Dragon Rider

All dragon knights can call themselves members of the Rider Practice, Elemental Practice, Valiant Practice, Platinum Practice, or Shadow Practice. The Rider Practice focuses on working in sync with their dragon: both in and out of the heat of combat. The bond between knight and dragon is highly valued by those of the Rider Practice. The Elemental Practice heightens their battle skill with magic, believing that the only true way to bond with their dragons is reflect their destructive powers with magic. The Valiant Practice use a banner to support their allies in the heat of battle. The Platinum Practice uses the divine magic of Bahamut to support their allies, protecting them with their divine armour. The Shadow Practice uses misdirection and guile to gain the upper hand in all situations. 

Covenant

Each dragon knight has a different story to tell when it comes to how they met their dragon. The way a dragon and knight first meet often set up how they interact for the rest of their lives, and a bad first impression can prove disasterous to their bond.

When you consider the creation of this covenant, also consider the following: were you and your dragon both willing, and does your character ever regret the bond?

Dragon Companion

At 1st level, you gain the service of a dragon hatchling, whose statistics can be found at the end of this class description. The dragon's colour is the chosen covenant colour.

If you are ever slain (in battle or otherwise), your dragon will also die after a number of hours equal to your dragon knight level, during which it will attempt to do everything in its power to return you to life.

If your dragon companion is ever slain, the magical bond you share allows you to return it to life. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 25 gp worth of precious gems per your dragon knight level, you can call forth your companion's  

In addition, the dragon cannot have its size increased beyond large (but would still gain the extra benefits of the enlarge/reduce spell, for example). The dragon's level is equal to your dragon knight level for the purpose of calculating spells like polymorph and true polymorph.

Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your dragon's abilities also improve. Your dragon can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your dragon can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Your dragon shares your alignment, and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your dragon shares your ideal, and its bond is always "I will protect my knight; I will do the best I can for my knight; I will die for my knight."

 

Rider Practice

The bond between a dragon knight and their dragon is strong, but those of the Rider Practice take that even further beyond. They seek to live and to die beside their dragon, a sentiment shared by the dragon itself. While not all riders mount their dragons, those who don't are rare. Those of the Rider Practice fight in tandem with their dragon, and win in tandem with them.

Dragon's Claw

Dragon's Claw

Starting at 3rd level, you and your dragon are able to co-ordinate to disorientate your enemies. When both you and your dragon are within 5 feet of a hostile creature, the creature has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn't target you or your dragon.

Additionally, when a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to attempt to grapple or shove the creature.

Dragon's Eye

Dragon's Eye

At 3rd level, you and your dragon's keen understanding of each other allows you to better act in battle. You and your dragon can add your Charisma modifier to each of your initiative rolls.

Additionally, if you can see your dragon, creatures that it can see don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden from you.

Coordinated Attack (Dragon and rider)

Coordinated Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you and your dragon companion form a more potent fighting team. When you take the Attack action on your turn, if your dragon companion can see or hear you, it can use its reaction to make a melee weapon attack.

Wyrmling Advancement (dragon trait)

Wyrmling Advancement

Also at 5th level, your dragon companion continues to grow, and gains the following benefits:

• Its claw attacks deal an additional 1d4 slashing damage.
• Its flying speed increases by 15 feet, and it’s other speeds increase by 5 feet.
• The dragon's wings are stronger, and it no longer falls to the ground if it ends its turn in the air.

Breath Weapon (Dragon)

Breath Weapon

Starting at 6th level, your dragon has developed the glands to shoot raw, destructive elements from its mouth, with the saving throw calculated as follows:

Rending Strikes

Rending Strikes

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

Dragon's Scale

Dragon's Scale

Starting at 7th level, if your dragon is within 5 feet of you, it can protect you from a creature it can see as an action. Until the start of the dragon's next turn, the creature's attack rolls against you have disadvantage. If your dragon isn't within 5 feet of you, the effect ends.

Additionally, you can use an action to stabilize your dragon, without needing to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check. When stabilized this way, your dragon will regain 1 hit point after 1d4 minutes instead of 1d4 hours.

Young Advancement

Young Advancement

At 9th level, your dragon companion still grows, and gains the additional following benefits:

• The dragon's size is now large.
• Its flying speed increases by 15 feet, and it’s other speeds increase by 5 feet.
• As long as your dragon can see you, it has advantage on all saving throws.

Dragon's Wing

Dragon's Wing

Starting at 10th level, you and your dragon rule the sky. Mounting and dismounting your dragon only costs 5 feet of movement instead of half your speed, you have advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off your dragon, and neither you or your dragon take falling damage if you fall 20 feet or less.

Additionally, your dragon can fly up to 20 feet in a straight line upward as an action. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Draconic Nature

Draconic Nature

Beginning at 11th level, the dragon's claw attacks deal an additional 1d4 slashing damage, you gain resistance to the damage type appropriate to your dragon, and can choose one of the following benefits:

Scales. A thin layer of scales covers your body. While you are not wearing armour, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier. You can still wield a shield and get this benefit.

Eyes. Your eyes become dragon-like, and you gain proficiency in the Perception and Investigation skills. You also have advantage on any (Wisdom) Perception or (Intelligence) Investigation checks based on sight.

Tail. Your spine extends and you grow a scaled, muscular tail. Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, you can whip around and attempt to shove a creature within 10 feet of you as a bonus action.

Titanic Roar

Titanic Roar

Starting at 14th level, your dragon can let loose a vicious roar, filling nearby creatures with dread.

As an action on its turn, your dragon can roar. Any number of creatures of its choice within 20 feet of the dragon must make a Wisdom saving throw against the dragon's breath weapon DC. On a failed save, creatures are frightened by the dragon for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn, ending the effect on a success.

Once your dragon has used this ability, it can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Dragon's Fang

Dragon's Fang

Starting at 15th level, you and your dragon are able to tear through your enemies. If your dragon moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a bite attack in the same turn, the target takes an extra 2d10 piercing damage.

Additionally, your dragon can use an action to rampage and make a claw attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of it, with a separate attack roll for each target. If you're within 5 feet of your dragon when they rampage, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against each creature within your reach that was attacked by your dragon during their rampage. Your dragon can't rampage again until you finish a short or long rest.

Ancient Resistance

Ancient Resistance

At 17th level, you can shrug off even the most dangerous effects. Whenever you or your dragon would fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. You can't do so again until you finish a long rest.

Dragon's Presence

Dragon's Presence

Starting at 18th level, the range of Titanic Roar is increased to 120 feet, creatures that are frightened of your dragon have a speed of 0, and when you or your dragon hit a creature that is frightened of your dragon with a weapon attack, the attack is considered a critical hit.

Essence of the Covenant