Critically updating the
Boobrie Working Draft.
The roc comment comes from the original monster, which I think just comes from the size. Feel free to change that.
Yes, I know the Roc comparison's in the original text. Much of the problem is the Boobrie's Roc relationship morphs between editions.
In First Edition (
Monster Manual II) it "resembles a smaller, marsh-dwelling relative of the roc".
In Second Edition (
Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix) it "is a giant relative of the stork. Its origins are lost in mists of ancient time and arcane lore. Although some scholars suggest that there is a link between the boobrie and the roc, there seems to be little that the two species have in common (apart from their great size.)."
The 2E size comparison is pretty weak. An AD&D Roc is sixty feet or more in length - that's five times a Boobrie's 12 foot height. There are plenty of other oversized avians that are closer to a Boobrie in size, like a Phorusrhacos or Giant Eagle.
Both descriptions say a Boobrie's beak resembles a cross between an eagle and a heron's, with an eagle's hooked tip, but the 1E says it has "small, sharp teeth" and the 2E says its "sharp, serrated".
Hmm, a 3E Roc has a crest of feathers on the back of its head in its
Monster Manual illustration, maybe those resemble a Boobrie's erectile neck-feathers?
Okay, how about this:
A giant stork-like bird whose enormous saw-toothed beak combines the length of a heron's bill with the hooked tip of an eagle. Twice a man's height, it stands upright on long, slim legs whose splayed-out feet have equally elongated toes. The bird has a ruff on long feathers on the back of its neck, resembling the crest of some rocs.
A boobrie is a giant water bird found in hot swamps and marshes. It is often called a "Great Boobrie" to distinguish it from a smaller species of boobrie found in cooler climates, the "Black Boobrie". Scholars of nature are divided on whether a boobrie is a giant relative of the stork or a small marsh-dwelling cousin of the roc, but all agree this avian is a dangerous predator that will prey upon humanoids and their livestock.
The beak of a great boobrie is a terrible weapon with both sharply serrated edges and a number of small teeth along its sides. A boobrie's favorite prey are catfish but it is not fussy about its victims. Boobries often eat venomous creatures such as vipers or monstrous spiders, since these avians are immune to poison.
Boobries form mated pairs to breed and raise their young. Pairs of boobrie prefer to hunt and guard their nest together. They lay one or two oversized eggs that hatch very quickly. Young boobries are precocious and fast growing, and soon grow large enough to leave their parents. They often hunt with their sibling until they become adults and seek their own mate and territory.
A boobrie stands roughly 12 feet tall and weighs about 600 pounds.
Hmmm. I always thought loons were ducks! They certainly look duck-like. Well, I'll defer to your description.
Well waterbirds can look pretty similar. There are some fish-eating diving ducks with narrow bills, such as the
Mergansers that I suppose Black Boobries could resemble - they've got a headcrest of feathers they can erect.
I like the chisel beak and red eye of a Loon though.
Hmm...
A waterbird about as big a human, completely black in color except for its blood-red eyes. Its streamlined body resembles that of a loon or diving duck, with a feather-crest on its head and neck like a merganser. The bird clearly hunts live prey, for its chisel-shaped beak has saw-toothed edges to hold struggling food. Its body stands half-upright on short legs that end in feet with four elongated toes connected by webbing.
A black boobrie is a dangerous waterbird of unusual size that dwell in temperate lakes and marshes. They mainly eat fish, but have been known to attack any creature smaller than themselves - such as lambs, calves, children or gnomes. Black boobries prefer to live in reed beds, which give them plenty of cover from which to lunge at prey and hide from enemies.
Black boobries form mated pairs in spring and build floating nests in which they lay from 1 to 4 eggs. These nests of woven vegetation can be of considerable size, and have been known to reach 20 feet in diameter. The nest contains the remains of the boobries' victims, which may include treasure. The young disperse in early summer as soon as they are large enough to fight for themselves.
A black boobrie stands roughly 6 feet tall and weighs about 75 pounds.
That OK?
