Wail-Finch
Beast · no Crown (Meridian)
T1d4Minor
Small dark-feathered birds with violet eyes whose flocks produce a harmonic wail that causes overwhelming sorrow, feeding on the light-energy released by emotional distress.
Tier 1 · Role Minor · Pool Vigor 2 · AC 11 · ATK +3 · Save DC 11 · Dmg 1 (flat)
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 12 | - | - |
| Mind | 6 | - | - |
| Sense | 16 | - | - |
| Heart | 14 | - | - |
| Cunning | 14 | - | - |
| Fate | 14 | - | - |
A Minor has no attribute mechanics: the scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
Passives
Grief Song
A flock of 10 or more wails in harmony. Each creature that starts its turn within 60 ft makes a Heart save (DC 11) or is weakened 1 round by crushing sorrow. Scatter the flock and the song stops.
Maneuvers
Chorus of Despair
The wail sharpens. Each creature within 60 ft makes a Heart save (DC 11) or takes 1 damage and is dazed 1 round; on a success, takes 1 Vigor damage.
Reactions
Feed on Sorrow
When a creature within 30 ft fails a save against the song, the flock regains 1 Vigor.
Tactics
GM tactics
Wail-finch flocks orbit above targets, using Grief Song to disable them. They feed on emotional distress and flee if the flock is scattered by area attacks. Individual birds are no threat.
Running it
Rules
- One Vigor pool of 2 x Tier, no Vitality. It breaks and flees with 1 left, and dies at 0. The pool does not regenerate.
- A hit deals a flat 1, no roll. A crit (natural 20 only) rolls d4 and never lands below 1.
- Crits on a natural 20 only.
- Minor: no stat modifiers or dice in play; its scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
- With 1 Vigor left it breaks and flees, out of the fight but alive; Fanatics fight on to 0 instead.
- At 0 Vigor it is dead: 2 total damage, and a single blow of 2 or more kills it on the spot.
- Vigor damage is simply damage against a Minor: its whole pool is Vigor.
- Group morale: when its group loses half its number, fled or dead, the rest check morale.
- NPCs never take wounds.