Back with some low-level MH creatures, we have the egg-eating bird wyvern, the kulu-ya-ku! This is another one that I actually started designing early when I was making monsters and I simply haven't gotten around to posting it. But here we are, and I'm eager to share this dumb little creature.
Kulu-ya-ku are simplistic animals who can use their beaks or claws in combat but can also dig up a rock or similar object to use as an improvised weapon of sorts in the form of a roughshod armament. I tried to include the fact that the kulu-ya-ku can block attacks with its rock by having it give a shield bonus to AC. A kulu-ya-ku can also make a leaping charge, covering great swaths of ground to smack targets with its improvised weapon, and is helped in this with its natural leaper ability. Its powerful legs allow it to spring without having a running start and Acrobatics is the skill that it is most invested in. The Catch Off-Guard allows the kulu to wield its roughshod armament without penalty while Combat Reflexes allow it to bring up its rock to defend itself more readily.
Pathfinder 1e:
This is a pretty straight translation from 1e to 2e, even with the Rock Block reaction replacing the shield bonus that the Crude Armament provided by the 1e version. I simplified its Leaping Charge somewhat, allowing it to Leap 10 feet even if not precisely described as such, and based it off of an ability of the same name from the Velociraptor. I did add the idea that the kulu-ya-ku can knock creatures prone when using its Leaping Charge and Crude Armament in conjunction, like it can in MH World, by having it add Knockdown to those attacks. I made sure to keep away from giving it high AC since it can Raise a Shield with its Crude Armament, and for that same reason, also gave it some lower HP. It sacrifices accuracy with its crude armament Strikes for higher damage and can also hurl it.
Pathfinder 2e:
Blue's D&D 5e:
ENCOUNTER HOOKS
Scrambled Eggs: Reports come in of a rampaging monster that is endangering hunters and anybody else that ventures into the nearby forest. The heroes are requested to handle it and following the tracks left by the unknown beast leads them back to its nest where they find several eggs with one missing, its impression clear in the bedding. Searching the area reveals a set of tracks from a different monster, which a savvy character might recognize as belonging to a kulu-ya-ku. Having stolen the egg, the kulu-ya-ku has been struggling to crack it open and if the heroes can track it down and take the egg back from it, they can potentially offer it to the deadlier monster to appease it.
It’s Not Over Easy: After discovering a strange stone that it confused for an egg, a kulu-ya-ku has become possessed with its strange power. While still not much a threat due to its usual diet, the artifact it has claimed is something that the heroes are tasked with retrieving by a wealthy patron. The kulu-ya-ku has grown to unbelievable strength under the influence of the artifact, but if the heroes are able to break its grip on the object, it returns to normal until it can grab it back up again. After defeating the empowered kulu, the heroes must then make the trek back to their employer with the artifact in tow, possibly with other interested parties targeting them.
Well, I have exhausted the multitude of monsters I made ahead of time and need to get back on the grind with making monsters - or getting art for ones I've already done. I have so many monsters that I have stat blocks for but no art and now that I've found artists I can reliably commission, I'm gonna be trying to get original art rather than just find stuff on the internet.
Lemme know what you think of this one. I really appreciate constructive criticism, but I'd be just as interested in hearing how you plan to use this in one of your campaigns or anything like that. We have a Monster Monday Discord where we chat about stuff we're homebrewing, across a swath of systems, and just general stuff, and we also have a Twitter where you can see teasers for upcoming posts.
Have a Monstrous Monday!
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