Chocobo

Chocobos are large birds resembling a cross between a sparrow and an ostrich. They are suitable riding beasts and are often domesticated and bred as mounts and beasts of burden in areas where they are common. Chocobos stand between 4' and 5' at the shoulder, with the head noticeably higher. They come in a variety of colors, the most common being a warm orangish yellow. First appearing in SquareSoft's Final Fantasy series, they are an adorable addition to any role-playing campaign.

Chocobos make better mounts than they do carrying animals. They can only carry 200 lbs. or so comfortably and will try to remove any load heavy enough to impede their movements. Blue chocobos in particular will not carry more than 160 lbs.

If Table 26 (Horse Traits) from the DMG is used, roll on the Nag, broken-down & average column for yellow, blue and gold chocobos, and the High-spirited & charger section for green, black and well-bred yellow chocobos.

Yellow Chocobo

Combat: Yellow chocobos are nervous and skittish, and rarely fight unless cornered. If desperate, they may bite with their large, slightly curved beaks for 1-6 damage or rake with a heavy, clawed foot for 1-4 damage; however, their lack of combat instincts prevents them from doing both at once.

Habitat/Society: Yellow chocobos live in open grasslands and in slightly forested areas, remaining in places where they can see for some distance and make good use of their running speed. Hens lay a single egg in the late winter which hatches in early summer; the chick can walk in a day or so and is full-grown in about a year and a half.

Yellow chocobos are the most gregarious breed, travelling in groups of moderate size. They are fairly sociable and are the most easily trained of chocobos, and so the most commonly domesticated, and adapt well to being raised among humans.

Yellow chocobos prefer a diet of grasses and foliage, and will resort to catching small birds and rodents only in hard times.

Green (Mountain) Chocobo

Combat: Easily the most agressive of chocobos, green chocobos can attack twice in one round, biting and clawing at different targets or jumping at a single target to rake it with both feet. They are canny about mountain fighting and will flee if they cannot get above their opponent. Both their beaks and their claws deal 1-6 points of damage each.

Habitat/Society: Green chocobos live in rough, rocky terrain generally uninhabited by humans. They mate for life, and a group of four green chocobos met in the wild will always be a mated pair, an immature chocobo and a new chick. They are generally irascible in temperament, being almost impossible to tame in adulthood, and their fierce protectiveness towards their young makes this breed the hardest to properly domesticate. Even tame green chocobos will not allow humans near their eggs, although trainers may handle the young after a few days. When tamed, however, their superior surefootedness makes them excellent mounts in rough terrain, and if warhorses are unavailable, green chocobos are the most viable breed for combat riding.

Green chocobos live on small mountain animals and shrubs, but will bring down a mountain deer or pony in particularly harsh winters.

Blue (River) Chocobo

Combat: Timid and reluctant to fight, blue chocobos will fight as yellow chocobos if cornered. Cornering them is difficult, as they will flee into the water whenever they fell threatened.

Habitat/Society: Blue chocobos live near rivers and marshes. They are the most family-oriented chocobos, warm and loving toward their young. The hen chooses one or two mates in mid-winter who remain with her for the year, helping to feed the young. Blue chicks require about two years to reach maturity. Their webbed feet make them clumsy runners and give them problems carrying loads, but they are unparalleled mounts for those who must travel through wet areas. They are difficult to train properly; they will not mate in captivity and will try to return to the wild every year to breed. However, they are often friendly, will usually return afterward if treated well, and are generally cooperative if coaxed. Once befriended, they make excellent watchdogs (watchbirds?) and will carry human and demi-human children to saftey in the event of danger from predators or humanoids.

Black (Forest) Chocobo

Combat: Black chocobos are shy and always prefer flight when discovered. They will fight only if their nests are disturbed, or in defence of young or friends. Once provoked, however, they can be quite fierce, and can attack with both feet from the air for 1d6 damage each. On the ground they fight as green chocobos.

Habitat/Society: Black chocobos live deep in secluded forests or jungles, and avoid large human or demi-human settlements. They are the only chocobos that can fly, and have shorter necks and legs. Like blue chocobos, they are difficult to tame but relatively easy to befriend once you can get near them. They will leave captivity to mate but may return with their young if treated well. They are prized as flying mounts but are difficult in the extreme to obtain. They are the most mysterious of chocobos.

Gold (Beach) Chocobo

Combat: Gold chocobos will usually retreat into the ocean rather than fight, but their hooked beaks deal 1d8 damage and their sturdy claws will strike for 1-6 points of damage.

Habitat/Society: While the rarest of chocobos, they are not as shy as blacks and are seen more often. They have little fear of humans, usually regarding them as curiosities. They inhabit sub-tropical coastlines for the most part, fishing and digging up shellfish. They are powerful swimmers, and can carry a rider across a channel or other moderate body of water. Some gold chocobos migrate overseas, and there are tales of humans crossing the oceans on golden chocobos.

Chocobo graphics adapted from Final Fantasy Tactics screenshots.

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