The material below is Open Game Content from a 3PP Source
Owlbear
An amalgam of fur and feathers, this bizarre half-bear, half-owl monstrosity raises its huge, ursine claws in anger.
Owlbear CR 4 (XP 1,200)
N Large magical beast
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +5 natural, –1 size)
hp 47 (5d10+20)
Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +2
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +8 (1d6+4 plus grab), bite +8 (1d6+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Str 19, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +5; CMB +10 (+14 grapple); CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +12
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–8)
Treasure incidental
The origin of the owlbear is a subject of great debate among scholars of the monstrous creatures of the world. However, most concur that at some point in the distant past, a deranged wizard created the original specimens by crossing an owl with a bear—perhaps as proof of some insane concept about the nature of life, but possibly out of sheer lunacy. Whatever the original purpose of such a freakish creation as the owlbear, the creature bred true and has become quite well-established in woodlands across the world, where it plays a key role in a region's ecosystem as an apex predator.
Owlbears are notoriously bloodthirsty killers, well known for their short tempers, aggression, and savage nature. They tend to attack without provocation, slaughtering any living creatures that cross their paths. Many scholars that have encountered these creatures in the wild have noted that they all have red-rimmed eyes that roll about wildly when they close in for an attack. This is sometimes presented as a sign of madness, suggesting that all owlbears are born with a pathological need to fight and kill, but more level-headed researchers believe that it's simply part of the way the massive bird-beast's keen eyes are constructed.
Owlbears generally inhabit desolate areas of the wilderness, making their messy lairs within wild forests or inside dark, shallow caverns. They are equally adept at hunting during the day and at night, depending upon the prey available near their lairs.
Adult owlbears live in mated pairs, and hunt in small groups, leaving their young behind in their lairs while they search for prey. A typical owlbear lair contains 1d6 juveniles, which can fetch a price of up to 3,000 gp apiece in many city markets.
While it is considered impossible to truly domesticate owlbears due to their feral natures, they can still be used as guardians if contained within an area but allowed to roam and hunt freely there. Professional animal trainers charge up to 2,000 gp to rear or train an owlbear into a serviceable guardian that can obey simple commands (DC 23 for a juvenile creature; DC 30 for a fully grown adult).
A full-grown male can stand as tall as 8 feet and weighs up to 1,500 pounds.
This material is Open Game Content from a 3PP Source
Know Your Foe
The table below shows what a character might know when confronted with an owlbear. A successful Knowledge (arcana) roll reveals the details of all the information at and below the roll result.
DC 15: This creature is an owlbear; a magical beast of ferocious temperament.
DC 20: Within its forested territory, the owlbear is ever-vigilant for intruders. It uses its considerable strength to grapple foes before biting them.
DC 25: Once a creature is injured, an owlbear tracks it tirelessly by scent until either it or the foe are slain.
DC 30: Owlbears were originally created to serve as a brutal military force but were thrown into madness when the opposing army reversed the magic controlling them.
The polymorph spell can be used in an attempt to fool an owlbear into believing a character is one of its kind. This spell is wholly effective beyond a distance of 30 feet. However, while one may look like an owlbear, one does not smell like an owlbear by using polymorph. Within 30 feet, the owlbear is allowed a Wisdom check to notice that the transmuted character is “different.” Failure of this check means the owlbear ignores the character. Success of the Wisdom check means the owlbear immediately attacks the polymorphed character.
Spells which can conjure illusionary owlbears (silent image being the weakest) have been used to keep an owlbear’s suspicions at bay. Of course, such spells are also great for more general distractions but then the caster and his companions have at least one irritated owlbear running amok instead of a mildly curious one. Illusions of owlbears follow the same rules as above.
The owlbear’s immediate and unremitting hostility toward other creatures is effective in demoralizing them but it also works against the beast when multiple opponents threaten it. An owlbear will always attack the last creature to strike it with a melee (or natural) weapon. If two creatures are flanking the owlbear and both damage it in the same round, the owlbear must succeed a Will save (DC 10 + total damage dealt by the flanking opponents) or succumb to a kind of rage in which self defense is no longer a concern. This means that all flanking creatures gain an additional +2 to hit the owlbear (for a total of +4) as the monster literally spins around in a flurry of frustrated counterattacks. During this frustration rage (which lasts until no longer flanked), the owlbear can still use its improved grab ability but it immediately releases any grappled opponent when damaged.
