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Old 11-06-2021, 12:43 PM   #41
maximara
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Sumter, SC
Default Re: A Bestiary for more than the DFRPG: Nordlond Enemies Book

Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasCole View Post
Hawk
Hawks are predatory birds, with hook-bills, fierce-looking eyes,
and powerful feet with long talons. Species of hawk can be found
in almost any environment, from harriers soaring low over open
fields to goshawks weaving agilely between tree trunks in dense
forest. Female hawks are invariably larger than the males.
Hawks attack using their talons, piercing their prey and subduing
it with repeated grasps if necessary. When the victim is
sufficiently restrained, it will tear off pieces with its beak to eat.
Hawks will not hunt people—people are just too big and
dangerous to risk attacking for a meal. They attacks if a person
is getting too close to their nest, swooping down to rake the
intruder’s head with their talons.
Ok. that is far more detailed than "Like their close relatives, the eagles, hawks use their sharp eyes to locate prey before grabbing it in a high-speed dive. They are split into two sub-families, true hawks who mostly hunt in woodlands and buzzards who prefer open ground" but is missing a template:

Hawk: Acute Vision 2; Avian; Ham-Fisted 2; Reduced Consumption 1 (Cast-Iron Stomach); Wild Animal

Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasCole View Post
Varieties
(snip)

Buzzard (SM –4): Buzzards are broad-winged soaring hawks,
circling high over open land or perching on a tall lookout from
which they scan the ground below. Buzzards have a shrill,
piercing cry.
(snip)
An example from the current draft for "Hawk." I do have stats, but they're in a separate spreadsheet because that's much easier to work with when it comes to doing the massive layout task that is part of this book.
The separate spreadsheet has pluses and minuses. As shown by the DMG1e and the back of Classic: Bestiary it gives the GM a tight compact reference tool. The minus is flipping back and forth between the stats and the information on the creature.

Buzzard (Anon's Animal Album)
Diet: Carnivore (carrion and rodents).
Distribution: Africa, Europe, central and western Asia.
Habitat: Plains.
Niche: Diurnal ambush predator.
Size: 20″ long, 4′ wingspan; 1.9 lbs.
An opportunistic hunter, the buzzard usually waits on a perch until it spots prey, at which point it swoops down for the kill. European buzzards live there year-round, but others migrate between Africa and Asia with the seasons. The term ‘buzzard’ can also mean a turkey vulture.
ST: 2 HP: 2 Speed: 6.00
DX: 13 Will: 10 Move: 12/24 (air)
IQ: 3 Per: 12 1 (land)
HT: 11 FP: 11 SM: −3
Dodge: 9 Parry: 10 DR: 0
Claw (15): 1d−6 cutting. Reach C.
Peck (15): 1d−6 large piercing. Reach C.
Traits: Hawk.
Skills: Brawling-15; Survival-12.
Variants
This profile fits most small hawks and some more distantly
related raptors like harriers and kitees.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasCole View Post
Each creature will have art.
That could be a problem. Even Classic: Bestiary didn't have pictures for every animal. Both my parents were printers and the biggest expense for printing back than was paper (color was a close second). More pictures = more pages = higher cost for print version.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DouglasCole View Post
If folks have my other books, you know what my monster layout style will be.
Remember you are also selling this to people who are not familiar with your monster layout style. Also keep the range of your potential audience in mind.
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