Path of the Dragon

Subclass Analysis

Thematics

The thematics of this subclass are relatively simple; barbarians who’s bodies change to be closer to that of dragons, and can briefly change into dragons in combat.

While the subclass has more roleplay restrictions to enter it than to most other barbarian subclasses, it shouldn’t be more difficult than some other classes are to enter, such as becoming a warlock.

Class Overview

This class deals a high amount of damage (although not as much as subclasses like the Zealot or Berserker), has a strong defense (although not as much as a Bear Totem Warrior barbarian), and has a large amount of battlefield utility, such as blindsight, reach weapons, increased size, and special movement types. They are amenable to being a strong lockdown character, although this is not the only viable build for this subclass. This subclass also remains strong at high levels, unlike most other barbarians.

3rd Level: Gift of the Wyrm

Just a simple ribbon ability here. This is similar to the Dragon Ancestor feature the Draconic Bloodline sorcerer receives. The double proficiency with most likely be used with perception, which could be a great advantage in the situations where it applies. Insight may also be useful, although barbarians don’t normally get this skill.

This feature also provides some neat thematics. Fun!

3rd Level: Draconic Rage

The class’s defining feature. It’s a transformation, so the wall of text is to be expected. Also, D&D Beyond doesn’t allow for feature options to be hidden; this is why all ten are listed.

Benefits of the draconic form include the following: the dragons’ natural weapons and their breath weapons, blindsight and darkvision, immunity to a damage type, a higher AC, and an additional movement type. At higher levels, additional benefits include Large size, reach weapons, and three attacks.

This feature will be able to be used once per long rest, and at least once more, if they expend all their uses of rage. For weaker dragons, changing into their draconic from will have the same cost as using their normal rage; the dragons, however, are not too much stronger than a normal rage. Stronger dragons have a much greater difference, but are also available much less often. Note that rage can be lost; the barbarian might not be able to be in their draconic form all time time in combat, even on a day when there are only two encounters.

The removal of flying speed obviously necessary; a flying speed at level 3 would be too strong, even without all the other benefits of the class. Items merging into your draconic form makes the most sense; a dragon won’t be able to wear many items make for humanoids. The ability to use magic items is there so you can still benefit from items like bracers of defense or ring of resistance; otherwise, the subclass won’t be able to benefit from magic items, especially at high levels, when they will spend more time transformed. Note that this rule only applies to worn items; a magic sword won’t be available to your in your new form. The limitation on Change Shape was put in place to prevent the barbarian from turning into something like a archmage mid combat. The breath weapon restriction was necessary, as it is incredibly strong, comparable to a mid level spell a full caster might have at that level.

The bonus to Bite damage is necessary for the draconic form to deal enough damage. It is also important because it is based on Strength; it rewards the barbarian for increasing their main ability score; they normally wouldn’t gain any benefit in their draconic form. Note that, from 5th to 10th level, the barbarian will be making two Bite attacks; at all other levels, they will only be making one.

Different dragons have different associated damage types. The addition damage deal by the Bite attack and the breath weapons vary how often they are resisted or ignored by other monsters, although this in generally an uncommon occurrence. The distribution of published monsters that are immune or resistant to the following damage types are as follows:

Acid: 3.27% resistant, 2.39% immune

Cold: 9.40% resistant, 4.57% immune

Fire: 7.81% resistant, 5.80% immune

Lightning: 6.88% resistant, 3.84% immune

Poison: 4.63% resistant, 23.57% immune

The damage immunities are unlikely to be a factor a significant a large amount of the time, as most creatures don’t deal any of the damage types. The distribution of published monsters that deal the following damage types are as follows:

Acid: 5.24%

Cold: 3.65%

Fire: 6.41%

Lightning: 3.84%

Poison, poisoned: 9.44%

Acid is the clear standout here; it is dealt fairly often, but is rarely subject to resistance or immunity. Fire is also relatively strong; although it is often resisted or ignored, it is also dealt by many creatures. The worst damage type here is clearly poison; although it is dealt often, a very high amount of monsters are immune to it.

The following graph show the damage per round of the Dragon barbarian, compared to a subclassless barbarian and a Zealot barbarian (a high damaging subclass), both with and without a 1st level feat, and a subclassless warlock, for reference. Chromatic and metallic Dragons barbarians were also shown individually against the same baselines, for ease of reading. Finally, all types of dragons were compared to each other.

As can be seen, the stronger dragons deal damage similar to a Zealot barbarians at low levels, but the weaker ones deal damage similar to an optimized subclassless barbarian, or likely similar damage to a less optimized Storm Herald or Beast barbarian. However, the damage of this class is more or less linear, as one would expect from a class, which is unlike other barbarian subclasses. While it does less damage than an optimized Zealot barbarian at low levels, as levels increase, the Zealot barbarian’s doesn’t increase much, but the Dragon barbarian’s increases at a consistent rate.

The following graph shows the average damager per round of the different draconic forms compared to each other.

Dragons with the higher Rage cost are (unsurprisingly) stronger, with the trade-off of being able to be used less often. This subclass was designed around having 4-5 combat encounters and 1-2 short rests between long rests, which appears to be how the game is intended to be run. In a game with fewer encounters or more short rests (as many games are run), the higher cost dragons will be stronger. In a game with more encounters or fewer short rests, the lower cost dragons will be stronger.

While chromatic dragons tend to do more damage compared to metallic dragons of the same Rage cost, they lack the utility of a second breath weapon. Of these alternative breath weapons, that of the silver and brass dragons are likely the strongest. Silver dragon’s Paralyzing Breath has a high saving throw and makes enemies paralyzed, with a save at the end of each turn, and brass dragon’s Sleep Breath can make enemies unconscious until they take damage. It should also be noted the bronze dragon’s Repulsion breath does not scale in area affected, but instead in the strength of the effect. Which choice is superior likely depends on the party composition and the specific battle situation.

The following graph shows the damage dealt by the breath weapons of the different dragons, before saving throws are applied.

At very low levels, the damage dealt by this feature is very strong, although the area is small. This is, in part, to compensate for the fact that these the draconic form does not deal a high amount of damage at these levels compared to the normal barbarian. As levels increase, the damage the breath weapon begins to deal less than the average damage per round, and it will be reduced by saving throws. However, its area increases, potentially allowing it to hit a larger number of creatures. However, the benefit of the larger area of the breath weapon is reduced by the fact that it must be positioned in a way that does not hit allies. Another observation about the breath weapons is that they are very inconsistent; the bronze dragon wyrmling has one of the weakest breath weapons, but the other bronze dragons’ breath weapons are the either the strongest, or slightly below the strongest.

6th Level: Aspect of the Dragon

The first of the two features this class gets at this level. (Again, options can’t be hidden.) This one mostly enhances your normal form, but offers some benefits to your draconic form instead. The +2 bonus to AC will obviously be an improvement to the barbarian’s AC, assuming they are using Unarmored Defense. This will likely lead to an AC of 19, with a shield (10 + 2 DEX + 3 CON + 2 shield + 2). This AC increase would be higher if Dexterity or Constitution is prioritized over Strength, although Strength must still be improved eventually in order to access stronger dragons. Dragon Wyrmlings have an AC of 16 or 17, so will have an AC of 18 or 19 with this feature, on par with their normal form. The increase in jump distance likely won’t make a large difference in most cases, but could be useful for mobility, especially in the draconic form, which has high Strength, and thus a high jump distance, although the draconic form will eventually gain a high flying speed. (Remember that you can’t jump farther than your speed, even if your jump distance is greater than your speed).

The extra movement type likely won’t make a huge difference in combat the majority of the time. It is worth noting that silver dragons don’t have a climbing speed, and white dragons also have a swimming speed. Otherwise, these special movement types are the same as those possessed by the dragon.

The additional damage will increase damage in combat by a moderate amount, about 6 points per round. Note that, unlike many similar features that increase damage, this increase can only be applied to one attack, even if it misses.

6th Level: Dragon Adept

This is an increase to the draconic form only; it exists to prevent the draconic form from becoming obsolete as challenges intensify.

10th Level: Draconic Prowess

The change in Draconic Rage’s recharge to a short rest allows for the majority of combats to be spend in in a draconic form. The reason for this change is to allow the barbarian to stay competitive; barbarians in their normal form are not able to keep up with the damage of other classes; more information is shown below.

The ability to enter a draconic from for an extended duration without raging is useful to conserve resources, but will likely see just as much use as utility, especially after 14th level.

11th Level: Young Dragon Form

This subclass fixes one of the main problems with the barbarian class. While most classes that rely on attacks gain a new attack or other damage increase at 11th level, barbarians (and monks) gain no such boost; this often makes them unable to remain effective at higher levels. The ability to transform into a young dragon at 11th level provides many benefits, but the most notable one is a the ability to make three attacks. While these attacks are stronger, it is worth noting that only one of these attacks can be a Bite attack, and thus only one can benefit from the damage boost provided by the Draconic Rage feature. Regardless, this upgrade also provides a large boost to damage, not only from the extra attack, but from the improvement to the breath weapons. It also provides an AC increase of 1, an increase to Large size, and increase in blindsight and darkvision ranges, a reach attack, and an increase in speed.

14th Level: Lord of the Skies

A very simple change; a flying speed of 35 or 40, or 80 while in draconic form. Note that this makes a climbing speed somewhat redundant, but it likely wasn’t very useful before.

17th Level: Adult Dragon Form

Another increase to the strength of the draconic form. In addition to increased weapon and breath weapon damage, the following improvements occur: AC increase of 1, an increase to Huge size, and blindsight doubling, a 15 foot reach attack, and Frightful Presence.

20th Level: Ancient Dragon Form

The final increase to the strength of the draconic form. At this stage, there is no limit to the amount of time you can spend in your draconic form, as you have unlimited uses of Rage. This does make the stronger dragons with a higher cost better objectively options, but this is only an issue for one level, and one that most players will not spend much, if any, time at. At this level, in addition to increased weapon and breath weapon damage, the following improvements occur: AC increase of 2 or 3, for a final AC of 22 to 24, an increase to Gargantuan size, and a 20 foot reach attack.

Recommended Builds:

Many of the builds that are normally useful for barbarians, such as Great Weapon Master and Polearm Master, as their effects do not apply to your draconic form. While you are not going to be in your draconic form for the majority of the time at low levels, at high levels, the draconic form will likely be the one that is most often used in combat. In this form, there are certain builds that are still useful, however. The Sentinel feat works extremely well when the Young dragon form becomes available, providing lockdown functionality. Echo Knight is (unsurprisingly) a strong multiclass, and also provides lockdown functionality, although the echo can’t make opportunity attacks with reach. Options that allow for bonus action that don’t require making attacks with a weapon or casting spell, such as the Telekinetic feat, Fathomless warlock, Wildfire Druid, or Rogue are also useful. Draconic Bloodline sorcerer is a thematically strong multiclass, but is mechanically weak.

This subclass also meshes poorly with many of the more common magic items; a magic weapon, for instance won’t function in the draconic from. The best items are those that can be worn, and especially those that offer a passive benefit. Magic weapons and armor are probably the strongest items, as they are likely to work with your draconic form. The insignia of claws is noteworthy, as it is the only item that boosts the attack and damage rolls of your natural weapons; it even fits thematically.

Any feedback on this subclass is welcome! It will likely see revisions when Fitzban’s Treasury of Dragons releases.