Dragonrider
Third built class. Runs on the homebrew engine in the Core Rules using the Martial Discipline power model, fueled by Bond, with a touch of innate draconic arcane and an earned dragon companion that becomes the centerpiece once won. Built from the Mudae lore and the Valyrian bloodline. Numbers tunable; the mechanic is the point.
If you have an existing Dragon Rules page, send it and it overrides the companion values below.
1. What a Dragonrider is (and is not)
A Dragonrider of House Mudae is a Valyrian High Elf: tall, silver-haired, born to an ancient bloodline with innate arcane power running in the veins. "Fire and Blood, Shield Not Sword." Mudae is a fallen and redeeming house, carrying the weight of the tyrant Rhaenor Mudae's legacy and working to rebuild the trust he burned. The class is the redemption made playable: a line bred to command dragons, choosing now to be a shield instead of a sword.
The hard line, stated plainly: a Dragonrider does not start with a dragon. The bond is earned through roleplay. There is no dragon at level 1, no dragon handed out at character creation, and no mechanical path to one that skips the RP. This must be reconciled against the server's Dragon Rules page; that page is authoritative for how a bond is earned, and the mechanics below assume it. Until a dragon is bonded, a Dragonrider is an elite Valyrian warrior and nothing about the sheet pretends otherwise.
Before the dragon, what a Dragonrider already is:
| Cavalier (Emberwave) | Dragonrider (Mudae) | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | trained maneuvers | trained maneuvers plus innate Valyrian arcane |
| Companion | gryphon, bonded at level 1 | dragon, earned in RP, none at start |
| Fire | none innate | resistance to fire, a minor breath-flavored attack |
| Presence | heraldry and challenge | draconic presence (fear) in the blood |
| Loadout | swappable on rest | mostly fixed (the bloodline gift); maneuvers trainable |
A Dragonrider cannot conjure a firestorm from nothing the way a Wizard would. The innate arcane is a touch, not a school: fire resistance, a presence that frightens, and a short breath-flavored attack that reads as the bloodline showing through. The real escalation is the partner. Echoing the Sea Shepherd, who directs forces rather than creating them, a bonded Dragonrider mostly commands and shapes a dragon's existing fire, giving the breath a place to land, rather than inventing flame on their own. The difference is that the Sea Shepherd directs the sea and the Dragonrider commands a living partner who chose them back.
2. Bond (the resource) and the partnership
Bond is the resource pool, run on the base column of the core pool table (section 6 of the core rules). It refills on rest like any martial pool, but it also deepens as the rider and dragon partnership strengthens. Bond is the measure of trust between rider and dragon: a green rider with a fresh hatchling runs a shallow pool, a seasoned rider on a mature dragon runs deep.
Before a dragon is earned, Bond still exists and still powers the Valyrian warrior abilities (the bloodline answers to the rider even without a partner), but the deepest costed actions and every draconic-partner ability are simply unavailable. They grey out, fail silent, cost nothing, exactly like an absent environmental requirement on a Sea Shepherd row. The sheet shows them locked with the reason "no dragon bonded yet."
Gain 1 Bond (up to max) when you:
- ride into danger to shield an ally or your dragon rather than to strike first (the "Shield Not Sword" creed in the moment),
- complete a shared trial with your dragon in RP that the Dragon Rules page recognizes,
- hold the line under dragonfire or breath without breaking,
- land the opening strike of a sanctioned duel while mounted.
Spent on maneuvers and on draconic abilities once a dragon is bonded. A rider who hoards trust never grows it; a rider who spends themselves for the partnership runs deep. That is the point.
3. The dragon-bond companion (companion sub-module)
The centerpiece of the class once earned. The dragon follows the server's Dragon Rules page; the mechanics below should be reconciled against that page. Dragons come in three tiers only: hatchling, juvenile, mature. There are no ancient wyrms on Elaria; the apex of the line is a mature dragon and no further. The dragon has its own HP scaling with tier and acts on the rider's turn, like every other companion in section 11 of the core rules.
A core theme runs through every tier: the rider manipulates and directs the dragon's existing fire rather than producing flame personally. The dragon makes the breath; the rider gives it a place to land, times it, shapes the cone, calls the dive. The rider commands a partner, the partner supplies the fire.
| Tier | Earned at | HP tier | Ridable | Breath | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchling | RP bond, earliest band | Light, half value | no, too small and fragile | short bursts only, 1d6 in a tight area, 1/short rest | scout, spotter, a frightening little ally; cannot carry a rider |
| Juvenile | RP, mid bands | Light | yes, as a ground or short-glide mount (no true flight) | a real breath weapon, 2d6 cone, Reflex save | the partnership becomes a battlefield force; charges and short glides |
| Mature | RP, late bands | Medium | yes, full flight | powerful breath, 3d8 cone or line, Reflex save | the apex: aerial dominance, the capstones come online |
- Own HP, own death. The dragon tracks its own HP at the tier shown and can die permanently. A rider raises and cares for it; losing it is a real loss, not a respawn.
- Acts on the rider's turn. The dragon's breath, bite, and movement resolve on the rider's turn as a Beast Master companion action. The rider's draconic abilities (section 7) are how the breath is aimed and shaped.
- Maturation is RP-gated, not level-gated. The Dragon Rules page decides when a hatchling becomes a juvenile and a juvenile becomes mature. A high-level Dragonrider with a young dragon is entirely valid; the rider outgrew their partner's age, not their bond.
- Mounted bonuses while ridable (juvenile and up): +1 to your defense rolls while mounted, charge and reach bonuses on the ground, and full flight movement at the mature tier where flight applies.
4. Progression (levels 1 to 10)
Bond uses the base column of the core pool table. Dragon tiers in the Unlocks column are the earliest a bond can mechanically support a tier; the actual earning is RP, per the Dragon Rules page.
| Level | Title | Bond pool (base) | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Bloodsworn | 8 to 10 | at-will draconics + tier-1 maneuvers; fire resistance; a hatchling bond may begin in RP |
| 3 | Wyrmward | 14 | tier-2 maneuvers; a juvenile bond may begin in RP |
| 4 to 5 | Skykin | 18 to 22 | pick a path at level 4; tier-3 begins |
| 6 to 7 | Flameblooded | 28 to 34 | tier-3 maneuvers; branch abilities; a mature bond may begin in RP |
| 8 | Dragonsworn | 42 | tier-4 maneuvers |
| 9 to 10 | Dragonlord (house head) | 54 to 68 | capstones (require a mature dragon earned in RP); staff managed |
5. At-will draconics (free, no cost, no roll)
Always available. The everyday instinct of the Valyrian blood, with or without a dragon at your side.
| Draconic | Effect |
|---|---|
| Emberveil | a showy flourish of harmless flame around the hands or along a blade; pure flair, no combat (the Dragonrider's tell) |
| Firewalk | never burned by mundane heat, embers, or a campfire; walk through a hearth unharmed |
| Read the Sky | judge wind, weather, and altitude at a glance, the rider's first sense |
| Dragontongue | speak and understand the old Valyrian draconic; soothe or steady a beast |
| High Blood | your Valyrian line and bearing read at a glance in court and on the field |
Emberveil is the Dragonrider's answer to a mage's prestidigitation, the parlor trick that announces the bloodline without a roll. Flame curls along the knuckles or licks down a drawn sword and harms nothing, ribbon-fire for a toast, a sigil traced in the air, a candle lit across the room with a glance. Purists of the house say a true Dragonrider keeps the flame small and steady, because a Mudae throwing fire around for show is exactly the habit that built Rhaenor's reputation.
6. Core maneuvers (every Dragonrider)
Maneuvers a Dragonrider trains in the blood and the saddle. Those marked best mounted assume a ridable dragon (juvenile or up); on foot they still function at the listed dice without the mounted bonus.
| Maneuver | Lv | Cost | Cast DC | Res DC | Save | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valyrian Strike | 1 | 1 | 9 | 11 | Reflex | weapon dice + 1d4 fire; the bloodline edge on a clean blow |
| Ember Breath | 1 | 1 | 9 | 11 | Reflex | the rider's own minor breath: 1d6 fire in a short cone, no dragon needed |
| Dragonfear | 1 | 1 | 10 | 12 | Will | draconic presence; one foe frightened for one round |
| Scaled Guard | 3 | 2 | 9 | none | self/ally | +2 to your or an adjacent ally's next defense; fire damage to you halved this round |
| Wing Sweep | 3 | 2 | 11 | 13 | Reflex | strike all adjacent foes for weapon dice; best mounted, the dragon's tail or wing joins |
| Searing Lance | 4 | 2 | 11 | 13 | Fortitude | a charging strike that ignites; weapon dice + 1d6 fire and Burning 1 round; best mounted |
| Direct the Breath | 5 | 3 | 12 | 13 | Reflex | shape and aim your bonded dragon's breath this turn: its breath dice in a chosen cone or line; requires a dragon that has a breath weapon (juvenile or up) |
| Banner of Embers | 6 | 3 | 11 | none | allies | allies in range +1 to attack and saves and fire resistance for one round |
| Strafing Run | 7 | 4 | 13 | 14 | Reflex | mounted pass: 2d8 + dragon breath dice along a line, then reposition; requires a ridable dragon |
| Wyrm's Bulwark | 8 | 4 | 13 | none | self | the dragon shields you: taunt all nearby foes, incoming damage halved for one round; the dragon takes a share of the next hit |
7. The three paths (specialization, pick one at level 4)
Each deepens one face of the class. The path is chosen at level 4; the loadout is mostly fixed (the bloodline gift), so the path holds once taken, while individual maneuvers can still be re-trained on a long rest.
Bladebound, Valyrian martial mastery on foot. The duelist of the line, dangerous before a dragon is ever earned. Sword and presence, ripostes, ground control. Branch unlocks: Valyrian Edge (Lv6, Valyrian Strike adds 1d6 fire and ignites on a crit), Unbroken Line (Lv7, when an ally beside you is hit you may strike the attacker for weapon dice), Lord's Reach (Lv8, single-combat mastery, your strikes against a marked foe cannot miss the action roll). Strong with or without a dragon, the safe pick for a rider still earning their bond.
Flamewarden, draconic fire and innate arcane. The bloodline's flame pushed as far as a touch of arcane allows. Best at directing and amplifying fire, the rider's and the dragon's both. Branch unlocks: Hotter Breath (Lv6, Ember Breath and Direct the Breath each gain one damage die), Backdraft (Lv7, a foe that hits you with melee takes 1d6 fire), Pyre Command (Lv8, sustain a directed gout of the dragon's fire over an area, 2d6 fire per round to enemies in it). The artillery face; leans hardest on a bonded dragon for the big rows but keeps Ember Breath when none is bonded.
Skybonded, the dragon partnership and aerial combat. The path that lives or dies on the bond. Useless before a dragon is earned and unmatched once one is, especially at the mature flight tier. Branch unlocks: Joined Turn (Lv6, the dragon may take its breath or bite as a free action once per short rest on your turn), Aerial Superiority (Lv7, while flying on a mature dragon you and the dragon gain advantage on attacks against grounded foes), Shared Hide (Lv8, you and your dragon may split incoming damage between your two HP pools as you choose). The capstone path; flag it clearly as the one with the steepest empty stretch until the bond is won.
8. Capstones (levels 9 to 10, house head, staff managed)
These assume a mature dragon earned in RP. Without a bonded mature dragon they are locked and grey out, fail silent, exactly as the partnership rows do at lower levels. The sheet shows the lock reason "requires a mature bonded dragon." Capstones are staff managed at the house-head band.
| Ability | Lv | Cost | Cast DC | Res DC | Save | Effect | Requires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skyfall Assault | 9 | 6 | 16 | 17 | Reflex | aerial dive assault: rider and mature dragon plunge from altitude onto a target and the ground around it; 3d8 + dragon breath dice, knocked prone on a failed save, half on a partial | a mature bonded dragon, room to dive |
| Dragonfear Aura | 10 | 8 | 16 | 18 | Will | the full draconic presence of rider and mature dragon unleashed for a scene; every enemy in a wide radius is Frightened while either of you is in sight, and your fire damage gains +1 die; allies are immune to the aura | a mature bonded dragon |
Skyfall Assault is the Mudae house capstone made real, the dive that ends a battle, and it deliberately needs height and a mature partner: no dragon, no dive. Dragonfear Aura is the bloodline turned outward, the tyrant's terror reclaimed as a shield for one's own people rather than a whip over them, which is the whole redemption of the house in one row.
9. Class traits
- Mostly fixed loadout. The Valyrian arcane and the draconic at-wills are the bloodline gift and do not change. Trained maneuvers (section 6) can be re-trained on a long rest, like a Cavalier's. The path chosen at level 4 holds.
- Fire resistance. A Dragonrider takes half damage from fire at all times (the blood runs hot), from level 1, with or without a dragon.
- Magic gear. A Dragonrider may attune and use martial magic items (enchanted weapons and armor) and bloodline-keyed draconic items, but not general arcane casting items; the innate arcane is a touch, not a school. They are not Wizards.
- HP tier: Heavy. Key stat: Strength, with a touch of innate Valyrian arcane behind the fire and fear rows. Saves as core.
- Bond deepens with the partnership (section 2), and the dragon is earned in RP, never granted (sections 1 and 3).
- The dragon (companion layer): own HP at the listed tier, acts on the rider's turn, dies permanently, and matures by RP per the Dragon Rules page. The HUD surfaces the bond state and the dragon's tier; it never hands out a dragon a player has not earned.
Open for your sign-off
- Level titles (Bloodsworn, Wyrmward, Skykin, Flameblooded, Dragonsworn, Dragonlord) and the path names (Bladebound, Flamewarden, Skybonded). Rename freely.
- Reconcile the three dragon tiers (hatchling, juvenile, mature), their HP tiers, breath dice, and the "earned in RP" gating against your Dragon Rules page; that page should win on any conflict.
- Whether Bond should also deepen outside combat (a long stretch of RP raising the hatchling, a shared trial) or only through the section 2 triggers.