More Gryphon Species Affinities for Eclipse and Equestra

And today it’s the answer to a question…

I wanted to request a few more gift packages: what would Owl and Snow Lion Gifts look like? (I figured we needed one mythological cat in there, to balance out the phoenix.)

-Alzrius

Well, now that I’ve gotten to it… here is the owl, one mythological bird, and two mythological cats, with a refresher on how these packages are built first.

Many gryphons have secondary species affinities, most often powered by Mana – but that’s about the limit of their instinctive channeling. Beyond that point, they generally need to learn to use it consciously, from scratch.

Secondary Species Affinity: Double Enthusiast, Specialized and Corrupted for Increased Effect: only to buy abilities related to the users feline OR avian species morphology (not both), can only be changed to a total of [(Con Mod x 2) + 2], 2 minimum) specific abilities or combinations of abilities. (6 CP). While this does not inherently bypass the minimum level requirements for full control of spellcasting (inherent or not), reducing those spells to level three by spending mana on them means that even the most powerful effects require a maximum level of five to fully control – so it isn’t much of an issue. Given that a gryphon will normally only have one or two such effects it can usually be excused. If it matters, however, buy a small Immunity (+4 on your effective level for controlling inherent spells (Common, Minor, Minor, Specialized and Corrupted / only to cover the minimum level requirements for the two possible secondary species affinity spells) for 1 CP and drop it later. A Gryphon may purchase a Secondary Species Affinity twice: once for each of the user’s contributing species.

The Owl is noted for silence, seeing in the dark, and striking suddenly from that darkness to bring sudden, violent, death.

Possible Owl’s Gifts Include:

• Con Mod 0-: Either a +6 Racial Bonus to Stealth or +2d6 Sneak Attack.
• Con Mod +1: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Specialized for Decreased (Mana) Cost / only allows a single first level spell. Either Low-Light Vision or Instant Search
• Con Mod +2: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, either Blindsight or Wraithstrike
• Con Mod +3: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Four Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 3 Mana to activate. Either Implacable Pursuer or Heart Ripper.
• Con Mod +4: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Five Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 4 Mana to activate. Either Doomtide or Summon Undead V (rather grotesquely, the owl-gifted vomits up a wad of bones which turns into the summoned undead).
• Con Mod +5: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Six Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 5 Mana to activate. Either Aura Of Terror or Disintegrate.

The Pard is a beast of legend, a thing of mystery, known only by rumor and tales of cunning. It cuckolds lions, evades hunters, and vanishes like a mist before the dawn.

Possible Pard’s Gifts Include:

• Con Mod 0-: Either a +6 Racial Bonus to Stealth or Favors (The Spirits of the Land) and Favors (The Spirits of the Sky) (6 CP).
• Con Mod +1: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Specialized for Decreased (Mana) Cost / only allows a single first level spell, either Obscuring Mist or Camouflage.
• Con Mod +2: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, either Personal Greater/Improved Invisibility or Freedom Of Movement.
• Con Mod +3: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Four Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 3 Mana to activate. Either Shadow Form or Dimension Door.
• Con Mod +4: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Five Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 4 Mana to activate. Either Phantasmal Thief orJungle Mind.
• Con Mod +5: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Six Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 5 Mana to activate. Either Superior Resistance or Transport Via Plants

The Snow Lion is an emblem of Tibet, representing – among other things – glaciers, the element of earth, snowy mountain ranges, strength, fearlessness, the joy of creation, east, and (magical?) power. It’s roar is courage and truth, the sound of emptiness that breaks the bonds that hold one to the illusion of reality. It is a guardian and guide upon the path to becoming a Buddha. White, with a turquoise mane, it ranges over the mountains, bounding joyfully from peak to peak – never flying, yet it’s feet never touching the earth. Not a creature, but a personification of concepts and a symbol of Buddhism.

This one… is a bit awkward. Sorting out a set of “tiger powers” calls for a bit of stretching since tigers are actual creatures, and we needed to dip into what they’re usually taken to symbolize to find enough items. The Snow Lion, however, is a symbolic creature to start with, and has the opposite problem; there are thousands of powers that can easily be said to fit a demi-deity and how should it be narrowed down?

So I won’t. Any Gryphon with a Snow Lion aspect is a pretty obviously some sort of destined avatar or something – and certainly should be a full-blown spellcaster. Ergo… they will need an intuitive knowledge of the spells and powers they will need to fulfill whatever their destiny is.

• The Snow Lions Gift – at each level – has the same structure: it’s knowledge of 12 CP worth of Spell Formula, Specialized / such spells are intuitive, they cannot be taught to others, recorded in spellbooks, of put into scrolls or other items. Only the person with the gift can cast them. Those who prepare spells will get 6 formulas at each level of this gift, but will need no spell books or similar items to prepare them. Those who cast spontaneous spells will get 4 spells added to their list. While such spells must have something to do with the Snow Lion, and each level accessed will be a specific set unique to the individual user, there are still many, MANY, options.

The Thunderbird is an avatar of storms, bringer of rain, and controller of winds. It is a fury which sweeps down upon the land.

Possible Thunderbird’s Gifts Include:

• Con Mod 0-: Either Resistance to Electricity 12 (Immunity; Common, Major, Minor, 6 CP) or Luck with +4 Bonus Uses, Specialized in Saving Throws (6 CP).
• Con Mod +1: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Specialized for Decreased (Mana) Cost / only allows a single first level spell, either Commune With Birds or Shocking Grasp.
• Con Mod +2: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, either Call Lightning or Thunderous Roar
• Con Mod +3: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Four Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 3 Mana to activate. Either Ball Lightning or Eye Of The Hurricane.
• Con Mod +4: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Five Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 4 Mana to activate. Either Control Winds or Fickle Winds
• Con Mod +5: Mana-Powered Inherent Spell, Level Six Effect reduced to Level Three by costing 5 Mana to activate. Either Summon Elder Air Elemental or Summon Storm (as per Control Weather, but simply summons a storm, offering no further control).