Last Updated on November 2, 2023
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a bird. Well, sort of.
The Roc is actually a gargantuan aberration that just looks like a giant bird. It’s not an actual bird and won’t behave like a bird if you use Speak with Animals.
Here’s what you need to know about these giant birds of prey.
Roc Stats in DnD 5e
Roc Size: Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned
Roc Stats:
- Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points: 248 (16d20 + 80)
- Speed: 20 ft., fly 120 ft.
- STR 28 (+9), DEX 10 (+0), CON 20 (+5), INT 3 (-4),WIS 10 (+0), CHA 9 (-1)
- Saving Throws: Dex +4, Con +9, Wis +4, Cha +3
Skills: Perception +4
Senses: Passive Perception 14
Languages: —
Challenge: 11 (7200 XP) - Keen Sight: The roc has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Actions
Multiattack: The roc makes two attacks: one with its beak and one with its talons.
Beak: Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d8 + 9) piercing damage.
Talons: Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (4d6 + 9) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the roc can’t use its talons on another target.
History of the Roc: What Is It?
A Roc is one of the Sky Titans. In the ancient days of the Forgotten Realms, the Giants battled Dragons for control of the world.
Annam, the father of the Giant Gods, created the Rocs, titanic birds of prey capable of carrying a Giant rider.
Annam’s worshippers struggled to fight against the airborne prowess of the Dragons, but that divide would be no more.
By taming Rocs, Giants could take to the skies and wage war against the Dragons in their territory. However, this left the Rocs in the domain of the Giants as enslaved people.
Soon after the war between the Dragons and Giants ended, Rocs would take their freedom from the Giants’ environment and expand their territories throughout the Forgotten Realms.
Can I Tame a Roc or Use it as a Mount?
To this day, Cloud and Storm Giants may still be observed taming and training Rocs. You may even see them riding Rocs and using them in their armies as mounts.
If someone in the world knows where to find a Roc, it will be Storm and Cloud Giants. They may not take kindly to you hunting their rare mounts, though.
So yes you can try assuming your DM will let you. I would be willing to let a very high-level group attempt it.
Perhaps a situation where you steal an egg or find a very young one.
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When I’m not writing about RPGs, I’m playing Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, X-Wing miniatures, and many other lovingly-crafted tabletop games with the people I love.
