Vulture (4e Monster)
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Mundane vultures are scavenging birds, feeding off of the carcasses of those who have died of natural causes or those who have been killed by other creatures. They typically flee when provoked, though they have been known to aggressively defend their meals when food is scarce. Monstrous vultures are often much more dangerous beasts, as they can readily hunt living creatures.
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Vulture[edit]
Ordinary vultures aren't particularly threatening creatures even when provoked. However, they can spread disease with their bite, and many cultures view the vulture as an omen of death and misfortune. They can detect carrion from miles away, and are often found near battlefields where food is abundant.
| Vulture Level 2 Minion Brute
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|---|---|---|
| Small natural beast XP 31
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| Initiative +1 | Senses Perception +8; low-light vision | |
| HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. | ||
| AC 14; Fortitude 16, Reflex 12, Will 14 | ||
| Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 4 | ||
 Bite (standard; at-will) ♦ Disease
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| +5 vs. Fortitude; 5 damage, and the target contracts level 2 filth fever (see below). | ||
| Carrion Hunter | ||
| A vulture gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks made against bloodied creatures. | ||
| Alignment Unaligned | Languages — | |
| Skills Endurance +10 | ||
| Str 15 (+3) | Dex 10 (+1) | Wis 14 (+3) |
| Con 19 (+5) | Int 2 (–3) | Cha 8 (+0) |
| Filth Fever Level 2 Disease
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filth fever causes the victim's wounds to fester and rot, and its skin to erupt in small but painful boils. | Attack: +5 vs. Fortitude Endurance improve DC 16, maintain DC 11, worsen DC 10 or lower. | |||||||||
| The target is cured. |  |
Initial Effect The target loses 1 healing surge. |  |
The target takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude defense, and Reflex defense. |  |
Final State The target takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude defense, and Reflex defense. The target loses all healing surges and cannot regain hit points. | ||||
Vulture Tactics[edit]
Vultures typically attack only to defend themselves or when a living creature is badly wounded. They will typically bite their opponent and then fly out of reach, circling overhead while the victim slowly weakens from disease and exposure to the elements.
Vulture Lore[edit]
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
- DC 15: Vultures feed on carrion and are only a threat to those who are grievously wounded and near death. They are surprisingly clean creatures, and some people keep them as pets.
Bonestripper Vulture[edit]
Large, predatory birds native to the Shadowfell, these creatures are almost identical to their mundane relatives. Bonestripper vultures will attack healthy animals without hesitation, and their powerful jaws and serrated beaks can tear all of the flesh off of a victim in minutes. Like most vultures, they spread a virulent disease through their bite.
| Bonestripper Vulture Level 10 Brute
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| Medium shadow beast XP 500
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| Initiative +7 | Senses Perception +14; low-light vision | |
| HP 132; Bloodied 66 | ||
| AC 22; Fortitude 24, Reflex 20, Will 22 | ||
| Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 8 | ||
| Bite (standard; at-will) ♦ Disease
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| +15 vs. AC; 2d6 + 5 damage, and the bonestripper vulture makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary Attack: +13 vs. Fortitude; the target contracts level 10 filth fever (see below). | ||
 Bonestrip (immediate reaction, when an enemy is reduced to 0 hit points; at-will) ♦ Disease, Healing
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| The bonestripper vulture moves up to 4 squares and makes a bite attack against the target. On a hit, the bonestripper vulture regains 20 hit points. | ||
| Carrion Hunter | ||
| A bonestripper vulture gains a +4 bonus on Perception checks made against bloodied creatures. | ||
| Alignment Unaligned | Languages — | |
| Skills Endurance +16 | ||
| Str 17 (+8) | Dex 14 (+7) | Wis 18 (+9) |
| Con 22 (+11) | Int 2 (+1) | Cha 8 (+4) |
| Filth Fever Level 10 Disease
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| Filth fever causes the victim's wounds to fester and rot, and its skin to erupt in small but painful boils. | Attack: +11 vs. Fortitude Endurance improve DC 21, maintain DC 16, worsen DC 15 or lower. | |||||||||
| The target is cured. | |
Initial Effect The target loses 1 healing surge. | |
The target takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude defense, and Reflex defense. | |
Final State The target takes a –2 penalty to AC, Fortitude defense, and Reflex defense. The target loses all healing surges and cannot regain hit points. | ||||
Bonestripper Vulture Tactics[edit]
A bonestripper vultures focuses its efforts on one target at a time, biting repeatedly until the victim falls. In groups, they will typically each choose a different target, but two or more bonestripper vultures will fight over the same food if there are more of them than there are enemies. If a victim drops, every nearby vulture will move towards it and use bonestrip.
Bonestripper Vulture Lore[edit]
A character knows the following information with a successful Nature check.
- DC 15: Bonestripper vultures are both scavengers and predators, preferring wounded or dead prey but hunting healthy animals when no other food is available.
- DC 20: The disease a bonestripper vulture spreads is more potent than that of mundane vultures, and they can rapidly heal their wounds by feeding on victims who are near death.
Encounter Groups[edit]
Although vultures do not typically work together, they swarm towards potential meals in large numbers. They sometimes mistake undead creatures for food and can be found following them around for days.
Level 3 Encounter (XP 754) — Carrion Stalkers
- 1 corruption corpse (level 4 artillery, Monster Manual pg. 274)
- 2 gravehounds (level 3 brute, Monster Manual pg. 274)
- 9 vultures (level 2 minion brute)
Back to Main Page → 4e Homebrew → Monsters
| Author | Dracomortis + |
| Identifier | 4e Monster + |
| Rating | Undiscussed + |
| Title | Vulture + |
