Dragon’s Breath as a Build?

[Jcp1195]

One of my friends is about to start a new campaign and I’ve been wanting to make a character whose main damage output is the Dragon’s Breath Spell in XGE. We have not rolled stats yet but we will be starting at level 9 so there’s plenty of wiggle room early on. My best friend will be playing a medium Armored and Shielded Wizard and offered to be a target for Dragon’s Breath to help maximize damage output, so I considered sorcerer for Twinned Spell so we both could make use of it, but if that’s a good idea I’m not sure which subclass the Spell would most benefit from.

I’d gladly accept some advice as far as deciding race, class, and subclass for a character like this. Thanks in advance.

(As a little aside, our DM is allowing any written material by WoTC for this game excluding the Aaracockra. All Unearthed Arcana/Matt Mercer Homebrew is fair game).

[Zhorn]

I for one am glad your DM is letting the Dragon's Breath spell be twinnable. Crawford ruling on that one just seemed stupid considering the wording of the twinned meta magic and the Dragon's Breath spell.

https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/944272988983062528
https://twitter.com/JeremyECrawford/status/944279262361567232
^relevant only if dealing with AL, best to ignore in all other cases.

I'd suggest something that gives you access to find familiar to cast on, or druid for a couple of summoned critters to become your shoulder mounted breath turrets. There's bound to be times where you want access to the breath weapon, but want to use you own action on something else, same for your wizard buddy.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I recommend you both get owl familiar (flyby) for targets because it will use the familiar target to attack and not yours.
Make sure to carry enough gold for resummon the familiar because the enemies will probably start to ready attacks to shoot them down.


Edit:
I also recommend to ignore interpetions of the rules that your DM or your group rule lawyer(the guy who in charge of the rules if you have one, not the annoying guy that exploits the rules) approved.

[da newt]

A Pact of Chain Warlock's IMP might be the perfect recipient of this spell. Also, it might be worth tossing Mage Armor at any familiar you plan to weaponize.

[Amechra]

If your DM allows them to apply stuff like Elemental Affinity or Flames of Plegethos to their dragon breath, I'd say that they should go Draconic Sorcerer.

[Jcp1195]

I for one am glad your DM is letting the Dragon's Breath spell be twinnable. Crawford ruling on that one just seemed stupid considering the wording of the twinned meta magic and the Dragon's Breath Spell.

I'd suggest something that gives you access to find familiar to cast on, or druid for a couple of summoned critters to become your shoulder mounted breath turrets. There's bound to be times where you want access to the breath weapon, but want to use you own action on something else, same for your wizard buddy.

I’ll be honest I had no idea that was even an issue until you mentioned it. I already talked to my group about it and we all agreed the RAW are more reasonable than the RAI on this one. That and we’re all still kinda salty on his stance of targeting spells through glass.

While I like that idea and did consider that, Dragon’s Breath is only for Sorcerers and Wizards. Depending on how we roll that that might get a little MAD.


I recommend you both get owl familiar (flyby) for targets because it will use the familiar target to attack and not yours.
Make sure to carry enough gold for resummon the familiar because the enemies will probably start to ready attacks to shoot them down.

Edit:
I also recommend to ignore interpetions of the rules that your DM or your group rule lawyer(the guy who in charge of the rules if you have one, not the annoying guy that exploits the rules) approved.

After some more consideration I’m wanting to get as much DPR for this build as I can with Dragon’s breath so I’m mainly looking at Twinned Spell for that. Find Familiar would definitely help for that but Sorcerers don’t normally get access to it, would it be worth a feat to get it and a +1 Int I won’t be using or a level dip to get it?

Everyone in the group is a DM so we vote on house rules/our interpretation rules as needed instead of one person. If there’s a tie or an argument though we always refer back to Rule 0.


A Pact of Chain Warlock's IMP might be the perfect recipient of this spell. Also, it might be worth tossing Mage Armor at any familiar you plan to weaponize.

I was considering that that too. My only concern is whether a 3 level dip into Warlock for it would be worth not getting to level 20 Sorcerer.


If your DM allows them to apply stuff like Elemental Affinity or Flames of Plegethos to their dragon breath, I'd say that they should go Draconic Sorcerer.

Yes, those are fair game for Dragon’s Breath and I like the idea for that. Right now I’m between Variant Human, Dragonborn, and Tiefling (mainly for Flames of Phlegethos) for the race.

[Undyne]

One of my friends is about to start a new campaign and I’ve been wanting to make a character whose main damage output is the Dragon’s Breath Spell in XGE. We have not rolled stats yet but we will be starting at level 9 so there’s plenty of wiggle room early on. My best friend will be playing a medium Armored and Shielded Wizard and offered to be a target for Dragon’s Breath to help maximize damage output, so I considered sorcerer for Twinned Spell so we both could make use of it, but if that’s a good idea I’m not sure which subclass the Spell would most benefit from.

I’d gladly accept some advice as far as deciding race, class, and subclass for a character like this. Thanks in advance.

(As a little aside, our DM is allowing any written material by WoTC for this game excluding the Aaracockra. All Unearthed Arcana/Matt Mercer Homebrew is fair game).

One of my favorite spells- A repeatable Burning Hands of various elements!

[Ventruenox]

A lot of good advice has already been given. I would suggest a Sorlock 6/3 split, Draconic Bloodline (red/gold/brass) mixed with 3 levels into Raven Queen Warlock.

For race, go with a Mephistopheles Tiefling (https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/UA_FiendishOptions.pdf) for the Charisma bonus, fire resistance, and a couple extra spells. (Burning Hands can be cast while you concentrate on an active Dragon's Breath.)

Start off as a Sorcerer for Constitution saves & the AC bonus. You know you want Twin Metamagic, and either Empowered or Subtle would help out as well. 6 levels will let you add the Charisma bonus to one of your rolls.[Side Note: Phoenix Sorcerer (https://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/26_UASorcererUA020617s.pdf) would let you add Cha to all fire rolls, but only once per long rest for one minute.]

Raven Queen Warlock grants you a flying pseudo-familiar that can be one Dragon's Breath user, and either Chain or Tome pacts can bring you Find Familiar for a second. Raven Queen also brings you some support spells to keep your flying firebombers alive, such as False Life and Sanctuary. Having two 2nd level spell slots that recharge on a short rest is also a useful feature for this build.

[tieren]

I'm wondering if there is an order of operations that would let you twin dragon breath if you cast it on yourself, but happen to be a paladin with a 'find steed' steed.

You share spells with your steed, it doesn't become a target. When you initially cast the spell you are the only target, which should satisfy both features, but when you add the metamagic and get a second target does that "turn off" the find steed spell sharing feature?

If you could cast it on yourself, share it with your mount, and twin it onto your familiar, it would be pretty awesome.

Go 6 paladin for aura of protection and 2nd level spells (find steed) and 3 as the draconic sorcerer for the firebreath spell. Get the familiar from the feat, couple extra cantrips never hurt either.

[Sparky McDibben]

I'm wondering if there is an order of operations that would let you twin dragon breath if you cast it on yourself, but happen to be a paladin with a 'find steed' steed.

You share spells with your steed, it doesn't become a target. When you initially cast the spell you are the only target, which should satisfy both features, but when you add the metamagic and get a second target does that "turn off" the find steed spell sharing feature?

If you could cast it on yourself, share it with your mount, and twin it onto your familiar, it would be pretty awesome.

Go 6 paladin for aura of protection and 2nd level spells (find steed) and 3 as the draconic sorcerer for the firebreath spell. Get the familiar from the feat, couple extra cantrips never hurt either.

That would be awesome, but it might push action economy. I would probably allow either the paladin or the steed to use dragon's breath once per turn, not both.

[Talionis]

I would suggest a familiar that can see in the darkness spell like a bat. That way you can target enemies and they can target you.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I was considering that that too. My only concern is whether a 3 level dip into Warlock for it would be worth not getting to level 20 Sorcerer.





Yes, sorcerer capstone is at level 18 and based on the subclass.

Warlock 2 gives you the sorcerer 20 feature.
Some sorcerer subclass have a very good level 18 feature, some have less important ones.
So warlock 3 is pretty nice most of the time.

[tieren]

That would be awesome, but it might push action economy. I would probably allow either the paladin or the steed to use dragon's breath once per turn, not both.

If you let the mount go as an "independent mount" it should get its own actions.

Make the character a small race and ride a medium mount (mastiff, giant frog etc...) and you can take the menagerie into most dungeons.

I do concur with the bat idea, fly-by on the owl isn't as necessary as it doesn't need to get in melee range to use the breath weapon.

edit:
Dang it, now I am going to have to make a deep gnome riding a giant wolf spider with a bat familiar going all napalmy through the underdark.