Dragon Rider PCs

[Nagog]

So I have another one-shot planned, this one with the main gimmick or feature being the PCs have large animal mounts, typically different types of Dragons (Akin to Eragon- The book, not that abomination that hit the screens). What are some good stat blocks to use for the dragons that would keep them from absolutely breaking the game, but still give the PCs a respectably powerful ally/mount to use? The PCs will be level 10 for the duration

[Fable Wright]

Treat it as though all PCs had cast Summon Greater Steed, except each steed is under a permanent Dragon's Breath effect. Rhino stat block, or griffon, or pegasus. Call it a 5th level breath effect for 6d6 damage per go, to put it in the stronger side, or 4d6 if you're worried about massed AoEs.

[Hypersmith]

Here's my take on it - if PCs are getting full dragons as mounts, Ala Eragon, go all the way. Let them have the full power stat block, and throw some seriously tough encounters their way.

If you're looking for something more along the lines of find greater steed, I'd say go for a guard drake stat block. Change the swim speed to a fly speed, give them a breath weapon, voila.

[Nagog]

Treat it as though all PCs had cast Summon Greater Steed, except each steed is under a permanent Dragon's Breath effect. Rhino stat block, or griffon, or pegasus. Call it a 5th level breath effect for 6d6 damage per go, to put it in the stronger side, or 4d6 if you're worried about massed AoEs.


Here's my take on it - if PCs are getting full dragons as mounts, Ala Eragon, go all the way. Let them have the full power stat block, and throw some seriously tough encounters their way.

If you're looking for something more along the lines of find greater steed, I'd say go for a guard drake stat block. Change the swim speed to a fly speed, give them a breath weapon, voila.

These sound great! Also, I've never read the description of a Peryton before looking into the stats blocks behind Find Greater Steed, and they've instantly become my favorite creatures.

As for Full Dragons Hypersmith, I want something similar in power to their PCs to prevent their PCs from becoming neglected afterthoughts. If my mount can polymorph into whatever I need to be, what's the point of the human on their back?

[Brookshw]

I don't know anything about Eragon, but why not just use wyverns?

[DrLoveMonkey]

Well Young Dragons all have no legendary actions, pretty decent stats and are still large enough to ride. You just might run into trouble because with 5 PCs, say, you might have dragons from both ends of the spectrum, white to red for example, and have a bit of a power gap in mounts there. Unfortunately that doesn't really work if you want them to be sat astride a huge monsterous dragon. More more like image 1 vs 2. put in spoiler tags to not explode the thread.


https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/8e9db6a0-f260-4191-bcfe-0e474aa654b1/d9r4ajf-81fa4582-7041-480f-8405-fcb9366771b4.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJ IUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQz NzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZT BkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6 W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzhlOWRiNmEwLWYyNjAtNDE5MS1iY2 ZlLTBlNDc0YWE2NTRiMVwvZDlyNGFqZi04MWZhNDU4Mi03MDQx LTQ4MGYtODQwNS1mY2I5MzY2NzcxYjQuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIj pbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.icrFLdoW setUXKphf5hLDcr6TK5f49HcW99UBJL9NU0

https://live.staticflickr.com/3888/14424637483_b53eb61f40_b.jpg

I might just suggest bring the breath weapon down to once per short rest or something, otherwise their stats should be quite powerful, as is fitting for a dragon, but should at least end up close to what the PCs can come up with. Or if you want to tone it down so that the Dragons are solidly the lesser combatants remove multiattack as well, also that should make combats go faster.

[Zaltman]

Aerial combat will obviously be important. Have you found any good dogfight rules?

[Nagog]

Aerial combat will obviously be important. Have you found any good dogfight rules?

I haven't yet, I figure I'll burn that bridge when we get to it. We usually play without models and such, so if the DM says they're in range of attacks, they're in range and can be hit.