Repetition of necessary fluff:
Hailing from the Bandit states on the far north, comes the Wind Rider clan. Attuned to the element of air they soar the skies, and present a particular danger to the merchant caravan wagons in the monsoon season. The monsoon season features a strong north wind that blows for the a period of 20-30 days. At that time the entire Wind Rider clan descends upon the tablelands where they attack mostly water caravans, but no other caravan or traveler is truly safe. At the end of the season the north wind is replaced by a strong south one, which indicates the Wind Riders will depart soon and return to their northern homes.
Their entire society is based on the concept of wind riding, and the Wind Master is an important part of it. The Wind Master is the one shaping the wind and providing the subtle air thrust needed for the rest of his clan to either travel or attack. The Wind Master, usually the oldest air cleric in the clan, is a powerful individual. He senses the wind changes and leads his people to 'where the wind blows stronger'.
Rarely is one bestowed the honor of joining the Wind Riders. Their clan is composed only of humans, with some exceptions if that person did a great favor to them. Though, they won't ask if that person is good or evil, just this: "Does he worship air?" Their dislike to other elements goes so far that they will not willingly speak to or listen to a non-air worshiping person.
The clan is divided into three separate groups, though when they travel they do it always together, one looking after another:
- the Drake Riders, which glide through the sky on their "Drake-wings", the powerful triangular kite-like wings.
- the Land Scourges, a subgroup that travels on wheeled Sail-boards, using air sails to propel them,
- and finally the Beast Tuggers, which use all manner of beasts to pull their enormous carts and wagons.
The Beast Tugger PrC
"No ye don't, ye daft Drake! Yer dead already! So die! Die! Die!"
- Masha, a Beast Tugger ballista gunner to an unyielding Air Drake
Beast Tuggers generally have a background role in the Wind Rider clan. To offset the scorn they receive from the other two clan subgroups, it is the Beast Tuggers that provide the Wind Masters, and transport them. But, frankly, they're mostly composed of women and children, and those unfit or unwilling to pilot either the Drake-wings or the Sail-boards. But they are by far the most effective ones when the clan is hunting the infamous and gargantuan Air Drakes, to provide for the clan's need for food and building material. They are proud of what they achieve without active flying, and they hone their skills as a best warrior would. The Beast Tugger group is led by the Beast Feller. Usually the strongest female of the group holds this position, since capable men are drafted to one of the other two groups. A casual observer would most definitely be stunned by the tactics the Beast Feller is capable of deploying, and the amount of sheer numbers she's capable of efficiently commanding in great battles, against overwhelming odds and with minimal losses.
Most often the strangers are shafted into this group when they want to join the Wind Rider clan, at least until they prove themselves worthy in combat. For that very reason the amount of demi-humans in the Beast Tugger group is quite large. Elves, half-elves, halflings, dwarves, and sometimes even muls can be found here, tending the great beasts and fighting Drakes. When a new member is allowed into the Beast Tuggers, he starts with the jobs of minimal difficulties, from feeding the animals to gunning the ballista. Later as he learns the ways of the clan, he is pushed into more dangerous activities such as Drake Tugging or Beast Climbing. If he survives, he may yet live to command a tactic of his own!
NPC Beast Tuggers in times of inactivity and rest can be found throughout the camps tending to the wounded, looking after animals, and constructing or repairing their fighting contraptions. They are the most approachable of all the groups but even they will not speak to a non-air worshiping stranger. The Beast Feller can hardly be recognized by the looks since pride is strong in the Wind Rider clan and she does not want nor need special treatment. She is the one responsible for overseeing the repairs and delegating minor tasks to her adjutants, as well as the more dangerous stunts when hunting Drakes.
Requirements:
Skills: Climb 5 ranks, Handle Animal 5 ranks, Ride 5 ranks.
Feats: Weapon Focus (Spear), Lightning Reflexes
Special: Must exclusively worship the element of air.
Special: Must have been born or be accepted into the Wind Rider clan.
The Beast Tugger has these class skills: Balance, Climb, Craft, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Jump, Ride, Survival, Tumble, Use Rope.
Hit points Per level: d8
Skill points Per level: 4 + Int modifier.
.....
Sometimes I have this strange feeling I write these PrCs not because they're good prcs, but because i want to tell a story. A story of people, of a nation if you wish, their lives and how they survive. What damn and crazy ideas they have and how strangely they decide to spend their lives, instead to waste in the decadence of the urban cities.
Even those other PrCs i wrote, I got this damn wierd idea they show things, like how that poor slavish Silt Diver started, mucking about in dirt in lethal panic, and survived long enough to become famous treasure-hunter, and perhaps even free.
Bah, I guess this is what they call "Love for Dark Sun". ;)
I'd go for it not being legal! You need copyright permission...
Ugh. Perhaps they would turn a blind eye on this one since it's not a part of any product and is used only to ilustrate the key elements of text?
If anything, given the reverence the Drake Riders would have for their namesake you could make the Drake something of a quest or sacred beast.
Ideas...
Every few generations the most powerful of the tribe attempt to kill a Drake of an opposing element and incorporate that into their wagons, flyers, armour.
They pieces of hide, bone, whatever, of an Air Drake are considered sacred and are taken as trophies from fallen Drakes, to honour their memory and to let them fly again.
For a rite of passage young tribe-members must recover Air Drake scales, talons or something from where a Drake roosts/nests/lairs. These are worn as part of their armour or incorporated into weapons.
Things like this would give your tribe some background and motivation for what they do.
P.s. you have to think of a different name for Beast-Tuggers
Some thoughts about Air Drakes, they are solitary very powerful creatures who shouldn't be easy to catch. Using the old rules a party I DM'd encountered one and rather than hide they attacked (five of them being about 8-9th level) and they used everything they had (three with psionics, a multi-class druid, earth priest) and they only just managed to stop it through psionic attacks and mental damage. It was a hell of a fight. Now they have a host of flying monster feats which make them even worse...
The Air Drake's weakness is it's low AC, and low dexterity. It's mental powers are not so strong against a host of a tribe, and the whirlwind can be countered. Their main strength is the enormeous hit point value, self-healing and high damage. Not to mention swallow whole ability.
If 10 or so lvl 6-8 Beast Tuggers encountered it, and if they had a couple of Inix Rams and an mekliot with a few balistas, they could take it down without casulties.
The fact they derive their power not from supernatural abilities, nor energy damage makes the Drake's high saves useless, as there's nothing to save from. The ability to pierce the 15/metal DR with nothing but wood makes the fight a lot easier for the attackers. Plus the fact that the wood-piercing will work on all Drakes, not only the Air ones, and most of their skils can be applied as well on most drakes. (probably not the burrowing ones, while they're under ground).
If they don't have to bring a Drake to the ground (only the air ones fly, don't they?), that much easier - inix ram at charge value with two inixes, jump on it's head and hope it doesn't control body you. Then slash at vital body parts and if it doesn't escape by burrowing there's no problem in killing it, especially if one posesses magic weaponry or good no-save spells.
If anything, given the reverence the Drake Riders would have for their namesake you could make the Drake something of a quest or sacred beast.
Oh they are, they are. I just didn't state it yet since it all goes into fluff, which I'm leaving for the last. I still got to finish the land scourges and the wind master himself.
Every few generations the most powerful of the tribe attempt to kill a Drake of an opposing element and incorporate that into their wagons, flyers, armour.
Land scourges scout for these, and then the Beast Tuggers hunt them down.
They pieces of hide, bone, whatever, of an Air Drake are considered sacred and are taken as trophies from fallen Drakes, to honour their memory and to let them fly again.
For a rite of passage young tribe-members must recover Air Drake scales, talons or something from where a Drake roosts/nests/lairs. These are worn as part of their armour or incorporated into weapons.
Things like this would give your tribe some background and motivation for what they do.
P.s. you have to think of a different name for Beast-Tuggers
I like this very much, I'll incorporate it all into the fluff text that's coming up soon. As for the name, hah, i'm listening to proposals. I'm always more than happy to change any name that doesn't ring to something more sensible.
Since drakes are rare and the entire tribe hunts down 5 or so drakes in a year, i don't think this is overpowering.
Comments? Is this PrC ready for the wrap-up?