Celegian Dire Riders

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Celegian Dire Riders

Celegia has a long and honorable tradition of mounted warriors. The most extreme expression of that tradition came in the long-ago Age of the Warrior Kings, when mounted combat was revered as the only truly worthy combat art. In the Age of the Warrior Kings, many mounted combat styles flourished, some of them of sublime skill and artistry, and sadly most of them have since been abandoned as Imperial tastes have changed.

One mounted combat style from the Age of Warrior Kings that has survived all these thousands of years is that of the Dire Rider. A Dire Rider is a raging engine of death, laying waste to all that lies before his deadly mount, and lethal to attack in combat. This wildly uninhibited combat style in widely used by savage plains-dwellers, as exemplified in Celegia by the dread Arrakanza.

Dire Riders are widely and properly feared for their devastating combat style and their lack of control, as they lose themselves in the carnage and care little about where the blood comes from.

Becoming a Dire Rider is a challenging task. You must be an accomplished warrior, you must be an accomplished rider, you must have a basic understanding of animal training techniques, and you must have extensive knowledge of the Mount you choose to ride into battle. The large majority of Celegian Dire Riders choose the savage and unpredictable Destriers as their chosen mounts, with a considerable minority choosing some exotic monstrous beast and a small minority choosing horse, Fane Deer, and less aggressive mounts.

A Dire Rider must take the Knowledge: Mount skill for each type of mount they wish to ride, and although few can be bothered with more than one, it is certainly possible.

Hit Die: d10

Requirements:

Base Attack Bonus: 6 Skills: Handle Animal 2 ranks; Knowledge: (Specific Mount) 4 ranks; Ride 4. Special: Rage ability

Class Skills:

The Dire Rider's skills (and key ability for each skill) are: Ride(Dex), Knowledge:Mount(Int), Handle Animal(Cha), Intimidate(Cha), Jump(Str), Sense Motive(Wis), Spot(Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Advancement Table

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special 1 +1 +2 0 +2 Choose Mount, Mounted Combat 2 +2 +3 0 +3 Bloodlust 1/day 3 +3 +3 +1 +3 Ride-By-Attack, Incite Mount 4 +4 +4 +1 +4 Swift Mount, Bloodlust 2/day 5 +5 +4 +1 +4 Dread Bounding, Savage Strike 6 +6 +5 +2 +5 Trample, Bloodlust 3/day 7 +7 +5 +2 +5 Spirited Charge, Extra Rage 8 +8 +6 +2 +6 Improved Ride-By-Attack, Bloodlust 4/day 9 +9 +6 +3 +6 Killing Pounce, Improved Mounted Combat 10 +10 +7 +3 +7 Greater Bloodlust 5/day

Class Features:

All the following are class features of the Dire Rider prestige class: Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dire Riders gain proficiency with martial weapons and light and medium armor.

Choose Mount (Ex): This is similar to the Paladin and Swift Rider ability. See the chart below for the quality of Mount chosen, and note that like the Swift Rider, this is a "normal" beast or magical beast, unlike the Paladin's Mount who comes from the Celestial Cascade. To Choose a Mount,the Dire Rider must search for and pick out the most suitable beast, typically the toughest, meanest example of the available creatures, obtain said mount by purchase or otherwise, and then retire with the creature to a suitable place for training, at the least a paddock, corral, or barn. The training process takes a week at the least, costs 200 gold pieces per day for the special herbs, unguents, and other ingredients used in the process, and must be completed in no more than ten days. A Dire Rider would never consider selling a Chosen Mount, and if such a thing were attempted via theft, the Chosen Mount would attack the new owner unceasingly. If a Dire Rider is slain but his Mount survives, the Chosen Mount will lurk near the body until it is raised or interred, then either return to service or flee to the wild, never to be seen again. Note that as a Dire Rider advances class levels, his Chosen Mount also improves. It is not necessary to Choose another mount, although it is certainly possible at the Dire Rider's discretion. A Chosen Mount that is dismissed flees to the wild, never to be seen again. A partial list of creatures that Dire Riders may consider as Mounts includes Dire Horses, Forest Sloths, Dire Wolverines, Displacer Beasts, Frost Worms, Destriers, Dire Bears, Bulettes, Dire Boars, Owl Bears, Dire Tigers, Monstrous Centipedes, Dire Lions, Blink Dogs, Hippogriffs, Fane Deer, Griffons, and many others besides at the referee's discretion.

Mounted Combat: At 1st level, the Dire Rider gains the Mounted Combat feat.

Bloodlust(Ex): A certain number of times per day, the Dire Rider may enter a bloodlust state, in which he desires only to slay his enemies in battle. He adds +2 to Strength, +2 to Constitution, and gains DR 2/-. While in the Bloodlust, the Dire Rider is uncaring of attacks made at him, and so suffers a -3 to his Armor Class. The Bloodlust lasts for 5 rounds plus his (improved) Constitution modifier. As a note, this is similar to a Barbarians Rage ability, and is adjudicated as such with the differences noted above.

Ride-by-Attack: On attaining 3rd level, the Dire Rider gains the Ride-by-attack feat.

Incite Mount(Ex): The Dire Rider may incite his Chosen Mount to a similar Bloodlust as himself, for the exact same benefits and penalties. The Dire Rider may use this power at the exact same time as he uses Bloodlust himself, or at any time thereafter as a free action. Once the Mount is Incited, the duration if its Bloodlust is calculated using the Mount's Constitution, and may extend past the time when the Dire Rider's Bloodlust has expired.

Swift Mount (Ex): Whenever the Dire Rider rides any mount of any species of riding beast he has a skill Knowledge: Mount for, that mount gains +10 feet of move (or half the mounts normal move, whichever is less) for as long as the Dire Rider is riding that mount. This bonus stacks with the bonus a Chosen Mount receives. If a Mount has more than one type of movement, this bonus applies to all modes.

Dread Bounding(Ex): Once per round as a free action, the Dire Rider may leap from the back of his Chosen Mount, or leap to the back of his Chosen Mount, as a free action. Normally this may only be attempted from or to an adjacent square, but at the discretion of the Dire Rider he may attempt to leap further, using a Jump Check. For the purpose of a Jump check FROM a Chosen Mount, the Jump bonus is calculated using the Mount's movement base. The Mount or the Dire Rider need move only 5 feet to allow this Jump-based check to be made at no penalty. This bonus only applies if the Dire Rider is riding his Chosen Mount. In all other cases, the Jump bonus is calculated using the Dire Riders movement allowance. If desired, the Dire Rider may take 10 on this roll, and it is still considered a free action. More importantly, if the Dire Rider wishes, he may treat this movement as if he had the Leap Attack feat, and if he successfully strikes a foe while bounding down upon them, he does extra damage with a Power Attack, essentially adding 1 to the modifier of attack to damage that the Power Attack feat would give. This power stacks with the Leap Attack feat, if the Dire Rider has it, and also stacks with all other powers and abilities which increase Power Attack bonuses.

Savage Strike(Su): During a Bloodlust, the Dire Rider may choose to add his class level to the chance to-hit and the damage roll of any one attack, once per round. If he has Incited his mount to Bloodlust as well, the Mount may also use the Savage Strike once per round. Savage Strike may be used with the effects of both Dire Bounding and Killing Pounce.

Trample: At 6th level, a Dire Rider gains the Trample feat.

Spirited Charge: At 7th level, a Dire Rider gains the Spirited Charge feat.

Extra Rage: At 7th level, a Dire Rider gains the Extra Rage feat.

Improved Ride-by-Attack: The Dire Rider gains +2 to hit and an additional D6 of damage with all Ride-by attacks.

Killing Pounce(Ex): This power allows the Dire Rider to use Dread Bounding as an attack without leaping from the back of his Chosen Mount. Essentially, the Dire Rider has taken the savagery of his Mount into himself, and can now make deadly killing attacks by leaping on his foes. All of the particulars of a Dire Bounding attack apply, such as take 10 on the Jump Check and only moving 5 feet. All Dire Bounding checks made while dismounted are made using the Dire Rider's movement base. Even better, if the Dire Rider is dismounted, his Chosen Mount may then use Dread Bounding to attack foes at its rider's side. Essentially, the Chosen Mount will fight on its own, taking directions from the Dire Rider via the extraordinary bond between the two.

Improved Mounted Combat: At 9 level, a Dire Rider gains the Improved Mounted Combat feat.

Greater Bloodlust(Ex): Like Bloodlust only stronger: +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and DR 4/- at the cost of 5 points of Armor Class.

Chosen Mount:

Dire Rider Level Bonus HD Bonus Damage Natural Armor Speed Adj. 1-2 +2 +1/Attack +4 +0 3-4 +4 +2/Attack +6 +0 5-6 +6 +2/Attack +8 +10 7-8 +8 +2/Attack +10 +10 9 +10 +3/Attack +12 +10 10 +12 +4/Attack +15 +20