Dragon Rider
A tall elf raises his hands and casts a spell. The monster in front of him stops in its tracks, unmoving. A young woman sits on her Green Dragon, soaring quickly across the land.
Dragon Riders are those who have been bonded with a Spirit Dragon, a unique individual that follows the path of their Rider. Your Spirit Dragon can be of any color.
Spirit Dragon Stats
Your Spirit Dragon is the color of your choice. As you progress, your Dragon will get older. At first, your Spirit Dragon's stats will be equal to a Wyrmling of that color's. It rolls it's own initiative.
Spiritual Bond
You have a bond with your Spirit Dragon. It follows the same alignment as you. When it chooses, it can use an action disappear, reappearing as a tattoo on a body part of your designation. It cannot choose to release itself. It costs one of your actions to remove it from tattoo form. When in tattoo form, the dragon cannot be harmed in any way. Also, you can communicate telepathically with your dragon.
Class Features
As a Dragon Rider, you gain the following class features
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per Dragon Rider level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution Modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution Modifier per Dragon Rider level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor
- Weapons: Swords, Simple Weapons, Longbows.
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Dexterity, Constitution
- Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Disguise, Nature, Perception, Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a simple weapon and a shield or (b) a Longbow and a shield
- (a) an Explorer's Pack or (b) a Dungeoneer's Pack
- A Rider's Sword (See the back for more information), Medium Armor of your choice, spellcasting focus (Optionary)
Quick Build
Follow these steps to build a Dragon Rider: First, your highest Ability Score should be Dexterity, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Soldier background.
Dragon Rider
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Dragon Spells |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Spirit Dragon, Dragon Spells | 2 |
| 2nd | +2 | Rider Ideal | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Dragon Magic | 3 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 |
| 5th | +3 | Young Spirit Dragon | 4 |
| 6th | +3 | Rider Ideal Ability | 4 |
| 7th | +3 | — | 5 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 |
| 9th | +4 | Dragon Magic | 6 |
| 10th | +4 | Rider Ideal Ability | 6 |
| 11th | +4 | Dragon Sight | 7 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 |
| 13th | +5 | Adult Spirit Dragon | 8 |
| 14th | +5 | Rider Ideal Ability | 8 |
| 15th | +5 | Elven Abilities | 9 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 9 |
| 17th | +6 | Dragon Magic | 10 |
| 18th | +6 | Ancient Spirit Dragon | 10 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 11 |
| 20th | +6 | Archrider | 12 |
Spirit Dragon
Your Spirit Dragon is of a color of your choice. He or she can vanish into a tattoo form. your dragon starts with Wyrmling stats. He will fight for you, has his own initiative, and can telepathically talk to you. If your Spirit Dragon dies, it returns to its tattoo form and cannot be summoned until you take a long rest. If your Spirit Dragon is killed by a Fiend or Dragon, it is dead forever, and you cannot use Dragon Magic or Dragon Spells anymore.
Dragon Spells
The unique thing about Dragon Riders is that they don't cast spells the way Sorcerers and Druids do. They have their own unique range of spells that only require Verbal Components. You know the amount of Dragon Spells equal the amount shown on the chart. See the list of Dragon Spells in the back.
Rider Ideal
Each Dragon Rider focuses on one Rider Ideal. You can choose between Scholar Ideal, Protector Ideal, and Fighter Ideal, each detailed at the end of the Class Description. Your choice grants you powers at levels 2, 6, 10, and 14.
Dragon Magic
Spirit Dragons are strange, and very mysterious. They cannot do magic, but every so often, something strange and magical will happen, triggered by the Spirit Dragon. When you want to do Dragon Magic, you roll a d20. On a roll of 18-20, you do Dragon Magic. See the Dragon Magic chart at the end of the Class Description. At level 9, when you roll for Dragon Magic, you succeed on a roll of 16-20. At level 17, when you roll for Dragon Magic, you succeed on a roll of 14-20.
Ability Score Improvement
At levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19, you may increase one Ability Score of your choice by 2, or two Ability Scores of your choice by 1.
Young Spirit Dragon
At level 5, you Spirit Dragon has matured and is now about the maturity of a teenager, even if your dragon is younger. You now use the stats of a Young Dragon.
Dragon Sight
At level 11, you have gained the ability to see through your dragon's eyes using an action. When looking through them, you have advantage on checks involving your sences, in both your dragon's body and your own. When you want to leave Dragon Sight, it does not require an action of any kind.
Adult Spirit Dragon
At level 13, your Spirit Dragon has reached Adulthood. You now use the stats of an Adult Dragon.
Elven Abilities
At level 15, your Spirit Dragon has had some strange effects on you, making you more like an Elf. You gain Darkvision 60 feet, your Constitution Score increases by 2, and one Ability Score of your choice increases by 2.
Ancient Spirit Dragon
At level 18, your Spirit Dragon has reached senority. Few Spirit Dragons survive this long, which is why they're called Ancient, even though they're not. You now use the Ancient Dragon stats for your Spirit Dragon.
Archrider
You have become a powerful Dragon Rider. You now can speak your Dragon Spells mentally, so they require no components. Also, all your Ability Scores increase by 2.
Credit: Christopher Paolini
Dragon Magic Chart
| d6 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5d4 mushrooms grow. If someone eats one, roll any die. On an odd roll, the target must make a DC15 Constitutions saving throw or take 5d6 poison damage. On an even roll, the target gains 5d6 temporary hit points for one hour. |
| 2 | An animate, immobile stone statue of your likeness appears. It makes verbal threats against you. If you leave it and others come near, it describes you as the most henious of villains and tells them to go attack you. If you are on the same plane of existence as the statue, it knows where you are. The statue becomes inanimate after 24 hours. |
| 3 | A fruit tree grows. It has 1d20 + 10 fruit. 1d8 of them give you 20 temporary hit points, and one of them deals you 1d20 poison damage. The eater must succeed a DC18 Constitution saving throw or take the damage. |
| 4 | A nest of 1d4 + 4 eggs springs up. Anyone who eats one must succeed a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. If the target succeeds, he increases his lowest Ability Score by 1. If the target fails, they take 10d6 force damage. |
| 5 | A giant beanstalk sprouts, going to a place of the DM's choice, such as a great view, a cloud giant's castle, or a different plane of existence |
| 6 | A target of your choice dies. |
Remember, when reading the chart above, you have to roll the successful roll on a d20 of your level, then roll a d6 to determine the effect.
Spellcasting
Your spellcasting ability is Dexterity.
Spell Save DC
Dragon Spells
Adurna. Say this to manipulate water. You can effect water around you, but cannot create or destroy water.
Brisingr. Say this to manipulate fire. You can effect fire around you. You can also create and destroy water.
Letta. Say this to cause something around you to stop moving. A person, a thing, something. That something or someone must succeed a DCx Strength Saving Throw or be stop moving altogether until you release this spell. X = your spell save DC.
Deloi Moi. Say this to manipulate earth. You can effect earth around you, but cannot create or destroy earth.
Garjzla, Letta. Say this to blind a target of your choice until you release this spell.
Jierda. Breaks something. If you're going to break a body part of an enemy, you must succeed a DCx Strength Check. If you succeed, the opponent takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage and 1d12 force damage.
Reisa. Used to rise things into the air. Could be used on yourself to fly.
Garjzla. Say this to shoot a bolt of light at a target they must succeed a DCx Dexterity Saving throw or be reduced to 0 hit points rendering them unconsious.
Skolir. Say this create an invisible shield around you. It has X HP. If it is brought to 0 HP, it vanishes. Any excess damage carries over to you. X = your spell save DC.
Waise Hiell. Say this to heal a target for 1d8 health per Dragon Rider level that you have.
Ma'Mor. Say this to unlock a door or something similar.
Morte. Say this to throw something for a long distance.
Releasing a Spell
To release a spell is to stop using it. If your were using the spell Reisa to make something rise, when you release the spell, the thing that has risen falls.
Dragon Spell Limitations
Dragon spells are limited, as you can only cast two per turn, using an action apeice. That means that you have an action that you cannot use to cast a Dragon spell. I suggest using this one to attack with a weapon.
The
Dragon
Rider
Enter the country of Alagaesia, ruled by an immortal tyrant king, and create a powerful Dragon Rider.
Use your magic to destroy evil and don't forget to check out my to-be adventure concerning Alagaesia.
Have fun with your Dragon Rider!
Cover Art: Saphira