| Hit Dice: | 4d10+4 (26 hp) |
| Initiative: | +3 |
| Speed: | 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 70 ft. (average) |
| Armor Class: | 15 (–1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: | +4/+12 |
| Attack: | Claw +7 melee (1d6+4) |
| Full Attack: | 2 claws +7 melee (1d6+4) and bite +2 melee (1d8+2) |
| Space/Reach: | 10 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: | — |
| Special Qualities: | Superior low-light vision |
| Saves: | Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3 |
| Abilities: | Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10 |
| Skills: | Knowledge (nature) +2, Listen +17, Move Silently +8, Spot +10; racial bonuses |
| Feats: | Alertness, Wingover |
| Environment: | Temperate forests |
| Organization: | Solitary, pair, or company (3–5) |
| Challenge Rating: | 3 |
| Treasure: | None |
| Alignment: | Usually neutral good |
| Advancement: | 5–8 HD (Large); 9–12 HD (Huge) |
| Level Adjustment: | +2 (cohort) |
Giant owls are nocturnal birds of prey, feared for their ability to hunt and attack in near silence. They are intelligent, and though naturally suspicious, sometimes associate with good creatures.
They attack creatures that appear threatening, especially those intent on raiding the owls’ nest for eggs or fledglings, which fetch a handsome price in many civilized areas. Young owls can be trained and are prized as aerial mounts.
A typical giant owl stands about 9 feet tall, has a wingspan of up to 20 feet, and resembles its smaller cousins in nearly every way except size.
Giant owls speak Common and Sylvan.
A giant owl attacks by gliding silently just a few feet above its prey and plunging to strike when directly overhead.
A solitary giant owl is typically hunting or patrolling in the vicinity of its nest and generally ignores creatures that do not appear threatening. A mated pair of giant owls will attack in concert and fight to the death to defend their nest. Several giant owls sometimes operate as a company for some specific purpose, such as driving away a group of evil humanoids.
Superior Low-Light Vision (Ex): A giant owl can see five times as far as a human can in dim light.
Skills: Giant owls have a +8 racial bonus on Listen checks and a +4 racial bonus on Spot checks. When in flight, giant owls gain a +8 bonus on Move Silently checks.
Although intelligent, a giant owl requires training before it can bear a rider in combat. To be trained, a giant owl must have a friendly attitude toward the trainer (this can be achieved through a successful Diplomacy check). Training a friendly giant owl requires six weeks of work and a DC 25 Handle Animal check. Riding a giant owl requires an exotic saddle. A giant owl can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.
Giant owl eggs are worth 2,500 gp apiece on the open market, while chicks are worth 4,000 gp each. Professional trainers charge 1,000 gp to rear or train a giant owl.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for a giant owl is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301–600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601–900 pounds.
Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 205.