[RPG] What creature type are dragonborn

dnd-5edragonbornraces

In 3.5e, dragonborn were of the Humanoid (dragonblood) creature type and subtype.

In 5e, I haven't been able to find this info — the creature entry (dndbeyond link) doesn't have any mention of creature type, and the published list of creatures by type doesn't include playable races.

Are 5e dragonborn humanoids, dragons, or something else?

Best Answer

Humanoid

Jeremy Crawford says they are:

Dragonborn aren't dragons. They are humanoids.

Despite much searching, I am unable to find a D&D 5th edition book featuring a dragonborn NPC statblock. Some adventure modules, including Hoard of the Dragon Queen (p.91-93), do include such NPCs as:

  • Langdedrosa Cyanwrath, a half-dragon, listed as Medium humanoid (half-dragon)
  • Rezmir, a half-dragon, listed as Medium humanoid (half-black dragon)
  • Pharblex Spattergoo, a bullywug, listed as Medium humanoid (bullywug)
  • Jamna Gleamsilver, a gnome, listed as Small humanoid (gnome)

If even the more powerful half-dragons are simply humanoid, then dragonborn are also certainly humanoid, as Crawford says. They have no other "subtype", to use the D&D 3rd edition term, as those don't strictly exist (although parenthetical "tags" after the type exist and are most commonly used in statblocks to give the creature's race).

No rule currently defines dragonborn as having a "tag" after their type, so unless some rulebook shows otherwise, dragonborn are simply "humanoid", and their statblock would list them as "Medium humanoid (dragonborn)".

Related Topic