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In a campaign I'm in, the idea was thrown around a bit of my character getting a Faerie Dragon as a kind of companion/GMNPC. This is as much for the GM as it is for me due to possible fun group dynamics (we have a very firmly running joke of butterfly/dragon interactions). My only concern is how this might effect the overall balance of the group. I was wondering when introducing the Faerie Dragon into the group would be a good idea? It's been firmly established that it will happen, but I want to see it implemented smoothly without throwing too big of a wrench into things. You can see the stat block here.
To provide more info, it's a group of 3 and we're somewhat close to hitting level 3. We have a Kineticist (myself), a Warpriest, and an Investigator. I imagine it will be a very passive member when combat comes (possibly tossing a random grease now and then or something) and maybe used a bit for out-of-combat utility. That's very much up to the GM how she wants to handle it when the time comes.
The other part is if the Faerie Dragon should be allowed to gain levels as the party does? And if so, should it be kept at some kind of level adjustment below the PCs? This would be mainly to make sure it doesn't just get fried if hit with some kind of AoE and, to make it so that if it does decide to get involved with combat, it won't be absolutely useless. The entry for the Faerie Dragon states "Faerie dragons grow in power as spellcasters as they age (typically gaining levels in sorcerer), learning more powerful spells to complement their innate abilities." Since it's certainly an intelligent/sentient creature I can imagine that while adventuring with us it gained levels close to how a PC could.
Well the things i would caution against are; picking a fearie dragon, they are as eretic as fey, and are quite the pranksters. Which can start to wear thin on the players after a while, the dragon wouldn't change its behavior like people would.
As for the problems of levels, keeping it 2 levels behind the pc's should be fine. making it not a hinder in combat yet clearly weaker so it doens't steal the show of your pc's (this is presuming that the encounters are intended for a group of 3 pc's) but yes, if it is to serve as anything other than a cheerleeder, it should gain level's. don't calculate xp, just keep it 2 levels behind the party.
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I recently got one as an improved familiar. And though I'd been working towards that for a while, I was still surprised at how powerful it is. It is a decently statted third-level sorcerer with much more skill points, perfect flight, good senses, and improved invisibility three times a day. That's quite something. As a 7th-level improved familiar, it's already at the top of the power curve. And it has just about the easiest time using wands, since it's a sorcerer already.
You could focus on its chaotic aspect; that until some levels pass, it's too wild to really coordinate its tactics effectively with the group. As the PCs level up, the dragon also becomes better at teamworking with them.
I feel i should clarify, I meant keeping it 2 levels behind the pc's taking its CR into acount, so a level 8 group, would have a CR2+4sorc fearie dragon.