Editing Owlmay

'''Owlmay''' are a race/class/organization/'''something''' from the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] setting of [[Ravenloft]], invented by fans to adapt the concept of the [[Swanmay]] to their beloved [[Gothic Horror]] [[Dark Fantasy]] setting.

Introduced in the [[Books of S|Book of Shadows]] for [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] 2nd edition, the owlmay is almost literally described as the [[Demiplane of Dread]] analogue to the [[swanmay]]; mechanically handled as a monster, they are a secret order of [[human]] and [[Half-Elf]] women (mostly [[ranger]]s, but about 10% are [[druid]]s of the "caretaker" variant) dedicated to the protection of nature. To pursue this goal, they use an enchanted feathered token or undergarment that allows them to shapeshift into the form of both a regular sized owl and a giant sized owl. Like their swanmay counterparts, stealing this item traps the owlmay in whatever form it's currently in, but also has some extra nastiness, because this is the original [[grimdark]] D&D setting. If their feather token is stolen, the owlmay is compelled to remain within 1 mile of it at all times, but cannot hurt the current bearer. If it's destroyed, the owlmay is trapped within a 1-mile radius of where it was destroyed, but will also inexorably go mad, unless an owlmay of at least 2 levels superior crafts them a new token.

Owlmays seek to protect the wilderness from anything they consider threats, which can include humanoids, but their primary enemy is the [[undead]]. Weirdly, they tend to ignore [[therianthrope]]s.

You can actually play an owlmay in 2e, where, like the [[swanmay]], it's treated as a race. Start with [[Human]] or [[Half-Elf]], but racial ability score adjustments are +1 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom and -1 Strength instead of the normal effects, and also they have racial class and level restrictions; [[Ranger]] 14, or [[Druid]] (Caretaker) 12. Then just add the mechanics for using the feather token and its transformative powers.

What are those powers? Well...
::Firstly, an owlmay can change from a human/half-elf into either an Owl or a Giant Owl at-will.
::In both of their avian forms, an owlmay can only be hurt by +1 weapons.
::In all three forms, an owlmay has Magic Resistance (2*HD)%.
::In owl form, an owlmay has a land speed of 1, a Fly speed of 27, and a Manueverability lass of D.
::In giant owl form, an owlmay has a land speed of 3, a Fly speed of 18, and a Manueverability lass of E.
::In avian form, an owlmay gets three attacks per round; two wing slaps and a peck. The owl form does 1d2 damage per wing slap and 1 damage per peck. The giant owl does 2d4 damage per wing slap and 1d4+1 damage per peck.
::If an owlmay is struck by a magical fire attack when wearing her feather token and fails both her magic resistane roll and saving throw, the token must then make a separate Save vs. Magical Fire (values as per an ivory/bone object) or be destroyed.
::If an owlmay's token is destroyed, they must make a Madness check each month, with a cumulative -1 penalty.

They were updated to [[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]] in the [[Undead Sea Scrolls]] 2002. As this predated the conversion of the [[swanmay]], the 3e owlmay is treated as a monster template rather than a prestige class.

[[Category: Ravenloft]]
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