If you're fine with fire damage then The Fiend could work mechanically as a patron without much tweaking, while The Genie (Efreeti) could also work with a little bit of effort (e.g- the Bottled Respite could be transporting you to part of your patron's lair?).
I don't think you'll find an ideal fit on a pure Warlock build; one option to consider might be to take one or more levels in Sorcerer for the Draconic Bloodline. Even if you just take a single level that'll give you a solid natural AC (13+DEX, same as Mage Armor, so no need to take Armor of Shadows), plus some long rest spell slots, more cantrips and access to some more spells. Otherwise it's hard to say what the ideal split is; you'd need six levels in Sorcerer to get Elemental Affinity (bonus damage and the ability to gain resistance for your ancestor/patron's damage type) but that's a big investment and may come too late for many campaigns, especially if you want several levels in Warlock.
If you want to be a melee fighter/caster though then this would leave you free to take Hexblade as your Warlock patron and just assume the blade is a gift from your draconic patron. Otherwise it's largely going to be down to your spell choices.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
You mean like, as a homebrew or as a flavour tweak for existing structures?
I had an idea about using gold for refueling your spells, both to combat the ridiculously large amounts of it the game tends to give you, and to totally slam dunk the flavour. Other than that, it seems like you can create a Dragon homebrew by just slapping on some breathe weapon to your class and going to town.
I made a Cleric domain in that vein too actually, very fun
Genie Warlock can have the vessel send you to your own personal treasure hoard. Extra damage is elemental damage, so it works. Dragons also can fly. Wishing is still fine, because dragons can have spellcasting, with Ancients having level 6 or possibly higher spells, and Greatwyrms like your patron would have even higher.
I’ll be using a Red Dragon as my patron for a “genie” warlock. It requires no mechanical changes, not even damage type swaps, and there’s not even that many flavor changes needed either. It’s a very easy swap.
Honestly its both,i dont need it to be my ancestor,but it would be neat. I originally wanted to play a dragon and realised its not possible. So here i am
What level are you wanting to start at, and do you have any particular race you wish to play or are you not picky about that?
For flavoring the Warlock subclasses with Draconic themes, here are some suggestions I thought of.
Archfey - You have Nathair Sgiathach, god of Pseudodragons and Faerie Dragons and a member of the Seelie court ruled by the Archfey Queen Titania. He could make for a fun patron. You could also go with an ancient faerie dragon or moonstone dragon as your patron.
Celestial - Bahamut, god of Metallic Dragons is a pretty solid option for a celestial pact or you could go with one of his seven Gold Dragon servitors that often accompany him as a patron. Most Metallic Dragons, but especially Gold and Bronze Dragons make good celestial patrons as well.
Fathomless - It's pretty easy to flavor the tentacle as a watery dragon claw or tail I think, and there are Sea Dragons, Dragon Turtles, and aquatic true dragons like Bronze or Amethyst that could make for fun patrons.
Fiend - Tiamat is an obvious choice as both the god of Chromatic dragons and a fiend (she was even an actual Arch-devil in previous editions). The fire theme of the extended spell list makes Red Dragons a good choice as well.
Genie - Many dragons share the elemental preferences of the genies, making it pretty easy to reflavor around them. Plus as someone mentioned above, you can flavor the lamp to be a portable hoard.
Great Old One - Gem Dragons are psionic and often have dealing with eldritch, aberrant far realm type creatures. You could easily have your patron be an ancient or greatwyrm dragon that has gained great and terrible powers due to it's dabblings.
Hexblade - As this warlock subclass has heavy theming with the Shadowfell, Shadow Dragons make a very good option for a patron.
Undead/Undying - Undead Dragons such as Dracoliches, Ghost Dragons, Draconic Shards, and Hollow Dragons are all great patron options and you could flavor your form of dread to have you take on the appearance of a miniature version of these undead dragons.
So you just wanted to play as a dragon? Why exactly? The more we know, the better we can help. If you just like the idea of being a cool fire breathing lizard type, you can accomplish that with dragonborns.
I honestly wanted to play a brass wyrmling but i realized even they are broken,so i figured a dragonborn with a sorcerer or warlock would fit better right? But they didnt feel draconic enough for me,i wanted the whole experience of being a dragon the closesr ill get to it the better
I honestly wanted to play a brass wyrmling but i realized even they are broken,so i figured a dragonborn with a sorcerer or warlock would fit better right? But they didnt feel draconic enough for me,i wanted the whole experience of being a dragon the closesr ill get to it the better
How long do you expect the campaign to last in terms of player levels?
One of the reasons I worked on my homebrew Draconic Ancestry (tweaked Draconic Bloodline) sorcerer sub-class was because in one of the campaigns I'm playing as a dragon who was nearly destroyed by a curse and is currently trapped in the form of a dragonborn; the idea for him is that hitting level 17 (when I can get True Polymorph via that homebrew) is when the curse will finally be lifted and he can just be a dragon again, though I may wait until level 20 as I have a CR20 profile I've been working on with the DM. However this is a campaign that will definitely be reaching those high levels, as the DM is taking several official campaigns and joining them together with some original bits and levelling us up relatively quickly, with the aim of hitting level 20 then continuing for a few more "levels" via epic boons before facing the big bad of the campaign(s).
Of course this means that before level 17 he's "just" a dragon in disguise, but he's still a black shadow dragonborn draconic sorcerer, and I've been careful to pick mostly spells that I can justify as coming from his draconic ancestry; stuff like Fly (for personal use only), True Seeing, Vitriolic Sphere (for the breath weapon on steroids), plus Shadow Blade for when he wants to go a bit more bestial (I theme it as elongated claws rather than a blade). Character wise he's been fun to play, as he's super cagey about his past and motivation, but also hates lying, so I've gotten pretty good at giving answers that are technically true. For example, he doesn't use his real name, but introduces himself as "You may call me X", so he's never actually claiming his pseudonym is his real name. Because he's amoral he generally takes his lead on saving others from the party, though he will sometimes do the right thing for the wrong reasons; he recently saved two elf children not because it was right, but because they were sole survivors of a group he wanted to learn more about. He also conversely tried to Geas someone pretending to be a god and when that failed smashed his head apart against a wall to just prove he wasn't one because the guy was deeply irritating. Your classic hero this character is not. 😉
Sorry to talk at length about my own character; but as someone else who wanted to play a dragon, maybe it might be helpful to hear what I ended up doing? In my case I needed the homebrew because I wanted to use sorcerer, but Draconic Bloodline sorcerers are one of the few caster who cannot turn into a dragon. That won't be a problem for a Warlock who can get True Polymorph without homebrew. I guess my main point is that you could still make it work as "dragon in disguise" if you know you'll play to a high enough level to turn (back) into one later if that's what you're really hoping to do?
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Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
Im cursed to have campaigns end early. Most end by level 10 or 15 tops... played only 2 by level 20,figured ill try to find a way to be a dragon as early as possible you know? I dont care for being ancient and all powerful,i care about being a dragon and enjoying the dragon experience,adventuring for hoard,slaying a dungeon for a new lair! The likes,the closer ill be to a dragon wyrmling/young dragon the better! (I like being medium kinda odd to suddenly change sizes and make the game even more difficult as is)
Im cursed to have campaigns end early. Most end by level 10 or 15 tops... played only 2 by level 20,figured ill try to find a way to be a dragon as early as possible you know? I dont care for being ancient and all powerful,i care about being a dragon and enjoying the dragon experience,adventuring for hoard,slaying a dungeon for a new lair! The likes,the closer ill be to a dragon wyrmling/young dragon the better! (I like being medium kinda odd to suddenly change sizes and make the game even more difficult as is)
Well if you're just looking to do those kinda things, nothing stopping you, except DM permission and the other players at the table also needing a turn in the spotlight I'd guess
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Any ideas and builds?
If you're fine with fire damage then The Fiend could work mechanically as a patron without much tweaking, while The Genie (Efreeti) could also work with a little bit of effort (e.g- the Bottled Respite could be transporting you to part of your patron's lair?).
I don't think you'll find an ideal fit on a pure Warlock build; one option to consider might be to take one or more levels in Sorcerer for the Draconic Bloodline. Even if you just take a single level that'll give you a solid natural AC (13+DEX, same as Mage Armor, so no need to take Armor of Shadows), plus some long rest spell slots, more cantrips and access to some more spells. Otherwise it's hard to say what the ideal split is; you'd need six levels in Sorcerer to get Elemental Affinity (bonus damage and the ability to gain resistance for your ancestor/patron's damage type) but that's a big investment and may come too late for many campaigns, especially if you want several levels in Warlock.
If you want to be a melee fighter/caster though then this would leave you free to take Hexblade as your Warlock patron and just assume the blade is a gift from your draconic patron. Otherwise it's largely going to be down to your spell choices.
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
You mean like, as a homebrew or as a flavour tweak for existing structures?
I had an idea about using gold for refueling your spells, both to combat the ridiculously large amounts of it the game tends to give you, and to totally slam dunk the flavour. Other than that, it seems like you can create a Dragon homebrew by just slapping on some breathe weapon to your class and going to town.
I made a Cleric domain in that vein too actually, very fun
Genie Warlock can have the vessel send you to your own personal treasure hoard. Extra damage is elemental damage, so it works. Dragons also can fly. Wishing is still fine, because dragons can have spellcasting, with Ancients having level 6 or possibly higher spells, and Greatwyrms like your patron would have even higher.
I’ll be using a Red Dragon as my patron for a “genie” warlock. It requires no mechanical changes, not even damage type swaps, and there’s not even that many flavor changes needed either. It’s a very easy swap.
Honestly its both,i dont need it to be my ancestor,but it would be neat. I originally wanted to play a dragon and realised its not possible. So here i am
What level are you wanting to start at, and do you have any particular race you wish to play or are you not picky about that?
For flavoring the Warlock subclasses with Draconic themes, here are some suggestions I thought of.
Archfey - You have Nathair Sgiathach, god of Pseudodragons and Faerie Dragons and a member of the Seelie court ruled by the Archfey Queen Titania. He could make for a fun patron. You could also go with an ancient faerie dragon or moonstone dragon as your patron.
Celestial - Bahamut, god of Metallic Dragons is a pretty solid option for a celestial pact or you could go with one of his seven Gold Dragon servitors that often accompany him as a patron. Most Metallic Dragons, but especially Gold and Bronze Dragons make good celestial patrons as well.
Fathomless - It's pretty easy to flavor the tentacle as a watery dragon claw or tail I think, and there are Sea Dragons, Dragon Turtles, and aquatic true dragons like Bronze or Amethyst that could make for fun patrons.
Fiend - Tiamat is an obvious choice as both the god of Chromatic dragons and a fiend (she was even an actual Arch-devil in previous editions). The fire theme of the extended spell list makes Red Dragons a good choice as well.
Genie - Many dragons share the elemental preferences of the genies, making it pretty easy to reflavor around them. Plus as someone mentioned above, you can flavor the lamp to be a portable hoard.
Great Old One - Gem Dragons are psionic and often have dealing with eldritch, aberrant far realm type creatures. You could easily have your patron be an ancient or greatwyrm dragon that has gained great and terrible powers due to it's dabblings.
Hexblade - As this warlock subclass has heavy theming with the Shadowfell, Shadow Dragons make a very good option for a patron.
Undead/Undying - Undead Dragons such as Dracoliches, Ghost Dragons, Draconic Shards, and Hollow Dragons are all great patron options and you could flavor your form of dread to have you take on the appearance of a miniature version of these undead dragons.
"Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Characters for Tenebris Sine Fine
RoughCoronet's Greater Wills
So you just wanted to play as a dragon? Why exactly? The more we know, the better we can help. If you just like the idea of being a cool fire breathing lizard type, you can accomplish that with dragonborns.
I honestly wanted to play a brass wyrmling but i realized even they are broken,so i figured a dragonborn with a sorcerer or warlock would fit better right? But they didnt feel draconic enough for me,i wanted the whole experience of being a dragon the closesr ill get to it the better
How long do you expect the campaign to last in terms of player levels?
One of the reasons I worked on my homebrew Draconic Ancestry (tweaked Draconic Bloodline) sorcerer sub-class was because in one of the campaigns I'm playing as a dragon who was nearly destroyed by a curse and is currently trapped in the form of a dragonborn; the idea for him is that hitting level 17 (when I can get True Polymorph via that homebrew) is when the curse will finally be lifted and he can just be a dragon again, though I may wait until level 20 as I have a CR20 profile I've been working on with the DM. However this is a campaign that will definitely be reaching those high levels, as the DM is taking several official campaigns and joining them together with some original bits and levelling us up relatively quickly, with the aim of hitting level 20 then continuing for a few more "levels" via epic boons before facing the big bad of the campaign(s).
Of course this means that before level 17 he's "just" a dragon in disguise, but he's still a black shadow dragonborn draconic sorcerer, and I've been careful to pick mostly spells that I can justify as coming from his draconic ancestry; stuff like Fly (for personal use only), True Seeing, Vitriolic Sphere (for the breath weapon on steroids), plus Shadow Blade for when he wants to go a bit more bestial (I theme it as elongated claws rather than a blade). Character wise he's been fun to play, as he's super cagey about his past and motivation, but also hates lying, so I've gotten pretty good at giving answers that are technically true. For example, he doesn't use his real name, but introduces himself as "You may call me X", so he's never actually claiming his pseudonym is his real name. Because he's amoral he generally takes his lead on saving others from the party, though he will sometimes do the right thing for the wrong reasons; he recently saved two elf children not because it was right, but because they were sole survivors of a group he wanted to learn more about. He also conversely tried to Geas someone pretending to be a god and when that failed smashed his head apart against a wall to just prove he wasn't one because the guy was deeply irritating. Your classic hero this character is not. 😉
Sorry to talk at length about my own character; but as someone else who wanted to play a dragon, maybe it might be helpful to hear what I ended up doing? In my case I needed the homebrew because I wanted to use sorcerer, but Draconic Bloodline sorcerers are one of the few caster who cannot turn into a dragon. That won't be a problem for a Warlock who can get True Polymorph without homebrew. I guess my main point is that you could still make it work as "dragon in disguise" if you know you'll play to a high enough level to turn (back) into one later if that's what you're really hoping to do?
Former D&D Beyond Customer of six years: With the axing of piecemeal purchasing, lack of meaningful development, and toxic moderation the site isn't worth paying for anymore. I remain a free user only until my groups are done migrating from DDB, and if necessary D&D, after which I'm done. There are better systems owned by better companies out there.
I have unsubscribed from all topics and will not reply to messages. My homebrew is now 100% unsupported.
I get that, but I mean really specifically, what about it? Dig a little deeper here.
Im cursed to have campaigns end early. Most end by level 10 or 15 tops... played only 2 by level 20,figured ill try to find a way to be a dragon as early as possible you know? I dont care for being ancient and all powerful,i care about being a dragon and enjoying the dragon experience,adventuring for hoard,slaying a dungeon for a new lair! The likes,the closer ill be to a dragon wyrmling/young dragon the better! (I like being medium kinda odd to suddenly change sizes and make the game even more difficult as is)
Well if you're just looking to do those kinda things, nothing stopping you, except DM permission and the other players at the table also needing a turn in the spotlight I'd guess