The antica often produce their own answer to mounted combat, riding large ants into war.
The antrider is an archetype of the chocobo knight class available only to antica chocobo knights.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The antrider mainly focuses on STR for martial combat and STR and CHA for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Challenge, Chocobo Mount. 4th – Expert Trainer. 6th – Master Feeder. 7th – Improved Chocobo Mount. 15th – Protect the Meek, Superior Chocobo Mount.
Ant Steed (Ex)
The antrider gains the service of a 6-legged knight ant to ride into battle. This mount uses d8s for HD, 3/4ths BAB, and Good Fortitude saves. but no skills.
STARTING STATISTICS
Size: Large; Speed: 50 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC: +8 natural armor; Attack: bite (1d8), sting (1d6 plus poison); Ability Scores: Str 20, Dex 10, Con 21, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 11; Special Qualities: Hive Guard, mindless, darkvision 60 ft., scent, tremorsense 30 ft.; CMD: trip +8.
Hive Guard (Ex): Knight ants gain Coordinated Defense as a bonus feat. Anticas and giant ants from the same colony also gain this feat when adjacent to or sharing space with a knight ant. As a standard action, a knight ant can use its oversized head to provide total cover to creatures behind it or sharing its space, as if wielding a tower shield.
Mindless: Vermin companions have no Intelligence score and possess the mindless trait. In spite of this, vermin companions may learn one trick, plus additional bonus tricks. If a vermin animal companion gains an ability score increase (at 4 Hit Dice, 8 Hit Dice, and so on), the antrider can apply this increase to the companion’s Intelligence, changing it from — to 1, at which point the companion loses the mindless quality and is able to know up to 3 tricks per point of Intelligence, plus the additional bonus tricks, as per Handle Animal. Vermin companions have no skill points or feats as long as they have the mindless quality.
Poison (Ex): Sting—injury; save Fort DC 17 (10 + 1/2 HD + Con); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Str; cure 1 save.
Table: Antrider Mount Base Statistics
| Class Level | HD (d8) | BAB (3/4) | Fort | Ref | Will | Skills (with 1+ INT) | Feats (with 1+ INT) | Natural Armor Bonus | Str/Dex Bonus | Bonus Tricks (with 1+ INT) | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | 2 | 1 | +0 | +0 | 1 | Link, Endurance |
| 2nd | 3 | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | 3 | 2 | +0 | +0 | 1 | — |
| 3rd | 3 | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | 3 | 2 | +2 | +1 | 2 | Evasion |
| 4th | 4 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | +1 | 2 | Ability score increase |
| 5th | 5 | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | +1 | 2 | — |
| 6th | 6 | +4 | +5 | +2 | +2 | 6 | 3 | +4 | +2 | 3 | Devotion |
| 7th | 6 | +4 | +5 | +2 | +2 | 6 | 3 | +4 | +2 | 3 | — |
| 8th | 7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | +2 | 7 | 4 | +4 | +2 | 3 | Multiattack |
| 9th | 8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | +2 | 8 | 4 | +6 | +3 | 4 | Ability score increase |
| 10th | 9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | +3 | 9 | 5 | +6 | +3 | 4 | — |
| 11th | 9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | +3 | 9 | 5 | +6 | +3 | 4 | — |
| 12th | 10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | +3 | 10 | 5 | +8 | +4 | 5 | — |
| 13th | 11 | +8 | +7 | +3 | +3 | 11 | 6 | +8 | +4 | 5 | — |
| 14th | 12 | +9 | +8 | +4 | +4 | 12 | 6 | +8 | +4 | 5 | Ability score increase |
| 15th | 12 | +9 | +8 | +4 | +4 | 12 | 6 | +10 | +5 | 6 | Improved Evasion |
| 16th | 13 | +9 | +8 | +4 | +4 | 13 | 7 | +10 | +5 | 6 | — |
| 17th | 14 | +10 | +9 | +4 | +4 | 14 | 7 | +10 | +5 | 6 | — |
| 18th | 15 | +11 | +9 | +5 | +5 | 15 | 8 | +12 | +6 | 7 | Blood Bond |
| 19th | 15 | +11 | +9 | +5 | +5 | 15 | 8 | +12 | +6 | 7 | — |
| 20th | 16 | +12 | +10 | +5 | +5 | 16 | 8 | +12 | +6 | +7 | Ability score increase |
This ability replaces chocobo mount.
Maneuver Tactics (Ex)
At 1st level, an antrider receives an Improved combat maneuver feat (such as Improved Feint) as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a standard action, an antrider can grant this feat to all allies within 30 feet, regardless of whether they can see or hear him or they meet the feat’s prerequisites. Allies retain this bonus feat for 3 rounds, plus 1 round for every 2 chocobo knight levels the antrider possesses. An antrider can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and for every 5 levels thereafter.
At 9th level, an antrider gains an Improved or Greater combat maneuver feat (such as Greater Overrun) for which he meets the prerequisites as a bonus feat. The antrider can grant this feat to his allies using the maneuver tactics ability. Using the maneuver tactics ability becomes a swift action.
At 17th level, an antrider gains an Improved, Greater, or Strike combat maneuver feat (such as Tripping Strike) as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. An antrider can grant this feat to his allies using the maneuver tactics ability.
This ability replaces challenge.
Mindlink (Su)
At 4th level, an antrider’s innate telepathy develops into a mindlink, allowing contact between himself and his allies and companions. As long as the antrider is conscious, all allies within range of his limited telepathy racial ability (30 feet for most antriders) receive a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made while flanking. At 8th level and every 4 levels thereafter, these bonuses increase by 1.
This ability replaces expert trainer and master feeder.
Acidic Bite (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, an antrider’s ant mount now inflicts 1d6 points of earth damage with its bite attack. At 15th level, this damage increases to 2d6.
This ability replaces improved chocobo mount and superior chocobo mount.
Mindlink Pulse (Su)
At 15th level, an antrider can send a pulse of psychic energy through the minds of allies within range of his limited telepathy as a standard action. If he does so during a surprise round, any allies not normally able to act in the surprise round can act. If an ally would normally be denied the ability to act in the surprise round, that ally’s initiative is equal to her initiative roll, or to the initiative of the antrider – 1, whichever is lower. Whether or not it is a surprise round, when the antrider uses this ability, allies within range are no longer flat-footed (assuming they were to begin with).
This ability replaces protect the meek.
