I'm completely unfamiliar with the Dragonborn template, as I've never read the sourcebook it has come from, could someone enlighten me as to what it means to be a dragonborn character? Can you summarize?
In what way can it be applied to a character to enhance their roleplaying? Can you choose the type of dragon, or is it randomized? Does it change your physical appearance? Are there any bonuses that would make the character seem special by comparison to the spell slinging rage-wizard?
What are the benefits to being a dragonborn? I already know about the +2 con, -2 Dex and I'm thinking of using it with an elf to eliminate their con penalty. While I know it is sub-optimal to make an elf, the character I'm making is actually an Elf cleric ( Elf domain, Celerity domain ) of Ehlonna. ( She's a cohort. )
Part of my reason for asking this is that I'm at work and a lot of stuff I have access to is actually firewalled, but the other half is that I'm really interested in hearing others thoughts concerning Dragonborn.
Best Answer
"Dragonborn of Bahamut" are part of the Races of the Dragon splat book.
The dragonborn does not become a "kind" of dragon, but is gifted with dragon-like attributes by the Good-aligned dragon god, Bahamut. You may choose which gift to claim but they are not type-specific. They do take on a draconic appearance, though to a primarily cosmetic degree. The template is a racial replacement, not a class replacement, and so does contain special bonuses but their comparison to a "spell-slinging rage wizard" is largely irrelevant as the two are not mutually exclusive.
The following article is available via Wizards' website but you should consider purchasing the book for more complete information: http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20060105b