This dark-feathered vulture has a bald neck and head, and its long, hooked beak is caked with carrion.
Vulture CR 1/2
XP 200
N Small animal
Init +1; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +9
Defense
AC 13, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 6 (1d8+2)
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1; +4 vs. disease
Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee bite +2 (1d6+1)
Statistics
Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 11
Feats Great Fortitude
Skills Fly +7, Perception +9; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
Ecology
Environment warm plains or hills
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3–24)
Treasure none
Though related to raptors and other birds of prey, vultures mainly feed on carrion they spot or scent from on high. Vultures have weak claws compared to predatory birds, but their sharp and wickedly hooked beaks tear living flesh as readily as the sharpest blade.
Despite dining on carrion, vultures prefer their corpses newly dead rather than rotten. Some even hunt smaller prey when food is scarce.
A wickedly hooked beak and an immense bald head draw attention from this enormous scavenger's vast wingspan.
Giant Vulture CR 4
XP 1,200
N Large animal
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +14
Defense
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
hp 42 (5d8+20)
Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +3; +4 vs. disease
Offense
Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee bite +9 (2d6+9 plus disease)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +3; CMB +10; CMD 22
Feats Great Fortitude, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Fly +7, Perception +14; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SQ diseased
Ecology
Environment warm plains or hills
Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3–8)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Diseased (Ex) Due to their filthy eating habits and constant exposure to decaying flesh, giant vultures are harbingers of disease—much more so than the standard vulture. Any creature bitten by a giant vulture has a 10% chance of being exposed to filth fever, blinding sickness, or a similar disease. Once this check is made, a victim can no longer be infected by this particular giant vulture, though attacks by different giant vultures are resolved normally and may result in multiple illnesses. While vultures aren't immune to all diseases, they do gain a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against such ailments.
Larger even than condors, giant vultures dwell only in regions where carrion is both large and plentiful, such as the primeval wildernesses where megafauna roam. They also flock to regions torn by war, feasting on the dead with no concern for allegiance or race. Giant vultures rarely wait for wounded creatures to finish dying before they feed, and are much braver than most wild animals. A giant vulture, for example, wouldn't think twice about swooping down on a heavily armored column of soldiers just to snatch up a few wounded stragglers from the end of the line.
A giant vulture stands more than 13 feet tall, has a wingspan of over 30 feet, and weighs 500 to 600 pounds.
