If you're going with a Draconic Sorcerer, then Dragon Hide is going to be a waste since you'll already have the AC option from your Sorcerous Bloodline. Even if you chose a different Sorcerous Origin, it's basically going to be a +1 stat bump and saving you a 1st-level spell slot per day that you'd be using to cast Mage Armor, so it's helpful but I'd probably look at other options first. Dragon Fear on the other hand I could see being very useful. Imposing the Frightened condition on enemies can really wreck their day, and the DC for the fear effect is likely to be higher than your breath weapon since the fear save keys off your Charisma instead of Constitution. Just be advised that as you get to the higher levels you're more likely to run into enemies that are immune to being Frightened.
I'd probably focus on maxing my Charisma first, and If I already have proficiency with Wisdom or Constitution saves, I try to grab Resilient for the other one, because failing either of those saves can really suck. But I'd definitely be looking at Dragon Fear for just about any Dragonborn character, Sorcerer or not.
The main benefit of the Dragonborn abilities is that they also give you a +1 stat growth you can pump into a useful variety of skills. So if you find yourself at an ASI with an odd number in CON or CHA (or STR, I guess, if you're trying to keep yourself viable in melee combat for whatever reason), you can take either feat to round out that skill and give yourself a fun little bonus. But on average I don't think either one is particularly well-suited to sorcerer over other options.
The Hide is not worthwhile in my opinion, just take dragonic if you want the AC and the attack is minimumal.
The Dragon Fear is BETTER than a 3rd level spell. Moves a 30 ft cone to 30 ft around you, with free exclusion of your allies, and the effect is better on a failed save, uses your Cha instead of Con.
Plus you get a +1 to your stat of choice, likely rounding up either your Con or Cha to even/bonus.
Dragon Hide is one of the weakest feats in that book, IMO.
It's defintely one of those feats that really only works for RP reasons. Like... if you want to be a cool naturally armored dragon warrior who attacks with claws and doesn't wear a shirt, this gives you the option. But it's functionally less useful than just like... buying a dagger and wearing decent armor.
If natural attacks counted as finesse weapons it would be fantastic for rogues. As it is, it's really only useful if the campaign is one where you're regularly going to be denied access to equipment.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Dragon Fear is not just a good Fear ability, it is the best Fear ability anywhere in 5E.
Compare Dragon Fear (Wisdom save, 30 foot radius, each creature of your choice, frightened for one minute, no concentration, repeat saves only on damage):
Instead of exhaling destructive energy, you can expend a use of your Breath Weapon trait to roar, forcing each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). A target automatically succeeds on the save if it can’t hear or see you. On a failed save, a target becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. If the frightened target takes any damage, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
vs. Cause Fear (Wisdom save, one target, frightened up to one minute if concentration, repeat saves every turn)
The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the spell ends. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
vs. Fear (Wisdom save, 30 foot cone, each creature period, frightened up to one minute if concentration, repeat saves every turn if they break line of sight)
Each creature in a 30-foot cone must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and become frightened for the duration.
While frightened by this spell, a creature must take the Dash action and move away from you by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move. If the creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn't have line of sight to you, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the spell ends for that creature.
You can survey the other Fear spells (Wrathful Smite, Phantasmal Killer, Eyebite, Symbol, Antipathy/Sympathy, Illusory Dragon, and Weird), but spoiler alert, Dragon Fear outclasses almost all of them in one or more ways and is available right from level 4. In addition to costing spell slots, these spells usually are limited in who they target (either being single target, directional, or effecting your allies as well as enemies) or their duration (either being single round, or tied to concentration, or allowing enemies frequent saves), but Dragon Fear is long-lasting, reliable once up, and can be tailored for messy battlefields to catch many enemies without scaring your friends.
Frightened is a very good debuff for a caster to be able to impose: it's a hard control on enemies being able to approach you for melee, it's a general purpose debuff on that enemy's attack against everyone else in your party, and with creative positioning you can even render enemies entirely incapable of taking any actions in combat at all, depending on their abilities and the shape of the room.
If you're looking for a half-stat bump to Con or Cha as a sorcerer, and you happen to be a Dragonborn, I would rate Dragon Fear as a must-take ability... especially given how lackluster regular Dragon Breath is on its own, and its inability to synergize with your Sorcerer features due to not being a spell.
As an added bonus, Dragon Fear recharges on a short rest. It's a really fantastic feat for sorcerers and Conquest paladins, and a pretty good feat for other classes.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
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If you're going with a Draconic Sorcerer, then Dragon Hide is going to be a waste since you'll already have the AC option from your Sorcerous Bloodline. Even if you chose a different Sorcerous Origin, it's basically going to be a +1 stat bump and saving you a 1st-level spell slot per day that you'd be using to cast Mage Armor, so it's helpful but I'd probably look at other options first. Dragon Fear on the other hand I could see being very useful. Imposing the Frightened condition on enemies can really wreck their day, and the DC for the fear effect is likely to be higher than your breath weapon since the fear save keys off your Charisma instead of Constitution. Just be advised that as you get to the higher levels you're more likely to run into enemies that are immune to being Frightened.
I'd probably focus on maxing my Charisma first, and If I already have proficiency with Wisdom or Constitution saves, I try to grab Resilient for the other one, because failing either of those saves can really suck. But I'd definitely be looking at Dragon Fear for just about any Dragonborn character, Sorcerer or not.
The main benefit of the Dragonborn abilities is that they also give you a +1 stat growth you can pump into a useful variety of skills. So if you find yourself at an ASI with an odd number in CON or CHA (or STR, I guess, if you're trying to keep yourself viable in melee combat for whatever reason), you can take either feat to round out that skill and give yourself a fun little bonus. But on average I don't think either one is particularly well-suited to sorcerer over other options.
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The Hide is not worthwhile in my opinion, just take dragonic if you want the AC and the attack is minimumal.
The Dragon Fear is BETTER than a 3rd level spell. Moves a 30 ft cone to 30 ft around you, with free exclusion of your allies, and the effect is better on a failed save, uses your Cha instead of Con.
Plus you get a +1 to your stat of choice, likely rounding up either your Con or Cha to even/bonus.
Dragon Fear is worth it, Dragon Hide is not.
Dragon Hide is one of the weakest feats in that book, IMO.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
It's defintely one of those feats that really only works for RP reasons. Like... if you want to be a cool naturally armored dragon warrior who attacks with claws and doesn't wear a shirt, this gives you the option. But it's functionally less useful than just like... buying a dagger and wearing decent armor.
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
If natural attacks counted as finesse weapons it would be fantastic for rogues. As it is, it's really only useful if the campaign is one where you're regularly going to be denied access to equipment.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Dragon Fear is not just a good Fear ability, it is the best Fear ability anywhere in 5E.
Compare Dragon Fear (Wisdom save, 30 foot radius, each creature of your choice, frightened for one minute, no concentration, repeat saves only on damage):
vs. Cause Fear (Wisdom save, one target, frightened up to one minute if concentration, repeat saves every turn)
vs. Fear (Wisdom save, 30 foot cone, each creature period, frightened up to one minute if concentration, repeat saves every turn if they break line of sight)
You can survey the other Fear spells (Wrathful Smite, Phantasmal Killer, Eyebite, Symbol, Antipathy/Sympathy, Illusory Dragon, and Weird), but spoiler alert, Dragon Fear outclasses almost all of them in one or more ways and is available right from level 4. In addition to costing spell slots, these spells usually are limited in who they target (either being single target, directional, or effecting your allies as well as enemies) or their duration (either being single round, or tied to concentration, or allowing enemies frequent saves), but Dragon Fear is long-lasting, reliable once up, and can be tailored for messy battlefields to catch many enemies without scaring your friends.
Frightened is a very good debuff for a caster to be able to impose: it's a hard control on enemies being able to approach you for melee, it's a general purpose debuff on that enemy's attack against everyone else in your party, and with creative positioning you can even render enemies entirely incapable of taking any actions in combat at all, depending on their abilities and the shape of the room.
If you're looking for a half-stat bump to Con or Cha as a sorcerer, and you happen to be a Dragonborn, I would rate Dragon Fear as a must-take ability... especially given how lackluster regular Dragon Breath is on its own, and its inability to synergize with your Sorcerer features due to not being a spell.
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I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
As an added bonus, Dragon Fear recharges on a short rest. It's a really fantastic feat for sorcerers and Conquest paladins, and a pretty good feat for other classes.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.