The only good thing about Owlbears is that the wizard who created them is probably dead.
Xarshel Ravenshadow, gnome professor of Transmutative Science at Morgrave University
With respect, Xarshel Ravenshadow, I must disagree with you. The only good thing about owlbears is literally everything about them.
Lore: Mysterious Nighttime Hunters
Ferocious, aggressive, and stubborn, the owlbear is one of the wild’s deadliest predators. When its hunger stirs, it forgets the very concept of fear. As such, even creatures stronger than the owlbear avoid tangling with it. Only a fool goes into battle against one who has nothing to lose.
Much like regular owls, an owlbear emerges in the darkness of night to hunt or search for a mate, screeching to mark its territory as it goes. They’ll reside in caves typically found within dense forests, storing the carcasses of their kills for later consumption. Whether they hunt alone, in pairs, or even a whole family, these creatures are deadly. Although, like normal bears, the cubs are left on their own once they can hunt by themselves.
Although they are intelligent by animal standards, it is difficult to tame an owlbear. It can be done with enough time, food, and luck, making it one of the most loyal and deadly protectors one could possibly ask for. Some communities even make them into sport animals, like for racing, though it hardly ever ends well. Others use them as natural defenses or as war beasts or pets.
No one quite knows where these creatures came from. Some scholars theorize that a particularly demented wizard created them by merging a giant owl with a bear. Other sources claim the creatures to be far older, and some fey claim that they have always been around, living in the Feywild. Nobody is quite sure.
This lore makes for good world-building, but little else. You could use it to sprinkle these monsters throughout the setting, either as enemies to fight or as a part of the environment. However, if you want to craft an actual story out of their lore, your options are limited.
Design: Keep It Simple
You wouldn’t think putting an owl and a bear together would work. But lo and behold! It’s one of the most beloved designs in all of Dungeons and Dragons!
As simple as this design is, it works remarkably well! It looks charming and cute enough to be entertaining, yet it strikes a genuinely imposing and dangerous figure. You might smile at the idea of meeting a creature like this while you’re playing, but if you actually ran into one in the forest, it would be an entirely different story.
When you really think about it, this marriage of appearances isn’t so bizarre. Both bears and owls are often considered to be fairly cute or majestic creatures in the wild. But the fact of the matter is, both are highly deadly predators that could – and would – rip you to pieces if given the chance. Putting the two together is like mixing peanut butter and chocolate!
Even if the idea is still a bit silly. Every time I describe this monster to a first-time player, they either laugh or beam with delight. At least, up until I say “Roll for Initiative.”
Speaking of which…
Stats: Big Angry Bird
Did you expect this to be some giant boss monster? Some magical beast that would push your players to their limits? Bruh, it’s a bear that looks like an owl. What did you expect?
This monster is as simple as it gets. It can peck you with its beak and slash you with its claws. Its AC is pretty low, as is its HP, so you can kill it just as fast as it can kill you.
Oh, but it have advantage on Perception checks thanks to Keen Sight and Smell. So… don’t try to sneak up on it, I guess.
This is as simple a fight as you can get. You just hit it until it dies. Boring, but I can’t really call it disappointing. Again: what did you expect?
Placement
As delightful and charming as this monster is, it doesn’t do a whole lot by this series’ standards. Sure, its design is simple and works incredibly well. But its lore is basically just window-dressing for your campaign and their stats are as simple as you can get.
With all that in mind, the Owlbear is going to #125 on the Best of the Bestiary!
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- Owlbear <——————
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