Tuesday 21 July 2015

More Talking Animals: Wolves and Birds (playable classes, natch)

Talking Wolf: You must have at least Dexterity 9 to play a talking wolf. Please try to keep the howling noises to a minimum. Game information is as follows:
  • You gain 1d8 HP per level.
  • You gain a to-hit bonus to melee attacks equal to your level. Your teeth and claws inflict 1d6 damage per attack.
  • You gain a +1 bonus to FORT and REF saves.
  • You have a natural base AC of 12, due to your natural agility and your thick fur. If you wear a harness of leather and metal over this, your AC rises to 15. You will need someone else to put your armour on and off, though, because you have no hands.
  • You can learn any language after listening to it for (20-Intelligence) days. You can also talk to other canines (including dogs, who don't tend to like you very much).
  • Your senses of smell and hearing are much more sensitive than those of a human. If any human could possibly smell or hear something, you detect it automatically. You are very good at tracking your prey by its scent.
  • You have no hands, and are thus incapable of fine manipulation of objects. You cannot operate machinery, use any form of weapon or shield, or use any tool that cannot be gripped in your teeth.
  • You can run twice as fast as a human - fast enough to keep up with a horse - although not for very long.
  • You are instinctively able to hijack the dominance hierarchy natural to all canines, imposing yourself as pack alpha. By spending a few nights in any area inhabited by wolves, wild or stray dogs, or similar canines, you can swiftly assemble a pack of followers, up to a maximum number equal to your level plus your Charisma bonus. These dogs or wolves have AC 12, 5 HP, +1 to hit in melee, and deal 1d6 damage per attack; they will follow you loyally, scout for you, fight in your defence, and so on, but they will not throw their lives away on your behalf. They have a base morale of 7. 

Sometimes the Wise Folk agree to disagree.

Talking Bird (hawks, owls, ravens, etc): First off, you're enormous: albatross-sized or bigger. Your wingspan in feet is equal to the average of your Strength and Constitution scores. (You're still recognisably a member of your bird species, though - just a freakishly huge one.) Game information is as follows:
  • You gain 1d4 HP per level.
  • You gain a to-hit bonus to melee attacks equal to half your level, rounded up. Your beak and talons inflict 1d4 damage per attack.
  • Your natural agility and feathers grant you a base AC of 11. You cannot wear armour.
  • You can fly, moving far faster than a horse can run. Your top speed, when flapping frantically, is about four times human running speed. You can cover hundreds of miles in a single day.
  • You have amazing vision. Anything a human could possibly spot, you notice automatically, with no need for a roll. You can see movement at distances where no human could perceive them without a telescope.
  • You have no hands, and are thus incapable of fine manipulation of objects. You cannot operate machinery, use any form of weapon or shield, or use any tool that cannot be gripped in your talons. You can drop grenades on people, though. 
  • You can learn any language after listening to it for (20-Intelligence) days. You can also talk to other birds (of all species): they are generally well-disposed towards you, and will scout and spy for you upon request, but will not risk their own lives.
  • You can carry as many items as a human of the same strength score, but cannot fly unless unencumbered.
  • In moments of great need, you may call all the birds of the air to aid you. (This only works if you are in an environment which actually has a local bird population.) At your command they will go full-on Alfred Hitchcock on your chosen target, who for the next 1d6 rounds will be the centre of a blinding, flapping, stabbing cloud of birds. If they pass a FORT save they may continue to act (at a -4 penalty); if they fail the save they can do nothing except blunder about screaming and flailing for the duration. Either way, they take 1d3 damage per round (reduced to 1 per round if they're wearing a breastplate or heavier armour). You can also ask the birds to do anything else that a huge swarm of birds could logically accomplish. You may use this ability once per day at level one, and twice per day at level five or higher. 

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