Help..I need a dragon rider!

[Starchild7309]

Ok so as the title says I want to make a Dragon Rider. All books are legal, no dragon magazine (except the Dragon compendium), no 3rd party stuff.

I want to have this guy around 15th lvl, give or take one level. His alignment doesn't matter, evil would be better though. My main issue is I want him to ride a true dragon, not a lesser dragon. Is it even possible? I would like him to be human, but I can be flexible if there is a good reason. The problem I am seeing is that if he is medium, he needs a large dragon as a mount and not even seeing that as an option in the books. Also, and I will admit this is probably just sickness and laziness thrown together, but what build would you use? I am open to any suggestions. He doesn't have to be high optimization, just a decent playable character. Any questions or need any more clarification, please let me know.

[Gavinfoxx]

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7414

[atemu1234]

I recommend diplomacy for the dragon to listen to him or maybe something from Draconomicon and/or Dragon Magic.

[Red Fel]

Easiest method? Dragon Cohort, feat from Draconomicon. Requires level 9 and the ability to speak Draconic. You gain a Dragon - a True Dragon - as a cohort. In theory, you could ride it into battle once it got large enough. Cohorts are cool like that. The Dragon Lord PrC (Dragon Magic) can further augment this feat.

Another option is the Dragon Rider PrC from the Dragonlance Campaign Setting. It requires +10 BAB and some feat investment, but it grants you a Dragon cohort with the understanding that you will ride that bad boy, along with various mounted abilities.

[D4rkh0rus]

If you can convince your DM to grab the dragonnel, rip out its picture and replace it with one of an actual dragon, a paladin (or cleric with prestige paladin) can take the dragon steed feat, or was it cohort? one from draconomicon, effectively gaining a mount that grows with him. Add in cavalier prestige and mounted combat/power attack feats for the charge antics, 1 lvl of barbarian for pounce and tada, have fun diving down with a valorous lance dealing x6 dmg :P

for your evil stuff, paladin of tyranny is right there, smiling.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Zhentarim Skymage (LoD) can get any flying creature as a mount, the only limit is that it can't have more HD than class level +cha +1. It also gets a bunch of bonus feats, full caster progression and the ability to share spells with its mount. With some focus on charisma you can ride a very young red as early as level 6.

[DMVerdandi]

Yeah, Dragon Cohort is the easiest way. It will take a while before you can attract large dragons, so, what is the rest of the build going to look like? You could REALLY deck it out and play as a draconic wizard, with a dragon familiar, and then wait until level 9, when you could get a cohort.

I am wondering what exactly you want to do when riding it. Is it just going to be a mount? A means of travel? Because dragons are so much more than that. Keeping one large and under is generally a good idea, as dragons get too big as they age.


So, as of now, I know you are going to be a level xx character, with xx feats.
I suggest being a wizard. The spells it can get to improve dragons in the draconomicon and other books make it brilliant. Plus as said, draconic familiar, and it gets draconic polymorph.

You thought a bear summoning bears was bad?

Also, try to get spell points.
That way you can spam breath weapons.
Thirdly, use the other books to learn how to...cough cough, train your dragon.
Metabreath feats are good. Class levels are good. If you can have the dragon take some decent levels. sorcerer gets them started casting early.

[rg9000]

You don't need a dragon cohort to start.
Cohort w/c average intelligence can be polymorphed w/c polymorph any object into a black dragon (juvenile) for less than 2000 gp (90*CL of caster)
Modifier list:
Same Kingdom: Animal +5
Same or lower intelligence (black dragon's is 10): +2
Same size: Medium +2
= 9 (Duration: Permanent)

[Red Fel]

You don't need a dragon cohort to start.
Cohort w/c average intelligence can be polymorphed w/c polymorph any object into a black dragon (juvenile) for less than 2000 gp (90*CL of caster)
Modifier list:
Same Kingdom: Animal +5
Same or lower intelligence (black dragon's is 10): +2
Same size: Medium +2
= 9 (Duration: Permanent)

PAO is an 8th-level spell. This guy wants a follower as early as possible. Something tells me that waiting until 16th level isn't going to cut it here. Particularly when you realize that PAO can be dispelled.

If you want a True Dragon to work for you, accept no substitutes.

[The Viscount]

By 15th level you can have 10 levels of Wearer of Purple. It's an evil dragonriding class, qualifying will require a bit of multiclassing but isn't too difficult. The important thing is the capstone, which lets you rebuke dragons or dracoliches. Use some items and buffs to crank up your level and you can get a pretty potent mount.

[ericgrau]

Large red and gold dragons have the lowest true dragon ECL in MM1. But IIRC they're wyrmlings which Draconomicon says are unlikely to leave their parents, or even accept an adopting human who hatches him, even a good aligned one. But... you could backstory up something about how a dragon overcomes his instinctive disrespect for lesser beings, at least towards you. And his parents died or something.

[rg9000]

PAO is an 8th-level spell. This guy wants a follower as early as possible. Something tells me that waiting until 16th level isn't going to cut it here. Particularly when you realize that PAO can be dispelled.

If you want a True Dragon to work for you, accept no substitutes.
I kinda assumed you would be buying it from an 16th level caster, for the price in the PH (80*16) gp

[DMVerdandi]

By 15th level you can have 10 levels of Wearer of Purple. It's an evil dragonriding class, qualifying will require a bit of multiclassing but isn't too difficult. The important thing is the capstone, which lets you rebuke dragons or dracoliches. Use some items and buffs to crank up your level and you can get a pretty potent mount.

You can do that as an ACF for cleric in Dragon Magazine. Essentially a level in cleric does that. Not only that, but you can also get domain powers from it.