Comet Steed

Large Magical Beast (Wildspace)

Hit Dice: 4d10+12 (34 hp)

Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)

Speed: Fly 60 ft. (average) (12 squares)

Armor Class: 15 (-1 Size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13

Base Attack/Grapple: +4 / +12

Attack: Hoof +7 melee (1d6+4)

Full Attack: 2 hooves +7 melee (1d6+4), or bite +2 melee (1d4+2)

Space/Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft.

Special Attacks: —

Special Qualities: Darkvision 120 ft., Low-light Vision, Natural Spelljammer^[new], Stardust, TR 7^[new], Wildspace Traits^[new]

Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +3

Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 10

Skills: Listen +5, Profession (wildspace navigator) +3, Spot +9

Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative

Environment: Any space

Organization: Solitary or herd (5-20)

Challenge Rating: 3

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always neutral

Advancement: 5-9 HD (Large), 10-12 HD (Huge)

Level Adjustment: —

In appearance, the comet steeds are much like a large, healthy warhorse, always with a pure white coat. The similarity to planet-bound horses stops there however. Comet steeds are natives of space and can travel freely in wildspace and the phlogiston. A fine, gleaming mist, which is actually a cloud of stardust, constantly surrounds the comet steed. When the comet steed flies through space, the gleaming stardust cloud trails behind it, hence its name.

Combat

Comet steeds are not warlike and tend to avoid combat whenever possible. Considering the great speeds at which they can travel, the beasts can avoid combat as they choose.

It is extremely rare for a comet steed to attack, but when they do they attack with their front hooves and bite. Like standard equines, they tend to flee at any sign of danger.

Stardust (Su): The stardust that a comet steed emits is functional in combat. Most important, this dust imparts spell resistance upon the animal. As a secondary function, when the steed is in combat, the dust will gather in a 10 foot radius area around the comet steed and blind the steed's opponents. Anyone involved in melee combat with a comet steed must make a Fort save (DC 13) or be blinded (see the Dungeon Master's Guide for the effects of blindness) for 1 round. Those who succeed their Fort saves are still dazzled. Anymore within the stardust's radius must continue to make saving throws until they leave the area.

Tactical Rating[new] (Su): Comet steeds can travel at a tactical rating of 7.

Skills: * Comet steeds receive a +4 racial bonus to Spot checks.

Training a Comet Steed

There are only two ways to obtain a comet steed as a mount. One is to capture a young comet steed and raise it as a mount. Since young steeds are without the ability to fly or travel at spelljamming speeds for the first year of their lives, it is relatively easy to capture a young foal. The difficult task is finding a foal, considering the great rarity of comet steeds.

The other way to obtain a comet steed as a mount is to use a ring of comet. This enchanted ring is used for summoning comet steeds for use as temporary mounts.

Training a comet steed as an aerial mount requires a successful handle Animal check (DC 24 for a foal, or 29 for an adult) and that the creature be willing. Comet steed foal are worth 8,000 gp each. Professional trainers charge 2,000 gp to rear or train a comet steed. A comet steed can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds at a Ride check (see Ride, page 72 in the Player's Handbook).

Carrying Capacity: A light load for a comet steed is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301-600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601-900 pounds.

In the Spheres

Comet steeds are very solitary herbivore animals and often will land on planets to graze for periods of time lasting no more than a few days. When it comes time to mate a herd is formed to help rear the young. The female will bear only a single foal. One year after the young are able to fly, the herd separates, each Comet steed going its own way. Comet steeds may mate more than once in their life, but never with the same mate twice. Over their life span (approximately 200 years) a comet steed becomes part of a herd a few times (maybe four or five times).