Enemies that fly... [3.5]

[Aemoh87]

I am writing a campaign and I am stumped, I need an interesting enemy that can fly to go with orcs. Ideally the orcs should be able to use this monster to fly themselves, though if it is a smaller enemy it could be used with a hot air balloon. Any creative ideas? CR under 12 please. But I could work with something a bit higher. Also it would be preferable if the monster could be found in either desert or mountain terrain.

[NavyBlue]

Orc barbarian with the fiendish template? Or half red dragon, houseruled to allow it to have wings as a medium creature?

[limejuicepowder]

Are you looking for a BBEG type monster, or nasty beast the orcs keep around ("they've got a cave troll")?

[Andvare]

What about an everything-goes flying corps.

Giant/dire Eagles, giant/dire bats, small rocs (see pathfinder animal companion for a level 7-ish large sized version), dragonhawks, with one regular sized roc for the flying chief, sprinkled with hot-air balloons and a nearly broken down zeppeliner called Hind-somthing (odd markings for a zappeliner named after a female deer).

[whibla]

Wyverns are the first thing that popped into my head. 7 HD base, CR 6, but beastie advancement up to 21+ HD. Has all the standard flying stuff, including FlyBy and Grab, just to annoy the heck out of your pc's, as well as a reasonable poison.

A bit predictable perhaps, but they do the job.

I know you said CR 12, which is why I'm hesitant to suggest it, but, maybe a baby Cloud Ray that the orcs are in the process of taming?

[Gavinfoxx]

Wyvern
Dire Eagle
Dire Bat
Desmodu Bat

[Zale]

Half-Dragon Ogres.

5 CR Challenge, Flight, 6d8 Damage Breath Weapon.

Add Class Levels to taste.

[Aemoh87]

Are you looking for a BBEG type monster, or nasty beast the orcs keep around ("they've got a cave troll")?

an enemy that is part of an orc army, which gives them an "air force".

[eggs]

For some reason, I just want to use the Symbiote template to glue a Goblin to a Horrid Eagle.

[Eldariel]

Anybody who's ever played Warcraft 3 is probably with me on this: Wyvern Riders. It's a fitting creature in style and power. They should probably be have Improved Flight or Hover instead of e.g. Alertness for combat riding purposes tho; Poor Maneuverability is fairly terrible for combat.

[Zale]

an enemy that is part of an orc army, which gives them an "air force".

Are you looking for tiny, annoying creatures or large, scary fliers?

[JellyPooga]

Spider Eater (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/spiderEater.htm) or Chimera (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/chimera.htm) would be my go to flying beasties; both are butch enough for Orcs to respect as a mount, at least...

[Aemoh87]

For some reason, I just want to use the Symbiote template to glue a Goblin to a Horrid Eagle.

Where is the symbiote template?

[JeminiZero]

Symbiotic is in savage species.

Hippogriffs (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/hippogriff.htm) are large and can also be trained to carry a rider (and have a stated price).

[wayfare]

I'll third Wyverns, though for more badass opponents i'd go Yrthak. They look terrifying, have very good ranged capability, and can destroy terrain like nobody's business. A few of these guys can make it very difficult for a party, and thats not even counting their riders.

[Devils_Advocate]

Apart from the obvious dragon option (which is classic, but hardly qualifies as "creative"), the d20 Monster Filter (http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20monsterfilter/index.php) turns up the dire bat, the sphinx, the yrthak, and the roc.

Ooh! How about a zombie dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html)? (See the Draconomicon.) Or a zombie sphinx would work, too. This provides an explanation for how the orcs got this big, flying monster: Their cleric made it.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Spider Eater (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/spiderEater.htm) or Chimera (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/chimera.htm) would be my go to flying beasties; both are butch enough for Orcs to respect as a mount, at least...

Damn, that's a downright nasty venom that the Spider Eater has. Secondary damage of paralysis for 1d8+5 weeks?

[wayfare]

Apart from the obvious dragon option (which is classic, but hardly qualifies as "creative"), the d20 Monster Filter (http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20monsterfilter/index.php) turns up the dire bat, the sphinx, the yrthak, and the roc.

Ooh! How about a zombie dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0300.html)? (See the Draconomicon.) Or a zombie sphinx would work, too. This provides an explanation for how the orcs got this big, flying monster: Their cleric made it.

Zombie dragon is also nice in that you can use negative energy effects to heal the thing -- find an aoe negative energy effect and watch your dragon heal while everbody wilts :smallbiggrin:

[Greyfeld85]

Zombie dragon is also nice in that you can use negative energy effects to heal the thing -- find an aoe negative energy effect and watch your dragon heal while everbody wilts :smallbiggrin:

Like some sort of recurring Negative Energy Burst effect placed on an item and shoved inside the zombie dragons chest. That would just be deadly xD

[wayfare]

Like some sort of recurring Negative Energy Burst effect placed on an item and shoved inside the zombie dragons chest. That would just be deadly xD

(notes this for when party needs TPKing)

As an alternative, simply having someone who can channel negative energy ride the dragon can be a fun sort of puzzle challenge -- you've got to take out the rider before you can really fight the dragon effectively.

[Zale]

Damn, that's a downright nasty venom that the Spider Eater has. Secondary damage of paralysis for 1d8+5 weeks?

You know what.. How much would that cost..

I could imagine uses for that.

[LeshLush]

I'd look at the Desmodu Bat. It's kind of this, but for Desmodu instead of orcs, which isn't anything that can't be changed.

[Amidus Drexel]

If you have Lords of Madness, some aboleths can fly...

Seconding spider eaters and wyverns.

Why not incorporeal undead? They all can be really nasty when you still have to fight things in melee. (especially spectres)

[Tvtyrant]

How about a Yrthak? Blind flying things that shoot sound waves at enemies, which makes them good as a sort of flying cavalry.

[Grail]

Take a creature and refluff it.

As an example, take a Giant Eagle and make it appear as a large, reptilian looking bird with teeth.

[Greyfeld85]

(notes this for when party needs TPKing)

Am I mean for actually wanting to try it? >.>

[Kuulvheysoon]

Am I mean for actually wanting to try it? >.>

No - it means that you're a goddamn Dungeon Master.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Zombie Dire Bats. The individual creating them has the feats Corpsecrafter and Destruction Retribution from Libris Mortis. They fly in and melee opponents, whenever they're destroyed they explode dealing 5d6 negative energy damage to opponents and healing each other for just as much. You could also use Zombie Dire Eagles from Races of Stone, and I'd add the Fast Zombie variant from Libris Mortis (p173) so they can still full attack.

[wayfare]

Am I mean for actually wanting to try it? >.>

Hey, I suggested it, you refined it. We are both evil! :smallsmile:

When making semi-invulnerables, I typically prefer some puzzle aspect to the fight. Perhaps there is some way the party can shut down the spell. Or perhaps the general that leads the charge on this zombie dragon is known to be undefeatable, and so a major quest point is "sabotaging" the dragon so the spell doesn't work or enacting a ritual that requires a piece of the dragon to flood the target with positive energy.

[TuggyNE]

No one has mentioned ogre mages yet?

[Runestar]

No one has mentioned ogre mages yet?

They can't really do much outside of flight. Their ranged/melee attacks suck, and they only have a short-range cone of cold attack to go with.

I like the idea of dire bats, they are low cr enough to serve as viable mounts.

[yougi]

One guy I used once as the body guard to the BBEG:

Half-Green Dragon Ettin Barb3, CR 11
CE Large Giant (Dragon)
hp 139 (10d10+3d12+65)
Init +4
Speed 40, fly 80ft
AC 25, Touch 9, flat footed 25 (+11 Natural, -1 size, +5 chainmail)
BAB +10, Grapple +26
Melee Attack: +2 Battle axe +24/19 (1d12+14/X3) and +1 Battle axe +23 (1d12+7/X3), Bite +18 (1d8+6)
Ranged Attack:Longbow, Composite +9/4 (2d6+12/X3) range 110;
SA: Breath Weapon: 1/day, 30ft cone of Acid for 6d8 damage, Reflex DC 20 for half,
SQ: Low-light Vision, Darkvision 60, Immunity to Acid, sleep, paralysis, Illiteracy, Trap Sense +1, Uncanny Dodge
Saves:Fort +17, Ref +8, Will +13,
Stats:Str 34, Dex 10, Con 20, Int 9, Wis 12, Chr 10
Skills: Climb 7, Handle Animal 5, Hide -9, Intimidate 16, Jump 7, Listen 21, Ride 0, Search 1, Spot 21, Survival 9, Swim 2
Feats: Alertness, Armour Prof Medium, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning reflexes, Martial Weap Prof, Power Attack, Shield Prof, Superior Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus; (Battle Axe)
Magic items: Brooch of shielding, Cloak of resistance +2, Necklace of fireballs (type II), Potion of Cure serious wounds (x2), Potion of Protection from arrows (15/magic), Potion of Resist energy (20), +2 Battle axe, +1 Battle Axe

Overall I'd say Wyverns are overdone, but Zombie dragons are pretty darn awesome. I'd also go for Fiendish Minotaur, because the idea is pretty darn awesome. Or just an Orc Wizard who can cast Overland Flight.

[The Redwolf]

I'm seeing a lot of suggestions for zombie dragons here, do you happen to have a lich sorcerer that they'll have to fight, because that would be the perfect combination that totally hasn't been used before... :smallsmile:

[White_Drake]

You should also have a Huecuva, a Skull of Fear and Flame, and a Death Knight!

[Tvtyrant]

You could apply the winged template to riding dogs or wolves if you wanted to keep the CR down. Or even Ponies/Horses.

[Andezzar]

You could also add the draconic creature template to your favorite monster if the base creature has at least 6HD and then add the feats dragon wings (lvl1)and improved dragon wings (lvl 6).

How about a couple of draconic flying Orcs as air support?