Sandworm Rider (Ashworm Dragoon rework)

[Elves]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HujmfYlMImtmSAv0VvSYxPQ-2U8RGgzmjl6UG_fmFMw/edit?usp=sharing

Concept: The idea is to focus the class on ambushing from below the ground. Its strongest abilities (infinite mounted combat deflects and full attack with movement) are replaced by abilities more fitting to this particular class. Those should be part of a generic cavalry class, not a highly thematic one like this.

Gameplay: The gameplay loop is to ambush foes to trigger sand eruption, use dive to safety or normal movement to retreat, and repeat.

Ride-By-Attack lets you hit and run, repeatedly triggering sand eruption without exposing yourself.

Finally, the capstone adds full attack to Ride-By-Attack so you can loop full attack + sand eruption every turn.

Weaknesses: It's completely dependent on ground combat and particular terrain. It has an ability to partly mitigate each of these . Its answer to flight is the dust cloud ability, to stop flying opponents from potshotting it from above. And transmute stone to sand helps create the terrain you depend on.

Ability Pacing: Sting in tandem is an ability left over from ashworm dragoon, but it's introduced at the same level as dust cloud with the idea that you can use sting in tandem and then your mount can use dust cloud or Trample with its standard action, since it can't use its standard to sting.

The key ability, sand eruption, is put at 5th as a possible cut-off point.


Note that the capstone can't be replicated with a barbarian dip for pounce since mounted charges don't trigger pounce.

Concerns: Maybe dust cloud is redundant and can be cut, since against flying opponents you can just burrow underground and run away. But it synergizes beautifully with the mount (and eventually rider's) tremorsense, which makes them less affected by it than their enemies. And it just matches the feeling of a skirmisher who erupts from the ground to create chaos, then retreats.

[Elves]

Sandworm Rider

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Handle Animal 4 ranks, Ride 8 ranks
Feats: Heat Endurance, Mounted Combat
Special: Must have ridden a sandworm.


HD: d10
BAB: Full
Good Saves: Fort
Skill Points: 2
Class Skills: Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Perform, Profession, Ride, Spot


CLASS FEATURES

Sandworm Mount: You gain a loyal sandworm as a mount. Riding it requires a special saddle worth 100 gp. Its natural armor bonus is 3 higher than a normal sandworm. It gains bonus Hit Dice and an additional natural armor increase equal to your levels in this class, and a +1 Strength adjustment at each odd class level. The bonus Hit Dice don’t increase its size. If your sandworm dies you can spend a month to tame another, who then gains these extra benefits.

1st Worm Tamer (Ex): You gain a competence bonus equal to your class level on Handle Animal and Ride checks relating to sandworms and other wormlike creatures.

2nd Dune Rider (Ex): When a sandworm you’re riding uses its evasive diver ability, you aren’t knocked off its back, and you also take no damage from the effect it used the ability in response to. When your mount burrows, as long as you stay on its back, it takes 1 minute per class level before you begin suffocating. Sandworms can’t burrow through solid rock.

3rd Dive to Safety (Ex): When you use Mounted Combat to negate an attack against your sandworm, it can dive underground as if it had used evasive diver.

4th Dust Cloud (Ex): As a standard action while in an area of sand or earth (but not stone), your sandworm can create a non-magical fog cloud effect, except that it only lasts 1 round per class level and must be centered on the sandworm’s area. This is your mount’s ability. Note that your mount’s tremorsense lets it pinpoint creatures within the cloud, and through empathic communication it can tell you the locations of things it senses.

4th Sting in Tandem (Ex): Once per day per class level, but only once per round, you can order your sandworm to make a sting attack as a free action after you make an attack while mounted on it. It can’t make a sting attack on its turn in a round that you use this ability.

5th Sand Eruption (Ex): The first time each round your sandworm emerges from the ground, creatures in its reach who aren’t riding it are blinded for 1 round (Reflex DC 10 + ½ worm’s Hit Dice + worm’s Strength modifier negates). If the creatures are flat-footed and you’re mounted on the sandworm, you can use your surprise round to perform a full attack instead of a single standard action.

6th Sand Trample (Ex): While mounted on your sandworm, you gain the benefits of the Trample feat. When your sandworm uses this feat, it makes a sting attack rather than a hoof attack. If you have Trample or take it later, any creature your sandworm knocks prone with Trample must spend a full-round action, rather than a move action, to stand up.

6th Transmute Stone to Sand (Sp): As the spell, usable once per day, but the sand can be created to a depth of 30 feet. You gain an extra daily use of this ability at levels 8th and 10th.

7th Rider’s Intuition (Ex): While mounted on your sandworm, you share its tremorsense.

7th Sand Ambush (Ex): While mounted on your sandworm, you gain the benefits of the Ride-By Attack feat. If you have this feat or take it later, the charge target is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against the charge attack if at the start of the charge, your mount is burrowing and the target can’t sense it.

8th Improved Dune Rider (Su): You can ride underground on your sandworm for any length of time without suffocating. While performing overland movement (that is, 1 hour of travel or more) by burrowing, your sandworm moves ten times as fast as normal through sand or five times as fast as normal through other materials.

8th Worm Charge (Ex): While mounted on your sandworm, you gain the benefits of the Spirited Charge feat. If you have this feat or take it later, you deal +5 damage when charging from the back of your worm.

9th Improved Sand Eruption (Ex): Whenever sand eruption triggers, your sandworm can choose one of the following effects:
Forceful Eruption: Creatures adjacent to it must make another Reflex save or fall prone.
Veiled Eruption: The sandworm creates a dust cloud (see above) as a free action.

10th Improved Sand Ambush (Ex): When you make a mounted charge upon your sandworm against a creature whom your sandworm can see with its tremorsense, but who can’t see you or your sandworm when the charge begins, you can make a full attack against that creature at the end of the charge instead of a single attack.

Note: The sandworm is a renamed ashworm (Sandstorm).


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Don't like sting in tandem. Also debating whether to keep this line:

If the creatures are flat-footed and you’re mounted on the sandworm, you can use your surprise round to perform a full attack instead of a single standard action.