Dragonborn racial class

[Zmajdusa]

This is an attempt at making the Dragonborn race feel more like a dragon through a class. Just wanted to hear thoughts on it and if this class is balanced compared to the other classes. Mostly I want to get an idea of what abilities should be tweaked to be more or less useful/powerful, and get an idea of how to effectively spread the abilities accross the class.

Wyrm
This is the path that Dragonborn take to awaken their ancient heritage.
The Wyrm Table
[TABLE="width: 0"]
[TR]
[TH]Level[/TH]
[TH]Proficiency
Bonus[/TH]
[TH]Features[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1st[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Armaments[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2nd[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Wellspring[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]3rd[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Focus[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]4th[/TD]
[TD]+2[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]5th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Extra Attack[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]6th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Dragon Senses, Dragon Flight[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]7th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Focus Feature[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]8th[/TD]
[TD]+3[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]9th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]Might of the Wyrm[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]10th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Focus Feature, Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]11th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]Dragon Flight Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]12th[/TD]
[TD]+4[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]13th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]Stubborn Dragon[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]14th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]Dragon Senses Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]15th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Focus Feature[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]16th[/TD]
[TD]+5[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]17th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Presence[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]18th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]Draconic Focus Feature[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]19th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]Ability Score Improvement[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]20th[/TD]
[TD]+6[/TD]
[TD]Great Wyrm[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Class Features
Racial Requirement: This class is only available to Dragonborn
As a Wyrm, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per wyrm level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per wyrm level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: none
Weapons: none
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Athletics, History, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
Explorer’s pack and 2d4*10 gold
Draconic Armaments
The birthright of your draconic heritage begins to emerge. At 1st level, you gain a fanged maw as a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You also gain a set of claws as natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
When using the attack action to attack with a bite or claw, you may use a bonus action to attack with a claw.

Additionally, your draconic blood now strengthens your scales. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 10 + Constitution modifier + proficiency bonus.
Draconic Wellspring
At 2^nd level you can use your breath weapon more often in between rests. You are able to use your breath weapon twice in between short rests. This improves to 3 times at 7^th level, and caps out at 4 times at 14^th level. You also increase the breath weapon’s damage by 1d6, and an additional 1d6 at 7^th and 14^th level.
Draconic Focus
At 3^rd level a Wyrm chooses to focus on an aspect of their draconic bloodline. The aspects are located at the end of the main class description.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10^th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Dragon Flight
At 6th level, you sprout a pair of dragon wings from your back, and you may choose to glide, only falling 60 feet per round and moving 30 feet horizontally while falling. Once per a long rest you may gain a flying speed equal to your movement for 1 minute. You can’t fly or glide while wearing armor or encumbered. Dragon Flight improves at 11^th, and gives you a permanent flight speed of 60 feet.
Dragon Sense
At 6^th level you gain darkvision out to 60 feet and blindsight out to 30 feet. At 14^th level this improves to darkvision out to 120 feet and blindsight out to 60 feet.
Might of the Wyrm
At 9th level, you blood matures, and you may spend a bonus action to gain the effects of the enlarge portion of the Enlarge/Reduce spell for 1 minute. You may use this ability once per a short rest.
Stubborn Dragon
At 13^th level you gain proficiency in Strength and Wisdom saving throws, and once per a short rest you can gain advantage when you make a saving throw.
Draconic Presence
By 17th level, your very presence can strike awe and fear to those around you. When the Might of the Wyrm trait is active, you may frighten or charm any number of creatures you can see within 60 feet as an action. Each creature chosen must then succeed on a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + Charisma modifier + proficiency or be charmed (if you chose awe) or frightened (if you chose fear) for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You may use this ability once per a long rest.
Great Wyrm
At 20th level, your birthright fully manifests. Your Constitution and Charisma scores increase by 4. Your maximum for those scores is now 24.
Draconic Focus
Focused Breath
A wyrm that focuses on their breath cultivates the attachment their blood has to a specific element. All the abilities are tied to the element used for the dragonborn damage resistance and breath weapon.
Focused Breath Features
Level Feature
3rd Elemental Fangs, Elemental Mantle
7^th Elemental Furnace, Deep Breath
10^th Elemental Favor
15^th Elemental Dominance
18^th Elemental Wrath
Elemental Fangs
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your bite unarmed attack does an additional d6 damage of the same element as your breath weapon.
Elemental Mantle
At 3rd level, whenever you use your breath weapon you may wreath yourself in an elemental aura. Whenever something within 5 feet attacks you, you can use your reaction to deal a d6 damage of the breath weapons damage type. It also adds a d6 damage of the same type to the Wyrm’s claw attacks. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn.
Elemental Furnace
At 7th level, you add your constitution modifier to all damage you do that matches your breath weapon’s damage type.
Deep Breath
At 7th level, you gain the ability to tap the depths of your elemental reserves, you breath weapon damage dice become d10s, so if you were 3d6 for your breath weapon before, you would roll 3d10 now. Also, once per short rest you may choose to improve your breath weapon by either increasing the breath weapon to 5ft wide by 60ft long for a line and 30ft for a cone, adding an additional d10 of the same damage type to the roll, or give disadvantage to the saving throws of the creatures affected by the breath weapon.
Elemental Favor
At 10^th level you have advantage on saves for effects with a damage type that matches your breath weapon. If you succeed on those saves, you take no damage from the effect. Also, once per a short rest, when you succeed on a saving throw against an effect that matches the damage type of your breath weapon you gain an additional use of your breath weapon until your next short or long rest.
Elemental Dominance
At 15^th you can strip resistance and immunity to your elemental damage. Once per a short rest you can use an action to force a creature within 60 feet of you to make a constitution save with a DC equal to 8 + Constitution modifier + proficiency. On a failed save they lose their resistance and/or immunity to damage you deal that matches your breath weapon type for 1 minute. At the end of each of the affected creature’s turns they may make a save against the initial DC, and on a success they regain their resistance and/or immunity.
Elemental Wrath
At 18^th you are suffused with the element of your breath weapon, your eyes might resemble openings to a blazing furnace, or snowflakes may form in the air around you. This lets your breath weapon linger on the battlefield as an area of chaotic destructive energy. Whenever you use your breath weapon you may have the area it affected deal damage to anyone who enters or starts their turn in this area. This damage is the same type as the breath weapon and requires the same save as the breath weapon for the type of save and the save’s DC. The damage is equal to half the damage of the breath weapon. The effect lasts until the beginning of the wyrm’s next turn.
Focused Strength
A wyrm that focuses on their physical strength seeks to unleash all the potential for brute force they possibly can.
Focused Strength Features
Level Feature
3rd Draconic Assault
7^th Armor of the Wyrm, Piercing Attacks
10^th Fury of Scales
15^th Overwhelming Strength
18^th Roar of the Wyrm
Dragon Assault
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, both your claws and bite damage improve to 1d8 + your Strength modifier. You also gain a tail attack, and a tail if you didn’t have one before, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.
Whenever you use your claw attack as a bonus action you may attack with your tail as part of that bonus action. The tail attack may only be against a target you haven’t attacked during your turn.
Once per turn you may add your Constitution modifier to the damage of a successful attack.
Armaments of the Wyrm
At 7th level, you have tapped your ancient birthright to strengthen your scales and wings. You receive +3 armor bonus to the AC granted by the Draconic Armaments class feature. Also, once per a short rest you may beat you wings so strongly that all creatures within 5 feet of you must make a dexterity save equal to 8 + the wyrm’s constitution modifier+ the wyrm’s proficiencyas a bonus action. If they fail they take 2d4 + strength modifier + constitution modifier bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone.
Piercing Attacks
Starting at 7th level, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.
Fury of Scales
At 10^th level you’ve mastered your fortitude to improve the weight of your blows. Once per short rest you may use the constitution modifier to damage from Draconic Assault on all your attacks until the beginning of your next turn. While under the effects of this ability you also gain your constitution modifier as a bonus to all of your attacks.
Overwhelming Strength
At 15^th, once per a short rest you call forth all your strength to beat through your opponents defenses. You can use this ability as a bonus action to gain advantage to all your attacks for 3 rounds.
Roar of the Wyrm
At 18^th your strength has reached the point that your shouts can deal damage. Once per a short rest you can roar so loud that it cuts flesh and shatters bones. You roar is a 30ft cone that deals 10d8 thunder damage and pushes everyone in it 20ft back. Those in the cone must make a constitution save equal to 8 + the wyrm’s constitution modifier+ the wyrm’s proficiency. A successful save halves the damage and removes the knockback.

 

[Ed Laprade]

To be a proper Dragonborn, they need to know how to Shout.

(I'll let myself out...)

 

[Satyrn]

For the wings. I don't like that it feels like sprouting wings multiple times per.

Now, the aaracokra shows that there's no harm in permanently available flight at 1st level, but I'm gonna suggest a limit nonetheless. I think you should make the wings permanent, but every time they're used for more than a single round the character gains a level of exhaustion. And they can't be used for more than a minute at a time (or even just a number of rounds equal to the character's Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round)

And the flight should only be possible at all if the dragonborn is wearing no armor (of course, light and medium armor are essentially useless for this character given his unarmored AC)

At some higher level - maybe 11th, maybe 16 - remove the exhaustion for flying and the time limits. This guy should get unlimited flight at some point, I think.


Oh, by the way, I think the unarmored AC ought to be 13+Dex just to be consistent with other unarmored ACs in the game.

And, I don't like that the class gives out ASIs at the same rate as the fighter.

 

[Satyrn]

Oh, and at 5th level, you really shouldn't be giving flight and extra attack. I'd move the flight to 6th

 

[Zmajdusa]

Well, the idea is that the class is similar to the fighter, in that it is MAD, but it actually follows the Rogue ability advancement. I'll take a look at the flight and see if I can't smooth out the concept better. The unarmored AC is slightly better than a Draconic Origin Sorcerer is due to the fact that the class is a melee class. What do you think about the AC scaling with level?

 

[Zmajdusa]

Ok, so changed the flight ability to actually give you wings you can glide with and, for 1 minute before a short rest, be able to fly with at 6th. Both Flight and Senses improve at 11th and 14th, respectively, now. Made the AC scale with level, so you start with a lower AC now, but it should let a player be more tanky at the later levels when creatures hit like trains multiple times a round.

 

[Zmajdusa]

Changed a few things you mentioned

 

[GreenTengu]

Are you certain you don't want this class to grant any weapon or armor proficiencies? Even simple weapons and light armor?

Particularly at early levels, this class is going to be in pretty terrible shape compared to any proper class and you could more or less balance that out by giving them medium armor and martial weapons, even if presumably they are going to eventually grow enough in power to go without them.

Afterall, these are Dragonborn we are talking about and not dragons. They aren't exactly known for running around naked and fighting with their bare hands. And you have created a full 20-level progression here. Do you really think it is within the theme you are creating here that a 20th level Dragonborn paragon is not going to know how to use any weapons at all?

 

[Zmajdusa]

The class at early levels may be a little rough to play, but it starts out with a 12 AC if you have no Dex bonus, though you would likely have a Dex close to 14, making your AC 14 at lvl one. The class is similar to the Barbarian with its lower AC than other melee classes at first level. I would probably compare this class closer to the Monk or Rogue, it is more of a melee striker than a tank. It can be a tank, though its AC won't achives full plate levels until the very late levels. Hmm, how about have the unarmored AC = 10 + Con + Proficiency modifier?

 

[Mephista]

Right now, it feels like the damage is subpar. Breath weapon damage is just being allowed on multiple turns, sure, but breath weapons scale damage worse than a cantrip. Its not that great ofdamage. Meanwhile, the attacks with claws and tail aren't that different from someone just using a monk or Polearm Mastery - worse, even, since monks get two attacks as a bonus action and polearms get a reaction damage move.

you also lack a bump in damage at levels 11 and 17, which is necessary for a warriortype to do their job.