TEXT: RACIAL ADAPTATIONS 
   
   
   
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  AVIAN 
   
  You’re an avian, a man-sized, humanoid bird. Your body is 
  covered with feathers (like any proper bird) and your face is 
  dominated by your large imposing beak. Your eyes, which are as 
  sharp as any bird of prey’s, are situated on the front of your skull, 
  allowing for binocular vision like most humanoids. The feathers 
  that cover your body differ with bloodline, clan, subrace and 
  geography – insuring colorations and appearances between 
  individuals that are as varied as that of your tiny winged cousins.  
  Your body is a bit barrel-chested, as befits the complex muscle 
  and bone structure that power your sizable wings. Despite this, 
  your bodyweight is easily half that of a human of comparable 
  stature due to a combination of your hollow bones and lean frame. 
  Also noticeable are your feet - the large clawed talons of a bird; so 
  no shoes for the likes of you! 
  Whether you have arms, legs, and wings or if you have just 
  arm-wings and legs is up to your GM and campaign setting (See 
  the ‘Quadramorph or Hexamorph?’ sidebar). 
   Common Personality Traits: Carefree, condescending (to 
  non-flyers), flighty, haughty, proud. 
  Common Physical Traits: Feathered body, large wings, light 
  weight (due to hollow bones and build), taloned feet 
  Example Names: Arkta, Chunik, Karroc, Skarath, Zockto 
  Splinter Race Feats: Black feather (crow/raven-man), Carrion 
  feather (vulture-man), Night feather (owl-man), Raptor feather 
  (eagle/hawk-man) Water feather (duck-man). Unless you choose 
  one of these, you’re a ‘True Feather (bird-man)’. 
  Type: Medium biped folk with a Reach of 1. Your maximum 
  wounds equal your Constitution score. 
   Attributes: +2 Dexterity, –2 to the higher of 
  Charisma or Strength 
   Base Speed: 30 ft. 
   Achilles Heel (Blast): When you suffer blast damage, you 
  also suffer an equal amount of lethal damage. 
   Acrobatic Original: Acrobatics is an origin skill for you. 
   Aloof: Your error range increases by 2 when making 
  Impress and Sense Motive checks targeting characters of 
  other species. 
   Cat Fall: You suffer 1 less die of damage from falling. 
   Claustrophobia: When not under the open sky (or other 
  sufficiently large open space), if you fail a WILL save, 
  you gain 1 grade the Baffled condition in addition to the 
  normal effects of the failed save.  
   Hollow Bones: Your Size is considered 1 category 
  smaller during Bull Rushes, Grapples, and Trips. 
   Keen Sight: Your visual range increments are equal to 
  your Wisdom score × 50 ft. You also ignore range 
  penalties from the 2nd and 4th range increments while you’re 
  aiming. 
   Natural Attack: You gain the Claw I natural attack (see 
  Fantasy Craft, page 235). If you gain a natural attack from 
  
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  multiple sources, the attack’s grade becomes equal to the 
  highest single grade + 1 per additional benefit granting the 
  same attack, to a maximum of V (e.g. Bite IV, Bite III, and 
  Bite I become Bite V). 
   Grasping Talons: Your attacks made with you Claw natural 
  attack gain the natural attack upgrade of Grab. 
   Winged Flight: You may fly with a Speed of 40 ft. 
   
  NEW ROGUE TEMPLATE 
   
  AVIAN (+8 XP):  
  Benefit: The NPC gains winged flight (40’) and the Claw I 
  Natural Attack with the Grab upgrade. 
  NEW SPECIES FEATS 
   
  The following new Species feats expand the abilities of avians 
  in any campaign containing them as a character option. 
  AVIAN BLOOD 
  Don’t ask about the logistics of this. Let’s just assume there 
  was a lot of booze involved, or something… ok?  
  Prerequisites: Non-Avian Folk, Level 1 only 
  Benefit: You gain Winged Flight (30’), the Claw I natural 
  attack and you may select feats as if you’re an Avian. 
  Special: You may only have 1 “Blood” feat. 
  When you gain this feat you may 
  reduce any of your attributes by 2 to 
  gain an additional Species feat with the 
  requirement “Level 1 only.” 
  BLACK FEATHER 
  You can do more than just caw. You raise 
  the act of mimicry to that of pure art.  
  Prerequisites: Avian, Level 1 only 
  Benefit: You gain a +5 bonus on 
  checks 
  made 
  for 
  the 
  purposes 
  of 
  mimicking sounds or a voice you have 
  heard. Also, choose one skill from the 
  following list: Bluff, Disguise, Impress, or 
  Sneak. You gain 1 rank in that skill and a 
  +1 morale bonus to all checks for that skill. 
  Apply this bonus rank before spending skill 
  points. 
  BLACK WING 
  How much longer will your glossy jet black 
  feathers hide your clever mind? Nevermore. 
  Prerequisites: Black Feather 
  Benefit: You gain a bonus to Knowledge checks equal 
  to the number of Species feats you possess. 
  Also, your Intelligence score rises by 1. 
  Finally, you gain 2 interests. 
   
   
  FANTASY CRAFT SUB-SPECIES 
  In the Fantasy Craft Adventure Companion (on 
  pages 134-135) there are dozens of examples of classic 
  fantasy races that can be simulated using various 
  combinations of species and species feats. The Avian 
  species can do likewise with its attendant feats. Here 
  are several examples from various sources. 
  Aarakocra (AD&D+) 
  : 
  Avian Species 
  Aven (M:tG) 
  : 
  Avian 
  Species 
  + Raptor Feather (Eagle) 
  + Night Feather (Owl) 
  + Black Feather (Raven) 
  Durulz (Runequest) 
  : 
  Avian Species + Water 
  Feather+ Flightless 
  Harpy 
  : 
  Human Species + Avian 
  Blood + Siren’s Lure 
  Kenku (D&D 3.X+) 
  : 
  Avian Species + Black 
  Feather + Flightless 
  Kenku (L5R) 
  : 
  Avian Species + Black Feather 
   
   
   
  CARRION FEATHER 
  You may not be pretty, but your kind isn’t very picky… and 
  ‘Buzzard Breath’ isn’t the worst nickname you’ve ever had. 
  Prerequisites: Avian, Level 1 only 
  Benefit: Your base scent range is equal to your 
  Wisdom score × 10 ft. Also, you gain a +6 bonus with 
  Tracking checks. Finally, you gain a +2 insight bonus 
  with saves against disease and poisons. 
  However, you also receive a -1 to your Appearance 
  Modifier. This can lower your Appearance Modifier 
  below 0. 
  CARRION WING 
  Your opponents know you aren’t particular about 
  what you eat. They can’t afford to lose, and you’ll 
  never go hungry if they do. 
  Prerequisites: Carrion Feather 
  Benefit: Each time an adjacent opponent attacks 
  you and misses, he suffers 2 points of stress 
  damage. Also, your maximum survival rank 
  increases to your Career Level + 5. Finally, 
  you gain a +4 bonus to Forage checks for 
  yourself or others with the Adaptable 
  Diet ability or the Carrion Feather feat. 
  FLIGHTLESS 
  You’re not as lucky as your cousins are, 
  soaring above it all. So you make your 
  own luck. 
  
  RACIAL ADAPTATIONS 
   
   
   
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  Prerequisites: Avian, Level 1 only 
  Benefit: You gain 1 additional starting Action Die. Also, you 
  gain 2 additional interests. Finally, choose one skill from Chapter 2 
  of the Fantasy Craft rulebook. Your maximum rank in that skill 
  increases to your Career Level + 5.  
  However, you lose your Winged Flight and Claustrophobia 
  species abilities. 
  Special: When you gain a “feather” feat you may reduce any 
  of your attributes by 2 to gain this Species feat. 
  NIGHT FEATHER 
  Your unnerving swiveling head and eerie staring eyes make 
  sneaking up on you exceedingly hard. What a hoot. 
  Prerequisites: Avian, Level 1 only 
  Benefit: You gain darkvision I and can always act during 
  surprise rounds. 
  NIGHT WING 
  Wise, ever watchful, and silent. Who? You, that’s who. 
  Prerequisites: Night Feather 
  Benefit: Your darkvision I becomes darkvision II and you gain 
  light-sensitive (see Fantasy Craft, pages 233 and 234). Also, your 
  Wisdom score rises by 1. Finally, your maximum rank in Sneak 
  increases to your Career Level + 5. 
  RAPTOR FEATHER 
  You’re a bird of prey. Damn right you’re scary! 
  Prerequisites: Avian, Level 1 only 
  Benefit: Your Claw attack increases by one grade (generally to 
  grade II) and you gain Bite I. Also, Intimidate is now an Origin 
  skill for you. 
  RAPTOR WING 
  Only a fool wouldn’t recognize you are lethality on the wing. 
  Prerequisites: Raptor Feather 
  Benefit: Your Claw attack increases by one additional grade 
  (generally to grade III). Also, you gain an additional proficiency or 
  trick. Finally, you gain 1 rank in Intimidate and a +1 morale bonus 
  to all Intimidate checks. Apply this bonus rank before spending 
  skill points. 
  WATER FEATHER 
  If you quack like a duck, walk like a duck, swing a sword like 
  a duck… 
  Prerequisites: Avian, Level 1 only 
  Benefit: You gain Swim (20’) and +5 on all Athletics (swim) 
  checks. However, you lose your Claw I species ability. 
  WATER WING 
  Dive and bob; it’s all just like water off a… umm, your back. 
  Prerequisites: Water Feather 
  Benefit: You gain the Aquatic I NPC quality (see Fantasy 
  Craft, pages 230). Also, you may cast Water Walk (on yourself 
  only) as a natural spell (see Fantasy Craft, pages 234). 
   
  QUADRAMORPH OR HEXAMORPH? 
  The most important question a GM can ask (after 
  ‘Do I even want avians as a character option in my 
  campaign?’) is ‘four limbs or six?’ 
  Well, that’s the classic problem. Most people see 
  the ‘arms, legs, and wings’ (hexamorph) form as more 
  powerful and flexible than the ‘wing-arms and legs 
  (quadramorph) type of bird-man. And in a slight way, 
  they’re right. Let’s explore. 
  Hexamorphs can fly around, have two hands full of 
  stuff, and kick or use their claw attack. Quadramorphs, 
  on the other hand, can fly around, but either have two 
  hands full of stuff in their ‘foot-hand’ talons or kick/use 
  their claw attack. 
  And that’s really the only difference. Even in the 
  earliest 
  RPG 
  “bird-men 
  as 
  PCs” 
  conversions, 
  quadramorph avian characters were able to transfer 
  handheld items to their own grasping feet upon 
  takeoff, using them normally by ‘foot-hand’ during 
  flight, and automatically return them back into their 
  “wing hands” as they landed.  
  Therefore, the easiest solution to the slight 
  advantage of hex over quad is to not worry about it. 
  Even the free grapple that comes from the avian’s 
  Grasping Talons species ability follows all the normal 
  rules of the Fantasy Craft Grapple Action (Fantasy 
  Craft, page 219); of note is the ‘unarmed or one-
  handed melee’ requirement. A sword and board 
  wielding hexamorph isn’t gonna be getting any free 
  grapple off, because he has no free hand. There’s a 
  reason avians don’t have the Many Armed ability. All in 
  all, this solution greatly reduces the perceived benefit 
  of hex over quad. 
  The GM might even want to declare some sub-
  species hexamorphs and others quadramorphs, thus 
  increasing the differences between the various bird-
  descended species in the campaign.  
   
   
  SIREN’S LURE 
  You have a voice that will surely lead men to their doom.  
  Prerequisites: Avian, Impress 4+ 
  Benefit: You gain the Beguiling NPC quality (Fantasy Craft, 
  page 231). Also, you may cast Charm Person II as a natural spell 
  (Fantasy Craft, pages 234) a number of times per session equal to 
  the number of species feats you have. 
  SIREN’S SONG 
  Your song is more alluring than ever.  
  Prerequisites: Siren’s Lure 
  Benefit: Your Charm Person II natural spell from Siren’s Lure 
  becomes Charm Person IV. 
  
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  AVIAN CULTURES AND WEAPONS 
  Avian culture varies greatly from group to group, 
  sometimes even mimicking the local humanoid culture, 
  and sometimes centered on a feature of the local area. 
  However, almost all avian cultures include the 
  following features, perhaps stemming from their innate 
  “birdy-ness”. 
  Avians are fastidious, both with their appearance 
  and with their word. Preening their feathers can be a 
  full time job, but since avians rarely wear much in the 
  way of clothes, it’s a necessary evil. Harnesses, light 
  toga-ish clothes and armor are tolerated, but anything 
  that hides the avian’s natural plumage had better have 
  a purpose, as their feathers do a fine job of both 
  insulating and concealing their bodies. Likewise, even 
  avians that most would consider synonymous with 
  subterfuge have great pride in not so much lying, as 
  following the absolute letter of his word (Just because 
  that black feather said he’d sell you that wine cask 
  doesn’t mean there’s any wine in it!).  
  Avians are a little arrogant and condescending to 
  those who can’t fly. They tend to treat non-flyers as 
  handicapped at best and jealous miscreants at worst. 
  No matter what advantages a race has, avians always 
  treat it as second best to their gift, flight. 
  Avians love open spaces. Racial claustrophobia 
  aside, avian are flyers, and anything that hampers that 
  is not looked upon as beneficial by the community at 
  large. Sure they may live in cozy little nest-cottages, 
  but right outside the front door is the wide open sky. 
  Finally, if the local avians haven’t adopted weapons 
  and fighting styles that mimic the local (grounded) 
  humanoids, then an almost universal avian racial 
  weapon is the javelin. Light (especially avian-made 
  javelins), lethal, and easily carried in a leg quiver, 
  javelins can also be given the spike quality so as to be 
  useful in melee combat as well as being thrown from 
  the heights. 
   
   
  WING BASICS 
  Your wings blot out the sun, just before you dive. 
  Prerequisites: Winged flight (Fantasy Craft, page 227) 
  Benefit: While flying, you are considered 1 Size category larger 
  for Bull Rush and Trip actions and for the Shove trick (This is in 
  addition to the effects listed in Fantasy Craft, page 227). You also 
  gain a trick. 
  Diving Charge (Flying Bull Rush Trick): You may substitute 
  your Acrobatics (Dex) bonus for your Athletics (Str) bonus for this 
  check. You may use this trick as many times per combat as you 
  have Melee Combat feats (Minimum 1). 
  WING MASTERY 
  The awesome spectacle that is you is easier to see if the 
  opposition is on their butts. 
  Prerequisites: Wing Basics 
  Benefit: You may attempt unarmed/wing Trip actions on 
  targets within Close Quarters. You also gain a trick. 
  Bowl ‘em Over (Wing Trip Trick): If successful against a target 
  of equal or smaller Size, you push the target back 5 ft. in addition 
  to becoming sprawled. 
  WING SUPREMACY 
  Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. And that’s just your wings. 
  Prerequisites: Wing Mastery 
  Benefit: Your flight speed increases by 10 ft. You also gain a 
  trick. 
  Hurricane Buffet (Wing Buffet Trick): Your Wing Buffet cone 
  becomes a line the same width as your footprint (in the appropriate 
  direction of the attack) and a length equal to half of your flight 
  speed. The Reflex save DC for targets is your total Athletics bonus 
  instead of Strength score. 
  RACIAL ARMOR AND 
  WEAPON UPGRADES 
   
  The following craftsmanship upgrades follow the same parameters 
  as those in Fantasy Craft (see Fantasy Craft, pages 184-186) – 
  namely that of a racial construction/craftsmanship upgrade for the 
  avian race. 
  ARMOR UPGRADE DESCRIPTIONS 
  Avian: Avian armor is light and flexible, but doesn’t stand up 
  to a lot of abuse. 
  WEAPON UPGRADE DESCRIPTIONS 
  Avian:  Avian weapons are designed to be as light as possible 
  for ease of flight. But this reduced weight sacrifices sturdiness. 
   
  Table X.X: Armor Upgrades (Craftsmanship) 
  Name 
  DR 
  Effect  
  DP 
  ACP 
  Speed 
  Disguise 
  Const 
  Comp 
  Weight 
  Era 
  Cost 
  Avian 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  +1 
  — 
  — 
  -1 save 
  — 
  -50% 
  Primitive 
  +100% 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Table X.X: Weapon Upgrades (Craftsmanship) 
  Name 
  Effect 
  Const 
  Comp 
  Weight 
  Era 
  Cost 
  Avian 
  -5 gear bonus with weapon’s Damage saves 
  — 
  — 
  -50% 
  Primitive 
  +50% 
   
  
  RACIAL ADAPTATIONS 
   
   
   
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  NEW MASTER CLASSES 
   
  There is one new master class, the Legendary Avian that 
  accompanies the addition of avians as a playable race to a 
  campaign. 
  LEGENDARY AVIAN 
  (MASTER) 
   
  The legendary avian is above all else, a master of flight and 
  wing. Even those avians who have no flight capability transform 
  into winged paragons of the bird-men when they accept it as their 
  destiny. By emphasizing the avian’s bird-like qualities, such as 
  their dangerous beaks, powerful wings and finely preened feathers, 
  the legendary avian represents a point of pride for their people – 
  rather than homogenize with the other humanoid races, they stand 
  apart. To them, this proves once and for all that the avians have 
  been graced with the greatest gifts of any race in the world. 
  Depending on your campaign, a Legendary Avian could be... 
   A proud hawkman, as deadly as you’d expect when granting a 
  bird of prey’s natural arsenal to an intelligent and wily martial 
  combatant 
   A rowdy parrot folk, carousing and island hopping from 
  tropical paradise to tropical paradise 
   A proud tree village champion, who hovers above and rains 
  death by javelin down upon invaders from below 
   A stern and stoic chief of an owlfolk parliament, wisely leading 
  them to greater things 
   A mercenary scout, who has found a well-paying niche among 
  the groundlings thanks to his sharp eyes and prodigious flight 
  capabilities 
   
  Party Role: Wildcard. Though you pick up some combat 
  capabilities thanks to sharp beak and mighty pinions, your flight 
  mobility is what makes you a capable and useful team member in 
  all kinds of situations. 
  CLASS FEATURES 
  Requirements: Avian race, Flightless or Wing Basics feat, 
  Acrobatics 10+, Constitution 13+, Noble Renown 1+ 
  Favored Attributes: Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma 
  Class Skills: Athletics, Impress, Intimidate, Notice, Resolve, 
  Search, Survival, Tactics 
  Continuity: At Level 1, choose 2 skills that are class skills for 
  any of your other classes. These become Legendary Avian class 
  skills for you. 
  Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier per level 
  Vitality: 9 + Con modifier per level 
  CLASS ABILITIES 
  Avian Epitome: You display many of the most renowned 
  traits of your kind. At Level 1, if you have the Flightless feat you 
  gain the Avian Blood feat, otherwise, you gain 1 additional Species 
  feat. With GC permission, this feat may possess the “Level 1 only” 
  prerequisite (see Behind the Curtain: Racial Epitomes, next page). 
  If you do not qualify for any Species feats when you gain this 
  ability, you instead gain 1 Skill feat. 
  Cloud Born I: At Level 1, you don’t suffer the typical error 
  range penalties associated with flying (see page 227). If you 
  already have this ability (such as from the Agile Flyer feat), then 
  you gain a Species feat instead. Also, attacks you make again 
  grounded targets while flying gain a +1 insight bonus. 
  Cloud Born II: At level 4, you gain the Expertise class ability 
  for Acrobatics (you may always take 10 with Acrobatics checks. 
  Also, taking 10 with Acrobatics checks doesn’t take twice as long 
  and taking 20 takes only 10 times as long). If you have the 
  Expertise class ability for Acrobatics already, you gain a Species 
  feat instead. Also, your insight bonus against grounded targets 
  increases by 1 (to +2). 
  Lovely Plumage: Your feathers are the envy of many, and 
  even your friends use them to spruce up their look. At Level 2, 
  your Appearance bonus and that of each teammate increases by 1. 
  Sharp Beak: At Level 3, you gain the Bite I natural attack and 
  it gains AP 2.  
  Living Legend: At Level 4, your starting action dice increase 
  by 1. 
  Mighty Pinions: At level 5, your strength is considered 10 
  higher for purposes of carrying capacity while flying and you gain 
  the Wing Slap III natural attack (use Tail/Tentacle Slap for 
  statistics – Fantasy Craft, page 237). If this raises your total 
  natural attacks to 3 (claw, bite, slap) you may flurry (see Fantasy 
  Craft, page 235). 
   
  
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  BEHIND THE CURTAIN: RACIAL EPITOMES 
  Many legendary master classes grant bonus 
  Species feats through the epitome ability and some of 
  these feats involve radical physical transformations 
  (e.g. the Swan Nation feat grants an elf a pair of wings). 
  With GM approval, the epitome ability may allow a 
  character to ignore the “Level 1 only” prerequisite 
  when taking a Species feat, which can result in 
  physical transformation after a character’s been in play 
  for a while. In these cases, the player and Game Master 
  should work together to come up with a plausible in-
  setting reason for the transformation. This might 
  involve divine intervention, genetic manipulation, 
  exposure to magic rituals and sites, or something 
  unique to the world. 
  Fortunately, levels and class abilities are generally 
  gained “off screen,” which places major body 
  adjustments outside adventures and therefore most 
  regular play. In settings where such events are 
  exceedingly rare, the GM may also require the 
  character to undertake some task or incorporate some 
  additional background to explain the change. Ideally, 
  players are encouraged to bring their plans and 
  questions to the GC prior to choosing a transforming 
  Species feat. This helps ensure a preservation of the 
  setting and a smooth progression of the story. 
   
   
   
  Species, Feats, Craftsmanship, and Master Class design by Big 
  Jim, with help from the Crafty Forum-ites. 
  Art by Mik Wilkens, Russ Nicholson, Pachycrocuta, and Esther-
  Sanz. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  NPC CLASS ABILITIES 
   
  The following new class abilities from the Legendary Avian 
  master class are available to NPCs using the class ability NPC 
  quality (see Fantasy Craft, page 231). 
  Table X.X: NPC Class Abilities 
  Class Ability 
   
  XP Value 
  Cloud born I 
  3 
  Cloud born II 
  3 
  Lovely plumage 
  1 
  Mighty pinions 
  10 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Table X.X: Legendary Avian 
  Level 
  BAB 
  Fort 
  Ref 
  Will 
  Def 
  Init 
  Lifestyle 
  Legend 
  Abilities 
  1 
  +0 
  +1 
  +1 
  +1 
  +1 
  +2 
  +1 
  +0 
  Avian epitome, cloud born I 
  2 
  +1 
  +2 
  +2 
  +2 
  +1 
  +3 
  +2 
  +1 
  Lovely plumage 
  3 
  +2 
  +2 
  +2 
  +2 
  +2 
  +4 
  +2 
  +1 
  Sharp beak 
  4 
  +3 
  +2 
  +2 
  +2 
  +2 
  +5 
  +2 
  +1 
  Cloud born II, living legend 
  5 
  +3 
  +3 
  +3 
  +3 
  +3 
  +5 
  +3 
  +1 
  Mighty pinions 
   
   
  
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