Axe beaks were tall and aggressive flightless birds.[2]
Description[]
Axe beaks got their name from their sharp wedge-shaped beaks. They had strong necks and powerful legs, which they used to sprint at high speeds.[2][6] They were faster runners than most horses.[3][note 2]
Axe beak plumage was adapted to their environment, ranging from snowy white among those native on the tundra to a rainbow of colors among those in the tropics.[1]
Behavior[]
Axe beaks were aggressive hunters and usually hunted during daytime. They were always prone to attack any unfamiliar creatures that approached them.[2][6] Using their axe-shaped beaks, they hacked through any foliage between them and their prey.[1]
Combat[]
The main natural weapon an axe beak used in combat was its heavy and sharp beak.[2][6]
Ecology[]
Axe beaks were most commonly found in hills and grasslands,[7] but they could also be found in arctic regions[1] and were common to the jungles of Chult and the Snout of Omgar.[8][9]
Baby axe beaks were called "skike" (sing & pl[10]; pronounced: /ˈsˈskaɪkk/ Ss-SKY-kk[10]). Flocks of axe beaks were believed to be protective of their skike, rushing to their aid in case of danger.[11]
Larger and more monstrous varietals were called giant axe beaks.[1]
Usage[]
Axe beaks were difficult to tame, however those hatched in captivity could be raised to serve as mounts.[1] The tortles of Ahoyhoy sometimes captured wild axe beaks to sell them to visitors.[12]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The 2nd edition alignment given in the original source is "Nil", which should be read as Neutral according to this Sage Advice answer by Skip Williams in Dragon Magazine Issue #155: "The nil alignment rating is a holdover from an early draft of the Monstrous Compendium material. Originally, a rating of nil indicated that a creature was not intelligent enough to have an alignment at all. However, the nil rating was dropped during rewriting and should have been replaced with the neutral alignment."
- ↑ In v.3.5 rules, both axebeaks and horses have the Run feat, which allows them to move five times their normal movement speed over flat, even terrain, but axebeaks have a speed 5 higher than that of a light horse. This calculates to 34 mph (55 km/h) for the horse and 37 mph (60 km/h) for the axebeak. At least five Faerûnian breeds—the Calimite, Chionthar, Dambraii, Lhesperan, and Raurin—could run faster than the axebeak, attaining maximum speeds of 40 mph (64 km/h).
For comparison, in the real world, some horses can reach speeds of over 50 mph (80 km/h), but v.3.5 consistently gives lower maximum speeds for animals, likely because the Monster Manuals include representatives of average specimens.
Appearances[]
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Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Jeremy Crawford, F. Wesley Schneider (February 2025). Monster Manual 5th edition (revised). Edited by Judy Bauer. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 24. ISBN 978-0-7869-6954-8.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 317. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Grant Boucher, Troy Christensen, Jon Pickens, John Terra and Scott Davis (1991). Arms and Equipment Guide. (TSR, Inc.), p. 83. ISBN 1-56076-109-1.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 David Cook, Steve Winter, and Jon Pickens (November 1989). Monstrous Compendium Volume Three Forgotten Realms Appendix (MC3). (TSR, Inc), p. 50. ISBN 0-88038-769-6.
- ↑ Skip Williams (March 1990). “Sage Advice”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #155 (TSR, Inc.), p. 86.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ Jeremy Crawford, Mike Mearls (November 2017). Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Edited by Kim Mohan, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 25–26, 10, 102. ISBN 978-0-7869-6612-7.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 194, 196. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Jeremy Crawford (September 2017). The Tortle Package. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 5.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ed Greenwood (2025-08-10). "Word for baby axebeak". Greenwood's Grotto (Discord).
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Will Doyle, Steve Winter (September 19, 2017). Tomb of Annihilation. Edited by Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 45. ISBN 978-0-7869-6610-3.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, Jeremy Crawford (September 2017). The Tortle Package. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 10.