I have been researching the Hunter for a friend who is wanting to start playing and she had a question regarding the possibility of having a dragonling/lesser dragon as a pet? She is RPing her character as a dragon lover and wanted to know if she could have one (or something very similar) as a pet. We realize that a dragon would be unbalanced, but could you have one and adjust stats to bring it more in line with available options?
Thanks for the suggestions!
Technically, a hunter has to choose her animal companion from the druid animal choices list: link
The biggest issue with something like a Fire Drakeling, is that they are intelligent creatures.
Not only are dragonlings not on the list of druid animal companions, they have no animal companion base stats. Using the Monstrous Mount feat as a precedent, I would think that you would need such stats in addition to a feat to "unlock" access to the pet in question.
Rogue Genius Games has PDF products for Dragonrider and Dracomancer classes that let you have actual dragons as companion creatures.
Or just follow the monster cohort rules with a drakeling, or pseudodragon, or some other low level dragon kin.
If looking for a full 'dragon', even a wyrmling is CR-5, which would make a VERY powerful companion...
Though here's a possibility, and might make for some fun RP... have a hunter with a typical animal companion, that always seems a little exceptional. Have it turn out as she gains levels, that it is actually a silver wyrmling, polymorphed into said animal with it's change shape ability... (I think silvers are the only dragons that get Change Shape at wyrmling age). It would be appropriate in a colder climate, and some sort of cold weather animal would be most appropriate (arctic fox, wolf, etc).
It might be a lot easier to start with a summoner if you want a dragon companion. An archetype can make the class closer to nature if that's the desired flavour.