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Terrors of the Dragon Empire: Wyvern Knight

Terrors of the Dragon Empire: Wyvern Knight

The Dragon Empire is a fierce and unrelenting force, bringing to bear unique terrors to destroy all who stand in their way. Who can hope to survive such an onslaught?

Wyvern Knight

For centuries, Midgard’s many realms have been safeguarded by knights on horseback, their advanced mobility and powerful steeds cutting through infantry lines like shears through cloth. But against the Mharoti wyvern knight, even Midgard’s mighty cavaliers are little more than worms to be snapped up by a hungry starling. The Dragon Empire’s knights are trained to ride domesticated war wyverns, using their aerial mobility to perform countless roles on the battlefield, from shattering cavalry charges to sowing chaos from behind enemy lines.

Medium humanoid (any race), lawful evil
Armor Class 20 (plate, shield)
Hit Points 94 (12d8 + 48)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 15 (+2)

Saving Throws Str +6, Con +7
Skills Animal Handling +4, Perception +4
Damage Resistances poison
Damage Immunities poisoned
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Brave. The wyvern knight has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Actions

Multiattack. The wyvern knight makes two lance attacks. If the wyvern knight is riding a war wyvern, its mount can also make a bite, claws, or stinger attack.

Lance. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) piercing damage. The wyvern knight has disadvantage on attacks with this weapon against creatures within 5 feet of it, and can wield this weapon in one hand instead of two while mounted.

Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) poison damage.  

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) poison damage.

Protection. When a creature the wyvern knight can see attacks a target that is within 5 feet of it, including a creature it is mounted on, the knight can use a reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. The knight must be wielding a shield.

Ring of Feather Falling. When the wyvern knight falls while wearing this ring, it descends 60 feet per round and takes no damage from falling.

War Wyvern

Bred to be fearsome, obedient, and intelligent mounts for elite knights, war wyverns are superior in all ways to their wild cousins. Their natural scales are enhanced with thick steel scale armor, and selective breeding has granted them the ability to spit venom, in addition to delivering it with their scorpion-like tails.

War wyverns are unflinchingly loyal and have been taught to unerringly follow verbal commands given by its master. In military situations, a wyvern’s master will often command it to snatch cavalry riders from their horses with its steel-tipped talons and hurl them to their doom from the skies, or to use their spiked tails to smash siege weapons or supply wagons. Despite their viciousness on the battlefield, these domesticated wyverns serve their masters out of love, not fear, and act like energetic pit bulls when around people who treat them with kindness.

Wyvern knights and their war wyverns act as a single unit in combat. A war wyvern cannot move or take actions independently while it is being used as a mount, but its specialized training gives it the ability to make a single attack when its rider takes the Multiattack action.

Large dragon, unaligned
Armor Class 15 (scale barding)
Hit Points 119 (14d10 + 42)
Speed 20 ft., fly 80 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 6 (–3) 14 (+2) 6 (–1)

Saving Throws Wis +5
Skills Athletics +8, Perception +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages understands Common and Draconic, but can’t speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

War Dragon. The wyvern deals double damage to vehicles and siege equipment.

Actions

Multiattack. The wyvern makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its stinger. While flying, it can use its claws in place of one other attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) slashing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it is grappled (escape DC 15).

Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Spit Venom (Recharge 5–6). The wyvern spits venom at a target within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

48 thoughts on “Terrors of the Dragon Empire: Wyvern Knight”

  1. Nice work, James! This will fit nicely into a battlefield scenario I’ve been wanting to make for awhile now.

  2. This is great. My only qualm is I’m having trouble seeing the wyvern as an “energetic pit bull” and more as a dangerous but useful creature that needs to be supervised and managed, and needs someone with strong will/personality to control. But it’s just flavour of course. Unless the party infiltrate the wyvern enclosure, or try to steal one/some to make their escape it’s probably not going to come up.

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