Chromatic Dragonborn and Animated Breath

[Segev]

I have seen some comments about the new chromatic dragonborn getting a bit of the short end of the stick. Not that they're all bad, but between the less-desirable breath weapon shape and the more-situational extra racial feature requiring an action when it is useful at all, they're seen as being the least of the three choices, it seems.

I noticed that the spell "Animate Breath" is goNe from 5e, and that there is instead an entry for the Animated Breath monster in the bestiary section. This is great for use as encounter elements, making permanent minions for the dragons.

More interestingly, the monster entry specifically notes these as being created by chromatic dragons, and begin something they can learn to do "with practice." No spell mentioned. That sounds like a class feature or racial feature or a feat, to me.

Would a race-exclusive feat that let the chromatic dragonborn make one of these at a time by expending a use of their breath weapon as an action be overpowered? Use some sort of prerequisite that restricts it to 8th level or higher, and it is only one level before wizards can conjure CR 6 elementals with a spell.

[Ralanr]

I think it'd be interesting to see. Possibly put in at level 10 since that seems more like a milestone but I'm not one to really discuss balance.

It's clear each dragonborn typing is supposed to get something respective to their types. Metallic dragons have secondary breath weapons, so metallic dragonborn get that. Gem dragons have psionics, so gem dragonborn get some. Chromatics have immunity to their damage, so it made sense to give chromatic dragonborn that, but the action cost has made it lackluster.

So a special breath control power as showcased in Fizbans? It'd be interesting, pushing Chromatics to focus on being casters (IMO)

[quindraco]

I have seen some comments about the new chromatic dragonborn getting a bit of the short end of the stick. Not that they're all bad, but between the less-desirable breath weapon shape and the more-situational extra racial feature requiring an action when it is useful at all, they're seen as being the least of the three choices, it seems.

I noticed that the spell "Animate Breath" is goNe from 5e, and that there is instead an entry for the Animated Breath monster in the bestiary section. This is great for use as encounter elements, making permanent minions for the dragons.

More interestingly, the monster entry specifically notes these as being created by chromatic dragons, and begin something they can learn to do "with practice." No spell mentioned. That sounds like a class feature or racial feature or a feat, to me.

Would a race-exclusive feat that let the chromatic dragonborn make one of these at a time by expending a use of their breath weapon as an action be overpowered? Use some sort of prerequisite that restricts it to 8th level or higher, and it is only one level before wizards can conjure CR 6 elementals with a spell.

If you require the Dragonborn to concentrate on the breath, it'll be fine. Or if you limit the duration to 1 minute. But a permanent pet seems simultaneously OP for a feat and at the same time slightly underpowered because of the lack of scaling - it doesn't make sense for the Dragonborn's Con modifier and Proficiency Bonus to both matter to its normal breath, but not to its Awakened breath. With some fine tuning the idea could be cool.

[Amnestic]

95 HP, 15/17 AC, +7 attack on 2d8+4+2d10 damage, plus some goodies on top of that depending on your element is comparative to...maybe a 5th-8th level Summon X from Tasha's? Ish? Getting that as semi-permanent with no concentration is potent to say the least, and it'll still be relevant even at max level (for however many players play at that level).

Turning it into a feat is...interesting. Feats are, after all, class features, but the lack of scaling makes it hard to place. If you put it at too high a level, players won't get to play with it, so why bother, and it's far too potent to put at a low level as-is.

Animate Breath in 3.5 had a 1 round/level duration, so probably don't need to make it permanent to start with at least.

I think if you wanted to do this as a feat I would consider doing either or both of:
a) Give it a remade statblock that scaled with character level or prof bonus. Perhaps reuse/adapt the Summon Elemental statblock.
b) Make it temporary, but scale up its duration (maybe based off of breath weapon damage dice progression, eg. 1-4: 1 minute, 5-10: 10 minutes, 11-16: 1 hour, 17-20: permanent)

[Segev]

This might be getting too fancy/complicated, but maybe make its power scaling or its duration or both depend on the number of breath weapon dice "invested" into it. While it's out, your breath weapon is reduced in number of dice by however many you invest in it. (This could potentially allow more than one, with your breath weapon dice divided between them.)

[BerzerkerUnit]

I like this a lot. Do it.