The Birthing of a Dragonborn

[jagan]

I understand from what I've read that Dragonborn are born from eggs. I've also read in some 4e articles that they were possibly created my Io or Tiamat and Bahamat after Io's split. I want to make a Dragonborn cleric (of either Ilmater or Bahamat) for my next 5e campaign. My plan is to have him residing in his village as a baker. His bakery sells delicious pastries, but uses his fire breath (thinking of making him a gold dragon descendant) to make special goods. You know, things like dragon-breath-smoked gouda beignets or cookies and cakes baked in dragon flame.

My main problem with this character is how Dragonborn are birthed. Could I say a gold dragon female lived in a village for a while, and had a child with a human man? Because that's the idea I like the most. If anyone has any suggestions for this, I would love to hear them. :smallsmile:

[Shining Wrath]

Your idea of a polymorphed dragon mating with humans works for half-dragons. Dragonborn are now a separate race that breeds true.

In some distant past the essence of dragons came to be fused with human stock - perhaps a gold or silver dragon DID dwell among men, but since dragonborn take on all the different draconic types (chromatic or metallic) that doesn't account for it entirely.

I think Tiamat and Bahamut kidnapped and persuaded, respectively, some humans to undergo modification.

[mr_odd]

Yeah, the origin of the dragonborn depends on your DM's world. Unless your DM wants to change stuff, they do breed pure, so your parents would be other dragonborn

[jagan]

Alright guys, thanks for clearing that up :smallsmile:

[Rallicus]

Dragonborn don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race? The 3rd edition version made sense, but once they became core in 4 I was like... what?

I just make them half human half dragons. Current setting has a vast amount of them breeded for some war ancient dragons were planning but that nobody understands. This generation and their children call themselves dragonborn to differentiate from the other half dragons.

[JAL_1138]

I've been tossing around the idea of changing the name and making it so they're the kobold equivalent to flinds, or something along those lines.

[Mrmox42]

My players absolutely love the idea of Dragonborn being hatched from eggs, so this has become a staple of our campaign, weird as it is. :smallsmile:

[Celcey]

Could I say a gold dragon female lived in a village for a while, and had a child with a human man.
Yes, you could. The Monster Manuel says that such a unions sometimes creates half-dragons, not always. Also, the players handbook says that the original dragonborns were birthed from eggs, and then they inbred. There's nothing that says a dragonborn has to have been born to such a clan, so you character could just as easily be born from a dragon.

[Sartharina]

Dragonborn don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race?
Elves don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race?
Dwarves don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race?
Halflings don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race?
Gnomes don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race?
Half-orcs don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race?
Half-elves don't make sense to me. Slightly different stats = whole new race?


Dragonborn are their own species. Having one be born from a human+Dragon pairing is like saying you can get a Dwarf from a Gnome+Human pairing, or Elf from a Pixie+Human pairing.

[darkscizor]

Weird thing.... For some reason, when I started playing 5e, I spent at least a week persuading the DM to let me eat dragonborn eggs (as a chaotic evil ranger) and that dragonborn do lay eggs...:smallsmile:

[Celcey]

Dragonborn are their own species. Having one be born from a human+Dragon pairing is like saying you can get a Dwarf from a Gnome+Human pairing, or Elf from a Pixie+Human pairing.

Not quite. They are a different species, but they were born from dragons. Therefore a dragon could certainly give birth to dragonborn. I think it makes extra sense to have the father be a human, because dragonborn are a humanoid species.

In the end, it's really up to Jagon and his DM if it's allowed, but RAW, I see no reason why not.

[Shining Wrath]

It should be noted that female dragonborn evidently nurse their young, so there's got to be some mammalian tendencies even if they do lay eggs. IIRC the platypus lays eggs and nurses its young, so there's a RW precedent.

[Sartharina]

Nobody disputes dragonborn being born from eggs.


Not quite. They are a different species, but they were born from dragons. Therefore a dragon could certainly give birth to dragonborn. I think it makes extra sense to have the father be a human, because dragonborn are a humanoid species.From what I've read, one of the possible origins (as in shrouded in myth) of the Dragonborn is that they are born from dragon eggs that are not blessed by Io to become true dragons. It may be something that continues to happen.

For the OP's purpose... perhaps the 'father' was given a dragonborn egg as a gift from a dragon (The father wanted a child, but he never had a wife/his wife died years ago and he could never bring himself to truly love another in the same way/etc, and he had helped/made a deal with the dragon, who happily gave over the unblessed egg because the man would appreciate (and be able to handle) such a child far better than the dragon itself could)

[RedMage125]

It should be noted that female dragonborn evidently nurse their young, so there's got to be some mammalian tendencies even if they do lay eggs. IIRC the platypus lays eggs and nurses its young, so there's a RW precedent.

4e clarified this to be true. Dragonborn are not properly reptiles, but the same thing that platypi are. They are endothermic (warm-blooded), egg-laying creatures with mammaries to nurse their young once hatched.

[Inevitability]

It should be noted that female dragonborn evidently nurse their young, so there's got to be some mammalian tendencies even if they do lay eggs. IIRC the platypus lays eggs and nurses its young, so there's a RW precedent.

Also, Synapsids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synapsid). A number of them had scales, but some also had mammalian glands.

[cobaltstarfire]

You can make dragons whatever type of creature you want, reptiles, non-reptiles, whatever.

If you want to go by the rules, I think this editions MM describes dragons as reptilian, although that also doesn't necessarily mean they have to be reptiles.

Fluff from past editions however states that dragons are not reptiles at all. 3.5's draconomicon goes as far as to suggest that from the dragons perspective all those who make that assumption are being foolish.

[Shining Wrath]

You can make dragons whatever type of creature you want, reptiles, non-reptiles, whatever.

If you want to go by the rules, I think this editions MM describes dragons as reptilian, although that also doesn't necessarily mean they have to be reptiles.

Fluff from past editions however states that dragons are not reptiles at all. 3.5's draconomicon goes as far as to suggest that from the dragons perspective all those who make that assumption are being foolish.

OTOH I recall that kobolds are certainly reptilian, and I seem to recall that some reptiles could speak Draconic?????

[JAL_1138]

OTOH I recall that kobolds are certainly reptilian, and I seem to recall that some reptiles could speak Draconic?????

Hence why I'm mulling making dragonborn be Das Uberkobold...

As to reptilian classification, D&D doesn't use the modern definitions. "It looks like a lizard/snake" = "It's a reptile," whether it's cold or warm blooded

[cobaltstarfire]

If you want to move away from mammalian traits but keep true to the nursing bit of their description, you could make it so that dragonborn produce something like crop milk I guess.

I've always just considered dragons to be their own separate creature, not a reptile, or a mammal, particularly since the book about them (in 3.5) states that they aren't reptiles.

[Celcey]

From what I've read, one of the possible origins (as in shrouded in myth) of the Dragonborn is that they are born from dragon eggs that are not blessed by Io to become true dragons. It may be something that continues to happen.

I heard that one too, and I happen to like it. So maybe the baby wasn't because it's father was a human. But really Jagon, it's up to you and your DM.

And while my personal mythology is that dragons (and dragonborns) are born from eggs, you can have it be done/classify them as whatever you want- mammals, reptiles, whatever floats your boat. It's your gameworld, so it's up to you (and your DM).

[Fralex]

To me, not giving the dragonborn the same sexual dimorphism as humans makes them more interesting. But doing the opposite makes more sense given that one origin of the species is humans actually undergoing metamorphosis inside an artifical egg with Bahamut's blessing. And sometimes thinking about all this mixing together of reptilian and mammalian traits just makes me really uncomfortable. I can't make up my mind about what way to go.

[Kyutaru]

Could always go with the more new age version... a Dragonborn is a rare human born with the blood and soul of a dragon. Reincarnate is totally a spell after all, not a stretch to say it happens naturally too. These Dovahkiin are capable of the same dragon breaths as their past incarnations and gain similar powers to what they once had.

[wolfstone]

Dragonborn are their own species. Having one be born from a human+Dragon pairing is like saying you can get a Dwarf from a Gnome+Human pairing, or Elf from a Pixie+Human pairing.

Or a satyr from a Goat+Human pairing. :D

[Shining Wrath]

Or a satyr from a Goat+Human pairing. :D

Explain Centaurs.

[Pokonic]

Dragonborn could be to Half-Dragons as Tieflings are to Half-Fiends, IE removed from the parent race enough for it to be highly deluted, but ultimately very much still visibly connected with their inhuman propagators.

[wolfstone]

Explain Centaurs.

Brony+Pony