Falconry
This is most properly the Animal Training (Falcon) proficiency. A character with this proficiency is an expert in training and handling falcons, enabling him to teach them tricks and tasks (This proficiency also allows the training of hawks at a -1 penalty. Owls are a separate proficiency and can be trained at -2).
A character can teach a falcon 2d4 (2-8) tricks or tasks in any combination. It takes 2d6 weeks to teach the falcon a trick, three months for a task. At the end of a training period, the character makes a proficiency check. If the check succeeds, the falcon has learned the trick or task. If the check fails, the falcon is incapable of learning more.
If not using falconry training equipment, the success roll required for training is penalized by -2.
Note: The foregoing is the standard proficiency. Optionally, the training rules for rangers given in Chapter 3 can be used. Training times and number of tricks/tasks may vary.
Sample General Tasks
Hunting: The falcon is trained to hunt its natural prey: small mammals and game birds; and to return with them to the falconer. Nearly all trained falcons receive this training first.
Ferocity: The falcon receives a +1 bonus to all attack and damage rolls, and a +2 morale bonus.
Guard: The falcon shrieks at the approach of strangers. If approached closer than 20' or 30', the falcon will attack unless ordered not to. The bird can recognize designated friends.
Homing: The falcon recognizes one place as its roost and returns there upon command.
Loyalty: The falcon is exceptionally loyal to an individual selected by the trainer. It has a +4 saving throw bonus against charm, control, empathy, or friendship attempts by others. Further, it comes when the individual summons it, guards its master from attack and may perform unusual acts of loyalty as decided by the DM.
Species Enemy: The falcon is trained to recognize an entire species as a natural enemy. Its basic reaction will be hostile, it will reject empathy, and have a +4 saving throw bonus against the enemy's charm or control attempts. It will attack the species enemy in preference to others.
Track: The falcon will track a designated creature and return. It can retrace its path to lead the falconer to the creature.
Sample Specific Tricks
Attack: The falcon will attack on command a creature designated by the falconer until called off. The falcon's base morale is at least 11. The falcon receives a save vs. rods against another ranger's animal empathy ability.
Capture Prey: A hunt-trained falcon will return with the prey alive and unharmed.
Catch Object: Upon command, the falcon will catch a small object thrown into the air or a small falling object and return to the falconer.
Distract: The falcon is trained to feint at an opponent. The opponent must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or lose its next action.
Eye Attack: The falcon is trained to strike at an opponent's eyes. A beak hit has a 25% chance of striking an eye. An opponent struck in the eye is blinded for 1d4 rounds and has a 10% chance of permanently losing sight in the eye.
Hand Signals: The falcon can be commanded by hand signals as well as by voice.
Hide Object: The falcon takes an object from the falconer, flies away with it, and conceals it. The falcon will retrieve the object on command.
Pit Fighting: The falcon is trained as a fighting bird. It has a +2 attack bonus against any fighting bird that is not so trained.
Recall: The falcon will immediately return to the falconer upon receiving the command.
Nemesis: The falcon is trained to attack a specific individual. The falcon never checks morale when attacking the individual.
Notes on Falconry
The principle of training hunting birds is that all food comes from the trainer, otherwise they are likely to fly off. They will be very dependent on the trainer; failure to feed them for 24 hours is pushing their limits. If more than 36 hours pass, the birds will likely die.
Birds should be flown and exercised daily. Their health will deteriorate if they are not flown once at least every 3-4 days.
Flying multiple birds at once is nearly impossible, as species dominance instincts take over; the higher status bird will let the lower status bird do the dirty work, then come in and steal the kill. Rarely, a species will hunt in family groups--one main hunter and several others to flush out the prey. A real-world example of this behavior is the Harris hawk.
No falconer will fail to wear a heavy leather gauntlet on his catching arm (the "off" arm, usually the left). The gauntlet will not be metal, which is uncomfortable for the bird. It will cover the forearm, perhaps extending as far as the elbow. Carrying birds like this is tiring, so a perch of some sort (as on a staff) is desirable.
Hunting birds are never carried on the shoulder. Their natural instinct is to take out an eye or ear (which they can do with unbelievable speed) and their training reinforces the instinct. Even a well-trained bird cannot be trusted so close to the face.
Owls can be flown as hunting birds. They are much harder to train than hawks or falcons (comparable to the independent feline versus the eager-to-please canine). Unlike other birds, owls can be flown in the dark; however, their instinct is to strike stationary targets. They will not attack while a target is moving, but only when it pauses, stops, or hunkers down. Owls will kill hawks and falcons; the two types of birds cannot be flown together.
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