Double Dragon: Dragonborn Sorcerer optimal draconic choices

[Blas_de_Lezo]

Hello, I want to play a Dragonborn Sorcerer with two different dragon ancestors, one for being a Dragonborn and the other for being a sorcerer. It will be for roleplaying reasons (two personalities), but I also want to optimize it. My doubt is what dragons/elemental type should I choose, taking into account including the best cantrip (at will use) and a common damaging element elemental resistance and a proper spell selection.

Starting level 6.
Standard Array:

Str 12
Dex 13
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 8
Cha 16

Background: Noble
Skills: Perssuasion, Intimidation, History, Arcana

I thought of a Golden/Black acenstors, Golden coming from Dragonborn line to have fire resistance, and Black Dragon from Sorcerer, to spam Acid Splash with Elemental Affinity (Vitriolic Sphere is a nice spell to choose next level) Is this a good choice? Is Acid Splash a nice cantrip to add Elemental Affinity on play, not on theory? Do you come with something better?

Thanks in advance!

[Aett_Thorn]

The problem with this is that one of the better Draconic Sorc features lets you add your Cha modifier to the damage of the spells related to your ancestry. This makes it better to choose a Dragon Sorc origin that has a decent amount of spells that you can choose from that benefit from this. For instance, there are a lot more Fire spells out there than Acid. More Cold spells than Poison, etc. So going Acid is fine, but realize that there are fewer spells out there that you can pair with Elemental Affinity than if you were to choose Fire or Cold.

However, the Dragon Sorc only gives you temporary resistance to damage of that type, whereas Dragonborn gives you permanent resistance to that damage type. So, since you're likely going to be hit BY more Fire spells than Acid, it might make more sense to be a Dragonborn of a type that gives you that kind of resistance.

This has probably been zero help to you so far, but I would say just a few things to sum up:

1) Character concept and your own fun should trump optimization

2) If you're going for optimization, then sticking with Fire/Cold dragon types is best

3) Acid Dragon Sorc will be fine, but you'll be limited to what spells will benefit from Elemental Affinity

[Joe the Rat]

That covers it pretty well. Gold/Silver, Gold/White, or Red/Silver (always keep at least a metallic secondary sheen to those scales) would give you more Affinity options (and you can spam ray of frost), but you'll do decently with Acid. See if you can get Elemental Evil spells and grab Melf's Acid Arrow. Just to have more options.

[Pichu]

Hello, I want to play a Dragonborn Sorcerer with two different dragon ancestors, one for being a Dragonborn and the other for being a sorcerer. It will be for roleplaying reasons (two personalities), but I also want to optimize it. My doubt is what dragons/elemental type should I choose, taking into account including the best cantrip (at will use) and a common damaging element elemental resistance and a proper spell selection.

Starting level 6.
Standard Array:

Str 12
Dex 13
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 8
Cha 16

Background: Noble
Skills: Perssuasion, Intimidation, History, Arcana

I thought of a Golden/Black acenstors, Golden coming from Dragonborn line to have fire resistance, and Black Dragon from Sorcerer, to spam Acid Splash with Elemental Affinity (Vitriolic Sphere is a nice spell to choose next level) Is this a good choice? Is Acid Splash a nice cantrip to add Elemental Affinity on play, not on theory? Do you come with something better?

Thanks in advance!

Why stop at that? Be a Half-Dragon Dragonborn Draconic Sorcerer and choose fire, cold, and electric! Why? 'Murican Dragon!

https://missiongalacticfreedom.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/dragonfunds-to-us.png

[PeteNutButter]

Poison is actually the most common threat in the monster manual. From a purely optimization standpoint that makes a Green Dragonborn with Brass Draconic Sorcerer Heritage the best play. The cool thing is the brass dragons usually have a good bit of green in them anyways.

[Arcangel4774]

'Merican Dragon

https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/2/24/American_Dragon_Jake_Long.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120418043821

[TundraBuccaneer]

If you go white and red you can have a pinkdragonborn than you only need prestidigitation so you taste like strawberry. Bam you're a bubblegum dragonborn!

[Specter]

For personal resistance pick either Fire or Poison. For the Draconic bloodline you can take fire for a sure bet, or cold if you plan a good spell selection.

[Blas_de_Lezo]

For personal resistance pick either Fire or Poison. For the Draconic bloodline you can take fire for a sure bet, or cold if you plan a good spell selection.

So there's only one way to do this:

A Dragonborn with poison resistance and poison breath (Green Dragon), an a Brass or Gold Dragon as Sorcerer Draconic ancestor... Cold spells are neh...

[Citan]

Hello, I want to play a Dragonborn Sorcerer with two different dragon ancestors, one for being a Dragonborn and the other for being a sorcerer. It will be for roleplaying reasons (two personalities), but I also want to optimize it. My doubt is what dragons/elemental type should I choose, taking into account including the best cantrip (at will use) and a common damaging element elemental resistance and a proper spell selection.

Starting level 6.
Standard Array:

Str 12
Dex 13
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 8
Cha 16

Background: Noble
Skills: Perssuasion, Intimidation, History, Arcana

I thought of a Golden/Black acenstors, Golden coming from Dragonborn line to have fire resistance, and Black Dragon from Sorcerer, to spam Acid Splash with Elemental Affinity (Vitriolic Sphere is a nice spell to choose next level) Is this a good choice? Is Acid Splash a nice cantrip to add Elemental Affinity on play, not on theory? Do you come with something better?

Thanks in advance!
Hi!
Others here covered the pure optimization point for resistance, so let me add something different.

Since your Draconic Heritage lets you add +CHA on damage bonus, and you say you will have two personalities, find and pick AOE damage spells you like, imagine how someone being that close to such element would behave and enforce it.

For example, if you go Fire (Dragonborn) / Cold (Draconic) for Ray of Frost and Cone of Cold...
"fire" is very often associated to violence, but also empathy, spontaneity and the like.
"cold" is very often associated to calm, but also to "heart emptiness", lack of scupules and the like.
So you could either say that your usual self is an "empathic/dynamic" (fire) one, but when some of your buttons are pushed your other half, a cold-blooded killer, comes back on the surface.

Or in reverse, say that your primary self is usually a very expansive and violent one, but your training to master your inner magic allowed you to control your pulsions, up to the point you went overkill and are now usually very silent, nearly "transparent", but when under too much pressure or some other special situation you completely lose your nerve and "blow up" instead...


Or do the opposite: if you already had a detailed concept in mind (values, goals, behaviour) try to determine which element would best fit the usual tropes. ;)

Also, don't think you have to pick any and every elemental related spell. Usually one cantrip, Chromatic Bolt and one AOE is enough.
Instead, pick other spells, refluffing them if needed. For example, Slow could be refluffed as stacks of solid ice forming around limbs (cold), or near-invisible unhealthy gaz created directly in their body (poison), or even electric discharges ruining nerves connexions (lightning)...
A guy with poison could have developed a taste for studying life and death and as such pick Ray of Sickness (obvious reasons), Stinking Cloud (same), but also Wall of Stone because he used it to trap creatures to experiment on... :)

[Corran]

Definitely cold ice and fire.
Dont pick any knowledge skill at all, since you will be knowing nuthing...:smalltongue:

[Blas_de_Lezo]

Ok, here's my bet:

Dragonborn origin: Gold (Fire breath and resistance)
Draconic Bloodline: White (Elemental Affinity: Cold damage bonus and resistance)

27 point buy:
Str: 14 (12+2)
Dex: 12
Con: 13
Int: 13
Wis: 8
Cha: 16 (15+1)

Feats: Ritual Caster (Wizard), [and maybe Dragon Hide from UA at 8th level (+1 Cha, +1 AC, claw attacks)

Cantrips: Ray of Frost, Greenflame Blade, Mending, Prestidigitation, Minor Ilusion

1st level: shield, chromatic orb
2nd level: web, enhace ability, darkvision, see invisibility
3rd level: fly

Rituals: Find Familiar, Detect Magic (taking Leomund's Secret Chest to have my dragon treasure safe as soon as possible)

Attack tactics: web and then ray of frost or cold orb with advantage.
Utility: darkvision and see invisibility to have dragonsenses, enhace ability for its versatility on skill checks
Defenses: shield and fly

What do you think?