D&D 5E (2014) Dragonborn reproduction - eggs or live young?

[Elderbrain]

Do female Dragonborn lay eggs like dragons do, or do they give birth like humans? Somebody asked this over on the WOTC site and now I'm wondering too. Do they hatch from eggs, or not...?

 

[Paraxis]

In the 4e book on dragonborns it talks about them coming from eggs. One of the character backstories even has the hero wearing an amulet with a piece of his birth egg in it.

They also nurse their young, hence the dragonborn females with breasts.

 

[Jaelommiss]

From page 33 of the PHB it says that they "have personal names given at birth." In my mind birth would mean live young. Had it said hatching then I would think of eggs.

In the next sentence it says that "a childhood name* ... is often used among clutchmates." I have only ever heard clutch used for creatures born from eggs. Live young tend to be called a litter.

Unless I am mistaking the words used, a case could be made for both situations. I personally prefer to think of them hatching from eggs instead of being born live, but I would be willing to accept either if the DM had a preference.


*As opposed to the name they receive at adulthood.

 

[The Grand User]

Could be both occur, depending on the exact (sub)species of Dragonborn. Both forms are present in lizards and snakes afterall.

 

[Hand of Evil]

echidna and platypus AND dragon-born

Oh and ERB people of Mars

 

[sirgaricbb]

In a FR novel I am reading now, a Dragonborn character talks about eggs. So at least in the Realms they are *born* from eggs?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I go by art: breasts = live young; no breasts = eggs.

Not remotely scientific, but there you go.

 

[sirgaricbb]

Well, sharks are born from eggs inside their mothers womb (or equivalent). It is never white or black in science.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

In my campaign dragonborn are typically born as normal human children to human parents and transform at adolescence. This traumatic experience marks the entire race as outsiders in human society.

Some rare dragonborn females will mate with either a human or dragonborn male and give birth to a live dragonborn (no eggs).

Dragonborn males can only reproduce with dragonborn females.

 

[Piratecat]

My dragonborn has a +1 cloaca of protection.