An announcement and Pink Flamingos

Cognition Pressworks is going to GenCon!  Liber Arcanum will be available for purchase at the Goodman Games booth. For $15 you get a signed copy of Liber Arcanum and a special drop in adventure - The Wizard's Cottage.

Coming soon:

Critters, Creatures, and Denizens is in the process of a revision. We are fixing a few errors, adding a few creatures, and some new art. We hope to have it finished by the end of the year. CCD will not be available at GenCon. We are working with our distributors to provide updates and changes to all who have purchased CCD already.  We will keep you posted.

Drop-in Adventures are coming. We are working on small modules designed to be used in the between module spaces of your campaigns. Stay tuned for more information.

And now, Pink Flamingos!
Yesterday a photo was shared with me on Facebook by my wife. Obviously, a gauntlet was thrown down. You would think this would be the extent of the trouble, but no, someone had to bring up zombies.

So of course, someone needed to write some rules for flamingos (two sizes), mutant lawn flamingos, and zombie flamingos.  Here you go.

Flamingos

Alignment: neutral

Type	bird	bird	Mutant bird	Zombie bird	Zombie bird	Zombie bird
Name	Lesser Flamingo	Greater Flamingo	Lawn Flamingo	Lesser Flamingo	Greater Flamingo	Lawn Flamingo
Size	Small	Medium	Small	Small		Medium
Reach	5ft	5ft	5ft	5ft	5ft	5ft
STRength	8/ -1	10	10	8/ -1	10	10
AGILity	14/ +1	13/ +1	16/ +2	14/ +1	16/ +2	13/ +1
STAMina	11	13/ +1	10	---	---	---
INTelligence	2/ -4	2/ -4	4/ -2	---	---	---
PERsonality	9	9	13/ +1	---	---	---
LUCK	9	9	9	---	---	---
Action Die	1d20	1d20	1d20	1d10	1d10	1d10
Lift	8lbs	30lbs	10lbs	8lbs	10lbs	30lbs
Drag	---	---	---	---	---	---
Carry	4lbs	20lbs	5lbs	4lbs	5lbs	20lbs
Speed (Land)	10ft	15ft	10ft*	5ft	5ft	10ft
Run	30ft	60ft	40ft*	15ft	20ft	30ft
Sprint	No	No	80ft*	No	No	No
Speed (Swim)	No	No	No	No	No	No
Run	No	No	No	No	No	No
Sprint	No	No	No	No	No	No
Speed (Fly)	65ft	150ft	100ft	30ft	50ft	75ft
Acceleration	25ft	50ft	40ft	10ft	20ft	25ft
Deceleration	50ft	100ft	80ft	20ft	40ft	50ft
Glide	5ft	10ft	5ft	No	No	No
Hover	No	No	No	No	No	No
Initiative	+1	+1	+2	+1	+2	+1
AC	12	11	13	12	13	11
HD	1d4	1d6+1	1d8	1d10	1d10	1d10
Attack Die	1d20+1	1d20+1	1d20+2	1d20+1	1d20+2	1d20+1
Damage
(Beak)	1 pt	1d3	1d4	1pt	1d4	1d3
(Kick)	1d3-1	1d4	1d6	1d3-1	1d6	1d4
(Soul Drain)	1pt	1d3	1d4	1pt	1d4	1d3
Crit Die & Table	1d6/ M	1d6/ M	1d6/ M	1d6/ U	1d6/ U	1d6/ U
Fortitude	+1	+2	+1	+1	+1	+2
Reflex	+2	+2	+3	+2	+3	+2
Willpower	+1	+1	+2	+1	+2	+1

General Information:

These normally gentle birds live in extremely large colonies; spending their days idly wading through shallow fresh and saltwater lagoons and marshes.  They use their beaks to filter the muddy water for algae, worms, mollusks and other invertebrates.  They are known for their vivid pink coloration, but they are actually white; their coloration is a sign of their health, the fetter the food supply the brighter their colors.

Attack Profile:

When startled, the only real strategy for normal flamingos is to take to the air in large, loud, flocks that confuse predators.  When cornered they kick with the claws on their long legs as their primary attack.  Normal flamingoes have no bite attacks.  Encountered in flocks of 1d10 x10 birds.

However, several versions of mutated and carnivorous flamingos exist; a creation of demented wizardry, and large amounts of alcohol.  It is thought that these odd creatures were invented by an insane wizard looking to add a little style to their tower defenses, but these creatures soon escaped into the wild and have become quite the nuisance in arid, yet well irrigated regions.  These carnivorous mutants show no proclivity towards any type of prey.  They are even known to eat people, usually caught by surprise within a few yards of their front door.  Last but perhaps the most horrible incarnation of the majestic flamingo, is that some depraved soul decided to create several large flocks of zombie flamingos which have been known to descend upon small towns without warning.  The Mutant Lawn Flamingos rarely flock, choosing instead to focus on stealth and surprise.

Special Attacks:

None, normally, but mutant flamingos have shown a wide variety of special attacks, both in the wild and in captivity.  The list below is a small sampling of their more commonly known traits:

Flocking Dangerous – They gain a +1 bonus to attacks and save rolls for every 10 birds in the flock; max +10 bonus. 

Razor Beak: Grants the beak attack listed in the table above to the flamingo.

Special Powers:

Soul Drain: Successful beak attack provokes a DC10 Fortitude save from the victim, failure allows the mutant to drain their victim of 1d4 Stamina points.

*Polymorphic: This is strange manifestation of this mutation.  The flamingos do not transform into other creatures, but they turn into statues.  These strange sculptures are neither stone, nor wood, nor metal but are extremely durable (+10 hit points, DR5 overcome by creatures with at least 3HD, magic weapons, and spells)  When they are in this form they are unable to move, but are still aware of their environment.  In this form they gain a surprise attack on the first round of any encounter unless someone in the party succeeds at a DC15 spot traps roll, or a DC20 normal spot check.

Immunities & Vulnerabilities:

Captive versions of these flamingos are prone to instability as their masters continue to mutate them, but wild versions have the powers listed here and have stabilized into a new species.  

Undead Versions:

Action die is half of their attack die and they have half their normal number of actions; one minimum.  They retain any special attacks granted by their mutations, but must still provide stat-points to fuel them when necessary.

Blindsight – Undead can ‘see’ 20ft, +5ft per hit die or level. The creature or character can see invisible as well as ethereal creatures and is unaffected by magical darkness.

Fleshy undead take only half damage from crushing and piercing attacks.

Skeletal undead are immune to piercing damage and only take half damage from slashing attacks.

Immune to any damage from critical hits.

Take double damage from fire and roll at least 1d4 on Critical Table U of the DCC Core Rules, pgs. 385, and 390-91

Fear – The sight of the undead is enough to chill the blood of even the most heroic of warriors, all living creatures must succeed at a Willpower save against a DC equal to

7, +1 per hit die of the zombie or flee in terror for 1d6 rounds. This may be ignored in situations where the undead are ubiquitous or if the characters are familiar with undead and how to fight them at the Storyteller’s discretion.

And for those who prefer a pdf.