Spire Crane

Layer 1 · Habitat: Open air, Hanging Terraces

A tall, long-legged crane with a long neck and a beak like a spike of glass; it stalks the ledges and impales prey on the Keepers' broken spires

Description

A tall, long-legged crane with grey plumage, a long, crooked neck, and a beak like a spike of glass. It stalks the terraces and ledges with slow, careful steps, standing so still between strikes that it is easy to mistake for a dead tree. It impales its prey on the Keepers’ broken spires and stone points, and leaves it there to eat later. A spire hung with dead creatures, and sometimes delvers, means one is near.

Spire Crane

Large Monstrosity, Unaligned

AC 15 Initiative +3 (13)

HP 93 (11d10 + 33)

Speed 40 ft., Fly 60 ft.

Ability scores
STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	3 (−4)	15 (+2)	6 (−2)

Skills Perception +5, Stealth +6

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15

Languages None

CR 5 (XP 1,800; PB +3)

Traits

Glass Beak. The crane's Beak attack scores a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Still Hunter. While the crane stands motionless, it has Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and it has Advantage on the first attack roll it makes against a creature that hasn't noticed it.

Actions

Multiattack. The crane makes one Beak attack and one Talons attack.

Beak. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 10 ft. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) Piercing damage.

Talons. Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 5 ft. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) Slashing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it has the Grappled condition (escape DC 15).

Impale (Recharge 5–6). The crane flies up to half its Fly Speed carrying the creature it is grappling and drives it onto a spire, branch or rock point within reach. The creature takes 18 (4d8) Piercing damage and has the Restrained condition (escape DC 15), held up to 20 feet above the ground. When it escapes, it falls.