Birds (sage study)

Birds is a sage study in the field of Animal Life, examining feathered, winged, two-legged, warm-blooded egg-laying animals, characterized by a beak with no teeth and a lightweight skeleton. Knowledge of birds includes creatures unable to fly and those able to swim, avian humanoids such as aarakocra and kenku, as well as giant forms of the moa, rhea or roc.

The study does not include many creatures that are beasts, such as the cockatrice, harpy or stirge - but the axe beak and the bird of Tyaa are included, as well as supernatural forms of the peacock or phoenix. The exact line should be drawn at the point where the creature is fully bird-like, as opposed to hybridized creatures.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Avian Behaviour I: allows limited prediction of a bird's attack and movement in birds of semi-intelligence or less.

• Birdwatching: the practice of seeking for and observing birds, gaining skill in their identification.

• Detect Land: gives reasonable expectation of finding land from the observation of birds at sea.

Authority Status

• Avian Behaviour II: allows the character an improved armour class against birds, while increasing the prediction of a bird's attack and movement.

• Harvest Avian Product: obtains and isolates natural parts of the bird's body (poison sacs, eyes, ichor, etc.) without damaging; applies to bird-like parts of beasts. Requires time to harvest.

• Locate Bird: allows a chance to locate birds within their natural environment, with progressively rarer birds taking longer to find; allows superior scouting of bird humanoid races.

• Sentinel Bird: uses birds to give warning of danger or detect changes in air quality and other environmental changes.

• Train Bird: allows influence over domestic birds (finches, canaries, etc.) so they can be kept without need of a cage; birds will come when called and remain close by.

Expert Status

• Bird Handling I: enables the character to ride and direct birds large enough to be mounted.

• Birdkill: critical hits against avian creatures cause triple damage.

• Breed Avians: allows the mating and healthy raising of natural birds.

Sage Status

• Bird Handling II: provides the character with greater control in managing the bird mounts' movements and turns.

• Breed Giant Avians: allows the mating and healthy raising of giant avian forms. Requires expansive roost and cots large enough to house birds.

• Breed Avian Humanoids: allows the creation of humanoid birds from mated giant-sized hosts; requires laboratory and time to produce non-sterile pairings, more often creating low-intelligence humanoids unable to breed but cooperative with the sage character.

See Druid Sage Abilities