Thanksgiving Serving #1: Turkey, Wild

It's Thanksgiving this week and what better time to fill in some gaping holes in the D&D Monster Manual. Unexplainably, the turkey was left out and adventurers everywhere have been deprived of the chance to encounter one of these beautiful birds of prey(ed upon).

So this week we will fill you in on the turkey in all its variations, complete with statistics and pictures. Any DM worth his salt will be able to use this monster menagerie to strike fear in the heart of any wizard's mouse familiar.

Today we start out with the Wild Turkey. Although simple and apparently non-threatening, the turkey can actually be rather, er, um... Anyway, just read the article.

Turkey, Wild CR 1/5
hp 2 (HD 1d8-4 )

Description: Turkeys are naturally skittish animals that avoid all contact with potentially life threatening predators. Okay, basically anything that moves will send it skittering into the woods. Their naturally keen eyesight and hearing keeps them steps ahead of the predator.

The statistics presented here describe turkeys found in the wild. The domesticated turkey loses some of its fear and is able to tolerate humans on a semi-regular basis. The smell of other animals can send the turkey into state of panic.

Turkey Facts and Figures

- Turkeys CAN fly. Well, wild turkeys can. They can reach flight speeds of 40-55 mph in seconds for short periods. However they can maintain a glide for over a mile. Domesticated turkeys usually weigh twice as much as their wild kin and are too heavy to fly.

- A scared turkey can also attain running speeds of 20 mph if properly motivated. They really are afraid of everything.

- Turkeys have excellent sight with a vision range of 270 degrees and can see movement 100 yards away. And although they don’t have ears similar to humans, they have excellent hearing that just makes them all that more better at staying one step ahead of any predators.

- Turkeys can be scared to death. Turkeys have been known to die from the sound of low-flying jets overhead. They can also drown if they look up while it’s raining. Go figure.

- The male turkey is called a ‘tom’ and it is the one that makes the gobbling sound. The female ‘hens’ make clicking sounds. The baby turkey is called a ‘poult’.

- An average mature turkey has 3,500 feathers. These feathers play a part in helping the male attract a female as they are puffed up and strutted about. Turkey feathers were favored by Native Americans to stabilize their arrows and to adorn ceremonial dress. In Mexico it was considered a sacrificial bird.

- While the tom is proud of its beard it sometimes has to put up with competition from the ladies. These black, hair-like feathers on their breast can sometimes be found on the hens.

- The color of the turkey’s head can change color when excited or distressed from dull grey to vibrant shades of red, white and blue.

- A group of turkeys is called a flock. A swarm of turkeys is called a swarm of turkeys. Duh.

- On a quiet day, the gobble of a turkey can be heard a mile away providing an excellent early alarm system. They gobble as part of their mating ritual, while settling down for the night or when distressed.

Combat: Turkeys combine both talons into a single attack.

DM Tips and Tricks
Turkeys don't have to be just for supper any more. Here are a couple of ideas on how to insert turkeys into any meal of the day. Er, any adventure of the day.

- Given that turkeys can be scared to death, have the PC party comes across a dead flock of turkeys in an open area. With no evidence of how they died, it will add a sense of mystery to the adventure. This can be used to foreshadow a large, threatening monster that is in the area.

- With a gobble that can be heard a mile away, turkeys can be used as a red herring to draw the characters towards a specific area. Or away. Turkeys can also be used to create a sense of tension as a flock of turkeys takes to the skies with a horrendous chorus of gobbles and clicks at the PCs approach.

- Have a little fun with your players and create a ring of turkey's flight. Basically the same as a ring of cat's grace, but with a goofier name.

All artwork in this series was provided by the ever-popular Devil Dan, a fan-favorite over at the Dundjinni mapping forums. Check out his recent free Monster Art Pack recently released on the download page. Although well-known for his top-down views of creatures, Devil Dan graciously produced a number of fabulous front view shots for this series.

Comments (2)

1  Written by kepli, on 18-11-2007 13:42 I really like this ...

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