D&D 5E What would the Dragonborn be like if they had the Dragon type instead of the Humanoid type?

[Baldurs_Underdark]

5e doesn't attach rules to creature type - just changing the type to dragon wouldn't automatically mean they get darkvision or immunities or anything like that - it would just mean hold person (etc) don't apply. That's a ribbon-level change by itself.

Quick search on the interwebs suggests that these spells are humanoid-only:

• Animate Dead (3rd level)
• Calm Emotions (2nd level)
• Charm Person (1st level)
• Create Undead (3rd level)
• Crown of Madness (2nd level)
• Dominate Person (5th level)
• Hold Person (2nd level)
• Magic Jar (6th level)
• Reincarnate (5th level)
• Simulacrum (7th level)
• Soul cage (6th level)

Not sure how old that list is - there may be some spells missing.

If you mean it's insignificant when you say "ribbon-level", then I am not sure I agree because this is quite a list.

This thread makes me realize I will ban all non-humanoid playable races from my game, or allow them only if we all agree they count as humanoid.

 

[Corinnguard]

5e doesn't attach rules to creature type - just changing the type to dragon wouldn't automatically mean they get darkvision or immunities or anything like that - it would just mean hold person (etc) don't apply. That's a ribbon-level change by itself.

True. Changing the Dragonborn's type from humanoid to Dragon would not automatically give them the perks they would have received in 3e. But somebody could homebrew them in if they wanted to.

What counts as a ribbon-level change in 5e?

 

[Blue]

This thread makes me realize I will ban all non-humanoid playable races from my game, or allow them only if we all agree they count as humanoid.

Are you just going to nerf them, or give them something to make up for the loss?

 

[Baldurs_Underdark]

Are you just going to nerf them, or give them something to make up for the loss?

Reading up on the non-humanoid races, I don't think any of the players at our table will be interested so it's a purely theoretical discussion for me. But if people are indeed interested I would probably make sure it's balanced, making it up with something that is related to the campaign.

 

[tetrasodium]

Honestly, I personally don't feel that making Dragonborn count as "Dragon" type would be a major OP/Imbalance type deal.

Fey/Monstrosity/Ooze/Construct already invalidates a number of spells/stuff. Darkvision is Darkvision and everybody and their aunt/uncle in the genepool has it at this rate in 5E. Blindsense would end up getting dwarven Tremorsensed probably or given a "up to 10 feet" type of deal if we're going by Bounded Accuracy's viewpoint/reliability of "giving PCs interesting stuff." Flying would get "Ardling'ed" or any of the other Flying Races. And finally, a serious urge to collect shiny things.

Which means you're a dragon. Or a crow. Hells, you're probably a Dragon Crow.

I ran a couple dozen sessions* of a 3.5 game where about half the group were wyrmlings who had to burn off their level adjustment before taking class levels & agree. They were actually more interesting at the table than dragonborn because A: they fell behind the humanoids a bit early on & B: being a quadrupedal "monster" with weird claws they need to walk on instead of feet with boots & dexterous hands with thumbs & maybe gloves/gauntlets imposed a lot of warforged-like difficulties with equipment once the exp gap started to narrow & equipment was being more of a factor for PCs.

I don't know if that would hold up in 5te with the reduced magic item needs though.

*work & life ended it with a company shakeup

 

[Voadam]

In 3e I made a lot of things humanoid subtype (X monster type) so that say an enlarge person spell could affect planetouched. I would have felt comfortable doing the same for dragonborn if they had been a thing then instead of ubiquitous half-dragons.

 

[jasper]

According to 5th edition lore, the dragonborn were shaped by the dragons themselves from dragon eggs. And yet despite their draconic origin, they are of the humanoid type. But what if they had the Dragon type instead of the Humanoid type in 5e? ...
Slightly OT, for those of you who have played or will be playing a Dragonborn character, do you picture your Dragonborn with or without a tail? Mine has a tail.

Your Uncle Hugo's head would be up on the wall next to my 18 pt buck. And the tail would be good eating with potatoes.