As part of a larger group, it’s the responsibility of these individuals to spot the enemy before the enemy spots them, or even worse, the rest of their collective group. I love the idea of having the freedom as a player to make the call, engage or not engage, ambush or steer clear. As the outrider, you can become a shadow in the night, be the best distraction your group needs to gain the upper hand, or when all else fails, flee the conflict altogether. It’s an exciting responsibility to be part recon, part protector, and all SNEAK ATTACK!!!

 With that in mind, here is a preview of the Outrider subclass from Dragon Rider's Primer. Remember that you can download the beta rules right now!! We'd encourage you to start playing the beta rules and remember to send us feedback via the link in the PDF! In the meantime, check out this awesome new subclass: The Outrider! 

Outriders hone their roguish talents for the open sky and the vast wilderness. While others practice in shadowed alleys, they learned to use the sun, clouds, wind, and the rain as their cover. They are a mounted scout, skirmisher, and pathfinder rolled into one. The bond with their mount is as sharp as a blade, and together outriders and their mounts are the unseen eyes of the party, the first to strike and the first to fade back into the endless blue. 

You gain proficiency with the longbow, your choice of the Animal Handling, Perception, or Survival skill, and your choice of Cartographer's Tools or Navigator's Tools. 

Your mount becomes an active partner in your ambushes, granting you the following benefits. 

     Mounted Stealth. While mounted, you can make a Dexterity (Stealth) check for both yourself and your mount with a single check using your skill bonus. 

     Sneak Attack. When you use your action to command your mount to attack, you may add your Sneak Attack to its damage. All other rules for Sneak Attack still apply. 

You have an intuitive understanding of the sky and how to maneuver in that environment, granting you the following benefits. 

     Forecast. You and your mount ignore difficult terrain caused by wind, rain, or clouds. Furthermore, you can accurately predict the weather for the next 24 hours in your current location. 

     Skirmisher's Escape. After you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may use your Reaction to have your mount immediately move up to half its speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks from the creature you hit. 

You turn a moment of surprise into a devastating onslaught. When you roll for Initiative and are not Surprised, you and your mount can immediately move up to your mount’s speed and make one weapon attack. If this attack hits, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 plus your Dexterity modifier and Proficiency Bonus) or gain the Blinded condition until the end of its next turn. 

You and your mount move so fast you seem to strike from everywhere at once and retreat before your foe can respond. When you hit a creature with a Sneak Attack, you and your mount can immediately teleport to an unoccupied space that you can see within 60 feet. Your mount has resistance to damage from weapon attacks until the end of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You regain all uses of this ability when you complete a Long Rest.