D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting

[Remathilis]

Wut!? Not even PC species are well balanced. They certainly ain’t balanced for NPCs. I’m pretty sure AoE breath weapons that do more than enough damage to kill several enemy troops at once even if they are save beat a unit of dwarves with an extra hp apiece and the ability to sense tremors.

I believe if you use CR calculations using the guidance in the 2014 DMG giving the basic warrior Dragonborn breath weapon pushes its CR up from 1/4 to over 1. This does not happen for other species abilities.

Its worth considering that not all dragonborn breath weapons are equal. Even PC dragonborn breath weapons rank up with level, so its not unreasonable that NPC dragonborn could have weaker breath weapons and less frequent uses. Perhaps the basic warrior NPC dragonborn only does 1d6 or 1d8 damage (DC 10) once per day. A dragonborn commoner's breath weapon is a line that does 1d4 damage (DC 10), while something like a veteran dragonborn does 1d10 (DC 12) and recharges on a 6 on 1d6. As long as the breath weapon does not excede its maximum damage per round with its normal attacks, it shouldn't be a concern.

(Its also important to remember that you don't have to account for all PC traits a species gets, just enough of them to give the feel of the species. If WotC has taught me anything, even if a species is considered a member of a given species, it doesn't mean it has all that species's traits).

 

[Minigiant]

Species Template for Humanoid Statblocks

SPECIES	TYPICAL FEATURES
Aasimar *	Resist radiant-necrotic, Heal pro d4, Light, Fly 30
Dragonborn *	Resist type, 15' cone Dex: 1d10 type
Dwarf *	Resist poison, Hit points +3, Tremorsense 60
Elf *	Cantrip, Detect Magic, Misty Step, Resist charm, Immune sleep.
Gnome *	Save adv: Wis, Int, Cha Minor Illusion, Speak with Animals
Goliath	Frost: hit +1d6 cold, slow. Fire: hit +1d10 fire
. . .

Dragonborn Breath weapon damage would be about 1d6 + 2d6*CR

If you like the d10s for consistency then about

1d10 + 1d10*CR
CR 1/8: 1d6 damage
CR 1/4: 1d10 amage
CR 1/2: 1d10+2 damage

Buts that's assume 1 failed target or 2 successes

Half dice if you are assume more targets.

 

[Remathilis]

No, NPCs aren’t PCs, by their definition they can’t be, but i see no logical reason why that means they wouldn’t have the same traits that every single PC member of their species does, I don’t see PCs as some special ‘species plus’ variant of their people, the party elf might be stronger, tougher, smarter than the average elf, but their resistance to sleep and charm is not different from other elves, nor is their perception proficiency or their magical cantrip.

Interestingly, WotC put a bunch of NPCs with specific species in both the recent Forgotten Realms and Eberron books. Lets look at the traits they get that are uniquely species:

Eberron: Forge of the Artificer:
Boromar Undreboss (halfling): Hustle (Halfling Nimbleness)
Cannifth Artificer (human): None
Ghallandra Troubleshooter (halfling): Hustle (Halfling Nimbleness), Immune to Frightened (Bravery)
Jorasco Medic (halfling): Lucky
Kundarak Warden (dwarf): Darkvision
Lyrandar Scion (Khoravar/Half-elf): Darkvision
Medani Inquisitive (Khoravar/Half-elf): Darkvision
Orien Inforcer (Human): None
Sentinel Marshal (Human): None
Shadow-Marked Agent (Elf): Darkvision
Sivis Scribe (gnome): Darkvision
Tharashk Hunter (Human or Orc): Darkvision (regardless I guess)
Vadalis Heir (human): None
Vulkoori Stingblade (elf/drow): darkvision, fey ancestry
Vulkoori Venom Priest (elf/drow): Darkvision, Fey ancestry, dancing lights cantrip
Umbragen Shadow Walker (elf/drow): Darkvision, Sunlight Sensitivity, Fey Ancestry, Dancing Lights and Darkness spells.

Adventures in Faerun
Drow Elite Warrior of Lolth (elf/drow): Darkvision, Sunlight Sensitivity, Fey Ancestry
Drow of Lolth (elf/drow): Darkvision, Sunlight Sensitivity, Fey Ancestry, Dancing Lights and Faerie Fire
Drow Mage of Lolth (elf/drow): Darkvision, Sunlight Sensitivity, Fey Ancestry, dancing lights, faerie fire
Drow Priestess of Lolth (elf/drow): Darkvision, Sunlight Sensitivity, Fey Ancestry, dancing lights

It should be noted PC drow don't get sunlight sensitivity anymore.

That said, it doesn't really look like most NPCs got species traits. No fey ancestry for non-drow, no gnomish cunning, dwarf resilience or adrenaline rush. Mostly, its just the correct amount of darkvision. (I will note that some Elven and Khoravar NPCs got cantrips, but they seemed to be related to their dragonmark and not their species).