The Blood Riders are the fighting Elite of the JadePlains. They and their Ankhegs are the epitome of carnage, fighting on even when the situation is hopeless. The Riders have the reputation for never backing down from a fight, of never deserting a friend, and of showing no mercy to opponents.
Requirements: A Blood Rider must have a Base Attack of +5 or higher, have 8 ranks in Ride (Ankheg), and must have taken the Great Fortitude Feat.
Hit Dice: 1d12
Skills: 2+Int per level Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Ride, Swim, Wilderness Lore
Weapons: A Blood Rider is proficient with all Simple and Martial Weapons. They are also proficient in the Sicklechain.
Attacks: as fighter (+1 Base Attack/level)
Saves: Fortitude good
Armor: Light and Medium Armor. No shields.
The Blood Rider receives a special mount. This mount functions as a paladin's mount, along with the additions below.
1 Acid Immunity
2 Immaculate Frame
3 Fortitude Save 1/day
4 Acid Touch
5 Fortitude Save 2/day, Damage Reduction 3
6 Acid Spray
7 Fortitude Save 3/day, Damage Reduction 5
8 Acid Wounds
9 Damage Reduction 7
10 Blood Bond
Acid Immunity (Ex): The Rider is immune to all forms of acid, as is his mount.
Immaculate Frame (Ex): On a fortitude save for half damage, the Rider takes no damage on a successful save. On poisons, one save is all that is necessary.
Fortitude Save (Ex): The Rider may make a save that is normally Will or Reflex as a Fortitude save instead. The Immaculate Frame ability functions as normal on that Fortitude save. Thus, a Rider could choose to save against a fireball using a Fortitude Save, and avoid all damage on a successful save.
Acid Touch (Su): The Rider may burn one temporary point of Constitution as a move-equivalent action. In doing so he literally boils his blood for a short moment, changing its chemistry and making his skin burn like acid. A touch attack by the Rider deals 1d4 points acid damage and does acid damage to any articles touched. A rider may burn as many points of Constitution at once as he wants to get a more powerful acidic force.
Damage Reduction (Ex): The Rider soaks up damage with his powerful frame and ignores small wounds.
Acid Spray (Su): As Acid Touch, except that the Rider may either fling the acid at an opponent for a ranged touch attack, or fling it out as a spray that effects all people in a 180 degree spread within ten feet. The wide-spray does only half damage, does not require an attack roll, and allows a Fortitude save (DC15) to take half damage.
Acid Wounds (Su): For each Constitution point that the Rider burns, he gains five rounds of acid wounds. Whenever he is dealt damage by a weapon, his wounds spray out a powerful acid that does damage equal to one-half of the damage dealt to the Rider to the wielder of the melee weapon. The next round, all within five feet of the Rider take acid damage equal to one-half of the spray the previous round. This continues each round until the damage drops below one, even if the Acid Wounds ability ends before that time. Acid damage from multiple wounds stacks. Fortitude saves are at DC18.
Example: Glarin has Acid Wounds in effect. Derl hits him for thirteen points of damage after damage reduction, which causes an acid spray that does six points of damage to Derl himself unless he saves. The next round, Derl and everyone else near Glarin takes three points of damage, and Derl hits Glarin again, this time for ten points damage. Derl suffers five points of damage from the acid spray for doing so, and in the next round he and everyone nearby will suffer three points of damage -- one from the remainder of the first wound, and two from the second wound. Even if Derl doesn't hit Glarin again, the wound will spray out acid dealing one point of damage next round for the remainder of the second wound.
Blood Bond (Su): The Rider and his mount may choose to draw from a pool of hit points. Neither beast nor rider falls until the total hit point pool reaches zero. This ability only works if the Rider is within ten feet of his mount. If he goes out of range, they each have half of the total hit points in the pool.
The Blood Riders are the defenders of the JadePlains. They are looked upon as leaders and heroes, and must act the part. Any displays of cowardice or other unmanly behavior will cause them to suffer in the eyes of the people, and if he loses enough self-esteem, a Rider's mount will leave him.