Sky Wizard (Character Kit)

Drake-Rider Kits
Drake-Riders use their greater drake as battle mounts, adding the drakes' combat abilities to their own. Others seek to use the drake as a mobile reconnaissance platform with which to spy upon others. Still others become Drake-Riders as a service to their city or country, acting as messengers, couriers, firefighters, or mounted soldiers. Regardless of why people become Drake-Riders, there are a number of kits that PCs can adopt when raising a greater drake as an aerial mount. Some kits are class-specific, while others can be chosen by characters from any class. Similarly, some kits are best matched with a specific subspecies of greater drake, while others can be used by riders of any type of drake. Many of these Drake-Rider kits can even be incorporated for use with other flying steeds, such as griffins, pegasi, or even nonliving "steeds" like a carpet of flying or ebony fly (one of the figurines of wondrous power).
Sky Wizard (Wizard) 
The Sky Wizard is the spellcasting counterpart to the Air Knight, riding out into battle to defend a city. However, while the Air Knight's goal is direct hand-to-hand aerial combat with the foe, a Sky Wizard prefers to keep enough distance from enemies to allow long-range attack spells to be brought to bear. Sky Wizards are often found serving in the ranks with a u nit of Air Knights, or they might even form a small unit of their own. As far as numbers go, there are usually many more Air Knights than there are Sky Wizards, so a Drake-Rider unit may count itself lucky to have even one of these aerial spellcasters in its midst. Like an Air Knight, a Sky Wizard feels a strong duty toward the defense of the city. However, while Air Knights tend to remain a defensive force seldom straying far from the cities they are sworn to protect, Sky Wizards' tactics are often heavily geared toward the offensive. They go forth to attack not only invading armies but any enemy whose death serves the city. Sky Wizards are seldom found in leadership roles. This is not due to a lack of ability but rather a lack of desire-most Sky Wizards are loners, preferring to look after their own objectives rather than coordinating the movements of subordinates. The working of magic generally keep the sky Wizard busy enough without having to direct fighting men into aerial maneuvers;
New Proficiency: Hands-off mount control , general, 1 slot, Wisdom 
Some drake-rider kits require the character to perform quick actions involving the free use of his or her hands while mounted upon a steed. This ability is especially useful for Wizards and Priests, as many spells require elaborate somatic components. Other drake riders might find it necessary to employ two-handed weapons such as bows or crossbows. In any case, when the rider's hands are otherwise employed, they cannot be used to direct the rider 's mount. The Hands-Off Mount Control non-weapon proficiency allows the rider to control his mount by means of pressure from his legs, a subtle shift in weight, verbal commands and so on. the proficiency allows the character to train his mount to responded to such Suttle clues, it does not automatically invest such knowledge upon any mount the raider uses. the two must train together for 2d4+2 weeks before the mount can respond to the raider command. the proficiency requires a ridging mount of at least animal intelligence. it can be use on either land or aerial mounts.
such tasks are best left to the Warriors. As they are given freer reign than the more heavily "militarized" Air Knights, Sky Wizards have no constraints against Chaotic alignments. . Sky Wizards wear a distinctive uniform in the city's colors, although they do not wear armor. They disdain wearing the standard Wizard's robes, as they are not cut for comfortable riding astride an aerial mount. Instead, Sky Wizards prefer a simple outfit of tunic and pants.
Role: High-level Sky Wizards are often the "powerhouses" of the Air Knight units in which they serve. As such, they are defended by the Air Knights in battle, whose best interests lie in keeping the Sky Wizard safe from harm so that the Wizard may strike down the enemy from a distance. Sky Wizards avoid melee combat whenever possible, and so the kavainus is a popular choice of steed. Not all Sky Wizards are members of an Air Knight unit, however; some work on their own, protecting their desolate castle dwellings from aerial attack. These Sky Wizards can be of just about any alignment, whereas those in service to a city lean toward the Good end of the spectrum. Sky Wizards tend to fill their spell arsenals with long-range attack spells and those that enhance or protect their mount's flight abilities. A short list of favored spells includes feather fall, light, magic missile, continual light, sleep, blindness, darkness 15' radius, Melf's acid arrow, fireball, flame arrow, fly, lightning bolt, Melf's minute meteors, protection from normal missiles, chain lightning, flesh to stone, and meteor swarm. Because they concentrate on aerial based spell craft, many Sky Wizards choose to become Air Elementalists (as described in the Tome of Magic).
Weapon Proficiencies:
* Required: None. Recommended: Any.
Non-weapon Proficiencies:
* Required: Airborne Riding (greater drake). Recommended: Animal Training (greater drake), Direction Sense, Hands-Off Mount Control, Weather Sense.
Special Benefits: As part of a city's Air Knight unit, the Sky Wizard enjoys the same benefits- the reaction bonus from the city's populace and loyalty from his or her steed. Sky Wizards tend not to become as attached to their mounts as do Air Knights and thus do not suffer "withdrawal symptoms" if their current mount is slain.
Special Hindrances: The Sky Wizard's greatest hindrance is that he or she makes an excellent target for enemies. As the kit is specifically designed for those Wizards who fly into battle using flashy and dynamic spells, they are often the most visible target in the air and tend to attract quite a bit of attention from those trying to overcome the Sky Wizard's forces. For this reason, many Sky Wizards feel it necessary to have a personal "escort," usually of Air Knights, when they go out against their foes.
Wealth Options: The Sky Wizard receives the normal Wizard's starting wealth, (1d4+ 1) x 10 gp.
Highly Prized Equipment: any magical item capable of doing long range damage to enemies is prized by Sky Wizards. Favorites include wands of lightning, wands of magic missiles, wands of fire, staves of the magi, and staves of power. They also appreciate passive magical items that deflect or absorb spells, such as brooches of shielding, rings of spell turning, and ellipsoid ioun stones.
Category:Character Kit
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