Harpy: Carnivorous Maidens of the Skies

Ah, the Harpy. Yet another staple of fantasy. Because if we’ve learned anything from the cyclops and the centaur and the gargoyle, it’s that those guys place high. Always unique and interesting.

I see that, but I put just about every dragon at least in the top ten. So… call me a hypocrite?

Whatever, let’s get started.

Lore: The Ancient Cursed

Harpies love few things more than causing suffering and death. Their songs, so sweet and beautiful, have lured many a would-be hero to their ends. From there, they’ll consume their fill.

Ages ago, a wandering elf heard a birdsong so wonderful that she was moved to tears. When she moved to find it, she found a handsome young elf male, a reclusive god named Fenmarel Mestarine. He fled, but his divine presence stole her heart.

The elf searched the forest for the god, yet found nothing. In her despair, she cried out to the elven gods to help her. The goddess of the sky, Aerdrie Faenya, heard her cry and was moved to help. She appeared in the forest as a beautiful bird that sang a song so wonderful that it lured the god out. Afterwards, the goddess taught the young elf the same song.

Unfortunately, she failed to capture the song’s magic and could not lure the god to her. Angered and heartbroken, she cursed the names of the gods and invoked a terrible power that placed a curse upon her. Her curse affected not only her body, but her soul, turning her feelings of love into hunger for flesh. From this day on, she was the first harpy.

A harpy’s song is the most beautiful sound in the world. Any traveler who succumbs to its magic will be lured in like a blundering fool to their deaths. Should they break free of this spell, however, a harpy will be quick to flee. Never will a harpy partake in a fair fight. Though should they fall for their trap, they’ll find a hellish death, as the harpy relishes in causing suffering.

Harpies will collect little nick-knacks from their victims. Jewelry, gold, anything of value. But should these not exist, they’ll simply take their hair or bones or other body parts. Their nests are often a disgusting cluster of valuable items and rotting pieces of corpses.

The lore here is surprisingly extensive for a low-level monster. You could legitimately tell an entire story with it! Perhaps the players need to find a missing person who was taken by a harpy in a side quest. Or they could have a much longer quest involving the gods involved in the myth. Your options are extensive!

Design: You Ever Seen a Harpy Before?

You know what to expect here. Lady with wings and talons. It ain’t complicated.

It’s a classic look. A true staple of the fantasy genre. From Greek myths to fantasy epics, the harpy is a tried and true creature. And in all of those previous tales, the harpy looks just about the same.

As is the case here. It’s the most standard harpy design you could come up with. It has no exotic flare to make it stand out from its contemporaries. It’s just a harpy.

I wish they had done something with it. Maybe given a few variations! Maybe you could have a raven harpy with black wings, or a macaw harpy with colorful wings! I dunno, just give me something more interesting than this!

It’s a classic look. But in terms of creativity? It falls incredibly short.

In short: dull. Next.

Stats: How’s Your Singing?

This is a very bog-standard fight. It has low AC, low HP, and most of its moveset is just simple melee attacks bolstered by Multiattack. Effective for a low-level enemy like this one, but far from interesting.

Save for one ability: Luring Song.

The effect of this ability is incredibly simple. It starts to sing, forcing everyone within 300ft of it to make a Wisdom saving throw. Fail, and they’ll fall under the Harpy’s spell. On subsequent turns, the harpy must take a bonus action to continue singing. Though you can end the song by incapacitating it.

Shocking, I know.

While under the effects of the spell, the victim is incapacitated and ignores other harpy songs. Should they be more than 5 feet away from the harpy, they must move directly towards it until they are within that range, regardless of what’s in their path. They cannot avoid opportunity attacks. However, before walking into hazardous terrain, such as lava, they can make the saving throw again. They can also repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns. Once they break free, they are immune to its effects for 24 hours.

This single ability makes the harpy a much more interesting and dangerous foe. What happens when half the party falls under its spell? Will they be able to break free before getting clawed to shreds or walking into something dangerous? What does the terrain look like and how easily can the harpy lure them into something deadly? Suddenly, the environment becomes just as much of a threat as the harpy itself. Even more so of one, given the creature’s weak stats.

But once everyone gets free, it becomes a straight-forward slugfest. Which is never all that interesting.

Placement

Huh. This is actually surprisingly cool! The lore is extensive, giving DMs plenty of options for fun storytelling. Its stats can make for a memorable encounter thanks to its Luring Song power, even if it ultimately becomes a slugfest by the end. My only real problem with it is the unoriginal design.

With all that in mind, let’s put the Harpy on the Best of the Bestiary!

1. Beholder
2. Death Tyrant
3. Dragon Turtle
4. Green Dragons
5. Red Dragons
6. Blue Dragons
7. Black Dragons
8. White Dragons
9. Silver Dragons
10. Couatl
11. Behir
12. Aboleth
13. Sea Hag
14. Bronze Dragons
15. Brass Dragons
16. Copper Dragons
17. Gold Dragons
18. Chuul
19. Gibbering Mouther
20. Chimera
21. Death Knight
22. Fomorian
23. Bone Devil
24. Dracolich
25. Faerie Dragon
26. Night Hag
27. Green Hag
28. Ankheg
29. Storm Giant
30. Hill Giant
31. Empyrean
32. Efreeti
33. Grimlock
34. Dao
35. Cloud Giant
36. Drow (all four of ’em)
37. Shadow Demon
38. Marilith
39. Drider
40. Aarackockra
41. Azer
42. Demilich
43. Spectator
44. Marid
45. Harpy <——————-
46. Half-Dragon
47. Cambion
48. Fire Giant
49. Animated Armor
50. Banshee
51. Basilisk
52. Yochlol
53. Bulette
54. Cloaker
55. Darkmantle
56. Doppelganger
57. Ghoul and Ghast
58. Ettin
59. Pit Fiend
60. Erinyes
61. Chain Devil
62. Bearded Devil
63. Barbed Devil
64. Spined Devil
65. Ice Devil
66. Djinni
67. Nalfeshnee
68. Glabrezu
69. Chasme
70. Grell
71. Barlgura
72. Horned Devil
73. Balor
74. Shadow Dragon
75. Vrock
76. Dretch
77. Gnolls (all three)
78. Goristro
79. Hezrou
80. Manes
81. Frost Giant
82. Duergar
83. Quasit
84. Dryad
85. Flumph
86. Goblin
87. Githyanki
88. Planetar
89. Imp
90. Clay Golem
91. Flameskull
92. Displacer Beast
93. Carrion Crawler
94. Githzerai
95. Grick
96. Rug of Smothering
97. Bugbear Chief
98. Bugbear
99. Flesh Golem
100. Vine Blight
101. Twig Blight
102. Needle Blight
103. Bullywug
104. Ettercap
105. Gas Spore
106. Cockatrice
107. Lemure
108. Solar
109. Deva
110. Gorgon
111. Griffon
112. Cyclops
113. Centaur
114. Ghost
115. Fire Elemental
116. Water Elemental
117. Air Elemental
118. Stone Giant
119. Deep Gnome
120. Dinosaurs (All six of them)
121. Iron Golem
122. Stone Golem
123. Earth Elemental
124. Galeb Duhr
125. Flying Sword
126. Crawling Claw
127. Violet Fungus
128. Shrieker
129. Gargoyle