Pathfinder 1E What the heck do Roc eat???

[Warbringer]

Oh, by the way. According to the SRD rules, an average 3E Roc can fly with a load of up to 7456 pounds, so they could carry off a smallish elephant if they wished. (Str 34 = 932 pounds light load, ×8 for being Gargantuan).

Staying somewhere closer to RL, they could proably carry half their own weight (again bald eagle as reference), but yes a small elephant (2,000-4,000 lbs).

..or assume weight of a Roc is 16,000; they now need 2-3 bison or a small elephant a day to feed a pair, and carrying weight for STR works.

 

[MarkB]

So far the replies have focused almost entirely upon natural animals, but don't neglect the wide variety of fantastical creatures that might populate the region also. An ogre would make a tasty snack for a Roc, and a hill giant would be a challenging but filling prey.

 

[Warbringer]

So far the replies have focused almost entirely upon natural animals, but don't neglect the wide variety of fantastical creatures that might populate the region also. An ogre would make a tasty snack for a Roc, and a hill giant would be a challenging but filling prey.

Fantasy creatures taste funny

 

[Cleon]

Staying somewhere closer to RL, they could proably carry half their own weight (again bald eagle as reference), but yes a small elephant (2,000-4,000 lbs).

..or assume weight of a Roc is 16,000; they now need 2-3 bison or a small elephant a day to feed a pair, and carrying weight for STR works.

I'd hesitate to bother much about real-world physics. A bird that big would have to be made out of superscience materials to fly with the agility its 3E stats give it.

The SRD's estimated weight does seem too low. The picture of a Roc reminds me rather of a Harpy Eagle. A Harpy eagle is typically about 3 foot long with a 6 foot wingspan and weighs 15 pounds or so. A Roc is ten times bigger, so ought to weigh a thousand times as much if it scales up evenly (which likely wouldn't be the case in a real-world bird, but I'd forgive it for a fantasy giant eagle).

That's 15000 pounds or so, which is pretty much the same as your suggestion.

Oh, and the Athasian Roc in the 2nd edition AD&D Dark Sun Monstrous Appendix Terrors of the Desert has quite a bit of detail on its diet and lifting capacity. It needs at least 200 pounds of meat a day to survive, but prefers twice that much, can "easily carry 8 man-sized creatures" and can fly with up to 2000 pounds of cargo, although it's aerial agility is lowered if it carries more than 1000 pounds.

The Athasian Roc is slightly smaller than the Common Roc though - 15 HD and 50 feet long, compared to 18 HD and 60 feet long for the 2E AD&D Roc.

 

[Cleon]

Fantasy creatures taste funny

Well they could taste fantastic, which might explain why none of them survived to modern times...

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What the heck do Roc eat???

Whatever they damn well please.

And it will vary a bit by region. Rocs near major waterways or bodies of water may be able to pluck things like sharks or juvenile whales- or even baby dragon turtles- from the surface.

...dragon turtles they would have to drop from on high to crack the shells...

(look out below!)

 

[Libramarian]

I think this sort of thing can and should be handwaved, but...centaurs?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I think this sort of thing can and should be handwaved, but...centaurs?

I understand that 10% of all ground minotaur meat has been shown to contain centaur meat...

 

[Libramarian]

I understand that 10% of all ground minotaur meat has been shown to contain centaur meat...

Centaur meat itself is perfectly safe to eat, but I understand that there are concerns about traces of centaur healing potions entering the food chain.

 

[MarkB]

Centaur meat itself is perfectly safe to eat, but I understand that there are concerns about traces of centaur healing potions entering the food chain.

According to officials, most reputable food sellers are unaffected by this issue. It's chiefly those suppliers who cater to the budget market whose products have been found to be contaminated, including most of the leading brands of iron rations. Adventurers have been advised to Purify their meals before consumption if they have the means to do so, and to stick to tavern meals where possible.