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<blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 8712630" data-attributes="member: 6915329"><p>Now the <strong>wind steed</strong>, also known as the asperii. Did you know that <a href="https://www.asperii.com/" target="_blank">Asperii </a>is a service management company that deals in cloud-based solutions? I just found that out when I did a search on asperii to try to remember which 3e MM they were in. The company’s logo is a horse head in profile with a lightning bolt attached. I get that the name asperii has Latin roots with the word for wind/air (High School Latin was a long time ago, but I still remember a few things), but I can’t find any mythological connection with horses here. <em>What am I missing here!? </em>All of my search results are for this company or this D&D creature. Is this a coincidence, or could it possibly be that this company, established in 2011, was named after a D&D monster first published in 1984? I am so confused. Can anyone shed some light on this?</p><p></p><p>You know what else I found when I searched “asperii horse”? The stats <em>I</em> created for them back for my <a href="https://theguild.tripod.com/asperii.html" target="_blank">college gaming group</a> when I converted them from 2e to 3e, 20~ years ago! I had no idea that tripod pages were still around.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, I’ve always liked the idea, and while they’re very similar to pegasi (pegases?), I’m converting them anyway. They're elementals, not celestials.</p><p></p><p>Also, with this monster, I’m done with Creature Catalog I! But Creature Catalog II is coming up soon.</p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]255894[/ATTACH]</p><p><span style="font-size: 15px">Artist: Roger Raupp</span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)"><span style="font-size: 22px"><strong>Wind Steed (Asperii)</strong></span></span></p><p>Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89</p><p>Created by Ed Greenwood</p><p></p><p>Wind steeds, also called asperii, appear to beautiful horses with cloud-colored coats and flowing manes, tails, and feathering on their forelegs that is a silvery gray or platinum white. They lack wings but can gallop through the air with agility and speed that few other creatures can match. They are actually horse-shaped elementals and are nearly as flesh-and-blood as actual horses. These inoffensive creatures gallop through the skies, riding on the winds, and rarely coming close to the ground.</p><p></p><p>Despite looking and acting like horses, wind steeds are omnivores. They like tender leaves, fish, and the meat of birds of prey. They rarely eat and actually have little need to, but when they get the chance to eat, they positively gorge themselves.</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Coveted Mounts.</em></strong> Skittish and shy, wind steeds are also friendly with those who prove to have good intentions. They are even sometimes willing to serve as mounts, at least for short times, provided that the would-be rider is friendly to them. A wind steed fly so smoothly that it’s all but impossible to fall off—and should a rider fall anyway, their innate magic makes those falls harmless.</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Telepathic Talkers.</em></strong> Wind steeds communicate primarily through telepathy, although they rarely speak to non-asperii until they’ve earned the steed’s trust by proving their good intentions. Those that manage to do so quickly learn that wind steeds are highly opinionated on just about everything.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Legends and Lore</span></strong></p><p>With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:</p><p></p><p><strong>DC 10.</strong> Sometimes thought of as wingless pegasi, wind steeds, also called asperii, are actually elemental creatures.</p><p></p><p><strong>DC 15.</strong> These intelligent creatures are in high demand as mounts. If captured when young, they make for excellent steeds, and their magical nature makes staying mounted, even when flying, remarkably easy.</p><p></p><p><strong>DC 20.</strong> Wind steeds are rarely found on the Material Plane, but when they are, they typically congregate near frozen mountain tops and over vast arctic plains.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Wind Steed Encounters</span></strong></p><p><strong><em>Terrain:</em></strong> Elemental Air, Mountains, Tundra</p><p></p><p><strong>CR 0-2</strong> Wind steed</p><p></p><p><strong>CR 3-4</strong> 2 wind steeds</p><p></p><p><strong>CR 5-10</strong> 1 herd noble and 2-3 wind steeds</p><p></p><p><strong>Behavior</strong></p><p>1-2. Soaring overhead.</p><p>3. Grazing on mosses and flowers.</p><p>4. Playfully teasing a storm giant or silver dragon.</p><p>5. Sleeping on a cloud.</p><p>6. Diving into a clear, cold pond; when it emerges, it has a fish in its mouth.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Names</span></strong></p><p>Aeolus, Akash, Corentin, Erjon, Sirocco, Zephyr</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)"><span style="font-size: 26px">Wind Steed</span></span></strong></p><p><strong>Large elemental</strong></p><p>Challenge 2 (450 XP)</p><p><strong>AC</strong> 16</p><p><strong>HP</strong> 38 (4d10+18; bloodied 19)</p><p><strong>Speed</strong> 60 ft., fly 120 ft.</p><p></p><p><strong>STR</strong> 18 (+4) <strong>DEX</strong> 22 (+6) <strong>CON</strong> 15 (+2)</p><p><strong>INT</strong> 10 (+0) <strong>WIS</strong> 14 (+2) <strong>CHA</strong> 14 (+2)</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Proficiency</strong> +2</p><p><strong>Maneuver DC</strong> 16</p><p><strong>Skills</strong> Acrobatics +8 (<em>aerobatics +1d4</em>), Perception +4</p><p><strong>Damage Vulnerabilities</strong> fire</p><p><strong>Damage Resistances</strong> lightning, thunder</p><p><strong>Damage Immunities</strong> cold</p><p><strong>Senses</strong> true seeing 60 ft., passive Perception 14</p><p><strong>Languages</strong> Auran, telepathy 60 ft.</p><p><strong><em>Cloud-Walker.</em></strong> The wind steed can walk and rest on clouds as if they were solid terrain.</p><p><strong><em>Limited Magic Resistance.</em></strong> The wind steed has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects from the Air school of magic.</p><p><strong><em>Magic Eyes.</em></strong> The wind steed can see into the Material Plane, Astral Plane, and Ethereal Plane. Additionally, it is immune to gaze attacks.</p><p><strong><em>One With The Wind.</em></strong> The wind steed can’t be pushed back or knocked prone by wind. Additionally, if the wind steed has the wind at its back, it doubles its fly speed.</p><p><strong><em>Perfect Mount.</em></strong> If a creature knows any maneuvers from the Spirited Steed tradition, that creature’s save DC for those maneuvers increases by 2 while it is mounted on the wind speed. Additionally, the creature has advantage on any saving throw made to avoid being knocked off the wind steed.</p><p><strong><em>Spellcasting (At Will).</em></strong> The wind steed casts <em>feather fall </em>without the need for any components. Its spellcasting ability for this trait is Charisma.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Actions</u></strong></p><p><strong><em>Hooves. </em></strong><em>Melee Weapon Attack:</em> +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. <em>Hit: </em>9 (1d6+6) bludgeoning damage. If the wind steed moves at least 20 feet straight towards the target before the attack, the target makes a DC16 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Bonus Actions</u></strong></p><p><strong><em>Stormburst (1/Day, when Bloodied).</em></strong> The wind steed emits a burst of electricity in a 10-foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) lightning damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.</p><p></p><p><strong><u>Reactions</u></strong></p><p><strong><em>Uncanny Dodge.</em></strong> When an attacker the wind steed can see hits it with an attack, the wind steed halves the attack’s damage against it.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: 18px">Combat</span></strong></p><p>The wind steed charges at an enemy. If it knocks it foe down, it flies away and charges again on its next turn. Otherwise, it continues to attack with its hooves.</p><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(65, 168, 95)"><span style="font-size: 18px">Variant: Herd Noble</span></span></strong></p><p>When a wind steed reaches a certain age, it becomes a herd noble. Its coloration changes, going from its original pale color to a deep, iridescent nacre with hints of a rainbow of color in their mane, tail, and feathering. Despite their name, they are as likely to be an advisor to the leader of a herd as they are to be the leader themselves.</p><p></p><p>The herd noble is CR 3 (700 XP). It has 60 (8d10+16; bloodied 30) hit points. The range of its telepathy increases to 90 feet and its Intelligence is 13 (+1) and Charisma is 16 (+3). Its Spellcasting trait has been altered:</p><p></p><p><strong><em>Spellcasting.</em></strong> The wind steed’s spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can cast the following spells, requiring no components:</p><p></p><p>At Will: <em>feather fall</em></p><p>3/Day: <em>suggestion</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Faolyn, post: 8712630, member: 6915329"] Now the [B]wind steed[/B], also known as the asperii. Did you know that [URL='https://www.asperii.com/']Asperii [/URL]is a service management company that deals in cloud-based solutions? I just found that out when I did a search on asperii to try to remember which 3e MM they were in. The company’s logo is a horse head in profile with a lightning bolt attached. I get that the name asperii has Latin roots with the word for wind/air (High School Latin was a long time ago, but I still remember a few things), but I can’t find any mythological connection with horses here. [I]What am I missing here!? [/I]All of my search results are for this company or this D&D creature. Is this a coincidence, or could it possibly be that this company, established in 2011, was named after a D&D monster first published in 1984? I am so confused. Can anyone shed some light on this? You know what else I found when I searched “asperii horse”? The stats [I]I[/I] created for them back for my [URL='https://theguild.tripod.com/asperii.html']college gaming group[/URL] when I converted them from 2e to 3e, 20~ years ago! I had no idea that tripod pages were still around. Anyway, I’ve always liked the idea, and while they’re very similar to pegasi (pegases?), I’m converting them anyway. They're elementals, not celestials. Also, with this monster, I’m done with Creature Catalog I! But Creature Catalog II is coming up soon. [ATTACH type="full" alt="1659295599127.png"]255894[/ATTACH] [SIZE=4]Artist: Roger Raupp[/SIZE] [COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)][SIZE=6][B]Wind Steed (Asperii)[/B][/SIZE][/COLOR] Creature Catalog, Dragon Magazine #89 Created by Ed Greenwood Wind steeds, also called asperii, appear to beautiful horses with cloud-colored coats and flowing manes, tails, and feathering on their forelegs that is a silvery gray or platinum white. They lack wings but can gallop through the air with agility and speed that few other creatures can match. They are actually horse-shaped elementals and are nearly as flesh-and-blood as actual horses. These inoffensive creatures gallop through the skies, riding on the winds, and rarely coming close to the ground. Despite looking and acting like horses, wind steeds are omnivores. They like tender leaves, fish, and the meat of birds of prey. They rarely eat and actually have little need to, but when they get the chance to eat, they positively gorge themselves. [B][I]Coveted Mounts.[/I][/B] Skittish and shy, wind steeds are also friendly with those who prove to have good intentions. They are even sometimes willing to serve as mounts, at least for short times, provided that the would-be rider is friendly to them. A wind steed fly so smoothly that it’s all but impossible to fall off—and should a rider fall anyway, their innate magic makes those falls harmless. [B][I]Telepathic Talkers.[/I][/B] Wind steeds communicate primarily through telepathy, although they rarely speak to non-asperii until they’ve earned the steed’s trust by proving their good intentions. Those that manage to do so quickly learn that wind steeds are highly opinionated on just about everything. [B][SIZE=5]Legends and Lore[/SIZE][/B] With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following: [B]DC 10.[/B] Sometimes thought of as wingless pegasi, wind steeds, also called asperii, are actually elemental creatures. [B]DC 15.[/B] These intelligent creatures are in high demand as mounts. If captured when young, they make for excellent steeds, and their magical nature makes staying mounted, even when flying, remarkably easy. [B]DC 20.[/B] Wind steeds are rarely found on the Material Plane, but when they are, they typically congregate near frozen mountain tops and over vast arctic plains. [B][SIZE=5]Wind Steed Encounters[/SIZE] [I]Terrain:[/I][/B] Elemental Air, Mountains, Tundra [B]CR 0-2[/B] Wind steed [B]CR 3-4[/B] 2 wind steeds [B]CR 5-10[/B] 1 herd noble and 2-3 wind steeds [B]Behavior[/B] 1-2. Soaring overhead. 3. Grazing on mosses and flowers. 4. Playfully teasing a storm giant or silver dragon. 5. Sleeping on a cloud. 6. Diving into a clear, cold pond; when it emerges, it has a fish in its mouth. [B][SIZE=5]Names[/SIZE][/B] Aeolus, Akash, Corentin, Erjon, Sirocco, Zephyr [B][COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)][SIZE=7]Wind Steed[/SIZE][/COLOR] Large elemental[/B] Challenge 2 (450 XP) [B]AC[/B] 16 [B]HP[/B] 38 (4d10+18; bloodied 19) [B]Speed[/B] 60 ft., fly 120 ft. [B]STR[/B] 18 (+4) [B]DEX[/B] 22 (+6) [B]CON[/B] 15 (+2) [B]INT[/B] 10 (+0) [B]WIS[/B] 14 (+2) [B]CHA[/B] 14 (+2) [B] Proficiency[/B] +2 [B]Maneuver DC[/B] 16 [B]Skills[/B] Acrobatics +8 ([I]aerobatics +1d4[/I]), Perception +4 [B]Damage Vulnerabilities[/B] fire [B]Damage Resistances[/B] lightning, thunder [B]Damage Immunities[/B] cold [B]Senses[/B] true seeing 60 ft., passive Perception 14 [B]Languages[/B] Auran, telepathy 60 ft. [B][I]Cloud-Walker.[/I][/B] The wind steed can walk and rest on clouds as if they were solid terrain. [B][I]Limited Magic Resistance.[/I][/B] The wind steed has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects from the Air school of magic. [B][I]Magic Eyes.[/I][/B] The wind steed can see into the Material Plane, Astral Plane, and Ethereal Plane. Additionally, it is immune to gaze attacks. [B][I]One With The Wind.[/I][/B] The wind steed can’t be pushed back or knocked prone by wind. Additionally, if the wind steed has the wind at its back, it doubles its fly speed. [B][I]Perfect Mount.[/I][/B] If a creature knows any maneuvers from the Spirited Steed tradition, that creature’s save DC for those maneuvers increases by 2 while it is mounted on the wind speed. Additionally, the creature has advantage on any saving throw made to avoid being knocked off the wind steed. [B][I]Spellcasting (At Will).[/I][/B] The wind steed casts [I]feather fall [/I]without the need for any components. Its spellcasting ability for this trait is Charisma. [B][U]Actions[/U] [I]Hooves. [/I][/B][I]Melee Weapon Attack:[/I] +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. [I]Hit: [/I]9 (1d6+6) bludgeoning damage. If the wind steed moves at least 20 feet straight towards the target before the attack, the target makes a DC16 Strength saving throw, falling prone on a failure. [B][U]Bonus Actions[/U] [I]Stormburst (1/Day, when Bloodied).[/I][/B] The wind steed emits a burst of electricity in a 10-foot radius. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) lightning damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. [B][U]Reactions[/U] [I]Uncanny Dodge.[/I][/B] When an attacker the wind steed can see hits it with an attack, the wind steed halves the attack’s damage against it. [B][SIZE=5]Combat[/SIZE][/B] The wind steed charges at an enemy. If it knocks it foe down, it flies away and charges again on its next turn. Otherwise, it continues to attack with its hooves. [B][COLOR=rgb(65, 168, 95)][SIZE=5]Variant: Herd Noble[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B] When a wind steed reaches a certain age, it becomes a herd noble. Its coloration changes, going from its original pale color to a deep, iridescent nacre with hints of a rainbow of color in their mane, tail, and feathering. Despite their name, they are as likely to be an advisor to the leader of a herd as they are to be the leader themselves. The herd noble is CR 3 (700 XP). It has 60 (8d10+16; bloodied 30) hit points. The range of its telepathy increases to 90 feet and its Intelligence is 13 (+1) and Charisma is 16 (+3). Its Spellcasting trait has been altered: [B][I]Spellcasting.[/I][/B] The wind steed’s spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 13). It can cast the following spells, requiring no components: At Will: [I]feather fall[/I] 3/Day: [I]suggestion[/I] [/QUOTE]
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