Harpy - Revision history

Tao alexis at 11:31, 14 April 2026

2026-04-14T11:31:40Z

Tao alexis at 11:28, 14 April 2026

2026-04-14T11:28:37Z

Tao alexis at 11:28, 14 April 2026

2026-04-14T11:28:12Z

Tao alexis at 22:28, 17 April 2022

2022-04-17T22:28:15Z

Tao alexis at 20:01, 11 December 2021

2021-12-11T20:01:46Z

Tao alexis at 01:32, 2 December 2021

2021-12-02T01:32:51Z

Tao alexis at 00:46, 2 December 2021

2021-12-02T00:46:06Z

Tao alexis at 05:37, 21 October 2021

2021-10-21T05:37:28Z

Tao alexis at 19:20, 20 October 2021

2021-10-20T19:20:33Z

Tao alexis at 20:44, 6 November 2020

2020-11-06T20:44:34Z

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 }}
 '''Harpies''', sometimes known as '''sirens''', are winged beasts with the upper body of a woman and the lower form of a great bird. Their faces are pale and, to those unaffected by their magic, unpleasant or malformed. Their arms are thin and bony, ending in long talons rather than hands. From their shoulders grow broad, vulture-like wings, granting them powerful and sustained '''flight'''; they are known to ride the wind with ease, soaring and diving at great height.
-[[File:Harpy.jpg|left|315px]]
+[[File:Harpy.jpg|left|350px|thumb]]
 __TOC__
 In their natural state, harpies are filthy and degraded creatures. They nest and sleep in their own refuse, caring nothing for cleanliness. Their clothing, if any, is torn, rotted and fouled, left to decay upon their bodies. They snore, spit and speak in coarse, abusive [[Language|language]]. Driven by hunger and malice, they appear gaunt and ragged, with eyes red and inflamed, and voices harsh as carrion birds.

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 | HD = 3
 | AP = 6
 | THAC0 = 19
 | hpdie = d6

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 | special = [[Calling|singing]], [[Charm|touch]], [[Flight|flight]]
 }}
+'''Harpies''', sometimes known as '''sirens''', are winged beasts with the upper body of a woman and the lower form of a great bird. Their faces are pale and, to those unaffected by their magic, unpleasant or malformed. Their arms are thin and bony, ending in long talons rather than hands. From their shoulders grow broad, vulture-like wings, granting them powerful and sustained '''flight'''; they are known to ride the wind with ease, soaring and diving at great height.
 [[File:Harpy.jpg|left|315px]]
-In nature, they are altogether disgusting, for they live and sleep in their own filth like pigs.  They wear attire that has been allowed to rot on their bodies, filled with rents and pierces, scorning to wear better cloth even when they could take it from their victims.  They snore like repulsive beasts, and spit, and speak with loathsome [[Language|language]] like street women.  They are haggard with hunger and hatefulness, screaming like eagles while their eyes burn red with bloated blood.
+__TOC__
-But once a victim is entranced, they become in the victim's eyes the most beautiful of women, with the sweetest voices.  Many a victim has been witnessed to remain enraptured, even as his or her body is torn limb from limb — for it is their ability to '''charm''' that makes harpies among the most dangerous of beasts.
+Yet to those under their influence, harpies appear entirely transformed. Victims perceive them as strikingly beautiful, their voices soft and alluring. This deception is absolute; even as a harpy rends a victim’s body, the victim may remain enraptured, unable to recognise the creature’s true nature. It is this power of '''charm''' that makes harpies exceptionally dangerous.
 == Advantages ==
-When they wish, harpies are able to '''sing with voices''' of unequalled resonance, producing lyrical music of incomprehensible sweetness.  If this '''calling''' sound is heard within 120 ft., listeners must make a [[Saving Throws|saving throw against magic]], or else they will abandon all other actions and move forward to present themselves to the nearest singing harpy.  Sailors have been known to jump overboard, and passengers who are unable to swim, who thus drown in the sea.  Harpies often await victims while upon crags in dangerous shoals, for they take great glee from watching victims be dashed upon the rocks.  While sailors may stuff their ears with cotton and wax, often they will run a ship aground because they cannot hear one another to give orders, and harpies thrill in this also.
+Harpies possess the ability to '''sing''' with unnatural clarity and sweetness. When they employ this calling, all who hear it within 120 ft. must make a [[Saving Throws|saving throw against magic]] or abandon their present actions and move toward the nearest singing harpy. This compulsion overrides judgement and self-preservation. Sailors may leap into the sea, while others walk blindly into hazards. Harpies often position themselves upon cliffs or shoals, taking advantage of terrain that will destroy or isolate those drawn to them.
-At this time, victims can be wrestled to the ground and dragged back to safety; if taken more than 240 ft. from the singing, the lure of their call will be broken and the victim will regain their sensibility.
+Those affected may be physically restrained by others; if removed beyond 240 ft. from the source of the singing, the influence ends and the victim regains awareness.
-However, if they are able, harpies desire the called victim to come forward, so that he or she may be '''touched'''.  It is this touch that bestows the true '''charm'''.  For victims that have answered the call, there is no saving throw for this touch; but for others, who have fortitude against the harpy's singing, if they are touched or struck by a harpy, at this time they must make saving throw again.  A successful save will forever afterwards protect a character from that harpy; '''but all harpies who touch the victim must each be saved against''' — and so harpies almost always roost in groups, so that they may thoroughly ensure their mutual protection.
+=== Charm ===
-Nothing can break the charm of being ''touched'' except the death of the specific harpy whose touch produced the charm.  Once charmed by touch, the victim willingly accepts being torn asunder, often observing, while still alive, their own limbs and organs being consumed.  Harpies are voracious; one is able to eat a meal of ten large men without trouble, and will pick every bone clean, sucking out the marrow, even if this takes many hours.
+Once charmed by touch, the victim cannot be freed by any means short of killing the harpy responsible. The victim remains compliant and unresisting, even to the point of observing their own destruction without distress. Harpies are voracious feeders, capable of consuming great quantities of flesh, stripping bones clean and devouring even the marrow over extended periods.
 See [[Bestiary]]

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 | THAC0 = 19
 | hpdie = d6
-| attack = [[Talons (attack)|talons]], [[Club (weapon)|bone club]]
+| attack = [[Talon (attack)|talons]], [[Club (weapon)|bone club]]
 | dmg = 2–12, 2–8
 | special = [[Calling|singing]], [[Charm|touch]], [[Flight|flight]]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 [[File:Harpy.jpg|left|315px]]
-In nature, they are altogether disgusting, for they live and sleep in their own filth like pigs.  They wear attire that has been allowed to rot on their bodies, filled with rents and pierces, scorning to wear better cloth even when they could take it from their victims.  They snore like repulsive beasts, and spit, and speak with loathsome language like street women.  They are haggard with hunger and hatefulness, screaming like eagles while their eyes burn red with bloated blood.
+In nature, they are altogether disgusting, for they live and sleep in their own filth like pigs.  They wear attire that has been allowed to rot on their bodies, filled with rents and pierces, scorning to wear better cloth even when they could take it from their victims.  They snore like repulsive beasts, and spit, and speak with loathsome [[Language|language]] like street women.  They are haggard with hunger and hatefulness, screaming like eagles while their eyes burn red with bloated blood.
 But once a victim is entranced, they become in the victim's eyes the most beautiful of women, with the sweetest voices.  Many a victim has been witnessed to remain enraptured, even as his or her body is torn limb from limb — for it is their ability to '''charm''' that makes harpies among the most dangerous of beasts.

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 }}
-'''Harpies''', sometimes known as '''sirens''', are beasts that appear with the upper body of a woman, with a pale face that is often described as ugly by those not affected by a harpy's bewitchment.  Their arms are thin and bony, with long, vicious claws instead of hands.  Growing from their shoulders are two enormous wings, similar to those of a vulture.  They have the power of '''flight''' and have been described as "keeping pace with the blowing winds, as they soar and swoop, high aloft." {Hesiod}
+'''Harpies''', sometimes known as '''sirens''', are beasts that appear with the upper body of a woman, with a pale face that is often described as ugly by those not affected by a harpy's bewitchment.  Their arms are thin and bony, with long, vicious talons instead of hands.  Growing from their shoulders are two enormous wings, similar to those of a vulture.  They have the power of '''flight''' and have been described as "keeping pace with the blowing winds, as they soar and swoop, high aloft." {Hesiod}
 [[File:Harpy.jpg|left|315px]]