Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
OneD&D Character Origins summary
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 8737442" data-attributes="member: 7635"><p>It's not quite.</p><p></p><p>PHB: When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level.</p><p></p><p>Fizban: When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 damage of the type associated with your Chromatic Ancestry. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10).</p><p></p><p>UA: As an Action, you exhaledestructive energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d10 + yourcharacter level in damage of the type determined by your Draconic Ancestry trait. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage.</p><p></p><p>Assuming averages, at first level, a dragonborn does 7 points (PH), 5.5 points (Fizban), or 6.5 points (UA). At 5th, this increases to 10.5 (PH), 11 (Fiz), and 10.5 (UA). At 11th, 14 (PH), 16.5 (Fiz), and 16.5 (UA) and at 17th, 17.5 (PH), 22 (Fiz), and 22.5 (UA). </p><p></p><p>Of course, averages only say so much. If you go by Max, Fizban looks better at 17th: 30 (PH), 40 (Fiz), 27 (UA) but a far more interesting thing is happening: minimum damage. Again at 17th: 5 (PH), 4 (Fiz), 18 (UA). The floor is significantly higher due to the static level bonus. </p><p></p><p>Another thing to look at: UA's breath weapon improves with every level, not just the checkpoint levels. Compare a 16th level dragonborn who is still doing 14 or 16.5 to a UA who is doing 21.5 and you'll see UA pulls ahead for a while before the other db's get a chance to catch-up. </p><p></p><p>The only net loss is replacing an attack with a breath, which does lower DPS overall. But you trade that for more reliable floor damage at a slight loss of top end. </p><p></p><p>EDIT: the shape also matters. PH breath shape is determined by type, Fizban is a 30' line (good for stacks or avoiding allies, but rarely hits multiple targets) while UA is a 15' cone, which is easier to aim at multiple adjacent foes at the cost of friendly fire. That being said, it's easier to hit multiple targets with burning hands than with lightning bolt, so that is something else to consider.</p><p></p><p>You also get darkvision (something they always should have had) and free draconic language to make up for the lost chromatic/metallic/gem traits. Not great, but far better than 2014.</p><p></p><p>So I don't think the dragonborn is as bad as it appears. Maybe even a little better?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Remathilis, post: 8737442, member: 7635"] It's not quite. PHB: When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. Fizban: When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the creature takes 1d10 damage of the type associated with your Chromatic Ancestry. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10). UA: As an Action, you exhaledestructive energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency Bonus. On a failed save, a creature takes 1d10 + yourcharacter level in damage of the type determined by your Draconic Ancestry trait. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage. Assuming averages, at first level, a dragonborn does 7 points (PH), 5.5 points (Fizban), or 6.5 points (UA). At 5th, this increases to 10.5 (PH), 11 (Fiz), and 10.5 (UA). At 11th, 14 (PH), 16.5 (Fiz), and 16.5 (UA) and at 17th, 17.5 (PH), 22 (Fiz), and 22.5 (UA). Of course, averages only say so much. If you go by Max, Fizban looks better at 17th: 30 (PH), 40 (Fiz), 27 (UA) but a far more interesting thing is happening: minimum damage. Again at 17th: 5 (PH), 4 (Fiz), 18 (UA). The floor is significantly higher due to the static level bonus. Another thing to look at: UA's breath weapon improves with every level, not just the checkpoint levels. Compare a 16th level dragonborn who is still doing 14 or 16.5 to a UA who is doing 21.5 and you'll see UA pulls ahead for a while before the other db's get a chance to catch-up. The only net loss is replacing an attack with a breath, which does lower DPS overall. But you trade that for more reliable floor damage at a slight loss of top end. EDIT: the shape also matters. PH breath shape is determined by type, Fizban is a 30' line (good for stacks or avoiding allies, but rarely hits multiple targets) while UA is a 15' cone, which is easier to aim at multiple adjacent foes at the cost of friendly fire. That being said, it's easier to hit multiple targets with burning hands than with lightning bolt, so that is something else to consider. You also get darkvision (something they always should have had) and free draconic language to make up for the lost chromatic/metallic/gem traits. Not great, but far better than 2014. So I don't think the dragonborn is as bad as it appears. Maybe even a little better? [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
OneD&D Character Origins summary
Top