Chocobo [ˈtʃoʊ.kəˌboʊ], also called Chocob, is a recurring animal in the series. Large avian creatures, chocobos roughly act as the Final Fantasy equivalent of horses, being domesticated for use as mounts, for pulling carts and carriages and for racing. Since their first appearance in Final Fantasy II (1988), they have appeared in every game in the series in some capacity. As a mainstay, they could be considered the series’s mascot.
Chocobos are normally between 8 to 9 feet tall and weigh about 400 lbs. Chocobos are easily trained as mounts and are used similarly to heavy warhorses. They are omnivores but prefer to eat greens and nuts. Their wings are vestigial, serving no purpose but to assist in balance and jumping. Chocobos are masters of terrain, able to easily run over anything except water and mountains. Although chocobos cannot speak, they do understand basic commands in Common. The common type of Chocobo is Yellow, but you can find or breed some other types.
A chocobo requires training before it can bear a rider in combat. Training a chocobo for riding requires three weeks of work and a Handle Animal check (DC 15) but takes six weeks of work for combat riding and a Handle Animal check (DC 20). Riding a chocobo requires an exotic saddle. A chocobo can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check (DC 10). Yellow Chocobo eggs are worth 200 gil apiece on the open market, while young Yellow Chocobos are worth 300 gil each. Professional trainers charge 200 gil to rear or train a chocobo.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for a chocobo is 300 pounds; a medium load, 301-600 pounds; a heavy load, 601-900 pounds. A chocobo can drag 4,500 pounds. They count as quadrupeds for carrying capacity purposes.
Skills: Chocobos have a +3 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Perception checks.
Combat: While chocobos tend to be peaceful, they will defend themselves violently if they feel threatened, lashing out with their beak (bite). If a chocobo is riderless and packless, it may also make a talon attack. A chocobo can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check (DC 10).
Chocobos hatch from eggs, taking traits from their parents, however, it is possible that based on the personality and upbringing of their parents alongside the greens they eat, that the child may end up a different colour. Yellows are the most common variant of all, with many offspring defaulting to this colour.
Eggs can take from 20 days to 25 days to hatch after being laid and fertilized. From hatching, it takes around two years for a chocobo to reach adulthood until which they are called chocobo chicks or chicklings. At five years they reach maturity to be able to breed. Chocobos stop breeding at around twenty years and have an average lifespan of fifty years.
Table: Chocobo Aging Effects
| Stage | Years |
|---|---|
| Adulthood | 2 |
| Middle Age(1) | 25 |
| Old(2) | 35 |
| Venerable(3) | 45 |
| Maximum Age | +2d4 |
- At middle age, -1 to Str, Dex, and Con scores and +1 to Int, Wis and Cha scores.
- At old age, -2 to Str, Dex and, Con scores and +1 to Int, Wis and Cha scores.
- At venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex, and Con scores and +1 to Int, Wis and Cha scores.
While chocobos interact with aging bonuses and penalties, their type does not change nor do they gain any additional effects from an increased mental score aside from modifiers to saving throws and skill points.
Kits
A quick start kit can be found below, if you want to get started with a mount without calculating all the minutia.
Kit, Riding
Price 40.60 gil; Weight 70 lbs.
This kit includes a bit and bridle, an exotic riding saddle, a saddle blanket, 2 saddlebags, and 2 days’ worth of feed for a mount. The weight can be lightened 20 pounds by discarding the feed.
Feed
Chocobos are large avians, and thus need to eat quite a bit to satiate their hunger. When grazing in pens and displaying little physical activity, they only need supplemental hay to live comfortably. However, if a chocobo is used for strenuous or prolonged physical activity, such as being used as a mount or beast of burden, they need to eat feed to get the nutrients they need. While they can survive off of Bird Feed, they require four portions of such. Proper meals are composed of Animal Feed suited to a chocobo such as the below example.
Feed, Chocobo
Price 5 gros/day; Weight 10 lbs.
Chocobos can graze to sustain themselves, but providing feed for them is better when they are utilized for hours a day. This feed is comprised of seeds, nuts, and greens. Particular appetites may also add in small vermin such as rats and bats.
Saddles
Saddle, Exotic Pack
Price 15 gil; Weight 20 lbs.
An exotic saddle fit for a chocobo. A pack saddle holds gear and supplies, but not a rider. It holds as much gear as the mount can carry.
Saddle, Exotic Riding
Price 30 gil; Weight 30 lbs.
An exotic saddle fit for a chocobo. Riding saddles are the most pervasive type of riding equipment. If the rider is knocked unconscious while in a riding saddle, he has a 50% chance to stay in the saddle. If you want to also carry gear on your chocobo, you can attach a set of Saddlebags on each side, two in total.
Saddle, Exotic Military
Price 60 gil; Weight 40 lbs.
An exotic saddle fit for a chocobo. This military saddle braces the rider, providing a +2 circumstance bonus on Ride checks (DC 5) related to staying in the saddle. If the rider is knocked unconscious while in a military saddle, he has a 75% chance to stay in the saddle.
Saddlebags
Price 4 gil; Empty Weight 8 lbs; Capacity 20 lbs.
These sturdy, weatherproof bags are draped over a saddle to add extra carrying capacity. Each side of a saddlebag can typically carry 20 pounds of items that can fit in the bags. Saddlebags do not increase the amount of weight a mount can carry; they merely give riders a place to stow their equipment.
Other Mount Gear
Bit and Bridle
Price 2 gil; Weight 1 lb.
A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a chocobo. The bridle includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a chocobo, and the reins that are attached to the bit.
Saddle Blanket
Price 50 gros; Weight 3 lbs.
This warm, woven blanket has straps so it can be rolled up and tied. These blankets are often placed on top of a mount before a saddle, to make their days more comfortable.
Winter Blanket: This is a fur blanket, meant for use in colder environments to keep your chocobo warm.
Wondrous Items
A Talisman of the Summoned Bird is probably the easiest way to have a chocobo around when you need it unless it dies, without worry for stabling and feeding.