Advantages
ST 10 - males (0 points)/ST +3 - females (30 points)
Cast Iron Stomach (15 points)
Claws - Long talons thrust+2 impailing and swing +2 cutting damage (55 points)
Constriction Attack (15 points)
Disease-Resistant (5 points)
Winged Flight (30 points)
Fangs - Does impaing damage based on Strength close combat only (10 points)
Disadvantages:
Bad Smell - stench of death and decay (-10 points)
Bad Temper (-10 points)
Callous (-6 points)
Disturbing Voice (-10 points)
Odioud Racial Habit: Eats carrion, never bathes, lives in filth -2 (10 points)
No sense of smell or taste (-5 point)
Racial Reputation: As uncivilized, half-vulture, carrion eaters (-10 points)
Stobborness (-5 points)
Unnatural Feature (-5 points)
Racally Learned Skills:
Flight skill at DX by default (0 points)
Brawling skill at DX (1 point)
Common, but not required DISADVANTAGES
Bloodlust (-10 points)
Bully (-10 points)
Intolerance (Racial) (-5 points)
Jealosy (-10 points)
Primitive - some bands use only their claws (-5 to -15; -5 points per tech level)
Sadism (-15 points)
Self-Centered (-10 points)
Selfish (-5 points)
Uneducated (-5 points)
Determine height and average weight normally.
Although, many Harpy bands are very primitive, Harpy PCs are not required to have the primitive disadvantage
as there are Harpies that live near "civilized" lands and while Harpies themselves seldom take up any craft or trade skills other than those used for hunting and survival, it is the player that should decide if he
wishes his Harpy to be "Civilized" or a "Primitive."
A harsh race which lives mostly in moutains, isolated islands and other places which other creatures seldom covet. Harpies have fangrd human heads and upright avian bodies. Female harpies have fanged feminine faces and mammalian breasts. At the forward joint of their wings are long fingered hands (positioned much like the hands of a bat or pterodactyl). Unlike bats or pterodactyls, harpies have a wrist and elbow along theirn wings and thus have little difficulty performing delicate manual operations while on the ground, while flying they are unable to hold anything or use their hands at all. Their feet are the large, clawed talons of some giant bird of prey.
Harpies are not a graceful race, their build makes them somewaht ackward on the ground and the extra elbow joint in their wings makes them somewhat less than the most graceful of flyers. Their sharp, angul ar features and prominent canines seem to speak of a creeeuel personality. Likewise, their voices have a harsh, shrieking quaulity which other races find irritating. Much like most breeds of raptorial birds, Harpy females are larger and more agressive than the males.
Female harpies are far more haughty and commanding than the males and have a higher social status than their males. Though the males desire their women, they also fear them. The males are allowed to take much of the initiative in courtship, hesitantly approaching the fearsome females seeking approval and invatation, bur half expecting the worse. Love between Harpies can be a dangerous game for the menfolk...
Harpies may not wield weapons while flying, and instead attack by using their large claws. Their prefered tactic is to build up flying speed and swoop in raking their foes with their claws in a divng pass.
In such a diving attack, they will often forego their defense to use an All-Out Attack and strike with both Talons...
Another favored tactic either following a successful diving attack or while hovering or even on the gound in melee is for the Harpy to grapple a foe with both claws, then making a Constriction Attack with its Talons each while the foe is grappled and making a biting attack against its grappled prey while the victim is being crushed by the Harpy's talons.
If in an area where flying is not an option, Haprpies will either fight with weapons in their hands or brawl with their claws. Despite artistic renderings and bard tales, Harpies normally wear cloths on their torsos and hats on their heads. In battle iron or steel brestplates and open faced helms are most favored.
Their dwellings are usually designed only to be reached by flying creatures. Their lair is usually a shallow cave on a cliff face, which they defile until no creature dare approach it. A typicial harpy lair houses only a dozen or so. The males normally guard the lair and take care of the young. Their lack of smell and taste may help explain the Harpies total lack of any sort of hygiene. Harpies never bath or clean, their lairs usually contain their own filth, bones and carcasses.
While Harpies hunt all manner of beasts, they are also very much like vultures in their dietary habits, they will eat carcasses and vermin of all sorts. They will commonly rob other predators of their fresh kills. Harpies are able to eat any sort of decaying or rotting flesh with no ill effects. Harpies have a voracious appetite, devouring all manner of man and beast.
Harpies have no social structure, frequently quarreling over who gets what part of a victim or when to stop the tormenting and start the feasting. Occasionally these quarrels will turn violent, so more than a few Harpy feasts have begun with the last minute addition of the lossing Harpy to the meun.
Harpies are very unpleasent, they sometimes toy with their prey, taking great delight in torture, and frequently kill for preasure. Slain victims which harpies do not eat are often covered in harpy filth and left to rot.
Harpies will agree to cooperate with other humanoids if provided with a safe lair. Such as a tower. While they seem drawn to the darker, more evil individuals, Harpies will curb their baser habits if their employer wishes and they will even clean and polish their brestplates (or at least bully their mates into doing so) if so commanded, but bathing and keep their lair tidy is a bit too much to ask, but they will not object if others were detailed to do so. Mercenary bands of Harpies are quite common serving as bodyguards, messengers or scouts in some areas. They really like serving as mercenaries as they delight in warfare and after the battle theres a whole buffet...most commanders will allow the Harpies to eat their fill of the enemy dead or at least allow the harpied to eat dead horses....which they harpies do not really mind, to them food is food.
Rumors:
As yet unconfirmed there are tales of some individual female Harpies having a Siren-like charm song ability which affects males of all known intelligent races. Those who fail their resistance (Will roll at -4!) roll will proceed towards the Hapry with all possible speed, only to stand enthanced while other Harpies disarm and restrain them for the Harpies to torture or slay at their Leisure. Those who make their Will rolls must roll again each turn as long as the song continues and they can hear it.
This charm song lasts as long as the Harpy contines to sing. Those who have failed their resistance roll to a particular harpy once are at an additional penality of -4 (Will roll at -8!). Harpies can sing their charm song even in combat.
It is impossible to fend off a Harpy's song by simply clasping hands over the ears because it can still be heard. Characters who can make prior preperations may block out the sound completely (i.e., A Silence spell, wax in the ears, etc.) are immune to the effects of the song.
Such Harpies are said to make their home near shipping lanes or by well-travelled paths. There they use their song to lure sailors or travellers to their doom.
No all Harpies are as savage as this however. Some are quite intelligent and certain bands have been known to develop higher levels of technological sophistication. Thought most arm themselves with clubs, simple spears and other such basic weapons, there are some bands and tribes equipped with elaborate armor, blackpowder firearms or fine bows and even very fine and well-forged swords.
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