Pegasus Rider

A re-worked variant of Drakewarden, with a focus on mounted combat starting at level three.

When good positioning fails, this subclass takes damage for their mount, allowing mounts to survive in places where they otherwise wouldn't and letting the player fulfill the fantasy of mounted combat from the get go.

This subclass encourages ranged combat and supports hit-and-run tactics.

Note: The Peculiar Warhorse statblock is identical to the pegasus statblock, excluding movement speed. Your mount gains a flying speed at level 7.

As One

3rd-Level Pegasus Rider Feature

You are adept at keeping your mount out of harms way. Your mount shares your AC. If your mount would take damage, you can choose to take that damage instead. Damage taken this way cannot be resisted or negated.

Additionally, you gain the following benefits:

Animal Friendship.You learn the animal friendship cantrip, which is a ranger spell for you.

Friend to Animals. You gain expertise in the animal handling skill.

Peculiar Warhorse Companion

3rd-Level Pegasus Rider Feature

As an action, you can magically summon your warhorse that is bound to you. It appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within 30 feet of you.

The warhorse is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See its game statistics in the accompanying Peculiar Warhorse Companion stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. Whenever you summon the warhorse, you can determine the cosmetic characteristics of the warhorse, such as its color; your choice has no effect on its game statistics.

In combat, the warhorse 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 warhorse can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.

The warhorse remains until it is reduced to 0 hit points, until you use this feature to summon the warhorse again, or until you die. Anything the warhorse was wearing or carrying is left behind when the warhorse vanishes.

Once you summon the warhorse, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher to summon it.

 

Bond of Wing and Mane

7th-Level Pegasus Rider Feature

The bond you share with your mount intensifies, protecting you and causing a radical shift in your mount. Your warhorse has become a pegasus, gaining a flying speed equal to its walking speed when carrying a rider.

In addition, while your pegasus is summoned, you and the pegasus gain the following benefits:

Pegasus Mount. The warhorse has underwent a transformation, sprouting wings and becoming a pegasus. It gains a flying speed equal to its walking speed when carrying a rider.

Thunder of Hooves. The pegasus's Hoof attack deals an additional 1d6 of thunder damage.

Resistance. You gain resistance to the radiant damage.

Radiant Resistance

You gain resistance to the radiant damage.

Holy Lance

11th-Level Pegasus Rider Feature

As an action, you can fire a 90-foot beam of radiant light or cause your pegasus to fire it. Each creature in the beam must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 8d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

This damage increases to 10d6 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.

Perfected Bond

15th-Level Pegasus Rider Feature

Your bond to your pegasus reaches the pinnacle of its power. While your pegasus is summoned, you and the pegasus gain the following benefits:

Empowered Hoof. The pegasus’s Hoof attack deals an extra 1d6 thunder damage (for a total of 2d6 extra damage).

Fast as the Wind. The pegasus is a master of the skies. Its flying speed increases by 10 ft. Additionally, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on attack rolls made against you or your pegasus. You can use this ability proficiency bonus times per long rest.

Freedom of the Skies. While mounted, neither you or your pegasus can be immobilized via magical means. You and your pegasus ignore all difficult terrain, magical and non-magical, and all effects that would reduce either's movement speed are ignored. Any spell that would stop movement all together, such as hold monster, automatically fail. However, if a spell impedes movement but has other effects (such as damage), only the movement impediment part of the spell fails. Spells and magical effects that confine you and your pegasus, but don't stop movement within that space, such as forcecage, act as normal.