Obscure Aviana
The world is full of magical things, if you take a moment to appreciate them. Even things that we take for granted can be magical with the right outlook, such as a majestic bird on the wing. Birds are often associated with magic and spellcasters, and while ravens, owls, and crows are the birds most commonly used in this way, all birds have the potential for a little magic, and we’re illustrating that in today’s Obscure Arcana with three bird-themed spells.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
School transmutation; Level magus 6, shaman 6, summoner 6, sorcerer/wizard 6, witch 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a wing bone)
Range touch
Target up to one touched creature per 3 levels
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
You grant the targets birdlike features, and the spell’s magic empowers them as long as they remain in close proximity to one another. Each affected creature grows a pair of feathery wings, granting them a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability. Additionally, each target gains a primary bite natural attack that deals 1d6 points of damage on a successful hit (for Medium creatures), and two secondary talon natural attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage each on a successful hit (for Medium creatures), as their mouths transform into birdlike beaks and their legs into talons. This also causes the creature to have difficulty forming words properly, imposing a 20% spell failure chance on all spells with verbal components.
Additionally, each target gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, ability checks, saving throws, and skill checks as long as she is within 30 feet of at least two other targets affected by this spell.
CLOAK OF BIRDS
School conjuration (summoning); Level bard 3, druid 4, shaman 4, summoner 3, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a bag of seeds)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level (D)
You conjure a flock of birds that fly around you in a constant flurry of colorful feathers, protecting you against attackers. You have concealment from all creatures not in your space, and such creatures all have concealment from you. Additionally, any creature that begins its turn in your space, enters your space, or hits you with a natural attack, suffers 3d6 points of piercing and slashing damage, as the birds peck and claw at them. The birds also peck and claw at any swarms that enter your space, inflicting twice as much damage to them, and preventing any damage inflicted to you by swarms of Diminutive or smaller creatures.
SONGBIRD
School illusion (shadow) [shadow]; Level bard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one illusory songbird
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You create an illusory songbird, which has a fly speed of 30 feet with perfect maneuverability. It has a +4 size bonus to AC for being Tiny, and has a Dexterity score equal to your Charisma score. Its hit points are equal to your caster level. The songbird cannot attack or perform combat maneuvers, but it goes where you direct it to, and can perform bardic performances for you.
The songbird can perform any bardic performance you are capable of performing. Each round that it performs reduces the number of rounds of bardic performance you have available for the day, and you cannot initiate or maintain a bardic performance while the songbird is performing. Bardic performances performed by the songbird initiate from the songbird’s space. The saving throw DCs and skill bonuses for the songbird’s bardic performances are identical to if you did the performance yourself. It is a move action to direct the songbird.