Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Skills: Ride (an aquatic animal) 6 ranks

Feats: Mounted Archery, Combat Acrobat

Special: Amphibious or Aquatic subtype

Summary

Horses as mounts are so passe. Instead, what about riding a shark into battle and mowing through foes with a trident? Now that, that is something most people can get behind. Obviously this class is very setting dependent as if you don't have an open ocean with you or a river or other suitable body of water, unless your mount is amphibious (You'll have to run that by the DM) your class features probably won't be used very often. You do get some neat abilities like improved mounted combat abilities, ease of jumping out of the water like a flying fish and increased movement speed for your aquatic steed.

Role: DPS

Characteristics: Wavehopping mounted warriors patrolling the open seas.

Source: Savage Species

Game Rule Information

The Waverider has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Dexterity is needed for your Ride checks, Strength for dealing big damage, and Constiution for staying alive and keeping your mount alive.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Waverider's class skills are Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (any) (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Waverider.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Waverider is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor and all shields

Waverider Mount Ex: A waverider can call a special aquatic mount to serve her. This may be a hippocampus (see sidebar), sea lion, shark, porpoise, elasmosaurus, or whale. This creature is stronger and more intelligent than others of its type. A waverider may have only one mount at a time. If the mount is slain, the waverider can call another one after a year and a day.

Mounted Weapon Bonus Ex: At each level, a waverider gains the indicated bonus on her attack roll with the designated weapon while mounted.

Trident Charge Ex: A waverider can use a trident to deal double damage when used from the back of a charging mount. The Spirited Charge feat can be used to increase the damage multiple to triple normal.

Ride Bonus Ex: At 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, a waverider gains the indicated bonus on Ride checks.

Breach Ex: On reaching 3rd level, a mounted waverider can make a leaping charge to attack opponents out of the water. The mount makes a Jump check using its own ranks in the skill or the waverider's, whichever is better, to make a "running" high jump as part of a charge, with a maximum height distance of twice its length. If it contacts an opponent during the jump, the waverider gains the normal +2 bonus on her attack roll. At the end of the jump, waverider and mount are once again submerged and thus do not take the —2 penalty to Armor Class against opponents out of the water (those underwater are still able to take advantage of the waverider's being temporarily off balance). A waverider cannot use this ability in two consecutive rounds.

Depth Charge Ex: On reaching 4th level, a waverider can dive at high speed as part of a charge when attacking opponents underwater. The mount makes a Jump check using its own ranks in the skill or the waverider's, whichever is better, to make a "running" long jump as part of a charge, with a maximum distance of six times its length. If it contacts an opponent during the dive, the waverider gains a +4 bonus on her attack roll and increases the damage multiplier with her mounted weapon one more step (double to triple, triple to quadruple) but takes a —4 penalty to Armor Class for the next round. A waverider cannot use this ability in two consecutive rounds.

Improved Mounted Archery Ex: At 5th level, a waverider is better able to use a crossbow, harpoon, javelin, trident, or shortspear while mounted. When making ranged attacks with any of these weapons while mounted, she takes only a —1 penalty on ranged attacks if the mount is making a double move, and —2 if the mount is running.

Full Mounted Attack Ex: At 6th level, a waverider may attack as a standard action when its mount moves more than 5 feet rather than as a partial action.

Skim Ex: On reaching 7th level, a mounted waverider can make more effective charges against opponents out of the water, skimming over the surface like a flying fish. The mount makes a Jump check using its own ranks in the skill or the waverider's, whichever is better, to make a "running" long jump as part of a charge, with a maximum distance of four times its length, and a "running" high jump with a max- imum vertical distance of twice its length. (Use the same roll to determine both height and length.) If it contacts an opponent during the jump, the waverider gains the normal +2 bonus on its attack roll. At the end of the jump, waverider and mount are once again submerged and thus do not take the —2 penalty to Armor Class against opponents out of the water (those underwater are still able to take advantage of the waverider's being temporarily off balance). A waverider cannot use this ability in two consecutive rounds.

Superior Mounted Archery Ex: At 8th level, a waverider takes no penalties when making ranged attacks with a crossbow, harpoon, javelin, trident, or shortspear while mounted.

Wavedancing Ex: On reaching 9th level, a mounted waverider can maneuver very effectively out of the water. Rider and mount can move up to four times the mount's swim speed out of water and can make charges, including Ride-By Attacks if the waverider has this feat (normal charge rules apply). In addition, she can now use her breach, sound, and skim abilities in consecutive rounds.

Call of the Deep Su: At 10th level, a waverider can summon one or more water elementals once per day, as with a Planar Ally spell.

Table 1-1: Waverider Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Waverider mount, mounted weapon bonus +1 (trident), trident charge
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Mounted weapon bonus +1 (javelin/harpoon), Ride bonus +2
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+3	Breach, mounted weapon bonus +2 (trident)
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Depth charge, mounted weapon bonus +2 (javelin/harpoon)
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Improved mounted archery, mounted weapon bonus +3 (trident), Ride bonus +4
6th	+6	+5	+2	+5	Full mounted attack, mounted weapon bonus +3 (javelin/harpoon)
7th	+7	+5	+2	+5	Skim, mounted weapon bonus +4 (trident), Ride bonus +6
8th	+8	+6	+2	+6	Superior mounted archery, mounted weapon bonus +4 (javelin/harpoon)
9th	+9	+6	+3	+6	Wavedancing, mounted weapon bonus +5, Ride bonus +8
10th	+10	+7	+3	+7	Call of the deeps, mounted weapon bonus +5 (javelin/harpoon)

Waverider's Mount

The waverider’s mount differs from a standard creature of its type in a number of ways. A medium size waverider typically rides a hippocampus, sea lion, large shark, killer whale, or porpoise. A Tiny or Small waverider usually chooses a Medium-size shark, while a large waverider favors an elasmosaurus, Huge shark, or cachalot whale. This mount is a magical beast, not an animal. It has a number of special abilities, as shown below.

Character Level	Bonus HD	Natural Armor	Str Adj.	Int.	Special
7 or less	+1	+1	+1	5	Improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, share saving throws
8-10	+2	+2	+2	6	—
11-14	+4	+4	+3	7	Speak with creatures of its kind
15-18	+6	+5	+4	8	Fast movement
19-20	+8	+6	+6	9	Spell resistance

Use the base statistics for a creature of the mount’s kind but make changes to take into account the attributes and characteristics summarized on the table and described below.

Bonus HD

Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.

Natural Armor Adj.

The number on the table is an improvement to the mount’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str Adj.

Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.

Int

The mount’s Intelligence score.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

If the waverider’s mount is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.

Share Spells

At the waverider’s option, she may have any spell that she casts on herself (if she is a spellcaster) also affect her mount. This also applies to spell-like abilities. The mount must be within 5 feet. If the spell or spell-like ability has a duration other than instantaneous, the spell stops affecting the mount if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the mount again even if the mount returns to the waverider before the duration expires. Additionally, the waverider may cast a spell or use a spell-like ability with a target of “You” on her mount instead of on herself. The waverider and her mount can even share spells that normally do not affect creatures of the mount’s type (magical beast).

Empathic Link (Su)

The waverider has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of 1 mile. The waverider cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but the two can communicate telepathically. Even intelligent mounts see the world differently from their riders, so misunderstandings are always possible.

Share Saving Throws

The mount uses its own base saves or the waverider’s, whichever is higher.

Speak with Creatures of Its Kind (Su)

The mount can communicate with aquatic animals or with creatures of approximately the same kind. A whale or porpoise can speak with any whale or porpoise, while a shark can speak with other fish, and a frog can speak with amphibians.

Fast Movement (Ex)

The mount’s swim speed increases by 5 feet if Small, and by 10 feet if Medium-size or larger.

Spell Resistance (Ex)

A mount’s spell resistance equals its master’s paladin level + 5. To affect the mount with a spell, a spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the mount’s spell resistance.