General Prestige Class : Ashworm Dragoon
"Only the desert has a fascination to ride alone - in the sun of the forever unpossessed country - away from man. That is a great temptation." - Nebkhas, an ashworm dragoon
Some of the sand-hardened folk who have lived in the desert for millennia have come to appreciate the qualities of the ashworm. The skill of training ashworms as mounts has become popular, but you have been able to form a bond with a single ashworm so strong that the ashworm serves almost as an extension of your will. You, and talented riders like you, are known as ashworm dragoons.
As an ashworm dragoon, you ride across the vast desert sands (and sometimes beneath or beyond). You choose your own path, whether that involves defending your people, taking service with a patron, or striking out in search of adventure.
Most ashworm dragoons are fighters, though some barbarians and rangers, and even a few rogues, might take a few levels in this class. The required Mounted Combat and Ride-By attack feats, as well as ranks in Ride and Handle Animal, are important to capitalize on the class's abilities and show devotion to the path.
Some of the sand-hardened folk who have lived in the desert for millennia have come to appreciate the qualities of the ashworm. The skill of training ashworms as mounts has become popular, but you have been able to form a bond with a single ashworm so strong that the ashworm serves almost as an extension of your will. You, and talented riders like you, are known as ashworm dragoons.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Ashworm Dragoon, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Skills: Handle Animal 4 ranks, Ride 8 ranks
- Feats: Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack.
- Base Attack Bonus: +5
- Special: Must have ridden an ashworm.
Class Skills
The ashworm dragoon's class skills are Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Profession, Ride, and Spot.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ashworm dragoon prestige class.
Ashworm Mount (Ex): You have the service of a loyal ashworm that serves you as a mount. Unlike the ashworms sold as regular mounts, this ashworm's poison stinger is not clipped. Moreover, it never tries to submerge when it reaches open sand, as ashworms sold as mounts do. Finally, your ashworm serves readily as a combat steed. To ride your mount, you need special tack, harness, and an exotic saddle, all of which costs 70 gp.
Your ashworm is so loyal to you that it bears you without complaint on the surface of the sand, as well as on other surfaces found in nonwaste regions, for months or even years at a time.
Your ashworm is more powerful than a typical representative of its species, and it grows stronger as you gain ashworm dragoon levels. See the table below for details.
| Ashworm Advancement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragoon Level | Bonus HD | Natural Armor Adj. | Str Adj. |
| 1st - 2nd | +2 | +4 | +1 |
| 3rd - 4th | +4 | +6 | +2 |
| 5th - 6th | +6 | +8 | +3 |
| 7th - 8th | +8 | +10 | +4 |
| 9th - 10th | +10 | +12 | +5 |
If your ashworm mount is slain, you can obtain a new mount after a day of searching in any appropriate waste area.
Saddle Bonus (Ex): You gain a competence bonus equal to your class level on all Handle Animal and Ride checks associated with your ashworm while you are mounted.
Bonus Feat: At 2nd and 9th level, you can choose a bonus feat from the fighter bonus feats.
Heightened Sting (Ex): Wild ashworms, and ashworms chosen as mounts by dragoon characters, have a poisonous stinger (normal saddle-broken ashworms sold as mounts have their stinger clipped for the rider's safety). At 3rd level and higher, you can induce your mount to make a heightened sting attack in conjunction with your regular attacks that round. When making a heightened sting attack, the ashworm's attack roll modifier is equal to your base attack bonus + the ashworm's Str modifier. On a successful hit, the victim's Fortitude save DC to resist the poison is 10 + 1/2 your character level + the ashworm's Con modifier. This is a special attack, and it can be made only once per round, and a total number of times per day equal to your class level. In rounds when you choose not to make a heightened sting attack, the ashworm can make a normal sting at its regular attack bonus, and the DC to resist the poison is determined normally.
Relentless Shield (Ex): At 4th level and higher, you can make a Ride check after any attack that successfully strikes your ashworm mount, in an attempt to negate the hit on your ashworm. Normally, the Mounted Combat feat allows you to make this attempt only once per round. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on Ride checks made to negate an opponent's attack roll. This ability does not extend to any other type of mount.
Stamp into the Sand (Ex): At 5th level, you gain Trample as a bonus feat. Instead of using a hoof, the ashworm makes one sting attack against the knocked-down target. If you already have the Trample feat (or gain it later), you gain an extra benefit: When mounted on your ashworm, a foe you have knocked down using Trample is so thoroughly flattened that rising from a prone position requires a full-round action instead of a move action.
Sand Rider (Su): Upon reaching 6th level, you have formed such a close bond with your mount that you are able to stay with the ashworm when it travels beneath the sand. During these trips, you have learned the trick of tightening your harness, just so, while at the same time guiding your sandswimming mount in an expert manner that allows you to cling to the ashworm's back without being swept off, and without fear of suffocation. This ability does not allow you to remain attached when the ashworm burrows through solid earth (but see the earth rider class feature, below), and you can travel in this manner for 1 minute per class level at a time before you and your mount must surface for air.
Full Mounted Attack (Ex): Beginning at 7th level, you can make a full attack when your mount moves more than 5 feet but no farther than its speed as a single move action. You cannot combine this full attack with a charge action.
Spirited Worm (Ex): You gain Spirited Charge as a bonus feat at 8th level.
If you already have Spirited Charge (or gain it later), you gain an extra benefit: When mounted on your ashworm and using the charge action, you deal an extra 1d6 points of damage (or 2d6 with a lance). This ability does not extend to any other type of mount.
Earth Rider (Su): At 10th level, your bond with your mount is so close that you are able to stay with the ashworm even when it travels beneath packed earth. During these trips, you have learned the trick of quickly adjusting your harness, while at the same time guiding your burrowing mount in an expert manner that allows you to cling to the ashworm's back without being swept off, and without fear of suffocation. You can travel in this manner for 1 minute per class level at a time before you and your mount must surface for air. An ashworm cannot burrow through solid rock. If it is forced to stop burrowing (such as if it is slain) while you are on its back, you are subject to the normal hazards of being buried alive.
| Ashworm Dragoon | Hit Die: d10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Ashworm mount, saddle bonus |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Bonus feat |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Heightened sting |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Relentless shield |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Stamp into the sand |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Sand rider |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +2 | Full mounted attack |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +2 | Spirited worm |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +3 | Bonus feat |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +3 | Earth rider |
Dragoon Paladins
Ashworms have a poison attack, but many paladins forswear the use of poison. As such, most paladins who become ashworm dragoons go through a lengthy ritual known as the Consecration of the Sifting Sand. The daylong ritual includes wilderness fasting, prayer, and the removal of the ashworms poison-producing glands (followed by cure spells so the ashworm doesn't suffer).
When the Consecration of the Sifting Sand is complete, the ashworm has permanently lost its poison attack, but a mystic bond has developed between the ashworm and the paladin/dragoon. The ashworm gains the benefits of being a paladin's special mount, and the dragoon can now call the ashworm from the celestial realms in which it now resides (often the white sands of the Mithardir layer of Arborea, despite that plane's chaotic tendencies).
Source: Sandstorm