Honestly, dragonborn, while good, isn't really in the top tiers of racial choices with the likes of variant humans, half elves, fallen aasimar, eladrin (for dexadins), or triton (for maritime games). If your game allows stat switching from tasha's, they're also not really as good as dwarves (any type really), yuan-ti, or other aasimar subraces either.
The choice of elemental type damage resistance is solid, so dragonborn aren't bad paladinsby any means, but the breath weapon is rather disappointing, and they don't get much apart from that. As paladins, they're mostly skating by on their ability score bonuses, but plenty of races have bonuses to strength and charisma AND better additional racial features besides. And that's before you even get into tasha's, where pretty much every race can have strength and charisma bonuses.
I think either Dragonborn or Half-Elf would be the best. Both because of the score increases. The thing about half-elf is that if you choose Strength for both of the two score incs that you choose, then its score will actually be better than Dragonborn.
I think either Dragonborn or Half-Elf would be the best. Both because of the score increases. The thing about half-elf is that if you choose Strength for both of the two score incs that you choose, then its score will actually be better than Dragonborn.
Half-elf is '+1 to 2 ability scores'. That does not permit +2 to one ability score.
I think either Dragonborn or Half-Elf would be the best. Both because of the score increases. The thing about half-elf is that if you choose Strength for both of the two score incs that you choose, then its score will actually be better than Dragonborn.
Half-elf is '+1 to 2 ability scores'. That does not permit +2 to one ability score.
Oh yeah. I didn't see that. Anyways I still think it's a bit better than Dragonborn. Choose Str inc and Con inc and you've got the perfect Paladin. And that's not even counting the skill versatility trait that half-elves have. But Dragonborn is still good.
I think either Dragonborn or Half-Elf would be the best. Both because of the score increases. The thing about half-elf is that if you choose Strength for both of the two score incs that you choose, then its score will actually be better than Dragonborn.
Half elf is definitely one of the top tier paladin races, even though you can't put both +1s in strength. The overall stat modifiers are unequalled for paladins, the two free skill proficiencies shore up one of the paladin class's weaknesses (you have a high charisma - a great skill stat - but no extra proficiencies to help pad out your skill list to take advantage of it), and the fey heritage stuff is useful, too.
Dragonborn, though... I mean, they have good stat mods and an elemental damage resistance is nice, but the breath weapon is pretty bad and they don't have anything else going for them. They're decent paladins, but there are several races that have or at least can have bonuses to Strength and Charisma, but better racial features otherwise, including variant human, fallen aasimar, zariel legacy tieflings, and tritons - particularly in maritime games. In urban games with a lot of political intrigue, the changeling's face-changing ability might also be better than the dragonborn's elemental resistance. There are also some dex/cha races that are better fits for dexadins than dragonborn are for the more typical strengthadins, including eladrin elves and lightfoot halflings.
Again, dragonborn aren't bad paladins at all, definitely high tier. Just not top tier.
I'm enjoying my Loxodon. He's an Oath of Conquest Paladin weilding both a Maul and a Greataxe. His mount is a Celestial Dire wolf, sized up to be ridden by him...so its bigger than the average Dire Wolf.
I'm enjoying my Loxodon. He's an Oath of Conquest Paladin weilding both a Maul and a Greataxe. His mount is a Celestial Dire wolf, sized up to be ridden by him...so its bigger than the average Dire Wolf.
Wielding the maul and great axe at the same time or separately?
I didn't read what anybody said but imma say Dragonborn, bonuses corresponding perfectly with the classes main abilities, plus breath weapon fills the need for aoe effects just in case :).
I didn't read what anybody said but imma say Dragonborn, bonuses corresponding perfectly with the classes main abilities, plus breath weapon fills the need for aoe effects just in case :).
The breath weapon is fairly weak, though. It's nice for flavor and roleplay, but that's about it. The stronger part is the resistance to a damage type.
Tasha's pretty much up-ends this entire conversation TBH.
while true, the only thing that it changes is it adds dwarf as a contender for the best race. Otherwise, things are relatively unchanged as far as which is the "best." That said, it's still puzzling why dragonborn seems to be such a popular choice. On one hand, half-elf means you get to start with a +3 mod in all your most important stats, along with their other benefits, whereas v.human means you get a feat, and that's great considering how feat starved paladin is.
But dragonborn is strange. Discounting tasha's, you had to start with a +2 mod in con, which also affects your breath DC, so you're squishier than a half elf, and mechanically less effective than the human who starts with a feat. So, why was it being voted as best? Their breath is once per short rest too, so it's not even that even that available. In a post-tasha's world, I'd vote for tiefling ahead of dragonborn.
Ngl tho, flavorwise dragonborn paladin is hella dope.
Tasha's pretty much up-ends this entire conversation TBH.
while true, the only thing that it changes is it adds dwarf as a contender for the best race.
It does more than that. Ability score bonuses are uncoupled from race, so for the vast majority of races (exceptions being dwarves and half-elves) you're now looking at a floating +1 and +2 to put anywhere you want. So the question becomes much more about the other racial abilities.
Half-orc, already good paladins, suddenly looks even better with a +2 str, +1 cha and the rest of their stuff.
But races that weren't even in the conversation are now great choices:
Gnome? +2 str, +1 cha, advantage on all int/wis/cha saves vs spells, plus a free cantrip, darkvision, etc? Once they get the paladin saving throw aura, this character is almost immune to all spells that target int/wis/cha
Genasi? +2 str, +1 cha, resistance to a damage type, and other stuff like darkvision, water breathing (or not needing to breath), and very good bonus cantrips and spells (now they're better paladins than dragonborn)
Githzerai. +2 str, +1 cha. Adv on saves vs charm and fear. Free mage hand (invisible), shield, and detect thoughts.
I know this is mostly pre-Tasha's but I'm still surprised to see Dragonborn that high. I feel like in a lot of D&D-based and adjacent communities I go to Dragonborn is largely considered not just not the best, but often one of the worst race choices in the game in general.
I know this is mostly pre-Tasha's but I'm still surprised to see Dragonborn that high. I feel like in a lot of D&D-based and adjacent communities I go to Dragonborn is largely considered not just not the best, but often one of the worst race choices in the game in general.
Cool looking, so interesting gameplay flavor. A good resistance, good statwise for paladin and that's about it. A weak breath weapon and no darkvision. If I'm going to go without darkvision, I want a feat to compensate for not having it! ;)
One of the characters I'm currently running is a Oath of the Crown Levistus Tiefling and hoo boy is she tanky. She has the protection fighting style, at level 4 I picked up sentinel, and she just hit 7, so I'm planning on picking up shield master at 8. And the Armor of Agathys from the Levistus racial features definitely doesn't hurt. She's a blow-taking, ire-drawing, disadvantage-imposing smite beast and I love her with every fiber of my being <3
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Honestly, dragonborn, while good, isn't really in the top tiers of racial choices with the likes of variant humans, half elves, fallen aasimar, eladrin (for dexadins), or triton (for maritime games). If your game allows stat switching from tasha's, they're also not really as good as dwarves (any type really), yuan-ti, or other aasimar subraces either.
The choice of elemental type damage resistance is solid, so dragonborn aren't bad paladinsby any means, but the breath weapon is rather disappointing, and they don't get much apart from that. As paladins, they're mostly skating by on their ability score bonuses, but plenty of races have bonuses to strength and charisma AND better additional racial features besides. And that's before you even get into tasha's, where pretty much every race can have strength and charisma bonuses.
yeah, dragonborn is good, but no con score boost makes it a teensy bit harder to tank in tier 1.
I guess it depends on what angle you're coming at the question from.
If your starting place is "I want to play a paladin, what's the best race for my class?" then there are better answers than dragonborn.
If your starting place is "I want to play a dragonborn, what's the best class for my race?" then paladin is very much the best answer.
I think either Dragonborn or Half-Elf would be the best. Both because of the score increases. The thing about half-elf is that if you choose Strength for both of the two score incs that you choose, then its score will actually be better than Dragonborn.
Half-elf is '+1 to 2 ability scores'. That does not permit +2 to one ability score.
Oh yeah. I didn't see that. Anyways I still think it's a bit better than Dragonborn. Choose Str inc and Con inc and you've got the perfect Paladin. And that's not even counting the skill versatility trait that half-elves have. But Dragonborn is still good.
Half elf is definitely one of the top tier paladin races, even though you can't put both +1s in strength. The overall stat modifiers are unequalled for paladins, the two free skill proficiencies shore up one of the paladin class's weaknesses (you have a high charisma - a great skill stat - but no extra proficiencies to help pad out your skill list to take advantage of it), and the fey heritage stuff is useful, too.
Dragonborn, though... I mean, they have good stat mods and an elemental damage resistance is nice, but the breath weapon is pretty bad and they don't have anything else going for them. They're decent paladins, but there are several races that have or at least can have bonuses to Strength and Charisma, but better racial features otherwise, including variant human, fallen aasimar, zariel legacy tieflings, and tritons - particularly in maritime games. In urban games with a lot of political intrigue, the changeling's face-changing ability might also be better than the dragonborn's elemental resistance. There are also some dex/cha races that are better fits for dexadins than dragonborn are for the more typical strengthadins, including eladrin elves and lightfoot halflings.
Again, dragonborn aren't bad paladins at all, definitely high tier. Just not top tier.
I'm enjoying my Loxodon. He's an Oath of Conquest Paladin weilding both a Maul and a Greataxe. His mount is a Celestial Dire wolf, sized up to be ridden by him...so its bigger than the average Dire Wolf.
Wielding the maul and great axe at the same time or separately?
I didn't read what anybody said but imma say Dragonborn, bonuses corresponding perfectly with the classes main abilities, plus breath weapon fills the need for aoe effects just in case :).
Mystic v3 should be official, nuff said.
Separately lol
The breath weapon is fairly weak, though. It's nice for flavor and roleplay, but that's about it. The stronger part is the resistance to a damage type.
Tasha's pretty much up-ends this entire conversation TBH.
https://cast-party.com/
while true, the only thing that it changes is it adds dwarf as a contender for the best race. Otherwise, things are relatively unchanged as far as which is the "best." That said, it's still puzzling why dragonborn seems to be such a popular choice. On one hand, half-elf means you get to start with a +3 mod in all your most important stats, along with their other benefits, whereas v.human means you get a feat, and that's great considering how feat starved paladin is.
But dragonborn is strange. Discounting tasha's, you had to start with a +2 mod in con, which also affects your breath DC, so you're squishier than a half elf, and mechanically less effective than the human who starts with a feat. So, why was it being voted as best? Their breath is once per short rest too, so it's not even that even that available. In a post-tasha's world, I'd vote for tiefling ahead of dragonborn.
Ngl tho, flavorwise dragonborn paladin is hella dope.
It does more than that. Ability score bonuses are uncoupled from race, so for the vast majority of races (exceptions being dwarves and half-elves) you're now looking at a floating +1 and +2 to put anywhere you want. So the question becomes much more about the other racial abilities.
Half-orc, already good paladins, suddenly looks even better with a +2 str, +1 cha and the rest of their stuff.
But races that weren't even in the conversation are now great choices:
Gnome? +2 str, +1 cha, advantage on all int/wis/cha saves vs spells, plus a free cantrip, darkvision, etc? Once they get the paladin saving throw aura, this character is almost immune to all spells that target int/wis/cha
Genasi? +2 str, +1 cha, resistance to a damage type, and other stuff like darkvision, water breathing (or not needing to breath), and very good bonus cantrips and spells (now they're better paladins than dragonborn)
Githzerai. +2 str, +1 cha. Adv on saves vs charm and fear. Free mage hand (invisible), shield, and detect thoughts.
https://cast-party.com/
I know this is mostly pre-Tasha's but I'm still surprised to see Dragonborn that high. I feel like in a lot of D&D-based and adjacent communities I go to Dragonborn is largely considered not just not the best, but often one of the worst race choices in the game in general.
Cool looking, so interesting gameplay flavor. A good resistance, good statwise for paladin and that's about it. A weak breath weapon and no darkvision. If I'm going to go without darkvision, I want a feat to compensate for not having it! ;)
Dragonborn not just because of ability score bonuses but the extra (on top of the massive amounts already there) damage
[roll]7d6[/roll]
Every post these dice roll increasing my chances of winning the yahtzee thread (I wish (wait not the twist the wish threa-!))
Drummer Generated Title
After having been invited to include both here, I now combine the "PM me CHEESE 🧀 and tomato into PM me "PIZZA🍕"
Dragonborn is good and has good ability scores but it’s other features are not very good making the half elf a better Paladin
One of the characters I'm currently running is a Oath of the Crown Levistus Tiefling and hoo boy is she tanky. She has the protection fighting style, at level 4 I picked up sentinel, and she just hit 7, so I'm planning on picking up shield master at 8. And the Armor of Agathys from the Levistus racial features definitely doesn't hurt. She's a blow-taking, ire-drawing, disadvantage-imposing smite beast and I love her with every fiber of my being <3