need help with a npc idea

[hollowecho]

So for my up coming arch we are heading out into the AZ desert area and I wanted a bird type treasure hunter. I'm going to use the crystal pyramid from mutants from Yucatan but base it on the Anaasází people who live in the cliffs high above ( the free plans cattle have gotten a hold of this tech and use it to defend there home...our adventure wants the power for himself...and is going to entice the players into helping him ...( think of Nathan Drake meets Commander Rourke from Disneys Atlantis) iwas thinking of a parrot..but then I said no duck...but now I'm not sure ....any ideas

[auyl]

I'm at work right now so don't have my ATB2 book on me so don't know if there are stats for these birds but ...

How about a Crow or a Vulture? I think those would set an Arizona setting better than a duck, just my suggestion though.

[say652]

Mutant bird of prey-Special Training:Super Sleuth level-1

Extra limbs with full hands, full speech, flight, size level-7. Total bio-e 70 points.
Pp+3 spd+2 Ps+1. IQ+1 ME+1D6 Ma+1D4. Sdc base-30

Bionic left arm&hand, internal energy supply, rebreather lung 12hour oxygen supply, palm particle beam 300' 5D6 unlimited blasts, motion detector. Arm sdc-76 Hand sdc-76 arm&Hand Ps-28 bionic. Arm&hand Pp-24 Bionic.

[hollowecho]

I like the crow idea but he is a treasure hunter he doesn't have to be from AZ he could be even a astrailan bird

[say652]

I used the HU2 book mutant animal section change the descriptive text to what ever.
Super Slueths have a high ability to spot forgeries. And a bionic arm rocks.

[G]

I like the vulture idea. Since its not in ATB2, you'll need to take crow/raven, toss the imitate voices ability and decrease the cost of soaring flight to 15bioe. Take advanced vision, internal compass & Advanced ectoplasmic hands (which cost the same as normal hands)..imagine reaching through solid objects to disable traps, open doors, etc... an interesting treasure hunter!

He's the type of treasure hunter who can just soar above waiting for you to die of dehydration before collecting your treasure.

[hollowecho]

so i found this write up

Bird: Vulture

ORIGINAL ANIMAL CHARACTERISTICS
Description: Carrion eaters who feed exclusively on dead bodies and the remains left by other predators. Both Turkey Vultures and King Vultures are found in the western U.S. They will fly in circles over a dying creature while waiting for their next meal.

Size Level: 4
Length: to 50 inches
Weight: to 20 pounds.
Build: Medium

MUTANT CHANGES & COSTS
Total BIO-E: 65
Attribute Bonuses:
M.E.: +2
P.E.: +3

HUMAN FEATURES
Wings: Remember, the mutant bird automatically has wings, but they do NOT function (can NOT glide or fly) unless the character has the power of Glide or Flight. Hands grow on the wings, unless Extra Limbs (arms and hands) are purchased. See the note about wings at the beginning of the Bird Section in ATB2, Page 81.
Hands: 15 BIO-E for Extra Limbs: Pair of Human Arms and Hands (full; may still have Talons)
5 BIO-E for partial, on the wings (not available if Extra Limbs is taken)
10 BIO-E for full, on the wings (not available if Extra Limbs is taken)
Biped: Automatic Full
Speech: 5 BIO-E for Partial
10 BIO-E for Full
Looks: None; large body with large wings; leathery, red head with beak and eyes on the side of the head, long crooked neck, talons on feet.
5 BIO-E for Partial: Prominent hunchback face with beak, crooked neck, feathers, bird-like legs and feet.
10 BIO-E for Full: Head with sharp features and no hair; flushed, red skin, long neck, slight hump in back and huge shoulders; short, skinny legs. Can not take Talon or Beak weapons. See Vestigial Disadvantages for NO wings at all.

Natural Weapons: Beaks and Talons are NOT available to characters with full or perfect “looks.”
5 BIO-E for 1D6 Talons on hands.
10 BIO-E for 2D6 Talons on hands.
5 BIO-E for 1D6 Talons on feet only.
10 BIO-E for 2D6 Talons on feet only.
5 BIO-E for 1D4 damage Beak
10 BIO-E for 2D4 damage beak.

Mutant Animal Powers:
10 BIO-E for Extra Mental Endurance
5 BIO-E for Extra Physical Prowess
5 BIO-E for Extra Physical Endurance
10 BIO-E for Glide
20 BIO-E for Basic Flight
25 BIO-E for Soaring Flight
25 BIO-E for Silent Flight
30 BIO-E for Acrobatics Flight
5 BIO-E for Advanced Vision
10 BIO-E for Advanced Hearing
10 BIO-E for Advanced Smell
10 BIO-E for Internal Compass

Vestigial Disadvantages:
-5 BIO-E for Prey Eyes
-5 BIO-E for Reptile Brain: Prey
-10 BIO-E for Diet: Carnivore.
-10 BIO-E for Nearsightedness
-10 BIO-E for Vestigial Wings; wings that do not work.
-20 BIO-E for NO bird tail and wings at all -or- -25 BIO-E if no wings but a Vestigial Tail is kept. Characters with none or partial looks will still have feathers, a beak and such but with no wings (or tail).

[hollowecho]

Also any ideas about a good name

[G]

While that writeup sort of follows the rules (ATB1 vs ATB2), its not how it would appear if it were in the ATB2 book…but I’ll see what I can get using it regardless, as it probably close enough. Just compare it to crow to see what I mean, I’d have minimum 5 or likely 15-20 more on an official write-up. They start with 5 more, internal compass costs 5 less, and soaring flight would be 5 or 10 less.

As it is, you could choose partial speech or telepathic...depending on which makes the character the way you imagine it in your mind. Reminder, If this were done in ATB2, I'd have more bio-e to work with which would net me a background with more skills and less bio-e and possibly techno-mind or natural mechanical genius (which make you a better pre-death treasure hunter), you don't really need internal compass, since you have vultures that you can simply ask which way is north (and the astronomy skill). This character will have a high PE, combined with 1/3 fatigue rate you can soar for ~3 DAYS straight (roll=15,background/race/pe=+7, skills=~2 more, so 24PEx3(ex PE)=3 days). Either way this build makes a good scout.

Bioe=65+10(dis)+15(feral)=90, -15(sl)-45(powers)-30(psi)
SL7 ~5'4"
Features: Full biped, No hands, speech or looks
Powers: Soaring flight, advanced vision, extra PE
Psionics: Advanced ectoplasmic hands, telepathic speech, animal speech & animal control
Disadvantages: Carnivore
Background: Feral

This character appears to be a larger than normal vulture, leading a flock (or kettle, whatever) of vultures. Hmmm, I wonder what weapons this character would use, it would be useful if they could be dropped from 15,000 feet. I'm actually sort of tempted to leave them normal vulture size...so they can't be picked out of the flock as easily...then taking something like telepathic listening or suggestion. Which also turns this NPC into a good spy.

Remember that mutant animals aren't humans in animal suits, they think differently. For example, a vulture isn't going to fight over land...they can easily take wing and be 15,000 or (20,000 according to the internet) feet in the air in moments...and are able to travel 120mph for 3 days straight with little effort! Thats 8,640 miles. New York to LA is 2444, which is a day trip. So you make a great courier and treasure hunter. Why do it yourself when there is so much pre-death stuff around? Just about the only thing you need on you is a radiation detector. Everything else can be left in stashes..15 minutes away by flight is 30 miles.

[hollowecho]

I really like your right up but if he can do that then he doesn't need the PCs to help him ...and eventually betray them ...but you have giving me some good ideas for a bad guy

[G]

Your welcome. Even if you go with suggestion & natural mechanical genius...its still in the NPCs personality to get other people to risk their lives for him. They are more likely to wait for the PCs to get them armor (NAR14, a bird would love that...), then fly upto the next place with water put some sleep (?) poison in it, and take the goods from their dead carcases...

[edit] you could give the villain a fear of enclosed spaces. It wouldn't be uncommon for a bird to have.