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Stycotl
2008-08-19, 01:08 PM
Allaidhar

“The winds, the sky, you cannot see it, but they dance and sing with joy when we are free, when we are happy. When we suffer the bondage of others, or the captivity of our own poor decisions, they twist and writhe in divine anger, and seek to tear down the obstacles to our liberty. If we are our own obstacle, then they must tear us down as well.”
—Mudín al Harj, Dreamsayer of the Alhir Baharin

Alternatively translated as either fierce wind or wild sky, the allaidhar have historically been nomadic warriors, proudly independent and ferociously protective of their freedom and their people. Allaidhar was a name given to a warrior that had proven him or herself to be of exceptional quality, and allowed to train with the greatest heroes and soldiers of the tribe, as a peer, an equal. Mistaken sometimes for a single culture or ethnic group, many of the older nomadic tribes throughout the world share an allaidhar tradition—even among different races. Though every culture that shares the allaidhar tradition refers to it in their own tongue, the term allaidhar has been around long enough that it has become the standard translation. It has been theorized among scholars that the original allaidhar were of the same race and culture, and even worshipped the same gods, but with their exceptionally broad ranges and trading backgrounds, the tradition has since spread among many likeminded cultures.

When Reshar and some of his disciples traveled their way, he found that many of the tribes already had a manner of blade magic, similar to his own, though unrefined and disorganized. They were masterful swordsmen, and more than that, accomplished woodsmen, skirmishers, horsemen, and tacticians. He eagerly learned from them, and in return, taught them of his own art, and helped them assemble their various combat traditions into a single, loose, but effective martial art form. Since then, the practitioners of the allaidhar way have handed down their traditions orally from master to student—there are no known written records that detail the secrets of the allaidhar.

Becoming an allaidhar

The customs differ from tribe to tribe; one clan of Nepakesa humans was known to consider only supplicants that had survived at least four years of their continual skirmishes with the neighboring Ritu people, and in order to prove themselves, young Nepakesa warriors would have to plan and conduct a successful raid against a Ritu armed convoy. Another history tells of the nomadic tribes of the Baharin ancestors that would journey into the desert sands in order to find and tame one of the great feathered drakes—only those that returned a successful rider would be accepted into their community’s circle of allaidhar.

Warriors of the Sublime Way are the most appropriate candidates for the initiation, with warblades and sublime rangers being the most common. There are sufficient representatives of other paths as well, however, a fact that brings the allaidhar much pride and expertise.

Most allaidhar traditions are of human origin, and indeed, the originals were said to have been human, but there are plenty of halfling and goblinoid communities that have claimed their own allaidhar, and even some of the reclusive wood elves have been rumored to have adopted the tradition. Most communities are bound by family ties, and do not share their secrets with outsiders. But owing to the existence of the rogue dwarf or orc allaidhar in the world, it is apparent that their training has been offered to others at times, though by which tribe or monastery, it is uncertain.

Allaidhar can be of any alignment. Though they tend toward the chaotic, those lawful few individuals that represent their number are some of the most dedicated and unswerving warriors alive. It is a requirement that they prove themselves a loyal defender of their families and kinsmen, and of the unshackled liberty that gives them life—most allaidhar tend toward good or neutrality, though there are evil individuals that value life, family, and liberty as well.

HD: d8

Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +8
Base Reflex Save: +6
Skills: Balance 4 ranks, Jump 11 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks
Feats: Improved Initiative, Lightning reflexes
Class or Racial Ability: Evasion
Maneuvers: Ability to use 4th level maneuvers of the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54816) discipline.

Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, and Tumble.
Skill-points per level: 4+Int modifier
{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+1|+2|+2|+0|Fury, Warrior’s Path
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+0|Bonus Feat
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+1|Quicksilver Winds
4th|+4|+4|+4|+1|Bonus Feat
5th|+5|+4|+4|+1|Lightning Strikes
[/table]

{table="head"]Level|Man Known|Man Readied|Stances Known
1st|1|0|0
2nd|0|0|1
3rd|1|0|0
4th|0|1|0
5th|1|0|1
[/table]

Weapon and armor proficiencies: Allaidhar receive no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers: At 1st, 3rd, and 5th level, you gain new maneuvers known from the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54816) disciplines, as well as the two other disciplines chosen from the Warrior’s Path. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full allaidhar levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 4th level, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.

Stances Known: At 2nd and 5th level, you learn a new martial stance chosen from the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54816) discipline, as well as the two other disciplines chosen from the Warrior’s Path. You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

Fury (Ex): The allaidhar are known for their battle rages, and go to great lengths to induce them—rituals, chants, hallucinogenic drugs, and other methods have brought the warriors to a state of mind that can instantly trigger a flood of terrible power. As a free action once per encounter, you can enter a fury. A fury lasts 1 round/class level, and grants you a bonus to ability scores dependent upon your Warrior’s Path. These bonuses stack with each other, and with other rage-like ability bonuses. Further, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to armor class and a +10-foot bonus to your base movement speed while in a fury, and the ability to immediately reroll one saving throw at any time during the fury as an Immediate action. At 3rd level, you can reroll two saving throws at any time during the fury; at 4th level, the ability bonuses from the Warrior’s Path increase to +4 each, the dodge bonus increases to +4, and the movement bonus increases to +20 feet as well; and at 5th level, you can reroll three saving throws at any time during you fury. At the end of a fury, you are fatigued for the duration of the current encounter. If you have access to the Tireless Rage ability through another class or a feat, etc, then you are no longer fatigued at the end of a fury. At 5th level, you are no longer fatigued after a fury.

Warrior’s Path (Ex): Though the allaidhar are relentlessly schooled in the arts of brutally quick and precise combat, they are zealously individual, and praise independence and personal initiative. Each allaidhar warrior has his or her own area of expertise that is religiously incorporated into their regimen. At 1st level, you choose two different tactical styles from the following list that complete your warrior path:
—Black Stalker: You are a shadow, a ghost in the night, imbued with the silence and touch of death. You gain access to the Shadow Hand discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Hide and Move Silent checks; your fury ability increases your Dexterity score by +2 for its duration.
—Feral Talon: You are rumored to be wolf or tiger-blooded. Whether this is true or not, you certainly have found satisfaction in a natural, untamed approach to life and combat. You gain access to the Tiger Claw discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Jump and Survival checks; your fury ability increases your Constitution score by +2 for its duration.
—Rampant Berserker: You are a battle-raging front-liner, a warrior’s warrior, fearless and ferocious. You gain access to the Iron Heart discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Balance and Intimidation checks; your fury ability increases your Strength score by +2 for its duration.
—Shining Hero: You claim the blood of the greatest chieftains and warlords, and your people look for your standard for inspiration on the battlefield. You gain access to the White Raven discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks; your fury ability increases your Charisma score by +2 for its duration.
—Storm Rider: You are a great horseman, and when on your mount, you are as swift and deadly as a tempest. You gain access to the Twin Spirit (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40991) discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Handle Animal and Ride checks; your fury ability increases your Constitution score by +2 for its duration.
—Wild Huntsman: You are one of the great scouts of your land, skilled in taking down quarry of any kind, and highly respected for your ranged combat capability. You gain access to the Falling Star (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=771597) discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Hide and Spot checks; your fury ability increases your Dexterity score by +2 for its duration.
—Zealous Servant: You are a visionary, a prophet, an idealist, a revolutionary. You have a cause, and you serve it with all of your heart. You gain access to the Devoted Spirit discipline; you gain a +2 bonus to Concentrate and Intimidate checks; your fury ability increases your Strength score by +2 for its duration.

Bonuses to skill checks stack, as do ability score increases, and skills listed under a chosen Warrior’s Path become class skills if they were not already. There are other paths and disciplines taught, but these are the most common among the nomadic allaidhar warriors.

Bonus Feats: The allaidhar are impressive warriors, with diverse training and experience. At 2nd and 4th level, you can choose a bonus feat—that you qualify for—from the fighter’s list.

Quicksilver Winds (Ex): One of the most important proficiencies of the allaidhar is the ability to keep moving in combat. Without movement, your assault or defense is pointless, they say. At 3rd level, you have mastered the maneuvering capability of a seasoned allaidhar, and can enter this stance as a swift action, gaining the effects of the Spring Attack feat. As a 15th level initiator, you gain the effects of the Bounding Assault feat, and as a 20th level initiator, you gain the effects of the Rapid Blitz feat. You still provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for this movement. Further, the ultimate purpose of your mobility is to coordinate tactics with your allies. Any ally adjacent to you at the beginning of your turn gains a +1 morale bonus to saving throws and a +5-foot bonus to base movement speed for one round as you sustain and motivate them with your presence; you do not benefit from this bonus. This counts as a 6th level stance.

Lightning Strikes (Ex): The fury of the allaidhar is well known, but little understood by outsiders. They are usually seen as fanatic, battle-loving barbarians. Their fury is derived merely from their desire for blood, most think. The truth is very different, however. Though they differ in their methods, the allaidhar are all motivated by the same desire for independence and life. This morally driven sense of purpose, in the ranks of the allaidhar, has been known to produce startlingly powerful effects. At 5th level, you have learned to draw on this righteous will in order to fuel your powerful fury. Any time that you are under the effect of your fury, you can spend a swift action to initiate this ability as a martial boost; you are affected as if by the freedom of movement and greater haste (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4581632#post4581632) spells for the next three rounds, and any allies within 30 feet of you are affected as if by the freedom of movement spell for one round. Further, while under the effects of this boost, you flank any foe to which you are adjacent if another of your allies is also adjacent to the foe; you both gain the normal benefits of flanking. This ability counts as a 7th level martial maneuver, is usable only once per day/class level, and only once per encounter; it cannot be readied or recovered as a normal boost can.

Playing an allaidhar

You are a free spirit, carefree and fun loving. This is the single largest binding tie between all of the allaidhar in the world. You are a wanderer, an explorer. You seek to find, to explore, and to understand. Most allaidhar are nomadic, and therefore are not seeking so much to own as they are to experience—that is, they are not usually concerned so much with wealth and land, noble titles, and such trivial matters. Theirs is usually the tradition and culture of a spiritual, questing people, made all the more potent by the bonds within their order of warriors, warriors that would give everything in order to protect the people and the freedom that they love.

Your joyous, frank attitude is a boon to those around you, and others find it easy to trust you. As long as you maintain this carefree, fiercely independent

Combat

You are impressively mobile and precise in combat, using quick maneuvers and stances to great effect in order to aid your allies and defeat your foes. Your free spirit motivates those around you, and gives them the support that they need to win the battle. The allaidhar have served the role of the heroic standard bearer in many conflicts, and their swiftly flashing colors, and exultant war cries can turn the tide of nearly any battle.

Advancement

Starting off with, or picking up levels in the barbarian class can greatly increase the effects of your fury ability, particularly if you eventually gain the Tireless Rage ability. Learn martial maneuvers that take advantage of your mobility; Diamond Mind and Desert Wind in particular have some great mobile maneuvers. Scout levels gain be of great benefit for both skirmish effects and evasion. Lastly, if you advance far enough, take the Wisdom of the Sky feat a couple of times; extra disciplines, skill bonuses, and ability score increases can greatly optimize your effectiveness in combat.

Resources

You are a wanderer, and thus, probably not too worried about luxurious palaces, chests of gold, and other niceties. You travel with your people, and on quests for the good of your people. A tent, or a fortified hill suit you just fine. That said, you are very interested in getting your hands on the best equipment that you can find. A magical weapon would augment your already fearsome capability. Magic that would increase your maneuverability, stealth, and endurance would be a godsend.

Allaidhar in the World

“They are a rowdy bunch, without any real sense of discipline. But they have proven themselves to be our allies when’er their caravans’re in our towns. Fought at our sides many times, they have—without our even asking.”
—Hsfal Hersung, Chief Warden of Slarkovic

The tribes throughout the world that boast a team of allaidhar are proud, capable groups of people, generally open and friendly to others, respecting the rights to freedom and happiness that all sentient races have. They do not condone slavery, indentured servitude, or any other kind of cruel domination. Allaidhar have been known to lead their tribes into war with impetuous abandon, solely to aid a beleaguered village, or avenge a wrong against their people, or an allied people.

Organizations

The allaidhar generally end up in some sort of leadership role within their tribes. Most of them serve as the highest ranking warriors, and form a war council that can even supersede the authority of the tribal elders and chiefs during times of strife. Many of them, however, are automatically assigned to the council of elders, and so, hold great renown and influence within their tribe anyway.

NPC Reactions

Outsiders are likely to be aware of the combat prowess of an allaidhar, but generally know nothing of their morals and motivation. Many of them are assumed to be barbarians—which might be an accurate assumption in many cases. Others are aware of the tradition of martial lore and training of the allaidhar, and acknowledge their position as practitioners of the Sublime Way.

Allaidhar Lore

Characters with Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local) can research the allaidhar in order to learn more about them. Alternatively, a character with ranks in the Martial Lore skill can make the same cheks with a +5 DC. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.

DC 10: “Allaidhar are nomadic warriors that greatly value individual honor and freedom, and train to be mobile, quick, and fearsome fighters.”

DC 15: “Allaidhar are practitioners of the Sublime Way, studying the lore and art taught to them by their ancestors, and by Reshar himself.”

DC 20: “Allaidhar gain incredible power from their devotion to individual freedom and worth. They can even enter a state similar to a barbarian’s berserk rage, in which they become some of the most terrifyingly quick foes in the lands.”

Allaidhar in the Game

Adaptation

The allaidhar can be adapted easily to fit other cultures and themes. Some of them favor their own racial or cultural combat traditions over the import placed on supreme mobility and precise strikes; dwarven allaidhar have even been known to adapt the wild sky combat philosophy to their own stalwart, unmoving stances. It might be difficult to find the binding factors between such radically different practices, but the allaidhar see them merely as different aspects of the same principles, and embrace the differing practices, and their practitioners, as equals.

Encounters

A strike team of allaidhar could be an interesting campaign hook. Maybe the adventurers have unknowingly helped the team’s tribe, and now, when under attack, the allaidhar come to their aid. Maybe the strike team is hunting the adventurers for disturbing sacred burial grounds. A lone allaidhar could be an emissary sent by a besieged nomad tribe, in desperate need of assistance, or he or she could be the sole survivor of a dragon raid or a plundering orc army.

Feats

Wisdom of the Sky (Epic)
You have learned much in your years of training and conflict, and have mastered the skills and responsibilities of many different roles on the battle field.
Prerequisites: Fury class ability, Warrior’s Path class feature, ability to use 9th level martial maneuvers from the Diamond Mind and Oncoming Storm disciplines, base attack bonus +21
Benefits: You gain the benefit of another of the Warrior’s Paths, including access to its associated discipline, skill check bonuses, and ability score increases during a fury.
Special: This feat can be selected multiple times; every time it is applied to a new Warrior’s Path.

Stycotl
2008-08-19, 01:11 PM
needed to add this to my homebrew sig, so i am puttin gthis out on the board. plus, no one ever really critiques anything on the contest chat threads, so it doesn't ever get fixed. have at it...

Stycotl
2008-08-21, 05:08 PM
so, uh, yeah. bump...

sigurd
2008-08-23, 12:06 PM
Original and refreshing. I like it.

Thanks for making it such a complete posting.

Sigurd

Stycotl
2008-08-23, 07:01 PM
no problem. glad you like it.

wadledo
2008-08-23, 07:59 PM
Fury seems like it has a bit of a short duration for such high perquisites.
Perhaps half initiator level?
Other than that, very cool.:smallsmile:

Stycotl
2008-08-23, 11:43 PM
^cool, thanks. i am certainly open to the idea of lengthening the time. but the fury was supposed to be an epiphany or adrenaline rush, something ephemeral and short-lived. not only that, but most combat encounters are going to be short anyway. i do realize though, that until about 3rd level, and in some cases 4th, it is pretty short. so, what if i upped its utility, but kept it short? raised the ability score bonus, or gave it the ability to reroll a few saves (maybe 1/cha mod, or 1/level) saves during the fury.

Voodzik
2008-08-24, 12:19 AM
Can't help but feel like I'm putting my head in the lion's mouth, but I can see this being pretty easy, actually, to update to 4e. Now that everyone has begun flaming, I can say it looks REALLY awesome, I like seeing PrC's that work with a lot of variety. I'm in a 3.5 game right now, I'll show this to him and if he allows it this might be the way I take my rogue ^_^

The "Him" being my DM....WOW I'm tired.

wadledo
2008-08-24, 12:46 AM
^cool, thanks. i am certainly open to the idea of lengthening the time. but the fury was supposed to be an epiphany or adrenaline rush, something ephemeral and short-lived. not only that, but most combat encounters are going to be short anyway. i do realize though, that until about 3rd level, and in some cases 4th, it is pretty short. so, what if i upped its utility, but kept it short? raised the ability score bonus, or gave it the ability to reroll a few saves (maybe 1/cha mod, or 1/level) saves during the fury.

It seems a bit info heavy already, but perhaps if you added it to the Warrior’s Path, with each one re-rolling something different.
(I.e. Normal Fort, Ref, and Will, as well as Attack, Crit, and.....?)

Stycotl
2008-08-24, 01:37 PM
yeah, but that requires so much more work than i am willing to put into it. again. ok, i'll think about it.

Stycotl
2008-08-25, 04:55 PM
ok, i think i'm gonna go w/ a generic reroll 1 save at 1st level. at 3rd level, they can reroll 2 saves, and at 5th level, they can reroll 3 saves--all within the duration of the fury of course. does that seem fair? balanced? does it give an extra bit of 'gee i really wanna play that guy' to it?

that makes it incredibly useful (in my mind), for 1-5 rounds, but still, considering stat boosts, etc, not too overpowered.

should i throw in a clause that lets this prc stack with the barbarian as far as acquiring greater rage, tireless rage, and mighty rage? it would give immense bonuses (ok, maybe not that much more...), but would be tempered by the fact that the barb rages would still be limited by their low number/day since they would be multiclassing.

wadledo
2008-08-26, 12:18 AM
Doesn't need it.
Just makes Fury a kind of "Ah!!!!!
I've got 2 rounds to use these bonuses!!!!!
KILL EVERYTHING!!"

Stycotl
2008-08-26, 10:19 AM
that makes sense. i still need to figure out how they can get tireless rage (fury); probably another epic feat. i don't really want it achievable before epic or near-epic levels. but since a barb gets it at 17th, i think i should make these guys wait until 21st. sounds reasonable to me.