The Strange
The sky was darkened, and a low rumbling sound was heard in the air. There was a rushing of many wings, a great chattering and laughing, and the sun came out of the dark sky to show the Wicked Witch surrounded by a crowd of monkeys, each with a pair of immense and powerful wings on his shoulders.—The Wonderful Wizard of OZ by L. Frank Baum
Before they were enslaved, winged monkeys were a free and not particularly vicious people, though they were mischievous. That tendency led to their current long-term predicament as slaves of whoever is strong enough to hold an item called the golden cap, currently in the possession of one Wicked Witch.
As slaves of the Wicked Witch, winged monkeys are horrors that can snatch travelers from the road, children from their beds, or ladies from their boudoirs. Sometimes victims are taken as captives, and other times they are dropped from a great height.
Whoever owns the golden cap (a level 7 artifact with a circle of diamonds and rubies running around it, and a depletion roll of 1 in 1d100) can call upon the winged monkeys, who obey any order given. But no person can command the winged monkeys more than three times.
Motive: Serve the Wicked Witch
Environment (Oz | Magic): Almost anywhere, in troops of five or more
Health 12
Damage Inflicted: Minor wound (3 points)
Movement: Short; long while flying
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to quickness.
Combat: A winged monkey inflicts damage with its claws or bite (though some winged monkeys have swords or other melee weapons that inflict a moderate wound (4 points)).
A winged monkey can also make a "flyby snatch" attack if it's between short and long range of the target. The monkey yanks the target off her feet and pulls her 50 feet (15 m) into the air (or as high as overhead space allows). What happens next depends on the intentions of the winged monkey. It could drop the target at the end of its turn from a height of 50 feet (15 m), inflicting a moderate wound (5 points). It could go for more altitude on its next turn and drop the victim from 150 feet (46 m), inflicting a major wound (15 points). Or it could begin flying away, intent on taking the target captive.
A target held in a winged monkey's grip can break free with a successful Might- or Speed-based roll, but of course it suffers the consequences of whatever drop lies beneath.
Interaction: Winged monkeys can speak, but they usually remain silent. Even if they do speak, it is only to explain their intentions. They cannot do other than what they were commanded.
Use: A troop of winged monkeys guards the default translation destination in the recursion of Oz, and it either kills intruders or brings them to the Wicked Witch.
GM Intrusion: If two winged monkeys successfully attack the PC on the same round, each grabs her by an arm and lifts her 60 feet (9 m) in the air. The PC must succeed on a difficulty 5 Speed- or Might-based roll to break free from both monkeys. If not stopped, themonkeys either fly away with the PC or drop her from 100 feet (30 m) at the end of their next turn.