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A Greatswan is a creature from the Spelljammer campaign setting.[1]

Overview[]

Greatswans are massive swans raised and trained by elves to act as guards and war mounts.[1]

Description[]

Greatswans are beautiful, graceful birds with characteristic long necks and snow-white plumage. Like their more mundane counterparts, greatswan males are called “cobs”, and females are called “pens”. Young greatswans are called “cygnets”.[1]

Personality[]

Like normal groundling swans, greatswans are ferocious fighters, and many have a nasty temper.[1]

Combat[]

Greatswans are gentle creatures, but they will fight using their beaks and a powerful wing buffet which has a chance of blinding and confusing its opponents. There is a 1-in-4 chance that the sheer force of the wings will knock a human- or smaller-sized foe backwards up to 20 feet.

If a greatswan is being used as a mount, it cannot perform a wing buffet while in flight. However, an elven swanrider can urge their mount into what amounts to a power dive against an enemy. Mounted elves are usually armed with lances to perform just this kind of attack.

Greatswans have excellent senses, and are able to detect intruders, even those that are invisible. This makes them well suited for guard duties. Swans that spot an intruder raise a raucous call and close with the enemy, wings flailing madly.

Greatswans are immune to all forms of poison.[1]

Society[]

Greatswans are found exclusively in sylvan lands dominated by elves. The elves fear that introducing such large birds into normal environments will upset the balance of nature. As a result they keep the birds close at hand and watch their movements closely. Greatswans are aquatic birds, and are excellent swimmers. This comes in handy when the elves are exploring water worlds in wildspace.

Unlike groundling swans, greatswans are not territorial. They will only become hostile if intruders approach within 30-feet of either their nests or guard-posts. Greatswans recognize the names their trainers give them and can learn verbal command phrases.

Greatswans were bred to require little air, and a lungful of air can sustain a bird for up to 24 hours. In wildspace, a greatswan's personal gravity drags along enough air to sustain two elf-sized riders for up to 50 minutes.

Greatswans eat green plants, especially water plants, and large numbers of insects, consuming even the most poisonous insect without harm. Greatswans consider feesu a great delicacy, and elves use the space moths as a reward during a cygnet's training.[1]

Swanrider cavalry[]

Elven swanriders are aerial cavalry and are trained to ride greatswans into battle. They are typically armed with some sort of lance, pike or spear as well as a bow. A greatswan can carry up to two elf-sized riders (the equivalent of about 240 pounds). A greatswan will not carry a non-elven rider.

Elven swanrider cavalry units can be carried by elven armadas, though occasionally some have been deployed to men-o-war. Each unit of swanrider cavalry will usually have up to 24 greatswans and swanriders, while a man-o-war will carry half that number.[1]

Uses[]

Some elven mages use greatswan feathers to create Quaal's feather tokens, wings of flying, and winged boots.[1]

Appendix[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 John Terra, MC9 Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix II, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Greatswan entry
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