User:ThunderGod Cid/Nomad

Nomad
Out on the flat deserts, plains, and steppes, horses are the most reliable way for most people to get around. The tribal inhabitants of these desolate places soon learned to fight just as effectively on horseback as they could on foot. These are the nomads.

Making a Nomad
Equally devastating with sword and bow, nomads use the speed and mobility of their mounts to huge advantage. Veteran riders one and all, they are enormously skilled trainers and comrades to their steeds, able to summon them at will and command them as if by thought. In a party, a nomad is a capable striker, able to move quickly in and out of harm's way in order to launch his assault and then swiftly retreat.

Abilities: Dexterity is key to a nomad's success, affecting his Armor Class, Ride skill, and accuracy at a distance. From there, the other abilities depend on the style of the particular nomad.

Races: With their penchant for bows and natural agility, elves make terrific nomads, but their stoicism and secluded environs work against them. Humans, who often populate the barren flatlands of the world, are the most common nomads, but halflings are also drawn to the vocation.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 5d4&times;10 gp (125 gp).

Starting Age: Simple.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the nomad.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A nomad is automatically proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, but no shields.



This damage increases by 1d6 every three nomad levels thereafter. This bonus damage can be use in conjunction with sneak attack, but the attacks made must meet the criteria for both abilities. Skirmish damage acquired via nomad levels works even on opponents immune to critical hits.

 (Ex): The nomad is capable of summoning a steed to aid him in battle and transportation. This steed has the same HD as the nomad, and gains additional bonuses as the nomad’s level increases (see The Nomad’s Steed for details).

Summoning and mounting the steed is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Dismissing the mount is a free action. While it is away from you, the mount is treated as safe even though it is technically not on a different plane of existence. The same mount is summoned each time, and so it appears with all the gear it was carrying when dismissed. If the mount dies, the nomad must wait for 24 hours before he may summon another mount (either of the same type or another if he wishes). This new mount has the same bonuses as its predecessor.

If he already has this feat, he may select either Precise Shot or Far Shot instead.

A nomad specializes in the use of bows and other projectile weapons, spurning the use of thrown weapons. Hereafter, the words "ranged weapon" refer only to projectile weapons that can be shot and not thrown weapons.

 (Ex): A nomad has been around horses since birth, and is able to handle all sorts of mounts with ease. He now gains a competence bonus to Ride equal to one half his nomad level. He may now also take 5 on Ride checks.

At level 7, the nomad no longer takes any penalties to ranged attack rolls while mounted.

 (Ex): The mount of a 3rd level nomad no longer takes penalties to movement speed for moving over rough terrain. In addition, by making a DC 10 Jump check the mount and rider can leap over a weapon set against their charge.

 (Ex): The nomad is able to maneuver his mount so that they are more difficult to attack. As a free action at the beginning of his turn, he may make a Ride check, and the result becomes his AC (including touch and flat-footed AC) and that of his steed for that turn (he must roll and cannot take any result on this check). Any bonuses to AC from armor or other sources is disregarded as long as he chooses to use this ability (although other armor effects that do not affect his Armor Class remain in effect). Non-class related modifiers to the nomad’s Ride skill cannot be applied to this roll; he may use only his base modifiers (and the bonus from Skilled Rider) on this check. If he chooses not to make this check, he uses his base AC for that turn; if he makes a roll and the check is lower than his base AC, he must accept that roll. A nomad in medium or heavy armor (or possessing a steed in any armor) cannot use this ability as long as they are so burdened.

 (Ex): A nomad is an expert in maneuvering his mount and ranged combat in the saddle. Starting at 4th level, he may use ranged weapons while mounted that are normally too unwieldy to be used in this manner (such as longbows).

In addition, the nomad's projectiles cannot be deflected by the Deflect Arrows feat or similar effect.



 (Ex): A 8th level nomad moves lightning fast while mounted, and no longer provokes attacks of opportunity for any form of movement while he is mounted. In addition, he is no longer restricted to moving in a straight line if he charges while mounted.

At 18th level, he deals triple damage with a normal melee weapon and quadruple damage with a lance. Skirmish damage is not multiplied by this ability.

 (Ex): A 10th level nomad no longer provokes attacks of opportunity for using a ranged weapon in melee combat at may take 10 on Ride checks.

 (Ex): For an 11th level nomad, calling and mounting his steed is now a free action instead of the normal move-equivalent action.

He may only target a number of foes equal to his nomad level, and may not attack a single opponent more than once per round with this ability.

 (Ex): A nomad’s weapons are extremely difficult to load and draw, but provide exceptional power when used in combat. The ranged weapons of a 14th level nomad deal damage as if they were one size larger than normal. Their actual size remains unchanged.

 (Ex): A fifteenth level nomad can never fall from his saddle even while unconscious and cannot be tripped while mounted or otherwise unwillingly removed from the back of his steed. In addition, he and his steed are treated as if under the effect of a freedom of movement spell so long as he is mounted.

 (Ex): At level 17, the nomad is a peerless rider, able to take 20 on all normal Ride checks.

 (Ex): A 20th level nomad is a master of mounted and mobile combat. He may now take 10 on a roll to determine his Armor Class as a result of the Horse & Rider ability if the result of his roll is worse than 10. In addition, his skirmish damage is now not limited by distance when he attacks with a ranged weapon and he may make an attack on any opponent within his range when making a strafing run.

The Nomad’s Steed
The nomad’s steed is a mount appropriately sized for the nomad, usually a warhorse for a Medium-sized nomad and a war pony for a Small nomad, that gains power and vitality as its master does.









 (Ex): The steed (and the nomad if he is mounted) takes no damage on a successful Reflex save.





 (Ex): The steed can now walk on water or over air, but must begin and end its move on a solid surface. The ability to walk on air does not allow the steed to move vertically where it would not normally be able to so.

 (Ex): The nomad's steed (and the nomad if he is mounted) only takes half damage even on a failed Reflex save.

 (Ex): To ride a horse is to ride the sky. A nomad's steed may now move on air at will as if under the effect of an air walk spell.

 (Ex): The full fury of the nomad's steed is unleashed, and the damage of all its natural attack forms increase as if it had gained one size category.

Alternate Steeds: A nomad of higher level may gain access to a plethora of exotic steeds. In order to acquire a different steed, he must have a nomad level equal to the creature's base Hit Dice. These steeds gain HD and other benefits in the same manner that a normal steed would in addition to any normal abilities they have. A few examples of alternate steeds are listed below:


 * For Medium: Asperi (Monster Manual II 26), black unicorn (Monsters of Faerun 83), clockwork stallion* (Monster Manual IV 32), dire wolf, nightmare, razor boar (Monster Manual II 220), unicorn,winter wolf.


 * For Small: Clockwork pony* (Monster Manual IV 32), worg.

These alternate steeds are to be used at the discretion of the DM; their inclusion can be limited or eliminated entirely.

Epic Nomad
Skirmish: The epic nomad gains an additional 1d6 points of skirmish damage at levels 22, 25, and 28.

Skilled Rider: The nomad's competence bonus to Ride checks continues to increase at every even-numbered level.



Epic Nomad Bonus Feat List: Armor Skin, Dire Charge, Distant Shot, Energy Resistance, Epic Prowess, Epic Skill Focus, Epic Speed, Epic Toughness, Great Dexterity, Improved Combat Reflexes,  Improved Manyshot, Legendary Rider, Superior Initiative, Swarm of Arrows, Uncanny Accuracy.

Human Nomad Starting Package
Weapons: Shortbow, scimitar.

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Feat: Improved Initiative.

Bonus Feats: Point Blank Shot.

Gear: Studded leather armor, mundane equipment, quiver (30 arrows).

Gold: 55 gp.

Playing a Nomad
Religion: Typically hailing from a tribal background, a nomad follows whatever religion his surroundings dictate. Since they hold a close connection with horses and other equine beasts, nomads tend to favor nature gods as well.

Other Classes: The nomad has little patience for those who cannot keep pace with him, but respects the might of casters or armored fighter, both of whom are usually not wuite as mobile as he. The nomad works best with other mounted characters, as their mutual advantages allow them to cooperate best together.

Combat: A nomad is a support combatant able to move quickly from place to place, slaying enemies from horseback with ease. But when contrained to one place, he is rendered a sitting duck. As a result, he works well with both mobile and stationary characters, utilizing the same tactics as the former while complementing the latter.

Advancement: Although the cavalier does not utilize armor, many nomads may take cavalier levels to enhance their melee abilities. If possible, they may also take levels in archery-focused classes to improve their bowmanship.

Nomads in the World
"No hour of life is ever wasted when spent in the saddle."

Nomads are what their name suggest: traveling hunters and fighters who live off the land. Some nomads of a more militant disposition are mercenaries or even outlaws, the worst of them forming groups to raze villages and then vanish into the inhospitable wastes from which the strike.

Daily Life: A nomad is constantly on the move; when he is apart from his tribe and kinsmen, his steed remains as his only steady companion.

Notables: None.

Organizations: Many nomads stick to their tribal backgrounds, which usually form organizations within themselves. Other nomads owe their allegiances to whatever military outfit takes them on board.

NPC Reactions: Because many nomads hail from tribal backgrounds, they may be greeted by NPC's as savages in the same manner as barbarians, but it is hard to deny the majesty of a nomad trooper on horseback.