Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 danglading Jan 15, 2015 7:47:52	Can anyone help me talk a PC down from the logic cliff? They are making a very good logical argument that, if the sorcerer's Draconic Bloodline offers a base AC of 13 due to natural armor, why doesn't the dragonborn race offer the same? The sorcerer gets the feature because of some ancient dragon lineage or ancient dragon magic. Why doesn't the dragonborn race, who are straight-up part dragon, get the feature?   I've looked into the balance issues across race features, and I'm not sure that the dragonborn's breath weapon and reistance are so overwhelming that a natural armor bonus would make them OP. Elves get 9 mechanical features, dwarves get 8, and dragonborn get 4. So I think there's room there.   I don't want to mess with the mechanics, but I also want to avoid shoving this down the player's throat with "RAW" or "it's just a magic thing" if I can help it. I'd much rather convince than dictate.   Does anyone have any ideas on either side of this issue that can help me settle my own mind?
#2 mellored Jan 15, 2015 8:07:02	Because it's dragon magic that protects the sorcerer, which is different then the physical aspects of the dragon. Plus, you can be a dragonborn dragon sorcerer.   That said, there's not much balance harm in it considering you can't use it with any other armor.  Though breath weapon is pretty strong.
#3 Archon007 Jan 15, 2015 9:02:17	Seems like the player is trying to use real logic in a fantasy game. I hate to sound like the "father", but the Dragonborn don't get it because the book says so.    Seriously though, someone could argue any number of well x gets this and y is this so they should get it too. That's not how it works.   If he really, really wants the AC then his Dragonborn ancestry doesn't have the breath weapon attack, but does have the natural armor that doesn't stack with armor.   If if you want a mechanical reason they did this; I would guess that most Dragonborn wear armor and it would be a useless ability since it doesn't stack with armor.
#4 AaronOfBarbaria Jan 15, 2015 9:14:27	Dragon sorcerers and dragonblood simply manifest draconic magic in different ways.   The sorcerer manifests draconic magic as actual magical talent, which they learn to harness in specific ways (their class features and spells)   The dragonblood manifest draconic magic in their being man-shaped, man-sized dragons (with breath weapon and damage resistance), that are also sometimes actually able to manifest that much more draconic magic and be a sorcerer too.   The player is basically asking why a $20 bill doesn't make the same appealing jingling sound that a bag of 80 quarters does, while entirely missing (or choosing to gloss over) that they are both still currency.
#5 Byakugan01 Jan 15, 2015 9:16:44	What happens if a player wants to play a dragon-born wild magic sorcerer...then they say 'well i want free mage armor too'.    Dragonborn get less features because breath weapon is really strong. Also it is  the only racial ability that does area damage in a large area.    The only glaring thing dragonborn are missing is Darkvision, cuz that just don't  make sense.
#6 Ganymede425 Jan 15, 2015 10:12:49	Dragonborn scales are not the same as the scales that manifest due to a sorcerer's mystical lineage. It is as simple as that.
#7 Ninja_Ferret Jan 15, 2015 16:28:54	Dragonborne are inbreed bastards of dragons. Their scales have soften from generation to generation.
(Reply to #5) Ninja_Ferret	Byakugan01 wrote:
(Reply to #8) Lucas_Blackstone	Ninja_Ferret wrote: