fun with harpies

[Munin]

Good morning all.

I'm getting this week's game ready for my group. One of the key encounters will be a group of harpies that have taken roost at the top of a ziggurat that the party must clear out.
The 'twist' of the encounter is that the fighting will take place on the steep face of the ziggurat. Think of the climactic battle scene from 'Beastmaster'. It gives the harpies a chance to use their charm ability to cause the party to fall right off the side, and they can use their flyby attack to strafe the party while they cling desperately to the side of the ziggurat.

So, as a DM or a player, what kind of interesting encounters have you had with the iconic harpy?

 

[Turanil]

So, as a DM or a player, what kind of interesting encounters have you had with the iconic harpy?

In fact: none.

 

[Munin]

Apparently, you're not the only one

 

[shilsen]

In the last campaign I DM-ed, at one point the PCs were travelling to a tree they knew of as the "Tree of Death" and had checked it out magically to find a huge tree with large holes in it and bones scattered around.

When they reached the area, they got jumped by three harpies, each with a few class levels (a sorcerer, a fighter & a ranger). With the combo of spells, harpy song, archery and a nice reach weapon, the three harpies gave the PCs a very 'entertaining' time, leaving two in the negatives and a couple more temporarily blinded before a pair of the harpies were killed and the last fled.

 

[Munin]

Sounds like the kind of fun my players like to have

 

[Urbanmech]

I'm not the biggest fan of harpies since a one and a few deaf rogue minions killed our entire party. The harpies Captivating Song ability is a little broken as written. It basically reads if your party all fail their will saves you all die. The harpy can then fly over to each member and beat them to death with her club. There are very few threats of a Harpy's CR that can lead to a TPK. Plus the range on the song is way too long.

 

[renbot]

Harpies!

I was the DM for Urbanmech's harpy encounter, and I thought it went great! Sure it was a TPK but we are still talking about it, and isn't that what is important?

Now the incorporeal beholder on the other hand might have been a bit over the top...

 

[derelictjay]

Simple forest ambush, the harpies flew in and sang their song. Two of the four party members failed their will save, both the fighters (well one was a barbarian), leaving the dexterity-challenged cleric and the rogue to attempt to kill them, needless to say, the fight was long, and the two "charmed" players watched their hp counts slowly dwindle away and were quite bored of being helpless. If you do this expect a possible PC death and some grumbling from the players.

 

[WampusCat43]

"Aerie of the Crow God" has encounters with harpy-like creatures in it, including one similar to what you're describing.

 

[Terry Edwards]

Early on in my current campaign the party had to clear out a magical lighthouse inhabited by a harpy. The final battle took place atop the lighthouse, a 40' diameter octagonal platform with a searing magical fire at the center and an 80-foot-drop to the lower tower level of the lighthouse. No one fell victim to the harpy's song but the PCs were getting clobbered by flyby attacks w/reach until the monk, in truly heroic fashion, grappled the harpy in flight. The monk pinned the harpy and the two crashed to the floor, slid across the top of the lighthouse and went over the edge. The monk held the pin most of the short trip down then released the harpy in time to slow the fall by 20 ft. and tumble for reduced damage, taking 1d6 subdual (first ten feet) and 4d6 falling damage. The harpy did not survive the fall but the monk came out at zero hp kneeling by a broken harpy as the grey rain poured down.