Recruit the Wild: Loftwing
Loftwings are one of the various unique creatures in the Zelda franchise, as they are a cross between horses and shoebills. Although only shown in Skyward Sword, they certainly made an impact: it’s a fantastical creature fans can imagine caring for, explore the skies with, and use in fantasy aerial dogfights. If you should want to include them in your game, click on!
New Rules
Below you will find some options to progress a Loftwing Companion, or for GMs to create more advanced Loftwings for Heroes to encounter.
New Feat: Burrowing Bill
6 tokens
Trait requirement: Loftwing
Effect: You are capable of digging through solid earth with your bill. You may treat an empty hand as if it had a Shovel of Rank (base Fortitude / 2). If your use would break a normal Shovel, you cannot dig until you take an Extended Rest.
New Feat: Molter
6 tokens
Trait requirement: Loftwing
Effect: Your feathers molt on occasion. Every Extended Rest, you may make up to (base Discipline / 3) units of Cloth, of up to Rank (base Fortitude / 3).
New Feat: Night Flyer
9 tokens
Trait requirement: Loftwing
Effect: You lose the Night Blindness passive.
New Technique: Bill Drill
6 tokens
Learn requirement: Loftwing, Spiral Charge
Use requirement: Flying
Cost: 8 Stamina
Damage: Combat, ignores Defense
Effect: During this attack, you may use your remaining Movement as normal, but can only move in a straight line. You may move through foes, dealing damage as you do so. If you try to move through a non-swarm foe that is Large or larger, roll To-Hit versus Vitality. On a success, you deal damage again; otherwise, the foe is only damaged once. This attack cannot be performed if you are Halted or Slowed.
New Technique: Spiral Charge
6 tokens
Learn requirement: Loftwing, Dash Attack
Use requirement: Flying
Cost: 12 Stamina
Damage: Weapon + 2x Combat
Effect: During this attack, you may use your remaining flying Movement as normal, but can only fly in a straight line. You may move through foes, dealing damage as you do so. You may only attack a given target once during this attack. This attack cannot be performed if you are Halted or Slowed.
New Mundane Tools
Saddle
(Cloth) A saddle can be placed on any mount. When on a mount wearing a saddle, the rider gains a (Rank) bonus to Guard stats against any attempts to dismount them, directly or indirectly (such as Pushing).
Sailcloth
(Cloth) As a Reaction, you can replace all non-Hands-Free items in your hands and deploy this Sailcloth. Deploying the Sailcloth reduces your damage from falling to (5 – Rank), if it is higher. In addition, while falling, you can adjust your position up to (Rank / 2) squares in any horizontal direction, and you are affected by air currents as if you were Gliding.
Quest Ideas
A man claims to have seen a large bird, the size of a horse, fly toward Madorna Mountain. His description matches the legendary, and long extinct, Loftwing. Anyone who manages to domesticate the birds once again will certain benefit! Assuming, of course, it isn’t a dangerous roc!
A Knight Academy student’s Loftwing has gone missing! Given the importance of the Wing Ceremony in a day’s time – advancement to the next level – the squire enlists the aid of anyone who will help – be it a fellow student, townsfolk, or travelers. The culprit is likely a fellow squire, given how fierce the competition is, but the student faces expulsion if they cannot find the loftwing.
5 July 2020 – Clarified that the Saddle provides a bonus to the Guard stats of the Mount rider. Added in text to specify that non-Hands-Free items held in the Hands are placed away when the Sailcloth is deployed.
23 March 2021 – Changed “larger or larger” to “Large or larger” for the Bill Drill technique.
20 June 2021 – Changed the text for Burrowing Bill and Molter to specify the use of a base Trait.