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Kurald Galain
2007-09-07, 06:17 AM
Prestige class: Airdancer

I was rummaging through some old notes and I found this, which I wanted to post on the forum here for feedback. The prestige class is based upon such movies as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I wrote this ages ago (for 3rd edition rather than 3.5), so it may be obsolete as I write this, but it may also be fun. As they say, PEACH.


Background:
Certain groups elves that live high in the mountains have mastered the winds and can draw upon its powers to move at great speeds and glide down through the air after making a leap that would humble a kangaroo. These skills are partly magical in origin and tend to be inherited, although they don’t develop of their own but instead require a lot of training on behalf of the would-be airdancer. However since elves live long and tend to travel during their lifes, the ability has spread somewhat and sometimes turns up away from the mountainfolk. Even some half-elves have been spotted and trained as airdancers, although they are very few.
The mountain elves are said to have strong bonds with all sorts of birds and even air elementals. Their totem animal is the mightiest of birds, the Roc. To be accepted for training with these elves one must first find one of their villages. The elves themselves aren’t necessarily hard to find; they aren’t particularly reclusive and can be found traveling around or in cities – but they are often masters of stealth and don’t reveal their powers to everybody. The villages however are well hidden and, according to legend, cannot be found unless an elf of the village shows you the way. Once the village is found a rite of acceptance is needed, which involves summoning one of the great air elementals. The rites are a deeply kept secret; those rejected for training have their minds carefully wiped of whatever happened during the rite.
Classes most likely to become airdancers are monks and fighters. However it would also be appropriate to rogues, as well as certain priests. The most important ability score is obviously dexterity. Airdancers also tend to be very charismatic, either alluring or frightening.

Requirements:
 Race: elf or half-elf any, but if not elven, must be taught by another airdancer
 Alignment: may not be evil any
 Base attack bonus: +5
 Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Improved initiative
 Skills: Balance (4 ranks), Tumble (4 ranks)

Abilities:
 Hit points: 1d8 per level
 Attack bonus: good (as fighter)
 Saving throws: reflex is strong, others are weak
 Proficiencies: simple and martial weapons, no armor or shield
 Skill points: 2 4 per level (plus intelligence bonus)

Skills:
 Str: Swim
 Dex: Balance, Climb, Escape artist, Hide, Jump, Move silently, Tumble
 Wis: Intuit direction, Listen, Spot
 Cha: Intimidate

Level Attack Reflex Fortitude Will
1 +1 +2 +0 +0
2 +2 +3 +0 +0
3 +3 +3 +1 +1
4 +4 +4 +1 +1
5 +5 +4 +1 +1
6 +6 +5 +2 +2
7 +7 +5 +2 +2
8 +8 +6 +2 +2
9 +9 +6 +3 +3
10 +10 +7 +3 +3


Special abilities:
None of these abilities may be used while wearing armor, or using a shield, that imposes an armor check penalty wearing medium or heavy armor, or while wielding a shield. All these are supernatural abilities, except as noted below.
1. Light-footedness: Jumping distance is not limited by the airdancer’s body height. Also an airdancer leaves no footprints.
Special feats: An airdancer may take the mobility feat twice (thus doubling the effects), and may take the deflect arrows feat even without having improved unarmed combat, if the airdancer has a weapon focus feat. If so, the weapon selected for weapon focus must be used for deflecting arrows. An airdancer gains a competence bonus to armor class equal to one-third of his airdancer level, rounded up.
2. Spider’s touch: All climbing checks made by the airdancer gain a +4 inherent bonus. The airdancer can cling to walls and ceilings as if permanently affected by the spell spider climb. Doing so requires three limbs, so the fourth can be used to attack. Difficult or fast movement may require a climbing check. The airdancer can jump or leap from a wall or ceiling as if from regular ground. This ability may not be used to slow or stop falling.
3. Speed of the zephyr: movement rate increases by 10’; this is cumulative with other increases in movement rate, such as a monk’s or barbarian’s. This is an extraordinary ability.
Evasion: The airdancer gains the rogue’s evasion ability. This is an extraordinary ability.
4. Burst of speed: The airdancer may act as if affected by the expeditious retreat spell for a total of one round per day per class level; these need not be contiguous, and (de)activating this ability is a free action. While affected by this ability, the airdancer may run over calm water as if it were solid ground, but must keep running to keep from sinking. The airdancer may jump from the water as if it were solid ground.
Frog’s leap: The airdancer may cast jump (on self only) as a free action once per day. Use the airdancer level as the casting level for the jump spell.
5. Uphill charge: When starting from regular ground, the airdancer may make a full or partial charge up any slope or wall, at running speed. Doing so requires climbing checks just as climbing the surface normally would. The charge may end in the spider’s touch, a leaping attack off the wall or just a regular attack.
6. Kangaroo’s leap: The airdancer is permanently affected by the jump spell and halves all falling damage. The frog’s leap ability may still be used and is cumulative with kangaroo’s leap.
Speed of the zephyr: Movement rate increases by an additional 10’. This is an extraordinary ability.
7. Speed of the raging storms: The airdancer may act as if affected by the haste spell for a total of one round per day per class level; these need not be contiguous, and (de)activating this ability is a free action. This may be used in conjunction with speed of the zephyr if desired.
8. Freedom of the winds: The airdancer is permanently affected by the freedom of movement and walk on water spells.
9. Weightlessness: The check bonus granted by the jump spell (including frog’s leap and kangaroo’s leap) is doubled, and the airdancer is permanently affected by the feather fall spell.
Speed of the zephyr: Movement rate increases by an additional 10’. This is an extraordinary ability.
10. Soar: The airdancer gains the rogue’s improved evasion ability and the feat flyby attack. Control of direction while in the air (as a result of jumping for instance) is absolute.

Tormsskull
2007-09-07, 08:20 AM
 Race: elf or half-elf


Why? I understand with the fluff, but wouldn't it be possible for a renegade airdancer to teach someone the skills of the airdancer? None of the abilities themselves seem to be integral to the elf or half-elf, just the fact that the trainers happen to choose to train only elves or half-elves. I'd remove this requirement and just emphasize in the fluff that the trainers rarely if ever train non-elves or non-half-elves.



 Alignment: may not be evil


Why? Once again, this feels more like a requirement based on the organization rather than anything that is integral to the class. A renegade airdancer could teach someone else to be an airdancer (assuming he knows the rituals that you described).



 Skill points: 2 per level (plus intelligence bonus)


I'd give them 4 per level.



*special abilities* *snip*


These all look good to me. I think based on the requirements that a fighter taking this PrC would be at abit of a disadvantage to his fighter peers, and as such some of these abilities (which are quite powerful) make up for it. I might give them Wis bonus to AC like a Monk also since they are going to not be wearing any armor at all.


Overall, good job.

FireSpark
2007-09-07, 09:37 AM
These all look good to me. I think based on the requirements that a fighter taking this PrC would be at abit of a disadvantage to his fighter peers, and as such some of these abilities (which are quite powerful) make up for it. I might give them Wis bonus to AC like a Monk also since they are going to not be wearing any armor at all.


Overall, good job.


I disagree. According to the wording at the beginning of the Abilities section, it states that the abilities won't work in armor or shields that impose an armor check penalty. This means that a +5 mithral chain shirt would still allow him to use his abilities. Adding another Modifier to AC opens up the channel for horrible abuse, and would potentially unbalance the class IMHO.

I would suggest perhaps stating that the class abilities only work when wearing light or no armor, and then give the class a slight AC bonus (starting at +1, and progressing to say +3 or +4), much like the Dwarven Defender PrC does.

Triaxx
2007-09-07, 02:57 PM
I like the idea, and the abilities are wonderful. However, I do think the restrictions on race are odd. Perhaps require that they train with an air dancer. This keeps it so if you don't think someone should be an airdancer, the trainer simply refuses to train them.

And I'd limit them to chaotic alignments, rather than no evil.

Hannes
2007-09-07, 03:10 PM
Background:
Certain groups elves that live high in the mountains have mastered the winds and can draw upon its powers to move at great speeds and glide down through the air after making a leap that would humble a kangaroo. These skills are partly magical in origin and tend to be inherited, although they don’t develop of their own but instead require a lot of training on behalf of the would-be airdancer.

Answer to your whining on race part. Because it is inherited!

Triaxx
2007-09-07, 05:12 PM
However since elves live long and tend to travel during their lifes, the ability has spread somewhat and sometimes turns up away from the mountainfolk. Even some half-elves have been spotted and trained as airdancers, although they are very few.

Elves will sleep with anything it would seem so that's more or less negated.

Kurald Galain
2007-09-07, 05:17 PM
Changed per the comments above. I suppose "tend to be inherited" doesn't mean they always are (although frankly I can't imagine a dwarf doing this :smallbiggrin: ) Frankly I don't recall why I wrote "non-evil" there (an evil soul drags the body down??) so I removed that. I don't think "chaotic only" could work because the presclass was based upon what are essentially monks in the film.

Thanks!

Oh yeah, I read there's something like "classes in the playground" or something like that? What are the prerequisites for that?