This immense raptor unleashes a shrill cry as it bares its talons, each large enough to carry off a horse.

At first sight, a roc's silhouette looks much like any other bird of prey. As it descends, however, its unearthly size becomes terrifyingly clear. In flight, a roc's wingspan spreads two hundred feet or more. At rest, perched upon the mountain peaks that are its home, this monstrous bird rivals the oldest dragons in size.

Sky Titans

In the ancient days when giants battled dragons for control of the world, Annam, the father of the giant gods, created the rocs so that his worshipers might challenge the dragons' dominance of the air.

When the war ended, the rocs were freed from giant domination and spread throughout the world.

Though cloud giants and storm giants sometimes tame these great birds, rocs treat even giants as potential prey. They fly great distances in search of food, soaring high above the clouds to reach their favored hunting grounds. A roc seldom hunts swift or small creatures, and it ignores towns and forests where prey can easily take cover. When it locates a large and slow-moving target such as a giant, a whale, or an elephant, a roc dives down to snatch its prey in its massive talons.

Remote and Alone

Rocs are solitary creatures that can live for centuries. They lair in nests made from trees, tents, broken ships, and the remains of caravans they carry off, placing these massive tangles in mountain clefts out of the reach of lesser creatures.

Sometimes a roc's nest contains treasures from the caravans or ships they raid, but these creatures are heedless of such baubles. More rarely, a nest holds eggs that are taller than a human, produced by the rocs' infrequent mating.

Roc

Avian of Unbelievable Size

Birds of prey of fantastic scale, rocs hunt over vast territories and can snatch whole elephants, whales, or wagons in their talons. They then carry their prey back to their remote nests, journeys that can take days and cover hundreds of miles.

Rocs nest amid remote heights. Their nests are typically littered with treasure and uneaten prey. Roll on or choose an option from the Roc Nest Remnants table to inspire what's in a roc's nest.

Giant eagle-like birds with dark brown or golden plumage

Rocs are birds similar to eagles, but even a "normal" roc is huge, being about 9 feet long and having a wingspan of 24 feet. A roc's plumage is either dark brown or golden from head to tail. Like most birds, the males have the brighter plumage, with females being duller in color and thus more easily hidden (if anything so large can even be hidden, that is). A light load for a normal roc is 150 pounds, while a heavy load is 300 pounds. Obviously only the smallest characters can hope to ride upon a normal roc. A roc attacks from the air, swooping earthward to snatch prey in its powerful talons and carry it off for itself and its young to devour. Any successful hit with both claw (talon) attacks against a single creature results in that creature being carried off, unless of course the creature is too large for the roc to carry. While being carried, the victim will not be further attacked, so as to be as "fresh" as possible when given to the hatchlings (or consumed by the roc itself if it is solitary). When rocs are encountered they are almost certainly hunting, and will generally attack creatures of horse size or less. If facing a large group the rocs may make passes close overhead

Gigantic birds of prey that nest in the highest peaks of isolated mountain ranges. Will attack intruders, if approached carelessly.

Giant eagle-like birds with dark brown or golden plumage

Rocs are powerful creatures living at high elevations in warm environments, and look somewhat like a huge eagles. They will sometimes be found with giants, who keep them as pets. The immense size of a roc is accompanied by its equally immense appetites, as rocs will frequently consume large mammals including horses and cattle. A roc hunts much like an eagle, swooping down on its meal and capturing it in its immense claws, carrying it back to its nest. A roc will silence struggling prey by impaling it with its powerful beak for 4d6 hit points of damage. Any treasure found in the gigantic nests of rocs is there purely on accident, since rocs have no concept of wealth. The belongings of past victims will be found woven into the intricate nest.