The Dragon Rider

A battle hardened orc stumbles into a cave to recover from his grievous wounds from the skirmish. As he ventures inside, he comes across a large egg partially hatched, with a brass dragon wyrmling crawling out of their egg. The orc warily approached the hatching with his hand outstretched, his curiosity overcoming his caution. He touches the head of the baby dragon, and a burning sensation creeps up his arm as he howls in pain. Then, he feels a presence enter his mind.

A young woman stands at the edge of the cliff with a young bronze dragon, no bigger than a large dog, stands at her side as the ancient bronze dragon lifts himself out of the sea. She looks at him with a stoic, but nervous, expression as the ancient bronze dragon tells them the history of the bond between them, and their destiny of becoming Dragon Riders.

Roars fill the air as a young adult copper dragon and his earth genasi rider soar through the sky. They nimbly pass a horde of peryton and strike them down with sword and claws as they flyby. The genasi rider roars in delight as her dragon companion makes a quick turn to attack the confused and frightened peryton with a powerful acid breathe.

These three individuals are the first Dragon Riders to appear since the old days, back when the world of Thera was lush and full of life. They join a short but powerful list of famous heroes and villains of legend. They now live in Historia, where they train their minds and bodies in hopes to one day pass on their knowledge to the next generation of Dragon Riders.

## **The Bond Between Dragon and Rider**

The bond between a humanoid and dragon companion is far more than a psychological one. It is a magical connection that enhances both the rider and dragon. The rider’s lifespan is greatly increase and innately gains magical abilities thanks to the bond shared between rider and dragon. The dragon gains a greater sense of empathy, and grows to a far less solitary life than its reptilian brethren. The bond also creates a willpower, and often stubbornness, that far surpasses the sum of its parts.

But there are also negative aspects to such a deep and powerful bond. A dragon companion’s life force is tied to its rider, and vice versa, leading to finite lifespans that dragons do not normally suffer should their rider be killed before the dragon dies before their natural death. When a rider dies, his dragon companion soon follows as they lose the will to live. However, most dragon companions agree that the deep companionship is worth far more than thousands of years of life, as do their riders.

## **Class Features:**

**Hit Points:** 1d8 per Dragon Rider level.

**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier.

**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per dragonbound level after 1st

### **Proficiencies**

**Armor:** Light armor, medium armor

**Weapons:** Simple weapons, longswords, rapiers, shortswords, scimitars

**Tools:** None

**Saving Throws:** Strength, Charisma

**Skills:** Choose two from Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, History, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival

**Equipment:** You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) leather armor or (b) scale mail

• (a) a martial weapon or (b) two simple weapons

• (a) a shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or (b) three javelins

• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

### **Dragon Companion**

During your journey, you have come into contact with a newborn dragon wyrmling. The moment you touched this dragon, a special bond was formed between the two and bound the two souls together. This is a rarity in the world of Thera; there are only a handful of tales of a bond being formed between a dragon or a humanoid.

When a player decides to play as a Dragon Rider, the DM (or a fellow player) controls the dragon that has bounded with the rider. The dragon is a True Dragon class, have their own stats, personality, flaws, and abilities depending on the dragon type. Choose or roll on the table below to see which dragon type you develop a bond with. The dragon you choose should be within one step of your alignment. Character conflicts between dragon and rider can be interesting, but not if you end up killing each other before you reach 2nd level.

### **Soul Bond**

Due to your bond, you and your dragon companion have the same level, regardless if you or dragon are together or separated during events throughout the campaign, or if you multiclass into another class. Throughout the campaign, your dragon will grow in size. Follow the size chart for the True Dragon class.

At 1st level, your soul is inseparably connected to your dragon companion's. If you die, so does your dragon companion, and if your companion dies, so do you. In order to be resurrected or otherwise returned to life, both you and your companion must be resurrected simultaneously. Otherwise, the resurrection attempt fails and neither are returned. As a result of your bond, your natural lifespan is increased to match your dragon’s. If you and your dragon’s souls bond before you have reached maturity, you continue to age as normal. Once you have reached physical maturity, you cease aging and cannot die of old age.

### **Soul Sense**

When you reach 1st level, you and your dragon companion have a strong enough bond that one can innately sense the soul of the other. If you are on the same plane of existence as your dragon, you can feel when it is in danger. You can also use a bonus action to sense your companion's emotions and surface thoughts, unless it is unwilling. Your companion can do the same to you, sensing when you are in danger, and can use a bonus action to sense your emotions and surface thoughts, unless you are unwilling.

In addition, you can speak telepathically, but only to each other, as long as you are within 60 feet of each other.

### **Fighting Style**

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

**Archery**

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

**Defense**

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

**Dueling**

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

**Great Weapon Fighting**

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

**Two-Weapon Fighting**

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

### **Spellcasting**

When you reach 2nd level, you discover the innate ability to cast spells because of your draconic bond. See the 5th Edition Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and for the dragon rider spell list.

**Spell Slots**

The Dragon Rider table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your dragon rider spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot.

**Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher**

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the dragon rider spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Dragon Rider table shows when you learn more Dragon Rider spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Dragon Rider spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Dragon Rider spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

**Spellcasting Ability**

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Dragon Rider spells, since your magic draws on your attunement from your dragon. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a dragon rider spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

### **Elemental Burst**

Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal damage associated to your dragon companion to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 6d8.

### **Draconic Bond**

At 3rd level, your connection with your dragon deepens. Your personality begins to entwine with your companion’s inherent magic, shaping your destiny as a pair. Choose a Draconic Bond: Draconic Knight, Draconic Hunter, or Draconic Mage. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

### **Ability Score Improvement**

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

### **Extra Attack**

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

### **Imbued Ferocity**

Also starting at 6th level, your dragon companion’s attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

### **Draconic Willpower**

By 9th level, your connection to your dragon companion has instilled you both with greater focus. You and your dragon companion have advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

### **Shared Senses**

When you reach 10th level, you and your dragon companion have learned to sense through each other's minds. If you are on the same plane of existence, then as an action, one of you can see through the other's eyes and hear what it hears until you choose to end the effect as a bonus action or until the other is incapacitated, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the other has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.

In addition, you gain the ability to cast detect thoughts without expending a spell slot and without providing material components. The spell can be cast by either you or your dragon companion. When you or your companion cast this spell in this way, neither of you can do so again until both of you finish a long rest.

### **Symbiotic Resistance**

When you reach 13th level, your bond with your dragon is strong enough that its immunity begins to transfer to you. You gain resistance to the damage type associated with your dragon companion.

### **Draconic Resilience**

By 14th level, the physiological changes caused by your connection to your dragon companion have made you heartier and more biologically resistant. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.

### **Master of the Sky**

By 17th level, you have had enough practice riding atop your dragon companion that doing so feels as natural as walking. You have advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws you make to keep from falling off of your dragon companion. Additionally, you have resistance to any damage you take from falling.

### **Soul Meld**

When you reach 20th level, your bond with your companion is so strong that your souls are nearly one. You can use your action to become one with your dragon companion. When you do so, your minds and very souls combine into one intelligence inhabiting both of your bodies. For the next minute, you and your dragon companion have the following benefits:

* You share all of your senses.
* You share all immunities and resistances that either of you possess.
* When you or your companion makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can choose to use either yours or your companion's applicable ability modifier.
* You and your companion are immune to being charmed, dominated, or frightened, and you both have advantage on Wisdom saving throws.

This effect ends early if one of you is incapacitated, or if you choose to end it as a bonus action. If the effect ends because one of you was incapacitated, then both you and your companion gain one level of exhaustion, because of the sudden stress of having your souls ripped apart from each other. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you and your companion both finish a long rest.

## **Dragon Rider Archetypes**

Throughout history, Dragon Riders are extraordinarily rare. Those who manage to survive long enough for their dragons to mature have become powerful adventurers or villains. The Dragon Riders, once thought lost, have now reemerged. These archetypes include the Draconic Knight, the Draconic Hunter, and the Draconic Mage.

## **Draconic Knight**

When a dragon and their bonded have a strong sense of justice or thirst for combat, their bond often becomes one of a Draconic Knight. They fight for their beliefs with frightening vigor and make for challenging foes. Whether they fight for good in their goal to uproot a tyrant, or as a commander for an invading army. Sometimes the humanoid bonded to the dragon serves their dragon’s goals and dreams, or vice versa.

### **Draconic Knight Proficiencies**

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you have trained to fight with weapons and armor. You gain proficiency with martial weapons, heavy armor, and shields. In addition, your dragon companion gains proficiency with light armor. If you are using the optional Dragon Feats rule, this counts as taking the Armor Training feat once.

### **Staunch Protector**

Also at 3rd level, you gain the ability to hinder attacks intended for others. When a creature attacks a target other than you within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. To do so, you must be able to see both the attacker and the target. You interpose an arm, a shield, or some other part of yourself to try to throw the attack off target.

### **Coordinated Attack**

By 7th level, you and your dragon companion have learned to work as a team to dispatch foes. When you use the Attack action on your turn, if your dragon companion can see you and they are within 30 feet of you, it can use its reaction to make a bite or claw attack. The target does not have to be the same target as your attack.

### **Draconic Bastion**

Starting at 11th level, whenever the target of your Staunch Protector feature misses with the triggering attack, you can make a melee weapon attack against that creature as part of the same reaction.

### **Retaliation Strike**

Beginning at 15th level, when your companion is hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the attacker.

### **Overwhelm**

When you reach 18th level, your coordinated attacks with your dragon companion can confuse and overwhelm even the toughest of foes. Attacks made with the Coordinated Attack or Retaliation Strike class features are made with advantage. In addition, a creature hit by an attack from one of these features suffers disadvantage on the first attack roll it makes against you or your dragon companion until the end of its next turn.

## **Draconic Hunter**

The bond between dragon and humanoid can sometimes produce a very capable and deadly hunter of the sky. These Dragon Riders are masters in aerial combat and use their skills to hunt down their prey. Dragon Riders and their dragons that choose this bond make exceptional warriors on the battlefield or as monster hunters looking for grandeur of the hunt.

### **Draconic Hunter Proficiencies**

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with weapons large enough to attack enemies from the back of your dragon companion. You gain proficiency with the following weapons: glaives, halberds, lances, pikes, longbows, hand crossbows, and heavy crossbows.

In addition, whenever you mount or dismount your dragon companion, it only costs you 5 feet of movement rather than half of your total movement. You also don't need a saddle in order to ride your dragon companion. However, while you are mounted without a saddle, you suffer disadvantage on ability checks made to resist falling off.

### **Accelerated Growth**

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your dragon companion begins to grow rapidly. Within a few days or weeks, no matter the dragon's age, it grows large enough for you to ride comfortably. If your size is Medium, the dragon grows to Large; if your size is Small, the dragon remains the same size. Its growth then slows back to normal. This otherwise has no effect on the dragon's game statistics.

### **Synchronous Reflexes**

Beginning at 7th level, if you are mounted on your dragon companion when you roll initiative, you can choose to use either yours or your companion's initiative result. Both you and your dragon companion act on this initiative, and you can choose which of you goes first on every round.

### **Protective Instincts**

Beginning at 11th level, while you are mounted on your dragon companion, if you or your dragon are targeted by an attack and the attack hits, you or your companion can use their reaction to become the target of the attack. If the original attack roll would hit, your companion takes that damage as normal.

### **Coordinated Combat**

Beginning at 15th level, if you make an attack roll against a creature and hit while mounted on your dragon, your dragon companion can make a claw attack against the same creature as a reaction if they are within range.

### **Aerial Combat Expert**

Beginning at 18th level, while you are mounted on your dragon companion, you and your companion do not trigger opportunity attacks when you fly out of a creature's reach.

## **Draconic Mage**

Sometimes, the bond between a rider and their dragon become so close, the immense magical energies of the dragon seep into their rider and enhance their magical capabilities. The Dragon Rider’s magic become more akin to that of a Draconic Sorcerer as their bodies are imbued with the dragon’s magic. Riders that become Draconic Mages often become court mages or powerful leaders.

### **Font of Magic**

At 3rd level, you tap into a deep wellspring of magic within yourself. This wellspring is represented by Draconic points, which allow you to create a variety of magical Effects.

### **Draconic Points**

You have 3 Draconic points, and you gain one additional point every time you level up, to a maximum of 20 at level 20. You can never have more Draconic points than shown on the table for your level. You regain all spent Draconic points when you finish a Long Rest.

### **Flexible Casting**

You can use your Draconic points to gain additional Spell Slots, or sacrifice Spell Slots to gain additional Draconic points. You learn other ways to use your Draconic points as you reach higher levels.

**Creating Spell Slots.** You can transform unexpended Draconic points into one spell slot as a Bonus Action on Your Turn. The created Spell Slots vanish at the end of a Long Rest. The Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level. You can create Spell Slots no higher in level than 5th.

**Table: Creating Spell Slots**

  1st
  2nd
  3rd
  4th
  5th

**Converting a Spell Slot to Draconic Points.** As a Bonus Action on Your Turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of Draconic points equal to the slot's level.

### **Metamagic**

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to twist your Spells to suit your needs. You gain two of the following Metamagic options of your choice. You gain another two at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level.

You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted.

### **Blunt Spell**

When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can spend 2 Draconic points to change its damage to force. When the spell is a cantrip, it costs 1 Draconic point.

### **Careful Spell**

When you Cast a Spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell’s full force. To do so, you spend 1 Draconic point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

### **Distant Spell**

When you Cast a Spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 Draconic point to double the range of the spell.

When you Cast a Spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 Draconic point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.

### **Empowered Spell**

When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 Draconic point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls.

You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.

### **Extended Spell**

When you Cast a Spell that has a Duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 Draconic point to double its Duration, to a maximum Duration of 24 hours.

### **Flawed Spell**

You can use your insert a flaw into a spell's design, temporarily bringing it to a screeching halt. The magical effect must be within 20 feet of you. Using your action, make a Charisma check with advantage. The DC to pause the magical effect is equal to 10 + the spell's level; on a success, the magical effect halts. The number of Draconic points you spend equals the number of rounds the magical effect is paused. After these rounds have elapsed, the effect resumes at the start of your turn.

### **Heightened Spell**

When you Cast a Spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its Effects, you can spend 3 Draconic points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its first saving throw made against the spell.

### **Neutered Spell**

When you fail a saving throw imposed on you by a spell cast from within 120 feet, you can expend a number of Draconic points equal to 1+ the spell's level to automatically succeed. If you would take half damage from succeeding on the saving throw, you instead take no damage.

### **Quickened Spell**

When you Cast a Spell that has a Casting Time of 1 action, you can spend 2 Draconic points to change the Casting Time to 1 Bonus Action for this casting.

### **Salvaged Spell**

Whenever you lose concentration on a spell, you can use your reaction to spend a number of Draconic points to maintain concentration on the spell. The number of Draconic points is equal to 1 + the spell's level.

### **Subtle Spell**

When you Cast a Spell, you can spend 1 Draconic point to cast it without any somatic or verbal Components.

### **Twinned Spell**

When you Cast a Spell that Targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, you can spend a number of Draconic points equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 Draconic point if the spell is a cantrip).

To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, Magic Missile and Scorching Ray aren’t eligible, but Ray of Frost is.

### **Draconic Affinity**

Starting at 7th level, when you cast a spell that deals damage of the type associated with your dragon, you can add your charisma modifier to one damage roll of that spell.

### **Arcane Retreat**

When you reach 11th level, you have gained the ability to teleport away from dangerous situations. If you are hit by a weapon attack, and you are within 30 feet of your dragon companion, you can use your reaction to instantly teleport to your dragon companion's back. The triggering attack misses.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

### **Potent Spellcasting**

At 15th level, you have gained many insights into the magical defenses and resistances of creatures, and therefore have a greater capacity to overcome them. Creatures don't have advantage on saving throws against your spells as a result of having Magic Resistance or a similar trait. In addition, your spells ignore damage resistance, but only if that resistance was gained through Spell Resistance or a similar trait (e.g. "resistance to damage from spells"). Your spells do not ignore resistance to specific damage types.

### **Draconic Restoration**

At 18th level, you regain 4 expended sorcery points whenever you finish a short rest.