Fighter: Dragon Rider
Forming a bond with a dragon is a long and arduous process. Many would argue it isn't worth the time and trouble. But when done correctly, the tandem cooperation between the dragon and its rider is a force to be reckoned with. They are rare, but dragon riders are elite warriors and not to be trifled with.
Rider's Prowess
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to ride dragons. You gain the following benefits.
- You have advantage on Charisma checks made to interact with dragons.
- You learn Draconic.
- You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your mount.
- You can land on your feet if you fall off your mount and descend no more than 10 feet, provided you are not incapacitated.
- You only need to expend 5 feet of movement in order to mount or dismount a creature.
Dragon Mount
Also at 3rd level, you have bonded with a dragon and ride it into battle. This dragon is friendly to you and your allies, and it obeys your commands. However, it is an intelligent creature and may disobey your commands if it poses too great a risk to itself or something it cares about. See its game statistics in the Dragon Mount stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.
In combat, the dragon shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. However, if you direct it to move, the movement occurs on your turn if you are riding it. Directing the dragon to move does not require you to take any actions to do so. It can take reactions on its own, but it can only take the Dodge action on its turn unless you use a bonus action to command it to take some other action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the dragon can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
If the dragon dies, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to return it to life with all its hit points restored. You may also perform a 1-hour ceremony to form a bond with another dragon, though this causes your bond with the first dragon to immediately end. The dragon may sever its bond with you at any time if it feels maltreated or abused.
Additionally, when you gain this feature or when you bond with a dragon, you determine its color. Pick from the Dragon Mount Color table below. The damage type associated with its color is used for some features from this subclass.
| Dragon Mount Color | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| Gold, Red, Brass | Fire |
| Copper, Black | Acid |
| Blue, Bronze | Lightning |
| Silver, White | Cold |
| Green | Poison |
Tandem Tactics
At 7th level, you and your dragon mount know how to work together to take down a single target. As a bonus action, you can activate this feature for 1 minute, until you end it as a bonus action, or until you or your dragon mount dies.
While this feature is active, when you make an attack against a creature, your dragon mount has advantage on attacks against that creature until the start of your next turn. Likewise, when your dragon mount attacks a creature, you have advantage on attacks against that creature until the start of its next turn.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Draconic Infusion
At 10th level, your bond with your dragon mount begins to magically influence you, granting you draconic powers. You gain the following benefits.
- You gain resistance to the damage type associated with your dragon's color. When you reach 18th level in this class, you also gain immunity to that damage type.
- Once a round when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal an additional 2d4 damage to that creature. The damage is of the type associated with your dragon's color. When you reach 18th level in this class, this damage increases to 2d6.
Art Credit:
Dragon Rider, by Samarskiy
Synergistic Bond
At 15th level, you and your dragon work together in perfect harmony. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo any number of attacks. When you do this, your dragon mount can make that many Bite attacks on its next turn, without you having to use your bonus action to command it to do so.
Additionally, whenever you use your Second Wind feature, your dragon mount regains the same number of hit points, and when you use your Action Surge feature, your dragon mount gains an additional action on its next turn.
Unleash the Dragon
At 18th level, you have reached the apex of your bond with your dragon, making you a formidable combination on the battlefield. When you roll initiative, you regain the use of your Tandem Tactics feature, and your dragon mount regains one use of its Elemental Breath.
Art Credit:
Wyrm Rider, by Sebastian Horoszko
Dragon Mount
Large dragon
- Armor Class 13 + PB (Natural armor)
- Hit Points 5 + 5 times your fighter level (the dragon has a number of hit dice [d10's] equal to your fighter level)
- Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 14 (+2)
- Saving Throws Dex +2 plus PB, Con +2 plus PB, Wis +0 plus PB
- Skills Perception +0 plus PB
- Damage Immunities determined by the dragon's color
- Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 + PB
- Languages Draconic
- Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Dragon Color. The dragon's color determines what damage type it has immunity to and the damage type dealt by its Bite attack and its Elemental Breath action.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus PB to hit, 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 piercing damage plus PB damage of the type determined by its color
Elemental Breath (3/day). The dragon exhales a 15-foot cone of elemental energy. Each creature in that area must succeed a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + PB. Roll a number of d6's equal to PB; a creature takes damage equal to the total rolled on a failed save, or half as much on a success. The damage is of the type determined by the dragon's color.
Reactions
Withdraw. When the dragon or a creature riding the dragon is hit by an attack, it can move up to 10 feet. This movement occurs after the attack hits and does not provoke opportunity attacks.
