Spider Rider (4e Class)

Spider Rider
"The powers of spiderkind lie within me. I am the chosen of the true spider queen!"

Class Traits
Spider riders are the chosen knights of the spider queens who wage a constant war against each other over mastery of the spiderkind for the spider queen that they sever and against those that are enemies of their spider queen. As masters of mounted combat, they excell at lightening fast charges and dart around their enemies at a speed few can match. As a spider rider you are a master of riding and as a lord among spiderkind. You are a master of mounted combat, and can easily out maneuver almost any foe you face. You can dart in and out of combat with your trusty blade, or you could charge headlong into the melee with your lance, and worry about the consequences later. Will you charge head on at your enemy, devastating them with a deadly attack, or will you dart in and out of combat with your sword, striking them down with swift attacks?

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SPIDER RIDER OVERVIEW
Characteristics: mounted combat|Mounted combat]] is your niche and will provide the full benefit of your powers, and, due to the nature of your spider as well as your riding prowess, you can fight mounted better than any, pretty much anywhere you go, be it dungeon or forest. You are moderately resilient in battle, but you prefer to use hit-and-run tactics to prolonged combat up close; you hit hard and you hit fast, knocking your foe reeling, and then you fall back for the next attack.

Religion|Religion]]: Spider riders are the favored servants of Lolth and Arachne (but never both of them!), although some spider riders (most commonly Arachne's riders) may worship other deities|deities]], albeit to a lesser extent than their spider queen. Spider riders are constantly at war with one another, fighting for the supremacy of their goddess.

Race|Races]]: With their connection to spiderkind, and their favor in both spider queens' eyes, drow|drow]] make the best spider riders, as do other spydric races. human|Humans]] are occasionally riders of Arachne, as are elf|elves]], half-elf|half-elves]] and eladrin|eladrins]], but spider riders of other races are all but unheard of.
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Creating a Spider Rider
The swift rider and the brutal rider are the two spider rider builds, one relying on speed and precision, the other on brute strength. Ability scores|Dexterity]], Ability scores|Charisma]] and Ability scores|Strength]] are the spider rider's most important ability scores.

Swift Rider
You like powers that allow mobility so that you can out maneuver your foes easily. You dart in and out of the fray, dealing blows with amazing precision and dodging your foes attacks with amazing grace. Most of your attack powers rely on Ability scores|Dexterity]], so that should be your best ability score. Ability scores|Charisma]] should be your second best, as it strengthens your bond with the arachania. Ability scores|Strength]] is useful if you want to use powers from the other spider rider build. You should select the swift charge tactic. Look for powers that take advantage of your high Ability scores|charisma score]], as well as those that aid your speed and maneuverability.


 * Suggested Feat|Feat]]: Darting Charge
 * Suggested Skill checks|Skills]]: Acrobatics skill|Acrobatics]], Bluff skill|Bluff]], Insight skill|Insight]], Stealth skill|Stealth]].
 * Suggested at-will powers|At-Will Powers]]: Darting Attack, Precise Attack.
 * Suggested encounter powers|Encounter Power]]: Weaving Attack.
 * Suggested daily powers|Daily Power]]: Swift Charge.

Brutal Rider
You like powers that deal a hefty amount of damage, aided by your Ability scores|strength]], and also damage your foes in other, nastier, ways. Your attacks use Ability scores|Dexterity]], so keep that ability score as your highest. Strength should be a close second, as it increases your damage directly. As a third ability score, Ability scores|charisma]] works well, as it strengthens your connection to the the arachania. You should select the brutal charge spider rider tactic. Look for powers that deal large amounts of damage.


 * Suggested Feat|Feat]]: Powerful Charge|Powerful Charge]]
 * Suggested Skill checks|Skills]]: Acrobatics skill|Acrobatics]], Intimidate skill|Intimidate]], Athletics skill|Athletics]], Dungeoneering skill|Dungeoneering]].
 * Suggested at-will powers|At-Will Powers]]: Brutal Strike, Piercing Attack.
 * Suggested encounter powers|Encounter Power]]: Mighty Charge.
 * Suggested daily powers|Daily Power]]: Mighty Attack.

Spider Rider Class Features
All spider riders share these class features.

Fighting Style
Spider Riders have a variety of different ways in which they defeat their foes. Some dart in and out of combat with unmatched precision and speed, others rely on brute strength. Choose one of the following options: : You gain a bonus to you deadly charge damage equal to your Ability scores|charisma]] Ability modifiers|modifier]]. : You gain a bonus to your deadly charge damage equal to your Ability scores|strength]] modifier.

The choice you make also provides bonuses to certain spider rider powers|powers]]. Individual powers detail the effects (if any) your spider rider tactics selection has on them.

Deadly Charge
Once per round, when you charge|charge]] against an enemy, your attacks and defenses|attacks]] against that enemy deal extra damage. The extra damage is based on your level. If you can make multiple attacks in a round, you decide which attack to apply the extra damage to after all the attacks are rolled.

Spider Empathy
You can speak the spydric language|language]] and can pinpoint the location of any spiderkind creature within 6 squares. Spiderkind creatures can understand anything spoken to them in spydric (regardless of Ability score|Intelligence]] score) and can speak spydric themselves.

Spider Mount
You have a loyal mount in Spider|spider]] form. The spider mount has the following game statistics. Level: The spider's level is equal to your level. Size: The spider is Large size|large size]]. Type: The spider is a spiderkind Magical Beast|Magical Beast]] [ Spider|Spider]] ]. Choose one of the following keywords at 1st level; araneidae, ctenidae, lycosidae, salticidae, scytodidae or theraphosidae. The spider gains that keyword (and is a spider of that species). Hit points|Hit Points]]: The spider does not have its own hit points. Instead, you and the spider share the same hit points. They take damage and heal as if they where a single creature. If one of you is death|killed]], both of you are. healing surges|Healing Surges]]: The spider does not have healing surges; see above for details. Ability Score|Ability Scores]]: The spider's Ability score|Intelligence]], Ability score|Wisdom]] and Ability score|Charisma]] scores are equal to your Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores. The spider's Ability score|Strength]], Ability score|Constitution]] and Ability score|Dexterity]] scores are determined with the abiliy scores, generating|16-point buy]] method (starting with three 10s). The spider has a +2 bonus to her Ability score|Strength]] and Ability score|Dexterity]] scores. Her Strength and Dexterity scores both increase by 1 at 4th level and every 4th level thereafter, and her Strength, Dexterity and Ability score|Coinstitution]] Ability score|scores]] all increase by 1 at 11th and 21st level. attacks and defenses|Defenses]]: The spider does not have defense scores (armor class|AC]], fortitude defense|fortitude]], reflex defense|reflex]] and will defense|will]]) of its own. When an enemy wishes to attack the spider, that enemy must attack you and spider as if you where one character, using your defenses. If the attacker can only see and attack one of you, they still attack you and your spider as one creature. Bond: You and the spider can communicate empathetically and telepathically and can see out of each other's eyes at all times. Language|Languages]]: The spider can speak any languages you can. vision and special senses|Vision]]: The spider has all vision qualities you do, and has tremorsense|tremorsense]] out to 6 squares. speed|Speed]]: The spider has a speed of 8 squares. The spider also has a climb speed equal to her land speed with the spider climb ability (you automatically fall out of your saddle if you are riding your spider and she is climbing on a wall or ceiling). skill checks|Skills]]: The spider is trained in the same skills as you, and uses the same skill check modifiers as you for skills based in either Ability score|Intelligence]], Ability score|Wisdom]] or Ability score|Charisma]]. feats|Feats]]: The spider does not have feats of its own. Instead, it gains all of the benefits of the feats that you take. In the case of feats that grant a power or ability with a limited usage, either you or your spider can use up the granted power or ability, rather than you both geting seperate usages of the power or ability. attacks and defenses|Attacks]]: The spider has a bite attack (Ability score|Dexterity]] Vs. armor class|AC]]) that deals 1d8 damage. Powers: The spider does not have any other powers of it's own, instead taking part in your powers when you use them; whenever the symbol [B] appears in any of your powers, it represents the damage die of the spider's bite attack (in the same way that [W] represents the damage die of the weapon you are using).

Riding the spider: The following rules replace the normal rules for mounted combat|mounted combat]] where they conflict:
 * mounted combat|Mounted Combat]]: You do not need the mounted combat feat to gain the special mount abilities of the spider, nor do you suffer any penalties for riding the spider without the mounted combat feat.
 * Targeting: You and the mount are attacks and defenses|attacked]] as one creature (see above).
 * Mount Benefits: You gain the special benefits of the spider when riding it without any prerequisites.
 * Mounting and Dismounting: Mounting or Dismounting the spider is a minor action|minor action]] for you, but a standard action|standard action]] for other characters.
 * Enclosed Spaces: The spider is considered native to subterranean regions. If you are riding the spider and she has to squeeze into a medium space, you do not suffer the -5 penalty to attack for squeezing, although your spider still suffers this penalty.
 * Other Characters: Other characters (or other spider riders) cannot ride the spider on their own, but can be carried on the spider when you ride it, taking any penalties as normal if they do not have the mounted combat feat.
 * aquatic combat|Aquatic Combat]]: The spider uses the same rules as characters do for aquatic combat.

Unmounted Combat: When you are not mounted on the spider and are in an encounter, you and the spider combined can still take only a normal set of actions&mdash; a standard action| standard action]], a move action|move action]] and a minor action|minor action]], just like when you are riding the spider. In addition to this, you may only use your spider rider powers that are either at-will powers|at-will powers]] or specifically say that you can use them when you are not mounted.

Spider Rider Powers
Spider rider powers are called weaves. In battle, spider riders draw upon the web of power that all spiders spawned from, the very strength of the spider queens. Using this power, spider riders can gain qualities of various species of spider to use against their foes.