Uros
A Cautionary Tale
Description
The uros could in some ways be compared to a horrible facsimile of the more common owlbear. Its body is covered in a think coat of purplish-black feathers, and it possesses the stark white face of a barn owl. An uros has six legs, each ending in two large talons and a third smaller and seldom noticed talon used for climbing. Its neck can extend up to twice its own body length, allowing it to greet creatures on the cavern floor without having to leave its place on the ceiling. Its most notable feature is its ability to silence its surroundings. As little as an uros's gaze can render entire mercenary teams devoid of any form of communication. Most unfortunately, this also extends to the minds of affected individuals. This renders most forms of communication useless and makes organization more than difficult. Experienced guild groups venturing to slay an uros will typically employ a form of sign language to circumvent this.
Terror of Folklore
The uros is more widely recognized as a warning than a creature; the boogeyman of delvers and miners to warn of the worst of the dangers of the world below the sun. Very few have seen one, and almost none could accurately describe one. With tales of this thing most abhorrent comes one distinct lesson: when deep beneath the surface, remember to look up, for your worst fears below are always above. It serves to remind those that trek the underground for whatever reason to stay alert, stay in sight of one another, and to always look up.
Origins
Archmage Syl'wren was curious how the Rot would mutate a flying creature to adapt to life underground, opting to try this for a common barn owl. Over many generations its form slowly twisted into what it is now. The resulting monstrosity is by far one of the most disturbing of the hyper mutations induced by the heart of the deceased titan, Moralvrdir.
Behavior
The uros stalks the ceilings of pitch black caverns in the hopes of catching its prey off guard. As uros are naturally silent, they do not even attempt to vocalize. Due to its loss of hearing, it has adapted exceptionally potent darkvision. This makes uros particularly sensitive to light. While an errant torch is unlikely to hinder the creature's vision, it should be noted instead that sources of light can be used to distract the creature, and making use of any light when sneaking past one is ill advised. Belying their emotionless faces and unblinking eyes is an unusually intelligent mind. While an uros has no language of its own, if one could speak, it may be able to recount its previous battles, the strategies of past combatants, and even its own tactics in overcoming them. To assume the uros to be another mindless beast is to meet a grave realization far too late. The manner in which these creatures move is worth its own comment. Uros have the uncanny ability shared by their bird relatives to lock their heads in place while their bodies move around it, and to rotate their heads completely in any orientation.
Ecology
Uros produce asexually. A well fed, healthy, adult uros typically takes four to six months to fully gestate a single egg, at which point it finds a safe space to regurgitate the egg. The average uros egg is roughly five feet in diameter and almost perfectly spherical. The egg contains a purplish-black yolk, and may fetch hundreds to thousands of gold on certain black markets if kept properly. Not only is the egg a distinctly rare delicacy, but the idea of a domesticated uros is uniquely intriguing to those who could afford such a venture. Adventurers planning to sell such a delicate item should hurry, as an uros egg may hatch as early as a week after it is laid or as late as three weeks. The newly hatched uros is capable of hunting for itself immediately. These creatures are born with limited sound canceling potential around themselves, but this does not extend with their gaze until they are nearly a decade old. A parent will generally hunt around an unhatched egg, but does not actively watch it. Members of this species do not blink or sleep, instead spending most of their day watchful but stationary. Younger uros are generally more active and mobile than adults. The uros is a solitary species, preferring to spread out and claim completely independent hunting grounds. As uros do not need to breed, it is very rare to see two hunting anywhere remotely close to one another. Similar to their owl relatives, uros will regurgitate bundles of indigestible matter such as bones and fur which can help warn delvers of recent activity. They reach effective maturity after around 20 years and can live up for up to 50 years, growing up to 60 feet long from tail tip to head.
Combat Tactics
Uros are relatively intelligent creatures. Even a freshly hatched uros will make a plan of attack before devouring small prey. You may safely expect that an uros will use its climbing prowess to its advantage, attacking from high up cavern ceilings by using its long neck. Younger ones that do not possess a silencing gaze will rely on attacking when their prey is sleeping. Older ones will be more brave and more likely to strike head on, especially when attracted by bright light. Adults will strategically use their silencing gaze to single out and silently remove weaker individuals from a larger group that are not being watched over. Some may even have experience with spellcasters, specifically silencing such casters to render them less effective. Generally, uros will try to remove the weakest of a group first. Unless forced to, an uros will attack in bursts. If the uros is injured in a brawl after taking down one of a larger group of individuals, it will simply leave to recover before attacking the group once more with one less member. An uros will always study its target or group of targets before an ambush, intending to take the path of least resistance.
Uros Hatchling
Medium monstrosity, chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 13
- Hit Points 72 (16d8)
- Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 9 (-1) 10 (+0) 7 (-2)
- Saving Throws Dex +5
- Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
- Languages --
- Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Keen Sight. The uros has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Lithe. The uros can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, the uros ignores nonmagical difficult terrain and can fit through a space no smaller than one foot wide without squeezing.
Seeping Silence. The uros is under a constant magical effect that renders its immediate area devoid of sound, as if by the Silence spell. This effect extends to any gear that the uros is carrying and any creature which it is grappling. As it does not emit sound, the uros has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while this effect persists. This silence further intrudes into the minds of affected creatures, rendering their thoughts inaudible and preventing nonverbal methods of communication such as telepathy (both sending and receiving). An affected creature also has disadvantage on saving throws made to maintain concentration on spells, as it can no longer hear its own thoughts.
Actions
Multiattack. The uros makes two attacks: one with its beak and one with its talons.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) piercing damage, and the uros can choose to grapple the target (escape DC 13), provided it is Medium or smaller. The uros may also choose to pull the creature up to 5 feet towards itself as part of the grapple. Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the uros can't use its beak attack on another target.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Uros Juvenile
Large monstrosity, chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 15
- Hit Points 136 (16d10+48)
- Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 9 (-1)
- Saving Throws Dex +8
- Skills Insight +4, Intimidation +2, Investigation +4, Perception +4, Stealth +8
- Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages --
- Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Keen Sight. The uros has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Lithe. The uros can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, the uros ignores nonmagical difficult terrain and can fit through a space no smaller than five feet wide without squeezing.
Seeping Silence. The uros is under a constant magical effect that renders its immediate area devoid of sound, as if by the Silence spell. This effect extends to any gear that the uros is carrying, any creature which it is grappling or that it has swallowed, and out in a 30-foot cone originating from its gaze. At the start of each of its turns, the uros determines which direction the cone faces. As it does not emit sound, the uros has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while this effect persists. This silence further intrudes into the minds of affected creatures, rendering their thoughts inaudible and preventing nonverbal methods of communication such as telepathy (both sending and receiving). An affected creature also has disadvantage on saving throws made to maintain concentration on spells, as it can no longer hear its own thoughts.
Actions
Multiattack. The uros makes three attacks: one with its beak or swallow attack and two with its talons.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 5) piercing damage, and the uros can choose to grapple the target (escape DC 15), provided it is Large or smaller. The uros may also choose to pull the creature up to 5 feet towards itself as part of the grapple. Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the uros can't use its beak attack on another target.
Swallow. The uros makes one beak attack against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is also swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the uros, and it takes 14 (4d6) acid damage at the start of each of the uros's turns. The uros can have only one creature swallowed at a time. If the uros takes 20 damage or more on a single turn from the swallowed creature, the uros must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate the creature, which falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the uros. If the uros dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Uros
Large monstrosity, chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 17
- Hit Points 204 (24d10+72)
- Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 24 (+7) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0)
- Saving Throws Dex +11
- Skills Insight +7, Intimidation +4, Investigation +6, Perception +7, Stealth +11
- Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
- Languages --
- Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Keen Sight. The uros has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Lithe. The uros can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Additionally, the Uros ignores nonmagical difficult terrain and can fit through a space no smaller than five feet wide without squeezing.
Seeping Silence. The uros is under a constant magical effect that renders its immediate area devoid of sound, as if by the Silence spell. This effect extends to any gear that the uros is carrying, any creature which it is grappling or that it has swallowed, and out in a 60-foot cone originating from its gaze. At the start of each of its turns, the uros determines which direction the cone faces. As it does not emit sound, the uros has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while this effect persists. This silence further intrudes into the minds of affected creatures, rendering their thoughts inaudible and preventing nonverbal methods of communication such as telepathy (both sending and receiving). An affected creature also has disadvantage on saving throws made to maintain concentration on spells, as it can no longer hear its own thoughts.
Actions
Multiattack. The uros makes three attacks: one with its beak or swallow attack and two with its talons.
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (3d12 + 7) piercing damage, and the uros can choose to grapple the target (escape DC 17), provided it is Large or smaller. The uros may also choose to pull the creature up to 10 feet towards itself as part of the grapple. Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the uros can't use its beak attack on another target.
Swallow. The uros makes one beak attack against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is also swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the target is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the uros, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the uros's turns. The uros can have only one creature swallowed at a time. If the uros takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from the swallowed creature, the uros must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate the creature, which falls prone in a space within 15 feet of the uros. If the uros dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d10 + 7) slashing damage.
Legendary Actions
The uros can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The uros regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The uros makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Shift Gaze. The uros shifts its gaze, redirecting the cone of Seeping Silence in any direction of its choosing.
Talons. The uros makes an attack with its talons.
Lair Actions (Optional)
Particularly powerful and well established uros may form a nest or lair. Such an uros may, at your discretion, possess some or all of the following lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the uros takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the uros can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
Creeping Dark. A chill wind rushes through the cavern as the surrounding shadows take their opportunity to approach. All nonmagical lights within 120 feet of the uros are extinguished. Any remaining light sources within this area are further dimmed; bright light becomes dim light and dim light becomes darkness. The effect ends on the next initiative count 20, but extinguished light sources remain extinguished.
Hush. Sound escapes from a 20-foot radius sphere centered on a location that the uros can see within 120 feet of it. The area is considered under the effects of the uros's Seeping Silence feature. The area remains under this effect until the uros uses this lair action again or until the uros dies.
Luminance. Bioluminescent organisms (such as odd patches of glowing moss or swarms of fireflies) become disturbed by the presence of nearby creatures. These organisms begin to glow in up to five 5-foot cubes, each in a space that the uros can see within 120 feet of it. Each cube emits dim light within its space. Each creature in one of these spaces when it appears or a creature that enters the space for the first time on a turn must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the uros immediately knows the creature's exact location, and the creature can't take the Hide action until the end of its next turn.
Tremor. A tremor shakes the cavern interior, dropping minor debris and aggressively rocking large swaths of the floor. The uros chooses a point on solid ground that it can see within 60 feet of it. A 30-foot radius circle centered on the chosen point becomes difficult terrain until the next initiative count 20. Each creature standing in the space when it appears must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failed save.
Uros Lairs
One should consider that, while any given cave is unlikely to be perfectly suited for a hunting uros, an uros is quite likely to settle into the most perfect environment that it can find. More established uros may form a lair in such a location. A lair provides an environment with several benefits for the uros.
When an uros is encountered in its lair, it may have access to any number of the suggested Lair Actions denoted on the left. When creating an uros lair, you should consider the ideal height of the chamber, advantageous ambush points, and what the chamber may contain. As uros regurgitates the indigestible remains of what it consumes, it would not be uncommon to find coins or magical items mixed in with the piles of bones, fur, and scales that typically litter an uros lair. This would also be the most reasonable location to search for an unhatched uros egg.
Credits & Comments
Created By: u/TernityIV or Ternity
Art: The art shown in this UA is also the work of its author, u/TernityIV or Ternity.
The uros is offered as a monster to throw off the typical routine a party might expect in exploring caves or the underdark. This creature shines most when your party isn't expecting it. I encourage any DM interested in running the creature to consider running it intelligently and using its abilities to confuse the party before its reveal. An uros is most likely to attack when most of the party is resting to avoid conflict, but the uros is still likely to stalk the party from a distance. While it is unlikely to be spotted due to its high Stealth, the party may experience several points where they are suddenly rendered mute by its gaze. This can put the party on edge and increase tension and engagement without giving away the creature immediately. If a player does manage to perceive the creature by a slight margin, consider giving details such as a shape crawling awkwardly across the ceiling or a pale white face retreating into the darkness.
Created Using GM Binder