Acr0ssTh3P0nd
First Post
Craul
Medium monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 20 (3d8 + 6)
Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
13 (+1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 5 (-3) 13 (+1) 6 (-2)
Skills Wisdom (Perception) +3, Strength (Athletics) +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages --
Challenge 1 (200 xp)
Traits
Flyby. The craul doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Keen Senses. The craul has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
Actions
Multiattack. The craul makes two claw attacks. If both attacks hit, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage. The craul has disadvantage on claw attacks when it is not flying.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, or 14 (3d6 + 3) against a prone target.
The craul is horrific to behold. Its head is an eerie combination of eagle and crocodile, with beak-like mandibles and an elongated reptilian bottom jaw, and four red-black eyes that seem just a bit too large for its spined head. It stands at around four to five feet tall, hunched over on two thin legs, at the ends of which are long, straight, razor-sharp talons. Its feathered wings are short but broad - all the better for flying in the desolate canyons it calls home - and feature two lithe digits ending in hooked claws, which it uses to nimbly scale the sheer canyon walls.
A single craul is not a tremendous threat to a seasoned adventurer, but their harsh, guttural cry is enough to make a wizard reach for his wand and a warrior grip her sword a little tighter - for craul hunt in packs of anywhere from three to fifteen members. In turn, they swoop in, harassing a single target and wearing it down with mid-dive swipes and slashes from their talons. As their prey grows more desperate, the larger craul attempt to knock it down, and bite and gnaw at the helpless creature until it ceases struggling.
What is most terrifying about craul, however, is their intelligence. Although still bestial in mind as well as form, craul display a rudimentary cunning and sense of teamwork - they will attempt to "herd" their prey out from cover into the open, where they have more freedom with their diving attacks, and many adventurers tell stories of craul that trip or push their quarry over cliffs and feast on the gory remains. Captured specimens have been observed systematically testing the boundaries of their enclosures in different places, working together to reach places and fit through spaces a single craul could not navigate, and even purposefully disarming handlers.
DMs should use the craul as an example of the dangers of an area of wasteland. Use sparingly but in large doses - at least four to six per combat, and probably more - against characters levels 5-10. Keep craul out of melee range, and constantly have them swooping in to attack the characters. Use their higher Strength (Athletics) score to push characters around and force movement. If the characters feel like a fight and are smart about it, you'll see a lot of readied actions and AoE spells.
Reference of craul head, claws, and wings
Medium monstrosity, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 20 (3d8 + 6)
Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft.
Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha
13 (+1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 5 (-3) 13 (+1) 6 (-2)
Skills Wisdom (Perception) +3, Strength (Athletics) +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages --
Challenge 1 (200 xp)
Traits
Flyby. The craul doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Keen Senses. The craul has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
Actions
Multiattack. The craul makes two claw attacks. If both attacks hit, the target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage. The craul has disadvantage on claw attacks when it is not flying.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage, or 14 (3d6 + 3) against a prone target.
The craul is horrific to behold. Its head is an eerie combination of eagle and crocodile, with beak-like mandibles and an elongated reptilian bottom jaw, and four red-black eyes that seem just a bit too large for its spined head. It stands at around four to five feet tall, hunched over on two thin legs, at the ends of which are long, straight, razor-sharp talons. Its feathered wings are short but broad - all the better for flying in the desolate canyons it calls home - and feature two lithe digits ending in hooked claws, which it uses to nimbly scale the sheer canyon walls.
A single craul is not a tremendous threat to a seasoned adventurer, but their harsh, guttural cry is enough to make a wizard reach for his wand and a warrior grip her sword a little tighter - for craul hunt in packs of anywhere from three to fifteen members. In turn, they swoop in, harassing a single target and wearing it down with mid-dive swipes and slashes from their talons. As their prey grows more desperate, the larger craul attempt to knock it down, and bite and gnaw at the helpless creature until it ceases struggling.
What is most terrifying about craul, however, is their intelligence. Although still bestial in mind as well as form, craul display a rudimentary cunning and sense of teamwork - they will attempt to "herd" their prey out from cover into the open, where they have more freedom with their diving attacks, and many adventurers tell stories of craul that trip or push their quarry over cliffs and feast on the gory remains. Captured specimens have been observed systematically testing the boundaries of their enclosures in different places, working together to reach places and fit through spaces a single craul could not navigate, and even purposefully disarming handlers.
DMs should use the craul as an example of the dangers of an area of wasteland. Use sparingly but in large doses - at least four to six per combat, and probably more - against characters levels 5-10. Keep craul out of melee range, and constantly have them swooping in to attack the characters. Use their higher Strength (Athletics) score to push characters around and force movement. If the characters feel like a fight and are smart about it, you'll see a lot of readied actions and AoE spells.
Reference of craul head, claws, and wings
