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Harpy: Unique Player Options

Harpy: Unique Player Options

UNIQUE PLAYER OPTIONS

by Christopher M. Cevasco

COVER ART: The harpy, Marta by Soni Alcorn-Hender

Bibliography • Manual II (1983) Along with the core fifth-edition sourcebooks, the Other material herein draws significant inspiration from: • Baker, Keith. "Backdrop: Graywall." 368 (Oct 2008). • Baker, Keith. Dragonshards: The Medusas of Droaam (9/5/2006). Fifth Edition • Baker, Keith. The Queen of Stone. , 2008. • : Rising from the Last War (2019) • Baker, Keith, et al. Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron. DMsGuild, 2018. • (2019) • Curtis, Barbara E. "The Ecology of the harpy: Songs of Beauty.…" • Guildmasters' Guide to (2018) Dragon 115 (Nov 1986). • Mythic Odysseys of (2020) • Greenwood, Ed. "The Ecology of the harpy: …Songs of Death." Fourth Edition Dragon 115 (Nov 1986). • Demonomicon (2010) • Langr, Ryan. Grazzilax's Guide to Ancestry. DMsGuild, 2019. • Eberron Campaign Guide (2009) • (2008) Interior Art Credits Third Edition (incl. v.3.5) Feathers on page 13 by Emma Marie Andersson (License). • Eberron (2004) Image on page 29 from Welcome Images, operated by Wellcome • Eberron: Explorer's Handbook (2005) Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the UK (License). • Eberron: Five Nations (2005) • Eberron: Sharn: City of Towers (2004) Statue image on page 31 by PHGCOM (License). • Faiths and Pantheons (2002) Page backgrounds are from Cole Twogood's old paper background. • Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (2006) Preface Background from Mike Barltrop's Old/Aged Paper • Monster Manual (2003) Background Texture / Image - Colour Pack. • Player's Guide to Eberron (2006) Apart from those images obtained through DMs Guild Creator • Savage Species (2003) Resource artpacks, all other illustrations and artworks herein First Edition are in the public domain ( composed by the author from modi- • Monster Manual (1977) fied elements from one or more works in the public domain)

DUNGEONS & , D&D, Wizards of the Coast, , , Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica, Theros, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.

This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the SampleCommunity Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. file All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Christopher M. Cevasco and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Rogue ...... 27 Contents Harvester ...... 27 Warlock ...... 30 Preface ...... 3 Fiend Patron: Pazrael (Pazuzu) Customization Options ...... 30 Ch. 1: Harpy Lore ...... 4 Ch. 4: ...... 34 Origins in the Forgotten Realms...... 4 Lesser Harpy ...... 34 Origins on Eberron ...... 5 Origins on Ravnica ...... 6 Origins on Theros ...... 6 Sidebars Other Campaign Settings ...... 7 and Theran Devotion ...... 7 Harpy Swanmays ...... 10 Ch. 2: Harpy Player Options...... 8 Suggested Harpy Backgrounds ...... 18 Harpy Ancestry ...... 8 Variant: Lesser Harpy ...... 34 Hungry Omnivores ...... 8 Sexual Monomorphism ...... 8 Harpy Society ...... 9 The Forgotten Realms...... 10 Eberron ...... 11 Ravnica ...... 12 Theros ...... 12 Alignment, Outlook, and Tactics ...... 13 Harpy Names ...... 13 Harpy Traits ...... 14 Ancestry Instead of Race...... 14 Possible Major Inheritances ...... 14 Possible Minor Inheritances ...... 15 Wilderness Region ...... 15 Grim Region (Blood-Toll Harpy) ...... 15 Marine Region () ...... 16 Harpy Tables ...... 17 Ancestral Feats ...... 19 Airborne Menace ...... 19 Blood of Discord ...... 19 Maestro of Desire ...... 20 Prodigy ...... 20 Sea Warrior ...... 20 Touch of Darkness ...... 20

Ch. 3: Character Class Options ...... 21 ...... 22 PathSample of the Flesh-eater...... 22 file Bard ...... 24 College of Sirensong...... 24

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Preface

HARPIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF D&D. tation for being voracious killing machines or They appeared in first edition's Monster Man- alluring tricksters, harpies are often dismissed ual (1977) and returned in every subsequent as mere and indeed are given the edition's core monster compendium. Harpies "monstrosity" creature type in the Monster feature quite prominently on the world of Manual. In truth, they are as civilized as any Eberron, and with the recent introduction of sort of humanoid, with their own rich cultural the Theros campaign setting for fifth edition, lore, societal constructs, and archetypal tradi- harpies are once again front and center given tions. For this reason, the playable harpy here- the setting's derivation from . in is given a hybrid humanoid-monstrosity Third edition's Savage Species guidebook type in the tradition of the 2018 Unearthed offered several approaches for modifying - Arcana and minotaur races. sters (including harpies) into player characters This supplement dives deep into harpy lore or NPCs, but there has never been a devoted and contains everything you need to play a of rules for an official playable harpy race. harpy character in the Forgotten Realms, This supplement seeks to remedy that, pro- Eberron, Ravnica, Theros, or any fifth-edition viding a framework for harpy characters that setting. Along with ancestral traits, for the contemplates ancestry rather than race so as harpy, you'll find subancestries for sirens and to allow for more versatile and customizable blood-toll harpies, new subclasses (including characters and avoid the monolithic, one-size- one inspired by the Siren prestige class from fits-all drawbacks of racial mechanics. In this the Savage Species tome), new feats, and even regard, the harpy traits herein rely signifi- a stat block for a new lesser harpy that cantly on game mechanics developed in Ryan doubles as a familiar! Langr's Grazzilax's Guide to Ancestry (2019). But notwithstanding their long association with D&D, these winged beings are among the most misunderstood creatures. With a repu-

Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Preface 3 Chapter 1: a long-fingered hand upon his shoulder. The rogue spins, a Harpy Lore dagger flashes, but the wizard has already begun to sing, and the dagger falls uselessly as the 's eyes glaze over. Perhaps now they can WINGED FIGURE REACHES HER ARMS speak like civilized people… toward the dazed fighter below her For as long as there have been adventurers, tree, calling to him with an alluring there have been tales of harpies—humanoid- song that keeps him smiling right up hybrids who lure folk to their deaths with A until the moment she pounces upon their magical voices and who fight with all the him with her strong vulture talons and rips the vicious cruelty of nature's red-clawed wrath, life from him. devouring those who don't escape. But what is On a rocky shoal, three figures stretch the origin of these bizarre, composite beings? languidly in the shallow water. They seem to be The answer depends on the world… women, but one has wings, they're each pat- terned with downy feathers, and powerful, scaled legs lie hidden below the surface, cling- Origins in the ing to the rocks with sharp claws. Hapless sailors navigate their ship directly onto the Forgotten Realms shoal, heedless of damaging its hull, so desper- In the lands of the Forgotten Realms, harpies ate are they to find the source of the captivating exist as the result of an ages-old curse. Long song. The three sirens smile at each other before ago, in the earliest days after the elven moving in to devour the drowning mariners. deity first cast the lesser The harpy wizard returns to her tower, sur- primal from Arvandor to dwell in the prisedSample to find a halfling intruder rifling through Material Plane, one suchfile wandered the her belongings. Alighting behind the unsuspec- primeval forests. This elf was one of those ting thief, the mage folds her wings and places blessed of Corellon who retained the primal

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 1 | Harpy Lore 4 mutability that lets some elves assume an individual harpy's place of birth or ancestral whatever sex or form they wish at will, although environment, giving rise to sirens who dwell by this wanderer mostly chose to manifest as a the sea and blood-toll harpies imbued with the female. While wandering, the elf heard a bird necrotic energies of death-touched regions. whose song was so pure and inviting that she Harpies in the Forgotten Realms no longer was moved to tears. Letting the song guide her, worship the elvish Seldarine as deities, the she came upon a clearing wherein a handsome curse having sundered them entirely from that elf youth had paused to likewise listen to the primal link. They might be of any alignment, birdsong. Unbeknownst to her, this youth was but among harpies of an evil nature, many have Fenmarel Mestarine, the reclusive elf god of come to worship Pazrael, an aspect of the solitude and outcasts. His divine charisma stole lord Pazuzu, who dwells on the first her heart as he fled, vanishing into the forest as layer of the Abyss and holds sway over all evil if he had never been there… flying creatures. Those of good alignment are The elf searched the woods, calling out for often drawn to the nature goddess Mielikki. the stranger, but found no further sign of him. Still others have been known to worship Akadi, Despairing and filled with longing, she prayed Malar, Silvanus, Valkur, or Umberlee; or in Maz- to the gods to help her, and Aerdrie Faenya, elf tica the deities Qotal, Zaltec, Eha, and Azul. goddess of the sky, answered her plea. Some harpies, of course, worship no gods at all. Appearing as the bird whose song had so entranced the outcast god, she taught the wandering elf the bird's song of beauty and seduction. When her singing failed to draw Fenmarel Mestarine to her, however, the elf cursed the gods, channeling some dreadful power born of her despair. The curse rebounded upon her, transforming her into the first harpy and likewise warping her so that her desire for love became a hunger for flesh. Ever after, the song sung by her and her descendants was a hunter's song, drawing prey into a deadly embrace. Over the ages, that curse has persisted, manifesting more or less strongly in individual harpies but usually granting transformed them the power of by a curse magical allure- Origins on Eberron ment. In some On the world of Eberron, harpies have nested cases, the in the Byeshk Mountains of southwest Khor- curse vaire for tens of thousands of years—since seems also before the fall of the goblinoid Dhakaani to tailor Empire. Among the Gatekeepers—the oldest of itself to Khorvaire's druidic sects, tasked with warding nature against unnatural beings—it is believed the daelkyr Orlassk created medusas, and many Gatekeeper sages similarly attribute the creation of harpies to some other, forgotten Lord of Xoriat with an affinity for flying crea- tures. The medusan priests of ruined Cazhaak Draal, however, scoff at such notions, fervent in Sampletheir belief that the Shadowfile of the Dark Six shaped them and the harpies both, along with many other creatures humans see as monsters, perhaps fashioning them from the raw material

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 1 | Harpy Lore 5 of existing humans, elves, or . Among harpies, the Shadow is thus a . Much as with other races, there is no singu- lar god that all harpies of Eberron worship. Each group of harpies devotes itself to its own god or goddess, although sages and scholars tend to view these deities as aspects of the Dark Six. The harpies who name themselves the Last Dirge, for example, revere the Song of Passion and Rage, said to represent the Fury, as most harpies maintain that the Fury is the living embodiment of the cry of pain released by the progenitor wyrm Eberron (the Dragon Between) when she birthed the world's first lifeforms. In contrast, the Stormsinger harpies venerate the Stormsong, said to be an aspect of the Ravnica's harpy-spawning Nephilim Devourer. nature, and often horrific beyond comprehen- sion, they were living reminders of the vastness and utter indifference of the multiverse. Thou- Origins on Ravnica sands of years before the construction of the On the the world-spanning megacity of planet's megacity and the formation of its Ravnica, natural-born harpies are exceedingly guilds, the Nephilim were subdued and impri- rare and are thought to represent the only soned deep below the planet's surface. Relega- surviving spawn of a once-great airborne ted to mere legend, they were forgotten by all Nephilim—immense, powerful monstrosities but a handful of cultists who worshipped them that roamed the planet aeons before the time of as the lost "Old Gods" and an even smaller the Guildpact. Not deities, per se, as these number of warlocks who siphoned Great Old entities did not hear or answer and One powers from one or another of their indeed had only limited intelligence, the number. Some harpies continue to worship Nephilim seemed rather to exist merely so as to their supposed Nephilim progenitor, giving it no humble lesser creatures and the humanoid name apart from a distinctive shriek similar to races. Otherworldly, as unpredictable as the sound of a skyjek roc's cry. Using nature as its model, Ravnica's Simic Precinct Five of Ravnica's Tenth District Combine has also engineered a fair number of harpies, fusing avian features with humans, elves, and vedalken. Born in the same labora- tories that produce symic hybrids, these engineered harpies only take forms represented by the wilderness or marine regional ancestries described in chapter 2, below.

Origins on Theros On the mutable world of Theros, harpies— much like the gods themselves—arose from the collective dreams and beliefs of mortals. As of human-bird hybrids were told and Samplerepeated over the ages, filethose myths eventually became reality, and harpies were quite literally narrated into an existence as real as that of the mortals who first conceived of them. Beneath the starry plane of , winged, bird-legged

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 1 | Harpy Lore 6 hybrids descended from the treetops to sing eerie songs as they hunted and scavenged for food; sirens with bright plumage in shades of blue, purple, and arose from reefs and seacliffs to lure sailors with their mesmerizing melodies; and from necropoleis, dismal swamps, and blood-soaked battlefields, grim blood-toll harpies manifested to exact a heavy price from hapless travelers with their sharp teeth and raptor claws. From each of these environments, the cleverest and most curious harpies even made their way into the three Theran poleis—Akros, Meletis, and Setessa— overcoming the fear and prejudices they encountered so as to integrate themselves into mortal civilization.

Other Campaign Settings In other official campaign settings, or in home- brewed worlds of your own creation, other myths and legends might explain harpy origins. One popular tale involves an evil elvish witch- queen who was said to have often taken the form of a golden when she wished to spy on her subjects. A brave hero finally drove the elf-queen into exile, breaking the magic tiara HARPIES AND THERAN DEVOTION that gave her the ability to polymorph. When On the world of Theros, harpies who champion a the tiara broke, she and her offspring were particular deity overwhelmingly tend to choose cursed with half-bird forms, and the harpy's Nylea, God of the Hunt. Sirens, however, just as alluring song is a remnant of the wicked frequently venerate Thassa, God of the Sea, and enchantments this forgotten queen once bloodtoll harpies revere both Athreos and Erebos. wielded against her people. Indeed, this But if sufficiently pious, you might gain blessings particular legend is so widely known that it is from any deity to which you devote yourself. Those even sometimes told in both the Forgotten who feel a particularly strong affinity with Nyx Realms and on Eberron, giving rise to the (including blood-toll followers of the notorious possibility that on those worlds, two entirely Nyxborn harpy, Aphemia the Dissonant Song) often separate strains of harpies arose from separate turn to the god Kruphix. Of course, as perennial points of origin. outsiders in Theran society, many harpies choose Still other legends link the harpy curse to not to worship any member of the Theran each of the following: to an unusually powerful pantheon, in which case you can (with DM vrock named Paajaazz who briefly to permission) use the Iconoclast gift become a demon lord and began transforming paradigm set forth in chapter 1 of Mythic Odysseys mortals into a winged army before being slain of Theros in place of the usual benefits derived from by Fraz-Urb'luu; to the insidious influence of piety and devotion, gaining the listed traits as you the Raven Queen; and to the cabal of thirteen advance in level. bird-like monstrosities known as the nagpas, ForSample more on champions, devotion, and the who supposedly created file the first harpies during benefits derived from piety, see chapter 2 of Mythic a failed arcane ritual meant to restore the Odysseys of Theros. nagpas themselves to their original humanoid wizard forms.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 1 | Harpy Lore 7 Chapter 2: Harpy Player Options

UCH LIKE THE RACES PRESENTED in Volo's Guide to Monsters, the character ancestry presented in this chapter is rather distinctive M and far more rare in the D&D multiverse than the options in the Player's Handbook. As always, players should consult with their DM before using this ancestry. Harpy Ancestry MOST PEOPLE THINK HARPIES ARE HIDEOUS MON- strosities to be hated and shunned. I think they're beautiful! Like the winged avariel elves, they merge the nobility of elfkind with all the grace and airborne power of . If I could consume humanoids—travelers, lone transform into a harpy, I'd do it in a heartbeat! shepherds, and the like. This has led to the — from the childhood diary of Dara misperception that all harpies are cruel, Algwynenn Kalinoth, moon elf princess sadistic, and prone to torturing their victims, but in truth they are no more sadistic than any Harpies possess the wings, tail, legs, and talons hunters and are distinguished only by the fact of birds but otherwise appear humanoid with that they make no distinction between intelli- vaguely elflike features and long, thin arms gent creatures and mere animals when it comes with clawed hands. Among those harpies to prey. Harpies have even been known to known as sirens, wings are sometimes absent, engage in cannibalism when other food sources and their legs are often covered in fish scales. become scarce, and they readily eat carrion. Typically a harpy's avian anatomy reflects a vulture's, but harpies have also been known to resemble other birds, with owls, eagles, swans, Sexual Monomorphism and roosters being particularly common. Among harpies, there is no physical difference between the male and female sex apart from the actual biological functions of reproduction. Hungry Omnivores All harpies seem to possess breasts on their Most harpies have voracious appetites and will upper humanoid bodies, leading to the miscon- eat just about anything, but they prefer freshly ception that male harpies do not exist. But killed, uncooked meat. So as to avoid provoking harpies do not nurse their young, instead conflict with their neighbors, harpies usually feeding them in the manner of bird fledglings. tend toSample hunt wild game, but it is not uncom- Some scholars posit thatfile the breasts instead mon for them to poach domesticated grazing function as a means of fat storage which the animals at the edges of farming communities, body uses as a source of nourishment when and some tribes don't hesitate to kill and food is scarce. Moreover, there are no gender

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 8 roles as such within harpy society; all harpies Most often, harpies live in tribal groups of 50 both hunt and care for fledglings. Some choose to 200 members—often called nests—hunting to self-identify as a particular gender, others the surrounding lands in a 30-mile diameter (or have a more gender-fluid approach to identity, along 60-mile strips of coastline) and only mov- and still others pay no attention at all to gender ing on if game becomes too scarce. Harpies tend as a social construct. not to have organized forms of hierarchic gov- Harpies reach physical maturity at two to ernment, operating more like collectives or five years of age, and mature females lay eggs communes, although some nests come under in the manner of avian creatures. An individual the influence of a particularly charismatic or harpy might lay as many as twenty fertilized willful harpy elder known as a matriarch (see, eggs in a lifetime, but on average only three of e.g. "Harpy Attack" in ch. 7 of Ghosts of Salt- those eggs will be viable enough to result in marsh). healthy offspring. Although vicious and capable hunters, har- pies prefer to avoid large-scale conflict, and if a nearby community threatens a nest, it is more Harpy Society likely to move away than to engage in warfare. Whether in a forest, coastal, or mountainous Sometimes, rather than overly tax the local food environment, a harpy typically makes its home supply or antagonize another local humanoid in a chasm, a series of caves, or a set of ruins populace, harpies choose to live in much (or in the case of sirens, in a seaside grotto or smaller family units known as screams, which beached shipwreck). When establishing such a consist of no more than a dozen individuals. home, harpies seek large, sheltered areas away Even in larger tribes, hunting is undertaken by from the settlements of other humanoids yet these smaller screams, with each scream within range of food sources. The area is hunting a five- to ten-mile radius and bringing usually situated so that it is nearly impossible food back to the nest. for captured prey to escape from it on foot, and In some of the largest nests, a form of socie- any enclosed space is usually large enough to tal euthanasia is practiced, whereby elderly, allow harpies to fly about inside it. chronically sick, or badly injured individuals

Sample file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 9 are killed by the rest of the tribe so as not to become a burden. This is not a universal prac- tice, however; while in some instances the harpies to be culled present themselves willing- ly for , in other nests, such culling is viewed as abhorrent, and the elderly and infirm are tended to with loving care by the stronger members of the tribe. Although not avaricious for gold and gems in the way of dragons who hoard treasure, harpies do, however, accumulate large assemblages of items taken from their victims. When hunting, a harpy will typically choose one item that strikes its fancy from any creature it slays; this might be a coin or other valuable object, but it might just as easily be a weapon, an article of , a worthless trinket, or even a horn, , tooth, or claw from the slain creature itself. The greater number of such mementos a harpy possesses, the higher its status in harpy society, for it has proven itself a capable hunter. The Forgotten Realms Given the basic structure of harpy society, Nests or screams of harpies might take up most harpies devote themselves to hunting, and residence in any forest, hill, mountain, or the most skilled hunters might even become coastal region of the continents of Toril, but archetypal fighters, , or rangers. But known groups have established a significant exceptional members of a nest also explore presence in several specific locations. The deep other avenues, studying arcane or divine forms woods between Silverymoon and Triboar are of magic, tinkering with the magic of artifice, known for harpy encounters, as are the forests joining a bard college, or embodying any other of Aglarond in the southwestern part of class or archetype available to humanoids. Faerûn's Unapproachable East. Harpies are While some of these individuals use their unu- also known to dwell in the many forests and sual abilities to benefit their nests by becoming jungles of Maztica and Chult. tribal shamans, healers, spies, or mighty cham- Harpies and sirens have been spotted on pions, others find they are drawn away from Firewatch island in the Wyvernwater of Cormyr the nest into the wider world and even begin and are commonly found in the Korinn mingling with other cultures or taking up the Archipelago at the northernmost region of the life of an adventurer so as to further develop Isles. their chosen area of study and expertise. A major group of harpies was routed from their home in the ruined mines of Onthrilaen- in the eastern Mounts when a purple- HARPY SWANMAYS scaled deep dragon emerged from the It is fairly common for non- into the mines. evil-aligned harpies who A peculiar nest of harpies with long tails, manifest swan anatomy (see said to be merciless hunters, are even rumored bird anatomy table below) to to dwell alongside a glacier upon a high plateau become rangers of the Swan- in the Wu Pi Te Shao Mountains of Kara-'s may conclave. Complete sub- Yehimal range. class features for this arche- Each of these groups largely conforms to the typeSample appear in The Swanmay: general characteristics fileof harpy society as A Ranger Conclave, available described in this section, but those of other at the DMsGuild. worlds often vary significantly in their social behavior as set forth immediately below.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 10 Eberron where they call work crews to the quarries with On the world of Eberron, harpy nests are their songs. Harpies also entertain the Droaam known as "flights", and on the continent of population, many employed as "songbirds" in Khorvaire, there have been flights in the taverns, where their voices are considered to Byeshk Mountains along the northeast border have narcotic effects. of Droaam for tens of thousands of years. Beyond Droaam, there is at least one other Written records of their existence there date known Khorvaire harpy flight occupying islands back to the goblinoid Dhakaani Empire, and in the south of the Scions Sound. Harpies have these Byeshkan flights include: the Brass Talons, the Carrion Callers, the Crimson Wind, the Forgotten Choir, the Haunting Song, the Last Chants, the Last Dirge, the Rotwings, the Stormsingers, and the Wind Howlers. Most mountain flights have since migrated to the Great Crag and to Graywall, within the nation of Droaam, and submitted to the rule of the Daughters of Sora Kell, a group of three hags who joined together for mutual benefit and established the rising nation of the conti- nent's so-called "monstrous" races. The Wind Howlers flight, however, is among those flights who remained behind, refusing to submit, and the Haunting Song currently lives in exile in the Shining Valley at the foot of the Graywall Moun- tains, having been chased into neighboring Breland when they opposed the hags' rule. The harpies of the Great Crag, Graywall, and other Droaam cities, have fully integrated into Droaam society. Many act as scouts, as city guards, and as overseers at the nation's mines,

Scions Sound

KHORVAIRE SARLONA Sharn AERENAL

ARGONNESSEN SampleXEN'DRIK file the world of EVERICE EBERRON

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 11 also been spotted in the Shadow Marches west chapter. Those of a of Droaam, and some harpies are known to traditionally wilderness dwell in Sharn, Breland's famed City of Towers, ancestry tend to affiliate employed either as laborers for the dragon- most often with several marked House Tharashk or as part of the different guilds: harpies Daask criminal organization. Indeed, when manifesting owl House Tharashk began recruiting the so-called anatomy sometimes "monstrous" races into their service, harpies serve as soldiers of the were among the first to be hired, and the most Azorious Senate; the famous of the house's Droaam-recruited Gruul Clans attract mercenary companies is the Liondrake's Roar, harpies wishing to which includes many harpies. claim territories in the Beyond Khorvaire, several reports indicate Rubblebelt as hunting harpies have been spotted on the continent of grounds, and many of these form de facto nests Xen'Drik. Doubtless there are also harpies in that constitute their own band within the guild, the deeper woods and jungles of Aerenal away while others affiliate with the Burning Tree from the Aereni elf settlements, and given the Clan or the Ghor Clan; many harpies become island continent's proximity to the plane of celebrated performers within the Cult of Mabar (the Endless Night) it is also rumored Rakdos, drawing huge crowds when they sing that flights of blood-toll harpies dwell in this at Rakdos clubs or street shows; and some land. harpies are drawn to the natural spaces favored There are even whispered tales of subterra- by the Selesnya Conclave. nean harpy flights that nest in vast caverns Natural-born harpies of blood-toll ancestry within Khyber, constituting their own Cult of are most often drawn either to House Dimir or the Dragon Below in their fervent veneration of to the Orzhov Syndicate, wherein they look to the daelkyr Orlassk. Surface harpies vehement- serve the guild's deathpact . Some ly dispute such tales as mere calumny. natural-born harpies of siren ancestry are known to work closely with the undercity Ravnica medusas of the Golgari Swarm. On the city-world of Ravnica, where open hunt- Nearly as rare on Ravnica are the engineered ing land is scarce, harpies are themselves far harpies of the Simic Combine. Fusions of avian rarer, and the tribal system of nests has been features onto humans, elf, and vedalken sub- replaced by affiliation with particular guilds. jects, these harpies are born in the same labo- Natural-born harpies might take any one of the ratories that produce symic hybrids. They take three subancestries described later in this only the wilderness or siren ancestral forms.

A siren guards the lair of an undercity Theros The harpies of Theros conform largely to the societal norms described at the beginning of this section. Perhaps because of the limited and shifting landscape of this world, Theran harpies have a reputation for being particularly vicious toward travelers, merchants, shepherds, and the like and thus face unusually strong preju- dice when they seek to integrate themselves into the poleis as part of Theran society. Sirens are also widely feared by Theros's notoriously superstitious sailors, who see them as the most dangerous of many hazards to be avoided when Samplesailing the Siren Sea, whosefile very name evokes their luring song. Most of Theros's harpy nests are to be found in the foothills or higher crags and peaks of the

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 12 Alignment, Outlook, and Tactics Harpies often have chaotic or neutral leanings owing both their nesting habits and societal customs, but much as with humans, they tend toward no particular morality; there are good, neutral, and evil individuals among harpies. For the most part, harpies are a reclusive, insular folk, looking only to their flock. But the occasional adventurous soul leaves the nest and ventures out to see the world, drawn Katachthon and Oraniad Mountains, in the perhaps by the same wanderlust that drew the Badlands of Phoberos, in the woodlands of ancestral elf spoken of in Forgotten Realms lore Skola Vale, on the Dakra Isles, in the Nessian to wander the forests and follow the birdsong Wood (although blood-toll harpies are never that led to the creation of Toril's harpies. found here), and along unpopulated stretches Harpies are often mistrustful of others owing to of the Theran coast. the prevailing prejudices against harpies that Some nests, having decided to eschew frequently lead to misunderstandings with confrontation with the other civilized races other civilized folk. As for the harpy reputation altogether, have moved beyond the Oraniad for sadism and evil, this is largely unearned Mountains to dwell on their eastern cliffs or in and owing to the notoriety of certain well- the endless, unexplored forest that lies beyond known bands of evil-minded harpies, to the fact —sometimes called the Traxian Forest (for more that all harpies are highly effective and danger- on the Traxian forest, see The Forestmaster: ous fighters, and to the signature harpy tactic Barbarian Subclass and Theros ). of separating a charmed foe from its compan- Undoubtedly adding to the harpy reputation ions so as to carry it off to the nest before for cruelty, the notorious Nyxborn harpy attacking and killing it while it is alone and Aphemia prowls the boggy wastes around the vulnerable. necropolis of Asphodel and has set herself up In combat, harpies also frequently begin a as a sort of harpy matriarch in the area. fight by dropping rocks from above a target. Throughout the region of Asphodel and the They invariably seek to disable the wings of a Despair Lands, nests of blood-toll harpies are flying foe early in a fight. Harpies are particu- quite common, although blood-tolls also gather larly dangerous in groups, as they often employ in any grim spots across Theros, praying on pack tactics, screeching warnings, instructions, passersby and setting themselves up as the and encouragement to each other in battle. bane of traveling merchants, who are made to pay the "blood toll." It must also be noted that some evil harpies Harpy Names choose to follow abhorrent overlords (see A harpy typically only has a single name chapter 6 of Mythic Odysseys of Theros); being assigned by its mother and father when it part of such a fiend's retinue provides a steady hatches. Hatchling names are not linked to source of easy meat. Although they come to gender, as harpies make no gender-based think of the abhorrent overlord as the matri- societal distinctions, and these names are used arch of their nest, the fiend has no sense of across harpy ancestries, although sirens loyalty toward such harpies, and it is as likely employ a wider variety of names, and some to devour them as it is to assist them. names are exclusive to the siren ancestry. Harpies sometimes also add a byname signifying their nest (or on Eberron their flight). For example, a Faerûnian harpy belonging to Samplethe Seacliff nest might befile called Hungga of the Seacliff, and an Eberron harpy might be named Ocypode of the Last Dirge. On Ravnica, this

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 13 byname would, of course, indicate the harpy's guild affiliation. A harpy that does not belong to a nest typically only uses its hatchling name, but some choose to adopt a nickname reflecting a distinctive feature of their anatomy (e.g. Bluewing, Eagle-eye, or Swan-neck), their personal reputation (e.g. the Fierce, the Swift, or the Hermit), or some great deed (Griffon- slayer, Huntmaster, or Demonbane).

Names: , Ahkno, Callain, Cazha, , Gayda, Hakno, Hungga, Jalira, Jhamp, Kinnaris, Kuduk, Melantha, Nicothoe, Ocypode, , Rarog, Sklar, Stratim, Teelana, Thanata, Zoryanna Names Used by Marine Harpies (Sirens) Only: Aglaope, Asenath, Dasa, Himerope, Leucosia, Ligeia, Malkie, Mista, Molpe, Nix, Parthenope, harpy of a Peisinoe, Pincoya, Raidne, Teles, Thelxiepeia, wilderness region Ulda Harpy Traits inheritances, diverse regional and cultural This section sets forth the traits possessed by differences have led to wide variety in the minor your harpy character. It allows you to choose inheritances a harpy might possess. major and minor inheritances reflecting your Ability Score Increase. You may distribute harpy heritage via a process that borrows and an overall +3 increase to the ability scores that adapts mechanics developed by DMsGuild you roll or derive from fifth edition's standard creator Ryan Langr in Grazzilaxx's Guide to array or point buy system (see chapter 1 of the Ancestry. Player's Handbook). Apply this increase either by increasing one of your harpy's ability scores Ancestry Instead of Race by +2 and another by +1, or by increasing three Rather than provide a monolithic collection of ability scores by +1 each. "racial" traits that defines every harpy character (an unrealistic and problematic approach), this Age Mature at 5 yrs, Maximum 60 yrs. supplement sets forth a range of options that Size Medium allows for greater versatility and customization Walking Speed 20 feet and reflects a sense of harpy "ancestry". This Languages Common ancestry contemplates one's collective and indi- vidual past by referencing a common ancestor Hybrid Nature. You have two creature from which all harpies descend. Regional types: humanoid and monstrosity. You can be differences between wilderness harpies, grim affected by a game effect if it works on either of (blood-toll) harpies, and marine harpies (sirens) your creature types. manifest as subancestries and represent mor- You may choose two major and two minor phologic and cultural differences arising from inheritances from the lists below, or you may the particular geographic region and environ- choose one major and four minor inheritances. ment in which a harpy population developed. All of your minor inheritances must come from Harpies are a surprisingly diverse species. the same region. While allSample harpies share certain commonalities file of life expectancy, size, walking speed, and Possible Major Inheritances language (see table below), and there is a great Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which deal of overlap in terms of their major ancestral you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 14 hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal While charmed by your song, a target is to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the incapacitated and ignores the songs of other bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed harpies. If the charmed target is more than 5 strike. feet away from you, it must move on its turn toward you by the most direct route, trying to Flight. You have wings which give you a flying get within 5 feet. It doesn't avoid opportunity speed of 40 feet. To fly, you can't be wearing attacks, but before moving into damaging medium or heavy armor. terrain, such as lava or a pit, and whenever it Sea Child (if chosen, all your minor inheritances takes damage from a source other than you, must be of the marine region). You have a swim the target can repeat the saving throw. A speed of 30 feet and can breathe both air and charmed target can also repeat the saving water. throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on it on a success. Possible Minor Inheritances A target that successfully saves is immune Each of your chosen minor inheritances must to your song for the next 24 hours. be from the same region. Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an Wilderness Region attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and These harpies hail from coastal, forest, moun- the ally isn't incapacitated. tain, or hill environments and reflect the sort of harpy represented by the harpy stat block in Raptor's Finesse. When making an unarmed the Monster Manual. As a wilderness harpy, you strike, you may use either your Strength or Dex- may choose from among the following minor terity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. inheritances. You must use the same modifier for both rolls. Agile Maneuvers (prerequisite: Claws major Grim Region inheritance). When you make a Claws attack, Some harpies hail from swamp regions, necro- you can make an attack with a simple melee poleis, ruins, ancient battlefields, or cursed weapon as part of the same Attack action. lands. These reflect the sort of harpy represen- Brutal Claws (prerequisite: Claws major ted by the blood-toll harpy stat block in Mythic inheritance). When you hit with a Claws attack, Odyssies of Theros. You may choose from the attack deals an additional 1d4 damage. among the following minor inheritances. Feathered Friend. Using gestures and sounds, Bite. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, you can communicate simple ideas with any which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If avian beast. Keen Awareness. You are proficient in the Perception skill. Keen Sight and Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell. Luring Song. Using an action, you can sing a magical melody, and every humanoid and within 300 feet of you (friend and foe alike) that can hear the song must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be charmed until the song ends. Harpies automatically succeedSample on this saving throw. You must use a file bonus action on subsequent turns to continue harpy of a singing and can stop singing at any time; the grim region song ends if you are incapacitated or die.

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 15 you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Moreover, if you possess the Claws major inheritance, when you make a Claws attack, you may make a Bite attack as part of the same Attack action. Blood Frenzy. You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points. Dark Devotion. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed of frightened. Feathered Friend. Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with any avian beast. Intimidating Presence. You are proficient in the Intimidation skill. Keen Sight and Smell. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell. Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. Raptor's Finesse. When making an unarmed strike, you may use either your Strength or Dex- terity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.

Marine Region wingless marine harpies (sirens) Harpies that hail from atolls, reefs, rocky Broad Horizons. You know an additional lang- islands, and sea stacks are sometimes called uage of your choice from contact with sailors. sirens. These marine harpies may or may not have wings, but those that do often possess Feathered Friend. Using gestures and sounds, bright plumage in shades of blue, purple, and you can communicate simple ideas with any green. Some also have webbed fingers and avian beast. talons and might be amphibious, able to Friend of the Sea. Using gestures and sounds, breathe in both air and water. As a siren, you you can communicate simple ideas with any may choose from among the following minor beast that has a swimming speed. inheritances. Keen Sight and Smell. You have advantage on Agile Maneuvers (prerequisite: Claws major Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight inheritance). When you make a Claws attack, or smell. you can make an attack with a simple melee weapon as part of the same Attack action. Luring Song. Using an action, you can sing a magical melody, and every humanoid and giant Alluring Presence. You are proficient in either Samplewithin 300 feet of you (friendfile and foe alike) that the Deception or the Persuasion skill. can hear the song must succeed on a Wisdom Aquatic Camouflage. You have advantage on saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide underwater. bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be charmed

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 16 until the song ends. Harpies automatically suc- HARPY AVIAN ANATOMY (WINGS, TAIL, LEGS) ceed on this saving throw. You must use a d8 Anatomic Resemblance bonus action on subsequent turns to continue singing and can stop singing at any time; the 1 Blood hawk song ends if you are incapacitated or die. 2 Eagle While charmed by your song, a target is 3 Owl incapacitated and ignores the songs of other 4 Pteranodon harpies. If the charmed target is more than 5 5 Raven feet away from you, it must move on its turn 6 Stork toward you by the most direct route, trying to 7 Swan get within 5 feet. It doesn't avoid opportunity 8 Vulture attacks, but before moving into damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit, and whenever it takes damage from a source other than you, HARPY PLUMAGE COLOR the target can repeat the saving throw. A d10 Color d10 Color charmed target can also repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the 1 Black 6 Mottled effect on it on a success. 2 Blue 7 Purple A target that successfully saves is immune 3 Brown 8 Red to your song for the next 24 hours. 4 Green 9 Rust 5 Leathery/Featherless 10 White Pack Tactics. You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. HARPY EYE COLOR d10 Color d10 Color Harpy Tables 1 Black 6 Hazel 2 Blue 7 This section provides tables useful for players 3 Brown 8 Red and DMs wishing to create harpy characters. 4 Gold 9 Silver Roll or simply choose from among the possible results on these tables, or use them as 5 Green 10 Yellow inspiration to generate your own customized characteristics.

RANDOM HARPY HEIGHT AND WEIGHT MARINE HARPY (SIREN) VARIATIONS Harpy Base Base Height Weight d4 Variant Characteristic Ancestry Height Weight Modifier Modifier 1 Fish-scaled legs 2 Webbed fingers Grim (blood-toll) 4'4" 70 lb. +2d6 x (1d4) lb. Marine (siren) 4'7" 75 lb. +2d8 x (1d6) lb. 3 Webbed talons Wilderness 4'6" 75 lb. +2d6 x (1d6) lb. 4 Roll twice, re-rolling result of 4 Height = Base Height + Height Mod. (in inches) Weight =Sample Base Weight + (Height Mod. x Weight Mod.) file

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 17 HARPY PERSONALITY TRAITS HARPY FLAWS d8 Personality Trait d8 Flaw 1 I enjoy eating food while it's still wriggling. 1 I'm exceedingly vain about my feathers and preen 2 I hate waste and always make a point of them often so others can see how beautiful they scavenging fallen enemies. are when they shine. 3 I'm fascinated by shiny objects and covet any such 2 I have no interest in a fair fight; I only attack a foe object I see. if I have a clear advantage, and I'm likely to flee if a 4 I find it amusing how frightened some people are fight turns against me. when they meet me. 3 I derive glee from suffering and death. 5 I'm quick to boast of the greatness of harpy 4 My short temper and sharp tongue often land me civilization, particularly when others denigrate it. in trouble. 6 Thinking is for other people; I prefer action. 5 It's difficult for me to see other humanoids as 7 I'm driven by insatiable wanderlust. anything but food. 8 There's nothing as wonderful as a good bath. 6 I'm always hungry. 7 Sometimes when I'm excited, frightened, or angry, HARPY IDEALS I sing my words rather than speak them. d8 Ideal 8 I am slow to trust outsiders. 1 Obligation. It is my duty to protect those weaker than me. (Good) SUGGESTED HARPY BACKGROUNDS 2 Freedom. Chains are meant to be broken, as are As a harpy, you might choose any background, but those who would forge them. (Chaotic) some that are most common among harpies are 3 Live and Let Live. Meddling in the affairs of others the folk hero, outlander, and hermit, backgrounds. only brings trouble. (Neutral) Less common but thematically appropriate back- 4 Iconoclasm. I view divinity with suspicion and grounds include cloistered scholar, entertainer, far refuse to be a pawn in divine schemes. (Any) traveler, pirate, soldier, and fisher. 5 Independence. I follow my own path; nobody can On Eberron common backgrounds also include: city watch (Droaam), house agent or mercenary vet- tell me what to do. (Chaotic) eran (Tharashk), and criminal (Daask organization). 6 Might. The stronger I become, the better able I am to take what I want. (Evil) 7 Greater Good. It is each person's responsibility to maximize happiness for the whole nest. (Good) 8 Nature. The natural world means far more to me than all the constructs of civilization. (Neutral)

HARPY BONDS d6 Bond 1 Nothing is more important than those with whom I make a flock. 2 I was raised by non-harpies and have adopted their humanoid culture. 3 Someone or something slaughtered my nest community. Before I die, I'll have my vengeance. 4 If I believe I'm owed something, I won't rest until I get my due. 5 I pursue an adventurer's fame to secure the affectionsSample of the one I love. file 6 I am willing to take risks to acquire knowledge, influence, or power. wingless marine harpies (sirens)

Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only. Harpy | Chapter 2 | Harpy Player Options 18

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