Dragonborn Changes

[shinobi_guyver]

After seeing Dragonborn in the Monster Manual and noticing that the Dragonborn Champion has wings and a Fly Speed of 8 (Clumsy), I tried thinking of how to work it into the Player Race version of Dragonborn.

Has anyone thought of doing this as well? What are your opinions?

For the Draconic Heritage Racial Ability, what if the players were given the option between a Healing Surge Value bonus and flight? It could look like this:

Draconic Heritage (Choose one of the following):
1. Your Healing Surge value is equal to one-quarter of your maximum Hit Points + your Constitution modifier.
Or
2. You gain a Fly speed of 4 (Clumsy). Increase to Fly 8 (Clumsy) at 21st Level.



Also, for the Dragon Breath power, what would be the best change to make it suitable as an At-Will power? Would removing the attack bonus be enough, or should the damage be reduced as well? What about changing the Action type from "Minor" to "Standard?"

Dragon Breath (Dragonborn Racial Power)
At-Will ✦ Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Poison
Standard Action ✦ Close blast 3
Targets: All creatures in area
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex, Constitution vs. Reflex, or
Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Constitution modifier damage.
Increase to 2d6 + Constitution modifier damage at 11th level, and to 3d6 + Constitution modifier damage at 21st level.
Special: When you create your character, choose Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity as the ability score you use when making attack rolls with this power. You also choose the power’s damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. These two choices remain throughout your character’s life and do not change the power’s other effects.

 

[Khaalis]

Considering that the Dragonborn Champion is a Level 26 entry, and the first with wings, I would say that the options for Dragonborn Wings are that it will appear in a future racial sourcebook as:
1) An Epic Feat
2) Part of an Epic Destiny
3) Even possibly part of a Paragon Path as the 16th level ability

 

[shinobi_guyver]

You mean like how the Dragon Shaman (Player's Handbook II) gains wings at 19th level?

What do you think about my suggestion for the Dragon Breath power?

 

[Dracollich]

Dragonborn with wings has crossed my mind as well. I like your idea about replacing Draconic Heritage with an ability based off of wings. In the fiction of D&D, it seems dragonkin usually only have an ability to glide not actual flight.

Here's what I came up with to mimic that ability:
Draconic Heritage: Wings (replaces standard Dragonborn Draconic Heritage)
-Reduce falling damage by 1d10 (2d10 at 11th level, 3d10 at 21st level)
-For every 10 feet of falling, the dragonborn can move one square during the fall.

The question about this ability would be how would it work with a running jump.

 

[shinobi_guyver]

Changing it to Glide does sound like a good idea.

When I first thought of the change, I wanted it to be an actual Fly ability, and with the Clumsy condition, a player takes -4 to attack (and I think -4 to Defense as well).

What do you think of using your idea of making the basic ability to Glide and creating a feat off of it? Something like this:

Paragon Tier Feat:
Draconic Flight
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, Draconic Heritage: Wings Racial Ability
Benefit: You gain a Fly speed of 4 (Clumsy). At 21st level, this increases to a Fly speed of 8 (Clumsy).

 

[Khaalis]

Personally, I don’t like doing away with Draconic Heritage. This really is a defining racial ability, making the dragonborn the “toughest” of the races (as it should be in my opinion – they Are dragon-kin after all). I am also not keen on ALL dragonborn having wings (again my personal taste). If you wanted to go that route, I’d be more inclined to design a (or multiple) Draconian race (ala Dragonlance style).

However, I don’t have a problem with dragonborn developing wings through some form of development. To do this though, I think we need to remain in the constraints the game system has placed on Tactical Flight in the game. Extended Flight (more than a single round) is granted to players only via the following powers from the PHB:
• Angel Ascendant (Angelic Avenger 20)
• Angel of Eleven Winds, Cloud Chariot (Cleric 22)
• Shadow Form (Warlock 10) – but you can’t do anything else
• Wings of the Fiend (Warlock 22)
• Fly (Wizard 16) – requires Sustaining
• Mass Fly (Wizard 22) – requires Sustaining

With that in mind, I would suggest doing this in either of two ways.

1) Epic Destiny
Make a Dragonborn Heritor style Racial Epic Destiny that improves upon the dragonborn’s innate draconic heritage. Something along the lines of:
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, 21st Level
Tap the Dragon (21st Level): Increase two ability scores of your choice by 2 each.
Dragonborn Development (24th Level): You develop draconic wings that grant you a fly speed of 8 (clumsy).
Dragon’s Breath (30th Level) Your dragon breath racial encounter power becomes a rechargeable power like that of a true dragon, gaining “Recharge ”.

2) Feat Chain

DRAGON WINGS [Dragonborn, Heroic]
Prerequisites: Dragonborn
Benefit: You develop draconic wings that grant you a +2 racial bonus to Acrobatics and Athletics skill checks.

IMPROVED DRAGON WINGS [Dragonborn, Paragon]
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, Dragon Wings
Benefit: Your wings now grant you a Fly speed of 4 (clumsy) and altitude limit 2.

TRUE DRAGON WINGS [Dragonborn, Epic]
Prerequisites: Dragonborn, Dragon Wings, Improved Dragon Wings
Benefit: Your wings now grant you a Fly speed of 8 (clumsy).

{edit} PS: A 3rd option would be to simply reduce this to a single Epic Level feat.


As to the breath weapon, I believe that granting it as an At-Will power is far too over-powered. Area of Effect powers as at-wills are simply too strong. Period. This would instantly make Dragonborn the Ultimate and ONLY Fighter class choice.

JMHO.

 

[Mentat55]

What about overland flight? It allows the dragonborn to travel by flying, but limits its usage in combat to primarily overcoming obstacles.

 

[Khaalis]

What about overland flight? It allows the dragonborn to travel by flying, but limits its usage in combat to primarily overcoming obstacles.

Even this is a 20th level Ritual.

 

[TheNinjaD]

So far, feats for 4E do not represent a physical change. That it one of the reasons I would not give Dragonborn wings with a feat.