General Prestige Class : Peregrine Runner
While goliath tribes are largely self-sufficient, they sometimes need to get a message to another tribe quickly, often because they're under attack or in some other danger. When such a need arises, the goliaths send an elite fleer of-foot warrior known as a peregrine runner. Peregrine runners also serve as long-range scouts for their tribe, checking a far-off valley to see whether game is plentiful before the entire tribe breaks camp and travels there. When a goliath tribe needs to send an envoy to lowlanders far below their lofty camps, it often sends a peregrine runner.
Peregrine runners are among the fastest land travelers in the mountains, able to scale the highest peaks to deliver a message or scout the lands beyond. Because they travel so much, peregrine runners tend to be more worldly than the average goliath and fit in well with those not of their tribe (although their size makes at difficult for any goliaths to "blend in" with most humanoids).
A wide array of characters find the life of a peregrine runner appealing, with rogues and barbarians represented slightly more than other classes. The prestige class is a natural for bards adept at social interaction, but many bards find the dawncaller class more attractive. If you see a goliath in tribal garb visiting a human or dwarf city - or anywhere out of the mountains - you're probably looking at a peregrine runner. Peregrine runners can also be found scouting new mountain territory for their tribe, so they're often present in the mountains even when other goliaths are not.
Adaptation: This class, while ostensibly specific to goliaths, could be adapted for any prestige class that focuses on mountain travel. If you adapt it, be sure to balance abilities useful only in the mountains (such as mountain stride) with abilities gained in the mountains but useful elsewhere (such as fast movement). Peregrine runners act as envoys of their tribes, so there's a diplomatic element to this class that might nor be appropriate for other mountain-based races or classes.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Peregrine Runner, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Goliath
- Skills: Climb 9 ranks, Diplomacy 4 ranks, Handle Animal 4 ranks, Jump 9 ranks
- Feats: Endurance, Run,
- Base Attack Bonus: +4
Class Skills
The peregrine runner's class skills are Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Swim, Tumble, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the peregrine runner prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Peregrine runners gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Mountain Stride (Ex): A peregrine runner can move through scree and dense rubble at his normal speed. He can also move up steep slopes and stairs at his normal speed. (See Wilderness).
Peregrine Companion (Ex): A peregrine runner gains an animal companion: the peregrine falcon that lends its name to the prestige class. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the peregrine runner on his adventures as appropriate.
A peregrine falcon uses the statistics of a hawk. This ability functions like a druid's animal companion, except that the peregrine runner doesn't get a choice of animal. If a character already has a peregrine falcon animal companion from another class, the levels of that class stack with his peregrine runner class levels to determine the falcon's power and abilities according to the animal companion table. If a peregrine runner already has an animal companion other than a peregrine falcon from another class, the levels don't stack, and the falcon becomes a second animal companion.
Skirmish (Ex): A peregrine runner of 2nd level or higher relies on mobility to deal extra damage and improve his defense. The character deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks he makes during any round in which he moves at least 10 feet. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the peregrine runner's turn. This extra damage increases by 1d6 for every four levels gained above 2nd (2d6 at 6th, 3d6 at 10th, and so forth).
The extra damage only applies against living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The peregrine runner must be able to see the target well enough to pick our a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. Peregrine runners can apply this additional damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within 30 feet.
At 4th level, a runner also gains a +1 competence bonus to AC during any round in which he moves at least 10 feet. The bonus applies as soon as the peregrine runner has moved 10 feet, and lasts until the start of his next turn. This bonus improves to +2 at 8th level.
A peregrine runner loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load. If he gains the skirmish ability from another class, the bonuses stack.
Great Stamina (Ex): At 3rd level and higher, a peregrine runner has conditioned his body for maximum stamina. The character suffers none of the effects of fatigue - except that when he is exhausted, the peregrine runner becomes fatigued.
Slow Fall (Ex): Ar 3rd level and higher, a peregrine runner within arm's reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent. When first using this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. A peregrine runner's ability to slow his fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves with his peregrine runner level until at 9th level he can use a nearby wall to slow his descent and reduce the effective distance of his fall by 50 feet.
Climb Speed: Beginning at 4th level, a peregrine runner has a preternatural ability to climb, giving him a climb speed of 20 feet. This ability also gives the peregrine runner a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. He can always take 10 on Climb checks, even when distracted or threatened. At 8th level and higher, a peregrine runner has a climb speed of 40 feet.
Fast Movement (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a peregrine runner's land speed is faster than the norm for his race by 10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor or light armor and not carrying a medium or heavy load. if a peregrine runner gains fast movement from another class, such as barbarian or monk, the bonuses to speed stack.
Inexhaustible Stamina (Ex): Ar 9th level and higher, a peregrine runner is a paragon of fitness, able to run and climb ceaselessly. He has immunity to all fatigue and exhaustion effects.
| Peregrine Runner | Hit Die: d8 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Mountain stride, peregrine companion |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Skirmish +1d6 |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Great stamina, slow fall 20 ft. |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Climb 20 ft., skirmish +1/+1d6 |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Fast movement, slow fall 30 ft. |
| 6th | +4 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Skirmish +1/+2d6 |
| 7th | +5 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Slow fall 40 ft. |
| 8th | +6 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Climb 40 ft., skirmish +2/+2d6 |
| 9th | +6 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Inexhaustible stamina, slow fall 50 ft. |
| 10th | +7 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Skirmish +2/+3d6 |
Source: Races of Stone