Crane

These large birds can reach almost 6 feet in height, and can weigh up to 26 pounds. Although normal cranes may be hunted for food, cranes are also praised for their beauty. Not all cranes are fully natural though, and if the judge desires, they may roll 1d10 to add usual traits to a population of cranes: 1d10 Trait 1 Brass -feathered. The birds’ feathers are made of brass, adding +4 to AC and allowing the cranes to make a ranged attack by shedding feathers: or feathers +2 ranged (1d4). 2 Fecund. These cranes promote fertility and birth wherever they settle. Creatures who dwell near them have a higher birthrate, and grow larger and stronger (+1d3 hp). Other effects may be determined by the judge. 3 Giant. The cranes are twice the size of normal birds. They gain +1 HD, and a +2 bonus to attack rolls, Fort saves, and Will saves. In addition, their Hit Die type, action die, and damage dice gain a +1d shift on the dice chain. 4 Lucky. Merely sighting these cranes as they migrate is lucky. Once per year (usually when they return to a location due to their annual migration) those who see them roll 3d6. If the result is greater than their current (not maximum) Luck score, they gain the new result as their maximum Luck. Note that this might actually reduce the maximum Luck of halflings, thieves, and various MCC seekers. 5 Poisoned Droppings. The feces of these cranes is poisonous. Roll 1d5: (1) those within 5’ of the droppings must succeed in a DC 5 save or suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls due to nausea so long as they remain in range, (2) the birds release droppings when flying overhead, Fort DC 7 or 1d3 Strength damage, (3) touching the droppings forces a DC 10 Fort save to avoid 1d7 damage, (4) poisonous fumes coming from the droppings cause all other creatures to take 1d3 damage each round (Fort DC 10 each round negates), or (5) the birds release a barrage of droppings when flying overhead (3d6 damage, Fort DC 15 for half). 6 Steaming. Every 1d3 rounds, the crane can spit a jet of super -heated water up to 60’ away (1d6 damage, Reflexes DC 15 negates). This does not use an action die. 7 Sword -beaked. The crane is flesh -eating, and its beak does 1d8 damage. If the stork is also giant -sized, use this as the base damage die. If rolled more than once, each additional roll increases the damage die by +1d. 8 Wise. These cranes have human -level intelligence, and may be sought for advice. If this is rolled more than once, they become correspondingly more intelligent, and gain the spell -casting powers of a cleric or wizard (equal chances of each), gaining one level per each additional roll. They may have both cleric and wizard spells, but gain no other benefits from either class. These cranes have an equal chance of being lawful, neutral, or chaotic. 9-10 Roll Twice. This roll may occur more than once, allowing for crane populations with three or more traits. The Stymphalian birds, for instance, were brass -feathered and sword -beaked with poisonous droppings (type 5). Sample types of crane: Black crowned, black - necked, blue, demoiselle, grey crowned, hooded crane, red -crowned, sandhill, wattled, white -naped, and whooping.