Well, I don't remember much about the older editions, but in 5e it is stated that dragonborn were created by human wizards trying to do something, and the spell going wrong. There is probably also an edition where Dragonborn are just Half-dragons, but in 5e they are kept separate.
how many? at least one for each world settiingthey are there to have fun with not to argue over. - and often more than one for each - all or none of which could be true in reality .
In D&D 5e, the Dragonborn have a different origin story for each setting. In Eberron, they were created by dragons to guard something in Xendrik (or whatever that place near the Talenta Plains is called), and they often get mistaken for nearby clans of Lizardfolk. In Exandria, there are 5 kinds of Dragonborn. The first 3 kinds - chromatic family, gem family, and metallic family - are commonly found on that island with the warring factions of Lizardfolk and Yuan-ti people, as well as along the Menagerie Coast. The other 2 kinds of Dragonborn in Exandria are the Draconblood (or simply Dracon) Dragonborn and the Ravenite Dragonborn found on a continent to the southeast. Yes, that means more origin stories there. I'll be back tomorrow with a definitive list of the Dragonborn origin stories in 5e, since I have most (except for any found in the sourcebook that will be released in December).
lots. And when Dragonlance drops, I suspect even more.
1: (dated from 4th edition) Dragonborn came from the other world where Dragons rule. They were slaves to dragons and kind of hate them. (no specific origin for the race BTW, and that world use to be a part of Toril, but got split off during prehistory "The Sundering" as it was called, (quote "hat the world was split in two in prehistory, divided between the primordials (Abeir) and the gods (Toril).") eventually Dragons ruled Abeir. This lore, is also sort of a retcon, and may have been retconned out of existence. Essentially Dragonborn are the common human equivalent of that world.
2: 5th ed, basically "made by a wizard" which is kind of the standard lazy answer we have for a lot of races in D&D. Which can also be translated as, common people have no clue and assume a Wizard did it. The lore is written not from a historian or biologist POV but the legends and lore of the common masses who might be able to read.
3: (Dragonlance aka Draconian) Q: which came first? A: Draconians of Dragonlance. These humanoid dragons are just that, they took dragon eggs, did evil and dark magics made a race which is basically Dragonborn fighters to help fight in a war. So yes a wizard did it, here's how, and why.
4: From the often referenced but seldom mentioned world of Athas (Darksun), Sorcerer Kings. I only mention these guys, because well technically if you made one in 5th you would have to use a Dragonborn character sheet. But also it indicates the level of magic used to convert a Human into a Dragon/Human hybrid. An evil Psionic Wizard absorbing the life essence of an entire kingdom can cast a spell that takes years, involves the sacrifice of thousands and a dragon or two. It's a very evil spell, and at the end you are a humanoid dragon. In second their race was just dragon. But they kind of predate all the half-dragon types.
5: Half-Dragon from the monster manual, they are as their name suggests, one parent was a dragon, the other was a humanoid. they often can have a tail and or wings.
5.5 Human (and other player races) looking half-dragons... because might as well include all the dragonblood sorcerers... because technically they are descended of half dragons.
By my count, there are at least 8 different origin stories for the Dragonborn. Each is based on setting, with Exandria having 2 separate origin stories for the Dragonborn. As I said in my previous post in this thread, there are five (5) families or major groups of Dragonborn in Exandria - the chromatic family, gem family, and metallic family of Dragonborn usually found in D&D with their origin story "created by His Holiness Bahamut the Platinum Dragon" alongside the Dracon and Ravenite Dragonborn with their origin story "Dracon group created by dragons who ruled the city, and Ravenite group created by Dracon group" to hear.
Critical role isn't official D&D, although they are occasionally cooperative with each other, Exandia is a popular Homebrew setting at this point. If we start importing Homebrew and non-canon setting lore, I can find a lot more Dragonborn origins. Hells Warcraft RPG was somewhat recognized by WotC when it was published, so are we counting Shapshifted Dragons? What about Au Ra from FFXIV? As Final Fantasy was inspired by D&D greatly. What is the cut off when we open up non-canon D&D?
Heck even the forgotten realms has at least 2 different origins: 1) the Dragonborn transferred from Abeir during the sundering. 2) the Dragonborn of the lost dale (tarkhaledale) related to Alias and dragonbait - technically an remnant of an alien race transported to Faerun ( by an evil deity) and then hidden in the dale by Elminster to give them a chance to settle in.
Exandria is officially canon as a D&D 5e setting due to the sourcebook published by Wizards of the Coast. The sourcebook in question is titled Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
Exandria is officially canon as a D&D 5e setting due to the sourcebook published by Wizards of the Coast. The sourcebook in question is titled Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
Only the material in that one book, and only if you are playing that campaign setting. And only if your DM allows it, which some of us don't.
Basically, what the title says.
There seem to be conflicting origins regarding where Dragonborn came from? Depending on the edition, etc.?
Does anyone have a definitive list?
Well, I don't remember much about the older editions, but in 5e it is stated that dragonborn were created by human wizards trying to do something, and the spell going wrong. There is probably also an edition where Dragonborn are just Half-dragons, but in 5e they are kept separate.
The ones that I have heard of from the editions they appeared in are the following.
"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
This is very helpful!
Could they all technically be "true" ?
In terms of D&D cosmology, absolutely. Since every world has its own creation stories, every one of these, and others, are true.
Within a single world? Sure, if you, the GM, want it to be so.
It'd be weird, but nothings stopping you. (Odds are good that your players would never notice, though.)
how many? at least one for each world settiingthey are there to have fun with not to argue over. - and often more than one for each - all or none of which could be true in reality .
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Stetting's origin of dragonborn.
In D&D 5e, the Dragonborn have a different origin story for each setting. In Eberron, they were created by dragons to guard something in Xendrik (or whatever that place near the Talenta Plains is called), and they often get mistaken for nearby clans of Lizardfolk. In Exandria, there are 5 kinds of Dragonborn. The first 3 kinds - chromatic family, gem family, and metallic family - are commonly found on that island with the warring factions of Lizardfolk and Yuan-ti people, as well as along the Menagerie Coast. The other 2 kinds of Dragonborn in Exandria are the Draconblood (or simply Dracon) Dragonborn and the Ravenite Dragonborn found on a continent to the southeast. Yes, that means more origin stories there. I'll be back tomorrow with a definitive list of the Dragonborn origin stories in 5e, since I have most (except for any found in the sourcebook that will be released in December).
lots. And when Dragonlance drops, I suspect even more.
1: (dated from 4th edition) Dragonborn came from the other world where Dragons rule. They were slaves to dragons and kind of hate them. (no specific origin for the race BTW, and that world use to be a part of Toril, but got split off during prehistory "The Sundering" as it was called, (quote "hat the world was split in two in prehistory, divided between the primordials (Abeir) and the gods (Toril).") eventually Dragons ruled Abeir. This lore, is also sort of a retcon, and may have been retconned out of existence. Essentially Dragonborn are the common human equivalent of that world.
2: 5th ed, basically "made by a wizard" which is kind of the standard lazy answer we have for a lot of races in D&D. Which can also be translated as, common people have no clue and assume a Wizard did it. The lore is written not from a historian or biologist POV but the legends and lore of the common masses who might be able to read.
3: (Dragonlance aka Draconian) Q: which came first? A: Draconians of Dragonlance. These humanoid dragons are just that, they took dragon eggs, did evil and dark magics made a race which is basically Dragonborn fighters to help fight in a war. So yes a wizard did it, here's how, and why.
4: From the often referenced but seldom mentioned world of Athas (Darksun), Sorcerer Kings. I only mention these guys, because well technically if you made one in 5th you would have to use a Dragonborn character sheet. But also it indicates the level of magic used to convert a Human into a Dragon/Human hybrid. An evil Psionic Wizard absorbing the life essence of an entire kingdom can cast a spell that takes years, involves the sacrifice of thousands and a dragon or two. It's a very evil spell, and at the end you are a humanoid dragon. In second their race was just dragon. But they kind of predate all the half-dragon types.
5: Half-Dragon from the monster manual, they are as their name suggests, one parent was a dragon, the other was a humanoid. they often can have a tail and or wings.
5.5 Human (and other player races) looking half-dragons... because might as well include all the dragonblood sorcerers... because technically they are descended of half dragons.
By my count, there are at least 8 different origin stories for the Dragonborn. Each is based on setting, with Exandria having 2 separate origin stories for the Dragonborn. As I said in my previous post in this thread, there are five (5) families or major groups of Dragonborn in Exandria - the chromatic family, gem family, and metallic family of Dragonborn usually found in D&D with their origin story "created by His Holiness Bahamut the Platinum Dragon" alongside the Dracon and Ravenite Dragonborn with their origin story "Dracon group created by dragons who ruled the city, and Ravenite group created by Dracon group" to hear.
Critical role isn't official D&D, although they are occasionally cooperative with each other, Exandia is a popular Homebrew setting at this point. If we start importing Homebrew and non-canon setting lore, I can find a lot more Dragonborn origins. Hells Warcraft RPG was somewhat recognized by WotC when it was published, so are we counting Shapshifted Dragons? What about Au Ra from FFXIV? As Final Fantasy was inspired by D&D greatly. What is the cut off when we open up non-canon D&D?
Heck even the forgotten realms has at least 2 different origins:
1) the Dragonborn transferred from Abeir during the sundering.
2) the Dragonborn of the lost dale (tarkhaledale) related to Alias and dragonbait - technically an remnant of an alien race transported to Faerun ( by an evil deity) and then hidden in the dale by Elminster to give them a chance to settle in.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Exandria is officially canon as a D&D 5e setting due to the sourcebook published by Wizards of the Coast. The sourcebook in question is titled Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount
The origin of the dragonborn in the One D&D playtest rules is that dragonborn are hatched from dragon eggs of the appropriate type (I think).
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Only the material in that one book, and only if you are playing that campaign setting. And only if your DM allows it, which some of us don't.