Drakewarden (Revised)

Drakewardens are rangers who use their magical connection with nature to form an enduring bond with a minor dragon, a drake. This bond allows the ranger to empower the drake and to share in the awe inspiring strength wielded by dragons.

Discuss with your  DM how your ranger found and bonded with the drake. The Drakewarden Origin table offers some examples.

Drakewarden Origin
d6	Origin
1	You studied a dragon’s scale or claw, or a trinket from its hoard, and created your bond through the token’s lingering draconic magic.
2	A secret order of rangers who collect and guard draconic lore taught you their ways.
3	A true dragon gave you a drake egg to care for. When it hatched, the drake bonded to you.
4	You drank a few drops of dragon blood, forever infusing your nature magic with draconic power.
5	An ancient Draconic inscription on a standing stone empowered you when you read it aloud.
6	You had a vivid dream of a mysterious man, accompanied by seven yellow canaries, who warned you of impending doom. When you awoke, your drake was there, watching you.

*While I really enjoyed the Drakewarden UA that came out, I wanted to make some personal tweaks.*

Changes include:
- Draconic Gift reworked, as well as unique accessory tables.
- The Drake itself is now a living creature, similar to the Beast Master's animal companion
- Draconic Essence reworked.
- The Drake now grows gradually in size and power as you gain levels, as opposed to suddenly becoming Large at level 15.

Drake Companion

At 3rd-level, the minor dragon has imprinted on you, and you have forged a primal bond.

The drake is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the Drake Companion stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You can determine the cosmetic characteristics of the drake such as its color, scale texture, or any visible effect of its Draconic Essence; your choice has no effect on its game statistics.

In combat, the drake shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the drake can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.

Drake Companion
Small dragon
Armor Class: 14 + PB (natural armor)
Hit Points: 5 + five times your ranger level (the drake has a number of hit dice [d10s] equal to your ranger level)
Speed: 40 ft.
STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	12 (+1)	15 (+2)	8 (−1)	14 (+2)	8 (−1)
Saving Throws: Dex +1 plus PB, Wis +2 plus PB
Damage Immunities: determined by the drake’s Draconic Essence trait
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages: Draconic
Challenge: Equals your proficiency bonus
Draconic Essence. When you summon the drake, choose a damage type: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. The chosen type determines the drake’s damage immunity, the damage of its bite, and the damage of its Infused Strikes trait.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 piercing damage plus PB damage of a type determined by the drake’s Draconic Essence.
Reactions
Infused Strikes. When another creature within 30 feet of the drake that it can see hits with a weapon attack, the drake infuses the strike with its essence, causing the attack to deal an extra 1d6 damage of the type determined by its Draconic Essence.

Draconic Bond

At 3rd-level the bond you share with your drake creates a deeper connection to dragon kind, granting you understanding and empowering your presence.

You gain the following benefits:

If you can’t already, you learn to speak, read, and write Draconic.
You learn the Thaumaturgy cantrip and Chromatic Orb spell which count as Ranger spells for you.

The draconic essence that bonds you and the drake together is manifested by a brilliant gem, which you often wear as a part of an accessory, which is used to invoke your drake’s Draconic Essence. You determine the appearance of the gem and accessory, or generate it randomly by rolling on the Draconic Bond tables.

Draconic Bond tables
d6 - Gem Appearance
1 - Diamond
2 - Ruby
3 - Emerald
4 - Sapphire
5 - Amethyst
6 - Pearl

d6 - Accessory Appearance
1 - Amulet
2 - Ring
3 - Bracelet / Anklet
4 - Cane Head
5 - Brooch
6 - Earring

While the accessory granted by your Draconic Bond feature is worn or in-hand, and the drake is within 30 feet of you, you can invoke its Draconic Essence as a bonus action.
When you do so, choose a damage type listed in its Draconic Essence trait. This form lasts for 1 hour, unless you choose to end it early, or spend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to maintain it.

If the accessory granted by your Draconic Bond is lost or destroyed, or if your Drake companion dies, you can perform a 1-hour ritual that costs 10gp x your Ranger level. At the end of the ritual, your Draconic Bond is restored, and your drake is revived.

-Variant- Your exposure to Draconic Essence has altered your spellcasting ability. You may use Charisma instead of Wisdom for the purposes of casting spells and class abilities.

Bond Of Fang And Scale

At 7th-level the bond you share with your drake intensifies, protecting you and stoking the drake’s fury.

While your drake’s essence is invoked, you and the drake gain the following benefits:
You gain resistance to the damage type chosen for the drake’s Draconic Essence, which is manifested by glowing scales similar to your drake.

The drake grows to Medium size, and it’s strength, constitution, and charisma scores increase by +2

The drake’s bite attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage of the type chosen for its Draconic Essence.

Additionally, choose one of the following when you invoke your drake’s essence: the drake gains a swimming speed of 40 feet and can breathe both air and water, or the drake grows wings and gains a flying speed of 40 feet.

Bond Of Breath And Fury

When you reach 11th-level, the primal magic of your bond has awoken a great power within you and the drake. As an action, you can exhale a 30-foot cone of damaging breath or cause your drake to exhale it. Choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage. Each creature in the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 6d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

This damage increases to 8d6 when you reach 15th level in this class.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher to use it again.

Additionally, when you command your drake companion to take the Attack action, the drake can make two attacks.

Perfected Bond

At 15th-level your bond to your drake reaches the pinnacle of its power.

The drake has permanently grown to Medium size, and it’s strength, constitution, and charisma scores increase by +2.

While your drake’s essence is invoked, you and the drake gain the following benefits:

The drake grows to Large size, and it’s strength, constitution, and charisma scores increase by +2 (+4 total).

The drake’s bite attacks, and infused strikes feature deal an extra 1d6 damage of the type chosen for its Draconic Essence (for a total of 2d6 extra damage).

When either you or the drake takes damage while you’re within 30 feet of each other, you can use your reaction to give yourself or the drake resistance to that instance of damage.

When you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your drake companion with the spell if the drake is within 30 feet of you.