Elk Rider

Description: The Elk-Riders were an elite light cavalry unit of mounted Rangers that operated out of Sidhe-Praxen. They were made famous during Alexandria's Crusade for serving Alexandria under Kivan Half-Elven. Although there is no organized force of them today, it is possible some Sidhe still retain the skill. Although most Elk Riders were rangers, nothing but convention prevents druids from taking the class.

Prerequisites: Mounted Archery, +6 Base Attack Bonus, Ride: 6 Ranks, Animal Companion (Elk, Deer or Similar), Elf or Half-Elf

Hit Dice: d8

Skill Points: 4+INT

Class Skills: Survival, Swim, Jump, Knowledge: Nature, Climb, Ride, Search, Listen, Spot, Concentration, Heal, Animal Handling, Craft (Bow) ????????

× Level	BaB	Fort	Ref	Will	Ability	Spells Per Day
1	+1	+2	+3	+0	Exceptional Mount, Fleet Mount, Elk-Rider Bonding,Bow Focus
2	+2	+3	+3	+0	Bonus Feat, Saddleback	+1 to existing divine caster level
3	+3	+3	+4	+1	Improved Mounted Archery, Naturalist
4	+4	+4	+4	+1	Bonus Feat, Child of the Forest	+1 to existing divine caster level
5	+5	+4	+4	+1	Expert Mounted Archery, Elk-Rider Empathy

Elk-Rider Bonding : If your Animal Companion is also your Exceptional Mount, the bonuses stack. Additionally, your Elk-Rider levels stack with your Druid or Ranger levels for determining the abilities of your animal companion.

Fleet Mount : Your mount may take full move and run actions in wooded or heavily forested terrain without penalty.

Child of the Forest : You may take a 10 on any Animal Handling roll, even when the situation dictates you can not.

Saddleback: May take 10 on ride checks even when not normally able to do so with your mount.

Naturalist : May take a 10 on survival checks even when not able to do so, or while mounted.

Elk-Rider Empathy: All Animal Handling rolls made against animals of your animal companion's and exceptional mount's types, as well as all herbivores, always succeed.

Bow Focus: For the purposes of determining eligibility for the Weapon Specialization tree of feats (Focus, Specialization, Greater Focus, Greater Specialization), both Elk Rider levels and Ranger levels count as Fighter levels, for bows only.

Bonus Feats : On the 2nd and 4th Elk Rider levels, the Elk Rider may choose a feat from the following list. The Elk Rider must still meet all prerequisites for the feat. Weapon Focus (any bow); Greater Weapon Focus (any bow); Skill Focus: Ride; Improved Skill Focus: Ride; Skill Focus: Animal Handling; Improved Skill Focus: Animal Handling; Animal Affinity; Ride By Attack; Point-Blank Shot; Precise Shot; Manyshot; Weapon Specialization (Any bow); Greater Weapon Specialization (Any Bow).

Improved Mounted Archery: The archer is equally at home firing mounted or dismounted. Penalties firing while mounted are reduced to 0 if you are making a double move and -2 while running.

Expert Mounted Archery: You are more at home mounted than on foot, and your martial abilities demonstrate this. You gain a +2 to hit and damage when firing a short or longbow while mounted.

Exceptional Mount Exceptional mounts are specially selected and trained variants of regular mounts possessed by certain prestige classes. They increase in power as the character gains in their prestige class level.

× Level	Bonus HD	Natural Armor Adj.	Str/Dex/Int Bonus	Bonus Tricks	Special
1	+1	+0	+0	+1	+5 Base Speed
2	+1	+2	+1	+2
3	+2	+2	+1	+3	+5 Base Speed
4	+2	+4	+2	+4
5	+3	+4	+2	+5	Mettle