Buy me a coffeeMurder of Crows: A Swirling Storm of Feathers and Fury
“This Murder of Crows Will Blind You and Hunt You Down—Can You Survive?”
A Murder of Crows is a chaotic, writhing mass of jet-black feathers, glinting beady eyes, and cruel, hooked beaks. Their glossy plumage reflects an eerie, oil-slick sheen in the light, while their wings beat in frantic unison, creating a deafening rustle like dry leaves in a storm. Their talons, sharp as needles, lash out in a frenzy, and their beaks gleam like obsidian daggers, ready to tear, pluck, and gouge.
Behaviour
Unlike solitary or peaceful flocks, a Murder of Crows is a seething, violent swarm, attacking with coordinated, almost sinister intelligence. Their cries—shrill, grating caws—fill the air in a maddening cacophony, disorienting their prey before they strike. They move in waves, surging toward their victim in a living tide of claws and beaks, overwhelming them with sheer numbers. When roused to aggression, they do not relent; they pursue, harass, and strike until their prey is blinded, bleeding, or dead.
Habitat
Murder of Crows thrive in abandoned ruins, twisted forests, and desolate farmlands, where the scent of decay and misfortune lingers. They are often found near battlefields, graveyards, and forsaken villages, places steeped in death and sorrow. Some claim they are drawn to areas of great tragedy, feeding off the echoes of suffering like spectral scavengers.
Modus Operandi
Stealthy at first, a Murder of Crows lurks in the trees, watching with eerie patience. Their first strike is psychological—a rising tide of caws that sends a shiver down the spine. Then, they descend in a black whirlwind, diving from all angles to rake at the face and eyes. Their victims flail helplessly as the crows jab and tear, aiming with uncanny precision. Any attempt to fight back is futile—blades pass through the mass with little effect, and fire only scatters them before they return, more enraged than before. They do not simply kill; they cripple, blind, and torment, leaving their victims to stagger into the dark, lost and helpless.
Motivation
The true reason behind a Murder of Crows’ bloodlust is unknown—are they merely acting on instinct, or is there something more? Some say they are harbingers of doom, compelled by unseen forces to strike down the living. Others whisper that they are the shadows of forgotten souls, enacting a relentless vendetta against the world. Whether bound by hunger, vengeance, or something darker, one thing is certain: once a Murder of Crows has marked you, escape is nearly impossible.
Murder of Crows 5e
Murder of Crows, Pathfinder
Murder of Crows
Swarm of Tiny Beasts, Typically Neutral Evil
Armor Class 14 (Swarm Form)
Hit Points 55 (10d8 + 10)
Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)
Abilities
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (-2) | 18 (+4) | 12 (+1) | 2 (-4) | 14 (+2) | 6 (-2) |
Saving Throws Dex +7, Wis +5
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing
Damage Immunities Psychic
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Stunned
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) | Proficiency Bonus +3
Swarm Traits
- Swarm Resilience. The Murder of Crows can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa. It takes half damage from weapon attacks.
- Disperse and Reform. If reduced to 0 hit points, the Murder of Crows scatters, flying out of reach. It will reform in 1d4 hours unless it is completely incinerated, banished, or destroyed by radiant energy.
- Horrid Cacophony. When within 30 feet of the Murder of Crows, creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing due to the overwhelming caws.
Actions
Multiattack.
The Murder of Crows makes two Swarm of Beaks & Talons attacks.
Swarm of Beaks & Talons. (Melee Weapon Attack)
+7 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm’s space.
- Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) slashing damage, and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be Blinded for 1 minute as the crows claw and peck at their eyes. A blinded creature can attempt the saving throw again at the end of its turns.
Murderous Onslaught. (Recharge 5-6)
The Murder of Crows expands outward in a violent storm of feathers, claws, and shrieks. Each creature within 20 feet must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (5d8) slashing damage and be pushed 10 feet back by the force of the birds. Creatures that fail by 5 or more fall Prone as they are overwhelmed by the swarm.
Bonus Actions
Flock’s Shadow. (Recharge 4-6)
The Murder of Crows darkens the air around it, filling a 10-foot-radius sphere with a writhing mass of wings and bodies. The area becomes heavily obscured for 1 minute or until the swarm moves.
Reactions
Unkindness Takes Wing.
When a melee attack is made against the Murder of Crows, it can use its reaction to immediately move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Tactics
- Hit and Fade. The Murder of Crows rarely stays in one place for long, constantly shifting and swarming around enemies.
- Blind and Overwhelm. It targets spellcasters and ranged attackers first, using Swarm of Beaks & Talons to blind them early in battle.
- Ambush Predator. The swarm often hides in dead trees, ruined buildings, or thick fog, bursting out in a horrifying rush when prey is near.
- Tactical Retreat. If the fight turns against it, the Murder of Crows will scatter and reform later rather than fight to the death.
Legendary Variant: Harbinger Murder of Crows (CR 9)
For an even deadlier version, the Harbinger Murder of Crows can have:
- Legendary Actions, allowing it to use Murderous Onslaught or Flock’s Shadow more frequently.
- Necrotic Talons, dealing an extra 3d6 necrotic damage per hit.
- Whispers of the Dead, forcing creatures that fail a Wisdom saving throw to hear unsettling whispers from the crows, causing fear or confusion.
Adventure Hooks
- The Omen. A town plagued by an unnatural Murder of Crows believes them to be a harbinger of doom. Soon after their arrival, people start disappearing.
- The Black Curse. A necromancer has bound a Murder of Crows to a cursed forest, forcing travelers into its grasp.
- The Eyes of the Forgotten. Legends say a Murder of Crows guards the resting place of a long-lost king, pecking out the eyes of those who dare approach.
A screeching cawing whirlwind of buffeting wings, clawing talons and pecking beaks.
| Murder of Crows CR 3 |
| XP 800 N Tiny animal (swarm) Init +6; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception+11 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dexterity, +2 size) hp 27 (6d8) Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +4 Defensive Abilities half damage from slashing and piercing weapons; Immune swarm traits |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 5 ft., Fly 40 ft. (average) Melee swarm (2d6 plus distraction and eye rake) Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft. Special Attacks eye rake |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 1, Dexterity 15, Constitution 10, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 14, Charisma 6 Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 9 Feats Improved Initiative, lightning reflexes, Skill Focus (Perception) Skills Fly +12, Perception +11, Stealth +0 |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Eye-Rake (Ex) Any living creature damaged by a murder of crows must succeed on a DC 13 Reflex save or be blinded as the swarm scratches and tears at the victim’s eyes. The blindness lasts for 1d4 days or until healed with remove blindness. The save DC is Constitution-based. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment temperate forests Organization Solitary, pack (2-4), or murder (5-10) Treasure none |
TACTICS
These crows are particularly aggressive, and anyone that enters the building or the nearby yard will find himself beset upon by swarms of angry birds. Once roused, the murder of crows pursues the PCs until they seek shelter in another building. The crows fight to the death.
A raven swarm is a disorienting mass of angered birds. Raven swarms have the same general characteristics and habitat of normal ravens.
Section 15: Copyright Notice – Pathfinder 33: The Varnhold Vanishing
Pathfinder 33: The Varnhold Vanishing. Copyright 2010, Paizo Publishing LLC. Author: Greg A . Vaughan Raven Swarm from the Tome of Horrors III Copyright 2005 Necromancer Games, Inc.; Author: Scott Greene, with Casey Christofferson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Ian S. Johnston, Patrick Lawringer, Nathan Paul, Clark Peterson, Greg Ragland, Robert Schwalb and Bill Webb.