Monster Prestige Class : Waverider
Undersea folk have their own champions, experts at mounted combat from the backs of allied sea creatures. The waverider and her companion animal defend their city with a vigor that exceeds either's individual powers.
Waveriders are often merfolk or tritons who enter military service to defend their communities. Occasionally aquatic elves join this profession, although their independent nature does not tend to produce large settlements. Locathah and even kuo-toa waveriders are not unknown. Rarely sahuagin take this prestige class, but their ferocious and xenophobic nature does not lend itself readily to such a partnership. Waveriders work well in groups and are often encountered in military-style organizations. Adventuring parties of aquatic beings often include one or more waveriders.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Waverider, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Race: Fey, humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or outsider with the aquatic subtype.
- Skills: Ride (aquatic animal) 6 ranks.
- Feats: Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat.
- Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Class Skills
The waverider's class skills are Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Profession (any), and Ride.
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the waverider prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Waveriders are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with shields.
Waverider Mount: A waverider can call a special aquatic mount to serve her. This may be a hippocampus, sea lion, shark, porpoise, elasmosaurus, or whale. This creature is stronger and more intelligent than others of its type. A waverider may have only one mount at a time. If the mount is slain, the waverider can call another one after a year and a day. See the Waverider Mount sidebar (below) for more information.
Mounted Weapon Bonus (Ex): At each level, a waverider gains the indicated bonus on her attack roll with the designated weapon while mounted.
Trident Charge (Ex): A waverider can use a trident to deal double damage when used from the back of a charging mount. The Spirited Charge feat can be used to increase the damage multiple to triple normal.
Ride Bonus (Ex): At 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, a waverider gains the indicated bonus on Ride checks.
Breach (Ex): On reaching 3rd level, a mounted waverider can make a leaping charge to attack opponents out of the water. The mount makes a Jump check using its own ranks in the skill or the waverider's, whichever is better, to make a "running" high jump as part of a charge, with a maximum height distance of twice its length. If it contacts an opponent during the jump, the waverider gains the normal +2 bonus on her attack roll. At the end of the jump, waverider and mount are once again submerged and thus do not take the -2 penalty to Armor Class against opponents out of the water (those underwater are still able to take advantage waverider's being temporarily off balance). A waverider cannot use this ability in two consecutive rounds.
Sound (Ex): On reaching 4th level, a waverider can dive at high speed as part of a charge when underwater. The mount makes a Jump check using its own ranks in the skill or the waverider's, whichever is better, to make a "running" long jump as part of a charge, with a maximum distance of six times its length. If it contacts an opponent during the dive, the waverider gains a +4 bonus on her attack roll and increases the damage multiplier with her mounted weapon one more step (double to triple, triple to quadruple) but takes a -4 penalty to Armor Class for the next round. A waverider cannot use this ability in two consecutive rounds.
Improved Mounted Archery (Ex): At 5th level, a waverider is better able to use a crossbow, harpoon, javelin, trident, or shortspear while mounted. When making ranged attacks with any of these weapons while mounted, she takes only a -1 penalty on ranged attacks if the mount is making a double move, and -2 if the mount is running.
Full Mounted Attack (Ex): At 6th level, a waverider may attack as a standard action when its mount moves more than 5 feet rather than as a partial action.
Skim (Ex): On reaching 7th level, a mounted waverider can make more effective charges against opponents out of the water, skimming over the surface like a flying fish. The mount makes a Jump check using its own ranks in the skill or the waverider's, whichever is better, to make a "running" long jump as part of a charge, with a maximum distance of four times its length, and a "running" high jump with a maximum vertical distance of twice its length. (Use the same roll to determine both height and length.) If it contacts an opponent during the jump, the waverider gains the normal +2 bonus on its attack roll. Ar the end of the jump, waverider and mount are once again submerged and thus do not take the -2 penalty to Armor Class against opponents out of the water (those underwater are still able to take advantage of the waverider's being temporarily off balance). A waverider cannot use this ability in two consecutive rounds.
Superior Mounted Archery (Ex): At 8th level, a waverider takes no penalties when making ranged attacks with a crossbow, harpoon, javelin, trident, or shortspear while mounted.
Wavedancing (Ex): On reaching 9th level, a mounted waverider can maneuver very effectively out of the water. Rider and mount can move up to four times the mount's swim speed out of water and can make charges, including Ride-By Attacks if the waverider has this feat (normal charge rules apply). In addition, she can now use her breach, sound, and skim abilities in consecutive rounds.
Call of the Deeps (Su): At 10th level, a wave rider can summon one or more water elementals once per day, as with a planar ally spell.
| Waverider | Hit Dice: d10 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Waverider mount, mounted weapon bonus +1 (trident), trident charge |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Mounted weapon bonus +1 (javelin/harpoon), Ride bonus |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Breach, mounted weapon bonus +2 (trident) |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Sound, mounted weapon bonus +2 (javelin/harpoon) |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Improved mounted archery, mounted weapon bonus +3 (trident), Ride bonus +4 |
| 6th | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Full mounted attack, mounted weapon bonus +3 (javelin/harpoon) |
| 7th | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Skim, mounted weapon bonus +4 (trident), Ride bonus |
| 8th | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Superior mounted archery, mounted weapon bonus +4 (javelin/harpoon) |
| 9th | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Wavedancing, mounted weapon bonus +5, Ride bonus |
| 10th | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Call of the deeps, mounted weapon bonus +5 (javelin/harpoon) |
Waverider Mount
The waverider's mount differs from a standard creature of its type in a number of ways. A Medium-size waverider typically rides a hippocampus, sea lion, Large shark, killer whale, or porpoise. A Tiny or Small waverider usually chooses a Medium-size shark, while a Large waverider favors an elasmosaurus, Huge shark, or cachalot whale. This mount is a magical beast, not an animal. It has a number of special abilities, as shown below.
| CL | Bonus HD | Natural Armor | Str Adj. | Int | Special |
| 7 or less | +1 | +1 | +1 | 5 | Improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, share saving throws |
| 8-10 | +2 | +2 | +2 | 6 | - |
| 11-14 | +4 | +4 | +3 | 7 | Speak with creatures of its kind |
| 15-18 | +6 | +5 | +4 | 8 | Fast movement |
| 19-20 | +8 | +6 | +6 | 9 | Spell resistance |
| Character Level: The character level of the waverider.
Bonus Hit Dice: These are extra d8 Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount's base attack and base save bonuses, as usual (see the Monster Manual for rules on advancing magical beasts). Natural Armor: This is an increase to the mount's natural armor bonus. Str Adj.: Add this figure to the mount's Strength score. | |||||
Improved Evasion (Ex): If the waverider's mount is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: At the waverider's option, she may have a spell that she casts on herself (if she is a spellcaster) and on her mount. This also applies to spell-like abilities. The mount must be within 5 feet. If the spell or spell-like ability has a duration other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if the mount returns to the waverider before the duration expires. Additionally, the waverider may cast a spell or use a spell-like ability with a target of "You" on her mount instead of on herself. The waverider and her mount can even share spells that normally do not affect creatures of the mount's type (magical beast).
Empathic Link (Su): The waverider has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of 1 mile. The waverider can see through the mount's eyes, but the two can communicate telepathically. Even intelligent mounts see the world differently from their riders, so misunderstandings are always possible.
Share Saving Throws: The mount uses its own base saves the waverider's, whichever is higher.
Speak with Creatures of Its Kind (Su): The mount communicates with aquatic animals or with creatures of approximately the same kind. A whale or porpoise can speak with a whale or porpoise, while a shark can speak with other fish, and a frog can speak with amphibians.
Fast Movement (Ex): The mount's swim speed increases by 5 feet if Small, and by 10 feet if Medium-size or larger.
Spell Resistance (Ex): The mount gains spell resistance equal to the waverider's class level + 5. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must make a level check (1d20 + caster level) at least equal to the mount's spell resistance.
Source: Savage Species