Bowman Charger - General Prestige Class
This is a general Prestige class that may be applicable to the Forgotten Realms Campaign
Many nations and many armies make the claim to have the finest cavalry or the most splendid horsemen. None, however, are born and raised in the saddle like the great nomadic cultures of the steppes. From a young age, children learn to ride and shoot, and many receive bows and arrows as gifts. By the time children become adults, they are skilled riders and excellent marksmen.
As adults, these warriors fight almost entirely from horseback, making extensive use of their riding tradition to attack their enemies from a distance. When their foes msh into baffle, the nomadic warriors retreat, avoiding melee to shoot their enemies from a safe distance. Some consider them cowards, but this strategy minimizes their losses in a baffle. The wandering tribes lead a harsh life, and consequently many place a low value on the lives of those outside their culture.
These mighty warriors live in vast, open steppes where a nomadic lifestyle is both common and necessary. Not all members of the horse-riding steppe dwellers become bowman chargers, but those who do rise to great esteem among their clans and tribes.
Bowman chargers wear the best light armor they can acquire. They almost exclusively use the composite shortbow, scimitar, and spear, although a few occasionally make use of other weapons. Depending on their particular culture, needs, or beliefs, some bowman chargers make use of falchions or kukris.
Fighters have the easiest time becoming bowman chargers, and indeed nearly every bowman charger has multiple fighter levels, but the majority of bowman chargers have at least one level of another class. Most who multiclass take levels in barbarian or ranger, although a fair number of fighter/paladins join the ranks of bowman chargers. Other classes gain little or no benefit from the class and most find its requirements difficult to meet.
Hit Die: d10
To qualify to become a Bowman Charger, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Handle Animal 8 ranks, Ride 8 ranks
- Feats: Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack, Weapon Focus (composite shortbow),
- Base Attack Bonus: +6
From:
Dragon #325
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