Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Discipline 11 - Sky Raider

This is the eleventh 4E Anatomy of a Discipline, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

The changes to Sky Raiders in Earthdawn Fourth Edition (ED4) are rather subtle, but have some greater implications to them. The most immediately notable is Air Sailing is no longer a discipline talent. More subtly, Shield Bash (once Shield Charge) is no longer a discipline talent, replaced by Fire Heal.

This is another problematic discipline. Unlike Cavalryman, it isn't the mechanics, but the accessibility. There can be Cavalrymen everywhere, but hauling their mount around is troublesome. Sky Raiders have a great mechanical theme, but their inclusion in the setting is very limited - they are pretty much synonymous with crystal raiders. Including a non-troll Sky Raider may require back story contortions, pleading, and some leniency from a GM. Which is a bad place to be for one of the core disciplines.

Changing Shield Bash to a talent option was an easy, if not necessary decision. As it was, Sky Raiders were forced into either using a shield, or being forced into investing in a talent which they would never use. This opens the discipline up for the entirely appropriate character who uses a two-handed weapon; embracing the adage the best defense is a good offense.

Including Fire Heal was part of the thematic focusing which happened for every discipline during development. Simply, it is a great fit for the discipline. There is mechanical synergy between it and Fireblood - one of the signature Sky Raider talents. Even more important, it supports the overall themes and feel of the Sky Raider. Fire is a strong elemental connection and part of the overall aggression. The concept of a group of Sky Raiders performing Fire Heal as part of a pre-raiding ritual to grant strength is a powerful image - forging bonds in addition to being quite practical.

Moving Air Sailing from the discipline talents to talent options does two useful things: it removes the obligation for players to take a talent they may never use and is the first step in divorcing the mechanics from the lore. They now become a useful discipline for anyone who wants to create a very aggressive adept; perfect for raiders anywhere.

There are still vestiges of the origins in their talent options, Air Sailing and Wind Catcher. Similar to Air Sailor, these can be adapted. Water-based raiders would use Pilot Boat/Sailing and Swimming, and for land-based raiders they would use Trick Riding and Tracking. Half-magic can be adapted to caravan and river trade routes. Even Sky Weaving can easily become Raid Weaving.

The goal here is not to inherently change the landscape of Barsaive, but instead to make a discipline with solid flavor and mechanics more accessible to any interested player. If you want an adept who is all about offense, intimidation, and mobility, there is almost certainly something here for you.

Novice

First Circle

• Battle Shout
• Climbing
• Fireblood
• Melee Weapons
• Sky Weaving

Abilities

• Durability 7

Second Circle

• Great Leap

Third Circle

• Wound Balance

Abilities

• Karma: Recovery Tests

Fourth Circle

• Fire Heal

Journeyman

Fifth Circle

• Battle Bellow

Abilities

• Overwhelming Force: The adept no longer takes Strain when using the Aggressive Attack combat option. If another effect grants the same bonus, the adept instead reduces the penalties by 1. 
• Karma: Damage tests using melee or thrown weapon at or above the adept's one-handed size limit.

Sixth Circle

• Steely Stare

Seventh Circle

• Down Strike

Eighth Circle

• Momentum Attack

Offense: it isn't just a Sky Raider's default move, it is nearly their only move. Which means an encounter with a one of these adepts is almost certainly going to be harrowing because they are going to come hard and fast. Their Journeyman ability means they can aggressively attack all of the time, relying on Battle Shout and Battle Bellow to both reduce their opponent's offense and defense. This allows them to mitigate the downside of aggressive attacks by reducing their opponent's ability to capitalize on it, while maximizing their own benefit by reducing their opponent's ability to defend. Not only are they powerful, but Fireblood along with Fire Heal give them staying power like few others.

There is no slowing down the freight train which is a Sky Raider, and there is also no escaping them. They are the shock troopers of Earthdawn and coupled with all of their offensive power is superior mobility. Climbing and Great Leap ensure there is little which can keep them away, and Sprint as a talent option gives them access to just about anywhere on the battlefield.

In combat, Sky Raiders want to stay on the offense as much as possible and keep the on the pressure. The diminishing returns on Battle Shout means you want to seal the deal as soon as possible and quickly move on to a new opponent. While there is very little a Sky Raider cannot overpower, you need to be careful about getting tied up against something you cannot overwhelm and outlast. Even apex predators know better than to mess with the proverbial badger.

By using your mobility to its fullest, you can easily retreat from an engagement which is not going in your favor, heal if needed, and find a new target. Opposing skirmishers and others who are prone to going after your supporting allies are prime candidates for a Sky Raider's particular brand of shock and awe.

• Air Sailing - Adepts who want to be a crystal raider will want this talent. Everyone else will either pass or consider an alternative (see above).
• Air Speaking - Useful for communicating during combat and while plummeting through the clouds to a target beneath you.
• Avoid Blow - One of the few defensive talents available to Sky Raiders. The upside is penalties while using Aggressive Attack do not apply. However, the downside is the other Sky Raiders may make fun of you for dodging.
• Danger Sense - If you are the primary combatant in your group, it can be important to always be on guards.
• Navigation - Characters who are either wilderness types or involved in raiding may be interested in this talent. However, if someone in your group already has it, this doesn't tend to be a talent more than one person needs.
• Shield Bash - If you are using a shield, this is worth taking. It is much easier for you and your friends to attack people who are on the ground.
• Throwing Weapons - As long as the weapon is big, Sky Raiders can apply their karma ability for damage to Throwing Weapons. If you do pick up this talent, it needs to be regularly improved to remain competitive.
• Unarmed Combat - Similar to Throwing Weapons with regard to improvement, though any t'skrang will almost certainly want this talent to make use of their tail combat.
• Wilderness Survival - It is a generally useful talent to have and fits the "barbarian" theme which the Sky Raider can be used to model.
• Wind Catcher - This is generally how crystal raiders launch their attacks - death from above. It is incredibly impressive and likely terrifying to be on the receiving end.

Outside of actually playing and figuring out which talents will best fit your character, play style, and the campaign you are a part, there are a few different generic "builds" which can help show off themes and different decisions.

Crystal raider is the classic version of this discipline and the archetype. Characters looking for this will want Air Sailing and Wind Catcher at a minimum. From here, there are a few directions to go. Avoid Blow is a must for anyone who wants to include some defense in their arsenal, and Shield Bash is a winner if you have a shield. If you want to play up the air sailing angle, Air Speaking and Navigation will be useful. The former setup will have a stronger combat angle, while the latter will be a good setup for a future leader.

If you want a classic "barbarian" with a big weapon, Avoid Blow, Danger Sense, Navigation, and Wilderness Survival. This will solidly put you at home in the wilderness and more defensive options. If you are using the alternate talent options, this would be a prime candidate to pick up Tracking (swapping for Wind Catcher) instead of Navigation.

The "jack-of-all-trades" who wants to have the most to do in the most situations will generally skew towards combat talents, while cherry-picking some of the better adventuring talents. Shoring up weaknesses is always important for this kind of character, which means Avoid Blow, Sense Danger, and Shield Bash (wanting the extra Physical Defense of a shield) are going to be important. Assuming no one else has it, Wilderness Survival or Tracking (if allowed). However, if you just want some crazy fun - Wind Catcher. It's not going to come up often, but you will feel awesome when it does.

• Distract - Since you are already a big, threatening target who is drawing most of the attention, you may as well take advantage of this and give your friends some bonuses. Given the defensive limitations, this can be a dangerous talent to use, but quite powerful.
• First Impression - The basic social talent. Anyone who wants to be involved in social interactions should consider this option.
• Iron Constitution - Potentially a good to weak talent, depending on how often you see disease and poison in your game. The good news is it the talent is always active and even minimal investment can see benefit.
• Leadership - Not generally a talent which PCs find useful. However, anyone looking to have their own ship or band will want this talent.
• Lion Heart - Almost a requirement; it was very nearly a discipline talent, barely edged out by Steely Stare. This is a very useful talent, resisting fear and magic by sheer force of will, and very thematic to most Sky Raiders.
• Second Weapon - Another attack is always good and even better when it also benefits from Aggressive Attack. If you want this talent, you should plan for it early and let your GM know. It obviously isn't going to work well if you have a two-handed weapon or have invested in Shield Bash.
• Sprint - Another piece in the mobility puzzle. With this talent, Sky Raiders can project a lot of force nearly anywhere in a combat.
• Swift Kick - A good talent, but potentially difficult for a Sky Raider to use. Since they don't have anything else which relies on initiative up to Journeyman, they tend to have heavier armor. Also, because they don't have much in the way of other defense. This leads to a lower initiative, making this talent have less availability for use. However, if you spend your time picking on other slow disciplines (Cavalrymen, spellcasters, Weaponsmiths, etc.) and have Tiger Spring, you can get some use here. If you do have this talent, use the Attack to Knockdown combat option.
• Tactics - Another talent characters shooting for the leadership angle will want. This being said, nearly anyone can benefit from taking this talent as it affects other PCs as well. As long as the plan is being followed. So for a round or two.
• Tiger Spring - In general, there isn't a lot of benefit from this talent. It's fun to go earlier, but it isn't free and you are probably wearing enough armor to be fighting for the end of the order. It may pay off later down the road, however, and is a requirement if you want Swift Kick.

Looking at the three archetypes we have, a crystal raider shock trooper will want Lion Heart, Sprint, Swift Kick, and Tiger Spring. Their goal is to hit fast and hit hard. Lion Heart helps against any shenanigans the opposition may try to pull, while the other three are important for dominating the tempo of the conflict. If you want Second Weapon, eschew Lion Heart for it. All offense, all of the time.

Characters looking to be a crystal raider leader will be more interested in First Impression, Leadership, Lion Heart, and Tactics. This is a big departure, but at this point they are moving into management and while they can still play on the front lines, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Barbarians are similar to the crystal raider shock trooper, but possibly a little more group oriented. Distract, Sprint, Swift Kick, and Tiger Spring are going to be winners. Using an enormous weapon will help with initiative since a shield isn't bringing it down, though this will involve a lower initiative overall. This character is going to play right into the classic trope of the barbarian fearing and hating magic. In no small part because they have no defenses against it, which is just more incentive to use their mobility and power to quickly crush opposing spellcasters.

The jack-of-all-trades has some difficult choices. However, given the basic goals of engaging in the as much of the game as possible, minimizing weaknesses, and enhancing the basic strengths of the discipline, there are some winners. Distract is going to benefit the entire group and the enhanced defense of this character will allow them to deal with the attention better. First Impression will open up social interactions as a possibility. Lion Heart will provide some defense against ongoing control effects. Finally, Sprint will enhance their battlefield mobility even more.

For a discussion over the general themes of the Swordmaster how they can function in game, see the Third Edition Anatomy of Sky Raider. Example characters: elf and troll.

Earthdawn 4E: Example Character 04 - Elf Sky Raider

This is the fourth Example Character in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

To say the idea of an elf Sky Raider is unconventional is a bit of an understatement. However, they can be used to take this discipline in interesting directions. Below is a different take on the Sky Raider.

Each Circle saw this character improve one attribute and take a new Talent Option. There are no Thread Items on this character, however unlikely it may be. 

Note: The entries in this series may be updated periodically as I master the coding to fit all eight of the Circles in a fashion which doesn't result in eye melting. Consider these living entries. Please leave comments if there is anyway this could be made more useful.

Discipline: Sky Raider
Race: Elf

Attributes:
DEX: 20 (8)   STR: 13 (6)   TOU: 13 (6)
PER: 16 (7)   WIL: 13 (6)   CHA: 16 (7)

Characteristics:
Initiative: 4 (Recommended: Crystal Ringlet [-2], Crystal Raider Shield [-2])
Physical Defense: 16 (Recommended: Crystal Raider Shield [+2])
Mystic Defense: 11 (Recommended: Crystal Raider Shield [+2])
Social Defense: 10

Physical Armor: 10 (Recommended: Crystal Ringlet, Forged +6 [10])
Mystic Armor: 8 (Recommended: Crystal Ringlet, Forged +2 [6])

Damage: 19 (Recommended: Broad Sword, Forged +8 [13]); 28 (with Down Strike)

Unconsciousness: 82
Death: 96
Wound Threshold: 8

Recovery Tests: 4
Knockdown: 14
Karma: 32
Karma: Recovery Tests and melee Damage tests.

Talents: 
Battle Shout: 9 (16)
Climbing: 8 (16)
Fireblood: 9 (15)
Melee Weapons: 9 (17)
Sky Weaving: 8 (15)
Avoid Blow: 8 (16)
Great Leap: 8 (16)
Shield Bash: 8 (14)
Wound Balance: 8 (14)
Air Speaking: 6 (13)
Fire Heal: 8 (14)
Danger Sense: 8 (15)
Battle Bellow: 9 (16)
Distract: 8 (15)
Steely Stare: 8 (15)
Tactics: 8 (15)
Down Strike: 9 (15)
First Impression: 8 (15)
Momentum Attack: 8 (15)
Tiger Spring: 8

While the troll Sky Raider is all about bringing the pain at every opportunity, this take on the discipline is more focused around defense and teamwork. In combat, their damage is still respectable, though they will need to rely more on timing and supporting their allies to get the job done. To help them in this task, they have Battle Shout, Battle Bellow, Shield Bash, and Distract to create opportunities to exploit. Offensively, they will do best to Aggressively Attack when an opening presents itself; such as by using Shield Bash at the end of a round, then activating Tiger Spring to go before the target and taking advantage of their prone condition. Keeping their allies on plan will be crucial in implementing Tactics, but it can be a boob.

Their high Physical Defense also helps them to get the most out of Distract. However, their lower armor and toughness mean this character will need to be careful around opponents with high damage. Avoid Blow is going to be their best friend and Karma should always be reserved for use with it. As well, finding the correct opportunities to use Fireblood will be important, as timing with this character is going to be everything.

While every Sky Raider should be wary of spellcasters, this particular character has a little less to be concerned about. They should still be concerned, because a Mystic Defense of 10 isn't great by any stretch of the imagination at this point. Though, without Lion Heart, they may do well to not draw too much attention from control-type effects.

Outside of combat, they bring some social abilities to the group, taking advantage of the elf's natural charisma. This can naturally lead to them being the rallying point in combat, able to direct their comrades and employ their debuffs to direct the flow of the conflict.

Earthdawn 4E: Example Character 03 - Troll Sky Raider

This is the third Example Character in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

When many people think of Earthdawn, one of the first images which comes to mind is a troll Sky Raider. They combine a unique take on the fantasy staple, trolls, along with one of the most visible elements of the Earthdawn setting, airships. Below is what an example of an Eighth Circle troll Sky Raider, along with equipment and play suggestions.

Each Circle saw this character improve one attribute and take a new Talent Option. There are no Thread Items on this character, however unlikely it may be. 

Note: The entries in this series may be updated periodically as I master the coding to fit all eight of the Circles in a fashion which doesn't result in eye melting. Consider these living entries. Please leave comments if there is anyway this could be made more useful.

Discipline: Sky Raider
Race: Troll

Attributes:
DEX: 18 (7)   STR: 19 (8)   TOU: 17 (7)
PER: 12 (5)   WIL: 10 (5)   CHA: 16 (7)

Characteristics:
Initiative: 2 (Recommended: Crystal Plate [-5])
Physical Defense: 13
Mystic Defense: 7
Social Defense: 10

Physical Armor: 12 (Recommended: Crystal Plate, Forged +5 [12])
Mystic Armor: 12 (Recommended: Crystal Plate, Forged +3 [10])

Damage: 22 (Recommended: 2x Troll Sword, Forged +8 [14]); 31 (with Down Strike)

Unconsciousness: 90
Death: 105
Wound Threshold: 10

Recovery Tests: 4
Knockdown: 16
Karma: 24
Karma: Recovery Tests and melee Damage tests.

Talents: 
Battle Shout: 9 (16)
Climbing: 8 (15)
Fireblood: 9 (17)
Melee Weapons: 9 (16)
Sky Weaving: 8 (13)
Air Sailing: 8 (13)
Great Leap: 8 (15)
Avoid Blow: 8 (15)
Wound Balance: 8 (16)
Wind Catcher: 8 (13)
Fire Heal: 9 (16)
Danger Sense: 8 (13)
Battle Bellow: 9 (16)
Second Weapon: 8 (15)
Steely Stare: 8 (15)
Lion Heart: 8 (13)
Down Strike: 9 (17)
Tiger Spring: 8
Momentum Attack: 8 (15)
Sprint: 6

Here we have an adept based around wrecking things. They support phenomenal offensive capabilities, with at least two attacks, incredibly high damage, and two debuffs (on of which also buffs allies). They should also be using the Aggressive Attack option every round to further enhance their potential for mayhem.

Defensively, they will be relying primarily on a good offense. Heavy armor was selected to reduce the total need for Fireblood in combat, but it is an option which should be used as needed, particularly with the additional Recovery Tests granted from Fire Heal. This character is not designed to sit around in a slug-fest like a Warrior, but use their enhanced mobility (Great Leap and Sprint) to take down high-value targets, such as Archers and spellcasters. They are the linebackers on the field.

The initiative of this adept is lacking, though Tiger Spring is available for use against adepts with talents which prey on low initiative (Air Dance and Cobra Strike), as well as getting the jump when necessary. However, the biggest weakness is magic. To help mitigate this, crystal plate with good Mystic Armor and Lion Heart have both been selected, however neither of these will fully compensate for this innate problem. This Sky Raider's best solution is to take them down first: the best defense is a good offense.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 04 - The Sky Raider

This is the fourth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

Considered to be little more than chaos incarnate by outsiders, Sky Raiders represent the quintessential stereotype of highland trolls by... pretty much everyone (possibly including highland trolls). While certainly fearsome combatants, they are more nuanced than they appear on the outside. To be perfectly fair, most encounters with Sky Raiders don't leave many chances to really get to know them and break down the walls - they tend to be short, brutal and bloody. As long as their opponents put up a good fight, the Sky Raiders will have no hard feelings regardless of the outcome; the same cannot generally be said for the victims of the attack (unless they are also Sky Raiders).

The core of this Discipline is the concept of personal responsibility. Sky Raiders believe that they are responsible for every decision they make in their lives, that there is no true luck or fate, and the outcomes of these decisions must be owned. This presents very strong sense of self and personality to accompany it. As well, it follows that Sky Raiders are highly individualistic, since they are personally responsible for everything that they are it only makes sense they will be largely concerned with themselves and what they like and want first and foremost. This is not to say they have no need for companions, in fact they consider their boon companions as family and take the consideration of who they will travel with very seriously (their friends actions reflect on their decision to be friends with them, after all).

All of these elements come down to their sense of honor in all things. All a Sky Raider has is their honor - it is the ultimate expression of their personal responsibility and shows what elements they value and what they do not. While their sense of honor may mature as the Sky Raider does, it is inviolate. When their word is given, it will be kept at all cost - and because of this it is not given lightly. To even question a Sky Raider's word is an insult of the highest degree. Given their preference for direct and physical confrontation, things are about to get real. Their honor also extends to their companions, as their actions reflect on the Sky Raider and the Sky Raider's reflect on them. Since Sky Raider's tend to take a mildly patronizing view of non-Sky Raiders, they don't tend to be overly (or at all) concerned with how their actions reflect on their companions.

The sense of enlightened self-interest that pervades the Discipline does have some limits. Those that struggle with all of their might against everything the world has thrown at them, or continue to fight against a clearly superior foe no matter the cost - they will earn the respect of a Sky Raider. It is not unheard of for the Sky Raider to throw their lot in with those who are deserving and in need. Again, "deserving" means that they are not meekly accepting anything, but actively defiant with everything that they are. This is not an easy bar to reach.

When making a Sky Raider, your race is going to be important. The default assumption is that every Sky Raider is a troll, so if you aren't one - how did you end up as a Sky Raider? There is going to be a story there. All Sky Raiders will have tales of their glory, as well as their family (family being companions, friends, crew, their instructors, etc). Who do you consider to be your family and what are your customs with them? Above all of these, how do you define your honor? This is not going to be a nebulous concept, but some very clear lines on what is expected and what is acceptable.

Discipline Violations

These are best employed not as a stick, but as a chance for the player to take a deeper look at what it means to follow their Discipline. Honor is what is important to a Sky Raider and it should be relatively easy to address so long as there is a clear picture regarding what they consider honorable. Hard choices between what is expedient and what is honorable; what prices must be paid to keep their word?

Another direction to take: how do the Sky Raider's actions affect everyone else? Given they tend to be at least somewhat cavalier with the concerns and desires of others, what fallout does this attitude generate? Their relentless pursuit of individuality and honor will undoubtedly have casualties. Explore these and their unintended consequences.

Specialists

The only Sky Raider specialist is the Assassin, which is strange for such a forthright Discipline. A Sky Raider in Name only now, they replace Air Sailing as a Discipline Talent with Steel Thought, Navigation as an Initiate Talent Option with Wound Balance, and Wind Catcher and Wound Balance as Novice Talent Options with Bribery and Resist Taunt. Their previous Half-Magic is entirely replaced with the ability to make Interaction (Insight) tests. Furthermore, their 13th Circle ability is replaced as well.

What this leaves the Assassin Sky Raider with is a more combat ready set of Talents, also nothing to do with the sky. They now play the role of an urban tough, a thug to set upon an enemy when you want to make a statement. There is no subtlety in how these assassinations take place - the direct nature of the Discipline prevents any subterfuge. Crude, but effective, they will never renege on a deal and see it through to the end even if it means their death. Truly, there is little more terrifying than when this specialist comes knocking.

Talents

Initiate
Talent Options: Climbing, Navigation, Parry, Throwing Weapons, Unarmed Combat

First Circle
Discipline Talents: Air Sailing, Battle Shout, Fireblood, Karma Ritual, Melee Weapons

Novice
Talent Options: Air Speaking, Detect Weapon, Missile Weapons, Swift Kick, Wilderness Survival, Wind Catcher, Wound Balance

Second Circle
Discipline Talent: Durability (8/7), Great Leap

Third Circle
Discipline Talent: Shield Charge

Fourth Circle
Discipline Talent: Thread Weaving (Sky Weaving)

Journeyman
Talent Options: Blood Share, Cold Purify, Lasting Impression, Leadership, Lion Heart, Surprise Strike, Tactics, Tiger Spring

Fifth Circle
Discipline Talent: Battle Bellow

Sixth Circle
Discipline Talent: Steely Stare

Seventh Circle
Discipline Talent: Momentum Attack

Eighth Circle
Discipline Talent: Down Strike

There is little subtlety in the Sky Raider's approach to combat. Fireblood as a Discipline Talent means that Recovery Tests will be extremely useful, so long as they are used during combat. Despite this, they have more than a few options (though very direct) to deploy. Shield Charge is a powerful Talent for use within a Group, allowing the Sky Raider to knock a foe down and have their allies take advantage of the fallen enemy. It does take an action, so is of limited use in a one-on-one conflict unless the Sky Raider has reasonable control of the initiative order (e.g. delaying to go after their opponent, then going before them in the next round).

Battle Shout is a very powerful single target debuff, though with extremely limited duration (one round) and diminishing returns over time. This goes well with the Sky Raider's general style of keeping on the pressure on - lacking the patience so many other Disciplines are rewarded for. Battle Bellow is similar: though less powerful, but multi-target with a longer duration, or can be used as a social defense buff for allies. That versatility can be useful depending on the situation, and both can be employed during the same fight. Steely Stare is one of my favorite Talents for very combat oriented Disciplines as it adds the important element of preventing conflict from their options. This also means the Sky Raider has a surprising three Discipline Talents that use charisma through Journeyman.

Additional attacks are a major weakness of the Sky Raider; Momentum Attack, not a true additional attack, is their only option in this regard. Additional damage is attained through the combination of Great Leap followed by Down Strike. As an aside, both of these are available as skills and can be an excellent combination for any character wishing for more damage in melee combat without access to the appropriate Talents (Swordmaster, we're looking at you).

The Initiate Talent Options are somewhat mixed without a clear superior selection:

• Climbing - This is a part of their Half-Magic when aboard an airship, but it isn't unreasonable to want to climb all the time. If there is something else you are considering, think about taking this as a skill since it is unlikely you will want it a truly obscene levels.
• Navigation - Same situation as climbing, above.
• Parry - Given the lack of defense Sky Raiders have available, this should be a strong contender. The inability to spend Karma on it (since it is not a Discipline Talent) is a downside, but a big shield or troll-sized weapon will help. This will require continual improvement.
• Throwing Weapons - This Talent requires constant maintenance to remain useful, and with access to Great Leap there are not many situations where a foe is truly out of reach.
• Unarmed Combat - Another Talent that requires constant maintenance to remain useful, but there are times when a burly fighter that can wrestle someone (or something) to the ground is useful.

Novice Talent Options hold a number of good choices and may require revisiting at higher tiers:

• Air Speaking - Subtle communication, which is often useful. There are other options I prefer, however.
• Detect Weapon - There is bound to be another character better at this and more interested in it.
• Missile Weapons - A better choice than Throwing Weapons if opponents at range are an issue. It will require continual improvement to remain useful.
• Swift Kick - The only Talent Option that grants another attack. Though it requires higher initiative (which may be hard to get regularly) and continual improvement. The rare t'skrang Sky Raider should take this, all others should still consider it.
• Wilderness Survival - If no one else in the Group has this Talent, it is worth considering.
• Wind Catcher - The iconic Sky Raider Talent. Useful and impressive, nothing quite tops being able to drop from any height directly on top of your foe. Bellowing is encouraged.
• Wound Balance - This is always a strong choice for any combatant, with minimal investment required and no costs.

Some of the Journeyman Talent Options are for very specific characters which tend to appear more as NPCs than PCs:

• Blood Share - The Karma cost for this Talent may be expensive, but this Talent allows the Sky Raider to take advantage of their ability to heal during a fight by taking on the damage of their allies afterwards.
• Cold Purify - If poison is a serious concern, this is extremely useful. Otherwise, not so much.
• Lasting Impression - A good social Talent to go along with what should be a decent charisma. Always good to leave someone with the right impression for a long time.
• Leadership - For particular Sky Raiders (leaders) this is a good choice, but not appropriate if leading NPCs does not fall into the concept.
• Lion Heart - A passive Talent that helps resist fear, this is always useful.
• Surprise Strike - With access to Great Leap and Down Strike, it is hard to think of a situation where this would be useful.
• Tactics - This falls into the same category as Leadership.
• Tiger Spring - A great selection for any character interested in combat, and the Sky Raider is no different. This potentially allows for the Initiative control discussed with Shield Charge.

Races

As discussed above, trolls are the default race for a Sky Raider. This is to the extent that explanations must be given why a Sky Raider is not a troll. There are some good reasons for this: trolls are freaking bad ass. They use larger weapons, which means more damage and increased benefit from Parry, are strong, tough, and fast. While there is no race that is out and out bad as a Sky Raider (windlings will have a very tough road until they get to 8th Circle), obsidimen are a strange fit with their strong connection to being on the ground and that not much rigging will support 800 lbs of rock man.

Equipment

The default assumption is that every Sky Raider will be using a shield and with Shield Charge as a Discipline Talent, it is a fair assumption. Combine that with the largest one-handed weapon you can find and you are set. Armor and shield selections will still be important. Unless you have Swift Kick, there is little need to go first in combat, so acquiring heavy armor and a good shield will be important. Crystal raider shields are the best for obsidimen, trolls and windlings, while other races with Parry may want to consider a body shield for the additional deflection. Starting characters will probably want a footman's shield Armor will be whatever you can afford in combination with whatever initiative penalty is acceptable. Hide is good initial selection, moving up to crystal ringlet and crystal plate as access and funds allow.