D&D Clubneks

Another D&D encounter group to add to the monster roster.

Rustic borderlanders provoke a group of clubneks

Clubneks are a monster found in the Fiend Folio, described as a mutated form of ostrich in varying shades of green with yellow beaks. I'm using Splintered Light 15mm "Terror Birds," sculpted by Sandra Garrity, to represent them. I get excited whenever I see figures available that are a match for a D&D monster not commonly represented in miniature and such was the case here. The figures match in every way to the Fiend Folio entry (save for the illustration erroneously depicts the creature as too large for the 2HD and "medium" size listed in the stat line), and as you can see, work very well in 25mm, towering over a man with neck extended to full height.

Clubnek illustration from the Fiend Folio

They are a common sight on the borderlands in my campaign and the thief and magic user in the party were reluctantly pulled into an encounter with a few of these as they were serving as guards for a merchant in exchange for river passage. Seeing several of these bright creatures hunting among reeds in a marshy passage of the river, the regular guards got permission to detour for some sport. One died and another was mortally wounded and rescued by the adventurers, who also recovered a slain bird or two and drove off the rest, and later sold the plumage and meat for a fair profit to the trader at the keep on the borderlands.

D&D Clubnek Miniatures

As usual, I collected photo reference of green birds as well as ugly, big-beaked birds. The resulting scheme was inspired by collected picture on the whole, but the brown-headed barbet in the former category and the yellow hornbill in the latter were foremost. I took a bit of artistic liberty with the creature's description to add the purplish contrasting touches and was pleased with the result; it seemed like just what the figures needed.

D&D Clubnek, Splintered Light Miniatures, Sculpted by Sandra Garrity