Stryx

Tiny monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 10 (4d4)
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
3 (-4)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	8 (-1)	15 (+2)	6 (-2)

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Elvish
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• False Appearance. While the stryx keeps its beak closed and doesn’t speak, it is indistinguishable from a normal owl.
• Flyby. The stryx doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.
• Keen Hearing and Sight. The stryx has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.

ACTIONS

• Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.
• Spellcasting (3/Day). The stryx casts the comprehend languages spell, requiring no material components and using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability.

ABOUT

The brown owl in the tree suddenly opens its beak. Instead of a hoot, it reveals very human teeth and speaks.

Stryxes are the result of the Moonlit King’s mad experiments deep within the Plane of Shadows. They resemble owls and can pass as normal birds as long as they don’t speak or open their mouths.

The stryx have a larger mouth hidden behind their beaks, filled with gleaming human teeth. Stryxes range in color from pale gray to sooty black, with gleaming eyes.

Strange Alchemy. Stryxes are unnatural beings that came about through terrible manipulation of normal owls and kidnapped humans. The Moonlit King of the shadow fey, banished and imprisoned in his tower, is desperate to touch the outside world. His crazed experiments blended shreds of mortal souls into shadowy owls and thus brought the stryx into being.

The Shadow’s Eyes. The truth of the stryx is all but unknown outside the Moonlit King’s inner circle, where these creatures serve as the king’s eyes and ears. Stryxes thrive in the Plane of Shadow and on the Material Plane equally, and they enjoy attaching themselves to powerful beings as spies, servants, and translators. Their purposes are muddied, however, because they constantly relay what they learn to their mad creator.

Familiars

Stryxes make excellent spies, and they delight in serving others. The strange owls often become outstanding spies and translators by bonding themselves to a master. Some spellcasters seek out the stryx and strike a bargain to gain the creature’s service as a familiar. While most stryxes make a show of hard bargaining, secretly they are eager to strike the deal.

Stryxes that serve spellcasters have the following trait.

Familiar. The stryx can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the stryx senses as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. While the stryx is within 10 feet of its companion, the companion shares the stryx’s Keen Hearing and Sight trait. At any time and for any reason, the stryx can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.