D&D 5E (2014) Half-Dragons and Dragonborn: What's the difference?

[Daern]

Hoard of the Dragon Queen has a bunch of "Half-Dragons". This is was big back in 3e. With Dragonborn about, it begs the question, what's the difference?

 

[YourSwordIsMine]

Half dragons are the offspring of one dragon parent and the other parent of another race.

Dragonborn were created in the distant past and are their own unique race now.

 

[Daern]

Sure, but, like, from the Commoners' perspective in D&D-land, what's the difference? The only difference I can SEE is that Half-Dragons have tails, and Dragonborn dont...
I guess one reason I ask is that there is a part that says the half-dragon badguy has to stay hidden in towns or he will get mobbed... so, do Dragonborn get the same treatment?

 

[was]

..I remember having a list of half-dragon types and abilities back in 2nd ed. Most believed that they were way too powerful to be a pc race. Thus, you had them with a high Level Adjustment in 3rd. In the end, enough people wanted a more balanced, playable draconic race that they came up with the Dragonborn in 4th.

..I think that a current half-dragon would probably be bigger, maybe large size, and somehow fiercer looking than a dragonborn(if that were somehow possible). Oh, and they probably would have functioning wings.

 

[sunrisekid]

As far as I'm concerned, Half-Dragon = Dragonborn, and will be so when I run HofDQ. I'm not going to bother differentiating, other than for narrative effect. That said, our game doesn't have dragonborn as a playable race, so we won't have the necessity of differentiating while playing.

 

[Daern]

As far as I'm concerned, Half-Dragon = Dragonborn, and will be so when I run HofDQ. I'm not going to bother differentiating, other than for narrative effect. That said, our game doesn't have dragonborn as a playable race, so we won't have the necessity of differentiating while playing.

I'm basically thinking the same thing. Dragonborn would be the "pc" name nice half-dragons prefer if they try to escape their horrible origin and be heroes, basically just like a dark elf.

 

[Tovec]

Just my two cents.

From a player perspective I see them as two very different things. Half-dragons are a template, they're much stronger than the average person (level adjustment, depending on how that is done). They're more draconic and by that I mean they have tails, wings (in pathfinder, or if large in 3.5), stronger scales, (already said) stronger, breath weapon. Dragonborn (or dragonfolk as I call them) are dragon-people. They lack the outward appearance (tails, wings) and can't do a breath weapon. Honestly this is part of what bugs me about dragonborn and why I'd prefer to use Lizardfolk.

Now, from an in-world perspective (as a character) then I can understand having a harder time telling the two apart. But then again that doesn't mean very much to me. I think that most characters would have a hard time distinguishing a ghost and a spectre, for example. But even then the visible qualities (tail, wings) could show through. Also in how they carry themselves - dragonborn (per 4e as I understand it) are honour-bound. Half-dragons are just that, half-draconic and so they don't act a certain way universally. Dragonborn have a RACE and usually that means that you'll see more than one of that race at a given time. That means a half-dragon can be identified by being solo, even before he spews fire and takes off into flight. Beyond these points I guess I could see a half-dragon dressing up and disguising himself as a dragonborn, I have no issues with that. I can still see the difference from both in character and out of character perspective.

 

[jimmyjimjam]

Half dragons are the offspring of one dragon parent and the other parent of another race.

Dragonborn were created in the distant past and are their own unique race now.

Was there some reason they were created?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Back in 3e there was a race called "dragonblooded" that I was a lot happier with than half-dragons. They had less draconic blood in them, and much smaller stat boosts (and therefore made better PCs). I suspect the concept of playable dragon people in 4e came from there.

Also half-dragons could be half-anything, including some really ridiculous combos.

If in your world half-dragons only get small benefits, then I rather doubt there is any distinction.

 

[doctorhook]

Was there some reason they were created?

The answer to this one is setting-dependent. IIRC, in some they were deliberately created by Bahamut, in others they were more an accidental creation from the death of Io (i.e.: when Io was slain, dragonborn appeared from the drops of blood that touched the ground).