Harpy (3.5e Monster)
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| Size/Type: | Medium Fey |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice: | 5d6+15 (33 hp) |
| Initiative: | +5 |
| Speed: | 30 ft. (6 squares), fly 50 ft. (10 squares) |
| Armor Class: | 22 (+5 Dex, +7 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 17 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +2/+7 |
| Attack: | Claw +7 melee (1d4+5 plus rake) |
| Full Attack: | 4 claws +7 melee (1d4+5 plus rake and/or abduction |
| Space/Reach: | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | Abduction, dive, harpy's keening, rake |
| Special Qualities: | Fey traits |
| Saves: | Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +4 |
| Abilities: | Str 14, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 8 |
| Skills: | Intimidate +7, Listen +8, Spot +8 |
| Feats: | Flyby Attack, Multiattack, Improved Multiattack |
| Environment: | Any |
| Organization: | Solitary or flight (2-5) |
| Challenge Rating: | 5 |
| Treasure: | Standard |
| Alignment: | Usually chaotic neutral |
| Advancement: | By character class |
| Level Adjustment: | - |
| “ | The sailors fear to go near those cliffs. They know what terrors lie in wait there, just looking for an unsuspecting man to pluck from the deck and carry to his doom. | ” |
What is swooping down on you appears to be a woman, just one with massive feathery wings. Hands and feet twisted into cruel-looking talons, it rips and claws at you before latching on and lifting you into the air, all in spite of the fact that you are nearly the same size.
Harpies are pretty cool creatures, having been canonized by man since the days of Greco-Roman mythos. But someone at D&D would appear to have gotten them confused with the sirens with the whole captivating song bit the SRD version has.
In the interests of preserving the niche of the siren, this harpy takes a slightly different direction, opting for a vicious predator that carries its victims away to kill and eat them. Which is also pretty much what they were to the Greeks.
Combat[edit]
A harpy has clawed hands and feet, allowing it four claw attacks while in flight. It adds its Dexterity modifier to attack and damage rolls, as well as grapple checks. Sadistic creatures, they enjoy toying with their prey by picking up victims and repeatedly dropping them, only to catch them again before they fall to their deaths. One can only speculate what terrors await those who actually reach the nest without being torn to shreds in transit.
Because the harpy lacks range, it must make use of its primary advantage of flight and fearsome melee prowess. As a result, they typically resort to hit-and-run tactics and use their mobility to quickly close the gap between them and opponents, preventing them from being easily kited to death. The typical harpy attack routine is claw, rake, and then grapple if possible when both previous attacks were successful.
Abduction (Ex): Hitting with at least two claws allows the harpy to initiate a grapple as a free action. A harpy can also carry any creature of Medium size or smaller, despite only being Medium size itself. The difficulty in abducting a creature larger than Medium size increases exponentially: two harpies are required for a Large creature, 4 for Huge, 16 for Gargantuan, and 64 for Colossal.
Dive (Ex): A harpy in flight may move 10 feet as a swift action. When it chooses to do so, it gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and adds an additional 1d6 points of damage per 2 CR it possesses (2d6 by default) to each successful melee attack it makes during the turn in which that movement was made.
Harpy's Keening (Ex): Harpies signal the hunt with a shrill cry that strikes fear into the hearts of enemies. Non-harpies within Close Range (35 feet by default) must make a Will save (DC 11) or be shaken for 1 round per 2 CR of the harpy (2 rounds for the default creature). A creature that saves successfully cannot be affected by the keening of any harpy for 24 hours.
Rake (Ex): If a harpy hits with one claw attack, it may take a swift action to attempt another claw attack at its highest Base Attack Bonus, attacking the creature’s eyes if it has any. If this second attack is also successful, the opponent takes damage must take a Fortitude save (DC 17) or be blinded for 1 round.
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| ThunderGod Cidv |
|---|
| Alignment | Usually chaotic neutral + |
| Author | ThunderGod Cid + |
| Challenge Rating | 5 + |
| Environment | Any + |
| Identifier | 3.5e Monster + |
| Level Adjustment | - + |
| Rating | Undiscussed + |
| Size | Medium + |
| Title | Harpy + |
| Type | Fey + |
