Swanmay

 

 

Species Name: Swanmay,

Swanmays are human females who can transform into swans (but they are not actually swans). In human form, they are indistinguishable from other people, appearing by their garb and equipment much like rangers or druids.

Type: Humanoid Swan

Physical Traits:  Swanmays are human females who can assume swan form. In human form, Swanmays are indistinguishable from other people. They normally wear light armour and carry rangers’ gear, as well as a sword, dagger, bow, and arrows. These items are unaffected by a Swanmay’s shapeshifting, so they must be hidden. They can fly at 25 kph with a ceiling of 8 kms.

Height: 5-6 ft and wingspan of 5 ft

Weight: 90-130 lbs

Abilities: When they shift into swan form, their equipment remains behind. Thus, Swanmays try to hide these items before undergoing transformation. Swanmays belong to a special sorority of shapechanging rangers and druids. In swan form, the Swanmay is magically protected from attack. The Swanmay has damage reduction +1. In swan form, the Swanmay has spell resistance +1 for every level.

Mobility: Legs and wings

Sensory Organs: Visual

Communication: Vocal

Reproduction: Sexual

INT: 3D6, WIS: 3D6 +1, STR: 3D6 -1, DEX: 3D6 +1, CON: 3D6, CHA: 3D6 +3, MR: 3D6/flight 14D6, HPs: CON +D8

Orbit/Climate: See Earth

Feeding Habits: Omnivore

Lifespan: 180 years

Technology: 2

Culture: More tolerant than standard but still with some violence. The Swanmay sorority is very secretive. Only human females are admitted, usually after they have unknowingly preformed a great service for another Swanmay. Most retire from casual adventuring to devote themselves full time to their new responsibilities. Swanmays live in communal lodges near bodies of water in hidden forests. They hate poachers and others who disturb the natural order of the land. They dislike brash, noisy creatures, ferocious beasts, and monsters. Swanmays are independent protectors of the forests and wildlife. Adventurer Swanmays try to make sure that their adventuring actively opposes
evil races and monsters that despoil the wildlife and countryside. Swanmays rarely, if ever, reveal their true natures —even to close companions. Even if their natures are known, they will reveal nothing about the sorority they belong to. They seek adventures that will ultimately benefit nature, the wetlands, and the forests.

In human form, the Swanmay functions as a ranger. She attacks with whatever weapons she possesses.
In swan form, a Swanmay is harmed only by +1 or better weapons. She attacks with buffeting wings, a flying leap, and a bite.

Swanmays build communal lodgings near bodies of water, deep in the forest. Such lodgings are lightly fortified against land attack. They usually contain two means of escape – a secret tunnel to the lake and a ceiling hatch. Swanmays in swan form can use either route. Swanmay lodgings may be recognized by the number of waterfowl living nearby. The remains of poachers may also be left here as a warning to others.

Swanmays are independent protectors of the forests and wildlife. They actively oppose evil races or monsters that might otherwise decimate wildlife and the countryside. They protect swans more out of sympathy for their similarity than out of any kinship.

Government: None

Population: 1,000,000

 

 

Creating a Swanmay character

Step 1: Attributes
Roll attributes as normal but DEX and WIS +1, while STR is -1. Mana = INT + WIS x3. Mana is recovered at a rate of 10 per hour if remain active (but not using magic) and 20 per hour if asleep. Mana can however be permanently traded for HPs at a rate of 1 for 1. Hit points = CON +8, +8 per level.
Step 2: Skills

Choose skills in the normal manner according to the character's class.
Step 3: Abilities

All Swanmay gain all the following free;

Alternate Form - A Swanmay's natural form is that of the woman she was at the time she first became a Swanmay. All Swanmays can shift into swan form as though using the polymorph self spell (though their gear does not change). Changing to or from swan form is standard action. In humanoid form, the Swanmay is the same as she was before she became a Swanmay. In swan form, she uses the attack forms of a swan (but with the bonuses she has gained as an experienced character), and gains the damage reduction and spell resistance abilities. A Swanmay remains in one form change in form until she chooses to assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, nor does the Swanmay revert to her natural form when killed. A true seeing spell, however, will reveal the Swanmay's natural form if she is in her swan form. The feathered wings provide flight at WIS x5kph, +5kph per level with a maximum ceiling height of eight kilometres. The character can carry his normal weight carrying capacity without it affecting his speed. After that he loses 1kph for every 10 additional kilograms. The character can also hit enemies with his wings with each wing doing damage equal to the character's own STR. The HPs of each wing is equal to half the character's total HPs.

Sight - The eyes can focus on extremely distant objects too small for normal vision to perceive. The eyes function as telescopes magnifying normal visual images. x2 normal range. +3 to thaco with modern weapons, add +5 to thaco with thrown objects.

Additionally Sky People start with 35 Points to spend on any of the following abilities. As they earns more experience they may buy or rebuy more abilities.
Ability Cost Notes
Animal Empathy 5 Swanmays can establish telepathic communication with any normal or giant aerial animal within line of sight if she does nothing else in the round. The animal must have a minimum INT of 1. This has the following benefits:
She can communicate to the creature that he desires its friendship. If the offer is sincere (and the animal will be able to sense if it isn't), the creature can be calmed and will not attack or flee unless it is attacked.

Further she can then recruit this animal as an ally. Once she does so she permanently psionically links with the animal turning it into a familiar. At any point she may see through the familiar's eyes, smell through its nose, hear with its ears, taste with its mouth or link with any of its other senses (including supernatural ones). The two are always in constant telepathic contact.

Detect Hidden 5 The character gains +1 per 5 INT to detect a hidden object, door, person, etc.
Enhanced Hearing 5 Hearing increases by x1 normal range per 3 WIS with an additional x1 per level (eg. WIS 15 = x5 range). At 25% of radius hear as low as 1 decibel, at 50% of radius 10 decibels, at 75% 20 decibels, and at 100% cant hear below 39 decibels. +6 Initiative, +2 AC.
Natural Mana 10 +10 Mana at levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20.
Reduced Sleep 10 The character needs one hour less normal sleep per 5 CON.
Sanity Bonus 10 +1 Sanity save at levels 2, 5, 9, 11, 13 and 17.
Spellcast 10 The character starts with one spell per INT point over 9, he can learn an equal amount per level. Thus INT 13 = 3 spells +3 per level. The spells can only come from Faerie. Other spheres may only be learnt if he takes a Mage class which gives him that training.
Talons 5 Some Swanmay have developed 1 centimetre long talons made of bone which extend from his fingers. They do D6 plus STR damage bonus.
Willpower Bonus 10 +1 Willpower save at levels 1, 4, 8, 12, 14, 16 and 20.
Witch Sight 5 The character can see the true image of any person or object regardless of any form of concealment, disguise, illusion or invisibility. This also includes the ability to detect whether it is magical, and whether it is harmful or helpful.
Step 5: Classes

Any.

 

 

Races