In the Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 roleplaying game, a pegasus is a magical beast

Magical beast (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, magical beast is a type of creature, or "creature type". Magical beasts are similar to animals in many ways, but usually have a higher intelligence, and possess supernatural or extraordinary abilities....

 based upon the creature of Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

 and Roman mythology

Roman mythology

Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...

.

Publication history

The pegasus first appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set

Dungeons & Dragons (1974)

The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson was published by TSR, Inc. in 1974. It initially included the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...

 (1974).

The pegasus appeared in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the original Monster Manual

Monster Manual

The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...

(1977).

The pegasus appeared in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set

Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set

The original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set boxed set was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1977, and comprised a separate edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, distinct from the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, which was initially published in the same...

(1977), the D&D Expert Set

Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set

The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-1981 printing:The D&D Basic Set saw a major revision in 1981 by Tom Moldvay...

(1981, 1983), and the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia

Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia

The Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia was published by TSR, Inc. in 1991, as a continuation of the basic edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which ran concurrently with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Its product designation was TSR 1071...

(1991).

The pegasus appeared in the second edition in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993) with the greater pegasus. The greater pegasus appeared in Dungeon

Dungeon (magazine)

Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...

#61 (September 1996).

The pegasus appeared in the third edition Monster Manual

Monster Manual

The Monster Manual is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It includes monsters derived from mythology, and folklore, as well as creatures created for D&D specifically...

(2000), and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003).

Physical description

While the Pegasus of myth is typically depicted as a winged horse

Horse

The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

, the pegasi of Dungeons & Dragons have other avian features as well. Their lower legs are feathered instead of furred, and their manes and tails are also of feathers. They also lay eggs, like a bird, instead of giving birth to live young. They mature at the same rate as a horse, however, and have similar habits. They live in temperate forests.

Society

Pegasi are highly prized for their value as aerial steeds, but being wild and shy magical creatures, they are not easily tamed. The most common way they are trained as these steeds is from their eggs being stolen and the creatures being raised from birth. Sometimes a grown pegasus may be tamed provided that the creature has a friendly attitude to the tamer. Riding one requires six weeks of training, and an exotic saddle, but they make worthy steeds indeed. Being goodly creatures, they will only serve good or neutral riders with an absolute faithfulness for life.

Pegasi are incapable of human speech.

Many pegasi revere the god Eachthighern

Eachthighern

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Eachthighern is the unicorn deity of Healing, Loyalty, and Protection. He is also the god of pegasi...

.

Pegasi are chaotic good in alignment.