An Unbeatable Legacy

Because dragon knights of great skill begin to age slower, many of them are able to live for millennia, or even longer. Elven dragon knights in particular are said to go off in their old age with their dragon and roam their home forests, protecting it from would-be intruders. Dwarven knights often use their dragons as workers, and its not uncommon to see a dragon heating the forge of a legendary blacksmith.

Younger dragons are prone to adventure and wanderlust, while older dragons enjoy a simple life with their knight. A bonded dragon doesn't truly age, and instead grows as its knight does, and it dies when its knight dies.

Practice makes Perfect

All dragon knights are divided by their practices, and much like the dragons they raise and fight with, the knights are known to be proud at their best, and egotistical at their worst. Two people of different practices are rarely able to get along, despite how similar they might be. Those of the Platinum Practice always regard themselves superior to those of the Shadow Practice, and members of the Elemental Practice consider the members of the Rider Practice to be brutish and dim-witted.

Quick Build

You can make a dragon knight quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Strength your highest ability score. Your next highest ability score should be Constitution if you plan to focus on melee combat, or Charisma if you want to improve your overall class features. Second, choose the Soldier background.

Covenant

Each dragon knight has a different story to tell when it comes to how they met their dragon. The way a dragon and knight first meet often set up how they interact for the rest of their lives, and a bad first impression can prove disasterous to their bond.

When you consider the creation of this covenant, also consider the following: were you and your dragon both willing, and does your character ever regret the bond?

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d10 per dragon knight level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per dragon knight level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: All armour, shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: Herbalism kit

• Saving Throws: Constitution, Charisma
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Perception and Persuasion.

Covenant's Bond

Your dragon companion gains a variety of benefits while you two are together.

The dragon obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on (no action required by you). If you are incapacitated or absent, your dragon acts on its own.

Your dragon, because of its young age, is not suited for combat, and cannot take the attack action. Also because of its youth, it has yet to master flying, and as such, falls if it ends its turn in the air.

Your dragon companion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your dragon uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. While not wearing barding, a dragon companion has a natural armour class of 8 + its Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.

Your dragon companion gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It is also proficient in all the saving throws you're proficient in.

For each level after 1st, your dragon companion gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly. The dragon's hit dice are d8s, regardless of its size. When the dragon is reduced to 0 hit points, it makes death saving throws as a player would.

In addition, the dragon cannot have its size increased beyond large (but would still gain the extra benefits of the enlarge/reduce spell, for example). The dragon's level is equal to your dragon knight level for the purpose of calculating spells like polymorph and true polymorph.

Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your dragon's abilities also improve. Your dragon can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your dragon can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Duelling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Throwing

You gain a +2 bonus to to ranged attack rolls you make with a thrown weapon. Whenever you make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can immediately draw another weapon as part of the attack.

Breath Weapon

At 6th level, your dragon has developed the glands to shoot raw, destructive elements from its mouth, with the saving throw calculated as follows:

Dragon Knight Practice

All dragon knights can call themselves members of the Rider Practice, Elemental Practice, Platinum Practice, or Shadow Practice. The Rider Practice focuses on working in sync with their dragon: both in and out of the heat of combat. The bond between knight and dragon is highly valued by those of the Rider Practice. The Elemental Practice heightens their battle skill with magic, believing that the only true way to bond with their dragons is reflect their destructive powers with magic. The Platinum Practice uses the divine magic of Bahamut to support their allies, using a banner to shine the dragon god's light upon the world. The Shadow Practice uses misdirection and guile to gain the upper hand in all situations.

Spellcasting

When you reach 3rd level, you heighten your battle ferocity with the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the PHB for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 of the PHB for the sorcerer spell list.

Cantrips. You learn three cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn an additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level.

Spell Slots. The Elemental Practice Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spells level or higher. You regain all expended slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the first level spell chromatic orb and have a 1st-level and 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast chromatic orb using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know three 1st-level sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the evocation and transmutation spells on the sorcerer spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Elemental Spellcasting table shows when you can learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an evocation or transmutation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st of 2nd level.

The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an evocation or transmutation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level.

Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since your magic draws from the power and dominance of dragons. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Platinum Practice

A few dragon knights worship the Platinum Dragon, Bahamut. These few are members of the Platinum Practice, and are dedicated to preserving the lives of their allies and the innocent.

Shadow Practice

Dragon knights who revere necromancy, or even strive for vengeance, make up members of the Shadow Practice. Dark and elusive, these dragon knights use misdirection and guile to gain the upper hand in battle.

Appendix A: Dragon Companion Stats

Green Dragon

Small dragon, (alignment same as knight)

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• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 7(1d8 + 2)
• Speed 20 ft., fly 30 ft., swim 20 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)

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• Saving Throws Same as knight
• Skills Perception +4, Stealth +3
• Damage Immunities poison
• Condition Immunities poisoned
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages Draconic

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Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.

Actions

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.

Appendix B: Community Made Practices

The following dragon knight practices; the Cannibal Practice, Vinestalker Practice, and Fey Practice, were created by members of the homebrewing community. While they have not been included with the base class, they can be found here, as each of them are fantastic pieces of work that add something special to the Dragon Knight class. Each piece will also credit its original creator, and provide a link to the original document.

Fey Touched

Additionally at 3rd level, your dragons fey magic seeps across your bond, infusing you with magical energy, you no longer need to sleep, and can instead fill long rests with light activity. You gain proficiency in either Arcana or Nature skills. Finally you know either the minor illusion or druidcraft cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.

Disruptive Breath

Starting at 7th level your dragons connection to fey magics strengthens. As an action, your dragon exhales a cloud of magically infused gas which confuses and charms. The range and area of this breath weapon is the same as your dragon's breath weapon. Each creature in the area must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target can't take reactions and must roll a d8 at the start of each of its turns to determine its behavior for that turn:

An affected creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. Once your dragon has used this special breath weapon it cannot do so again until it finishes a short or long rest.

Shifting Reality

At 10th level your dragons illusions shift and flicker with energy, when your dragon is hit with an attack, it can use its reaction to swap places with an illusion within 30 feet of it causing the illusion to take damage in its stead. It can do this a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, regaining any expended uses when it completes a long rest.

Residual Magics

Starting at 15th level, your illusions becoming pseudo-tangible, gaining resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage. When a creature fails a saving throw against your breath weapon or your Disruptive Breath feature, it becomes covered in soft glowing embers. The next attack roll against the creature has advantage, and it can't benefit from being invisible until the end of your next turn.

Darkthorn Magic

Starting at 3rd level, your draconic nature and that of your companion shifts to reflect the dark plant magic now fuelling your dragon. Your dragon's relevant damage type becomes poison, and any damage and condition immunities it has are replaced with immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Your dragon also physically shifts to reflect this change, and its body looks to be made out of a mass of writhing, twisted vines.

Briar and Bramble

Also at 3rd level, your dragon is capable of rooting enemies. As an action on its turn, it can unravel and spread its body over the ground. When it does so, it is incapacitated and unable to move, nor can it be forced to move. Its body spreads out to cover the ground in a 5 foot radius centred on its original space. While in the ground, the dragon's space increases to include the extended radius of its vines. It is also immune to the prone condition.

This area is covered in hard thorns and twisted vines, and while creatures can move into and stop in the dragon's space, it is considered difficult terrain. When a creature first enters this space or starts its turn there, it takes 1d4 slashing damage as the thorns slice into it.

The knight is unaffected by the difficult terrain and the damage it deals as the dragon's vines shift to accommodate the knight. The knight can end this effect as a bonus action, commanding the dragon to return to its original form. The vines of the dragon then slide back into any empty space the dragon currently occupies to reform its body. The dragon also returns to its original form if it is reduced to 0 hit points or killed.

The radius of this ability increases by 5 feet and the damage it deals increases by 1d4 at 7th level, 10th level, and 15th level.

Spoils of the Earth

At 7th level, your dragon can dig its roots deep into the earth to gain nutrients. If your dragon spends its turn on the ground and doesn't move on its turn, it gains a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + the dragons Constitution modifier at the start of its next turn.