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Beast Rider

It always amazed me how few games actually use ideas from fiction. You don't see a lot of Griffion Riders, or Dire Tiger Riders around. I kinda feel it's because the system really doesn't say you can. Technically, all the skills are there, they include all the stats for if you wanna do it, but I never see the opportunity to use them.

I took it apon myself to give those who wanted to have it a way out. All though the opportunity to develop, say, a Roc Rider is near impossible, it is possible to find reason and cause to gain a small beast to raise to the level where one could use it as a mount. This class is not meant for every game, and really only works on a high fantasy game. I feel it fills a gap that has often been missed, though.

This prestige class is in First Draft Form

Hit Dice: d8

Requirments:

Ride Skill 8+
Handle Animal 8+
Special: Must have raised a Beast (Magical or Non-Magical) from childhood to Maturity.

Class Skills:

The Beast Rider 's class skills, (and corisponding Abilities) are Animal Empathy (Chr), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Chr), Knowledge: Nature (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), and Spot (Wis)

The Beast Rider gets 4 + Intelligence Modifier Skill Points per Level,

Class Features:

Armor & Weapons: Beast Rider gains no Armor or Weapon classes or types. She uses whatever martial skills she had before becoming one with her beast.

Beastial Mount: The Beast Rider is one with her mount. Her mount can be animal or beastial, Magical, or Non. The Beast Rider can choose only one type of mount which she has a special bond with. That Beast must be one size larger then the Rider. If the Beast Rider losses her first mount, she can raise another one. She can raise more then one mount at any given time, although it's Beastial Abilities will only work for her or another Beast Rider.

Beastial Empathy : At first level, the Beastial Rider can feel the emotions of her beast. This has a range of 10' times the Beastial Rider's level. This is a Supernatural Ability.

Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 6th, and 10th level, the Beast Rider gains a bonus feat from the following list: Mounted Combat, Ride By Attack, Charge, Trample, Alertness, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specilization, Exotic Weapon, Martial Weapon

Beastial Telepathy: At 5th level, the Beast Rider is able to Telepathicly speak with her beast, from as far away as 20' per level of Beast Rider. The Beast Rider's Empathy ability increases to 100' per level of Beast Rider at this time. This is a Supernatural Ability

Beast's Tounge : At 8th level, the Beast Rider has learned so much from her Mount that she can effectivly speak the language of the Beast she has bonded with. This is a supernatural ability.

Beastial Abilities: At 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 9th, the Beastial Mount gains a power, chossen from the list below. Each ability is unique, and has seperate rules. All Beasts that the Beast Rider raises have this ability. Each ability raises the CR of the Beast by one. All of the Abilitys are Supernatural in origin.

Growth : The beast grows a lot larger, gaining +2 HD, +4 Str, +4 Con. This ability can be bought more then once, each effect being acculmitive.
Tough Hide : The Beast's skin grows a lot thicker, giving it a +4 Natural AC bonus, stacking with previous Natural Armor totals. This can be used more then once.
Elemental Breath : The Mount develops recessed magical powers, giving it a 2d10 Elemental breath weapon once every 1d3 rounds. It breaths in a cone 5 times it's Hit Dice Long. The Element type must be chosen when the ability is taken. This feat can be taken more then once, each time choosing a different element.
Speed: The mount moves faster then others of it's kind. Add half of it's Movement to it Movement Rate. This only applies to it's Walking speed. Animals that can not walk on land can not take this ability. This ability can only be taken once.
Flight: The Beast develops wings, or the magical ability to walk on air at one and a half (1.5) times it's walking speed. If it already can fly, it moves half again as fast. This Ability can only be taken once.
Water Breathing: The beast develops the ability to move as easily through water as through the air. It can Swim twice as fast as it can move on land. Furthermore, it never fears drowning. This ability can only be taken once.
Damage Resistance : The beast develops the ability to ignore damage from non-magical weapons. It gains DR 10/+1. This ability can be taken more then once, each level stackable with the last.
Spell Resistance : The beast ignores spells thrown at it. It gains SR equal to 10 +it's HD. This Ability can only be taken once.
Burrowing : The beast can burrow through solid earth as easy as other tread water. It get's half of it's movement rate when moving through solid earth. This ability can only be taken once.
Blindvision: The beast uses it's other sense to sense it's opponents. It never suffers penelties for being in the dark or being magically blinded. It also ignores concelment bonuses.
Superior Fighting : The Beast learns to attack better, dealing better damage. It gains +3 to it's Base Attack, and +3 Damage to all it's attacks. This ability can be bought more then once, and stacks on top of it's other bonuses.

Level	Base Attack	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special Ability
1	+1	+2	+0	+2	Bestial Empathy
2	+2	+3	+0	+3	Bestial Abilty
3	+3	+3	+1	+3	Bonus Feat
4	+4	+4	+1	+4	Bestial Ability
5	+5	+4	+1	+4	Beastial Telepathy
6	+6	+5	+2	+5	Bonus Feat
7	+7	+5	+2	+5	Beastial Ability
8	+8	+6	+2	+6	Beast's Tounge
9	+9	+6	+3	+6	Beastial Ability
10	+10	+7	+3	+7	Bonus Feat