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Carrion-Shrike Swarm - AI-generated fantasy Monster

Carrion-Shrike Swarm

Soldiers in the Grey Cinders fear the Carrion-Shrike more than the enemy's arrows. They are seen as omens of a lost cause. Tales say the first shrikes were born from the spilled blood of a traitorous king, cursed to never again taste anything but the fruit of betrayal.

Monsters
Large swarm · CR 5 · Uncommon in war zones, Rare otherwise

Carrion-Shrike Swarm

A collective of oily-feathered scavengers that haunt war-torn landscapes
AC14
HP82/82
CR5
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

Combat

AC 14 · HP 82 · CR 5

Carrion-Shrike Swarm

Large swarm (tiny beasts), unaligned
Armor Class14 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points82 (11d10 + 22)
Speed
10 ft. walking,
50 ft. flying
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsDexterityConstitution
SkillsPerceptionStealth
Damage Resistances
Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing,
Fire
Immunities
Charmed,
Frightened,
Grappled,
Paralyzed,
Petrified,
Prone,
Restrained,
Stunned
Weaknesses
Thunder
Senses
Darkvision 60 ft.,
Passive Perception 14
Languages
None
Challenge5
Proficiency Bonus+3
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny bird. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Blood Scent. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to locate any creature that has taken damage within the last 10 minutes.
Oily Plumage. The swarm has advantage on saving throws against being set on fire or affected by magical heat.
Iron-Scented Frenzy. The swarm has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.

Actions

Beaks and Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 21 () piercing damage, or 10 () piercing damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer.
Whirlwind of Feathers. The swarm beats its wings violently. Each creature in the swarm's space must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be blinded until the end of its next turn. On a failure, the creature also takes 7 () slashing damage from the sharp, oily feathers.
Metallic Echo (Recharge 5 - 6). The swarm emits a coordinated, shrill screech that mimics the sound of clashing swords. Each creature within 20 feet of the swarm must make a Wisdom saving throw or be Incapacitated until the end of its next turn as the sound rattles their mind.

Reactions

Scatter. When the swarm is targeted by a ranged attack, it can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on that attack by momentarily thinning its density.
Role
Area Denial Skirmisher
Built for
4 to 6

Feats

Mobile

Notes for the game master

The swarm is most dangerous when attacking wounded foes.
Use its fly speed to keep it out of range of melee characters until it can dive-bomb a caster.

Tactics

  1. Opening

    The swarm starts at a height, circling the battlefield until blood is drawn. It then uses its full fly speed to descend upon the most wounded target.

  2. Mid-fight

    It uses Whirlwind of Feathers to blind groups of enemies before focusing its Beaks and Talons attack on a single incapacitated target.

  3. End of the fight

    If the swarm drops below half health, it becomes more erratic, using Metallic Echo more frequently to cover its maneuvers.

  4. Retreat

    If reduced to 10 hit points or fewer, the swarm scatters into individual birds that flee in all directions, regrouping later at their nest.

How it fights

Flyby attacks
Targeting healers or those currently bleeding
Using the environment like smoke or ash for cover

Who it attacks first

Wounded combatants
Creatures wearing noisy heavy armor
Healers trying to close wounds

Works well with

Archers (who create wounded targets)
Fire-based spells (which create smoke and cover)
Catapults (the noise attracts them)

How to beat it

Thunderwave or other Area of Effect thunder damage
Strong winds (Gust of Wind)
Heavy rain which cleans the scent of blood

Ways to avoid a fight

They can be distracted by throwing fresh meat or metal scraps elsewhere.
An Animal Handling check (DC 20) might allow a character to move through their territory if they remain silent and uninjured.

Ecology

A swirling vortex of midnight-black birds with feathers slick with oil and blood. Their beaks are serrated and their eyes glow with a dim, sickly yellow light. When they move, they resemble a living shadow or a thick cloud of smoke punctuated by the glint of iron-hard talons.

Behavior

Extremely aggressive when blood is spilled. They are attracted to the vibrations of steel hitting steel and the scent of fresh viscera. They do not hunt as individuals but move as a unified, fluid mass that seeks to overwhelm and strip prey to the bone in seconds.

How it lives

Originally simple cliff-dwelling birds, these shrikes have evolved alongside eternal warfare. Their oily plumage makes them resistant to the fires often found on battlefields, and their diet consists entirely of the casualties of conflict.

Lair

Nests are typically built in high, ruined towers or the skeletons of massive siege engines, decorated with the armor and trinkets of their victims.

Habitat
Siege-sites, battlefields, the Grey Cinders, ruined cities

Signs that it is near

Metallic clicking sounds in the distance
Slick, black feathers floating in the air
Perfectly cleaned skeletons left in the middle of battlefields

Tags

Scavenger,
Siege,
Airborne

Lore

Soldiers in the Grey Cinders fear the Carrion-Shrike more than the enemy's arrows. They are seen as omens of a lost cause. Tales say the first shrikes were born from the spilled blood of a traitorous king, cursed to never again taste anything but the fruit of betrayal.

What drives it

Primarily driven by a ravenous hunger that seems never-ending due to the abundance of carrion in their native habitat.

After the fight

The area becomes eerily quiet. The scent of ozone and copper lingers. The party may find their own equipment stained with the stubborn, foul-smelling oil of the birds.

“Tales say the first shrikes were born from the spilled blood of a traitorous king, cursed to never again taste anything but the fruit of betrayal.”
From its lore

Variants

Cinder-Shrike (deals additional fire damage)
Albinic Shrike (found in snow-covered sieges)

Hooks

Plot hooks

The army's messenger was intercepted by shrikes; players must recover the scroll from the nest.
A local lord offers a bounty for every shrike nest destroyed near the trade routes.
The players find a wounded knight being circled by the swarm and must save him.

How to use it

A hazard during a castle siege
A random encounter in a scorched wasteland
Guardians of a battlefield graveyard

Treasure

Shiny trinkets (100gp worth of silver rings and coins)
A single magical ring found in a nest
Valuable oily feathers used in fire-resistance potions

Media

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