Dragon Rider

Fighter: Dragon Rider Martial Archetype

Yllnor pioneered the dragon riders after breeding the lesser dragons as mounts. These powerful warriors gave Yllnor an edge in many of the wars they waged to unify the Elven races. They also used them in their northern colony of Irelia. After the fall of Yllnor, only Irelia continued the tradition and now they are the only ones who train lesser dragons and riders for them.

Dragon riders are mostly elves or humans due to the population of Irelia, but the order does not discriminate as long as the potential is a citizen of Irelia and pass the initiation test.

The Nightmare Elves do have their own dragon riders who ride only terror dragons.

Dragon Mount

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain a trained lesser dragon as your mount. Your dragon is a fierce and loyal steed, forming a lifelong bond with you and fighting to protect you in battle. Use the lesser dragon stats (below), but each time your proficiency bonus increases (at 5th level, 9th level, etc.), add +1 to your dragon’s AC, saving throws, and attack bonus, increase its breath weapon damage by 1d6, and increase its maximum hit points by 10.
The saving throw for your dragon mount's breath weapon also changes, it becomes 8 + Your Wisdom modifier + Your Proficiency Modifier.

Your dragon obeys your commands to the best of its ability, taking its turn on your initiative. It moves and acts as you direct it, with just three action options (Dash, Disengage, and Dodge). If you want the dragon to attack, you must use your action to command the dragon to do so; this allows it to use the Attack action as a reaction on your turn. Once you gain the Extra Attack feature, you can make a weapon attack yourself in addition to ordering your dragon to attack.

Trained dragons are in short supply. If your dragon dies, you must wait until a new mount can be located for you by the Order. This typically takes around 30 days, but this period can be longer or shorter, at the GM’s discretion.

High in the Saddle

At 3rd level, you gain advantage on saving throws and ability checks to avoid falling off your dragon. You also gain the ability to cast the feather fall spell once per day, using Charisma as your spellcasting ability.

Aerial Combat Mastery

At 7th level, you learn the following special aerial combat maneuvers, named after the knights who invented them. You must be mounted on your dragon to use these maneuvers. You can use more than one maneuver per turn, but you can only use a single maneuver on an attack. Once you’ve used a total of five maneuvers, you must take a short or long rest before you can use any of them again. Starting at 15th level, you gain an additional use of your maneuvers between rests, and again at 18th level.
Tannatar’s Fury. When a creature hits you or your dragon with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. If you hit, add an extra d8 to your weapon’s damage roll.
Siona’s Daring Flyby. When you make a melee attack, deal an extra d8 damage if you hit, and neither you nor your dragon provokes an opportunity attack when moving out of your opponent’s reach before both your and your dragon’s turns have ended.
Vulmor’s Forceful Charge. When you hit a creature with a melee attack, your attack does an extra d8 damage, and if the target is size Large or smaller, it must make a successful Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modified) or be knocked prone. A mounted opponent that’s knocked prone is also knocked off its mount.

Fight as One

Starting at 7th level, when you are mounted on your dragon, both your own attacks and your dragon’s beak and claw attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19-20. At 15th level, a critical hit is scored on a roll of 18-20.

Improved Combat Mastery

At 10th level, you gain the Deadly Swoop aerial combat maneuver. In addition, the extra damage die rolled when using a maneuver becomes a d10.
Feylin’s Deadly Swoop. While mounted on your dragon, you can make a devastating dive attack. You must begin the move at a higher point than your target and you must move at least 30 feet straight toward the target before the attack. You and your dragon make your attack rolls with advantage, and you add 1d10 to the damage for each attack that hits.

Superb Aerial Maneuver

At 18th level, the extra damage die rolled when using a maneuver becomes a d12.

Lesser Dragon CR: 3

Large dragon, any

Armor Class: 12

Hit Points: 59 (7d10+21)

Speed: 30 ft , fly: 80 ft

STR

18 +4

DEX

15 +2

CON

16 +3

INT

10 +0

WIS

13 +1

CHA

9 -1

Skills: Perception +5

Damage Resistances: See chart

Senses: Darkvision 60ft., passive perception 15

Languages: Common, draconic

Challenge Rating: 3

Actions

Multiattack: The dragon makes two attacks: one with its fangs and one with its claws. Or it can make a single breath weapon attack.

Fangs. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Breath weapon (Recharge 6) Damage and area of effect depend on the type of dragon. See the chart. Anyone in the area of effect makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save the creature takes full damage, and half on a successful save.

The lesser dragons were originally bred by the Yllnor using drakes, wyvrins, and true dragons, as well as a healthy dose of magic. The goal was to create a race of dragons that could act as mounts and companions. The result are the lesser dragons.
Lesser dragons start out about the size of a cat. The mature fast and grow to be about the sixer of a horse by the time they are 20. Those that will become mounts are trained from the time they are 10 until they are ready to bond to a rider at 20. They can live to be several hundred years old, and while their growth slows, they continue to grow their entire life. The largest lesser dragons grow to be the size of an adult dragon.
After the fall of Yllnor, the lesser dragons who were on Easlath were left to go feral. As with all of the other races on Easlath, some were corrupted by the Nightmare gods, becoming the terror dragons.
In Irelia, the northern most colony of Yllnor, the angocaro there continued to breed the lesser dragons as mounts. After the Nightmare War, the population of domesticated lesser dragons was too small to restart the breeding programs in Eldanor.
Over the years the angocaro of Irelia have been able to create nine distinct breeds of lesser dragons. Each has its own powers.

Bolt dragons usually have blue grey to purple grey scales with yellow crests. They love to fly almost as much as Gale dragons, and tend to enjoy the storms that are common in the mountains near Irelia. There are resistant to lightning damage and have potent lightning breath.
Ember dragons tend to have black to dark red scales with orange to yellow crests. They tend to enjoy warmer climates, so prefer the valleys in Irelia. They are resistant to fire damage, and have a fire breath weapon.
Gale dragons are pale blue to white with dark blue to black crests. The love to fly, more so than any other dragon, and are often hard to keep from taking to the air. They are resistant to ice damage and have an ice breath weapon.
Quake dragons are dark brown to tawney with grey to green crests. They are the least interested in flying of any of the lesser dragons, though they fill fly when needed. They are resistant to thunder damage and have a thunder breath weapon.
Quintessence dragons tend to have gem like scales of white to yellow with multicolored crests. They tend to be the most interested in magic over all the other dragons. They are resistance to radiant damage and have a radiant breath weapon.
Steel dragons have metallic steel scales with iron-colored crests. Much like quake dragons they are not the biggest fans of flying. They are resistance to force damage and have a force-based breath weapon.
Terror dragons are nightmarish versions of whatever lesser dragon types they came from originally. No matter what the original dragon type was terror dragons are resistant to psychic damage, and have a psychic breath weapon.
Torrent dragons have teal to deep blue scales with green crests. They end to love rainy days the most, if they are not near enough to water to swim. They are resistant to acid damage, and have an acid breath weapon.
Void dragons are the newest breed. They have dark purple to black scales with lavender crests. They tend to be nocturnal. They are resistant to necrotic damage, and have a necrotic breath weapon.
Wood dragons tend to have dark green to brown scales with leaf like green crests. They tend to love the wild places of the world. They are resistant to poison damage and have a poison breath weapon.

Lesser Dragon Abilities by Type

Type
Bolt
Ember
Gale
Quake
Quintessence
Steel
Terror
Torrent
Void
Wood

Breath Weapon Area
30 ft line
20 ft. cone
20 ft cone
20 ft. cone
20 ft. cone
30 ft. line
20 ft. cone
30 ft line
30 ft. line
20 ft. cone

Damage and type
4d6 Lightning damage
4d6 Fire damage
4d6 Cold damage
4d6 Thunder damage
4d6 Radiant damage
4d6 Force damage
4d6 Psychic damage
4d6 Acid damage
4d6 Necrotic damage
4d6 Poison damage

Resistance Lightning damage
Fire damage
Cold damage
Thunder damage
Radiant damage
Force damage
Psychic damage
Acid damage
Necrotic damage
Poison damage