Airplane Girl Genius

The writing on Battlechangers: Ironworks is mostly complete, and I'm now just waiting on artwork before I go to press. That might, or might not take a little longer than expected, but this huge, high-end race book will be out sometime this spring, hopefully before Ostara, as my tribe calls the Bunny Season.

Anyway, I want to build on the content in Battlechangers: Ironworks, because even though that book's content is going to be all ages and fairly continuity-free, it fits in very, very well with ideas I have for my other campaign worlds. One of these of course, is Black Tokyo. I've been planning to do a mecha-centric sourcebook for Black Tokyo for some time, and John's been pushing me in the cyberpunk direction for some time now. My work on Ironworks will form the spine of a big sourcebook focusing on Project GILGAMESH and the Assault Witch Program, as well as a fictionalized version of Misawa Airforce Base. In real life, I served at Misawa AFB and I know what the base really does. In the fiction, it won't do that... it'll do something a lot weirder and tons more interesting.

So last night I was working on the Assault Witch concept, revisiting it with Pathfinder in mind, when I asked myself "why make it a PRC?" Why not make it a class archetype and thus make it more accessible to players from level one? That idea really worked.

What class? One you probably won't of expected, but one that works perfectly in terms of both mechanics and flavor.

From the text.....

Assault Witch (Cavalier Archetype)

            The original version of the Assault Witch was envisioned as an advanced class for D20 Modern, and is revised as a prestige class, with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game in mind, in the appendix. With the transition to a fully Pathfinder-based ruleset, I’ve been wanting to take more and fuller advantage of the game’s mechanical infrastructure. Thus, the Assault Witch concept is revisited once again, this time as a very unique Cavalier archetype. In this sourcebook’s bestiary, you’ll find NPC Assault Witches built with both mechanical frameworks. Mix and match to taste.

The Assault Witch

            Assault Witches are frontline combat-witches, who focus their magical gifts totally on air-to-air combat. Unlike other forms of local magic, the Assault Witches favor blinding speed and a withering offense and have little skill at illusions, summoning or sexual magic. Assault Witches operate publicly, with open groups like Section Seven and often aid the Tokyo PD’s Chrysanthemum Seven or American agencies.

            Whenever possible, the JSDF sends a small ‘wing’ of young Assault Witches into battle alongside Section Seven. Under the Crown Princess’ direction, neophyte Assault Witches are to get as much battle experience as possible, hopefully becoming a centerpiece of a new generation Japanese military, one that publicly embraces magic, and elevates women to positions of power. When Princess Aiko is old enough, it is expected she will begin Assault Witch training herself, and already expresses a childish fascination with the glamorous airplane-girls.

            An Assault Witch Cavalier has the following class features.

            Gender

            Only female Cavaliers can take the Assault Witch archetype…though the Americans are experimenting with a handsome all-male squad of Assault Witches referred to as “Yeagers”.

            Class Skills

·        Replace Handle Animal (CHA) with Craft (mechanical) (INT). 

·        Replace Ride (DEX) with Fly (DEX).

·        The Assault Witch adds Knowledge (tactics) (INT) and Perception (WIS) as class skills.

Weapons and Armor Proficiency

The Assault Witch is proficient with Light and Medium armor, but not Heavy Armor nor any shields. She gains Personal and Advanced Firearms Proficiency.  

            Airplane Girl (SU)

            Assault Witches are trained to embody the speed, power and grace of Japan’s greatest warplanes. With a patriotic cry, the Assault Witch strips away her uniform, her legs and virginal pussy becoming steel and aluminum. When fully transformed, the young girl is almost naked, except for the warplane components sheathing her legs like a vixen’s lacy stockings.

            It requires a full round action to transform into an Airplane Girl, and the Assault Witch can maintain this transformation as long as desired, but returns to her true form if unconscious, sleeping or slain.

While in Airplane Girl form, the Assault Witch’s legs become bio-mechanical analogues from the thighs down, and the Assault Witch gains a Flight speed of 60 ft (good maneuverability). At 4^th level, the Assault Witch’s Flight speed improves to 80 ft; her Flight speed improves to 120 ft at 8^th level. The Assault Witch can only fly when wearing Light or Medium armor, and carrying a medium load at maximum.

Airplane Girl replaces the Mount class feature.

Strafing Run (EX)

Death from above! The Assault Witch is especially dangerous in the air. Starting at 3^rd level, she never provokes attacks of opportunity for wielding a ranged weapon while in a threatened square as long as she is airborne.

When airborne, increase the damage die size (from 2D6 to 2D8, for instance) of all ranged weapon she wields when making attacks against non-flying targets.

Strafing Run replaces the Cavalier’s Charge class feature.

Tail Guns (SU)

Beginning at 4^th level, when the Assault Witch changes to her Airplane Girl form, a pair of impressive, independently targeted machine guns appear on her shapely hips. These Tail Guns are considered masterwork quality weapons. They may be enchanted, but the Assault Witch must remain present for the entire process. The Tail Guns are considered light weapons.

                                                                            

Assault Witch Tail Guns are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

           

Ranged Weapons	Damage	Critical	Range Increment	ROF	Magazine
Assault Witch Tail Guns	2d8+1 ballistic	20/x2	75 ft	Full Auto	Unlimited

           

            Once per day, as a swift action, the Assault Witch can imbue her guns with the Eyrines quality. While so enhanced the weapons receive a cumulative +1 bonus to assault and damage for each sentient being the target has sexually assaulted (maximum +10 bonus). This enhancement lasts until the end of the encounter.

Tail Guns replaces the Expert Trainer class feature.

Radar Girl (SU)

Beginning at 11^th level, the Assault Witch learns to channel her mystical energy into an extrasensory web as sensitive as anything found in a modern war plane. These sensory bonuses apply when the Assault Witch is in her Airplane Girl form.

The Assault Witch gains Darkvision with an impressive 500 ft range, as well as lowlight vision while in her Aeromusume form. She can perceive unencrypted radio/television and wifi (or similar high tech equivalent) signals.

            She is automatically aware of all Large or larger aircraft or flying creatures within one mile of her current position, and knows the distance and direction to these vehicles.

            If she succeeds at a DC 15 Fly check, made as a move-equivalent action, the Assault Witch automatically becomes aware of the current and maximum HP of all aircraft within one mile, the pilot’s ranks in Fly (or Pilot) and DEX bonus, and the weapon load out of all aircraft within range.

Radar Girl replaces the Mighty Charge class feature.

            Airframe Reinforcement Girl (SU)

At 20^th  level, the Assault Witch’s formerly fragile Airplane Girl form becomes much more durable. She gains a +4 natural armor bonus to Armor Class in this form. Additionally, her metal-laced skin becomes immune to small arms fire, and she becomes immune to Ballistic damage while transformed.

While airborne in her Airplane Girl form, the Assault Witch has a 50% chance of negating any critical hit that she suffers, as if she were wearing armor with the Heavy Fortification feature.

            Airframe Reinforcement Girl replaces the Supreme Charge class feature.

Squadrons and Orders

            The differences between an ordinary Cavalier and an Assault Witch are thematic and flavorful rather than mechanical. An Assault Witch’s Banner class ability is usually focused through a high-quality leather flight jacket emblazoned with a squadron patch rather than a military war-banner and tabard. Similarly, a modern Assault Witch might talk about the squadron she’s been assigned to rather than the order that she serves. With that in mind, here are some new squadrons (re-skinned Cavalier orders) based out of Misawa AFB.