Dragonborn of Bahamut question

[JasonP]

I am wondering what the best races to convert to Dragonborn are. I am interested in maybe playing a Dragonborn Dragonfire Adept so I would mainly focus on Con and Cha. I was thinking a Changeling Dragonborn but only if their Minor Shape Change would still be usable.

So here is my question, would a Changeling keep Minor Shape Change? It's a supernatural ability and becoming a Dragonborn specifically says that "You lose all other racial traits including bonus feats, skill bonuses, attack bonuses, save bonuses, spell-like abilities, and so forth."

I know it is ultimately up to the DM, but I am wondering what others think so I know if it's worth fighting for or if I should just choose a different base race (and if so, which).

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Water Orcs are always a good idea for this, as are Buommen, IIRC.

[Eldariel]

Yeah, you'd lose it. It's an ability; it's gone. Best races are stuff that loses either detrimental abilities, or just doesn't have much to lose. Examples include:
(Water) Orc
Buomman
Mongrelfolk (btw, these get insane Con already; a Dragonborn Mongrelfolk Dragonfire Adept is an absolute beast)
etc.

It's also worth noting that you don't, apparently, lose your type so Outsider-races keep their biggest selling point and Warforged remains a Living Construct (and has all the derived benefits but gets rid of e.g. Composite Plating) and so on.

[Starbuck_II]

I am wondering what the best races to convert to Dragonborn are. I am interested in maybe playing a Dragonborn Dragonfire Adept so I would mainly focus on Con and Cha. I was thinking a Changeling Dragonborn but only if their Minor Shape Change would still be usable.

Mongrel race has high Con.
Buommen has +2 Wisdom, bonus with LA +0. But the racial stat means can't talk non-song words. Meaning unless you Dragonborn them: they can't cast without silent megamagic.
Water Orc has good Str/Con.



So here is my question, would a Changeling keep Minor Shape Change? It's a supernatural ability and becoming a Dragonborn specifically says that "You lose all other racial traits including bonus feats, skill bonuses, attack bonuses, save bonuses, spell-like abilities, and so forth.


Lose: it is a racial trait.

[HCL]

Cha and con? Almost all +cha races are - con, but there are a lot of +con -int races

gnome is -2 str +2 con
water halfling is -2 str +2 con and dex
Hellbred of the body (mind is +cha - con): Fiendish codex 2
Neanderthal +2 str +2 con -2 dex -2 int: Frostburn
Duskling: Magic of Incarnum
From unearthed arcana there are a couple kobold variants that trade the -2 con for -2 wis or int, and they are already dragonblood so you would not need dragonborn

Also Desert halforc -2 int +2 con

[Mando Knight]

Cha and con? Almost all +cha races are - con, but there are a lot of +con -int races

Lesser Aasimar?

[HCL]

Lesser Aasimar?

almost :)

thats a campaign setting specific one

[JasonP]

Thanks for all the help, I think I'm leaning toward gnome or duskling now. Dragonborn isn't necessary (Dragonfire Adept automatically get the dragonblood subtype) but I like it for flavor purposes and the free flight.

Would a duskling lose their free essentia when they become dragonborn?
I wonder what a Dragonborn Duskling with wings would look like, hmm :smallbiggrin:

[BenTheJester]

I like Desert Kobold Dragonborn DFA, they fit thematically, have -4 str(tss useless to a DFA anyway), -2 wis(also useless) and +2 dex
They are small and have a 30ft speed
Kobolds are also able to get +3 to all mental stats(without penalties) through Dragonwrought
Kobolds can also do the Draconic Rite of Passage, which costs 100gp and 1 HP, to gain one 1st level Sorcerer spell as a SLA 1/day. (Benign Transposition is very nice for this)


Also, keep in mind that charisma isn't that useful to a DFA, as they have few offensive Invocations, and all the good ones are not. I guess it's useful for social skills, but Intelligence and Dexterity are more important stats if you ask me. Of course, Con should be at the absolute maximum it can be.

[JasonP]

Ya I was looking at Kobold at first but they don't seem very friendly and would have a tough time working well in a diverse group so I wanted another option just in case.

[chiasaur11]

Ya I was looking at Kobold at first but they don't seem very friendly and would have a tough time working well in a diverse group so I wanted another option just in case.

Anti-kobold propaganda!

The fact Kobolds are better than every other species doesn't mean they look down on them!

[Eldariel]

The good news about Dragonborn for Dragonfire Adept is that you get a "breath weapon with recharge time measured in rounds" qualifying you for Metabreath feats Dragonfire Adept normally cannot pick. Also, having a secondary energy type is huge.

[BenTheJester]

The good news about Dragonborn for Dragonfire Adept is that you get a "breath weapon with recharge time measured in rounds" qualifying you for Metabreath feats Dragonfire Adept normally cannot pick. Also, having a secondary energy type is huge.

Gogo RAW. If your DM says your DFA breath don't qualify for metabreath, trying to cheat it this way won't be accepted either


Also, I am pretty sure that the "breath weapon with recharge time measured in rounds" condition was made so that people with a x/day breath can't take the feats. The DFA breath is a breath with 0 rounds cooldown.

Then again, DFA is already powerful enough so it doesnt need metabreath feats.