Owlbear

Owlbear Creature4

N Large Animal

Senses Perception +13; low-light vision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet

Skills Acrobatics +7, Athletics +14, Intimidation +10

Str +6, Dex +1, Con +5, Int -4, Wis +3, Cha +0

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AC 21; Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +11

HP 70

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Speed 25 feet

Melee [one-action] talon +14 (agile), Damage 1d10+6 piercing plus Grab

Melee [one-action] beak +14, Damage 1d12+6 piercing

About

With the body of a powerful brown bear and the keen senses of an owl, the owlbear is a dangerous territorial predator, fearlessly attacking any creature that strays into its domain. Those who run afoul of an owlbear hear its terrifying screech only seconds before the massive creature is upon them, ripping them apart with deadly talons and a powerful beak.

Although their origin is lost to time, owlbears are assumed to be the result of a magical experiment to make a more cunning predator. According to the legend, the wizard was too successful and ended up being the first victim of the beast. Today, owlbears can be found around the world, with a variety of features. While the most common subspecies looks like a brown bear with the features of a great horned owl, owlbears from the frozen north might resemble polar bears mixed with snowy owls, and in temperate rain forests they might resemble black bears with the heads of barn owls.

Most owlbears live solitary lives, gathering only to mate and raise cubs, which are hatched from eggs. An owlbear’s territory usually extends to around 5 miles from its lair, with clear signs of its habitat appearing with 1 mile (clawed up trees, gigantic feathers, and shredded carcasses). The lair of an owlbear rarely holds anything of value, but some adventurers have found trinkets, coins, and even jewelry in the massive pellets of undigested bones these monsters leave behind.

Variant Owlbears

Snowy owlbears trade their terrifying screech for amazing stealth and the learned ability to erupt from the snow to take prey by surprise. Although incredibly rare, some owlbears have retained a limited form of flight, allowing them to glide almost 20 feet for every foot of height descended.

Terrifyingly, these gliding owlbears are entirely Silent while descending on their prey.