Corpse Rook

Large monstrosity, neutral evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24)
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 5 (-3) 10 (+0) 11 (+0)

Skills Perception +2, Survival +2
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Special Traits

  • Flyby. The corpse rook doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.
  • Three Heads. The corpse rook has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The corpse rook makes three bite attacks and one claws attack.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
  • Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage.

About

This creature resembles a three-headed raven with oily black feathers and bright silver talons and beak. A pungent, almost sulfuric odor emanates from the creature. Its wings are tipped with silver feathers.

Corpse rooks are giant three-headed birds of prey that devour just about anything they can catch, preferring a diet of horses, giant lizards, dire rats, giant frogs, cattle, sheep, and humanoids. They build their nests at the top of broadleaved trees or high atop rocky outcroppings in less forested terrain. A corpse rook’s nest is constructed from mud, grass, hair, leaves, and the bones of their victims. These creatures do not associate with other avian creatures and are often hunted by red dragons, green dragons, rocs, and wyverns (who savor the taste of their flesh).

Corpse rooks are solitary hunters with a hunting territory often covering 5 miles in each direction away from its nest. Hunting is always done during the day when the corpse rook has the advantage. During mating season (spring and early summer months) both the male and female corpse rook hunt for food, sometimes together, but most often in separate directions away from the nest. A nest typically contains 1d4 silver and gold-flecked eggs as well as treasure from slain prey.

Corpse rooks attack their foes from the air, slashing with their claws and biting with their sharpened beaks. They rarely land on the ground during battle, preferring to swoop in and out of melee to keep their opponents off balance. Multiple corpse rooks work together to bring down prey; one might land on the ground to draw the attention of the prey, while the other corpse rook swoops in behind to flank. Creatures killed by a corpse rook are carried back to the nest and either devoured or fed to the newborns.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Horrors © 2018, Frog God Games, LLC; Authors: Kevin Baase, Erica Balsley, John “Pexx” Barnhouse, Christopher Bishop, Casey Christofferson, Jim Collura, Andrea Costantini, Jayson ‘Rocky’ Gardner, Zach Glazar, Meghan Greene, Scott Greene, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Ian S. Johnston, Bill Kenower, Patrick Lawinger, Rhiannon Louve, Ian McGarty, Edwin Nagy, James Patterson, Nathan Paul, Patrick N. Pilgrim, Clark Peterson, Anthony Pryor, Greg Ragland, Robert Schwalb, G. Scott Swift, Greg A. Vaughan, and Bill Webb