Air Born (3.5e Prestige Class)

Becoming an Air Born

“	There is no feeling more wonderful than the uplifting of gale-force winds. No pain more brutal than the multiple buffeting aerial fists from a swift moving hurricane.	”
—Anaerio, Aasimar Air Born

With the ability to strike down foes with immense, massive arms of rock, what can get in the way?

An Air Born studies the basic building of nature, deciding to harness the power of air, mist, smoke, and dust. Eventually they transcend their mortal forms and become elemental beings themselves.

Before one can become an Air Born they must first meet peacefully with an air or steam elemental or creature with an air subtype that can choose to test their affinity to air. The Test of the Air Born is unknown to the participant and up to the DM.

Air Born are often intrigued by all forms of nature before they ever take levels in the prestige class, these spellcasters typically find themselves drawn to the air energy type. They find satisfaction in the unleashed purity of the air energy forms, and they become an Air Born to grow closer to air's purity.

Most Air Born come from druids, although some Wizards or Sorcerers venture to the class, it is rare to see one. A cleric with the Air Domain could also qualify for the prestige class.

Entry Requirements

Skills:	Knowledge (Nature) 8 ranks Knowledge (The Planes) 4 ranks
Feats:	Born Flyer
Spells:	Able to cast at least 4 spells that deal air type damage. One of the spells has to be of at least 3rd level.
Special:	Must possess a Fly speed Must make a peaceful contact with an air elemental, or outsider that has an air subtype (can be a summoned creature). Must display an affinity to air by way of a test given by the elemental (up to DM decision -- see Test of the Air Born).

Table: The Air Born

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spellcasting
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Air Specialty, Air Resistance 5	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Immunity to Sleep, Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Air Penetration +2	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Air Resistance 10, Air Adaptation, Spell Secret	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Air Focus +1, Summon Air Elemental 1/day	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Wild Shape Air +1/day	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Air Resistance 20	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th	+5	+6	+2	+6	Air Penetration +4, Bonus Feat	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th	+6	+6	+3	+6	Immunity to Paralysis and Poison	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th	+7	+7	+3	+7	Air Perfection, Air Focus +2, Air Immunity	+1 level of existing spellcasting class
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Air Born gain no additional proficiency in weapons or armor.

Spells Per Day: When a new Air Born level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spell casting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spell casting. If a character had more than one spell casting class prior to becoming an Air Born, she must decide which class she adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Air Specialty: Beginning at 1st level, the Air Born may as a free action substitute for the air type in any spell she casts with an element descriptor. For bards and sorcerers, this supersedes the requirement that a meta-magic feat applied to a spell takes a full-round action to cast. Note that the spell's normal casting time (typically 1 action) must still be taken.

Air Resistance: Beginning at 1st level, the Air Born gains increasing resistance to air. This resistance is 5 points at level 1, and increases to 10 points at level 4, 15 at level 7, and becomes full immunity at level 10.

Immunity to Sleep: At 2nd level, as an Air Born continues to transcend her mortal form, she gains immunity to sleep effects. She also at this point begins to look slightly more elemental (a little white in the eyes, faint or light to the touch, possibly a bright white color begins to show through her skin).

Bonus Feat: At 2nd and 8th levels an Air Born gains extra feats.

Air Penetration: The Air Born begins to further refine their air energies, and gains the ability to penetrate spell resistance with greater ease, if they are using an air spell. She gains a +2 competence bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) to overcome a creature's resistance. At 8th level, this bonus increases to +4. These bonuses stack with those granted by the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats.

Air Focus: From 5th level on, an Air Born is better able to manipulate air. The save DC for any air spell increases by 1. At 10th level, these save DCs increase by 1 again (total increase of 2). These increases are cumulative with those granted by the Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats.

Air Adaptation: At 4th level, the Air Born no longer takes environmental damage or suffers from hazards relating to air or dust. In addition, she suffers no ill effects and has no difficulty moving and navigating through air or dry climates. However, spells that duplicate air environments (i.e. transmute rock to steam) do inflict their normal damage, after the air resistance is factored in.

Spell Secret: A Air Born can choose one spell known to her that then becomes permanently modified as though affected by one of the following meta-magic feats: Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell. The spell's level does not change and once the choice of spell and modification are chosen they cannot be changed. She does not need to know the meta-magic feat she applies.

Summon Air Elemental: Once per day, the Air Born can now summon an Air Elemental to fight their enemies.

Wild Shape Air: The Air Born gains the Wild Shape ability (as Druid's first gaining of Wild shape). If she already knows Wild Shape, then she gets another usage of Wild Shape, per day. She can now transfer any basic wild shape creature into an air subtype version.

Immunity to Paralysis and Poison: As an Air Born approaches Air Perfection, she gains immunity to paralysis and poison at 9th level.

Air Perfection: At 10th level, an Air Born, through long association with elemental entities and extensive study of their secrets, completely transcends her mortal form to become an elemental creature (Air elemental (DnD Creature)). Her type changes to elemental. She no longer needs to eat, sleep, or breathe (though she must still rest to regain spells). She gains an elemental creature's immunity to stunning, and she is no longer subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. An Air Born gains the speed and movement modes, natural attacks, special attacks, and special qualities of a Medium air elemental, except that the save DC against her elemental attack form, if any (Slam) is 20 + her Con modifier. Unlike a normal elemental, an Air Born retains a soul separate from her body. She can be raised from the dead as normal for a creature of her previous type.

Air Immunity: From 10th level on, an Air Born gains immunity to Air effects.

Ex-Air Borns

If an Air Born wanders from seeking the purity of air for any reason (since it is an independent study), no negative affects become present in the character. But if they choose to pick it up again later, after a year of inactivity, they must regain alignment with the air by meeting with the elemental again, and possibly testing again.

Playing an Air Born

Combat: While it is thought to be mostly a spellcasting class, it is derived from the druid class, therefore they can fill many different roles needed in the party.

Advancement:

Resources: The resources for an Air Born are limited.

Air Borns in the World

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NPC Reactions:

Air Born Lore

Air Born Lore stretches back through the ages, much more ancient than druids, and more potent than Elemental Savants. Very few have been made even in the last millennia and those that have rarely dedicate themselves fully to the task. There has been no deity that Air Born lore points to but it seems that they simply worship the elements themselves and nature as more powerful than any deity ever to exist. At one time the Air Borns were not the only elemental children. There are even rarer classes (Fire Born, Air Born) that they ruled with. As man came to being and began settling more and over taking nature itself many of them have dwindled to non-existence. Only the Air Born are even seen rarely because of the air climate that the air spirit dwells in the Air Born are the most active of the classes. Air Borns are pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them into the class. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Air Born through years of personal search. Many times the character will be restless before taking up the Air Born path, they often get a sense of incompleteness or just a yearning for something (air -- see Elemental Children)

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (nature) can research Air Borns to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (nature)

DC	Result
21	They become Air Elementals
26	They are more ancient than savants
31	Many Air Borns go into solitude for ages
40	Air Borns are pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them into the class. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Air Born through years of personal search.

Elemental Children

This group known as The Children of the Elements (Elemental Children) were once a great and powerful group. Very few, if any, have been made in the last millennia. And the ones who have been made, are rarely able to find the resources to dedicate themselves to the task. None are known to worship deities, but rather worship nature itself, and the elements themselves. As man came to being, and began settling more, and overtaking nature itself, many of them have dwindled into non-existence. Only the Snow Born are even seen rarely, because of the cold climate that the cold spirit dwells in. The Snow Born are the most active of the classes.

Elemental children are all pre-chosen before birth and their nature drives them to this path. When they are born they are visited by the very elemental that will test them. This elemental will sometimes bear supernatural gifts to the child that can only be unlocked by the Snow Born through years of personal search. Many times the character will be restless before taking up the path -- they often get a sense of incompleteness or just a yearning for something.

Air Borns in the Game

Adaptation:

Sample Encounter:

EL whatever:

Test of the Air Born

The Player rolls a d4 and depending on the roll must complete 1 of the following tests:

• 1: Cast a harmful air spell on a nearby creature
• 2: Sit in a wide open plain under the fierce duress of a major, raging wind storm (ie: tornado, waterspout, hurricane, dust storm, etc.) until they reach the point at which they might die. (If they stay in, until released at the last moment, then they pass)
• 3: Create a constant breeze in a sealed chamber using no spell components
• 4: Survive a week in a lofty, highly mountainous, thin-airy climate, with nothing but what they can carry.

These tests can take any amount of time as the participant is taken to the frozen time dimension and no time passes in the normal dimension.

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Related

Elemental Children
Air Elemental (DnD Creature)
Fire Born (DnD Prestige Class)
Snow Born (DnD Prestige Class)
Earth Born (DnD Prestige Class)

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