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Table 3–14: Dragon Cohorts
Some paladins want more from a mount than loyalty. Some desire an intelligent companion who can share their adventures, a mighty ally against the forces of evil whose power can grow with the paladin’s. For these paladins, only one choice exists: the dragon special mount. Clearly, a dragon is a far more powerful special mount than any other a paladin could obtain. If a paladin can simply summon a dragon mount, a class feature designed primarily as flavor and secondarily as an actual power boost to the paladin becomes significant more useful to the character. Such a special mount threatens to become more special than the paladin herself. Furthermore, most true dragons large enough to bear a rider have little interest in being at the beck and call of anyone, even a character as devoted to law and good as a paladin must be. That said, few sights are more breathtaking than a paladin astride a mighty dragon, its scales glistening in the sunlight as it soars through the sky in search of evil to smite. If you (and your friends) are willing to put up with the headaches, this option might suit you. Only a lawful good dragon should be allowed to serve as a paladin’s special mount. The dragonnel (see Chapter 4) is a special exception to this guideline. A paladin who wishes to be able to summon a dragon special mount must select the Dragon Steed feat (see page 105). She then selects an appropriate dragon from Table 3–15: Dragon Special Mount Availability based on her paladin level. She may select any dragon indicated as available at her level or lower. For instance, a 9th-level paladin could select only a dragonnel as her dragon special mount, while a 12th-level paladin could choose either a wyrmling gold dragon or a dragonnel. The paladin must choose a dragon capable of bearing her as a rider (which limits a Medium rider’s selections).
CHAPTER 3:
level of cohort you can attract. Note that even though the table lists dragons with an ECL higher than 17, you can’t use the Leadership feat to attract a cohort with a level higher than 17th. Alternatively, the Dragon Cohort feat (see page 104) allows you to attract a draconic cohort. In this case, you can treat the dragon’s ECL as if it were 3 lower than given, allowing you to gain a more powerful dragon than with the Leadership feat. (This adjustment to ECL is only for purposes of selecting an appropriate cohort, not for any other purpose.) Regardless of which feat is used, the method by which the character attracts the dragon cohort should be decided by the player and DM together. Since most of the options listed on Table 3–14 are younger than adult, it’s entirely possible that such a dragon was entrusted to the PC’s care and training by its parents. The character might even have had the opportunity to raise his cohort from an egg! See Raising a Dragon, above, for more information on dealing with young dragons.
DRAGONS AS SPECIAL MOUNTS
THE PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE
Effective Dragon Alignment Character Level* Pseudodragon NG 4 White (wyrmling) CE 5 Brass (wyrmling) CG 6 Black (wyrmling) CE 7 Copper (wyrmling) CG 7 White (very young) CE 9 Black (very young) CE 10 Blue (wyrmling) LE 10 Brass (very young) CG 10 Bronze (wyrmling) LG 10 Green (wyrmling) LE 10 Copper (very young) CG 11 Red (wyrmling) CE 11 Silver (wyrmling) LG 11 Gold (wyrmling) LG 12 White (young) CE 12 Wyvern N 12 Black (young) CE 13 Blue (very young) LE 13 Bronze (very young) LG 13 Green (very young) LE 13 Brass (young) CG 14 Silver (very young) LG 14 Copper (young) CG 15 Red (very young) CE 15 Gold (very young) LG 16 Green (young) LE 16 Black (juvenile) CE 17 Blue (young) LE 17 Brass (juvenile) CG 17 Dragon turtle N 17 White (juvenile) CE 17 Bronze (young) LG 18 Copper (juvenile) CG 18 Silver (young) LG 18 Red (young) CE 19 Gold (young) LG 20 Green (juvenile) LE 20 *Subtract 3 if using the Dragon Cohort feat.
Table 3–15: Dragon Special Mount Availability Paladin Level 9th 11th 12th 13th 14th 16th 18th 19th 20th
Dragon (Maximum Rider Size) Dragonnel (M) Spiked felldrake (M) Gold, wyrmling (S) Bronze, very young (S) Silver, very young (S) Gold, very young (M) Bronze, young (S) Silver, young (S) Gold, young (M)
A paladin must provide her special mount with a suitable lair; even a loyal silver dragon mount won’t live in the stable with the other mounts. The Monster Manual describes what type of lair each kind of dragon prefers; any dragon denied the ability to build and reside in an appropriate lair will certainly rebel against its paladin. The dragon must also be provided treasure to keep in its lair. A minimum hoard of 1,000 gp per Hit Die of the dragon is typical, with the exact makeup depending on the type and likes of the dragon. Bronze dragons, for instance, prefer pearls. (The dragon isn’t just keeping the treasure safe for
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