The Stable ยท Chapter 8
Tack, Harness, and Platforms
Tack
| Item | Enc | Price | Avail | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridle and bit, or halter | 0 | 10 | Common | Needed to ride. Without it, add 2 Bane Dice to Riding checks |
| Riding saddle | 2 | 90 | Common | The ordinary saddle. Riding bareback adds 1 Bane Die to Riding checks and to any check to stay mounted |
| Pack saddle | 2 | 50 | Common | The animal's Carry is 4 higher for baggage and it cannot be ridden |
| Saddlebags, pair | 1 | 5 | Common | Hold 4 Encumbrance where the rider can reach it |
| War saddle | 3 | 250 | Military | High pommel and cantle. Add 2 Boon Dice to checks to stay mounted. Needed to couch a lance |
| Stirrups | 0 | 10 | Common | Part of any saddle where they are known. Where they are not, no charge bonus is possible and mounted archery adds 1 Bane Die |
| Saddle holsters, pair | 1 | 30 | Common | Two pistols or a carbine. Drawing from one is free once a turn |
| Bow case and quiver | 1 | 25 | Common | A strung bow and thirty arrows at the saddle. Readying the bow is free |
| Lance bucket and rest | 0 | 15 | Military | Carries a lance upright. The lance's Cumbersome rating is 1 lower while mounted |
| Flight harness | 2 | 500 | Rare | Straps the rider to a flying mount. The rider cannot fall, and cannot dismount without a maneuver. Without one, every aerial maneuver check also tests the rider's seat |
| Water saddle | 2 | 300 | Rare | Hand loops, a waist strap, and a quick release. As a flight harness, for swimming mounts |
| Breathing reed and float | 1 | 40 | Restricted | The rider breathes while the mount swims just under the surface |
| Double saddle or pillion | 2 | 120 | Common | A second rider. Both count against Carry |
| Small-rider saddle | 1 | 100 | Common | Fits a small rider to a mount of Scale 2: a raised seat and short leathers. Without it the rider adds 1 Bane Die to Riding checks |
| Howdah | 10 | 600 | Restricted | A platform for four on a mount with Platform. Its crew fight as if on foot and do not make Riding checks |
| War howdah | 14 | 1500 | Military | As a howdah, with Howdah Shields built in, and a mount for one Light crew weapon |
| Harness and collar | 2 | 40 | Common | Needed to draw a vehicle. One for each animal in the team |
| Driver's hook and goad | 0 | 10 | Common | Needed to drive an elephant or a mammoth |
| Horseshoes, set | 0 | 4 | Common | Replaced monthly. An unshod horse on roads is lamed on any Calamity while travelling |
Exotic tack. A saddle for anything that is not shaped like a horse costs three times as much and is made for that kind of animal. A saddle for a mount of Scale 3 costs five times as much.
Platforms
A mount with Platform carries a howdah, a deck, or a basket.
| Mount Scale | Crew, with the driver |
|---|---|
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 7 |
Each person on the platform counts 5 against Carry, plus what he or she carries. The driver sits forward of the platform and is the only one who makes Riding checks. If the driver is lost, the animal does as it likes until someone climbs forward: a maneuver and an Average Athletics check.
A war howdah takes one Light crew weapon from The Heavy Armory, or one personal-scale crew weapon from any armory.
Vehicles Drawn by Animals
A team's vehicle uses the vehicle statistics of the core rules, at vehicle scale: one point of its Armor or Hull is ten at personal scale. The animals pulling it are creatures and are attacked as creatures.
| Vehicle | Scale | Speed | Handling | Armor | Hull | Sys | Crew | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chariot, light | 2 | team | +1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 driver, 1 fighter | 2 horses | A fighting platform. Its crew count as mounted for charge bonuses |
| Chariot, heavy | 2 | team less 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 driver, 3 fighters | 4 horses | Scythed wheels: Trample (Damage 5; Crit 3) against those it drives through |
| Cart | 2 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 draft animal | Carries 60 Encumbrance |
| Wagon | 3 | 1 | -1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 draft animals | Carries 120 Encumbrance |
| Heavy freight wagon | 3 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 4 draft animals | Carries 250 Encumbrance |
| Coach | 3 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 4 horses | Eight passengers |
| War wagon | 3 | 1 | -2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 4 draft animals | Loopholed sides: heavy cover |
| Sled | 2 | team | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 reindeer or a dog team | Snow and ice only. Carries 60 Encumbrance |
| Sea chariot | 2 | team | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 driver, 1 fighter | 2 hippocampi or dolphins | A shell-shaped float drawn on the surface |
Speed "team" means the Speed of the slowest animal in the team.
A chariot is driven with Operate. Its fighter makes attacks as a mounted character and gains the charge bonus when the chariot charges. When a chariot's team panics, its driver makes the control check with Riding.
Killing the team. A vehicle with half its team down has Speed 1. With all of it down, it stops.