Harpy

Editor's Note: Many of the titles you see in the Beastfinder articles are my doing. The more you groan at them, the more powerful I become.

Every time I consider using the Harpy, I'm reminded of how repulsive they are. Depending on the RPG, their lore usually involves gore, generally untidy behavior, and occasionally terrifying reproductive behavior. Perhaps I spent too much time as a child watching TV shows about children's card games to really understand what fantasy RPGs want harpies to be, but that won't stop me from trying.

The harpy can speak but is not overly intelligent, so it may be easily tricked. Mechanically, it is not overly impressive; it follows the same flying creature niche, having a high fly speed as well as some average attacks. Unfortunately, it doesn't gain any of the action economy manipulation that other notable flying creatures might, like the Griffon.

The focal point of the harpy statblock is Captivating Song. Drawing creatures in and giving the harpy's allies time to soften them up (depending on how you rule the fascinated condition in the failure entry) is really what the harpy is designed for. Keep in mind, though, that Captivating Song has the incapacitation trait, as well as rules text that specifies a creature is immune to any and every Captivating Song provided it succeeds a save against any of the. In short, multiple harpies won't bog down your players too much.

The harpy is a generally gross and crude creature, though it doesn't have to be. The harpy statblock is permissive enough to allow easy tweaks for variants, so don't be afraid to make your harpies slightly more sophisticated. But don't take it too far! The shock factor of their natural grotesque state will take the beauty and wonder of flight and bring it crashing down upon your players.

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Spread Your Wings

The princess has not been seen in public in a couple of months, speculations and theories are beginning to take root. Some speak of an illness overtaking her, others of an attempted coup, but none are certain.

You are enjoying your drinks in the tavern in the capital, when a hooded figure approaches you, offering an extremely lucrative job—one that requires utmost secrecy. Upon acceptance of the contract, the details are disclosed.

The princess is indeed unwell, though it isn't a disease that ails her, but a curse—one that turned her into a monster. So far, the guard managed to keep her locked in her chambers, with occasional food being slipped her way. The king has already tried many avenues among them wandering wizards, wayward warlocks, and proselytizing priests. All have failed.

How did the princess become this way? This part of the account is somewhat unclear. The king insists that it was done by a sorceress whose services he refused. As such, the king wants you to kill her, thereby lifting the curse.

There are two important things the agent wasn't told. First, killing the sorceress won't relieve the bane, as the spell is far more intricate and requires cooperation. Second, the sorceress put the magic on the princess by the king's orders.

Hook 2 (TJ) - No Bones to Pick

It has long been thought that the reason for the harpy's light weight was due to hollow bones that reduced weight and allowed flight. While it is true that many of their bones are hollow, much like birds, these hollow bones serve a different purpose than most understand. Some have discovered that harpy bones contain pockets of air that assist in adding additional oxygen to their blood during flight.

This affinity for air has proven useful in other ways, as harpy bones are highly receptive to air (and blood) magic. Beyond the receptivity, the inner matrices of these hollows amplify any air-related magic placed within them. Harpy bone charms, wands, and staves are highly sought after by any and every aeromancer that wants to enhance their power.

This has had the predictable and not entirely unfortunate side effect of driving the harpy nearly to extinction. Harpy poachers scour every forest, mountain, and hamlet for harpy sightings, hoping to make their money before there's no more to be had. Black markets selling live harpies or charlatans trying to pawn off the bones of any and all avian species as harpy bones have become rampant as well. While many rural communities are ultimately safer for it, the shortage of harpy bones is driving up the costs of these enchantments. This isn't to mention, given the harpy's level of intelligence, the practice is ethically questionable at best.

Advocates against this hunting-harvesting practice have become more prominent as the harpy population dwindles, though whether or not their intentions are for moral reasons, or for personal gain is difficult to discern.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - A Shitty Deal

For a while, an arrangement between Tysypha's Roost and the dwarven engineers of Darakh had been working out well for both parties. Dwarves would trade their duergar and drow prisoners of war for large quantities of guano, used to fuel the emerging and revolutionary firearm industry. 

However barbaric Tysypha may seem, she is no fool. The last two trade delegations have failed to return, and now the mountains echo with the thunder of revolvers descending from the clouds...