The Pokemon franchise is designed around single-player experiences and PVP multiplayer battles. It’s not built for the group party dynamics of a game like Dungeons & Dragons, but the monsters from Pokemon can still be used as enemies for parties to face. To this end, we have statted out the Spearow line for use in D&D adventures.
The Spearow line played a major role in the first episode of the Pokemon anime. Ash threw a rock at a Spearow to try and weaken it, but it only made it angry. The Spearow led an entire flock in pursuit of Ash and Pikachu, which resulted in Ash meeting Misty and Pikachu showing off its incredible powers in battle for the first time. That same Spearow evolved into a Fearow and returned eighty episodes later. This encounter led to Ash’s Pidgeotto evolving into a Pidgeot. Ash then left Pidgeot behind, before he departed for the Orange Archipelago.
Spearow’s Stats
The majority of birds that can be found soaring the skies of the D&D campaign worlds are content to mind their own business. There is one species of monstrous bird that is known for its bullish nature and relentless pursuit of its prey. These birds are commonly known as Spearow, and most common folk will head in the other direction if they hear its cry. Spearow are birds with blood-red wings and razor-sharp beaks. The most unsettling aspect about these creatures is their horrific, unnatural eyes, which can strike fear into the hearts of those who see them. No one is quite sure where Spearow come from, but one theory given by druids is that they were once regular birds, who were mutated after devouring illithid blood on a battlefield.
Fearow’s Stats
The theories about the lineage of the Spearow line are considered fantastical, as there is nothing about their biology which proves that they possess a magical bloodline. The same cannot be said for the Fearow. The bullish nature of Spearow means that they often pick fights that they cannot win. The lucky few Spearow that win many battles will transform into massive, monstrous birds. These creatures can fly at unnatural speeds and perform lightning-fast (if not always accurate) attacks. The most curious ability of the Fearow is the ability to copy spells that strike it. The source of this ability is unclear, but the fact that Fearow can mimic both arcane and divine spells suggests that it could have a link to the source of magic itself.
