Dragonborn may choose to walk various paths, shining in combat as a Dragonborn Barbarian, loving nature as a Dragonborn Druid, becoming one with the arcane forces as a Sorcerer or Warlock, or turning to music as a Dragonborn Bard.
Though their path doesn’t matter profusely, Dragonborn do have certain classes that they’re drawn to more than others.
Best Classes for Dragonborn
5. Artificer
Primary Ability Score – Intelligence
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Dexterity
Spellcasting Ability – Intelligence
Armor Proficiencies – Light, Medium, Shields
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple
Why the Artificer?
A Dragonborn breath weapon complements the abilities of most Artificer classes, allowing those who take up melee stances like the Battle Smith and Armorer to have AoE damage that they otherwise would’ve missed out on or had to supplement with spells like Burning Hands and limit their spell slots even further.
If you’re playing with UA or FToD supplements, I would recommend the Chromatic or Metallic ancestry, as the Gem ancestry can be made obsolete by acquiring other items with flight, like Winged Boots or a Broom of Flying.
Artillerists Dragonborn aren’t that great, as they already get a lot of AoE, so stay away from the Artillerist if you don’t know exactly how you want to build your character.
Recommended Subclasses
- Battle Smith for support and offensive options.
- Armorer for a tank-oriented playstyle.
4. Sorcerer
Primary Ability Score – Charisma
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Dexterity
Spellcasting Ability – Charisma
Armor Proficiencies – None
Weapons Proficiencies – Daggers, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows, Darts, Slings
Why the Sorcerer?
The Dragonborn’s breath weapon complements the limited spellcasting that Sorcerers have, allowing for consistent AoE damage that doesn’t use a spell slot to cast.
Dragonborn and the Draconblood subrace work well with the Sorcerer, so you must choose which subrace you like most. That said,
Recommended Subclasses
- Divine Soul is the best overall.
- Draconic Bloodline fits the Dragonborn theme the best.
3. Warlock
Primary Ability Score – Charisma
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Dexterity
Spellcasting Ability – Charisma
Armor Proficiencies – Light
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple
Why the Warlock?
Dragonborn fit the Warlock’s need for a spell-slotless AoE ability, as they have plenty of options, but their limited spell slots make it difficult to use instead of other, more effective spells.
However, the Dragonborn’s breath weapons are a bit short at times, so Hexblades could benefit quite a bit from using them as a go-to option for AoE.
Furthermore, any of the Dragonborn subraces will work wonderfully with the Warlock, but just look at what role you need to fill and choose which subrace fills it the best.
Recommended Subclasses
- Hexblade is an exceptionally powerful subclass aided by all the Dragonborn’s features.
2. Barbarian
Primary Ability Score – Strength
Secondary Ability Scores – Constitution, Dexterity to a lesser extent
Armor Proficiencies – Light, Medium, Shields
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple, Martial
Why the Barbarian?
Barbarians don’t have many ways to handle crowds of enemies, but with the Dragonborn’s breath weapon, Barbarians can seamlessly clear these enemies, and to top things off, it can be used while raging.
Barbarians should also utilize Extra Attack, using the breath weapon and a standard attack in a turn, a new feature brought about by the variants in FToD.
You’ll do fine with any subrace of the Dragonborn, and what’s even better is that your high Constitution will improve your breath weapon’s save DC.
Recommended Subclasses
- Path of the Storm Herald is a versatile subclass that allows you to adapt to your environment.
- Path of the Beast is a balance between offensive capabilities and durability.
1. Paladin
Primary Ability Scores – Charisma and Strength
Secondary Ability Score – Constitution
Spellcasting Ability – Charisma
Armor Proficiencies – Light, Medium, Heavy, Shields
Weapons Proficiencies – Simple, Martial
Why the Paladin?
Dragonborn has an increase in both Strength (2) and Charisma (1), perfectly fitting the requirements of a Paladin.
Dragonborn also receive a damage resistance feature, further improving the Paladin’s fantastic durability, and even lets you use an AoE ability instead of needing a spell.
Recommended Subclasses
- Oath of Vengeance for its high damage output.
- Oath of Ancients for durability.
Final Thoughts
While Dragonborn may resonate with any class, these five are particularly fitting. Each class complements the Dragonborn’s inherent traits and provides an immersive and satisfying gameplay experience.
So, whether one seeks the thrill of invention, the allure of eldritch pacts, the primal fury of battle, the arcane mastery of spellcasting, or the righteous crusade for justice, the Dragonborn can find their perfect calling among these top classes.