Yo! so with all the stuff about the PDK can we just admit DnD needs its own dragon rider class? the drakewarden and the UA PDK are clear examples that its wanted and can be done so can WOTC just make one already?
I am confused a little by your question... As you stated the DrakewardenSubclass as well as the Purple Dragon Knight (that sounds like it is going to be released to the world) can already ride dragons.
Are you looking for more Subclasses that can Ride Dragons, or are you hoping that one of them is officially named "Dragon Rider"?
I have played a Drakewarden and it is pretty fun, but not for me as many times in a Dungeon, there is not room to get onto a Dragon.
Cheers!
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Breathe, dragons; sing of the First World, forged out of chaos and painted with beauty. Sing of Bahamut, the Platinum, molding the shape of the mountains and rivers; Sing too of Chromatic Tiamat, painting all over the infinite canvas. Partnered, they woke in the darkness; partnered, they labored in acts of creation.
It’s not going to be a class - figure you need at least 3 or better 4 subclasses to have a class. So what would the subclasses be? It fits better as a fighter or ranger subclass. While the name purple dragon knight and the class mechanics don’t fit together (someone didn’t bother to check their lore before starting) the mechanics are actually decent. If the subclass had come out in a Dragonlance book as a dragon rider or knight of Solamnia I wouldn’t have had a problem with it.
Mechanically, if you want your dragon to be something actually cool instead of just some minor bonus, you need it to have some real cost -- probably by expending a base class resource. The available options are
Any class: action economy effects.
Fighter: second wind, action surge.
Paladin: channel divinity, lay on hands, spell slots.
Ranger: spellcasting.
Of those, I think the paladin is actually the best choice, because of how their resources and action economy function.
Part of me thinks they are fishing around with these playtests for something even further down the line than a Forgotten realms book. That is why the purple DragonKnight Playtest feels so NOT-Cormanthyr coded. Kinda think they are testing out something for a Dragonlance book that takes place During one of the Wars of the Lance. A class that is Specifically just a DragonRider, would be cool, but really pigeon hole someone into certain settings and types of story. Also, you wouldn't be able to do much in town, it is not like you can just park your dragon at the stables before hitting the town. A Dragon knight could never even go to water deep with their dragon, there is a Mythel that keeps dragons out of the city. Your Dragon companion would be just sitting there pouting a mile away from the city gates.
It feels like we are being teased.
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He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player. The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call To rise up in triumph should we all unite The spark for change is yours to ignite." Kalandra - The State of the World
It has no been fulfilled in the slightest as thats only one subclass thats super limited in what it can do and the new PDK isnt going to be much different by the looks of it. 5e needs more classes and subclasses and not just old ones taken and reworded slightly so they can be sold again for $50 to $70. 3rd party companies are able to provide more then wotc have given us for also way cheaper.
How many dungeons/adventures can accommodate a dragon?
Exactly this, plus a few others mentioned above. If they mirror the Drake Warden and give you a dragon that grows over time you can very quickly end up in a situation where any time you’re in a dungeon or even just inside your dragon can’t fit and suddenly you not just don’t have a subclass but you don’t have a class. Want to go to a city? Dragon has to stay outside or you’ll terrify all the locals. Underground? Dragon won’t fit. In a heavily forested area? Dragon can’t fit between trees. It’s a class that your DM will need to write campaigns specifically around you rather than you writing a character that fits their world
Plus a Dragon is no slouch and such a class effectively adds a dragon's power to the party, as well as being a highly intelligent, independent being. Why would the dragon want a rider, especially one as an implied master?
Drakes are dragon type but not true dragons. As such they are considerably weaker and smaller. The drake warden drake doesn’t reach large size until L15 so it should be able to go pretty much anywhere a PC can go. For comparison I looked up a few true dragons in the new MM - wyrmlings are CR1 and medium size, young lungs are CR6 and large size so even they could go anywhere a PC can typically go. Further they all seem to ( I didn’t check all of them) have the ability to change into beast or humanoid forms. So it would not be unreasonable for a tier 3/4 PC to actually have a youngling dragon as a “partner” and for them to actually have as a rider and mount when needed. Back in 1e rangers got a number of followers at L9/10 and there was a (small) chance one could be a dragon. As a DM I’ve done similar things near the end of campaigns. In the Tiamat campaign the party initially took the wyverns as mounts. At the end as a final reward they each got a youngling bronze as a companion/ mount/ student. Given that they were L13 adding a CR6 “ follower” isn’t really a huge deal.
Drakes are dragon type but not true dragons. As such they are considerably weaker and smaller. The drake warden drake doesn’t reach large size until L15 so it should be able to go pretty much anywhere a PC can go. For comparison I looked up a few true dragons in the new MM - wyrmlings are CR1 and medium size, young lungs are CR6 and large size so even they could go anywhere a PC can typically go. Further they all seem to ( I didn’t check all of them) have the ability to change into beast or humanoid forms. So it would not be unreasonable for a tier 3/4 PC to actually have a youngling dragon as a “partner” and for them to actually have as a rider and mount when needed. Back in 1e rangers got a number of followers at L9/10 and there was a (small) chance one could be a dragon. As a DM I’ve done similar things near the end of campaigns. In the Tiamat campaign the party initially took the wyverns as mounts. At the end as a final reward they each got a youngling bronze as a companion/ mount/ student. Given that they were L13 adding a CR6 “ follower” isn’t really a huge deal.
So then a dragon, a race that presumably reproduces very seldom, lets their precious child run off with a PC? Plus, they only get more powerful by aging, so the PC would outpace them and you have the same problem as with normal horses, namely them being out grown and becoming more liabilities to protect than any actual benefits.
ok? there are squeezing rules and you could just not run those adventures or do what alot of the community does and homebrew or ask the DM "hey are we going to be in small spaces?" that sounds more like adventure limitations then size ones.
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Yo! so with all the stuff about the PDK can we just admit DnD needs its own dragon rider class? the drakewarden and the UA PDK are clear examples that its wanted and can be done so can WOTC just make one already?
Would that not just be a Cavalier that happens to ride a dragon?
Greetings UnkKnellnapper,
I am confused a little by your question... As you stated the Drakewarden Subclass as well as the Purple Dragon Knight (that sounds like it is going to be released to the world) can already ride dragons.
Are you looking for more Subclasses that can Ride Dragons, or are you hoping that one of them is officially named "Dragon Rider"?
I have played a Drakewarden and it is pretty fun, but not for me as many times in a Dungeon, there is not room to get onto a Dragon.
Cheers!
Breathe, dragons; sing of the First World, forged out of chaos and painted with beauty.
Sing of Bahamut, the Platinum, molding the shape of the mountains and rivers;
Sing too of Chromatic Tiamat, painting all over the infinite canvas.
Partnered, they woke in the darkness; partnered, they labored in acts of creation.
more so stating that theres enough want for them to make a class around the theme instead of shoe horning it into subclasses
It’s not going to be a class - figure you need at least 3 or better 4 subclasses to have a class. So what would the subclasses be? It fits better as a fighter or ranger subclass. While the name purple dragon knight and the class mechanics don’t fit together (someone didn’t bother to check their lore before starting) the mechanics are actually decent. If the subclass had come out in a Dragonlance book as a dragon rider or knight of Solamnia I wouldn’t have had a problem with it.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Mechanically, if you want your dragon to be something actually cool instead of just some minor bonus, you need it to have some real cost -- probably by expending a base class resource. The available options are
Of those, I think the paladin is actually the best choice, because of how their resources and action economy function.
theres plenty of things that can go in a subclass look at wizard n clerics. each one could be based around a dragon type
I don't think there is enough material to make an entire class out of it. A subclass, yes.
The Drakewarden already exists and they get to ride their dragon. I feel as if your request has already been fulfilled.
Of course you could always have a chat with your GM and you can be a dragon rider regardless of class.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Personally think a "dragon rider" origin feat or feat would work well
Part of me thinks they are fishing around with these playtests for something even further down the line than a Forgotten realms book. That is why the purple DragonKnight Playtest feels so NOT-Cormanthyr coded. Kinda think they are testing out something for a Dragonlance book that takes place During one of the Wars of the Lance.
A class that is Specifically just a DragonRider, would be cool, but really pigeon hole someone into certain settings and types of story. Also, you wouldn't be able to do much in town, it is not like you can just park your dragon at the stables before hitting the town. A Dragon knight could never even go to water deep with their dragon, there is a Mythel that keeps dragons out of the city. Your Dragon companion would be just sitting there pouting a mile away from the city gates.
It feels like we are being teased.
He/Him. Loooooooooong time Player.
The Dark days of the THAC0 system are behind us.
"Hope is a fire that burns in us all If only an ember, awaiting your call
To rise up in triumph should we all unite
The spark for change is yours to ignite."
Kalandra - The State of the World
Check out post #5 above
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
It has no been fulfilled in the slightest as thats only one subclass thats super limited in what it can do and the new PDK isnt going to be much different by the looks of it. 5e needs more classes and subclasses and not just old ones taken and reworded slightly so they can be sold again for $50 to $70. 3rd party companies are able to provide more then wotc have given us for also way cheaper.
While I respect your opinion and desire for such a thing, it is also 80% impractical.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
May i ask how you think its 80% impractical?
How many dungeons/adventures can accommodate a dragon?
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Exactly this, plus a few others mentioned above. If they mirror the Drake Warden and give you a dragon that grows over time you can very quickly end up in a situation where any time you’re in a dungeon or even just inside your dragon can’t fit and suddenly you not just don’t have a subclass but you don’t have a class. Want to go to a city? Dragon has to stay outside or you’ll terrify all the locals. Underground? Dragon won’t fit. In a heavily forested area? Dragon can’t fit between trees. It’s a class that your DM will need to write campaigns specifically around you rather than you writing a character that fits their world
Plus a Dragon is no slouch and such a class effectively adds a dragon's power to the party, as well as being a highly intelligent, independent being. Why would the dragon want a rider, especially one as an implied master?
Drakes are dragon type but not true dragons. As such they are considerably weaker and smaller. The drake warden drake doesn’t reach large size until L15 so it should be able to go pretty much anywhere a PC can go. For comparison I looked up a few true dragons in the new MM - wyrmlings are CR1 and medium size, young lungs are CR6 and large size so even they could go anywhere a PC can typically go. Further they all seem to ( I didn’t check all of them) have the ability to change into beast or humanoid forms. So it would not be unreasonable for a tier 3/4 PC to actually have a youngling dragon as a “partner” and for them to actually have as a rider and mount when needed. Back in 1e rangers got a number of followers at L9/10 and there was a (small) chance one could be a dragon. As a DM I’ve done similar things near the end of campaigns. In the Tiamat campaign the party initially took the wyverns as mounts. At the end as a final reward they each got a youngling bronze as a companion/ mount/ student. Given that they were L13 adding a CR6 “ follower” isn’t really a huge deal.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
So then a dragon, a race that presumably reproduces very seldom, lets their precious child run off with a PC? Plus, they only get more powerful by aging, so the PC would outpace them and you have the same problem as with normal horses, namely them being out grown and becoming more liabilities to protect than any actual benefits.
ok? there are squeezing rules and you could just not run those adventures or do what alot of the community does and homebrew or ask the DM "hey are we going to be in small spaces?" that sounds more like adventure limitations then size ones.