Horses

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This Section is concerned with common riding and pack animals and includes descriptions of donkeys, draft horses, mules, palfreys, ponies, mustangs, quarterhorses, and war-horses. Avian mounts, camels, oxen and other types of riding and pack animals are described elsewhere. All of the riding animals described in this Section except the war-horse have similar combat abilities. They can attack with a kick any entity occupying the hex directly opposite the hex they are facing. Their bite can be used in either Melee or Close Combat, but their kick can only be used in Melee Combat. Only one of these two types of attacks can be made in a single Pulse. The Base Chance and Damage for each of these attacks is given individually for each animal. Mounts are generally not adept at fighting and will only attack if directly threatened or if panicked. Only trained war-horses will intentionally enter the same hex on the Tactical Display as another figure other than their rider(s).

DONKEY

Natural Habitat: Anywhere
Frequency: Common
Number: Not applicable
Description: Donkeys are basically equine in form. They are usually grey with a darker stripe down the centre of their backs. They have very large ears and reach about four feet at the shoulders.
Talents, Skills and Magic: No special talents, magic, or other abilities. They are not tool users.
Movement Rates: Running: 500
PS 40-45 MD None AG 16-19 MA None
EN 18-22 FT 33-38 WP 10-12 PC 19-21
PB 9-11 TMR 10 NA 3 DP
Weapons: Kick: BC = 40%, [D + 3] damage. Bite: BC = 25%, [D - 3] damage.
Comments: Donkeys are common draft animals. They do not need good food, and will serve well unless mistreated. They can carry burdens of up to 250 pounds with great endurance.

DRAFT HORSE

Natural Habitat: Anywhere
Frequency: Common
Number: Not applicable
Description: Draft horses are the largest of the horses, growing to more than five and a half feet and weights of up to 2300 pounds. They have huge muscles and thick limbs, and they will frequently have hairy feet of a different colour than the rest of their body.
Talents, Skills and Magic: Draft horses possess no special talents, skills, or magic. They are not tool users.
Movement Rates: Running: 500
PS 60-65 MD None AG 13-15 MA None
EN 26-32 FT 55-63 WP 8-10 PC 14-18
PB 8-10 TMR 10 NA Hide absorbs 3 DP
Weapons: Kick: BC = 35%, [D + 4] damage. Bite: BC= 15%, D10 damage.
Comments: Draft horses are bred to carry burdens without tiring. They can carry loads of up to 500 pounds, and have great endurance. They can be ridden, although they are not especially sensitive to a rider's wishes.

MULE

Natural Habitat: Anywhere
Frequency: Common
Number: Not applicable
Description: Mules art a usually sterile cross-breed of a mare and a jackass. A mule has a short mane, long ears, small feet, and a tail with long hairs at the end. They-are usually brown, and are about four feet high at the shoulders.
Talents, Skills and Magic: Mules possess no special talents, magic, or other abilities. They are not tool users.
Movement Rates: Running: 450
PS 40-50 MD None AG 17-20 MA None
EN 20-25 FT 40-45 WP 10-12 PC 18-20
PB 9-11 TMR 9 NA Hide 3 DP
Weapons: Kick: BC 40%, [D + 4] damage. Bite: BC 20%, [D - 2] damage.
Comments: Mules are excellent draft animals. They are very strong, are sure footed, and have great endurance. Loads of up to 300 pounds can be carried by a mule, although such burdens are rare. Mules are highly resistant to disease (reduce the chance of infection by 10% if struck in combat). Mules generally work with little fuss unless mistreated, in which case they become stubborn and vicious.

MUSTANG

Natural Habitat: Plains
Frequency: Rare
Number: 1-50 (30)
Description: Mustangs are wild horses. They are smaller than most domestic animals, usually about four and a half feet at the shoulder. Colours vary, but most mustangs have very long manes and tails.
Talents, Skills and Magic: Mustangs possess no special talents, skills, or magic. They are not tool users.
Movement Rates: Running: 600
PS 40-50 MD None AG 18-21 MA None
EN 18-23 FT 36-42 WP 11-13 PC 20-22
PB 9-11 TMR 12 NA Hide absorbs 3 DP
Weapons: Kick: BC = 45%, [D + 4] damage. Bite: BC = 25%, [D + 0] damage.
Comments: Mustangs are generally afraid of men and will run away if they sense man's presence. They can be tamed if captured, however, and used either as riding horses or beasts of burden. They can carry loads of up to 400 pounds.

PALFREY

Natural Habitat: Anywhere
Frequency: Common
Number: Not applicable
Description: Palfreys are fine-featured riding horses. They grow to a little more than five feet at the shoulders, and weigh about 1100 pounds.
Talents, Skills and Magic: Palfreys possess no special talents, skills, or magic. They are not toot users.
Movement Rates: Running: 650
PS 38-43 MD None AG 16-19 MA None
EN 18-21 FT 30-35 WP 8-10 PC 16-18
PB 11-13 TMR 13 NA Hide absorbs 3 DP
Weapons: Kick: BC = 40%, [D + 3] damage. Bite: BC = 2O%, [D - 2] damage.
Comments: These horses were bred for gentleness and appearance. They were developed to be riding horses, and are highly responsive to their riders. They can carry up to 350 pounds, but, like the Quarterhorse, they are not usually used to carry burdens.

PONY

Natural Habitat: Anywhere
Frequency: Common
Number: Not applicable
Description: Ponies are small horses less than five feet high. Most are between three and four feet high at the shoulder.
Talents, Skills and Magic: Ponies possess no special talents, magic, or other abilities. They are not tool users.
Movement Rates: Running: 350
PS 19-24 MD None AG 13-15 MA None
EN 12-14 FT 20-22 WP 9-11 PC 16-19
PB 10-12 TMR 7 NA 3 DP
Weapons: Kick: BC = 20%, [D - 1] damage. Bite: BC = 15%, [D - 4] damage.
Comments: Ponies are especially gentle and easy to train. They live longer than most horses, and do not need any food other than hay and grass. Loads of up to 150 pounds can be carried without great strain.

QUARTERHORSE

Natural Habitat: Anywhere
Frequency: Common
Number: Not applicable
Description: These horses grow to five feet at the shoulders, and weigh about half a ton.
Talents, Skills and Magic: Quarterhorses possess no special talents, skills, or magic. They are not tool users.
Movement Rates: Running: 600
PS 40-45 MD None AG 17-20 MA None
EN 18-23 FT 35-40 WP 9-10 PC 17-19
PB 10-12 TMR 12 NA Hide absorbs 3 DP
Weapons: Kick: BC = 45%, [D + 5] damage. Bite: BC = 20%, [D - 1] damage.
Comments: Quarterhorses are very useful as riding animals. They can climb steep banks and ford water. They are extremely responsive to their rider if well trained and are able to stop or turn very quickly, suiting them for such tasks as rounding up herds. They do not have great endurance, however, and they can only maintain their maximum speed for periods of a few miles. They can carry loads of up to 350 pounds, but they are not intended to be beasts of burden, and so their spirit will be quickly broken if they are used as such. If a Quarterhorse's spirit is broken, its speed will be decreased by 30%.

WAR-HORSE

Natural Habitat: Anywhere
Frequency: Infrequent
Number: Not applicable
Description: War-horses are heavily built, thickly muscled and limber animals, bred to carry large burdens for extended periods. They are often five and a half feet at the shoulder, and can weigh more than a ton.
Talents, Skills and Magic: War-horses are specially trained for combat. They panic less frequently than other horses when faced with fire, sudden movements, or loud noises. A rider can also control a war-horse's actions in combat, making the horse kick, bite, or attempt to trample an adversary. See the Rules on Mounted Combat. Other horses can be used in combat, but they cannot be used to attack.
Movement Rates: Running: 500
PS 55-60 MD None AG 16-19 MA None
EN 25-30 FT 50-60 WP 9-11 PC 16-18
PB 9-11 TMR 10 NA Hide absorbs 3 DP
Weapons: In addition to the kick (Base Chance of 45%, [D + 7] damage) and bite (Base Chance of 25%, [D + 2] damage) of normal horses, when in Close Combat a war-horse can also attempt to trample an adversary (Base Chance of 25%, [D + 8] damage). War-horses will willingly enter Close Combat if their rider directs them to do so.
Comments: These are the most intelligent and (if properly treated) the most loyal of the horses. They are responsive to a rider, but can also be used to carry heavy burdens (up to 500 pounds). Using a war-horse as a draft horse will generally lower the quality of his training for combat, however.