Killer Fighting Cock (Dwarven Warbird)
No. Encountered: 2-20
Size: Small
HD: 1 - 4 (d8)
Move: 40 feet; 10 feet (fly)
AC: 16 - 19
Attack: Talons (1d3) or Beak (1d6)
Special: Warcluck, Uncatchable, Death Throes, Entourage
Saves: P
Int: Animal
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Type: Beast
Treasure: Special
XP Value
1 HD 5 + 1
2 HD 10 + 1
3 HD 20 + 1
4 HD 50 + 1
Deep in the bowels of clanholds, reclusive dwarfs practice a refined and precise art - training chickens to do battle, not against each other as the less-savant surface dwellers do, but against their most hated foes: goblins and orcs. To this end, the dwarven warbird is raised from hatchling through maturity, subjected to herbal baths (dedicated researchers have uncovered a secret mixture of no less than eleven alchemical and magical salves are involved) and injected hormone treatment, the cumulative effect that of increasing size and temper. Once the warbird is prepared, a specialized suit of lightweight mithral barding is donned, giving the killer fighting cock its unique look, head fully crested, eyes aglow with inherent fury, and also making the beast heavily resistant to fire. Then, one final test: the warbird is unloosed into a tunnel known to be occupied by goblins; if it returns, it is heralded a welcome addition to the brigade - failure has its own reward.
Combat: While capable of acting on its own barbaric impulses, often to terrorize in wild warbling anger, a killer fighting cock is usually commanded by its trainer, making it a truly frightening combatant. When left to their own devices, a dwarven warbird will scratch and peck, first at the feet or exposed extremities, and then go for the eyes, ears, or tongue; however, under the influence of their dwarven colonel (a loose translation of the actual dwarf term), they attack in tight groups, teaming up to take down more powerful foes.
Warcluck: A killer fighting cock that is engaged in battle makes a gleeful sound as it strikes and struts toward its victim, warbling and clucking at them, as if taunting. This has two effects - 1) any other warbird, to a maximum of 8 HD worth, gains a +1 bonus on its attack and damage rolls; 2) the victim of the warcluck must make a Wisdom save or suffer a -1 penalty on initiative checks as they pause and consider retreat in the face of the terrible adversary.
Uncatchable: The process of producing a dwarven warbird has unexpected positive consequences - firstly, the warbird is very difficult to catch or to be affected by any spell or effect which reduces or hinders movement, such as a hold monster spell (the killer fighting cock gains a +4 bonus against such effects and always has the minimum result applied, when possible) and secondly, should the warbird actually be caught, such as in a net or by a spell, a new save is given to the killer fighting chicken each round to escape - success does not count as the warbird’s action for the round.
Death Throes: Should a dwarven warbird suffer shameful defeat and die at the hands of an enemy, it does not give up. Instead, it can continue to attack and function as a fully-capable warbird for one round per HD it possessed while living. During these rounds, the killer fighting cock gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls which may be in addition to that given by warcluck.
Entourage: A dwarven warbird is rarely encountered alone, usually at the beck and call of its master, a dwarf of such wizen (and weird) capability that he is tasked with raising chickens. A dwarf colonel is considered a dwarf of some skill, having between 2 and 6 HD, sometimes possessing the abilities of a fighter, ranger, or barbarian. These dwarf colonels are not considered elite troops by other dwarfs but they are respected.
Special: The armor given to a killer fighting cock is heavy enough to reduce the natural flight of the warbird, but also durable, treated in the hottest forges available making the armor virtually flame proof - only an effect of 20th level or higher can cause harm to the armor, and then, always at minimum with the armor considered to have saved automatically. If the armor is somehow salvaged, it could be reformed into a like set suitable for any small creature of a similar build, such as a lizard, badger, toad, or rodent - the Castle Keeper has final authority, noting that to re-forge the armor for this purpose would require access to a similar means to have produced it at all...
I hope you enjoy the KFC. This post brought to you by the fine critters found in AD&D. If there is any interest, I'll post the others...
