Storm Priest (Character Kit)

==Storm Priest (Priest)==
The Storm Priest is the Priest class's equivalent to the Warrior's Air Knight or the Wizard's Sky Wizard. Storm Priests traditionally ride their aerial mounts into battle. While often found as part of a city's Air Knight unit, a large city may have enough Storm Priests to form their own, separate unit. As the name suggests. Storm Priests are often in charge of weather during battles. Depending upon circumstances, they might pray for clear skies, to make conditions optimal for their own aerial forces, or crashing thunder, the better to cause lightning strikes to fall upon enemy forces. 
Storm Priests are found of many differing alignments. Those cities with a large number of Storm Priests have a predominantly Lawful assemblage, while Chaotic Storm Priests are usually happier as solo members in an Air Knight unit Although Druids can become Storm Priests, most who take up the calling worship gods of weather, lightning, thunderstorms, and the like. Not all Storm Priests are members of a regular army. Some are mercenary in nature, hiring themselves out to whichever band will pay for their services. Of all the Storm Priests, these individuals are the most likely to be of an Evil alignment, although not all mercenary Storm Priests are Evil. 
Role: The Storm Priest has two main roles in battle: attacking enemies and defending the members of his or her own army. Both missions are usually accomplished with a wide variety of spells. Popular attack spells include faerie fire, dust devil, spiritual hammer, call lightning, control winds, flame strike, transmute rock to mud, earthquake, and firestorm. Defensive spells include protection from evil, remove fear, obscurement, protection from lightning, wall of thorns, and weather summoning. Naturally, the deity worshiped by the Storm Priest affects which spells the Priest may cast in battle, so not all Storm Priests have access to the same complement of spells. 
Weapon Proficiencies:
* Required: None. 
* Recommended: Any. 
Nonweapon Proficiencies:
* Required: Airborne Riding (greater drake). Weather Sense.
* Recommended: Animal Training (greater drake). Astrology, Direction Sense, Local History, Hands-Off Mount Control (see sidebar). Religion.
Special Benefits: Storm Priests are well respected by the members of their army and the citizens they protect, receiving an automatic -2 bonus to reaction rolls when dealing with such people. 
Storm Priests are often used to rally the soldiers of their armies. Knowing that they are being led into battle by the favored Priest of a powerful deity often causes an increase in the army's morale. As long as the Storm Priest remains visible, the soldiers of his or her army battle with a +1 bonus to morale ratings. 
Special Hindrances: Like the Sky Wizard, the Storm Priest makes an excellent target by flying out in the open. Because of their frequent use of lightning and electrical-based spells, most Storm Priests refuse to wear metallic armor or carry metal shields, preferring instead to rely upon magical protection if possible. In addition, as Storm Priests are credited with their own armies' boost of morale, they take it as their responsibility when their army begins to falter. As soon as the tide of battle starts to turn against the Storm Priest's army, the Priest strikes with a -1 attack penalty until the tide of battle turns back to his or her army's favor. Wealth Options: Storm Priests begin play with the standard 3d6 x 10 gp of the Priest class. If part of a standard army, much of the Storm Priest's equipment (armor, weapons, saddle, etc.) may be supplied. 
Highly Prized Equipment: Storm priests prize any weather-related magical items or weapons, such as staves of thunder and lightning, javelins of lightning, and hammers of thunderbolts. Because of their reluctance to wear metallic armor, they also highly value items providing magical protection, such as rings of protection, cloaks of protection, bracers of defense, and nonmetallic magical armor.
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