The Dragonborn is a relatively unconventional race that has grown in popularity in campaigns. The Dragonborn is perfect for those who want to put the Dragon in Dungeons and Dragons and roleplay as a (close relative to) Dragon. This article will look at the best class for a Dragonborn in 5e and why. Knowing the answer(s) to this question helps you make the most out of your character and build.
I will make this ranking based on the raw stats and benefits you get from playing in a particular class and my personal experience. I have a few campaigns under my belt as a Dragonborn and absolutely loved experimenting with the class.
Here are the criteria I have used to rank the best class for a Dragonborn in 5e:
- How good are the ability boosts
- How well does the class supplement the Dragonborn
- Does the class get any interesting feats and abilities
- How much fun is it to roleplay in this class as a Dragonborn
- My own experience with the class
Top 8 Classes for Dragonborn 5e
For this list, we are basing ourselves on the custom origin Dragonborn. The classic default rules are a bit different. However, that does not change the list very much.
1. Barbarian
Dragonborn Barbarians are potent, versatile, and able to handle crowds. However, if you have played as a Barbarian before, you have surely noticed that they can easily get overwhelmed.
I rank the Barbarian as the best class for a Dragonborn in 5e DnD because you have a breath weapon. Furthermore, you can use this breath weapon while raging, so you get a lot of utility out of it, even more so if you use the variant Dragonborn from Fizban, as you can use the breath weapon instead of an attack.
The fact that barbarians need high CON, and a Dragonborn provides just that, is the cherry on top. Want to play a barbarian but not a Dragonborn? Then a Goliath Barbarian in 5e DnD might be just the character you would enjoy playing.
2. Fighter
Another excellent pick for your class when playing as a Dragonborn is the Fighter. As a melee build, picking this combination between race and class will give you many options in a fight.
Fighters that are of the Dragonborn race have a lot of exciting ways to build their character up. You can pick things like Chromatic warding as a Chromatic Dragonborn to make you pretty resistant to a lot of damage types, and metallic gives you options to handle a large number of foes. There are also feats like the Dragon Fear feat that help you use this class.
The best pick – in my experience – for this class is the Chromatic Dragonborn; they are pretty bulky, deal a ton of damage, and are powerful level 1 DnD 5e Characters.
3. Paladin
Third on our list of the best class for a Dragonborn is the Paladin. A Dragonborn Paladin is an excellent fighter that can fight both as support or on the frontlines. With the Breath Weapon, they can handle crowds quite quickly, and you can pick a good variant race to make your Paladin bulkier.
If you are looking for a fun build, you should consider an Oath of Conquest Dragonborn with the Dragon Fear feat. This allows you to make enemies frightened a couple of times a day and saves you a spell slot for other strong Paladin spells.
4. Warlock
Not many players know this, but Dragonborn makes extremely potent Warlocks. Once again, the breath weapon makes up for (most of them) Warlock’s weakness: the limited spell slots.
The Warlock shines in a role where you can use major AoE spells and give them the resources they need to use them. In addition, the range of your breath weapon is excellent to make a Hexblade or Bladelock Dragonborn Warlock a lot stronger.
If you are looking for a more magic-based build, then the warlock class is fantastic for the Dragonborn.
5. Artificer
If you want to build a good artificer, then the Dragonborn race is a good pick for this class. The Breath Weapon, again, is what helps your artificer compensate for weaknesses it might have. If you are a battle or armor smith and use melee, you have to ability to use AOE damage much more effectively.
The artificer is a good class for a Dragonborn but not a top-tier pick. The previous four simply work much better. However, the artificer still ranks at number 5 on the list, so don’t underestimate it.
Tip: You can also use the combination of an Article with the Dragonborn to make a Homebrew Gunslinger if you pick the right feats.
6. Sorcerer
Surprisingly to many, a pretty decent class for the Dragonborn is the Sorcerer. As you might have suspected, the Breath Weapon again helps you compensate for some of the weaknesses the sorcerers have.
The main weakness the Breath Weapon compensates for is the limited number of spells you have by giving you additional damage output. The best pick concerning the subvariants is the Draconblood Dragonborn. The reason for that is that they have the Forceful Presence trait.
The Gem Dragonborn is also a pretty good option here. You can get a Gem Dragonborn to get telepathy and temporary flight. These two further help you save spell slots and give you more actions on the battlefield.
7. Ranger
When considering making a melee ranger, you need to find a way to deal with AOE damage to ensure you have an excellent DPR build. The Breath Weapon will strengthen your melee ranger and give you more options in the fight. First, however, you must ensure that you invest in the right feats.
You will be fighting in the frontlines with this build quite a lot, so make sure you know how to keep yourself safe from too much damage. One of the best feats to achieve this goal is by getting the Dragon Hide feat. When you have this feat, your light armor AC matches heavy armor. Giving you a defensive boost and helping you overcome the fragility of the class in close combat.
8. Monk
If you want to make a strong monk using an unconventional race, then the Dragonborn is more than a decent pick. While the monk is not the best class for the Dragonborn, it does have a lot of things going for it.
The monk Dragonborn is only strong if you pick a Fizban variant. You can use the breath weapon as an attack action and then combine this with something like Flurry of Blows or your Martial Art to increase the damage you do in a round.
Tip: check the best race for monk in 5e DnD if you want to be sure you make the strongest possible build.
Conclusion on the best class for Dragonborn DnD
The Dragonborn’s breath weapon pairs brilliantly with the many classes that rely on melee attacks and have difficulty handling crowds. For that reason, the best race for a Dragonborn in 5e DnD, in my experience, is the Barbarian. However, it is close to the other melee classes, like the Fighter and the Paladin. So if you pick any of those to combine with the Dragonborn, you will be more than just fine.
If you wish to make magic-casting Dragonborn characters, you will have a more difficult time. The best option you have here is the Warlock class. This class – even more so if you make a Hexblade warlock – will be your best pick for a durable, strong, and versatile Dragonborn mage.
Interested in learning more about building Characters? Then you should check out our Life Domain Cleric guide!