Orcish War Brute Mount
Orcish War Brute
"When the War Brutes came over the ridge, we stopped counting orcs. We just ran."
— Masagua survivor account
IDENTITY
- Common Name: Orcish War Brute
- Plural Form: War Brutes
- Classification: Beast
- Alternate Names: Greyfang Horse, the Iron Mount, War Horse (in orcish: Durgor)
DESCRIPTION
The Orcish War Brute is a behemoth among mounts — a horse-like creature bred by the Greyfangs tribe of [Antaea](Antaea/Welcome to Antaea) to match orcish riders in size, ferocity, and endurance. It towers over standard warhorses, with a muscular build that carries heavily armored warriors without apparent strain. Its hide is dense and tough — effectively armored by nature — with a dark, mottled coat ranging from deep grey to near-black. Its mane and tail are coarse and wild, and its eyes hold a permanently aggressive cast. Where other cavalry mounts are bred to carry warriors, the War Brute is bred to be a warrior itself.
- Size: Large — substantially bigger and heavier than a standard warhorse
- Distinguishing Traits: Dense hide with natural armor quality, dark mottled coat, aggressive default temperament, terrifying battle cry, significantly larger than any common mount
HABITAT & RANGE
Bred by the Greyfangs tribe in the untamed territories of [Antaea](Antaea/Welcome to Antaea). Found predominantly in orcish warbands and settlements throughout Antaea, and occasionally encountered in the wake of orcish raids on neighboring regions. These mounts do not appear in conventional stables or markets — acquiring one outside orcish territory requires either theft, significant personal relationship with an orcish warband, or purchase through rare private arrangement.
BEHAVIOR
Aggressive, indomitable, and deeply bonded to its orcish rider once tamed — though "tamed" is a relative term. The War Brute tests any new handler through escalating dominance challenges, and non-orcish riders face significantly higher difficulty establishing authority. Once the bond is forged through three successful mountings, the War Brute's loyalty is total and its protectiveness fierce. In battle it fights alongside its rider rather than simply carrying them, using charge attacks and its Intimidating Presence to disrupt enemy formations.
THREAT & DEFENSE
Formidable in combat by any measure. Its armor hide gives resistance to nonmagical physical attacks. Its charge delivers devastating combined force. Its Intimidating Presence can frighten nearby enemies. In orcish battle doctrine, the War Brute is not a vehicle — it is a weapon. Travelers who encounter War Brutes without their riders should treat them as independent combat threats.
Price: 300 gp in orc camps; unavailable through conventional markets outside orcish territory
WORLD CONTEXT
The War Brute has become inseparable from the Greyfangs' cultural identity and military reputation in [Antaea](Antaea/Welcome to Antaea). An orc mounted on a War Brute is a symbol of leadership and battle-prowess. The memory of the raid on Masagua — where War Brutes were first seen by outside observers — lingers as a traumatic benchmark in the regional history of southern Antaea.
STAT BLOCK
Large Beast, Unaligned
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 38 (4d10 + 16)
Speed 50 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 10 (+0) | 18 (+4) | 2 (-4) | 11 (+0) | 7 (-2) |
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Traits
- Battle Hardened: Advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
- Armored Hide: Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
- Untamed Spirit: A rider who is not an orc must succeed on a DC 17 Animal Handling check to mount the War Brute. On failure, the Brute refuses and may react aggressively; future checks for the same rider increase by +1 per failure. After three successful mountings, this check is no longer required.
Actions
- Hoof: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
- Charge: If the War Brute moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits with a hoof attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Intimidating Presence (Action): Each creature of the War Brute's choice within 30 feet that can see it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of the War Brute's next turn.