About Horses
Horses come in a number of different breeds for different purposes and a myriad of patterns and colors.
They are rated against six attributes: SPeeD, STRength, STaMina, AGiLity, INTelligence, and TeMPerament. The physical requisites (SPD, STR, CON, AGL) depend on overall size, and vary in the number of dice rolled.
- SPD governs the horse’s ability to (flat-out) run
- STR handles load carrying
- CON controls endurance and healing
- AGL covers jumping and fighting ability
The base rolls for these requisites are given in the overall size descriptions in the following table; they also depend on the quality of the animal involved, and adjustments should be made according to whatever level of quality is determined.
Name | Size | Description | Value Multiplier | SPD | STR | AGL | CON | INT | TMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | 18-22 hands, ca. 2,000 lbs. | Belgian and Shire: used for very heavy draft work normally, but occasionally trained for jousting and war | x 2.0 | 3d6 | 7d6 | 3d6 | 6d6 | 3d6 | 4d6 |
| Heavy | 15-19 hands, ca. 1,750 lbs. | Suffolk, Clydesdale and Percheron (slightly smaller versions of the breeds above, but still capable of quite heavy draft work) | x 1.7 | 4d6 | 6d6 | 3d6 | 5d6 | 3d6 | 4d6 |
| Medium | 13-17 hands, ca. 1,400 lbs. | Thoroughbred, Mule, Arabian, Quarter horse and Morgan (mostly for riding or racing; draft work usually performed by teams, or with pack harnesses; frequently trained for war) | x 1.5 | 5d6 | 5d6 | 4d6 | 5d6 | 3d6 | 4d6 |
| Light | 12-16 hands, ca. 1,100 lbs. | Donkey, Burro, Barb, Hackney and Mustang (riding animals primarily; draft work uses pack harnesses, or team efforts for any larger wheeled vehicles - single animal vehicles are quite small) | x 1.3 | 6d6 | STR;5d6 | 4d6 | 4d6 | 3d6 | 4d6 |
| Small | 9-14 hands, ca. 850 lbs. | Shetland pony, Welsh pony, Dales pony and Highland Pony (riding animals for smaller people and races; draft work is generally small vehicles or light packs) | x 1.0 | 4d6 | 4d6 | 4d6 | 4d6 | 3d6 | 4d6 |
The “hand” is the standard unit of measure for horses; it equals 4” (1” for each knuckle). A horse’s height is measured on the fore shoulder, at the end of the neck (the withers).
Values for horses usually depend on the use to which they will be put. A good draft animal will average 75-100gp, a riding horse 50-80gp, and a decent war horse 350-500gp. These bases are modified by the following multipliers given for breed and quality.
| d100 | Quality | Value | Adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01-05 | Superb | x 10 | SPD + 2d4, AGL + 1d8, CON + 2d4 |
| 06-15 | Excellent | x 6 | SPD + 2d3, AGL + 1d6, CON + 2d3 |
| 16-35 | Good | x 3 | SPD + 1d4, AGL + 1d4, CON + 2d2 |
| 36-75 | Average | x 1 | No adjustments |
| 76-90 | Mediocre | x .7 | SPD - 1d4, AGL - 1d3, CON - 1d3 |
| 91-97 | Poor | x .4 | SPD - 2d3, AGL - 1d6, CON - 1d4 |
| 98-00 | Cull | x .2 | SPD - 2d5, AGL - 1d8, CON - 2d5 |
The other two attributes (INT, TMP) are mental requisites, and are relatively constant in number of dice rolled for original generation.
- INT governs the horse’s ability to learn and indicates how it will respond to training
- TMP measures the horse’s reaction to people and other animals, the lower the number the meaner the horse (4 to 7 would be a real killer type, eminently suitable for a warhorse)
Some breeds tend to be slightly more docile, or more high-strung, than others, and receive an adjustment to TMP.
Description | TMP Adj. | Example Breeds |
|---|---|---|
| Very Docile | +1d8 | Morgan, Barb, Hackney |
| Docile | +1d4 | Clydesdale, Belgian, Ponies |
| Stubborn | -1d3 | Mule, Mustang, Percheron |
| High-strung | -1d6 | Thoroughbred, Arabian |
Equine Coloration
The color ranges for horses are as broad as the hair color ranges of humanity, with mixtures tossed in. Horses are either solid colors, slightly marked about the face and/or legs, lightly splotched with white (roans), or very thickly splotched with white (piebald, skewbald). Markings are small patches of white confined to the face and legs. These are usually remarked only on horses of otherwise solid color, but may occasionally occur on roans and balds. There are some special terms used for particular color combinations noted in the colors chart below. When rolling for areas on the well-marked horses, ignore further results of “roll multiple”.
Roll for markings d100
| d100 | Markings |
|---|---|
| 01-25 | Horse is a solid color, |
| 26-38 | Face marked, roll d100 01-12: bald-faced (all white) 13-41: blaze (large mark down face) 42-60: race (narrow mark down face) 61-82: star (small mark on forehead) 83-00: snip (small mark on muzzle) |
| 39-43 | Feet marked, roll d4 for # feet/legs marked For each marked leg roll d10 1-6: stocking (up to knee), 7-0: sock (around ankle) |
| 44-55 | Face and feet marked. Roll as above. |
| 56-75 | Horse is lightly splotched with white, roll d100 01-09: neck 10-18: chest 19-30: withers 31-45: back 46-57: flanks |
| 76-80 | And also marked on face and/or feet. |
| 81-97 | Horse is thickly splotched with white, roll d100 01-06: neck 07-12: chest 13-20: withers 21-30: back 31-38: flanks 39-46: hindquarters 47-50: legs 51-76: roll twice (reroll 51+) 77-93: roll three times (reroll 51+) 94-00: roll four times (reroll 51+) |
| 98-00 | And also marked on face and/or feet. |
Roll for colouring d100
| Solid | Marks | Roans | Balds | Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01-09 | 01-16 | 01-14a | 01-19b | Black |
| 10-15 | 17-22 | 15-22 | 20-25d | Dark brown |
| 16-26 | 23-40 | 23-33 | 26-42d | Brown |
| 27-34 | 41-47 | 34-37c | 43-48d | Dark Bay |
| 35-45 | 48-60 | 38-49c | 49-60d | Bay |
| 46-49 | 61-65 | 50-55c | 61-68d | Blood Bay |
| 50-54 | 66-70 | 56-59c | 69-74 | Liver Chestnut |
| 55-65 | 71-84 | 60-71c | 75-86 | Chestnut |
| 66-74 | 85-91 | 72-76 | 87-94 | Golden Chestnut |
| 75-79 | 92-95 | 77-83 | 95-00 | Sorrel |
| 80-85 | Palomino | |||
| 86-91 | 96-98 | 84-91 | Dun | |
| 92-97 | Dapple Grey | |||
| 92-97 | 99-00 | 98-00 | Light Grey | |
| 98-00 | Albino |
a referred to as “blue roan”
b called “paint”
c as “strawberry roan”
d called “pinto”
Infobox
Image:
Is Sentient: No
Is Intelligent: No
Extinct? NoDiscovered By:
Scientific Name:Origin/Ancestry:
Lifespan:
Conservation Status:Sizing
Height:
Weight:
Length:
Physique:
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