Ace

The saying goes: Any tinker can pilot a vehicle, but only the truly gifted can be the vehicle. The thrill of high-flying combat sings to a particularly few foolhardy types, who forgo all worldly pursuits to become one with their vehicles, flying barons of destruction. These few brave and exemplary souls are known as aces. An ace is a master of the wheel, a vehicular expert with no equal. The thrill of the dive-bomb - the rush of wind past his goggled face, the roar of the phlogiston engines beneath him, these are the things that give life meaning to aces. While the ace is a master of any vehicle he can get his hands on, the ace is truly free only while in the air . Throughout his training,

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Aces are proficient with simple weapons and light armor.

Ace's T ouch (Ex): An ace adds his class levels to his tinker levels to determine his T echnological Limit (see W oW RPG, Chapter 11: T echnological Devices), so long as he is building, upgrading, or creating an add-on for a vehicle. V ehicular Mastery (Ex): An ace is a master at piloting any vehicle he gets his hands on. At 1st level, an ace gains a +2 bonus on Use T echnological Device checks to pilot a vehicle. He also gains a +1 bonus on ranged attack rolls (whether from integrated or personal weaponry) if he is in a moving vehicle. A t 5th level, the ace's bonus on Use T echnological Device checks increases to +4, and at 10th level to +6. The bonus on ranged attack rolls increases as well, to +2 at 5th level and +3 at 10th level. A erial Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level, the ace can pull himself out of danger with ease while flying. He gains evasion, but only while piloting a flying vehicle. If the ace already has evasion, then he gains improved evasion, so long as he pilots a vehicle. A t 8th level, the ace gains improved evasion when piloting a flying vehicle. (See W oW RPG, Chapter 3: Classes, "Rogue," for a description of the evasion and improved evasion abilities.) Shot on the Wing (Ex): At 3rd level, the ace learns how to fire on the move while piloting a vehicle. When attacking from a moving vehicle, the ace may make an attack at any point of the vehicle's movement, so long as he moves in a straight line and the total distance traveled does not exceed the vehicle's current speed.

Dogfighting (Ex): At 4th level, an ace has mastered the techniques of aerial defensive fighting, also known as dogfighting. The ace and his craft gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC so long as he is airborne. This bonus applies Table 3 -1: The Ace (Ace) Base Class Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Ace's touch, vehicular mastery +2 2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 Aerial evasion 3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Shot on the wing 4th +3 +1 +4 +1 Dogfighting +2 5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Vehicular mastery +4 6th +4 +2 +5 +2 Bombs away!, pound weakness 7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Improved maneuverability 8th +6 +2 +6 +2 Improved aerial evasion, dogfighting +4 9th +6 +3 +6 +3 Maximum burn 10th +7 +3 +7 +3 Improved bombs away!, improved pound weakness, vehicular mastery +6 Lords of the Sky - Notable Aces Gaeval Thunderblast: Swooping along in his flying machine, preying on bandits and other evildoers, Gaeval is a gnome of unparalleled skill in the air; he has only lost once or twice in his long life. Part of an elite group of aces known as the Thundering Rockets, Gaeval claims he has more sorties under his belt than half the dwarves who fought in the Third W ar . While he could not fight in the Third W ar due to difficulties in his homeland, he regrets both the loss of his city to the troggs and his inability to do anything for the Alliance in its greatest time of need. Gaeval realizes he's getting old, already well into his second century. These days he spends time at Bael Modan, working on his ship, the Greased Lightning, and teaching new aces the art of aerial combat. Zignie the Insane: No one knows where this goblin came from, but most along the east coast of Kalimdor learn to fear the power of this aerial pirate. Perhaps the most eccentric of the master aces, Zignie made a name for himself in his own vessel, Ratchet's Wings. His "vessel" consists of nothing more than a large phlogiston engine with guide wings strapped to his back. Controls extend down to his arms and feet, which not only control the speed and direction of the rocket engine, but a pair of autoloading, rapid-firing cannons tacked to the wings. Others often underestimate him, which can prove fatal for caravans and aerial transports; while looking half-cobbled, Zignie and his Wings prove themselves with frightening skill and efficiency. Often the most a merchant hears is a loud cackling over a roar of a powerful engine before the cannons rip his vehicle apart, and the goblin flies way with the loot. Angus Sootbeard: One of the young and upcoming aces, Angus is a rare Ironforge dwarf techno mage (see Lands of Mystery, C hapter 9: New Rules), with a definite addiction to extremes. Rising to fame with the creation of his one true love, the T -Bird, Angus works as a mercenary, taking odd jobs for the Alliance when he is not pursuing new technological or magical projects. His ship is a fully enclosed vessel bearing a cargo bay large enough to hold an ogre or two, often filled with either bombs or warriors ready to parachute below . While many create similar vehicles, his is the first to be powered by an elemental he bound into a marvelous single engine in the back, giving him an endless source of power , as well as unparalleled speed and control. While the elemental copilot is rather finicky at times, they have a decent working relationship. The vessel at first seems unarmed, but Angus has set several wands aimed in various directions; most expel lightning-powered lashes. Few can withstand the combined power of technological genius and magical might. even if the ace is flying under his own power, such as from a fly spell or a rocket pack or the like. A t 8th level, this bonus increases to +4.

Bombs Away! (Ex): At 6th level, an ace learns how to maximize the effects of vehicular combat. An ace deals an extra +1d6 points of damage with integrated vehicle weapons and with explosives dropped, thrown or fired from vehicles. At 10th level, he deals an extra +2d6 points of damage. P ound W eakness (Ex): At 6th level, an ace's knowledge of vehicles allows him to exploit the weaknesses in their construction. When he attacks a vehicle, he ignores up to 5 points of the vehicle's hardness. At 10th level, he ignores up to 10 points of hardness. Improved

Maneuverability (Ex): At 7th level, the ace increases the maneuverability of any vehicle he pilots by one grade. For example, a vehicle with a maneuverability of average has a maneuverability of good in the ace's hands. Maximum

Burn (Ex): At 9th level, the ace learns how to maximize his engine's output, gaining a short burst of speed when he truly needs it but damaging his engine in the process. When piloting a vehicle, the ace may attempt this ability as a free action. He makes a Use T echnological Device check (the DC equals the DC to control the vehicle). Success increases the vehicle's speed by +20%. The ace may run on maximum burn for a number of rounds equal to his Intellect bonus (minimum 1 round). Afterward, his vehicle's speed drops by -20% for 1 hour. This speed reduction cannot be repaired.