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Pentalion's Bloodbirds
Copyright © 2000, Chris Gonnerman
Free for personal use only.
Class: Wizard  
Level: 2  
School: Necromancy  
Range: 10 yds. per level  
Components: V, S, M  
Duration: 1 round per level  
Casting Time: 1 round  
Area of Effect: 10' Cube  
Saving Throw: Special  

This spell creates a group of Bloodbirds from the blood of wounded, dying, or recently dead creatures in the area of effect. The caster may produce up to one Bloodbird per each two full levels of ability (one up to level 3, two up to level 5, etc.), subject to availability of enough blood.  Each Bloodbird created has an even share of a hit point pool of 2 per level of caster (round fractions down), which the caster must divide before any allowed Saves are rolled for (see below).  The caster may choose to create fewer Bloodbirds (by choice or because of insufficient dead or wounded creatures) and in this case the Bloodbird(s) created will (obviously) have more hit points.

Each wounded or dead size S creature can be used to create one Bloodbird; each such size M creature may produce two, each size L may create up to four, and size G creatures can produce any number.  All creatures used as donors must be inside the given area of effect (of course, G creatures will not entirely fit inside the area; if a Gargantuan creature is used as a donor no other creatures may be so used).

Creatures still living (including those at negative hit points) may save vs. Spells to resist; the Bloodbird(s) which would have been created are lost if the save is made.  Otherwise, the "donor" creature will take a number of points of damage equal to the number of hit points of Bloodbirds produced from him or her.  Recently dead creatures have no saving throw, of course. In any event Bloodbirds may only be created from extremely fresh blood.

Once created, the Bloodbirds are commanded by the vocal instructions of the caster until they are killed or the duration expires.  If not instructed, they attack any and all living (not undead) creatures other than the caster. The Bloodbirds have AC 4, one attack per round, and do 1d4+1 damage on a hit. They attack using the caster's THAC0. Under no circumstances will they attack any undead creatures.  They fly 12" and are maneuverability class A.  The only commands they can or will fulfill are "attack (him/her/them)", "come (here)", "go (there)", "wait", or "go down" (be dispelled).

A Bloodbird appears as a small hawklike creature, three inches in length per (initial) hit point (i.e.  they don't shrink as they are damaged).  Though they are ephemeral in nature they are still undead creatures, and can be turned as Zombies; a "turned" Bloodbird is destroyed just as if a D result was determined.

 
Questions, Comments, or Complaints? Contact:
  Chris Gonnerman <chris.gonnerman@newcenturycomputers.net>
Pentalion's Bloodbirds Last Updated 07/18/2005