The Stable ยท Chapter 9
Horses and Their Kin
The animals most riders will ever own. Every world with grass has some of these, under its own names.
The differences between them are what a buyer pays for. A Riding Horse and a Heavy Warhorse are the same Scale and the same Speed. One costs twelve times as much, because it will walk toward a spear.
Donkey
Ass, burro, moke
1 1 8 0 0 / 0 10
2 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 20 80 Common Equine, Light Sure-Footed, Pack Animal, Temper 1
The cheapest animal that carries a load. It carries baggage or a small rider and will not carry an adult in armour. It goes where a horse will not and stops where it chooses.
Mule
Hinny, pack mule, sumpter
2 1 10 2 0 / 0 16
2 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 1 20 200 Common Equine, Medium Sure-Footed, Pack Animal, Steady, Temper 1
Stronger than a donkey and steadier than a horse. It is the pack animal of every army and the mount of people who value arriving. It ignores one step of the travel penalty for hills and mountains. Temper 1 is stubbornness: it applies only to being driven into obvious danger.
Pony
Cob, hill pony, pit pony
1 2 9 1 0 / 0 10
2 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 20 150 Common Equine, Light Small Mount, Hardy
A small, tough horse. It is the right mount for a small rider and a serviceable pack animal for anyone. A rider of ordinary size counts double against its Carry.
Riding Horse
Hack, palfrey, rouncey, saddle horse
2 2 11 2 0 / 0 16
3 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 1 30 300 Common Equine, Medium Swift, Temper 1
The ordinary horse of roads and farms. It is fast, willing, and frightened of nearly everything it has not met before. Temper 1 is that fright.
Courser
Racer, hunter, hot-blood
2 2 10 1 0 / 1 12
3 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 1 35 900 Restricted Equine, Light Swift, Sprinter, Temper 2
A horse bred for speed and nothing else. It wins races and outruns pursuit. It is light-boned, highly strung, and poor at carrying weight.
Desert Horse
Barb, sand horse, dry-country horse
2 2 10 1 0 / 0 12
3 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 1 35 700 Restricted Equine, Light Swift, Enduring, Desert-Bred, Temper 1
A small, fine horse from dry country that keeps its pace for days. It treats desert as open country when travelling and needs water once a day in place of twice.
Draft Horse
Cart horse, plough horse, heavy horse
2 1 16 3 0 / 0 24
4 / 2 / 1 / 3 / 2 / 1 20 350 Common Equine, Medium Draft 2, Steady, Poor Combat Mount
- Attacks: Kick (Unarmed; Damage 6; Crit 3; Knockdown)
The biggest and strongest of horses, bred to pull. It is calm at work and counts as two animals in a team. It was never taught to fight: Poor Combat Mount adds 2 Bane Dice to Riding checks to control it in battle, and it will not charge.
Light Warhorse
Charger, hobby, lancer's horse
2 2 12 2 0 / 0 18
3 / 3 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 1 30 1500 Military Equine, Medium Battle-Trained, Swift
- Attacks: Trample (Unarmed; Damage 3; Crit 4; Knockdown)
A fast horse schooled for war: scouts, horse archers, and light lancers ride it. It carries a rider in mail and its own light barding.
Heavy Warhorse
Destrier, great horse, cuirassier's horse
2 2 15 3 0 / 0 28
4 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 1 25 3500 Military Equine, Heavy Battle-Trained, Shock Mount
- Attacks: Trample (Unarmed; Damage 4; Crit 4; Knockdown)
The knight's horse: strong enough for a rider in full plate, a lance, and plate barding of its own. It is a poor travelling animal and a worse pack animal, and a seller cares who is buying.
Mountain Horse
Garron, hill horse, sure-foot
2 1 12 2 0 / 0 18
3 / 2 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 1 25 400 Common Equine, Medium Sure-Footed, Hardy, Steady
A stocky, short-legged horse of high country. It is not fast. It ignores one step of the travel penalty for hills and mountains and does not lose its footing.
