What sort of aerial support would this evil horde have?

[The_Warlock]

I think I might go a little old school with this. There are probably conversion for most of these, though you may need to dig...


Blood Hawks, fast hawk-like predators that prefer to slash prey while flying by them.

Flying Fangs, winged venomous snakes, I think an update is in Races of Faerun, including stats for an undead version when necromancers are involved (talk about tireless flying sentries).

And while you normally find them underground, why not some Grell floating along, paralyzing and eating any other avians that get too close - keeps mages from being willing to send their familiars to scout the army.

Or perhaps flocks of Netherbirds or Simpathetics, orginally small extra-planar avians that have migrated to the prime, are wholly evil and just intelligent enough to work with and for evil. Netherbirds could double as the messenger pigeons of the evil army, helping keep it organized despite it's size, and in touch with any forces that are out of sight but a driving force behind it.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Or perhaps flocks of Netherbirds or Simpathetics, orginally small extra-planar avians that have migrated to the prime, are wholly evil and just intelligent enough to work with and for evil. Netherbirds could double as the messenger pigeons of the evil army, helping keep it organized despite it's size, and in touch with any forces that are out of sight but a driving force behind it.

Where are Netherbirds & Simpathetics from?

 

[frankthedm]

For mass numbers, a horde of fiendish hippogriffs described as vulturelike or batlike winged quadrupeds should work well. They stay CR2 so you can use them in mass numbers without affecting your XP budget. Plus you can give the same treatment to some higher HD monsters to serve as 'ringers'.

Cool illo for a vulture quadruped http://www.enworld.org/forum/art-ga...ainting/211861-empire-ghouls.html#post3886216

 

[The_Warlock]

Where are Netherbirds & Simpathetics from?

Both originally appeared in FR products...

Let's see...

Creature Catalog has a conversion of the Netherbird. Nothing special mechanically, but fairly smart, ugly, and the size of a halfling. They tend to operate in large flocks, which would certainly be visible flying along with the army.

Simpathetics were originally from a 2E FR Monstrous Compendium. I can't find an official conversion, though there is one here on enworld. They are tiny, crow-like birds who feed on the morality of others in addition to their normal diet, shifting those they charm and touch to a selfish nature temporarily. Good as a pet, or guard bird, of a commander.

 

[NewJeffCT]

For mass numbers, a horde of fiendish hippogriffs described as vulturelike or batlike winged quadrupeds should work well. They stay CR2 so you can use them in mass numbers without affecting your XP budget. Plus you can give the same treatment to some higher HD monsters to serve as 'ringers'.

Cool illo for a vulture quadruped http://www.enworld.org/forum/art-ga...ainting/211861-empire-ghouls.html#post3886216

fiendish hippogriffs would work well... and, some fiendish dire vultures.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Tauric hobgoblin-griffons. In 3e, that's page 216 of MM2.

These creatures a cross between, of course, a hobgoblin and griffon. So, a hobgobline with wings, who can fly.

I've used them in a goblinoid army, along with the warbeast rhinoceros in the tank role. That's p. 219 in the MM2.

like the warbeast rhino idea. Thanks