Did anyone know what a hippogriff was before that book? Or was this a commonly known monster? I don’t know, I grew up in a post-Harry Potter world.
Lore: Majestic Animals
That’s all these guys are, really. Just cool animals to populate your fantasy world.
Not much is known about hippogriffs. Their origins are magical and unknown. These omnivores mate for life and fight to the death to defend their mates and their young. A difficult fight, considering that those who prey on hippogriffs are dragons, griffons, and wyverns. However, a hippogriff can be raised in captivity to become a loyal mount and companion.
There’s not much to be done with the lore there. Maybe the players could raise one as part of their backstory. Or maybe you could create a random encounter where one of hte aformentioned predators tries to hunt a hippogriff nest. You can’t write the most compelling stories with them. But you can do some fun stuff!
Design: BIRD HORSE!!
It’s a cool looking beastie. Sandwich a bird and a horse and what do you get? Something freaking badass looking! No wonder everyone fell in love with this thing in Harry Potter!
That said, it lacks the creativity I look for in monster designs. Sure, it’s cool. But it has none of the uniqueness that makes beasts like the Beholder so cool.
Is it boring? No. But is it unique? Also no.
Stats: Nothing.
There’s really nothing special about this monster combat-wise. It’s a straight-forward monster with no special abilities or remarkable stats. It’s just ‘flying bird/horse thing that’ll claw and peck you’. Given how low a level it is, killing it really shouldn’t be hard for any party.
Not that you should want to. Evil bastards.
Placement
This is a pretty nothing monster. It isn’t awful by any means. But there’s nothing particularly memorable about it, either. It’s just… an animal. A cool looking animal! But just that.
With all that in mind, let’s put the Hippogriff on the Best of the Bestiary!
- Beholder
- Death Tyrant
- Dragon Turtle
- Green Dragons
- Red Dragons
- Blue Dragons
- Black Dragons
- White Dragons
- Silver Dragons
- Couatl
- Behir
- Aboleth
- Sea Hag
- Bronze Dragons
- Brass Dragons
- Copper Dragons
- Gold Dragons
- Chuul
- Gibbering Mouther
- Chimera
- Death Knight
- Fomorian
- Bone Devil
- Dracolich
- Faerie Dragon
- Night Hag
- Green Hag
- Ankheg
- Storm Giant
- Hill Giant
- Empyrean
- Efreeti
- Grimlock
- Dao
- Cloud Giant
- Drow (all four of ’em)
- Shadow Demon
- Marilith
- Drider
- Aarackockra
- Azer
- Demilich
- Spectator
- Marid
- Harpy
- Half-Dragon
- Cambion
- Fire Giant
- Animated Armor
- Banshee
- Basilisk
- Yochlol
- Bulette
- Cloaker
- Darkmantle
- Doppelganger
- Ghoul and Ghast
- Ettin
- Pit Fiend
- Erinyes
- Chain Devil
- Bearded Devil
- Barbed Devil
- Spined Devil
- Ice Devil
- Djinni
- Nalfeshnee
- Glabrezu
- Chasme
- Grell
- Barlgura
- Horned Devil
- Balor
- Shadow Dragon
- Vrock
- Dretch
- Gnolls (all three)
- Goristro
- Hezrou
- Manes
- Frost Giant
- Duergar
- Quasit
- Dryad
- Flumph
- Goblin
- Githyanki
- Planetar
- Imp
- Clay Golem
- Flameskull
- Displacer Beast
- Carrion Crawler
- Githzerai
- Grick
- Rug of Smothering
- Bugbear Chief
- Bugbear
- Flesh Golem
- Vine Blight
- Twig Blight
- Needle Blight
- Bullywug
- Hellhound
- Ettercap
- Gas Spore
- Cockatrice
- Lemure
- Solar
- Deva
- Gorgon
- Hippogriff <—————————–
- Griffon
- Cyclops
- Centaur
- Ghost
- Fire Elemental
- Water Elemental
- Air Elemental
- Stone Giant
- Deep Gnome
- Dinosaurs (All six of them)
- Iron Golem
- Stone Golem
- Earth Elemental
- Galeb Duhr
- Helmed Horror
- Flying Sword
- Crawling Claw
- Violet Fungus
- Shrieker
- Gargoyle
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