Drake Rider
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⟵ Ranger
Drakes are distant cousins of dragons, but where dragons are proud, solitary, and fiercely intelligent, drakes are social creatures closer in intelligence to a horse or a dog. Drake riders have learned how to tame these beasts, and even how to train them for combat.
You have formed a special bond with a drake, to the point of being magically connected to them. Your drake is now large enough to become your steed and well-trained enough to carry you into battle.
Drake Rider¶
| Ranger Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Drake Rider Magic, Draconic Mount, Combat Training |
| 7th | Bond of Fang and Scale |
| 11th | Drake's Breath |
| 15th | Perfected Bond |
Drake Rider Magic¶
3rd-level Drake Rider feature
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Drake Rider Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Drake Rider Spells
| Ranger Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | feather fall |
| 5th | enlarge/reduce |
| 9th | protection from energy |
| 13th | elemental bane |
| 17th | control winds |
Draconic Mount¶
Drake Companion
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 plus PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + PB piercing damage.
3rd-level Drake Rider feature
Your drake is strong enough to enter combat with you. It uses the Drake Companion stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.
You and your drake share an empathic link and can communicate clearly with each other, even if you don't speak the same language. Your drake is solely devoted to you and will not willingly let anyone but you ride it. It follows your commands without question and will protect you with its life if necessary.
Choose a type for your drake from the Drake Types table below. Your drake gains resistance to its element type as shown in the Drake Types table.
Drake Types¶
| Drake Color | Element Type | Breath Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Blue | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Brass | Fire | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Bronze | Lightning | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Copper | Acid | 5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save) |
| Gold | Fire | 15 ft. cone (Dex. Save) |
| Green | Poison | 15 ft. cone (Con. Save) |
| Red | Fire | 15 ft. cone (Dex. Save) |
| Silver | Cold | 15 ft. cone (Con. Save) |
| White | Cold | 15 ft. cone (Con. Save) |
In combat, your drake acts as a Controlled mount, meaning it acts on your turn and can only take the Dash, Disengage, and Dodge actions, whether you're mounted on it or not, unless you use 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 drake can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
If your drake 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 rare herbs and fine food, you call forth your drake's spirit and use your magic to create a new body for it. You can return your drake to life in this manner even if you do not possess any part of its body.
Combat Training¶
3rd-level Drake Rider feature
While mounted on your drake, whenever you make the Attack action, you can command your drake to use its Bite attack on any creature within its reach. The drake can only make one Bite attack per turn, unless some other effect allows it to take multiple actions on its turn, like haste.
Bond of Fang and Scale¶
7th-level Drake Rider feature
You and your drake gain the following benefits:
- Growth Spurt. Choose one of the following:
- The drake gains a swimming speed of 40 feet and can breathe both air and water.
- The drake's wings mature, and it gains a flying speed of 40 feet.
- Magic Fang. The drake's Bite attack deals an extra 1d6 damage of its element type.
- Resistance. You gain resistance to your drake's element type.
Drake's Breath¶
11th-level Drake Rider feature
While mounted on your drake, you can use a bonus action to command it to use its breath weapon. Each creature in the breath weapon's area must make a saving throw against a DC of 10 + your proficiency bonus, taking 8d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The area of the breath weapon, type of saving throw, and type of damage are determined by your drake's type, as shown in the Drake Types table.
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 Drake Rider feature
Your bond with your drake reaches the pinnacle of its power. You and your drake gain the following benefits:
- Empowered Bite. The drake's Bite attack deals an extra 1d6 damage of its element type (for a total of 2d6 extra damage).
- Matured Flame Sacs. Your drake now regains its use of its breath weapon at the end of a short or long rest.
- Reflexive Resistance. When either you or your drake takes damage while you're within 30 feet of each other, you can use your reaction to give yourself or your drake resistance to that instance of damage. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Source: Homebrew