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Sunday, 20 July 2025

Harpies & Sirens



























Harpies in d&d always bugged me.
One thing I liked in 5th Ed Theros Book is the Harpy lore and Sirens are separate, giving you 4 monsters in a Theros game. Great for encounters in the wilderness, as you can see them 

5th Ed has 3 Harpies and specifies that the singing, charming sirens are separate in Theros.
-They have a hero harpy, Aphemia who controls undead and causes fear
-They have a weaker Berserker, low HP bloodtoll harpies, which are great low-level foes
-Sirens are pretty and as the MM stat block

I like the RuneQuest Harpies who hurl faeces and spread disease and have an aura of confusion based on their raucous screams. 

So for my own Retroclone Version:

Harpy
Chaotic Evil Hybrid
3 HD AC 6 A x2 claws d4 and scream d6 Morale 10 Mov 24 Fly 6 Hopping
😈 Frightening Scream 3 range save vs fear for 2d4 rounds
😈 If two claws hit it can try to lift the target and might carry them up and drop them
😈 Filthy claws save to see it infected with disease after the battle if clawed
😈 May replace claw with a weapon, carry javelins, daggers, shortswords, spears or other weapons. They especially like to use  lassos, nets, bola or whips to capture victims
😈 Most are female and can reproduce with humans and lay eggs, males are uncommon, weaker and mostly infertile

Variations
1in4 Berserkers are activated when anyone is injured and they see blood
1in4 Razor claws have d6 claws
1in4 Huge +3HD
1in6 All food within 3 range is fouled and disgusting so only monsters would eat it
1in6 Fear Shriek 
all in 3 range save or flee in fear next d4 rounds
1in6 Spit attack can replace a claw and can blind target for d3 rounds if the target fails a save
1in8 Faecal spray in a 90-degree cone from above 3m range, save or infected by disease
1in8 Carries lice, after any melee save or -2 all rolls and -1 max hp till sterilised
1in8 Drop a large rock using first attack for 3d4 damage, takes 3 rounds to ready a new rock
1in10 Awful Scream all in 3 range save or -2 all rolls for next ten minutes
1in10 Deafening Shriek all in 3 range save or deaf for the next ten minutes
1in10 Vomit Spray once per day range 3 2d4 acid save or burns for 1HP for a d4 more rounds
1in12 Drop a vile egg every ten rounds, explodes in a 1 area circle, save or affected as a stinking cloud for d4 rounds
1in12 Human arms and an extra weapon attack, usually a spear, two knives or a bow
1in12 Summon a swarm once per day, usually flies, bats or tiny birds for 2d4 rounds
1in20 When killed bursts into a stinking cloud
1in20 Regeneration 1hp per round unless weapons are magical 
1in20 requires a magic weapon or fire to kill or revive next day with 1 HP

d12 Harpy Lair Decor
1 Worm-ridden harpy dung carried a contagious disease
2 Human bones of past food
3 Chained up male prisoner, made, covered in scratches and crying
4 Broken amphora and pottery
6 Instruments made from human remains, like bone flutes, or bone and sinew lyres
7 Nest of vermin may swarm, fleas or worms or flies
8 2d4 old weapons, but one is at least +1 left by a past missing hero
9 Wall hangings made from woven human skin and entrails
10 Eggs with baby harpies
11 d6 Ancient historic scrolls and one magic scroll in cases or bone tubes
12 An eyeball linked to their hag ancestor who watches them

Siren 
Chaotic Evil Hybrid
6 HD AC 6 A x2 claws and sing Morale 10 Mov 36 Fly 12 Hopping
😈 Charming song in a 6 range, save or charmed and in love with siren
😈 If two claws hit, it can try to lift the target and might carry them up and drop them
😈 May replace claw with a weapon, carry javelins, daggers, shortswords, spears or other weapons. They especially like to use  lassos, nets, a bola or whips to capture victims
😈 All are female and can reproduce with humans to lay eggs

Variations
1in4 Aquatic variant with fish tail instead of wings 
1in4 Uses a common magic item
1in4
 Sing and perform as a 5th Lv Bard
1in6 Can use wings to create a gust of wind as an action, blow people off walls or fan flames
1in6 Vocal mimic and ventriloquism skills

1in6 Human arms and an extra weapon attack, often play instruments
1in8 Shape change into a human 
1in8 Curse vs those who kill it, save or lose 4 points from a random ability score
1in8
 +1 weapon to harm
1in10
 Song to call a sea monster, takes d10 minutes of singing to arrive, usually used to help an ambush on a ship
1in10
 Song of Destruction, all flesh burns in 3 range, save or take a d4 damage
1in10 Swap claw for a kiss attack, forcing the target to save vs sleep for ten minutes
1in12
 Spell casters as 5th level caster
1in12 Anti-Magic Song makes 1st and 2nd lv spells have no effect on the siren

1in12 Cast control weather once per day
1in12 +4 HD queen
1in20 A group ritual for an hour can summon a 8HD air elemental per week
1in20 Immortal will return from the dead full health the next day unless a remove curse is cast on the corpse to destroy it

1in20 Regeneration 1hp per round 

d12 Siren Lair Decor
1 Collection of 2d4 fine music instruments, with gold leaf and delightful carvings
2 Decorative pile of former lovers and favourite meals' skulls
3 Collection of sheet music, paper and scribe supplies
4 Pile of gold and silver coins and d6 pieces of jewellery
5 Shrine of a god they worship or beg for release from 
their cursed existence, has a d6 items of ritual paraphernalia like cups, wands, holy symbols, and medallions worth 30gp each
6 Eggs or hatchlings in a nest with 2d6 x 100gp gold wire in construction
7 Ornate, polished metal mirrors used for grooming, some prefer a bowl of water
8 Grooming nook with d3 combs (50gp ivory each), d3 brushes (75gp ivory), makeup case (120gp) and a basket of 3d6 scarves, headbands, trinkets ond jewellery worth d6gp each 
9 Collection of wine amphorae 4d4 and a gold plate (75gp) and a d6 gold cups (50gp)
10 Map mural of the sirens' domain, often points out other monsters, shipwrecks and good hunting for humans 
11 Handsome youth charmed daily by the sirens living in bliss, does not want to be helped, will put on ornate armour and try to aid his beautiful harem
12 Chests of clothes from shipwrecks or victims, d6 outfits of noble quality

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