Dragonrider

Table 3–4: The Dragonkith

Class Base Fort Ref Will Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special

1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Scales (natural armor +1), telepathic plea 2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Mighty attack +1d6 3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Detect treasure, energy resistance 5 4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Scales (natural armor +2), telepathic link 5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Mighty attack +2d6 6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Sorcerous knack 7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Scales (natural armor +3), energy resistance 10 8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Mighty attack +3d6 9th +9 +6 +3 +3 Energy resistance 15, share spells 10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Scales (natural armor +4)

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the dragonkith prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A dragonkith gains no proficiency with any weapons, armor, or shields.

Scales (Ex): A dragonkith, over time, develops crusty scales the same color as her dragon companion. At 1st level, this protection adds +1 to the natural armor bonus of the dragonkith, and its natural armor bonus improves by an additional +1 every three levels. If the dragonkith already has natural armor as an aspect of its creature kind (and not from a spell or magic item), this bonus stacks with its existing natural armor bonus.

Telepathic Plea (Su): Wherever a dragonkith is, its dragon companion can send an instantaneous, telepathic plea for help at any time. No details are provided in the message, other than that the dragon is in danger. This communication does not work both ways (the dragonkith cannot alert the dragon).

Mighty Attack (Su): At 2nd level, once per day, a dragonkith can call upon its dragon’s might to deal an extra 1d6 points of damage on a single attack. The dragonkith must decide before an attack is resolved whether it will use this power. If the attack misses, that use of the mighty attack is wasted. For every three levels beyond 2nd, the damage increases by another 1d6.

Detect Treasure (Sp): Once per day, a dragonkith of 3rd level or higher can use a detect treasure ability. This works like the detect magic spell, except that it senses Medium or smaller objects that are worth more than 100 gp. On the first round, the dragonkith detects the presence of such objects; on the second round, the power reveals the number of objects and the location of each. In each subsequent round, the dragonkith can make an Appraise check to estimate the value of one object.

Energy Resistance (Su): A dragonkith develops an ever stronger resistance to the energy associated with its dragon companion’s breath weapon. Beginning at 3rd level, it can ignore some damage of the type generated by its dragon companion’s breath weapon. This ability applies to sources of the energy type other than the dragon companion’s breath weapon. Thus, a dragonkith with a red dragon companion gains resistance to fire 5 at 3rd level, effective against fire from any source. This resistance improves to 10 at 7th level and to 15 at 9th level. In the case of dragons with multiple breath weapons, the dragonkith gains resistance to one type of damaging breath.

Telepathic Link (Su): At 4th level, a dragonkith develops a telepathic link with its companion dragon out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The dragonkith and dragon can communicate telepathically. Because of this link, one has the same connection to an item or place that the other does. For instance, if the dragonkith has seen a room, its dragon companion can teleport into that room as if she had seen it too.

Sorcerous Knack (Sp): At 6th level, a dragonkith acquires the ability to cast a single arcane spell once per day as a sorcerer of its class level. The dragonkith must choose a spell known to its dragon companion, and it must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level to use the spell by means of the sorcerous knack ability. Once the spell is chosen, that decision can never be changed.

Share Spells (Su): At either the dragon’s or the dragonkith’s option, any spell one casts on itself also affects the other. The two must be touching at the time. If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting them if they move farther than 100 feet apart. The spell’s effect will not be restored even if they return to each other before the duration would otherwise have ended. The dragon and dragonkith can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of their respective types.

DRAGONRIDER

Some dream of soaring through the clouds atop a mighty draconic steed, feeling the wind on their faces, afraid of nothing. The dragonrider doesn’t simply dream of this life—he leads it.

Characters of all classes may become dragonriders, though the most common are barbarians, fighters, paladins, and rangers. Other characters looking to follow this path often pick up a level of one of these classes first, to gain the riding talent necessary.

An NPC dragonrider might be encountered as a solitary ally of a family of dragons or as part of a larger fighting force, perhaps affiliated with a kingdom or city-state that uses dragons as part of its defenses.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To qualify to become a dragonrider, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.