A Dragonborn's Tail

[cavalier973]

I was doodling, drawing a dragonborn, and gave him a tail. When I checked, later, I discovered, sadly, that dragonborn do not have tails.

It gave me an idea, however, about an alternate racial power for the dragonborn: the Tail Swipe. This would possibly replace the dragonbreath power, or maybe the +1 racial bonus to hit when bloodied. Your dragonborn character would obviously need a tail.

Tail Swipe * At Will
Minor Action * Burst 1
STR vs Fortitude
Hit: The dragonborn swings his tail around, and knocks prone each creature in the burst (including allies).
Miss: The area is considered difficult terrain until the beginning of the dragonborn's next turn.

Any constructive criticisms? Should a damage effect also apply?

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'd be tempted to make it a Reaction - enemy moves into flank, tail-slap him prone - in imitation of some dragons, and certainly an encounter, whatever way you go.

 

[The Human Target]

I'd probably just make it a racial feat that gives them a tail and lets them use it as a natural weapon. Probably a d6.

I like to think dragonborn have some sort of myth about how their ancestors lost their tails.

 

[Sunseeker]

I've always had tails be flavor issue, if a player wants one, they've got it. If not, they don't. A feat to allow them use it as a reaction would be IMO be most fitting, I like the idea of it being tied to becoming flanked, but only when someone moves behind you, but I feel like that risks making it too restricted.

Come to think of it, don't Tieflings have a feat related to a tail attack?

 

[MoutonRustique]

I'm fairly confident in saying that Dragonborn don't have tails because the designers wanted "the tail thing" to be for tieflings.

But yeah, it hurts nothing to give them a tail and feats to use it - if you care to make it feel different from the tiefling's, simply stay away from "delicate" actions. Tieflings get the prehensile "extra-hand". Dragonborn get a "club".

[MENTION=996]Tony Vargas[/MENTION]'s suggestion is excellent - trip or damage (or both, if you take both feats) as reactions when flanked adds great flavour. These are the kinds of mechanics that lead to worldbuilding : there are catch-phrases and idioms that refer to not sneaking up on dragonborn, or not getting on it's "bad side".

Never mind the tail! - could be something some exclaims when one feels the other is being overly cautious (to the point of annoyance.)
There are two sides to every dragonborn's heart - don't end up on the tail-end. (self explanatory)
Heads or tails ? could have been coined (hehe) from interacting with dragonborn, or be a debased expression re-appropriated by other races/cultures.
Don't give me the tail! - when someone objects to being brushed-off

The dragonborn used cushioned "knee-rests" as chairs, etc, etc.

 

[cavalier973]

I went out last night and hit several taverns. By the time I got back home, I was "tailside to the dragonborn" so bad I couldn't find the front door.

 

[Garthanos]

Love the idea in general especially with flavor bits

 

[Jhaelen]

I'm fairly confident in saying that Dragonborn don't have tails because the designers wanted "the tail thing" to be for tieflings.

This.
Then again, the Tieflings' tails are supposed to be more flexible, allowing it to be used like a third hand, rather than as a natural weapon.

 

[snickersnax]

I'm fairly confident in saying that Dragonborn don't have tails because the designers wanted "the tail thing" to be for tieflings.

Dragonborn with a tail looks like Lizardfolk. Maybe designers wanted to be able to have visual difference between these two. Do you have any evidence for designer motive?

 

[MoutonRustique]

Dragonborn with a tail looks like Lizardfolk. Maybe designers wanted to be able to have visual difference between these two. Do you have any evidence for designer motive?

Only inferred motive from general design aesthetics : 4e is largely built on the principle of giving different things to different subjects. Each subject tends to get a few fairly exclusive things.

But I don't see your point as contradicting mine - from my perspective, it reinforces it.

The goal is to foster "distinctiveness". If tieflings have a tail, and lizardfolk have a tail, having the dragonborn not have tails helps to distinguish them from both.

But I will grant you that yours could have been the more important in the devs' mind when making the decision.

Heck, it could even have gone the other way :
- dragonborn and lizardfolk have tails
- "Wait... that's not good - what's to tell a dragonborn from a lizardfolk?"
- dragonborn looses tail
- "Ok. So, down the line, the dragonborn can evolve into getting dragon wings!"
- "Wait! The tiefling got bat wings from going 'dark side'... Both get wings?"
- "Ok... So how about we give the tiefling a tail - the Diterlizzi drawings have them with a tail. Yeah! That works."
- current "tail distribution" situation