Pathfinder 1E Dragonborn race for Pathfinder

[Is_907]

The reason I picked charisma is in our campaign setting dragonborn are serious, blunt, and abrasive. I know the breath weapon is a big deal but I want it lol. Maybe I can figure out a way to make it a little weaker while still being useful, I'm just not sure how to do that yet.
Thank you everybody who gave suggestions especially systole with that link it is extremely useful and is now bookmarked.

I know I keep bringing up Races of the Dragon but, hey, Pathfinder is built on 3.5, so it works mechanically without much change...

They do a line of whatever element you chose at character creation, 5ft per HD, 1d8 damage per 3 HD (2d8 at 3HD, 3d8 at 6 HD, etc). Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 dragonborn's HD + CON mod) to halve damage.
Can be used once every 1d4 rounds.

You could probably say "once per encounter" if you like the 4E style and want to skip the roll for when you can use it next.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

The reason I picked charisma is in our campaign setting dragonborn are serious, blunt, and abrasive. I know the breath weapon is a big deal but I want it lol. Maybe I can figure out a way to make it a little weaker while still being useful, I'm just not sure how to do that yet.
Thank you everybody who gave suggestions especially systole with that link it is extremely useful and is now bookmarked.

Maybe instead of a d6 for the breath weapon, make it a d4? That would weaken it and make it more palatable for the DM to allow you to have it I'd think. Or instead of giving a free feat at level 1 they can do one or the other, free feat OR breath weapon. That might balance it as well.

Just my 2 coppers!

Cheers,
Trav

 

[paradox42]

Instead of a bonus unspecified Combat feat, pick a specific feat for them to get. That would lower the "point cost" (in Golden's Guide terms) from +8 (or +7 if we go with Systole's view, which I find reasonable) to +4. So, pick a specific feat instead of letting the player pick from a lot, and suddenly you have room for the breath weapon without any more changes.

Improved Initiative, perhaps?

 

[Stormonu]

To me, it really seems like the breath weapon should be kept along the lines of a burning hands spell stat-wise (and changing fire damage tp whatever elemental damage is appropriate) with effective caster level of 1, plus 1 per 2 levels.

The tricky part, I guess, would be how often. I think every 1d4 rounds is too NPCish, I'd prefer to see an X number of times per day; perhaps 1x/day per 3 levels or 3 + Con mod times/day (though the latter seems way too strong, personally).

 

[Walking Dad]

...
On a side note, I do not like the Cha penalty. Dragons have good Charisma, and they spawned the original sorcerous bloodlines, which is a class based on charisma. I recommend +2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Dex. You could also make a case for Int or Wis.

This.

Saying your character is a cleric makes no sense as an argument for a racial ability mod. It makes sense for the character to have high Wis, not the race. Same for Dwarf Sorcerers.

 

[Bluescale_Kobold]

The tricky part, I guess, would be how often. I think every 1d4 rounds is too NPCish, I'd prefer to see an X number of times per day; perhaps 1x/day per 3 levels or 3 + Con mod times/day (though the latter seems way too strong, personally).

Perhaps it would be better to have dragon breath as 1/minute or 1/hour. This could simulate the 4th edition encounter power, and it keeps 10th level NPC dragonborn from using dragon breath three rounds in a row.

 

[Walking Dad]

Or you could change it to:

- every encounter (I like the machanic)

- every 5 min (1min = every 10 rounds. With 5min = 50 rounds the player will not bother with counting rounds...)

- times per day as suggested, but only once/encounter, just as the 3.5 barbarian could not start raging more than once in an encounter (if I remember correctly).

 

[Gorgoroth]

that one from the 3.5

book is full of suck

I love my 4e dragonborn but since we are playing PF exclusively now (yay), I will be looking into these retrofit options to make it work.

I always wanted wings, so what I'd like to see is some racial feats to grow them, and maybe other feats to boost your breath weapon (which I agree, should be similar to burning hands but as a supernatural ability).

Dragons have insane AC, and are great spellcasters. There should be a choice of extra traits, such as natural armor, darkvision, magic resistance (ala dwarves). Maybe take some feats at higher levels to give you more options.

At 20th level you should probably be able to turn into a dragon at-will, if you've taken enough of the draconic booster feats. That would be wicked cool.