D&D 5E I don't like Dragonborn: Please stay away from D&D Next.

[Hussar]

A given thing might be "old" to us what have seen it before, but remember it's all new to someone to whom 5e is their first exposure to D&D - or RPGs at all, for that matter. So yes, even though we've seen D&D Dwarves written up 5 or 6 times already we're gonna see them again...and that's a good thing.

Lanefan

Fair enough.

But, if we're going down this route - the new gamer who is coming to D&D fresh couldn't give a toss about any of what came before. None of that has any resonance at all with the new gamer. So, everything is now on an even footing - no legacy issues.

So, why should dragonborn get the boot, but, say, gnomes get the nod? We already have a small race with halfings - something that has the backing of Tolkien to give it gravitas. We have a magical race with elves - again, stock fantasy race.

OTOH, while Dragonborn have none of the genre links that I can think of, the game IS called Dungeons and Dragons, so being able to play something draconic isn't too far of a stretch, particularly for a new gamer. Plus, it has a fairly distinct niche - it's the only "scaley" race (which, does have lots of genre appeal), and it's a "warrior" race, (again, genre fitting).

If we restrict the issue to purely points of value, and ignore all of what's come before, I can't really see why Dragonborn are any less viable than half-orcs or gnomes.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

... But once you get down to the "waste of space", "waste of ink", "waste of development time" series of arguments, you've really gone too far. The argument stops being about your own game, and starts being about you wanting to influence someone else's game. ...

This I really disagree with. I think it's very reasonable to prefer that design effort is spent on something I'll actually use in my game.

 

[slobster]

This I really disagree with. I think it's very reasonable to prefer that design effort is spent on something I'll actually use in my game.

True, but you should therefore be especially understanding when you hear that somebody else has different preferences and different priorities about what they would prefer to be included. The best way to make both of you happy . . . is to include it all.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Wasn't it the 1st Ed Fiend Folio (also the dual-wielding thing), nothing to do with Gygax?

Not as a playable race.

And drow first appeared in the module G3, which Gygax wrote.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I like Dragonborn mainly as an alternative to the 3.x "Half-Dragon." If someone wants to play some scaly draconic thing, I can point them at a reasonably workable PC race, rather than some level-adjusted monstrosity.

Makes sense, since they were introduced (along with playable kobolds and spellscales) in 3E's Races of the Dragon.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Klingons were resigned Samurai.

Weren't they originally meant to be stand-ins for the Soviet Union when first introduced, with the Romulans as Communist China?

 

[slobster]

Weren't they originally meant to be stand-ins for the Soviet Union when first introduced, with the Romulans as Communist China?

Once TNG started, that metaphor was a bit dated (Chernobyl/Praxus went critical and the iron curtain came down), so the Kilingons experienced a bit of cultural drift, eventually settling as honor-crazed warriors a la gurkhas or samurai.

Totally relevant to Dragonborn .

 

[Ratinyourwalls]

I don't think some of you understand how quickly Dragonborn can attract new players. I was playing 4E at a con once shortly after PHB2 came out and was trying to get some people (who hadn't played D&D before) to try it out so I could get more players for my home game. It took someone after the game slot was complete talking about how awesome it was that the game let him play a dragon and wreck stuff up with his firebreath before they would sit down and play.

It's been a few years now and we're still playing a campaign together...one plays a Dragonborn Thaneborn Barbarian while the other plays a Dragonborn Warlord. Both have incredible amounts of fun.

So yeah. Don't diss on the dragonborn. They have a lot of traction / selling power.

 

[renau1g]

So yeah. Don't diss on the dragonborn. They have a lot of traction / selling power.

Especially amongst the younger crowd, at my local FLGS at LFR events, many of the new players coming in are all excited to play a dragon-man, half-dragon, whatever they call it.

 

[Libramarian]

Idk I'm going to need harder evidence pointing to the popularity of Dragonborn with new gamers.

I don't see a pronounced fetish for dragon people elsewhere in popular geek/gamer culture.

There's Dragonborn in Skyrim, but they don't look like Dragons. They're people who are especially good at hunting Dragons and steal their souls after they kill them.

(I'd love it if D&D Dragonborn were more like Skyrim Dragonborn).