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Character 1: Dragonborn Barbarian

High Concept

I wanted to start this blog off with the character I’ve most wanted to play but haven’t had the chance to yet. He’s a Dragonborn Barbarian with a bit of a different approach to the Rage ability. Rather than be fueled by anger, I wanted this character’s combat prowess to be based on something else, his ancestry and it’s chaotic nature. I chose a Red Dragonborn because Red Dragons in Fifth Edition are Chaotic Evil, so the Rage ability and its bonuses aren’t based on anger or fury, just his giving in to his chaotic heritage. 

In terms of backstory, my initial idea was that this character was the son of a powerful red dragon. I later learned that children of dragons in the DnD ecosystem are Half-Dragons, not Dragonborn, which have different origins. However, the idea was in my head already and my infatuation was cemented. If you’re playing with a Dungeon Master who cares a lot about lore in his world, this might be an issue, but I don’t foresee that being a problem at many tables. Because of his very close proximity to his draconic heritage, the pull of chaos is strong and he’s constantly at war between his desire to do good and his father’s propensity for evil. I have a mental image of this character trying to do his best to keep a low profile and go about his business (or at least as much of a low profile as a 6+ foot tall red dragon man can keep) but completely changing once he gives in to his ancestral desires. Out of combat, he is a quiet and kind soul trying to go gently go about his day, but in combat he is a crazed, maniacal, and maybe even egotistical. Red Dragons are proud creatures who think all others are beneath them, after all.

How his draconic parentage came to be is ultimately up to you, and I encourage you to try and leave it a mystery in case your DM wants to explore that part of your story in the game later. Regardless of the logistics of his birth, the end result is a Red Dragonborn in a rural community who isn’t exactly well liked by the more superstitious neighbors. I’d like to imagine he grew up on the fringes of the local community working as a woodcutter or farmer, something that would develop his already natural brawn into his heroic levels when we start the game. His journey began when some not-so-nice soldiers from the local lord or baron came by and tried to abuse their power as lawmen before our Dragonborn character intervened on behalf of the people. After a brief physical conflict, he was able to drive the soldiers out of town, but knew they’d return and he’d be arrested and imprisoned so he left. How he stumbled into the adventuring party is up to you, maybe just using his size and strength to find work as a caravan guard or some other mercenary work. So without further ado, let’s start filling in this character sheet.

Class Features

This section isn’t going to go over any choices that need to be made but if you’re unfamiliar with what the Barbarian class offers, this might be useful to go over.

The core ability of this class is, of course, the Rage ability. While we’re in Rage we gain resistance to, or take half damage from, bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage. These are the the most common forms of damage, especially from conventional weapons. Combined with our d12 hit die and a high Constitution score, this will give us some of the highest durability on offer at level 1 as well as throughout the rest of the game.

Also on the defensive side is the Unarmored Defense feature, letting us add our DEX and CON modifier to our Armor Class as long as we’re not wearing any armor. It is also important to note, we can still use a shield if you’re looking for some additional defenses.

In addition to Rage increasing our defensive abilities it also boots our damage output as well. We get advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, continuing to add to our physical abilities. Our damage output also increases when we are raging, starting at +2 at level 1 and increasing as we level up. We get 2 rages per long rest and they last for 1 minute as long as we either attack or take damage every turn. For this reason, we can’t be afraid of getting into the thick of combat, which can be freeing if you’re used to playing more support or defensive based classes. 

Racial Features

Like the previous section, this won’t go over many choices that need to be made. However, Dragonborn are an uncommon race in most settings so it might be useful to discuss what they offer to newer players.

Dragonborn are taller and of a stronger build than humans and this is reflected in having a +2 bonus to your Strength. Reflecting their draconian heritage as well is their presence and force of personality, giving them a +1 to Charisma. 

The most distinguished feature of the Dragonborn race is, of course, their heritage. We have many options for the color of our scales that determine many things, most notably our type of breath weapon and our damage resistance to our respective element. As mentioned in the High Concept section, I really like our character’s Rage ability coming from something other than anger, instead coming from the chaotic tug from his ancestry. For this reason, I think its important for the character concept to pick from one of the Chaotic Evil dragons. I chose red but you could easily also go with black or white as well. 

Choosing a red ancestry gives us resistance to our element, fire, as well as giving us our signature breath weapon of a 15 ft. cone of flames. If fire seems a bit too cliche or you’d like to experiment further, black dragons are acid themed and white dragons are ice and cold based. If these still aren’t to your taste, feel free to check out the table on Draconic Ancestry on page 34 of the Player’s Handbook to learn more and decide for yourself.

Assigning Ability Scores

Because this is a Barbarian, Strength and Constitution are going to be our main focus. Since Dragonborn have a +2 to STR as a racial bonus, I decided to put my 15 in CON and my 14 in STR, resulting in 16 after applying the bonus. This means we’ll still be able to dish out some damage, but still have the Hit Points and Armor Class to stay in the fight as well. Don’t forget, Barbarians have the Unarmored Defense class feature, meaning our CON boosts our AC as well. Our CON modifier also increases the DC of our Dragonborn Breath Weapon feature making it harder for enemies to avoid it.

Keeping with the idea of being a physical powerhouse, I decided to put my 13 into Dexterity. This has the benefit of further raising our AC as well as making sure any Dexterity Saving throws are taken care of, especially after getting the Danger Sense class feature at 2nd level.

Next, I like the idea of this character being street-smart, observant, and a little more experienced in the world than most. Pencil in our 12 for Wisdom. This means he’s a bit more naturally perceptive and fits a more rural upbringing.

While Dragonborn get a +1 to Charisma due to their racial bonus, I don’t see this character getting much use out of his people skills. Intimidation might not be a bad thing to make use of, especially if you’re the party’s resident beefcake, but Deception and Persuasion probably aren’t going to get much use. I’m marking down my 10 in CHA (11 after racial bonus).

Lastly, Intelligence is going to be my low stat on this one. As much as I dislike the dumb barbarian stereotype, I feel it makes sense for this character given his background. In This character was raised in a rural area and didn’t have access to many books or tutors, so it makes sense that his INT would be a little lacking. Finish off our Ability scores with our 8 in INT.

So this leaves us with our Ability Scores at 16 STR, 15 CON, 13 DEX, 12 WIS, 11 CHA, and 8 INT and our respective modifiers at +3, +2, +1, +1, +0, and -1.

Background

Next, I like to pick a Background first as it gives us some Skill Proficiencies that aren’t up for us to choose, making our selection of skills from our Class a little easier. For this character, I think Folk Hero fits the backstory best with the Defining Event being option #1: “I stood up to a tyrant’s agents”. This gives us proficiency in Animal Handling and Survival in addition to Land Vehicles and one type of Artisan’s Tools. The choice of tools is up to you and what fits your backstory, but I like the idea of him being a wood cutter or carpenter so I’ll pick Carpenter’s Tools. I like the idea of his profession contributing to his strength, so a trade that involves physical activity works great.

We also gain the Feature “Rustic Hospitality” which enables us to more easily fit in with the ranks of the common folk thanks to our humble upbringing. It also means we can receive favors like a place to stay or shelter from the law or other enemies so long as we prove ourselves friendly. I really like the idea of an otherwise not-very charismatic character being able to talk to peasants if the need arises so this is a solid fit overall. Make use of your proficiency with Woodcutter’s Tools and mend a door or wagon and earn some favors from the locals to add some character depth in a pinch.

As for our Characteristics, I want to lean in to the idea that this character doesn’t like people abusing their power. This fits his defining event and provides a nice juxtaposition with his personality in his rage-state. Keeping with this idea, I’ll select “I just people by their actions, not their words” for a Personality Trait. Likewise, “Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people” is an easy choice for his Ideal. His Bond is a little harder to pick, but I prefer “I have a family but I have no idea where they are. One day, I hope to see them again.” as it leaves the nature of his parentage a mystery to be potentially explored later. Lastly, his Flaw is a toss up between option 1 and 3 as both reference his defining event. For no particular reason, I’ll pick option 1: “The tyrant who rules my land will stop at nothing to see me killed.” as I think it sets up a good conflict later as well as present an obstacle in adventuring if the party makes their way back to his homeland in their travels.

Class Options

Now that we’ve got our Background figured out, let’s jump back to our class options. Starting off at level 1 we have our maximized Hit Die at a d12 plus our CON modifier giving us 14 HP which is great for level 1. We also get proficiency with Light and Medium armor as well as shields, however Barbarians function just fine without armor thanks to Unarmored Defense. We also get proficiency with both Simple and Martial weapons allowing us any weapon we choose which allows plenty of options for whatever weapon we stumble across in our adventures. Our two Saving Throws our class gives us are Strength and Constitution which is right on point with our physicality and powerhouse type character. We also get advantage on our Dexterity saving throws at level 2 meaning all our physical saves are taken care of. 

As for our skill proficiencies our class provides, we have our choice of 2 from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival. We already have Animal Handling and Survival taken care of, meaning our choices are down to just four. For my own picks I’m going to choose Athletics to double down on the brawn our character already possesses. If your DM allows it, consider using the Variant Rule described on page 175 of the Player’s Handbook and use your Strength modifier instead of your Charisma modifier for the Intimidation skill. This would add some social abilities to our otherwise combat and physical based character, which I like the idea of. If your DM doesn’t allow this but you still like trying to intimidate people on a regular basis, try to gain advantage on the roll as much as possible by doing things like brandishing your weapon or using your large size. If you don’t think Intimidation suits your version of this character, Perception is always a nice skill to have as. I don’t see Nature being tremendously important for this character, but if you want to lean into the carpenter and woodworking aspect of this characters backstory it fits just fine.

Equipment

Our equipment and gear comes from both our Class and our Background, or you can choose to roll for gold and buy your own equipment if you’d like to start from scratch. Depending on your Dungeon Master, you might be allowed to substitute some items for others if you’d like, but be sure to check with your DM first.

Let’s start with the Class gear. We have the choice of a greataxe or a Martial melee weapon. I encourage the use of a heavy two-handed weapon like the greataxe, greatsword, or a maul to really round out the physical power of this character. People who are more into optimization and min-maxing will tell you that the greataxe is mechanically the best choice, but that shouldn’t influence your decision too much. I do like the use of an axe to go with our background as a woodsman. More historically or warfare minded players might realize that a wood axe and an axe meant for combat are very different, but don’t be afraid to run with the idea that the tool he used for work was the same one he used to fight the soldiers during his defining event. Don’t forget that Barbarians can still use shields as well, so opting for a one-handed or versatile weapon might also be useful for that reason. 

Our other equipment is less important, but I think its important to have a good a backup weapon. The choice presented is between two handaxes or a simple weapon. Picking two handaxes gives us the option of dual wielding, but I’m hesitant to have that many axes on our person. If it were me, I’d go with a dagger as a secondary weapon but a light hammer or mace or even a quarterstaff would be a solid choice. If you’d like to keep with the idea of this character re-purposing his carpenter tools as weapons, a hammer fits this very well. We also get four javelins from our class to serve as our ranged weapon and while it might seem a little off-brand, having an enemy who can either outrun you or take to the air and completely avoid any of your offense is definitely a big disadvantage that’s best avoided.

Finishing our class gear is an Explorer’s Pack which is described on page 151 of the Player’s Handbook. I won’t go through all of what’s included, but the Explorer’s Pack is a great general adventuring kit that can easily be customized with just a few additions from the Adventuring Gear in the same chapter.

Next up is the gear we get from our Folk Hero background. Less important is the shovel, iron pot, and common clothes. Even though its just a small thing, I’d lean into the cooking potential provided by the pot. The open road can get dangerous and stressful and I really love the idea of a huge dragon-man making a nice stew or other meal in a traditional rural, home-cooked style in between adventures. 

What is important is our choice of Artisan Tools. The full list can be found on page 154 of the PHB as well as a deeper dive on said tools on page 78 of the Xanathar’s Guide to Everything supplement. Keeping with our idea of this character being an ex-lumberjack and carpenter type, the Carpenter’s Tools is a perfect fit. For the curious, according to XGtE, a set of Carpenter’s Tools includes a saw, hammer, nails, hatchet, square, ruler, adze (this thing), plane, and chisel. If you have access to a copy of Xanathar’s Guide, I really do recommend reading through the things you’re able to do with these tools like fortify walls and doors for defensive purposes or even be more stealthy on wood floors thanks to your familiarity with the construction of them to better avoid creaky spots. It even gives DCs for some basic carpentry skills that you might make use of. 

I’m leaning into the carpenter aspect fairly heavily, but don’t be afraid to pick something different if it works better for you. Again, I like the idea of your previous profession informing your physicality, so something like a Blacksmith or Mason’s tools work just as well. I encourage you to flesh out this aspect of your character to be more than just a meathead or dumb jock type that’s very common with Barbarians and Fighters. 

Advancement Options and Recommendations

Now that we have most everything done for Level 1, it might be useful for some to go over the future of the class if you’re needing some direction. I encourage you to not plan too much of your class ahead of time because of how your campaign turns out and any changes in tastes you might have. For those looking for some direction, let’s examine our options going forward.

Level 3 is where we get to make our important decision: our choice of Primal Path. The Player’s Handbook gives us two options but I’ll go over some of the options elsewhere as well in case you have access to any of those supplements. 

Path of the Berserker is my personal pick for this character as it doubles down on the reckless and chaotic nature of our character in his rage-state. It allows us to go into a Frenzy when raging letting us get a second attack as well as later being immune to fear and charming effects. The addition of Intimidating Presence and Retaliation at levels 10 and 14 respectively. This is an extremely tempting subclass if you want to be purely offensively focused and is fairly simple to play if you’re a beginner.

Path of the Totem Warrior is tempting, however. Bear Totem’s shadow is long and the ability to have resistance to all damage types except psychic is a very attractive option. I think if you’re wanting to go Totem Barbarian, it’s important to consider the lore and RP reasons behind the choice. If this character is getting his abilities because of his ancestry, his choice of Primal Path should reflect that. Maybe your Bear Totem is reflected by having thicker and more durable scales or an Eagle Totem lets you grow small wings as you become more Draconic.  The Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide offers the additional totems of Elk and Tiger. While neither of these Totems are obvious choices for this character, I do recommend giving them a look if you can just in case something strikes your fancy.

If you have a Dungeon Master that’s okay with some homebrew options, consider working with them to create a Dragon Totem. Without spending too much thought on it, getting more uses out of your breath weapon or maybe growing wings and gaining a fly speed at higher levels. Look at what sort of things the other totems offer and see if you can’t change just a few things to make them your own.

We also gained some additional Primal Paths from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and some could work for this character so I encourage looking through this supplement if you can. 

Path of the Ancestral Guardian might initially seem a bit off thematically, but with some alterations to the flavor of the abilities it could work quite well. While this Path is designed to emphasize the bond between fallen ancestors, many of the abilities could work well if you change it slightly to be consulting his father or another powerful red dragon. This might put your DM in an awkward spot as he might decide your father is still alive or otherwise unable or unwilling to aid you from afar, but I think the story and roleplay potential might make it worth it.

Perhaps the best choice of the Xanathar’s Paths is the Storm Herald. If you’re sticking with a red dragon heritage, the Desert Storm Aura is an easy choice as its all fire themed. Imagine being so in touch with your elemental attunement to fire that you radiate heat and can set things on fire with just a touch. More optimization focused players will note that you gain fire resistance at level 6 but you already have it because of your racial bonus. Consider bribing your DM with cookies or buying pizza for the first session in exchange for getting full immunity to fire damage or maybe just taking 1/4 damage instead. If you chose to go with a different color of dragon during character creation, some of the other Storm Auras might fit better for you. Tundra is an easy choice for a white-scaled dragonborn, but black might require some tweaking to fit with an acidic theme.

I won’t spend much time on the Path of the Zealot as it isn’t a very good fit without some serious modifications. If you can think of a solid way to explain your Warrior of the Gods ability, you could ask about changing your bonus radiant damage to fire instead to be more thematic, but that’s up to you and your DM.

Roleplaying Ideas

What drew me most to this character concept is the narrative and roleplay potential. I’ve put a lot of thought into how I would play this character at the table and I’d like to share my ideas. That said, this is the easiest thing to change from my recommendations at your own table. If you see something else in this character, I encourage you to run with it. If RP isn’t your thing but you’d like to try a more narrative focused character, I hope this section helps.

The main theme I want to focus on is the difference between the way this character acts in combat and out. While he’s on the road and in-town, I imagine this character being quiet and reserved. He keeps to himself and tries not to turn heads, especially due to his wanted status near his hometown and any potential fear of being discovered by his father. 

But when initiative gets rolled and the rage gets triggered, I want this character to throw off his cloak and heft his axe and become a savage and besital force of violence. Because his martial prowess comes from his draconian blood, he’s proud and arrogant in combat and considers himself to be superior to these pathetic bandits or puny goblins. If it were me, I’d rehearse or otherwise prepare some maniacal insults and taunts to yell during combat. 

“PATHETIC WORMS WRITHING IN THE MUD. LOOK UPON YOUR FIERY DOOM WHOSE NAME IS CINDERWING.”

I mean, c’mon, that just sounds like so much fun.

Fitting with the idea of the heavy transition between your rage and non-rage states, I really like the idea of delineating this transition by always beginning your rage with the use of your breath weapon. I might even take it a step further and outright refuse to use the breath weapon when he isn’t raging in an attempt to distance himself from his father. This could be indicative of a more general fear or even shame of himself and how he gets when he gives in to his chaotic desires. If you’re making characters separate from your other players or if they’re good about staying in character, I’d suggest not even using your rage ability until a few rounds in combat. This serves really only to make the reveal and subsequent contrast that much more jarring. 

Other aspects you can choose to play up are your dislike for tyranny and the powerful exploiting their position, your rural and simple upbringing, and going out of your way to do small acts of kindness to “rebel” against your father’s nature. I’d also like to consciously move away from the sort of dumb-jock stereotype that’s common amongst Barbarians. This can be done by offering ideas when you think of them and trying to be observant when you can be. Remember, a low Intelligence does not mean you’re an idiot, just that you’re not a learned person in terms of book-smarts, facts, and information. 

Of course, these are all suggestions and you’re free to take them or leave them. I encourage you to think of a song or three that exemplifies your take on this character. You could also try and find an existing fictional character to draw inspiration from. I think the relationship between Bruce Banner and The Hulk is a good reference point, but I could also see the version of Wolverine given to us in the movie Logan being another source of inspiration.

Closing Thoughts 

My main goal with this character is to play against type. It’s very easy to play a dumb meathead of a barbarian who just hulk’s out and gets his strength from bestial anger. If you take only one thing away from this build, I hope its that you can play a supposedly “simple” class and add some real depth to it. 

Of course, feel free to take this character to your own table and let me know how it goes! I’ll see about posting a link to a printable character sheet to make it as easy as possible. If you’d like to see more builds from this blog, give it a follow orr check back soon. Since this is my first post, I don’t want to commit to a set schedule just yet, but I’d like to get to that point.

Thanks so much!

-Character Addict