Air Knight (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).

## *Air Knight Warrior*

The Air Knight is a soldier devoted to the defense of a city, or, Jess frequently, a single structure (the castle of the knight's liege, perhaps, or the mountain fortress of the sorcerer he or she serves). Air Knights are seldom found singly; instead, there is usually a small group of them working together to form a concentrated aerial defense. Large cities with enough resources may have scores of Air Knights patrolling the skies over their boundaries. Air Knights fall into a military hierarchy, much like the town guards or the local militia. They are Jed by a captain, generally the most experienced of the Air Knights serving in the unit. A sergeant-at-arms oversees the general welfare of the other knights and their steeds, reporting directly to the captain. Air Knights know the value of a trusted flying steed and take extremely good care of the mounts in their service. They are in tum trusted by their mounts, and the two often form an emotional attachment similar to that between a Paladin and his or her warhorse.

*Role:* Air Knights are seasoned warriors, often having come up from the ranks of the regular army. Most have prior experience riding horses into battle, and need only learn the intricacies of aerial combat to become adept Drake-Riders. They value the rigid military structure, as they know their exact place in the hierarchy. Air Knights tend to be of Lawful or Neutral alignments; Chaotic members often find the rules and regulations inherent to military society to be too constricting. The majority of Air Knight units serve a defensive role for their cities, patrolling the borders and using the vantage points of their high-flying steeds to spot any approaching enemies, whether they be a marauding dragon or an army of foot soldiers intent upon conquest. While Air Knights might be sent out on an occasional offensive mission, they are generally reserved as defenders of the city, where their visible presence serves to make the populace feel more secure. Most Air Knights are fiercely loyal toward the city they have chosen to protect. While paladin hood is not a requirement to become an Air Knight, many Paladins do take up the calling, often serving as high-ranking officers in an Air Knight unit. Air Knights generally have the good will of the people in the city that they protect. They wear distinctive Uniforms in the city's colors and are easily recognizable by the people they serve.

*Weapon Proficiencies:*

* *Required:* Lance (any), Sword (any).
* *Recommended:* Short bow, Light Crossbow. Most Air Knights prefer the lance when attacking enemy flying creatures. However, smaller melee weapons are useful as well, and the ability to attack at a distance with arrows or crossbow bolts, while difficult skills to master, come in extremely handy to the Air Knight.

*Non-weapon Proficiencies:*

* *Required:* Airborne Riding, (greater drake).

*Recommended:* Animal Training (greater drake), Direction Sense, Endurance, Heraldry, Hands-Off Mount Control, Rope Use, Weather Sense.

*Special Benefits:* As noted above, Air Knights enjoy great popularity among the citizens they protect, receiving an automatic -2 bonus to reactions by the common folk of the city for which they work. They are also generally well loved by their steeds, with which they have spent a great deal of time and training. An Air Knight's mount, if treated well, remains extremely loyal to its master. While this is especially true of vandalraugs, such loyalty can be fostered in any of the other greater drakes as well. Because their mission keeps them patrolling the skies, Air Knights are comfortable with heights and seldom suffer from vertigo.

*Special Hindrances:* The Air Knight's greatest hindrance is that all kit abilities depend upon having an aerial steed. Without a flying mount, the Air Knight is no more than a common Fighter. Furthermore, if an Air Knight's flying steed is slain, the Knight suffers a -1 attack penalty in all combat until such time that a similar bond of attachment and trust develops between the knight and. a new riding mount. The length of time it takes for this bond to develop is left to the DM, but it generally forms after about a month of training daily together. As part of an established military, the Air Knight also stands out among enemies of his or her city. Aggressors are not likely to treat captured Air Knights well, knowing the role they played in the defense of their city.