Ostrich (3.5e Monster)



Ostriches are large, flightless birds that trek across plains and steppes to fourage for food. They eat plants and insects. The statistics presented here are for a healthy male ostrich that is suited for being used as a mount for a small or medium creature. Smaller males and females are Medium sized, but retain the statistics listed above. An ostrich ranges from roughly 6 to 9 feet and weighs in at 150 to 300 pounds.

Certain primitive civilizations or nomadic tribes domesticate ostriches and use them as pack animals or mounts and even battle. Ostriches used for war are tougher, more aggressive, and are specially bred and trained to carry a rider into battle. A war ostrich is 8 and a half to 9 feet tall and weighs in at about 280 pounds.

Ostriches are considered unusual mounts; saddles, packs and riding tools customized for ostriches are exotic.

Carrying Capacity: A light load for an ostrich is up to 150 pounds; a medium load, 151–300 pounds; and a heavy load, 301–450 pounds. An ostrich can drag 2,250 pounds. A war ostrich has double the carrying capacity of a normal ostrich in every load category, and can drag 4,500 pounds.

Combat
Ostriches fiercely retaliate with their sharp beaks if disturbed.

They can hustle for indefinite periods of time, and never accrue nonlethal damage due to hustling. Furthermore, ostriches can run for a number of minutes equal to their Constitution score before having to make any Constitution checks. When they do have to make checks to keep running, they make checks every minute instead of every round.