It’s well-known that in the Dungeons and Dragons name, the “Dungeons” part gets a lot more traction. Yes, there are official sourcebooks such as Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons, but even these make dragons a rarity. True enough, there’s an argument for making dragons rare and exciting. And yet one can’t help but wonder how cool a sky of winged beasts would look. Fortunately, this upcoming draconic sourcebook answers that question.
The Dragon Rider’s Primer adds a ton of new options for flight combat and exploration in D&D 5e. It features dozens of flying mounts, aerial-focused subclasses for each of the core D&D 5e classes, and even special equipment and artifacts for aerial combat. Naturally, the rules for mounted aerial combat are expanded upon with this sourcebook. That’s great news for the new breed of aerial combatants you can play as.
The Aerialist Fighter subclass are masters of three-dimensional combat, ensuring no place is safe from their steel. Paladins take flight a step further by taking the Oath of the Aeronaut. These champions fight against tyrants who would dare cage any who wish to fly free. But when it comes to fight and flight, nobody can outpace the Rogue Outrider, masters of aerial reconnaissance. Those are only some of the new subclasses to consider for your D&D 5e character creator in this sourcebook.
The new mounts also share the spotlight with these subclasses, split into three categories. First and mightiest of them all are the Dragons, specifically the Skydrakes who specialize in lethal aerial combat. The second are Animal Variants, which include giant vampire bats and winged cheetahs. Finally, the Giant Insects are exactly your childhood fears made massive, unless you really love creepy crawlies.
Want to know how these new aerial-focused mechanics will play out? The creators have generously released the Beta Rules for aerial combat free online. With House of the Dragon’s third season just over the horizon, it’s a great time to play Targaryen. Hopefully just the cool dragon riding parts instead of the regicide.
Until then, mount up and find your fellow dragon riders over at the Wargamer Discord!
Source: Wargamer
