Vinestalker Practice

In their attempt to overthrow the King, the Darkthorn hunted dragons. Not for their powers of flight and their destructive breaths, but to plant seeds of corruption within them, turning the dragons they found into the masses of vines fuelled by their dark magic. Those of the Vinestalker Practice use their dragons as weapons of mass destruction, which are capable of disabling and controlling a large portion of any battlefield.

Restriction: Elves Only

Only Darkthorn elves are capable of creating Vinestalker dragons, and they refuse to create them for any creature who does not promote the ideals of the Darkthorn.

Your DM can lift this restriction to better suit the campaign.

Darkthorn Magic

Starting at 3rd level, your draconic nature and that of your companion shifts to reflect the dark plant magic now fuelling your dragon. Your dragon's relevant damage type becomes poison, and any damage and condition immunities it has are replaced with immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Your dragon also physically shifts to reflect this change, and its body looks to be made out of a mass of writhing, twisted vines.

Briar and Bramble

Also at 3rd level, your dragon is capable of rooting enemies. As an action on its turn, it can unravel and spread its body over the ground. When it does so, it is incapacitated and unable to move, nor can it be forced to move. Its body spreads out to cover the ground in a 5 foot radius centred on its original space. While in the ground, the dragon's space increases to include the extended radius of its vines. It is also immune to the prone condition.

This area is covered in hard thorns and twisted vines, and while creatures can move into and stop in the dragon's space, it is considered difficult terrain. When a creature first enters this space or starts its turn there, it takes 1d4 slashing damage as the thorns slice into it.

The knight is unaffected by the difficult terrain and the damage it deals as the dragon's vines shift to accommodate the knight. The knight can end this effect as a bonus action, commanding the dragon to return to its original form. The vines of the dragon then slide back into any empty space the dragon currently occupies to reform its body. The dragon also returns to its original form if it is reduced to 0 hit points or killed.

The radius of this ability increases by 5 feet and the damage it deals increases by 1d4 at 7th level, 10th level, and 15th level.

Spoils of the Earth

At 7th level, your dragon can dig its roots deep into the earth to gain nutrients. If your dragon spends a turn on the ground and doesn't move on its turn, it gains a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your dragon's Constitution modifier at the start of its next turn.

Wicked Thorns

At 10th level, whenever your dragon rolls damage dice for slashing or piercing damage, you can treat any 1 it rolls as

a 2.

Grasping Roots

At 15th level, your dragon can cast out vines to ensnare its foes. Once per round, whenever a creature would try and leave a space occupied by your dragon, the dragon use its reaction to have its vines lash out to grab the target. The target must make a Strength saving throw against 8 + your proficiency bonus + your dragon's Strength modifier. On a failed save, that creature is dragged into the centre of the dragon's space, and is restrained until the start of your dragon's next turn.

Nature's Embrace

At 18th level, your dragon is strong enough to ensnare foes inside its body. When your dragon would reform after spreading out over the ground, it can reform around a creature that is of Huge size or smaller, constricting that creature. While constricted, the creature is blinded and restrained, and it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the dragon, and it takes 4d4 piercing damage at the start of the dragon's turns.

When the dragon constricts a creature, the dragon's size increases to be one size category larger than the creature it is constricting (for example, if the dragon is constricting a huge creature, it's size becomes gargantuan). While the dragon has a creature constricted it is unable to fly, due to the additional weight it's carrying.

As an action on its turn, a creature can attempt to escape the dragon. It must make its choice of a Strength (Athletics) check or a Dexterity (Acrobatics) contested by the dragon's own Strength (Athletics) check. If it succeeds, it pulls itself from the dragon and lands prone in an empty space within 5 feet of the dragon. Otherwise, it remains trapped. The dragon can only keep a creature trapped for a minute, after which the creature automatically escapes from the dragon.

Once your dragon has used this feature, it cannot do so again until it finishes a long rest.

Credits Created by u/RainJunkie, as was Dragon Knight, which can be found here

Link to artwork can be found here

Special thank you to the Discord of Many Things for all their help!