Harpy

(From 5th Edition Monster Manual - 1994):

A harpy combines the body, legs, and wings of a vulture with the torso, arms, and head of a human female. Its sweet song has lured countless adventurers to their deaths.

Taking glee in suffering and death, the sadistic harpy is always on the hunt for prey. Its sweet song has lured countless adventurers to their deaths, drawing them in close for the harpy to kill and then consume.

A harpy combines the body, legs, and wings of a vulture with the torso, arms, and head of a human. Its wicked talons and bone club make it a formidable threat in combat, and its eyes reflect the absolute evil of its soul.

Divine Curse. Long ago, an elf wandering a forest heard birdsong so pure and wholesome that she was moved to tears. Following the music, she came upon a clearing where stood a handsome elf youth who had also paused to hear the bird’s song. This was Fenmarel Mestarine, a reclusive elf god. His divine presence stole her heart as he fled, vanishing into the woods as if he was never there.

Though the elf searched the woods and called for her stranger, she found no sign of his passage. Driven to despair by her longing, she begged the gods to help her. Aerdrie Faenya, elf goddess of the sky, heard the elf’s cries and was moved to her aid. She appeared as the bird whose song had entranced the outcast god, then taught that song of beauty and seduction to the elf.

When her singing failed to draw Fenmarel Mestarine to her side, the elf cursed the gods, invoking a dreadful power and transforming her into the first harpy. The curse worked its magic on the elf’s spirit as well as her body, turning her desire for love into a hunger for flesh, even as her beautiful song continued to draw creatures to her deadly embrace.

Harpy Song. To hear a harpy’s song is to hear music more beautiful than anything else in the world. A traveler that succumbs to the entrancing effect of that singing is compelled to blunder toward its source. A harpy sometimes charms victims before it attacks, but a more effective use of its song is to lure prey over cliffs, into bogs and quicksand, or into deadly pits. Creatures trapped or incapacitated then become easy targets for the harpy’s wrath.

Sadistic Cowards. Harpies haunt bleak coastal cliffs and other places hazardous to non-flying creatures. Harpies have no interest in a fair fight, and they never attack unless they have a clear advantage. If a fight turns against a harpy, it lacks the cunning to adapt and will flee and go hungry rather than risk straight-up combat.

When they attack, harpies play with their food, delighting in the “music” their victims make as they scream. A harpy takes its time dismembering a helpless foe and can spend days torturing a victim before the merciful end.

Gruesome Collectors. Harpies take shiny baubles, valuable objects, and other trophies from their victims, sometimes fighting with each other for the right to claim the choicest prizes. When no valuable objects can be found, a harpy takes hair, bones, or body parts to line its nest. A harpy’s lair is usually hidden in remote ruins, where adventurers can discover valuable treasure and magic hidden beneath foul piles of offal.

(From Monster Manual v3.5 - 2003):

This creature looks like an evil-faced old human with the lower body, legs, and wings of a reptilian monster. Its hair is tangled, filthy, and crusted with blood. 

A more malignant and wretched creature than the harpy is difficult to imagine. Taking great glee in causing suffering and death, the sadistic harpy is always watching for new victims. 

A harpy’s coal-black eyes clearly reflect its evil soul, as do the wicked talons on its knotty fingers. These vile creatures wear no clothing and often wield large, heavy bones as though they were clubs. 

Harpies like to entrance hapless travelers with their magical songs and lead them to unspeakable torments. Only when a harpy has finished playing with its new “toys” will it release them from suffering by killing and consuming them. 

Combat: When a harpy engages in battle, it prefers to use Flyby Attack and strike with a melee weapon. 

Captivating Song (Su): The most insidious ability of the harpy is its song. When a harpy sings, all creatures (other than harpies) within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or become captivated. This is a sonic mind-affecting charm effect. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same harpy’s song for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based. 

A captivated victim walks toward the harpy, taking the most direct route available. If the path leads into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, or the like), that creature gets a second saving throw. Captivated creatures can take no actions other than to defend themselves. (Thus, a fighter cannot run away or attack but takes no defensive penalties.) A victim within 5 feet of the harpy stands there and offers no resistance to the monster’s attacks. The effect continues for as long as the harpy sings and for 1 round thereafter. A bard’s countersong ability allows the captivated creature to attempt a new Will save. 

Skills: Harpies have a +4 racial bonus on Bluff and Listen checks. 

Harpy Archer: A cruel hunter and roaming brigand, the harpy archer has trained as a fighter specializing in ranged combat. Harpy archers often become mercenaries, selling their services to the highest bidder. When not employed, they make ends meet as highway robbers, forcing merchant caravans to pay protection money. 

Combat: Captivating Song (Su): Will DC 17 negates. Possessions: +3 studded leather, +1 frost composite longbow (+1 Str bonus), 10 cold iron arrows, 10 silvered arrows, 5 +2 arrows, lesser bracers of archery, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of cat’s grace, cloak of resistance +2, ring of protection +1. (Different harpy archers may have different possessions.)

(From 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual - 1993):

Harpies are wicked avian beasts that prey upon nearly all creatures but prefer the flesh of humans and demihumans.

Harpies have the bodies of vultures but the upper torsos and heads of women. Their human features are youthful, but hideous, with frayed unkempt hair and decaying teeth. A foul odor surrounds all harpies and that which they touch. Harpies never bathe nor clean themselves in any way. Their dress, if anything, is limited to tattered rags and shiny trinkets taken from previous victims.

The language of harpies, in contrast to their enticing song, is a horrible collection of cackles and shrieks. Although there are instances of harpies which could speak the languages of other creatures, these are few and far between.

Combat: The song of the harpies has the ability to charm all humans and demihumans who hear it (elves are resistant to the charm). Those who fail their saving throw versus spell will proceed towards the harpy with all possible speed, only to stand entranced while the harpy slays them at its leisure. This charm will last as long as the harpy continues to sing. Harpies can sing even while engaged in melee.

It is impossible to fend off a harpy song simply by clasping hands over ears because the charm takes effect the moment the first note is heard. Characters making prior preparations to block out the sound, (wax in ears, etc.), are immune to the effects of the song. In addition, characters who make their saving throw are thereafter immune to its effect, until such time as they encounter a different group of harpies.

If forced to fight, harpies can do so quite effectively by delivering a vicious bite and raking simultaneously with their talons. About 50% of all harpies encountered will use weapons, usually a bone club (damage 1-8) which they wield surprisingly well.

The touch of a harpy upon a charmed individual has a similar, though somewhat less potent, effect. Those who are touched and miss their saving throw versus spell will stand mesmerized for 20+1d10 hours.

The effect of either charm is broken if the harpy is slain.

Habitat/Society: Harpies make their home upon coastlines in regions near shipping lanes and by well-traveled paths. There they use their song to lure travelers to their doom.

Their lair is usually a shallow cave, which they defile until no animal dare approach it. Here they remain unless hunting. Harpies often carry victims back to their lair to devour them in more familiar surroundings.

Harpies have little use for treasure, other than the shiny baubles which they often attach to their clothes. Other items, such as gold and weapons, are frequently interspersed amongst the filth and bones that litter the cave. This refuse can reach a depth of several feet in the oldest of harpy lairs.

A typical harpy lair houses about a half-dozen of these wretched creatures. No male harpies have ever been seen and it seems that harpies can reproduce at will by laying a single egg every other year. Harpies take no care of their young, which live off carcasses and cave vermin until they themselves are old enough to sing and hunt.

Harpies have no social structure, frequently quarreling over who gets what part of a victim and when to stop the torturing and start the feasting. Occasionally these quarrels will turn violent, so that more than one harpy feast has begun with the last minute addition of the losing harpy to the menu.

Harpies will occassionally agree to cooperate in evil acts with other humanoids.

Ecology: Harpies hunt all manner of beasts, remaining in an area for as long as the food supply lasts. They are despised and greatly feared by all creatures weaker than themselves.

Harpies have a voracious appetite, devouring all manner of man and beast. They take great delight in torture, and frequently kill for pleasure. Slain victims which harpies do not eat are simply left to rot. Their life span is unknown but seems to be about 50 years.