How should you do bird people/avian races Veeky Forums?
Arm wings or back wings?
Normal feet or talons?
Beak or no beak?
What kind of culture would they have? What settings do they fit into?
What do you call them? Avians? Tengu? Rito? Something else?
Other urls found in this thread:
For an RPG, those kind of arm-wings (pictured in OP) would be very limiting. They would at least need fingered arm-wings (pictured here) and even then they couldn't fly and fight like that (other than swooping with hind claws I guess). Both options would create interesting play challenges as many normal people things would be tough to manage.
"People with wings" is of course the easiest and arguably most powerful option, having full humanoid functionality with wings thrown on.
With those things in mind I'd probably go with more like in my pic as they're both interesting challenge roleplay wise yet not so alien as would be crippled in a human-centric world.
Fuck the duck until explode
Really, Rito are a weird example because their wings are not something they develop naturally. They're bestowed upon them by a dragon, otherwise they're just people with beaks/bills.
>kind of arm-wings (pictured in OP) would be very limiting
It depends on their anatomy, I've been considering something like this for my setting, it's a bit weird but it could work out anatomically speaking.
Its such a fucking shame nothing got done with the rito after wind waker. By far my favorite zelda race.
On topic: I had one setting where the bird people were flightless. They were into all kinds of weird magic to get their wings back.
Because they have hands on the wings, the OP pic shows no hands at all.
Their models have no hands in flight.
I think you're making assumptions that everyone is familiar with the pictured race other than the picture.
>Its such a fucking shame nothing got done with the rito after wind waker
There was literally a game released this year that featured them as a major race.
Wings on back, talons, beak.
I envision avion humanoids more like the bird people from shining force II with back wings and mammalian arms
If you didn't play Wind Waker, I don't want to talk to you. I'll see myself out.
>Arm wings or back wings?
With back wings I'd think they'd need to be larger. I've certainly seen art with both/multiple sets of wings.
I think I'd go Arm wings, talons but can't really decide on beak or no.
...
Also i call my bird people Avyonites.
Distinguishing between the two major Avyonites are those who look like predator birds in North America like hawks and eagles and those who look like Jungle birds like Macaw and Quetzals.
Arm wings, talons, maybe-beak.
>For an RPG, those kind of arm-wings (pictured in OP) would be very limiting.
And in any rpg not focused on looting underground dungeons flight is extremely liberating. That's the balancing factor. Though this favors the avion much more in lower magic settings where flight isn't a readily available option for other races. T
hough I personally favor pseudo hands. Handled differently system to system, but the easiest way is to consider both avion arms working in unison as being equal to a single human arm. They'd have to rely on the talons while airborne though.
I tend to use the pseudo hands on a lot of my unique races actually. I feel that it limits their ability to rely on acting exactly like humans but with some useful ability, and instead forces them to make good use of what makes them special.
...
You could go with smaller bodies but they can look a bit odd.
If it is any help, OP, in an original setting I'm making the bird people have varying levels of bird-ness depending on heritage. They're split into tribes where those with more human like qualities are craftsmen and those more birdlike are hunters and warriors.
Very odd
I always liked how their arms were totally normal until they needed to fly, at which point they puff out into full feathers.
Though not all of them have the poofy kind of "sleeves" where I've put the wing bones in as part of their anatomy from the logical standpoint.
Though this is of course trying to explain them logically and not just saying "It's because magic" like the game does
Not like Wind Waker. Wind Waker Rito were a fucking abomination.
Not as bad as the Koroks, but still.
Either bird people need to be frail and weak (hollow bones) or else they need fuckhuge wings to provide enough lift at their size.
Turians
Bruh.
Breath of the Wild is right the fuck there. I mean, I know everyone gushes over and wants to fuck Prince Sidon but come on.
BotW Rito are my fucking aesthetic.
>high cut one piece corset is common fashion on wide hipped race
B-but I don't like birds
I hate feather fingers
Does this count?
I have figure something on this for my setting:
- If they're capable of full flight (not only gliding, but everything that a bird could do, like maneuvering in the air), it's like OP picture. The best example of it are my setting's harpies; no hands (two fingers in each wing, forming a claw-like "hand"), so no dexterity or weapons, but capable of sustained flight and all. Their strength is focused on flying and attacking with their talons, and they have low Con. Also, they're feral and not very smart.
- If they can only glide and limited flight maneuvers, then they have both wings and arms. There are two species like this in the setting; Kalais (PC race, related to harpies. They look like D&D halflings/kender, but with relatively big wings in their backs and big, owl-like eyes) and a race of ravenmen, both children and servants of a dark god (basically evil Tengu, though I want to give them a different name).
These races have flight limited to a few rounds every day, because I want to represent how they aren't really fitted for it.
Not that user, but I was personally disappointed with the rito in BotW. For a race that seemingly had a lot of culture in wind waker, they kind of just felt like they where there for the sake of filling the 4th slot. Also wasn’t a fan of them being more birdlike. (Also I could swear it was implied that they evolved from the Zora but that might have been my head canon as a kid)
Overall they just don’t feel like the same race of people at all and just happen to share the name
Same, in most cases, but I dunno what it is about BotW's Rito that makes me tolerate it.
...
That's a way to make an interesting Gnome race, have them be tiny bird people.
>tfw had a crush on Medli growing up
>tfw there's so little art of her because her game only came out a long time ago
thanks for the image, user
Isn't this also a perfect way to balance a bird race for TRPGs, though? Think about it: you can trade manual dexterity at any time for enhanced maneuverability, you just can't have both at the same time. All the good of bird-people with none of the broken. I might be overestimating just how valuable flight is in the average campaign, though.
>(Also I could swear it was implied that they evolved from the Zora but that might have been my head canon as a kid)
It's all but directly shown, if I remember right. IIRC, the Earth Sage she's said to be a descendant of shows up as the ghost of a Zora.
Wtf they’re straight up birds now. Not bord people.
In my experience, playing superhero RPGs as well as fantasy, people tend to overestimate how many problems can be trivialized by a permanent fly speed, assuming your speed and endurance are the same as running.
You won't fly into any place the GM doesn't let you, like any superhuman power, except the reason is mundane like "the second floor windows are locked too" instead of "there's kryptonite fog blocking your path". Especially in D&D, where gravity stops being relevant by the time you have 3rd-level spells.
which brings up the question of how they can exist alongside the Zora in BotW.
But then again BotW doesn't seem to give a fuck about the Zelda timeline. And the timeline (or at lest the version that connects every game) was pretty bullshit to begin with.
>But then again BotW doesn't seem to give a fuck about the Zelda timeline.
I think that, in general, Legend of Zelda just never gives a fuck about the Zelda timeline, ever. I sincerely believe that nobody over at Nintendo thinking this stuff up gives half a thought to how the games "connect," and just makes different games using the same elements.
I always saw it as the Final Fantasy approach
>Same title
>Similar themes
>Borrowed named and characters
Wind Waker --> Phantom Hourglass --> Spirit Tracks
Minish Cap --> Four Swords --> Four Swards Adventure
The Legend of Zelda --> Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Otherwise, yes.
I'm sure it's a great game, user, but I fucking hate that cartoony art style. It just looks so shitty to me.
No wings.
Big legs.
I always feel he should add a rear facing toe.
dumping bird peeps
I have a fair collection of peeps
...
...
...
...
...
you guys do realize the wingspan is ridiculously small for the weights involved and that the center of mass is all kinds of fucked up for avian flight?
shit just don't work that way, so don't fuss over the anatomy. It's all equally dumb in this case.
...
So we need more wings.
...
...
...
...
...
I go fast and loose with races, so bird men range from talon feet and wings to talon feet with tiny handlets on wings to talon feet talon hands.
With the occasional "whoops, only wings" that never stops flying.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Just look at how little this guy gives a shit.
...
Personally, frail but dexterous folk originally from shores of Augana, with penchant for trading, sailing, entrepreneurship and entertainment. Gliding possible with training and true flight can be achieved by dedicated few (usually through elite military training).
They are also capable of mimicry.
Wing placement is headaches tho.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
i'm sick of the fucking capcha parties over
You should post your lizardmen in the lizard thread.
Also do you have a dump anywhere for your art/setting?
>I might be overestimating just how valuable flight is in the average campaign, though.
I sort of know that feel, every time 5e comes out with an Unearthed Arcana involving flight I think it's pretty weak, but then I remember all the bullshit about Dash doubling the speed and still being able to use hands and I start wondering if it's actually too good despite how sparse it is.
Not really, I just have bunch of scattered notes on my computer that I haven't necessarily updated for a while. I do have a tumblr for art tho.
floatrand.tumblr.com
I have been kinda busy with things so my work has been sparse for a while.
>had a crush on Medli growing up
She was best girl
This is my choice.
Not too animal not too human, can wield weapons and use them on flight, wear light armor and isn't completely screwed if it gets a limb chopped off, basically an angel w/ beak
That guy reminds me of the run saber boss that was the head of an eagle you decapitated on a martial artist robot body.
Personally I really dislike any kind of anthro/beastfolk that has a mix of feathers/fur/scales and human skin.
they can be covered in feathers too, pic related is from the same franchise
Neat.
F E A T H E R P U B E S
A fucking terrifying race to look at. They always gave me the creeps.
I don't want to throw around the "we exist along side other primates" bit...
My thought is more of a "spiritual" descendant if not true, but my head canon was also for evolution.
Thank you for your service, bird user.
My favorite bird race is probably the Sirens from Legend of Mana.
...
...
Actually, LoM had a lot of neat race ideas; it's a pity that the ideas from the game never really came up again.