Dragonrider of Bahamut/Tiamut
Dragonriders are the chosen of the Draconic gods who
represent them in the struggle of good and evil.
Dragonriders are usually Paladins or Clerics, but Fighters
and Barbarians are almost as common. Rogues and
Rangers sometimes take up the calling, but it is rare and
Monk Dragonriders are nearly unheard of.
Arcane spellcasters rarely take up the
mantle of Dragonrider as it usually interferes
with their spellcasting progression.
An NPC dragonrider might be
Dragonrider
encountered as a solitary ally of a family of
dragons or as part of a larger fighting
force, perhaps affiliated with a
kingdom or city-state that worships
draconic deities.
Hit Die: d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Dragon
-rider a character must fulfill all the
following criteria:
Base Attack Bonus: +7
Skills: Handle Animal 4 Ranks, Ride
6 Ranks
Feats: Mounted Combat and Skill
Focus (Ride)
Language: Draconic
Special: Must worship either
Bahamut or Tiamut and have a good
or evil alignment respectively
Class Skills
A Dragonrider’s class skills (and
the key ability for each skill) are
Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con),
Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal
(Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Spot
(Wis), and Tumble (Dex).
Class Features
Weapon Proficiencies: A dragon-
rider gains proficiency with the
lance, longspear, short bow, and all
simple weapons. Dragonriders are
proficient with light, medium, and
heavy armor and with shields.
Table 3-1: Dragonrider of Bahamut/Tiamut
Dragon Mount (Ex): At first level a Dragonrider's god grants him Draconic Immunity (Su): While mounted on or within 10 feet of
a loyal dragon as his mount which must be selected from table 3-2
and must be good aligned if he worships Bahamut and evil aligned
if he worships Tiamut. The only exceptions to this rule are the
Dragonnel and Wyvern which may be chosen by any Dragonrider.
You must perform a special ritual to bond with your new
mount that takes 1 week and 1,000 gp per ECL of the
dragon (the gp cost is not required for the first mount
you recieve). After you have bonded with the mount
it gains special benefits depending on your
character level a shown on table 3-3.
You may dismiss your mount at any time and gain
a new one in its place. The previous mount loses all
benefits of from this class and the new mount
gains them.
If ever your mount dies you cannot gain another
for 30 days or until you gain a character level,
whichever comes first.
Dragonriding (Ex): A dragonrider may add his class
level as a bonus to any Ride checks made in
conjunction with riding a dragon.
Spellcasting: At each even-numbered Dragonrider
level, the character gains new spells per day (and
spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained
a level in a divine spellcasting class to which he
belonged before adding the prestige class level.
He does not, however, gain any other benefit a
character of that class would have gained
(improved chance of turning or destroying
undead, metamagic or item creation feats, and
so on). If the character had more than one divine
spellcasting class before becoming a
Dragonrider, the player must decide to which
class to add each Dragonrider level for the
purpose of determining spells per day and spells
known.
Immune to Frightful Presence (Su): While
mounted on or within 10 feet of his dragon
mount, a dragonrider is immune to the frightful
presence of dragons.
Draconic Renown (Ex): At 3rd level a Dragonrider
may treat his character level as 1 higher when
determining the abilities of his Draconic Mount and
what mounts are available to him. For example, a
Fighter 8/Dragonrider of Bahamut 3 has a
character level of 11, but may treat his character
level as 12 when determining what mounts are
available and how strong his mount is.
At 6th level he may treat his character level as 2
higher and at 9th he may treat it as 3 higher.
Bonus Feat: At 4th level and again at 8th, a
dragonrider gains a bonus feat drawn from the
following list: Mounted Archery, Ride-By Attack,
Spirited Charge, Trample, Weapon Focus(lance),
Weapon Specialization (lance). He must meet all
the prerequisites for this bonus feat.
Table 3-2: Draconic Mounts Available
his dragon mount, a dragonrider is immune to Sleep and Parlysis.
Full mounted attack (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a Dragonrider
may make a full attack when his mount moves more than 5 feet but
no more than a single move action. The character cannot combine
this full attack with a charge action.
Safety in Numbers (Su): Your Dragon Mount can no longer be
permanently killed so long as you survive. If ever your mount dies
Dragonrider
in battle it returns the next day at dawn with full hit points so long
as you are still alive.
If you are both killed and you are returned to life (such as from a
raise dead spell) your mount will also return with you at no extra
cost (this may require you to remove some of your dragons abilities
if you incur any level loss)
Ex-Dragonriders
A Dragonrider who ceases to be Good/Evil or no longer worships
Bahamut/Tiamut respectively loses all class abilities including their
special mount but not armor or weapon proficiencies and may no
longer advance as a Dragonrider until they properly atone (see the
atonement spell, PHB page 201).
In extreme cases a dragon may turn on the rider if the rider
grossly violates the faith of their god.
Table 3-3: Draconic Mount Abilities
Bonus HD: Add an additional number of Hit Dice to the dragons racial not any spell-like ability) he casts on hiself also affect his dragon. The
HD equal to the number shown. The mount gains additional skill points dragon must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit.
or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice (see If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops
the Monster Manual). affecting the dragon if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not
Natural Armor Adj.: The number on the table is an improvement to the affect the dragon again even if it returns to the dragonrider before the
mount’s existing natural armor bonus. It represents the preternatural duration expires. Additionally, the dragonrider may cast a spell with a
toughness of a dragonrider’s mount. target of “You” on his dragon (as a touch range spell) instead of on
Str Adj.: Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score. himself. A dragonrider and his dragon can share spells even if the spells
Empathic Link (Su): The dragonrider has an empathic link with his normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type.
dragon out to a distance of up to 1 mile. He cannot see through the Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the dragon uses its
dragon’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Because of this own base save bonus or the dragonrider’s, whichever is higher. The
empathic link, the dragonrider has the same connection to an item or dragon applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any
place that his mount does, just as with a master and his familiar (see other bonuses on saves that the master might have (such as from magic
Familiars, page 52). items or feats).
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally Improved Speed (Ex): All the dragon’s movement modes increases by
allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, the dragon takes no 10 feet.
damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the Improved Flight (Ex): The dragon improves it manuverabilty by one
saving throw fails. grade e.g. poor to average.
Share Spells: At the dragonrider’s option, he may have any spell (but Spell Resistance (Su): The dragon gains spell resistance equal to 5 plus
the dragonrider’s character level.