The Copper Scale Knights are paragons of valor and leadership who partner with copper dragons. Such knights aspire to protect the innocent and rally fellow adventurers to the causes of justice and freedom. Although the Copper Dragons were originally founded in Vasselheim, new recruits are enlisted from any realms where chivalry is in abundance, including the Clovis Concord, Tal'dorei, and Ank'harel. Characters with this subclass are special among the order. Unlike most Copper Dragons, who partner with copper dragons who’ve already reached adulthood, a Copper Dragon Knight character mystically bonds with a copper dragon hatchling. This bond irrevocably transforms both dragon and knight, allowing the dragon to grow in strength alongside its partner knight.

Level 3: Knightly Envoy

You learn one language of your choice, which you choose from the language tables in the Player’s Handbook. Additionally, you can cast the Comprehend Languages spell but only as a Ritual. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.

Level 3: Copper Dragon Companion

You are bonded with an amethyst dragon hatchling that serves as your copper dragon companion and uses the Copper Dragon Companion stat block. The copper dragon is Friendly to you and your allies and obeys your commands.

The Dragon in Combat. In combat, the dragon acts during your turn. It can move and use its Reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action unless you take a Bonus Action to command it to take an action in its stat block or some other action. If you have the Incapacitated condition, the dragon acts on its own and isn’t limited to the Dodge action.

The Dragon as a Mount. The dragon can be used as a mount if you are a creature of its size or smaller. However, while you’re riding it, the dragon falls at the end of a turn if it’s airborne and the only thing holding it aloft is its Fly Speed.

Resurrecting the Dragon. If the dragon companion has died within the last hour, you can take a Magic action to touch the dragon and expend a use of your Second Wind. The dragon returns to life after 1 minute with all its Hit Points restored. Otherwise, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to resurrect the dragon; this ceremony can be performed as part of a Short or Long Rest.

Copper Dragon Companion

Medium Dragon, Chaotic Good

AC 13 plus your Charisma modifier

HP 5 plus five times your Fighter level (the dragon has a number of Hit Dice [d6s] equal to your Fighter level)

Speed 30 ft., Climb 30 ft., Fly 30 ft.

Resistance Acid

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 11

Languages Understands the languages you know

CR None (XP 0; PB equals your Proficiency Bonus)

Traits

Stalwart Bond. Add your Proficiency Bonus to any ability check or saving throw the dragon makes.

Actions

Rend. Melee Attack Roll: Bonus equals your Proficiency Bonus plus your Charisma modifier, reach 5 ft. Hit: 1d6 + 2 plus your Charisma modifier Acid damage.

Slowing Breath (1/Short or Long Rest). Constitution Saving Throw:DC 8 plus your Proficiency Bonus plus your Charisma modifier, each creature in a 15-foot Cone. Failure: The target can’t take Reactions; its Speed is halved; and it can take either an action or a Bonus Action on its turn, not both. This effect lasts until the end of its next turn.

Level 7: Rallying Surge

When you use your Action Surge, you can choose up to three allies within a 30-foot Emanation originating from you. Each ally can take a Reaction to use one of the following options.

Advance. The ally makes one attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike. If your purple dragon is one of the allies using Advance, the dragon can make one Rend attack.

Retreat. The ally moves up to half its Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks.

Level 10: Dragon Rider

Dragon Mount.  The copper dragon grows to Large size, and both its Speed and its Fly Speed increase to 40 feet. Additionally, the dragon no longer falls at the end of a turn if airborne while you’re riding it. It takes you only 5 feet of movement to mount or dismount the dragon.

Improved Slowing Breath. The dragon’s Slowing Breath becomes a 30-foot Cone. When a creature fails its saving throw against that Slowing Breath, the creature also cannot take Reactions until the end of your next turn.

Shared Second Wind. When you use your Second Wind to regain Hit Points, the dragon also regains the same amount of Hit Points, and it regains one use of its Slowing Breath.

Level 15: Peak Bond

Tandem Attack. When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forego one of your attacks to command the dragon to make one Rend attack. Alternatively, you can forego two of your attacks to command the dragon to use Slowing Breath.

Surge Breath Weapon. When you choose your dragon companion as one of the targets of your rallying surge ability, they may use their breath weapon in place of a rend attack.

Level 18: Enduring Commander

You and your copper dragon have Resistance to Radiant and Immunity to Acid damage.