Races of Wild

CHAPTER 5PRESTIGECLASSES132Table 5–6: The Stormtalon Hit Die: d10BaseAttack Fort Ref WillLevel Bonus Save Save Save Special1st +1 +2 +0 +0 Foot talons2nd +2 +3 +0 +0 Bonus aerial feat3rd +3 +3 +1 +1 Fast flight (+10 ft.)4th +4 +4 +1 +1 Bonus aerial feat5th +5 +4 +1 +1 Fast flight (+20 ft.)6th +6 +5 +2 +2 Bonus aerial feat7th +7 +5 +2 +2 Improved foot talons8th +8 +6 +2 +2 Bonus aerial feat9th +9 +6 +3 +3 Fast flight (+40 ft.)10th +10 +7 +3 +3 Bonus aerial featClass Skills (2+ Int modifier per level): Balance, Climb,Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Spot, Tumble.CLASS FEATURESThe stormtalon’s class features all make you a better fighterin the air.Foot Talons (Ex): The first lesson a stormtalon learns ishow to sharpen his or her foot talons so they become weapons.Such sharpening takes an hour a day to maintain, butit turns your feet into claws that deal 1d6 points of damageplus your Strength modifier. You are considered proficientwith these attacks. When you make a full attack, you useyour full base attack bonus with any weapons in hand andtake a –5 penalty on your talon attack. The Multiattack feat(see page 304 of the Monster Manual) lessens this penaltyto –2.You can use your foot talons only when you’re airborne.They deal both piercing and slashing damage, so they’lldo double damage when you make a dive attack (seepage 68).The talons are useful as weapons, but they’re not dexterousenough to wield weapons or perform any action requiringfine motor skills.Bonus Aerial Feat: At every even-numbered level, youlearn a new trick useful to aerial combat. Choose a feat fromthe following list: Aerial Reflexes†, Aerial Superiority†, BornFlyer†, Diving Charge†, Flyby Attack*, Hover*, ImprovedFlight†, Multiattack*, Wingover*.*Feat described on page 304 of the Monster Manual.†New feats described in Chapter 6 of this book.Fast Flight (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, you gain a flyspeed 10 feet faster than the norm for your race. At 5thlevel, it’s 20 feet faster, and at 9th level, it’s 40 feet faster.Except that this class feature applies to fly speed ratherthan land speed, it otherwise functions like the fast movementbarbarian class feature described on page 25 of thePlayer’s Handbook.Improved Foot Talons (Ex): When you reach 7th level,you have become more adept at dealing wicked cuts withyour foot talons. Your talons now deal 1d8 points of damageand can be used even when you aren’t flying.PLAYING A STORMTALONThe stormtalon’s battle cry “Death from the sky!” tells youall you need to know. You swoop down on your foes anddeal grievous damage before they even know what hit them.Take this prestige class if you want a potent combination ofbattlefield maneuverability and combat effectiveness.You’re also part of a larger organization devoted to protectingraptoran flocks scattered all across the world. When thehigh chieftain of the raptorans sends in the stormtalons, it’sa sign that she takes a particular crisis seriously.CombatYou obviously fight best when you’re in the air, but your tacticaldecisions just start there. You can function as pinpointartillery for your allies, circling above the battlefield andskewering with arrows anything that moves. Alternatively,you can dive down on your foes, dealing double damage witha spear or other piercing weapon and then either moving backout of harm’s way or hovering just above the enemy. Onceyour enemies have seen one technique, you can confoundthem by switching to the other.Your ability to get airborne is also useful before a fight starts.You can scout out the best terrain in relative safety and perhapssee enemies before they see you. You’re able to get aroundthe battlefield easier than either your nonraptorancomrades or your enemies, so you can quickly moveto provide a flanking situation, get a healing potionto a fallen friend, or cut off an enemy’s escape route.AdvancementWould-be stormtalons have to pass a six-week training regimendesigned to weed out those who aren’t tough enough. Youdon’t have to play through the whole basic training process;your DM will likely account for it between adventures.You’ll periodically reconnect with the stormtalon leadershipto get further training. The leadership may also assignyou missions from time to time, sending you to defend araptoran flock that’s in some kind of trouble.ResourcesStormtalons traditionally wield spears in combat, and theorganization has accumulated quite an arsenal of magic spearsover the years. PCs who want a magic spear can get one for80% of its normal cost if they contact the stormtalons andrequest one. Acquiring a spear this way takes one week perpoint of enhancement bonus (or equivalent if the spear hasa special ability).STORMTALONS IN THE WORLDThe stormtalon prestige class is a good fit for a player whowants to focus on aerial combat. As a group, the stormtalonsfunction as the cavalry that rushes in at the last minute to savean endangered raptoran flock. Depending on the situation,the stormtalons might be the answer to PCs’ prayers or theobject of their curses.