Dragons as Cohorts

Light Load or No Load: Dragons, like other flying creatures, can only fly when carrying no more than a light load. The two columns beneath this line give the dragon’s overland movement when it is not carrying enough weight to prevent it from flying.

Load Range: This column gives a pair of numbers representing the range from a medium load to a maximum load for the dragon. For example, the entry for a young black dragon is 101–300 lb. This means that when the dragon is carrying 101 pounds or more, it’s hauling a medium load (and thus cannot fly); and it’s not capable of moving at all while carrying more than 300 pounds, which is its maximum load.

Medium or Heavy Load: The two columns beneath this line give the dragon’s overland movement when it is carrying enough weight to prevent it from flying. (An exception is the dragon turtle, which does not have a fly speed; its numbers in these columns simply represent the reduction in land speed and swim speed that any creature suffers if it carries more than a light load.)

Raising a Dragon

Raising a true dragon from an egg until it’s large enough to use as a mount can take several years. Even lesser dragons, such as wyverns, mature at such a slow rate that most characters simply aren’t willing to wait the necessary amount of time.

For rules on how to raise a newly hatched dragon, see the

Rearing a Dragon sidebar, page 13. When you successfully complete the rearing process, you can begin to teach the domesticated dragon how to perform tasks.

Although intelligent, a dragon requires training before it can bear a rider in combat. Training a dragon you have reared to serve as a mount requires six weeks of work and a DC 25

Handle Animal check. Riding a dragon requires an exotic saddle. A dragon can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check (see the Ride skill, page 80 of the Player’s Handbook).

Even a trained or “tamed” dragon is still a dragon, not an ordinary domestic animal, with its own needs and desires.

A young dragon is more like a very intelligent child than a simple animal (Intelligence score ranging from 8 to 18, depending on age and kind) and may well be smarter than its rider. With such a creature, patience and tact produce better results than harsh words and punishment. Expect a dragon to learn quickly, but allow for its inexperience to cause mistakes. Like children and pets, dragons get tired, and it’s best to let them rest when they do.

Negotiating Service

It’s likely that a character seeking a draconic mount can’t or won’t put in the time necessary to rear a dragon. In such a case, the best option is to bargain with your would-be mount. (Using magic such as charm spells is a mistake, since the magic eventually wears off, and such coercion angers the dragon.) These negotiations always require some form of payment or reward to the dragon, which should take a form appropriate to the dragon variety (such as pearls for a bronze dragon) and should amount to at least 500 gp per HD of the dragon per year of service—paid in advance, of course, generally as soon as the negotiations are over.

Most potential dragon mounts begin with an indifferent attitude toward a character who approaches them. A dragon whose attitude is changed to helpful (see Influencing NPC Attitudes, page 72 of the Player’s Handbook) by a character can be trained to serve as a mount, but only as long as it is treated well and regularly rewarded. Promising an increased reward can help persuade a dragon to cooperate; each additional payment of 500 gp per HD provides a +2 circumstance bonus on any Diplomacy check made to change the dragon’s attitude. You can’t retry a failed Diplomacy check for the same purpose unless the DM decides that the circumstances merit giving you another chance (for instance, if you perform a great favor for the dragon).

A dragon whose alignment isn’t within one step of its rider’s isn’t likely to serve for very long, even if the initial negotiations succeed.

Alternatively, you can select the Dragon Steed feat (see page 105) to gain the loyal service of a dragonnel. In this case, no payment or Diplomacy check is required.

Keeping a Dragon Mount

A dragon mount, although it may be loyal to you, is still an independent, intelligent creature with a mind of its own.

Expect the DM to treat a dragon mount as an NPC, not as a passive participant. (A rider with only a modest Charisma score can expect to lose a lot of arguments with his or her mount.) A dragon mount ages normally, but does not gain experience points.

Regardless of how well you treat your dragon, a time will likely come when the dragon wants to leave. Because of a dragon’s relatively slow growth rate during its extremely long life span, chances are you will gain experience (levels) faster than the dragon grows (and thereby increases its effective character level). At some point the dragon will realize it is being outpaced (when your level exceeds the dragon’s ECL by 5 or more), and it will leave. Also, a dragon mount that reaches adult age often begins thinking about leaving to raise a family. Trying to keep a dragon from leaving, even if you manage to succeed, is a mistake. Whether or not a dragon discusses parting company before doing so depends on its alignment and its relationship with you. (This point doesn’t apply if the dragon is your cohort or a special mount; see below.)

If you keep your promises to a dragon mount and let it leave when it chooses, usually it will remain friendly toward you. If it holds a grudge against you, it may attack openly, or it may plot secretly for years before striking.

DRAGONS AS COHORTS

If your DM is willing to allow it, you can use the Leadership feat to try attracting a dragon to be your cohort. To determine what sort of dragon will heed your call, first refer to the Leadership table on page 106 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide to determine the highest level of cohort you can attract. Then consult Table 3–14: Dragon Cohorts to see what age and kind of dragon can be attracted based on the