This is what one of my players has set his heart on, and I'm not really sure what he should put his ability scores in? He's also going to be a Sword Saint, if that will make any difference. This is my first time GMing so the first time I've ever been involved with other players' characters...
Any help would be really appreciated!
Are you meaning dragon rider as in the base class from SGG or something else? I'd say Str > everything else (as with most any melee character). He'll want a bit of charisma for dragonrider spell casting, but it won't be a big deal (depending how much he multiclasses. Honestly, this combination is a mix of 2 somewhat weaker than average classes, so it'll probably behove him to optimize as much as his concept will allow.
Yeah, the SSG one. Alright that's really helpful, thank you very much.
I had an idea to de-complicate the issue, but I'm not sure how much it would overpower him... Give him the dragon and level up the dragon steed when he gains Samurai levels. So he won't gain any Dragonrider powers at all, only his steed will "level up". That a bit stupid?
Well, I know that half orcs can take a feat at 7th level called "beast rider" that allows them more options for their mounts or animal companions. Several of which are dinosaurs.
Could he be happy riding a pteranodon? It is large, scaly, and it can fly. I might imagine that people without the appropriate knowledge(nature) check would confuse dinosaurs with dragons.
Unfortunately, yes, he can't do this and play sword saint while staying single class. Admittedly, beast rider provides 2 levels that could stack with companion boon to help make up a level difference, but it still can't cover everything.
Pteradon sounds like a good idea, I'll talk it over with him! But if he dropped the Sword Saint and stayed a normal samurai, would a free dragon be fair? Or still be overpowered? :)
Maybe a reskinned hippogriff? It has one natural attack (bite) before it progresses at druid equivalent level 4, and it gains a pair of claws too. It also has a 50 and then 100 flight speed, and it is large enough to ride. These seem enough for a 'dragon' as far as most players would be concerned.
I know that there is a ranger archetype called the Sable Company Marine (or just the Hippogriff rider on websites with copywrite issues). This archetype replaces hunter's bond(obviously) and the first favored terrain(but not later additions) for a hippogriff, and that is considered 'balanced'.
Since favored terrain is hardly a ranger 'essential', and it is only delayed rather than lost, you could trade out mount and one other 'nice to have but won't be missed too much' ability and give your player a reskinned hippogriff. If he is of the order of the warrior, for example, then take away the first use of "Honor in all Things" at level 2 and then grant him a use of it when he would normally gain his second use of it at level 6.
Or just add the reskinned hippogriff as an option for beast rider. Waiting until level 7 gives him something to look forward to and work for, and a decently powerful feat seems like a fair price for this creature.
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Look at the Genius Guide to the Talented Cavalier and More Cavalier Talents. You can actually build what is technically a "talented cavalier" that ends up with most of the Sword Saint Samurai abilities and the Dragonrider's mount.