Saintheart
2010-02-23, 04:10 AM
Brother of the Diamond Tusk
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/Borf_the_Dwarf/BW_Thundertusk_Cavalry.jpg
Khadras Shieldbreaker, Brother of the Diamond Tusk, and his mount Ig'zim
Most dwarven adventurers know the perils of combating creatures of the wild, and virtually all know the dangers posed by dire boars. Few, though, are granted the great gift of insight that permits them to become one with such an enemy, to meld their mountain-born spirit with the ferocious, tenacious spirit that is the dire boar. A dwarf on foot is dangerous enough, but combine that dwarf with his Dire Boar mount, and rider and mount alike become a primal force of destruction, forged together by the rider's identity as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk.
The Brotherhood of the Diamond Tusk is a peculiarly dwarven phenomenon, arising out of the slow but growing introduction of the Twin Spirit martial school to dwarven culture. The Brother of the Diamond Tusk is generally something of a rebel by dwarven standards, though that rebellion tends to manifest by devotion to the more chaotic gods of the dwarven pantheon.
HD: d12
Requirements
Race: Dwarf
Alignment: Any nonlawful
BAB: +8
Skills: Martial Lore 2 ranks, Ride 2 ranks, Jump 6 ranks, Handle Animal 10 ranks
Feats: Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack
Maneuvers: Ability to use 3rd level maneuvers, including at least one strike and one stance
Special: Must capture a dire boar in single combat and then spend one night in prayer to a god of the dwarven pantheon, following which the dire boar must be trained (DC 20 Handle Animal check). At the end of this training the spiritual link between dwarf and beast manifests itself and entry to the class commences.
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Martial Lore, Ride, Spot, Swim and Tumble.
Skill Points per level: 4 + INT modifier
Weapons and Armor Proficiencies: Brothers of the Diamond Tusk are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and all armors and all shields.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Dire Boar Mount, Boar's Snout
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Blood Admits No Care
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Tusk and Blade
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Blood Knows No Oblivion
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Blade and Hoof Stance, Razorback Stance
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Doom of the Tusk
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Sinews of the Beast, Adamantine Bond
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Adamantine Tusk Strike
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Master of Charges
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Fury of the Boar Stance[/table]
{table=head]Level|Man. Known|Man. Readied|Stances Known
1st|
0|
0|
0
2nd|
1|
0|
1
3rd|
0|
1|
0
4th|
1|
0|
0
5th|
0|
1|
0
6th|
1|
0|
0
7th|
0|
0|
1
8th|
1|
1|
0
9th|
0|
0|
0
10th|
1|
0|
0[/table]
Maneuvers: At levels 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th, a Brother of the Diamond Tusk gains new maneuvers known from the Army of One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5710173), Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw or Twin Spirit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40991) disciplines. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full Brother of the Diamond Tusk levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known. At levels 3rd, 5th, and 8th, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.
Stances Known: At 2nd and 7th levels, you learn a new martial stance from the Army of One, Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw or Twin Spirit disciplines. You must meet the stance's prerequisites to learn it.
Dire Boar Mount: The Brother of the Diamond Tusk obtains the friendship of a dire boar. The benefits of the mount you gain are dependant on the Brother of the Diamond Tusk's class level. The benefits are described on the table at the bottom of the page.
Boar's Snout (Ex): You gain a portion of the dire boar's unique senses: specifically, you are now able to Scent as the dire boar's ability.
Blood Admits No Care (Ex): At 2nd level, the dire boar's sheer ferocity and singlemindedness drives your strategy in battle. To use this ability, choose a single foe. Attacks and damage rolls made by your mount against this foe while you ride it gain a bonus equal to your Brother of the Diamond Tusk level divided by two. The drawback of this is that both you and your mount suffer a -2 to AC whilst using this ability.
Once this foe has been felled you may choose another one to gain the benefits again. The benefits of this last until the end of the encounter.
A Brother of the Diamond Tusk may choose not to designate a foe for the round using this ability, but once chosen they cannot take their focus off them until they are felled.
Tusk and Blade (Ex): Your dire boar companion's fierce spirit melds with your own warrior's heart. At 3rd level you gain a special stance that you and your mount both enter simultaneously. You both take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, you are capable of channeling your maneuvers through your mounts tusks. When making an attack with its tusks the boar may use and thus expend one of your readied boosts or strikes. Your mount is also capable of regaining maneuvers in the same way you might, such as a warblade recovering his with a single melee attack or flurry of styling swings in mid-air, or a swordsage recovering one of their maneuvers in a similar fashion.
Blood Knows No Oblivion (Ex): The Brother of the Diamond Tusk obtains the Dire Boar's Ferocity (Ex) quality: the Brother continues to fight without penalty even when disabled or dying.
Blade and Hoof stance (Ex): At 5th level, you get a special stance that increases your capacity to hold the line defensively whilst mounted. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, stationary, and wielding any kind of reach weapon, both you and your mount are treated as having an untyped +4 against Bull Rush attempts, and are able to ignore restrictions on your reach weapons for melee combat; for example, if wielding a lance, you are able to attack targets both 5' and 10' away from you without penalty. The benefits of this stance only work while mounted on your dire boar mount, and only while both you and the mount are stationary. Should you be moved from your position by any method, the benefits of this stance end. You may voluntarily end this stance at any time.
Razorback Stance (Ex): Additionally, at 5th level, you gain a special stance which increases your capacity to strike at opponents from boarback. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, 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. This full attack can not be combined with a charge action. The benefits of this stance only work while mounted on your dire boar mount.
Doom of the Tusk (Ex): At 6th level, you've trained your mount to deal more damage in a charge attack. Whenever it makes a charge attack and attacks with its tusks it deals an additional amount of damage equal to 1d6 times your class level divided by two.
Sinews of the Beast (Ex): At 7th level, you and your mount make each other's strength your own. Whilst the Brother is mounted on his dire boar, both the Brother and the mount are each treated as having an untyped bonus of +2 to their respective STR scores.
Adamantine Bond (Ex): Also at 7th level, you and your mount's empathic bond has strengthened to the point where you are virtually inseparable. Your mount is immune to Dominate Animal and Dominate Monster spells. You and your mount receive an untyped +5 to saving throws against any spell directed at you or your mount intended on affecting or sundering the bond of companionship between you.
Adamantine Tusk Strike (Ex): At 8th level, you learn a maneuver unique to Brothers of the Diamond Tusk, the Adamantine Tusk Strike. By using your empathic link with your mount, you hone its skills as a predator. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 7th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. This strike takes a full-round action to initiate and requires you begin while mounted, and while your mount is making a charge. The second part of the action is your dire boar making an attack with its tusks. If the tusk attack hits and deals damage, at the Brother's option the dire boar mount may be treated as having executed an Awesome Blow as per the monster feat, but with:
(1) no Reflex save to the target;
(2) the target flung 20 feet in any direction at the choice of the Brother (including over the boar and the Brother's heads), and;
(3) the target taking an additional 3d6 piercing damage in addition to any other damage inflicted by the strike. This 3d6 piercing damage stacks with the piercing damage inflicted by the tusk's initial successful attack.
Master of Charges (Ex): At 9th level, your own keen tactical sense infuses the boar's raging heart. Your mount gains unique power in charging attacks: for the mount, charging is no longer treated as a full round action with a single melee attack at the end. Instead a charge becomes a standard action in which your mount moves up to its normal movement distance and then the boar making a single melee attack at the end. This standard action may be initiated before or after the move action in a turn.
Fury of the Boar Stance (Su): At 10th level, you and your mount are an unstoppable killing force. Your mount takes a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance it's in to gain the benefits granted by this stance, and you must be mounted on your dire boar mount. While in this stance, your mount gains the following benefits:
Firstly, it gains bonuses to its natural armor and Dex score equal to your Brother of the Diamond Tusk level.
Secondly, its tusk attacks deal 1d12 points of damage plus their Str modifier, and the dire boar's critical multiplier for its tusks increase to x3 from x2.
Thirdly, it gains all the benefits of the Dodge, Improved Critical (Tusk) and Mobility feats.
Fourthly, it gains a further attack with its tusks as per the Haste spell.
Fifthly, its speed increases to 90 feet instead of 50 feet.
Lastly, you (not the mount) emulate all the benefits of the Tiger Claw stance Wolf Pack Tactics as part of this stance without needing any of the prerequisites for that stance. You still may not exceed your movement allowance whilst in this stance as per the stance's description -- but your movement allowance is counted as that of the boar, and your mount must move with you for each iterative attack made as part of the stance.
Being in this stance counts for the mount and rider. That is, the rider cannot take another stance while the dire boar is in this stance.
__________________
Dire Boar Mount
The Brother of the Diamond Tusk's dire boar mount is a paragon of its kind, with abilities above and beyond those of a normal dire boar.
{table=head]Prestige Class Level|Bonus HD|Nat. Armor Adj.|Dex and Str Adj.|Special
1st-2nd|
+2|
+4|
+1|Empathic link, improved evasion, share saving throws
3rd-4th|
+4|
+6|
+2|Improved speed
5th-6th|
+6|
+8|
+3|Rage of the Beast
7th-8th|
+8|
+10 |
+4|Spell resistance
9th-10th|
+10|
+12|
+5|Damage Reduction 5/magic[/table]
Dire boar basics: Use the base statistics for a dire boar, but make changes to take into account the attributes and characteristics summarized on the table and described below.
Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (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. A dire boar's base attack bonus is equal to that of a fighter of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor Adj.: The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Dex and Str Adj.: Add this figure to each of the mount’s Dex and Str scores.
Empathic Link (Su): The Brother of the Diamond Tusk has an empathic link with his dire boar mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The Brother cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from dwarves, so misunderstandings are always possible. Because of this empathic link, the Brother has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the Brother's, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
Improved Speed (Ex): The mount’s base land speed increases by 10 feet.
Rage of the Beast (Sp): Once per day per two Brother of the Diamond Tusk levels of its master (minimum 1), a dire boar mount can use this ability to enter a rage. For the purposes of calculating all variables relating to the rage, the dire boar is treated as a barbarian with as many levels as the mount has Hit Dice. However, the beast's rage cannot be ended prematurely unless the Brother makes a DC 21 Concentration check to bring the dire boar out of its screaming frenzy.
Spell Resistance (Ex): The mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s initiator level + 5. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the mount’s spell resistance.
Damage Reduction 5/magic (Ex): The mount obtains damage reduction as per the SRD of 5/magic.
______
Loss of Mount
Should the dire boar's mount be killed, the Brother of the Diamond Tusk's own empathy with the creature is such that his own life is imperilled. The Brother must make a DC 19 Fortitude saving throw or be immediately slain (successful save for 4d6 damage.).
A Brother of the Diamond Tusk whose mount is killed becomes an ex-Brother of the Diamond Tusk (see below). You may seek out and acquire a new dire boar mount, but it requires a full week's stay in a wilderness known to contain dire boars, followed by a further DC 20 Handle Animal check to acquire and train a further dire boar mount.
Should by any method the dire boar no longer be friendly to the Brother of the Diamond Tusk, the Brother becomes an ex-Brother of the Diamond Tusk (see below). However, the empathic link between dwarf and beast is still strong and the Brother is still capable of reasserting control over the beast. A DC 30 Handle Animal check allows the Brother to re-establish his link with the mount, at which point all of the Brother's class abilities are reinstated and he resumes his previous level as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk. Retries are possible, but the DC for the Handle Animal check rises by 5 with each attempt.
The Brother may attempt to reassert control over the mount whilst still in combat using the Handle Animal skill, but it is left to the DM's discretion as to what DC to assign to this task, with a minimum DC of 30.
Ex-Brothers of the Diamond Tusk
A Brother of the Diamond Tusk whose mount has been estranged from the Brother or killed immediately loses all his class abilities attaching to the prestige class. He retains any maneuvers and stances learned from the Army of One, Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw or Twin Spirit disciplines during his progression through the prestige class, and his initiator level is still calculated including his Brother of the Diamond Tusk levels, but he may not progress further in levels as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk or as a martial adept of any kind whilst he is without a dire boar companion.
On acquiring a new dire boar mount, the Ex-Brother resumes his status as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk, and all of his class abilities return as at the point when he lost the abilities... however, the return is slow and iterative because the process of fully integrating with the new mount's spirit takes more time. At dawn of the first day following the day of gaining a new mount, levels 1 and 2 of his class abilities return. Over the course of the second day, levels 3 and 4 of his class abilities return, and so on until all of the Brother's class abilities are restored to him.
Ex-brothers who reacquire their previous mount regain all class abilities immediately, without gradual restoration as described above.
Firstly, if this PrC looks familiar, it's because its skeleton comes from the magnificent Eaglewing Striker build (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74810) by Krimm_Blackleaf, which I freely admit I unashamedly stole the structure from (because I didn't really know where to start). There are many parallels between that design and my own.
Secondly: having said that, the main reason I went for this was because, despite some of the potential available in the Twin Spirit discipline, there weren't really a lot of prestige classes for it -- only the one Eaglewing Striker build. I really wanted to go for a sort of a ground-based, dwarven parallel to the excellent elven PrC.
To that end, we have a different mount (dire boar) and some different focii (mostly, building up the tanking and combat abilities of the dire boar), and the elimination of the Falling Star and Iron Heart disciplines (Crusaders and Swordsages don't get the latter anyway, and they're the only ones who qualify for Twin Spirit) in favour of Army of One and Diamond Mind.
Thirdly: I've done one monster homebrew before, but this is definitely my first try at a PrC, and it's aimed unashamedly at possible inclusion in the Age of Warriors project. So lots of comments and evaluations would be really, really useful to make it a good dwarven cavalry build. :) I've a feeling I've built it way too powerful, so please factor that prejudice in when evaluating the build. Thanks in anticipation, guys. :smallcool:
(Rolling Updates in effect)
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc4/Borf_the_Dwarf/BW_Thundertusk_Cavalry.jpg
Khadras Shieldbreaker, Brother of the Diamond Tusk, and his mount Ig'zim
Most dwarven adventurers know the perils of combating creatures of the wild, and virtually all know the dangers posed by dire boars. Few, though, are granted the great gift of insight that permits them to become one with such an enemy, to meld their mountain-born spirit with the ferocious, tenacious spirit that is the dire boar. A dwarf on foot is dangerous enough, but combine that dwarf with his Dire Boar mount, and rider and mount alike become a primal force of destruction, forged together by the rider's identity as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk.
The Brotherhood of the Diamond Tusk is a peculiarly dwarven phenomenon, arising out of the slow but growing introduction of the Twin Spirit martial school to dwarven culture. The Brother of the Diamond Tusk is generally something of a rebel by dwarven standards, though that rebellion tends to manifest by devotion to the more chaotic gods of the dwarven pantheon.
HD: d12
Requirements
Race: Dwarf
Alignment: Any nonlawful
BAB: +8
Skills: Martial Lore 2 ranks, Ride 2 ranks, Jump 6 ranks, Handle Animal 10 ranks
Feats: Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack
Maneuvers: Ability to use 3rd level maneuvers, including at least one strike and one stance
Special: Must capture a dire boar in single combat and then spend one night in prayer to a god of the dwarven pantheon, following which the dire boar must be trained (DC 20 Handle Animal check). At the end of this training the spiritual link between dwarf and beast manifests itself and entry to the class commences.
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Martial Lore, Ride, Spot, Swim and Tumble.
Skill Points per level: 4 + INT modifier
Weapons and Armor Proficiencies: Brothers of the Diamond Tusk are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and all armors and all shields.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Dire Boar Mount, Boar's Snout
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Blood Admits No Care
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Tusk and Blade
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Blood Knows No Oblivion
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Blade and Hoof Stance, Razorback Stance
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Doom of the Tusk
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Sinews of the Beast, Adamantine Bond
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Adamantine Tusk Strike
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Master of Charges
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Fury of the Boar Stance[/table]
{table=head]Level|Man. Known|Man. Readied|Stances Known
1st|
0|
0|
0
2nd|
1|
0|
1
3rd|
0|
1|
0
4th|
1|
0|
0
5th|
0|
1|
0
6th|
1|
0|
0
7th|
0|
0|
1
8th|
1|
1|
0
9th|
0|
0|
0
10th|
1|
0|
0[/table]
Maneuvers: At levels 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th, a Brother of the Diamond Tusk gains new maneuvers known from the Army of One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5710173), Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw or Twin Spirit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40991) disciplines. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full Brother of the Diamond Tusk levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known. At levels 3rd, 5th, and 8th, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.
Stances Known: At 2nd and 7th levels, you learn a new martial stance from the Army of One, Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw or Twin Spirit disciplines. You must meet the stance's prerequisites to learn it.
Dire Boar Mount: The Brother of the Diamond Tusk obtains the friendship of a dire boar. The benefits of the mount you gain are dependant on the Brother of the Diamond Tusk's class level. The benefits are described on the table at the bottom of the page.
Boar's Snout (Ex): You gain a portion of the dire boar's unique senses: specifically, you are now able to Scent as the dire boar's ability.
Blood Admits No Care (Ex): At 2nd level, the dire boar's sheer ferocity and singlemindedness drives your strategy in battle. To use this ability, choose a single foe. Attacks and damage rolls made by your mount against this foe while you ride it gain a bonus equal to your Brother of the Diamond Tusk level divided by two. The drawback of this is that both you and your mount suffer a -2 to AC whilst using this ability.
Once this foe has been felled you may choose another one to gain the benefits again. The benefits of this last until the end of the encounter.
A Brother of the Diamond Tusk may choose not to designate a foe for the round using this ability, but once chosen they cannot take their focus off them until they are felled.
Tusk and Blade (Ex): Your dire boar companion's fierce spirit melds with your own warrior's heart. At 3rd level you gain a special stance that you and your mount both enter simultaneously. You both take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, you are capable of channeling your maneuvers through your mounts tusks. When making an attack with its tusks the boar may use and thus expend one of your readied boosts or strikes. Your mount is also capable of regaining maneuvers in the same way you might, such as a warblade recovering his with a single melee attack or flurry of styling swings in mid-air, or a swordsage recovering one of their maneuvers in a similar fashion.
Blood Knows No Oblivion (Ex): The Brother of the Diamond Tusk obtains the Dire Boar's Ferocity (Ex) quality: the Brother continues to fight without penalty even when disabled or dying.
Blade and Hoof stance (Ex): At 5th level, you get a special stance that increases your capacity to hold the line defensively whilst mounted. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, stationary, and wielding any kind of reach weapon, both you and your mount are treated as having an untyped +4 against Bull Rush attempts, and are able to ignore restrictions on your reach weapons for melee combat; for example, if wielding a lance, you are able to attack targets both 5' and 10' away from you without penalty. The benefits of this stance only work while mounted on your dire boar mount, and only while both you and the mount are stationary. Should you be moved from your position by any method, the benefits of this stance end. You may voluntarily end this stance at any time.
Razorback Stance (Ex): Additionally, at 5th level, you gain a special stance which increases your capacity to strike at opponents from boarback. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, 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. This full attack can not be combined with a charge action. The benefits of this stance only work while mounted on your dire boar mount.
Doom of the Tusk (Ex): At 6th level, you've trained your mount to deal more damage in a charge attack. Whenever it makes a charge attack and attacks with its tusks it deals an additional amount of damage equal to 1d6 times your class level divided by two.
Sinews of the Beast (Ex): At 7th level, you and your mount make each other's strength your own. Whilst the Brother is mounted on his dire boar, both the Brother and the mount are each treated as having an untyped bonus of +2 to their respective STR scores.
Adamantine Bond (Ex): Also at 7th level, you and your mount's empathic bond has strengthened to the point where you are virtually inseparable. Your mount is immune to Dominate Animal and Dominate Monster spells. You and your mount receive an untyped +5 to saving throws against any spell directed at you or your mount intended on affecting or sundering the bond of companionship between you.
Adamantine Tusk Strike (Ex): At 8th level, you learn a maneuver unique to Brothers of the Diamond Tusk, the Adamantine Tusk Strike. By using your empathic link with your mount, you hone its skills as a predator. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 7th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. This strike takes a full-round action to initiate and requires you begin while mounted, and while your mount is making a charge. The second part of the action is your dire boar making an attack with its tusks. If the tusk attack hits and deals damage, at the Brother's option the dire boar mount may be treated as having executed an Awesome Blow as per the monster feat, but with:
(1) no Reflex save to the target;
(2) the target flung 20 feet in any direction at the choice of the Brother (including over the boar and the Brother's heads), and;
(3) the target taking an additional 3d6 piercing damage in addition to any other damage inflicted by the strike. This 3d6 piercing damage stacks with the piercing damage inflicted by the tusk's initial successful attack.
Master of Charges (Ex): At 9th level, your own keen tactical sense infuses the boar's raging heart. Your mount gains unique power in charging attacks: for the mount, charging is no longer treated as a full round action with a single melee attack at the end. Instead a charge becomes a standard action in which your mount moves up to its normal movement distance and then the boar making a single melee attack at the end. This standard action may be initiated before or after the move action in a turn.
Fury of the Boar Stance (Su): At 10th level, you and your mount are an unstoppable killing force. Your mount takes a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance it's in to gain the benefits granted by this stance, and you must be mounted on your dire boar mount. While in this stance, your mount gains the following benefits:
Firstly, it gains bonuses to its natural armor and Dex score equal to your Brother of the Diamond Tusk level.
Secondly, its tusk attacks deal 1d12 points of damage plus their Str modifier, and the dire boar's critical multiplier for its tusks increase to x3 from x2.
Thirdly, it gains all the benefits of the Dodge, Improved Critical (Tusk) and Mobility feats.
Fourthly, it gains a further attack with its tusks as per the Haste spell.
Fifthly, its speed increases to 90 feet instead of 50 feet.
Lastly, you (not the mount) emulate all the benefits of the Tiger Claw stance Wolf Pack Tactics as part of this stance without needing any of the prerequisites for that stance. You still may not exceed your movement allowance whilst in this stance as per the stance's description -- but your movement allowance is counted as that of the boar, and your mount must move with you for each iterative attack made as part of the stance.
Being in this stance counts for the mount and rider. That is, the rider cannot take another stance while the dire boar is in this stance.
__________________
Dire Boar Mount
The Brother of the Diamond Tusk's dire boar mount is a paragon of its kind, with abilities above and beyond those of a normal dire boar.
{table=head]Prestige Class Level|Bonus HD|Nat. Armor Adj.|Dex and Str Adj.|Special
1st-2nd|
+2|
+4|
+1|Empathic link, improved evasion, share saving throws
3rd-4th|
+4|
+6|
+2|Improved speed
5th-6th|
+6|
+8|
+3|Rage of the Beast
7th-8th|
+8|
+10 |
+4|Spell resistance
9th-10th|
+10|
+12|
+5|Damage Reduction 5/magic[/table]
Dire boar basics: Use the base statistics for a dire boar, but make changes to take into account the attributes and characteristics summarized on the table and described below.
Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (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. A dire boar's base attack bonus is equal to that of a fighter of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor Adj.: The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.
Dex and Str Adj.: Add this figure to each of the mount’s Dex and Str scores.
Empathic Link (Su): The Brother of the Diamond Tusk has an empathic link with his dire boar mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The Brother cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from dwarves, so misunderstandings are always possible. Because of this empathic link, the Brother has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.
Share Saving Throws: For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the Brother's, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.
Improved Speed (Ex): The mount’s base land speed increases by 10 feet.
Rage of the Beast (Sp): Once per day per two Brother of the Diamond Tusk levels of its master (minimum 1), a dire boar mount can use this ability to enter a rage. For the purposes of calculating all variables relating to the rage, the dire boar is treated as a barbarian with as many levels as the mount has Hit Dice. However, the beast's rage cannot be ended prematurely unless the Brother makes a DC 21 Concentration check to bring the dire boar out of its screaming frenzy.
Spell Resistance (Ex): The mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s initiator level + 5. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the mount’s spell resistance.
Damage Reduction 5/magic (Ex): The mount obtains damage reduction as per the SRD of 5/magic.
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Loss of Mount
Should the dire boar's mount be killed, the Brother of the Diamond Tusk's own empathy with the creature is such that his own life is imperilled. The Brother must make a DC 19 Fortitude saving throw or be immediately slain (successful save for 4d6 damage.).
A Brother of the Diamond Tusk whose mount is killed becomes an ex-Brother of the Diamond Tusk (see below). You may seek out and acquire a new dire boar mount, but it requires a full week's stay in a wilderness known to contain dire boars, followed by a further DC 20 Handle Animal check to acquire and train a further dire boar mount.
Should by any method the dire boar no longer be friendly to the Brother of the Diamond Tusk, the Brother becomes an ex-Brother of the Diamond Tusk (see below). However, the empathic link between dwarf and beast is still strong and the Brother is still capable of reasserting control over the beast. A DC 30 Handle Animal check allows the Brother to re-establish his link with the mount, at which point all of the Brother's class abilities are reinstated and he resumes his previous level as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk. Retries are possible, but the DC for the Handle Animal check rises by 5 with each attempt.
The Brother may attempt to reassert control over the mount whilst still in combat using the Handle Animal skill, but it is left to the DM's discretion as to what DC to assign to this task, with a minimum DC of 30.
Ex-Brothers of the Diamond Tusk
A Brother of the Diamond Tusk whose mount has been estranged from the Brother or killed immediately loses all his class abilities attaching to the prestige class. He retains any maneuvers and stances learned from the Army of One, Diamond Mind, Tiger Claw or Twin Spirit disciplines during his progression through the prestige class, and his initiator level is still calculated including his Brother of the Diamond Tusk levels, but he may not progress further in levels as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk or as a martial adept of any kind whilst he is without a dire boar companion.
On acquiring a new dire boar mount, the Ex-Brother resumes his status as a Brother of the Diamond Tusk, and all of his class abilities return as at the point when he lost the abilities... however, the return is slow and iterative because the process of fully integrating with the new mount's spirit takes more time. At dawn of the first day following the day of gaining a new mount, levels 1 and 2 of his class abilities return. Over the course of the second day, levels 3 and 4 of his class abilities return, and so on until all of the Brother's class abilities are restored to him.
Ex-brothers who reacquire their previous mount regain all class abilities immediately, without gradual restoration as described above.
Firstly, if this PrC looks familiar, it's because its skeleton comes from the magnificent Eaglewing Striker build (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74810) by Krimm_Blackleaf, which I freely admit I unashamedly stole the structure from (because I didn't really know where to start). There are many parallels between that design and my own.
Secondly: having said that, the main reason I went for this was because, despite some of the potential available in the Twin Spirit discipline, there weren't really a lot of prestige classes for it -- only the one Eaglewing Striker build. I really wanted to go for a sort of a ground-based, dwarven parallel to the excellent elven PrC.
To that end, we have a different mount (dire boar) and some different focii (mostly, building up the tanking and combat abilities of the dire boar), and the elimination of the Falling Star and Iron Heart disciplines (Crusaders and Swordsages don't get the latter anyway, and they're the only ones who qualify for Twin Spirit) in favour of Army of One and Diamond Mind.
Thirdly: I've done one monster homebrew before, but this is definitely my first try at a PrC, and it's aimed unashamedly at possible inclusion in the Age of Warriors project. So lots of comments and evaluations would be really, really useful to make it a good dwarven cavalry build. :) I've a feeling I've built it way too powerful, so please factor that prejudice in when evaluating the build. Thanks in anticipation, guys. :smallcool:
(Rolling Updates in effect)