BIRD OF PREY: TRUE FALCONS, KESTRELS, & MERLINS
Original Animal Characteristics
Description: These predatory birds primarily differ from hawks in that they prefer to attack prey with their beaks rather than their talons. The American Kestrel is also known as the Sparrow Hawk, which is unrelated to the Eurasian
Sparrowhawk. The Merlin or Merlin Falcon was once known as the Pigeon Hawk. The Peregrine Falcon is also known as the Duck Hawk. The largest of the falcons is the Gyrfalcon/Gyr Falcon/Gerfaclon, pronounced with a soft G.
Size Level: 2
Height: Kestrel: 8-15 inches (20-38 cm) long, with a wingspan of 21-32 inches (53-80 cm).
Merlin: 9.5-13 inches (24-33 cm) long, with a wingspan of 21-27 inches (53-69 cm).
Falcon: 9-24 inches (23-61 cm) long, with a wingspan of up to 27 inches (69 cm).
Weight: Kestrel: 4-12 ounces (111-334 g).
Merlin: 5.8-8 ounces (165-230 g).
Falcon: Up to 4.6 lbs (2100 lbs).
Build: Long
Mutant Changes & Costs
Total BIO-E: 75
Attribute Bonuses: +3 to P.P., +5 to Spd.
Human Features
Wings: Remember, the mutant bird automatically has wings, but they do NOT function (can NOT fly or glide) unless the character buys the power of Glide or Flight. Hands grow on the wings, unless Extra Limbs (arms and hands) are
purchased. See the note about wings at the beginning of the Bird Section.
Hands: 5 BIO-E for partial, on the wings (not available if Extra Limbs is taken). 10 BIO-E for Full, on the wings (not available if Extra Limbs is taken).
15 BIO-E for Extra Limbs: Pair of Human Arms and Hands (full; may still have Talons).
Biped: Automatically full.
Speech : 5 BIO-E for Partial or 10 BIO-E for Full.
Looks: None; Has wings (may work or not), sharp, curved beak, eyes on the side of the head, feathers (with color and pattern of the original bird), long body with tail feathers, skinny legs with taloned feet.
5 BIO-E for Partial; Has wings (may work or not), small beak, large round eyes, feathered body, thin bird-like legs and feet. Can take Talons for feet and hands too.
10 BIO-E for Full; Thick feathered hair on the head, light body hair (none on legs), sparkling eyes (probably gold, brown, or golden brown), sharp facial features, hawkish nose or pointed chin, powerful upper body, thin human legs, but still has
wings and tail. Can not take Talons or Beak weapons. See Vestigial Disadvantages for NO wings at all.
Natural Weapons: Beak and Talons are NOT available to characters with full "looks."
5 BIO-E for 2D6 damage Talons on feet only.
5 BIO-E for 3D6 damage Beak.
10 BIO-E for 2D6 damage Talons on hands.
10 BIO-E for 3D6 damage Talons on feet only.
Mutant Animal Powers:
5 BIO-E for Brute Strength
5 BIO-E for Extra Physical Prowess
5 BIO-E for Advanced Vision
5 BIO-E for Hold Breath
5 BIO-E for Glide
10 BIO-E for Basic Flight
10 BIO-E for Extra Physical Endurance
10 BIO-E for Internal Compass
10 BIO-E for Ultraviolet Vision
10 BIO-E for Advanced Flight: Hover (usually by flying into the wind or using up-currents from ridges)
15 BIO-E for Advanced Flight: Power Dive (The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on the planet in its hunting dive, the stoop, in which it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 322 km/h (200 mph) hitting one wing of
its prey, so as not to harm itself on impact.)
20 BIO-E for Raptor Flight
Vestigial Disadvantages:
-10 BIO-E for Reptile Brain: Predator
-10 BIO-E for Diet: Carnivore
-10 BIO-E for Vestigial Wings
-15 BIO-E for Diet: Insectivore
-20 BIO-E for Diet: Cannibalism
-20 BIO-E for NO bird tail and wings at all -or- -15 BIO-E points if no wings but a Vestigial Tail is kept. Characters with none or partial looks will still have feathers, a beak and such, but no wings (at all).
Notes: