Back in the day, White Dwarf magazine was the British answer to the Dragon, and its regular "Fiend Factory" column was a source of many monsters for early D&D games. In fact, the first edition Fiend Folio (1981) was largely a collection of monsters submitted to WD. This 3e conversion is part of an ongoing project to resurrect some interesting WD monsters that, for one reason or another, fell by the wayside.

The Hsiao was a submission of Phil Masters and appeared in White Dwarf 30 (April/May 1982), as part of "The Curse of the Wildland: An AD&D Adventure in the Wilderness." Masters was a frequent contributor to White Dwarf, and at least two of his creations—the jaculi and the lamia noble—made the final cut for the Fiend Folio.

This monstrosity has the head and wings of a giant owl, a man's face, an ape's body, and a dog-like tail—the whole being roughly man-sized.

Hsiao CR 3

Hsiao

Usually CN Medium monstrous humanoid

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +3, Spot +3

Languages Common

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12
(+3 Dex, +2 natural)

hp 21 (4 HD)

Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +5

Spd 20 ft. (6 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)

Melee club +5 (1d6+1)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.

Base Atk +4; Grp +5

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th): 1/day—control weather, heat metal (DC 14), hide from animals, know direction, obscuring mist, repel vermin (DC 16), transmute rock to mud (DC 17)

Abilities Str 13, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14

Feats Great Fortitude, Toughness

Skills Concentration +4, Listen +4, Spot +4, Survival +5

Environment temperate plains

Organization solitary, pair, or flock (3-4)

Treasure standard

Advancement by character class

Level Adjustment +4

This rare monster, for some inscrutable reason, loves to use its spell-like abilities to cause droughts and crop failures; as such, farmers will often pay well to see specimens driven off or slain. Hsiaos occasionally lair in abandoned ruins, where they make their nests of leaves and branches.

Combat

A hsiao will fight to the death to defend its lair or to protect its treasure. The hsiao prefers to fight in the open, first using its spell-like abilities at a distance and then swooping out of the sky to attack with a crude wooden club.