Overview
At a glance
- Size
- Medium
- Speed
- 30 ft
- Darkvision
- 60 ft
- Best ancestry
- Red, Gold or Brass (Fire)
FrontlinerBlasterFace
The 2024 dragonborn is much better than the old one. The Breath Weapon now replaces one attack instead of costing your whole action, you can use it several times per Long Rest, and at level 5 you grow spectral wings and fly. You also get a damage resistance from your ancestry and, new in these rules, Darkvision.
Your background sets your ability scores, so a dragonborn can play any class. The traits reward classes that take the Attack action, because that is when the breath comes out.
Thrain's take
The old dragonborn breathed fire once a fight and then stood around. This one breathes it in the middle of an Attack action and then flies off. Pick your dragon for the resistance first and the breath second. You will be hit by fire far more often than you will get to breathe it.
Strengths
- Breath Weapon replaces one attack, so martial classes lose almost nothing using it
- Uses equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest, and the damage scales with level
- Draconic Flight at level 5: a flying speed for 10 minutes, once per Long Rest
- A damage resistance and 60-foot Darkvision
Weaknesses
- Breath Weapon uses Constitution for its save DC, not your casting ability
- No skill proficiency or extra spells
- Poison and fire breath meet a lot of resistant monsters
Dragonborn Traits
Draconic Ancestry
Pick a dragon: Black or Copper (Acid), Blue or Bronze (Lightning), Brass, Gold or Red (Fire), Green (Poison), Silver or White (Cold). It sets your breath damage, your resistance and your scales.
Breath Weapon
When you take the Attack action, replace one attack with a 15-foot Cone or a 30-foot Line, 5 feet wide. Each creature in it makes a Dexterity save (DC 8 + Constitution modifier + Proficiency Bonus), taking 1d10 on a fail and half on a success. The damage rises to 2d10 at level 5, 3d10 at 11 and 4d10 at 17. You can use it a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest.
Damage Resistance
Resistance to your ancestry's damage type.
Draconic Flight
From level 5, a Bonus Action gives you a flying speed equal to your Speed for 10 minutes. Once per Long Rest.
Draconic Ancestries, Rated
Ten dragons, five damage types. The color only changes your look, so you are really choosing a damage type. Weigh two things: how often you will take that damage (your resistance) and how often enemies resist it (your breath).
Legendary: build around it
Epic: excellent
Rare: good
Uncommon: works
Common: weak fit
Red, Gold or Brass (Fire)
Fire is the damage you will take most often, from dragons, spells and burning oil, so the resistance pays off all campaign. The breath hits a wall against fiends and fire creatures.
Epic
Blue or Bronze (Lightning)
Few monsters resist lightning. The 30-foot Line is also the shape that clears a corridor. The resistance comes up less often than fire.
Epic
Silver or White (Cold)
Cold is resisted by fewer creatures than fire and shows up often enough in incoming damage. A safe, balanced pick, best in a wintry campaign.
Epic
Black or Copper (Acid)
Acid is rarely resisted, so the breath almost always lands at full damage. Acid resistance is the one you will use least.
Rare
Green (Poison)
Poison resistance is excellent on defense. Poison breath is the worst on offense: undead, fiends and constructs shrug it off.
Rare
Best Classes for a Dragonborn
Paladin
A Strength class that takes the Attack action every turn, wants a high Constitution, and loves flying onto the enemy's back line at level 5.
Legendary
Fighter
Extra Attack and Action Surge mean more Attack actions, so the breath always has a slot to replace. The flight solves the fighter's oldest problem: things that fly.
Epic
Barbarian
High Constitution makes the breath DC strong. A Rage resistance plus an ancestry resistance makes you very hard to wear down.
Epic
Sorcerer (Draconic Sorcery)
The obvious theme, and Draconic Resilience shores up your hit points. Elemental Affinity at level 6 also grants a resistance, so pick a different element there to collect a second one.
Epic
Warlock
Charisma casting and a decent Constitution. You will mostly cast
Eldritch BlastEldritch BlastEvocation cantripCastingActionRange120 feetDurationInstantaneousDamage1d10 ForceYou hurl a beam of crackling energy. Make a ranged spell attack against one creature or object in range. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 Force damage., which leaves the breath for big groups.
Rare
Bard
A Charisma face with a breath weapon for emergencies. Nothing in the traits helps bard spells, but nothing hurts them either.
Rare
Cleric
A heavy-armor cleric who wades in benefits from the resistance and flight. Spellcasting turns rarely use the Attack action.
Rare
Ranger
Breath on a group, arrows on the rest. Flight gives an archer the high ground whenever it matters.
Rare
Rogue
A rogue makes one attack a turn, so breathing means giving up Sneak Attack. Flight is still handy for scouting.
Uncommon
Wizard
Works, but the breath competes with your cantrips for your action and runs off Constitution.
Uncommon
Dragonborn Builds
FrontlineThe Dragon Knight
- Ancestry
- Gold (Fire)
- Class
- Paladin (Oath of Devotion)
- Background
- Soldier (Savage AttackerSavage AttackerOrigin featYou've trained to deal particularly damaging strikes. Once per turn when you hit a target with a weapon, you can roll the weapon's damage dice twice and use either roll against the target.)
17STR
10DEX
14CON
8INT
12WIS
14CHA
Breathe on the crowd, hit the leader with 
Divine SmiteDivine Smite1st-level EvocationCastingBonus ActionRangeSelfDurationInstantaneousDamage2d8 RadiantThe target takes an extra 2d8 Radiant damage from the attack. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a Fiend or an Undead., and from level 5 fly to whoever is hiding at the back.
Build this dragonborn
Free to start. No card needed.
CasterThe Dragon's Heir
- Ancestry
- Silver (Cold)
- Class
- Sorcerer (Draconic Sorcery)
- Background
- Acolyte (Magic InitiateMagic InitiateOrigin featChoose a level 1 spell from the same list you selected for this feat's cantrips. You always have that spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest.)
8STR
13DEX
14CON
10INT
13WIS
17CHA
Cold resistance from your blood, fire resistance from Elemental Affinity at level 6, and 
FireballFireball3rd-level EvocationCastingActionRange150 feetDurationInstantaneousSaveDexterityDamage8d6 FireA bright streak flashes from you to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into a fiery explosion. at level 5. A dragon in all but size.
Build this dragonborn
Free to start. No card needed.
Dragonborn FAQ
Is the dragonborn good in D&D 2024?
Yes. The Breath Weapon now replaces one attack instead of your whole action, works several times per Long Rest, and scales to 4d10. Add Draconic Flight at level 5, a damage resistance and Darkvision, and it is one of the strongest species for martial classes.
What is the best dragonborn ancestry in D&D 2024?
Fire (Red, Gold or Brass) for most characters, because fire resistance is the one you will use most. Lightning (Blue or Bronze) is better if you care more about your breath, since few monsters resist it.
Can dragonborn fly in D&D 2024?
Yes. From character level 5, Draconic Flight lets you sprout spectral wings as a Bonus Action and fly at your walking speed for 10 minutes, once per Long Rest.
What is the best class for a dragonborn?
Paladin. It takes the Attack action every turn, so the breath replaces one attack, and it wants the Constitution that powers the breath's save DC. Fighter and barbarian are close behind.
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This guide includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2
by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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