a time. Gem Dragonborn Thought I'd toss this out as well. In D&D 3.5 MM2 there are Gem Dragons who are the Neutral counterparts to Metallics Good and Chromatics Evil. Thought I'd introduce them as a new Dragonborn type. Breath Weapon - Gem Dragonborns Breath Weapon DC is Charisma based instead of Constitution based like the others, DC=8+Cha+Prof. Check MM2 of 3.5e, this is why I said Charisma instead of Constitution. Dragon - Energy Type Resist - Save - Breath Type Amethyst - Force - (Dex save) - Force Damage Crystal - Radiant - (Con save) - Radiant Damage Emerald - Thunder - (Con save) - Thunder Damage Sapphire - Lightning - (Dex save) - Lightning Damage Topaz - Cold - (Con save) - Cold Damage Obsidian - Fire - (Dex Save) - Fire Damage * I would have Natural Armor also help characters who wear armor cause their Dexterity is low by having it provide a +1 AC bonus while wearing armor like the Defense Fighting Style. I feel like this is how Natural Armor should work. When not wearing armor your scales/thick skin/ect acts as armor but when you are wearing armor it just gives a bonus due to being an extra layer to what you're wearing. Natural Armor also replaces the 10 in the Unarmored Defense Class Abilities, so a Dragonborn Barbarian or Monk would have an AC=13+Dex+Con/Wis. ** I prefer the 1d4 Round Cool-down for Breath Weapon cause it doesn't guarantee a 33.33-% chance you'll be able to use it again on your next turn. Instead you basically have to wait 12-30 seconds till you can use it again depending on what you roll on the d4. It also prevents spamming it so you'd have to use other tactics during the Cool-down period. *** This is something Lizardfolk should have as well.

[@derskalde4973]

I absolutely love your idea! I too have my problems with what the Dragonborn were given in the PHB. Honestly, I felt like lizardfolk had way more stuff then the Dragonborn. I changed them to being able to use their breath weapon a number of times equal to their proficiency modifier per day, so they could use it more often, but are still more restricted then a Half-Dragon. I was considering to make it double their proficiency modifier per day, though now I'm considering to use your idea, or at least parts of it. One thing that could be a bit problematic, is that Dragonborn, at least in 5e, don't have tails, as far as I know.

[@ChasoGod]

@@derskalde4973 well they look a lot better with tails as it helps give them a good silhouette.

[@doc1192]

Got a discord? Id love to turn this into a genuine rework

[@nickgennady]

Yha I got mods for BG3 that makes Dragonborn not useless and does much to f what you wrote.

[@cevinzeke5110]

I can see Dragonborn and Goliaths as friends. I tend to create characters in packs and I’m working on a Goliath and Dragonborn who grew up together in a way. They lived on the same mountainside and were loyal to a dragon who lived inside the mountain in a cave system. The Goliath and Dragonborn were both seized by a kind of lawful neutral elven imperial force as children to serve as border guards, the Dragonborn talking a role as more of a true soldier and the Goliath as something of a Recon geared Ranger. They are both cast out after taking mercy on a group of woodelves native to the region in which they were guarding and travel together for that reason as mercenaries/freedom fighters. The Dragonborn would be a fighter/barbarian while the Goliath is a Ranger/Fighter.

[@MsAngel0008]

this was so informative and helpful, this is my first time playing a Dragonborn and you are a real life-saver, thanks!

[@ultimateninjaboi]

Despite my never ending love affair with Tieflings, the Dragonborn have remained one of, if not myy absolute favorite race to play as, whether player or DM. Such a great wealth of possibilities to play around with. And such an interesting visual aspect, for the DM to work with.

[@frostdragonking5336]

i have a book about bahamout and the dragonborn, the way they are created there seems interesting. If you are a humanoid and dedicate your life to Bahamout or a dragon you get the chance to go on a ritual that transforms you into a dragonborn.

[@kyleswanson6615]

Oh man, that is a long list of additional reading. Great video AJ and thanks for continuing to do the research and bringing your ideas to the table as well.

[@AJPickett]

Thanks Kyle, the dragonborn have one of the longest histories on the world of Toril of any of the races, so yeah, quite a challenge to condense it down into an overview for everyone.. I really want to make a series of videos on the full history of the forgotten realms, since all the info is available... if I ever run out of monsters :D

[@joeofalltradeslondon2353]

I once played a Red Dragonborn Warlord for 4th Edition (which wasn't terrible, but I much prefer 5th Edition) and it was so much fun. The backstory was rather farfetched, though, what with "Seph Bloodfire" (a very non-draconic name) being directly descended from Tiamat herself as her unwilling and rebellious Scion. Seph often found himself arguing with the other Dragonborn member of the party, Orn (whose name is draconic for "Silver," like his scales), who was descended directly from Bahamut. Seph being the elder, he often tried to help Orn get back into Bahamut's good graces (Orn was a different kind of rebellious), which would hopefully also endear Seph to Bahamut as well. Being more knowledgeable about various monsters and such, he would try to steer the party away from unnecessary harm. Which never. Ever. In ANY circumstance. Worked. At one point, the foolhardy party decided it would be a great idea to steal five large eggs from the middle of an enormous ice-covered room; Seph immediately knew that the party had ventured into a WHITE DRAGON'S LAIR!!! Upon saying so repeatedly, along with how the party was by no means ready for the challenge, Seph was ignored and upon encountering Mama Dragon, he rescued the party's Halfling Rogue with a teleportation crystal (might have been homebrewed, not sure) and ended up being frozen solid before his soul was removed for "safe-keeping" and the icy statue of his body placed in a BAG OF HOLDING!!! If anyone knows the film "Suburban Commando," they know how appropriate it is for me to quote: "I was FROZEN today!" Many fun experiences occurred from that point when Seph was thawed and reunited in body and soul. He was rather cranky after the fact, though. I'll soon be playing a 5th edition campaign with an interesting case of an Obsidian (Gem Dragon Species) Dragonborn Barbarian with horns (allowed by DM) who is of the Delmirev Clan, Obsidian Branch. Name: Delmirev Uroseth "Saurivic di Lerutl" Vuthaibafarshan (try saying that three times fast, it's all draconic).

[@AJPickett]

"he would try to steer the party away from unnecessary harm. Which never. Ever. In ANY circumstance. Worked." That cracked me up. Excellent characters Joe, really how I would hope people play the Dragonborn, they are actually very diverse and have their own society, cultures and rich back stories.. well done!

[@kappakiev9672]

I find it cool that the default dragonborn art has a face resembling a fish

[@direwolf8703]

Dragonborn should have more abilities. Water breathing for example dragon's have been able to for a while in D&D dark vision at the very least.

[@maxb3248]

Ya

[@wallycastagnir]

Arent there just 2 races whithout dark vision Dragonborn and human

[@EmethMatthew]

Halfling too...

[@ArmorNox]

Great one, sir. my brother plays a Dragonborn, and you sure do make them sound like they were tailor made for him. :D And I just might use your idea of the golden bed rolls. The idea of his character reacting to his getting stolen is hilarious!

[@elricengquist9989]

Love the vid, and I always liked the idea of the Dragon-born. In one of my settings I used the idea of the dragon-born, but also the idea of the Dragoon from Legend of dragoon as they both are ideas I quite liked. I always liked how the Dragoon series had a gem/crystal in the dragons, and for me I had it that this crystal/gem was the dragon' heart an source or focus of their elemental energy an ability to use their breath weapon. In the setting the Dagon-born (or Dracon as I called them) were the result of many dragons having pieces of their gem/crystalline heart removed, and then binded to some of the servant races of the dragons during a rebellion that happened resulting in the creation of the Dragoon race as well.

[@AbyssalWolf335]

You really did your research. Mad respect!

[@kingstewy]

What do you feel about Dragonborn having personality traits of their scales? Ie A good Red Dragonborn being meglomaniacal, a good Green Dragonborn being rather cunning or manipulative, an evil Copper Dragonborn being tricksters and story regailers, or an evil Gold Dragonborn being contemplative and methodical?

[@AJPickett]

I tend to play them that way and while I don't encourage players to do so if I am DMing, I still play the NPC's to be that way.

[@matteberhardt1750]

Thanks for the video. I’m playing Dragonborn for the first time so this helped fill out my character. 🐉⚔️

[@chaddixon9764]

"And to my right, Dragonborn Narcissist, "Donaar Blitzen!"

[@AJPickett]

*applause*

[@kingstewy]

AJ Pickett *self congratulated high five*

[@talonora]

Noximus Jamaicanus Got to feed that horse!!!

[@snail_chan1119]

BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGONBORN

[@EmperorTenzo]

OMG YESSS

[@sagesheahan6732]

Pft. Red Eyes Metal dragonborn. 😈

[@snail_chan1119]

@@sagesheahan6732 lmao getting a reply to my 3 year old comment is neat, ^^

[@sagesheahan6732]

@@snail_chan1119 you're welcome. XD

[@TylerBro86]

My All time favorite PC, Torrin "Shieldbreaker" Naraxxis. Green Dragonborn eldritch knight/paladin of Redemption. Champion/Chosen of Torm and member of the 4 Pillars.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

I consider Dragons and DragonBorn to be “Psuedo-Elementals” in that they aren’t actual Elementals but aren’t beings of an entirely Material nature either.

[@iamfuckstro1438]

I would like to see a Dragon born fight the dragon born

[@annebird9195]

It's so funny, I made my dragon born character over a month ago and have been just going with it, but I didn't really do homework on them. But a lot of the description pretty much describe his personality. So I must be doing something right

[@DruPhred]

This is a great video, love it! Well done, sir!

[@err0r0b0]

After watching 6 or 7 of your videos, I had to subscribe. Thank you for the videos.

[@AJPickett]

You are most welcome err0r0b0 :)

[@elwoodbrown7005]

Back in the 80's I ran a wandering monster campaign where everyone needed to play a humanoid monster and the stranger the better. One guy took the story that dragons kidnap women and decided that it was to make children and came up with a dragonchild. It was so cool we added it to the world. It was based on the lizard man with a growth chart so as as you advanced through levels you became more draconic with wings, long necks, tails, breath weapon, the deeper chest. This would start to preclude the use of armor. It was one of the best campaigns. We had a dragonchild, a shade, a midget fog giant, a doppelganger and a psudo-dragon mage named Stukka. The permise for the game was that the average party runs up on a group of wandering monsters, what it the back story of the group of wansering monsters?

[@rizuopal8153]

Another awesome video AJ thank you and keep up the amazing work

[@thovara8038]

This vid is really helpful for my first game, thanks for making this 👌👍

[@adamholcomb200]

Thank you a lot for this video I played several dragon born in 4e but none in AL 5e yet🐲

[@DuskyPredator]

Good to find out about Dragonborn, they are one I don't know a much of. When I started playing I let my brother be a red dragonborn and without really knowing much I let him have a tail, only finding out the lack of a tail. He mostly left his character's backstory be a mystery as an abandoned urchin, so I was thinking of revealing him as an unknown pawn created by a red dragon. And when he was making his Tabaxi character for a different campaign in same world, he wanted its Egypt like homeland to also be the village his dragonborn are from. In general for my home campaigns I have sort of separated them at the northern and southern hemisphere, and kind of thought of the equator area in-between having dragonborn, Lizardfolk and other scale creatures with an asia like flare to them. I think there was something interesting you said about pride of dragonborn, and I think it was that I read that Lizardfolk pity non-scaled races, and I wonder how they would see each other in their pride of their natural traits. Wyvern and psuedodragons also seem like something to thematically connect to their culture.

[@gamelordthebadass4010]

So they're basically argonians but cooler

[@AJPickett]

Yes.

[@realmofdoors9605]

Actually, Argonians are basically Dragonborns but lamer 😛

[@realmofdoors9605]

Don't get me wrong though, I *love* Argonians 😄

[@Lusewing]

I'm in for some fun, my little gnome druid has just been reborn as a copper dragon born... The hight alone is going to take a while for her to get used to lol.

[@spambaconeggspamspam]

I'll be playing a Dragonborn paladin of Bahamut tonight! Just to mix things up a little, you know! I'll be joining a party of brand new adventurers who up to now have shown themselves to be a bit unscrupulous, so I thought I'd inject some character dynamics that could be fun!

[@NarutoUzumaki-jg4pw]

Wow. After watching this video I realise that despite Orion's personal issues Tiberius wasn't only a great character but like a PERFECTLY roleplayed Dragonborn, he really brought all the traits mentioned here to life. Probably why I love the character so much, again, despite everything.

[@wingnut1917]

Thanks AJ been waiting for this Great job still one my favorite races

[@macrussell78]

First character I wanna make in DnD...Someday.

[@Wilsontripplets]

In my opinion t Dragon borns are the decendents of half dragon offspring of Sardior the childnof Bahmut and Tiamat. Would explain their more human like features and the reason chromatic dragon born exist.

[@Adventure3Man]

I think the chromatic dragonborn are actually draconian which take direct descendant from the actual dragons im pretty new though so idk if im right lol Edit: im wrong I was thinking of the metallic ones

[@Kayuubi1]

I made one that accidentally wound up being Guts from Berserk, possibly more anti-social

[@yogsothoth7594]

In my games I homebrew a slightly different early history of dragons. While I keep the war between giants and dragons it was actually a three way war with the mind flayers. During this war the dragons blessed many mortals turning them and all their posterity into dragon born which at the time granted them the dragon's immortality and most dragon born were capable of using their breath weapon far more often and had the potential to gain at least moderate sorcerous power. Between their own power and that of their dragon born the dragons drove the giants into the corner of the world and the mind flayers into its deeps. But as the war in the lower under dark raged, the dragons determined to wipe out this threat, the mind flayers unleashed a terrible psychic disease. This killed many of the dragons and dragon born and cursed still many. All dragons lost true immortality and in their latter years they'd risk falling into a dragon sleep, additionally the inner feelings of a dragons soul became pronounced in their physical appearance thus creating the divide between chromatic and metallic dragons and spawning a civil war among the survivors. But for many dragons it did not end there, some were reduced to simple minded creatures such as drakes. The dragon born got off no easier. Those who survived the initial ravishes of the plague lost their immortality, sorcery became a rarer gift, their breath weapon could only be used once a day and many were reduced even lower to being Kobolds. Thus the great dragon empire collapsed for millennia and both dragon and dragon born were scattered and only now millennia later has the first signs of a dragon born empire begun to emerge.

[@AJPickett]

Wow, that is excellent, well thought out, cohesive and puts everything in place quite nicely.

[@yogsothoth7594]

I find its useful to try simplify the origin of related races and monster if you're adding in new ones to streamline your lore a little.

[@howdeey7042]

Cough cough dragonborn best race cough cough

[@Aetharus]

Youa re correct.

[@jonathanbubley4893]

I play a dragon COMPLETELY against what was described. But the reason for this is because of my back story.

[@mickboontjes1674]

Jonathan Bubley same, i play as a character who was raised as a fighter but wanted to be a ranger, so he got kicked out of his clan ( I know it's not that deep). I kind of based him of the fallout 4 protagonist, but with a different background. So a lone wanderer who can take care of himself by stealing and persuading people. This wil be my fist D&D game ever, so i hope things will work out

[@lordmoldybutt6361]

This is my first play through. I'm making a dragon born, cleric.

[@derrickhaggard]

I just did an application to join a campaign that starts with Lost Mine of Phelndelver, and I'm doing a Crystal Dragonborn Way of the Ascendant Dragon Monk but her backstory is she was a young Leopard-species Tabaxi but was turned into a Crystal Dragonborn when the adult female Crystal Dragon who saved her gave her some of her Crystal Dragon blood to drink in order to save her life.

[@AJPickett]

You owe your DM a large pizza.

[@roscoewiese2289]

This inspired me to make a serpent dragon born that has a long sword and anchor

[@AJPickett]

Roggo Roggo anchor? Like a ship anchor used as a weapon?

[@thecartofvideos4766]

My character in Dungeons and Dragons is a noble 200 year old immortal Dragonborn paladin who has no problems with eating vegetables but sucks at fighting, BECAUSE I ALWAYS ROLL LOWER THAN 5!!!

[@fhuber7507]

do the dice balance test. simplified: dissolve all the salt you can in water. Put in more salt, heat it up and it will dissolve more. Let that cool, then ylar plastic die should float. tap the die to make it roll as it floats. If the same number or corner always comes up, the die is out of balance. "swirled" 2-tone die are almost always out of balance. You can use this to eliminate dice that will roll low from use (or to select a die that will tend to roll a lot of 20's)

[@kylepessell1350]

I have a 700-year-old immortal Dragonborn of Bahamut mystic who only eats raw vegetables and drinks water because he swore off flesh after fusing with a young Platinum dragon. He greatly respects life in general and is strongly against needless violence. Except when facing a chromatic dragon, he only fights in self-defense and pressures his party to always take the high road. He keeps a list of the names of every being he has ever killed but he's a shining example that good is not soft.

[@Oskanwhitchfather]

@@kylepessell1350 Whoa... what the hells? "......after fusing with a young Platinum dragon" You mean, despite Bahamut being the only, literally the ONLY Platinum Dragon in existence????

[@kylepessell1350]

@@Oskanwhitchfather Not exactly, Bahamut is indeed unique because he's the only platinum dragon with wings. However, there are two other platinum dragons known to exist so it is actually just an extremely rare species. I will also point out that this was in a dream and it was likely that fusing with the dragon was symbolic for receiving Bahamut's blessing. Regardless, he did wake up as a platinum-scaled Dragonborn as the representative of all good dragons on the material plane. He's already gotten into a conflict with worshippers of Tiamat.

[@Oskanwhitchfather]

@@kylepessell1350 Ok, dreams are a bit different. As for the other Platinum dragons, where is that piece of information coming from? Io created Tiamat and Bahamut, and Bahamut is unique among Dragonkind as being the only Platinum Dragon. Tiamat is unique as being a single Chromatic Dragon with one head for each of the Chromatic colors.

[@EvilPaladin11]

17:05 "...Celestia help anyone who does..." 'Celestia' as in Mt. Celestia, Princess Celestia, or Celestial beings in general?

[@AJPickett]

The whole seven heavens.

[@KingsBard]

Paragus: YES

[@archam777]

Curious....can Dragonborn mate, and produce offspring, with a half dragon??

[@noidTV]

“Nine Tenths Dragon”

[@Zaprozhan]

My first instinct is "no." However, it could be interesting if they could.

[@dinkleberg684]

They can depending on what website you visit

[@derrickhaggard]

I've read on some websites that a Dragonborn can mate and produce offspring with half-dragons and other non draconic humanoid races/species including humans but the offspring will always be a Dragonborn of the Dragonborn parent's species/heritage however how said Dragonborn offspring is born is dependent on whether or not the Dragonborn parent is the father or mother cause if the Dragonborn parent is the father the Dragonborn offspring will be born via hatching from an egg if the mom is a half-dragon or born the typical way for most non-draconic humanoid races/species however if the Dragonborn parent is the mother then the Dragonborn offspring will be born via hatching from an egg regardless if the father is a half-dragon or a member of one the non-draconic humanoid races.

[@-Thunder-Warrior-]

I rather want to make a Dragonborn Monk named Entara. Entara The Dragon.

[@pappabear4977]

MidnighWolf I want to make a purple Dragonborn. His name will be Barney. 😆

[@austinadams5285]

🛑 that’s illegal

[@sagesheahan6732]

@@pappabear4977 Blasphemy. 😂😂

[@sagesheahan6732]

@@pappabear4977 He had better have levels in Bard.

[@Darth_Insidious]

So from what I gather the race of Dragonborn are indeed alien to Toril, and before the spellplague the only Dragonborn on Toril were the sterile creations of Bahamut.

[@AJPickett]

Yes, that sounds about right.

[@samuelsmith3781]

This is my favorite race and I made one that is a copper dragonborn fighter and urban bouty hunter

[@XXTheGoldStephanoXX]

First ever D&D character is a golden dragonborn monk, that was raised by a mercenary group of humans and dwarves.

[@Aetharus]

I would love to hear the story of this monk!

[@XXTheGoldStephanoXX]

Basically; He was found just hatched in a shed in the middle of nowhere by a merc group and was subsequently raised by them. then they all died when he was 10 and had to survive in the mountains for several months, before finding a monastery and training there for about 12 years. he tends to act more like a human but with some ingrained dragonborn traits.

[@angrylizardman1472]

my favourite d&d race

[@plasmawolf7960]

Dovahkiihn, Dovahkiihn

[@AJPickett]

Fos!

[@kidyomu89]

@@AJPickett Ro!

[@wmad202]

Dah!

[@kidyomu89]

@@wmad202 two months in the making...

[@timmorris8932]

Dargonborn Monk named Fus Ro Dah, "the Dovahkiihn of Tiamat"

[@digunder14]

if their true origin is that of the original sterile dragonborn of bahamut, how did they become fertile?

[@AJPickett]

Life...uh... Finds a way.

[@Abarc_STEM]

Curse

[@charlottewalnut3118]

Tiamat likes screwing with him

[@Zaprozhan]

Mythology, history get mixed up sometimes.

[@porkchop4401]

Well ima play one with a tail... a blue that likes to dig under the soil whenever he can to sleep.

[@disunsnogoot3319]

Did you ever do a deep dive on the Spawn of Tiamat?

[@AJPickett]

Sadly no.

[@disunsnogoot3319]

@@AJPickett maybe one day

[@knightsolaire8567]

You know, I’m pretty sure the Dragonborn from Skyrim and the Dragonborns in D&D wouldn’t get along so well. The D&D Dragonborn race would disappear just like the dwarves in Skyrim in no time.

[@timmorris8932]

The "dwarves" in Skyrim are actually a sub-species of the elves. You probably knew that though.

[@Krishnath.Dragon]

@@timmorris8932 They're still gone though.

[@JamesPlaysGames95]

I'm confused by official art and fan art of Dragonborns. Phb: trendals that look like dreadlocks, no tail, no horns. And they have "fins" on the faces. But fans are the opposite: horns, tails and no tendrals. Why are they depicted differently?

[@AJPickett]

Preference.

[@Oskanwhitchfather]

Preference, AND Dragonborn have no set appearance. Each Dragonborn looks different, from jetblack scales that gleam like Adamantium, to scales a deep ruby red like those of the Ruby Dragons. Completely up to Player/DM choice. However, Dragonborn do NOT have tails after undergoing to Rite of Rebirth, unless you grab the "Dragon Tail" feat, which grants you a tail. They also lack wings unless you take the "Dragon Wings" feat, or the "Wings" aspect when you undergo the Rite of Rebirth. Of course, this is using the 3.5e Lore, and it's been retconned HARD in 5e....

[@JamesPlaysGames95]

@@Oskanwhitchfather or become a Dragonic origin sorceor for wings at a late level. Thanks for the info

[@Oskanwhitchfather]

@@JamesPlaysGames95 You mean taking the Draconic Heritage Feat at level 1? I mean, you can do that. But another route to go is "Dragon Disciple" and that gives you some buffs to STR and stuff if you wanna multiclass into a martial fighter. Monk is a good one so you can go "Enlightened Fist"

[@michaeltaylor788]

9:25 i know what he said about the difference reproduction of the Dragonborn and mammals but after you see this image of the attractive woman and the buff Dragonborn some people are gonna make stories with them that have a lot of action 😂.

[@Jaco_Vorn]

i like how DragonBorn seem to role play like dragons . . . . . but i prefer the half-dragon template i feel they are closer to dragons being born of them.

[@DmJim]

I don't like to correct but a A mythallar was a Netherese device that allowed access to vast amounts of raw magic. Elves crafted Mythals. Mythals are a powerful magical effect, created by a group of spellcasters to protect and ward a large area with numerous powerful enchantments.

[@Mr263882]

I roleplay my black dragonborn as a gold addict he gets very angry and lashes out on any and everything if he goes more then a few hours without eating a handful of coins