Owlbear Cub

Small monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 19 (3d10 + 3)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	3 (-4)	11 (+0)	7 (-2)

Skills Perception +1
Senses darkvision 60 Ft., passive Perception 13
Challenge ½ (100 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Keen Sight and Smell. The owlbear has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
• Mighty Build. The owlbear counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift.

ACTIONS

• Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
• Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.

ABOUT

Owlbear cubs are small and sturdily built, with wide flat faces, large eyes, and razor sharp serrated beaks.

They lumber on all fours when walking, running, or stalking prey, and rise up onto two legs when threatened or attacking, swiping with thickly muscled forelegs that end in wicked claws. Downy feathers cover them from head to toe, ranging from light brown to grey, and their tails are plumes of long, true feathers. Like their namesake the owl they cannot move their large powerful eyes, and must constantly turn their heads to shift focus.

Unflappable. Owlbear cubs grow to be large and powerful with few predators and are fearless from the moment they hatch, treating minor threats with indifference and bigger threats with aggression.

Owlbear cubs, like full grown bearowls, don’t hesitate to challenge creatures much larger and stronger than themselves, and can get themselves into trouble without their parents to protect them until they grow into their strength. Aggressive carnivores, owlbear cubs are always hungry, and will eat anything – so long as it is meat. They hunt in forests, and are astonishingly stealthy for their size, stalking their prey in absolute silence through thick foliage. Once they are close to their prey they charge suddenly, smashing through the trees to tackle their food. When threatened or agitated, owlbear cubs let out an ear-piercing screech, much like a battle cry, and charge the offending party without mercy.

Despite their courage, owlbear cubs are intelligent and fight with both aggression and strategy, often flanking their foes when working with allies.

Fowl Tempered. Owlbears mate for life, forming an unbreakable bond with their partner and protecting their owlets ferociously until they are grown.

Owlbear eggs are very valuable on black markets, so dens are often robbed or parents slain by brave or ruthless poachers. Owlbear cubs without their parents to care for them are extremely exposed, with neither the good sense to avoid danger nor the strength to keep it at bay. Vulnerable though they are, owlets are notoriously difficult to tame, and show a grumpy indifference to humanoids even when well fed. Typically it takes a skilled druid or ranger to tame an owlet, but once coaxed out of their shell owlbear cubs grow into fiercely loyal and even affectionate friends, showing some of the devotion usually reserved for their families.