May Mythological Monster Mayhem- Stymphalian Birds

Size/Type: Tiny Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 1d10 (5 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 20 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-9
Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4-1) or feather +5 ranged (1d4)
Full Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4-1) or feather +5 ranged (1d4)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Launch Feathers
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +12
Feats: Alertness, Weapon FinesseB
Environment: Temperate forests and marshes
Organization: Flock (20-200)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Challenge Rating: 1
Advancement: —


A Stymphalian Bird has a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks and a +1 racial bonus to damage with its talons.

Special Attacks: Launch Feathers (ex) A stymphalian bird may launch its bronze feathers as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30ft. doing 1d4 Piercing damage.

The Stymphalian Birds are vicious creatures created by Ares. They look like large (hawk-sized) crows, with brass talons and bronze feathers. They appear in large swarms, devastating the countryside by eating crops and poisoning what is left with their toxic dung. When attacked, they fight by launching volleys of their sharply pointed feathers at their victims. Although individually not fierce fighters, they overwhelm their foes by weight of numbers:

Stymphalian Bird Flock: This flock has had a modified version of the DMG2 Mob template applied.
Size/Type: Gargantuan Magical Beast (Mob)
HD: 30d8 (120 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 5 ft, Fly 50 ft (average)
AC: 14 (-4 Size, +3 Dex, +5 Natural), Touch 9, Flat-footed 11
Base Atk/Grapple: +30/+32
Attack: Swarm 5d6 or feather volley 10d6 (Reflex Save DC25 half)
Space/Reach: 20ft/0
Special Attacks: Feather Volley, Flyby
SQs: Mob Anatomy, low light vision
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 4
Feats: Weapon FinesseB, alertness, Improved OverrunB
Skills: Listen +4, Spot +12
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +20, Will +11
Environment: Temperate forests and marshes
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Organisation: Solitary or gang (2-5)
CR: 9
Advancement: -
Treasure: None

Special Attacks: Feather Volley (ex) targets a 10ft. by 10ft. area within 60ft. All creatures within the area take 10d6 damage (reflex save DC 25 for half). This ability may be used every 1d4-1 rounds.
Flyby: The flock may move over a creature to deal it 2d6 damage.

Special Qualities
Mob anatomy(Ex): Immune to flanking, sneak attacks, critical hits, trips, grapples or bull rushes. The mob consists of 30 Stymphalian Birds, and a spell which affects a single creature, when used on the mob, instead gives it two negative levels. The mob takes 1.5x as much damage from area attacks.
When reduced to 0HD or 0 hp, the mob disperses. If dispersed by nonlethal attacks, its members remain unharmed. If dispersed by lethal attacks, on average 9 birds are dead, 9 are reduced to 0 hp, and 12 are unharmed. Regardless, all the birds from a dispersed mob that can flee do so at the first opportunity.

Good call on the mob variation.

Shade's right. The mob version's very nice. Good call on turning the feathers into a ranged burst.

Demiurge out.

I agree, the modified mob template is great for reproducing the bird flocks formation flying. The feather volley ability is neat.

The only problem I see with the gargantuan mob version is that theoretically a flock of thirty hawk sized birds could overrun a gragantuan or colossal creature. I know, with a +10 modifier to the check its unlikely, but still the possibility is there.
On the other hand, if a medium creature withstands the flocks overrun attempt, the whole flock would stop its movement, while only a minority of birds actually enter the five foot square.
Limiting the flocks attack options, espescially in regard to its opponent's size, would help.