Pack Beasts and Burden

Chapter 5 already shows how cavalry and war‑machines change the flow of a fight. This section turns to humbler partners—pack horses, mules, and donkeys—whose steady hooves carry supplies across leagues of mountain passes, arid badlands, and cluttered city streets. The rules below detail their capabilities and explain how adventurers bargain with, burden, and manage these hard‑working animals.

Creature Profiles

Pack Horse
A common, sturdy horse bred more for carrying loads over varied terrain than for speed in riding or the specialized strength of a draft animal. They are the reliable backbone of many merchant caravans and adventuring parties needing to transport significant gear.

• Statistics: STR: 14 | DEX: 10 | BODY: 13 | MIND: 4
  • HP: 35 | SP: 35
  • Move: 50 ft/rd | Quickness: 8 | SDA: +4
• Combat:
  • Armor Soak: 1d10 (Hide; barding may be fitted)
  • Hoof: Melee Combat 30%; Dmg: SDA + 2d10 Physical
• Skills: Athletics 40% (carrying, endurance), Vigilance 25%
• Morale: Average for a domesticated animal; may spook with loud noises, sudden threats, or if its handler seems panicked. Tests morale when significantly threatened.
• Notes: Carries up to 450 lb without speed loss. Medium size; can be ridden, though not as comfortably or swiftly as a dedicated riding horse. Less specialized for difficult terrain than a mule. Cost: approx. 30 GP.

Mule
Bred from horse and donkey stock, a mule pairs a draft animal’s muscle with a mountain goat’s caution. It climbs scree, threads switchbacks, and chews on thorny weeds that would starve a war‑horse.

• Statistics: STR: 15 | DEX: 11 | BODY: 14 | MIND: 4
  • HP: 38 | SP: 38
  • Move: 50 ft/rd | Quickness: 9 | SDA: +5
• Combat:
  • Armor Soak: 0d10 (Hide; barding may be fitted)
  • Hoof: Melee Combat 35%; Dmg: SDA + 2d10 Physical
• Skills: Athletics 50% (climbing, hauling), Vigilance 30%
• Morale: Steady; a mule plants its feet rather than bolts. Forcing it into obvious peril requires a Hard (−20%) Riding or Animal‑Handling roll.
• Notes: Carries up to 420 lb without speed loss. Medium size; can be ridden by a lightly armoured human. Recovers an extra 1 HP each night of rest thanks to its iron constitution. Cost: approx. 8 GP.

Donkey
Small, tough, and famously vocal, the donkey is the companion of caravans and crofters. It browses scrub where grass is scarce and defends itself with a lightning double‑kick.

• Statistics: STR: 10 | DEX: 12 | BODY: 11 | MIND: 5
  • HP: 24 | SP: 24
  • Move: 45 ft/rd | Quickness: 10 | SDA: +3
• Combat:
  • Armor Soak: 0d10 (Hide)
  • Hoof: Melee Combat 30%; Dmg: SDA + 2d10 Physical
• Skills: Athletics 35%, Vigilance 35%, Stealth 20% (quiet steps)
• Morale: Alert but not skittish; tests only when reduced below half HP or penned by predators.
• Notes: Comfortably bears 200 lb. Small‑to‑Medium mount—ideal for dwarves, halflings, or children. A bray carries half a mile on a still night, useful for signalling but disastrous for stealth. Cost: approx. 8 GP.

Using Pack-Beasts in Play

• Buying and Training: Costs vary by animal (see profiles). Most pack animals arrive halter‑broken but unblooded. A week of downtime with Routine (+20%) Animal‑Handling tests schools them to packs, riders, and sudden noise; repeated failures may sour the beast, shifting future related rolls one rung tougher on the Difficulty Ladder.
• Loads and Fatigue: A pack beast may haul its listed carrying capacity all day at an overland pace. Exceeding that limit forces an hourly Athletics roll for the animal (GM sets difficulty based on overburden: e.g., Routine (+20%) for +10% load, Challenging (-10%) for +25%, Hard (-20%) for +50%). Two consecutive failures drop its tactical Movement by 10 ft and impose a –10% penalty on further such rolls until the burden is lightened and the creature rests.
• Rough Terrain: Mules ignore the first step of difficult‑terrain penalty on scree, loose gravel, river fords, or steep grades. Donkeys halve penalties in desert or rocky badlands. Horses (including Pack Horses) suffer the full penalty unless their rider succeeds at a “Command Mount” (Riding skill) action each round, or if led carefully (GM may allow an Animal Handling check).
• Temperament (Stubbornness vs. Panic): Where a horse might wheel and flee from perceived danger, a mule or donkey often simply refuses to advance if it deems a situation too perilous. On a failed Morale check, the handler of a mule or donkey must spend an extra Declared Action each round coaxing the animal forward with a fresh Riding or Animal‑Handling roll until it yields. Horses are more prone to bolt if their morale breaks.
• Stealth and Noise: A laden pack animal (horse, mule, or donkey) imposes a –10% penalty on any party Stealth roll when its pack creaks or clinks—unless a handler devotes a Free Action each round to steady murmurs and maintain a firm hand on the lead. Conversely, a donkey’s distinctive bray may serve as an impromptu horn: allies specifically listening for it gain a +10% bonus to Perception checks to recognize that call in the distance.

These rules let adventurers rely on humble pack‑animals for heavy lifting, mountain travel, and the occasional well‑timed warning, all while preserving the quirks—and comedy—that come with long‑eared companions and sturdy steeds.

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File Created: 05/06/2025
Last Modified: 05/06/2025