Dragon Trainer: 5E Class
Soaring above the clouds, the young elf wraps her arms around a large blue dragon. The dragon looks back and grins before unleashing a mighty roar and descending to the sea below. With a wide smile, the elf holds tight as her dragon companion barrel rolls before soaring parallel, inches above the water, allowing the elf to run her fingers into the sea.
A dwarf, wearing heavy armor and holding an enormous axe, rushes ahead of his companions to meet the hobgoblin horde. Raising his shield to block a hail of arrows, the dwarf shouts to the sky. Hidden in the clouds, a red dragon quickly descends, unleashing a breath weapon on the approaching hobgoblins, annihilating its first wave of enemies before landing next to his trainer, the battle ready dwarf.
Training a Dragon
When becoming a dragon trainer, the trainer forms a lifelong bond with a newly hatched dragon. This unique pairing helps establish the dragon trainer without the need of magically summoning a dragon. This important distinction is meant to allow players to give their dragon companion its own unique personality. I strongly encourage dragon trainer players to consider their dragon’s personality, voice, and how they interact with the adventuring group. Remember not to overwhelm your table!
If the dragon trainer chooses, they can break the imprinted bond formed with their dragon companion and attempt to bond with a new dragon in the wild. This is possible with the dragon trainer class by referencing the dragon growth feature. A dragon trainer can form a bond with a willing dragon if it is at a maturity level unlocked by the dragon trainer. The Dungeon Master is open to allow this in any way they see fit. I recommend incorporating this into the game’s story with role play and backstory questing.
An important rule is a dragon trainer can only bond with a willing dragon unless it hatches from an egg. After bonding, for gameplay balance, the previous dragon’s stat block changes to the dragon companion stat block while retaining its dragon ancestry, personality and possibly backstory knowledge.
Creating a Dragon Trainer
As you create your dragon trainer character, consider how you came into the possession of a dragon egg and the difficulties that came with caring for the egg until it hatched. Are you a Dracolyte tasked with caring for a dragon’s nest, only for it to be attacked, causing you to flee with the last remaining unhatched egg? Maybe you stumbled upon the dragon egg, finding it randomly on your travels, and it quickly hatched as the dragon accidentally imprinted on you before all others. However it happened, you have gained a loyal companion who brings its own trials and tribulations.
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