Roc Riders
"Death from above!"
-- Minerva Twiceblessed, Captain of the Air
The Roc Riders were the first members of the Aerial Corps of the Mteuele. Founded after the discovery of a process by which the rocs that plied the skies of the desert might be pacified. The double benefit: both partly removing a threat, and increasing their own strength, was found to be too much, and the Aerial Corps was so born. A group of intrepid and broad-thinking young men and women enlisted, and hunted down rocs to be their companions. The training process is a long one, including bonding time with their companions, both the rocs and their fellow corpsmen, weapons proficiency time, endurance training, and tactics in three dimensions. To be a rider is not for the slow or the stupid, the fearful or the weak.
Entry Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +10Skills: Ride 8 ranks, Handle Animal 6 ranks
Feats: Mounted Combat
Class Features
BAB: 1
Saves: Good Ref; Bad Will, Fort
Hit Dice: d8
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Riders gain proficiency with all simple weapons, the shortbow and longbow, as well as the lance and winged spear. They also gain light and medium armor proficiency.
Roc Riding: The rider's class level may be added to all Ride checks on a roc, as well as to all Handle Animal checks with his companion.
Call Companion: A rider gains a roc companion to be his mount. Further information about the companion is below.
Ride the Thermals (2): The riders have become adept at handling their mounts. They gain a +10 competence bonus to ride checks on their companion. In addition, they have become so adept at fighting in the air currents, the penalty to ranged combat in winds while mounted is reduced by 2 (no penalty in strong winds, -2 in severe, etc.)
Bonus Feat (2): Riders can, at second and fourth level, pick a bonus feat from the following list: Mounted Archery, Improved Mounted Archery, Mounted Fighting, Ride-By Attack
Grand Dive (3): The rider has learned to utilize sudden dives to his advantage in combat. In a round where he and his companion dive at least 50 feet, he gains a +4 bonus to damage for that round.
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis)
2 + (Int bonus) skill points per level
Roc Companion:
The process of taming a roc is a long an arduous one, that requires a week-long journey into the desert, alone. To survive requires making multiple survival checks at a DC decided by the DM -- suggested DC 20 base, increasing by ~2 per day. Failing multiple checks indicates increasing dehydration -- and eventually death. To initially pacify the roc, without any magical aid, is a DC 30 Handle Animal check. Bribes of shiny objects, or better yet, large quantities of food, can reduce this.
Levels 1-3
Move As One: The companion of the rider advances one category of maneuverability when mounted. Since roc maneuverability is average by default, this means they progress to good, and gain the benefits: hovering, etc.
Levels 4-5
Egg On: The companion's flying speed increases by 10 feet while its rider is astride.
