Dragons as Special Mounts

Table 3–14: Dragon Cohorts

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.

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

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).

Table 3–15: Dragon Special Mount Availability

Paladin Level Dragon (Maximum Rider Size)

9th Dragonnel (M) 11th Spiked felldrake (M) 12th Gold, wyrmling (S) 13th Bronze, very young (S) 14th Silver, very young (S) 16th Gold, very young (M) 18th Bronze, young (S) 19th Silver, young (S) 20th 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

Table 3–16: Special Dragon Mount Abilities

——— Paladin Level (by Mount’s Availability)* ———- Bonus Natural Str 9th 10th–13th 14th–17th 18th–20th HD Armor Adj.Adj. Int Special

9th–10th 10th–14th 14th–18th 18th–20th +2 +4 +1 6 Improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, share saving throws 11th–14th 15th–18th 19th–20th +4 +6 +2 7 Improved speed 15th–18th 19th–20th +6 +8 +3 8 Command creatures of its kind 19th–20th +8 10 +4 9 Spell resistance * The boldface column headers (9th, 10th–13th, etc.) represent the paladin level (or range of levels) at which a mount becomes available (as shown on Table 3–15). The number ranges below the header in each column are the paladin levels at which the special dragon mount has the characteristics indicated on the right-hand side of the table.

you, it belongs to the dragon, and it won’t part with this treasure kindly).

Finally (and perhaps most important), the dragon must be treated with the respect that a creature of its intelligence, power, and stature commands. It is not a dumb beast to order around, nor is it merely a minion to command. Even lawful good dragons are willful creatures with their own desires and needs.

A dragon special mount gains abilities much as a typical special mount, though at a rate based on the level at which the mount first becomes available. This means that the most powerful special dragon mounts don’t get all the typical abilities of a special mount. Table 3–16: Special Dragon Mount Abilities summarizes the details. For basic information about the terms on the table, see the sidebar The Paladin’s Mount, page 45 of the Player’s Handbook. Differences from that basic information are covered below.

Bonus HD: Treat the same as bonus HD for a regular paladin’s mount, except that these are extra twelve-sided (d12) Hit Dice.

Int: The “Intelligence” column only applies to those dragons whose Intelligence score is lower than that value (that is, a dragon special mount with an Intelligence higher than the given value retains its normal Intelligence).

Improved Speed: This ability applies to all of the dragon’s modes of movement, including land speed, fly speed, and even burrow speed or swim speed (if the dragon possesses one or both).

Share Spells: This ability applies only to spells that the paladin casts. The dragon can’t elect for spells that it casts on itself to also affect the paladin.

Spell Resistance: The spell resistance gained by a dragon special mount doesn’t stack with any natural spell resistance it might have. Only the higher value applies. Dragons as Fiendish Servants

If your campaign includes blackguards, such a character can use these rules to recruit a dragon as his fiendish servant.

Compare the blackguard’s character and class level to Table 3–17: Dragon Fiendish Servant Availability. If the blackguard is of sufficient level, he may select an available dragon as his fiendish servant after taking the Dragon Cohort feat.

As with a dragon special mount, a dragon fiendish servant gains special abilities at a rate based on the level at which the servant first becomes available. This means that the most powerful dragon fiendish servants don’t get all the typical abilities of a fiendish servant.

Table 3–17: Dragon Fiendish Servant Availability

Character Level* Dragon (Maximum Rider Size)

9th (5th) Dragonnel (M) 12th (6th) White, young (S) 12th (6th) Wyvern (L) 13th (7th) Black, young (S) 16th (8th) Green, young (S) 17th (9th) Blue, young (S) 17th (9th) Dragon turtle (L) 17th (9th) White, juvenile (S) 18th (9th) Black, juvenile (S) 19th (10th) Red, young (M) 20th (10th) Green, juvenile (M) *The minimum blackguard level is in parentheses.

A dragon fiendish servant gains abilities much as a typical fiendish servant, though at a rate based on the blackguard character level level at which the mount first becomes available. This means that the most powerful dragon fiendish servants don’t get all the typical abilities of a fiendish servent. Table 3–18: Dragon Fiendish Servant Abilities summarizes the details. For basic information about the terms on the table, see The Blackguard’s Fiendish Servant, page 183 of the

Table 3–18: Dragon Fiendish Servant Abilities

— Blackguard Level (by Servant’s Availability)* — Bonus Natural Str 9th 10th–13th 14th–17th 18th–20th HD Armor Adj. Int Special

9th–10th 10th–14th 14th–18th 18th–20th +2 4 +1 6 Improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, share saving throws 11th–14th 15th–18th 19th–20th +4 6 +2 7 Improved speed 15th–18th 19th–20th +6 8 +3 8 Blood bond 19th–20th +8 10 +4 9 Spell resistance * The boldface column headers (9th, 10th–13th, etc.) represent the character level (or a range of levels) at which a servant of a certain kind becomes available (as shown on Table 3–15). The number ranges below the header in each column are the blackguard levels at which the fiendish servant has the characteristics indicated on the right-hand side of the table.