Hippogriff (Dungeons & Dragons)
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{for the mythological creature, see: Hippogriff)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a hippogriff is a magical beast based upon the hippogriff of various mythologies. It is part eagle and part horse, and sometimes regarded as part griffon and part horse (indeed, in mythology a hippogriff is the offspring of a griffon and a mare). Depictions of the hippogriff vary; sometimes they are shown as a horse with the forequarters of a giant eagle, and sometimes as a horse with wings, an eagle's head, a mane and tail of feathers, and feathered lower legs.
[edit] Characteristics and habits
Unlike the proud and majestic hippogriffs of myth, hippogriffs in Dungeons & Dragons are fairly bestial, being far less intelligent than griffons. They live in temperate to tropical hills, in areas where it is particularly flat and barren, allowing them quick and easy access to the skies. They attack by diving and attacking with their claws and beak. Though regarded as clumsy attackers, flocks of hippogriffs do know to attack in concert. They can kill large prey such as bison, even being able to carry it off in their feet, but being omnivorous, do not always have to revert to such things. When it comes to defending eggs and newborns, hippogriffs are deadliest.
Hippogriffs are highly prized as aerial steeds. Because they are not as intelligent as griffons, a friendly attitude from the hippogriff to the rider/tamer is not required, but they still require an exotic saddle and 6 weeks of training (those are fairly standard issue for most flying mounts in the D&D universe, however). The easiest way to tame a hippogriff is to steal an egg and raise it from birth, but as said before, hippogriff eggs are not easy to obtain due to the ferocity of their defenders.
Hippogriffs cannot speak, and they are regarded as neutral in alignment.
