Dragon Rider?

[AzazelSephiroth]

Hey all. I am a part time player, part time DM of 3.5 and I have been trying for a while now to figure out how to make Dragon Riders viable as a class/organization. I know I have always wanted to play a Rider and I have some friends who would love to play as well. Does anyone out here have any ideas for class rules or abilities I am working on one myself but am still trying to figure out how to post tables and such in the forums... sorry newbie to forums tech

[Pharaoh's Fist]

They take levels in Ruathar to become more elvish.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Hey all. I am a part time player, part time DM of 3.5 and I have been trying for a while now to figure out how to make Dragon Riders viable as a class/organization. I know I have always wanted to play a Rider and I have some friends who would love to play as well. Does anyone out here have any ideas for class rules or abilities I am working on one myself but am still trying to figure out how to post tables and such in the forums... sorry newbie to forums tech

Pick up Draconomicon, it has the most rules on building characters that have close relationships with Dragons.

[crimson77]

I have been trying for a while now to figure out how to make Dragon Riders viable as a class/organization.

I created a homebrewed cavalier class that is a modified version of the AD&D 1st edition cavalier.

You do not get to ride dragons until 16th level but you can ride other mounts before that in a more balanced progression.

[Fizban]

There are plenty of dragonrider classes in various splatbooks, but the problem is that they usually make you ride a non-true dragon like a wyvern, because true dragons are so powerful that by the time it's big enough to carry you, you're epic. To that end, I suggest a feat idea cribbed from a Dragonlance sourcebook, that allows the creature to carry loads and riders as if it was one size larger. Once you have that in place you can just use the leardership feat, or Dragon Cohort (same deal but no followers and bigger dragon), or somesuch.

Actually, if you can get your hands on the Dragonlance sourcebooks they've got the most and most effective dragon riding support I've seen.

[Emy]

Actually, if you can get your hands on the Dragonlance sourcebooks they've got the most and most effective dragon riding support I've seen.

Including the Dragon Rider class, which gives you a Dragon cohort equal to your own level (instead of 2 lower), and also treats its ECL as 3 lower, for a dragon that's a total of 5 ECL above a normal cohort. It's much better than the Draconomicon "Dragonrider" class.

Other than that, the most effective ways to ride a dragon are probably:

• Share Spells + Polymorph on a familiar. Also if you make yourself really tiny you could do this at earlier levels by alter selfing a pseudodragon familiar into a wyrmling shadow dragon.
• Zhentarim Skymage (which is heavily abusable)
• Paladin/Beastmaster/Halfling Outrider that takes a dragon mount with the Dragon Mount feat (since there are some options with that feat exclusive to Paladins).

edit: itemized list
edit #2: the feat he alludes to is Mighty Steed from Bestiary of Krynn.

[Starscream]

Pick up Draconomicon, it has the most rules on building characters that have close relationships with Dragons.

There's an actual "Dragonrider" prestige class in Draconomicon as well.

Lessee...

*Add your class level to all checks to ride the danged thing
*Dragon's maneuverability improves by a step
*Immunity to Frightful Presence
*Bonus to concentration checks when casting spells while mounted
*A mount related bonus feat
*Free Flyby Attack
*Make a ride check to increase the dragons speed by 50%
*Two good saves, d10 HD and full BaB

Not too shabby, although it doesn't do much to help you get one of the bloody lizards to let you ride it in the first place.

I agree with Emy, the Dragonlance version is better, seeing as it gives you an actual dragon. This one kind of assumes you already have one.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Apologies. Mistook the OP for a Eragon fanboy.

[AzazelSephiroth]

Thanks guys... I dont have the dragonlance but I have a friend who does. I will try checking it out.

[dspeyer]

Draconomicon also has rules for dragon paladin mounts. They're workable, but it helps a lot to be small. It might be possible to have a mount your size and then magically enlarge it (is there a spell Enlarge Dragon?).

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Draconomicon also has rules for dragon paladin mounts. They're workable, but it helps a lot to be small. It might be possible to have a mount your size and then magically enlarge it (is there a spell Enlarge Dragon?).

Psionics has a power, I'm sure, or you could Reduce yourself. Heh. Tiny Paladin, small Dragon, charging an Ogre. Killer Gnome v3.

[Emy]

Psionics has a power, I'm sure, or you could Reduce yourself. Heh. Tiny Paladin, small Dragon, charging an Ogre. Killer Gnome v3.

More like Killer Halfling.

Gnomes don't have any mount-based PrCs that can compete with Halfling Outrider.

[raptor1056]

i lurve halfling outrider. I think that a requirement should be naming your dog.