Gyerians as PCs/Chicken Men of Plooh
by combatmedic and HåvardHere’s a very rough outline for Gyerians as a playable race, Creature Crucible style:
Gyerian
XP and level breaks= I’m not sure. I’d have to compare them to other classes/races.
| Level | HD | Title | XP | Armor Class | Movement | Attacks | Other Features |
| - | 1 d8 | Hatchling | -4.000 | AC 7 | 9 | peck attack (1d4) | |
| - | 2 d8 | Fledgling | - 2000 | AC 5 | 12 | peck attack (2d4) | |
| 0 | 3 d8 | Normal Monster | 0 | AC 3 | 15 | claw/claw/peck (1d4/1d4/2d4) | sneeze trait once per day |
| 1 | 4 d8 | 2.000 | |||||
| 2 | 5 d8 | Cockrobin | 4.000 | AC 2 | dmg increased | size shift to M | |
| 3 | 8.000 | ||||||
| 4 | 6 d8 | 16.000 | |||||
| 5 | 7 d8 | Rooster | 32.000 | AC 1 | dmg increased | ||
| 6 | 8 d8 | 64.000 | |||||
| 7 | 128.000 | Great Sneeze | |||||
| 8 | 9 d8 | 320.000 | |||||
| 9 | 9d8+2* | Chanticleer | 640.000 | Cock-A-Doodle-Doo of War |
Other mechanics:
• Attacks and Saves as a Fighter
• Prime Requisite will be DEX, I think, or maybe STR. Both?
• Armor & Weapons:
Gyerians don’t wear armor or use shields. They don’t usually bother with weapons because they have potent natural attacks and because their hands and arms are not well suited to things such as swinging a sword or plying a bow. A gyerian of whatever size may not use any weapon bigger than small size. It may use natural attacks OR a weapon in a single given round, not both.
Note on Name level/Chanticleer = I’m thinking of some sort of ‘war chant’ power that boosts morale of allies/ordinary Gyerians and spooks enemies. Maybe like a bless spell?
weapons for the Classic playable version-
I'd possibly allow short swords and short bows, but I was thinking mainly of slings, daggers, and other little weapons, Havard. Based on the monster entry, the species seems to eschew weapons and armor, relying instead on its natural abilities.
Spurs might be worn by some Gyerian warriors, for added kicking/raking power. This might be kind of like a cestus in game effect.
sneeze Classic version-
As I read the monster ability, it's a special defense/fear reaction that kicks in only when the birdman gets very nervous or spooked. An X times per day limit could work, but I was thinking of using a saving throw. That means higher level Gyerians sneeze less often, which might seem odd from a game utility POV but sort of makes sense. The Gyerian gains confidence as he levels up. Weaker ones tend to get scared more easily, tougher ones sneeze less and whomp butt more.
Or maybe a simple D6 roll, with a 1 in 6 chance of sneezing during a given round of mêlée? Modified as seems appropriate?
Times per day, with roleplaying guidelines noted, might be simpler, though.
The description doesn't note a size limit, but I wouldn't let the sneeze work on things bigger than man-sized.