The New Dragonborn (DnD 2024 Species Guide)
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First introduced as a playable species in the 2006 sourcebook Races of the Dragon for Dungeons & Dragons third edition, the dragonborn has since become a staple of DnD 5e, standing out from other more traditional races life dwarves, elves and humans due to their unusual heritage and abilities.
So it’s no surprise that a new version of the dragonborn has been hatched in the pages of 2024 Player’s Handbook, earning a top spot as one of ten official starting DnD species. The new rules, however, have also seen these scaly adventurers shedding some of their previous features and taking on new ones, including more powerful breath weapons, Darkvision and even the ability to fly.
So has the dragonborn been reborn for DnD 2024? Below, we claw apart all the details.
What are Dragonborn in DnD 2024?
In the new 2024 Core Books, dragonborn are described as being the descendants of an ancient humanoid species that was hatched from the eggs of chromatic and metallic dragons. One story holds that these eggs were blessed by the dragon gods Bahamut and Tiamat, who wanted to populate the multiverse with a species created in their image. Another story claims that dragons created the first dragonborn without the gods’ blessings. Whatever their origin, dragonborn have made homes for themselves throughout the Prime Material Plane, appearing in virtually every official DnD campaign setting.
In terms of their appearance, dragonborn resemble wingless, bipedal dragons, with scales, bright-eyes and horns on their heads. They also encompass a range of colors, physical characteristics and unique abilities that are reminiscent of their draconic ancestors. For example, a black-scaled dragonborn has an appearance that resembles a black dragon, in addition to possessing the ability to exhale a cloud of deadly acid.
What’s changed with the new 2024 DnD Dragonborn?
While dragonborn have been around for several editions of Dungeons & Dragons, the 2024 Player’s Handbook has introduced a number of key changes from the previous legacy dragonborn race that appeared in the 2014 Player’s Handbook. Below are all their species traits and any associated updates.
| Dragonborn Species Trait | Level | Changed from 2014 Player’s Handbook? | Changes to the 2024 Dragonborn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability Score Improvements | 1 | Yes | Races/species no longer provide ability score improvements. Instead, character nows receive these bonuses from the new DnD backgrounds. |
| Base Speed | 1 | No | N/A |
| Draconic Ancestry | 1 | No | N/A |
| Damage Resistance | 1 | No | N/A |
| Breath Weapon | 1 | Yes | In the 2024 rules there have been a number of changes to a dragonborn’s Breath Weapon feature as noted below: – The number of Breath Weapon uses is equal to your Proficiency Bonus (in the 2014 rules you could only use your Breath Weapon once per Long Rest) – Damage scales from 1d10 up to 4d10 (in the 2014 rules, damage started at 2d6 and scaled to 5d6) – You can now choose the shape of your Breath Weapon as either a 15-foot Cone or 30-foot Line (in the previous 2014 rules the shape was based on your dragonic ancestry color. For example, a silver dragonborn could only use their breath weapon in a 15-foot cone). |
| Darkvision | 1 | Yes | This is a new feature for the 2024 dragonborn (in the 2014 rules, dragonborn did not have Darkvision). |
| Draconic Flight | 5 | Yes | This is a new 2024 dragonborn feature which allows you to sprout temporary magical wings. |
What are the new Dragonborn species traits in DnD 2024?
Below is the full list of all the dragonborn traits using the new 2024 core rules.
- Creature Type: Humanoid
- Size: Medium (about 5–7 feet tall)
- Speed: 30 feet
As a dragonborn, you also have the following special abilities:
- Draconic Ancestry: Your lineage stems from a dragon progenitor (as found in the Draconic Ancestors table below). Your choice affects your Breath Weapon and Damage Resistance traits as well as your physical appearance.
| Dragon | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| Black | Acid |
| Blue | Lightning |
| Brass | Fire |
| Bronze | Lightning |
| Copper | Acid |
| Gold | Fire |
| Green | Poison |
| Red | Fire |
| Silver | Cold |
| White | Cold |
- Breath Weapon: You can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in either a 15-foot Cone or a 30-foot Line that is 5 feet wide (you choose the shape each time). Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC 8 plus your Constitution modifier and Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, a creature takes 1d10 damage of the type determined by your Draconic Ancestry trait. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach character levels 5 (2d10), 11 (3d10), and 17 (4d10). You can use this Breath Weapon a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
- Damage Resistance: You have Resistance to the damage type determined by your Draconic Ancestry trait.
- Darkvision: You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
- Draconic Flight: When you reach character level 5, you can channel draconic magic to give yourself temporary flight. As a Bonus Action, you sprout spectral wings on your back that last for 10 minutes or until you retract the wings (no action required) or have the Incapacitated condition. During that time, you have a Fly Speed equal to your Speed. Your wings appear to be made of the same energy as your Breath Weapon. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.
Is the new DnD Dragonborn worth playing?
While some of the changes with other new 2024 DnD species are less than spectacular (particularly the 2024 DnD dwarf, which removed subspecies and now feels a little more generic), the updates to the new dragonborn are solid. The inclusion of Darkvision is a minor but much appreciated addition that makes sense given adragonborn’s heritage. The increased number of uses, damage and ability to shape breath weapons also feels like an improvement that also gives the species a little more firepower (or acid, lighting, poison and cold power).
In short, there’s a lot to love with the new dragonborn, with these chromatic characters getting scaled up in the best possible way.
You can find the complete rules for the new DnD dragonborn in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massechustes, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
