Inspired by the horse traits table in the old 2e AD&D DMG, I decided to make a Pendragon version.

This gives a bit of flavour to the knights most important piece of kit.

Some traits are good, some bad and others mixed.

This is really intended for Coursers, Chargers and up rather than for rouncies and pack animals. One roll per horse.
d20
1 Biter
2 Kicker
3 Bucks
4 bone-jarring
5 Single rider
6 Rears
7 Headstrong
8 Steps on feet
9 Lazy
10 gentle
11 Escape Artist
12 strong
13 fleet
14 robust
15 stable
16 leaper
17 Sure-footed
18 Knows trick
19 Fearless
20 Roll twice

Biter: The horse has a nasty temperament and likes to take chunks out of unsuspecting bystanders. If attack-trained add 2 to the normal skill modifier for non-lance attacks. Subtract 2 from all squire-rolls involving the horse as it terrorises your trainee knight.

Kicker: Walking behind this dead-eyed brute is a bad idea as he loves to kick out. Anyone foolish enough to do so must make a DEX check to avoid taking 4d6 points of damage from his flailing hooves. A fumbled squire roll involving this horse means that your squire has been seriously injured.

Bucks: Your horse is high-spirited and periodically tries to throw you. Once per session where you are mounted the GM can call for a Horsemanship roll to avoid being thrown off. The mounts high spirits give it +1 to Movement rate.

Bone-jarring: Whatever jangling way this ungainly beast moves it is uncomfortable and tiring for its rider. Travelling for a day or using the beast for more than four rounds of a battle requires a CON roll to avoid fatigue setting in (-5 to all skills).

Single Rider: This stubborn horse will answer to only one master. For all other riders it counts as untrained and will buck uncontrollably or simply refuse to move. It is loyal to this master and will stand over him should he fall in battle.

Rears: In stressful situations this horse is prone to rearing up in a threatening display. In combat against footmen it imposes a valorous check on any foes seeking to engage the rider. Those who pass can attack normally and inflict +d6 damage if they use spears or similar long weapons to attack the mounts exposed belly.

Headstrong: This horse knows where it wants to go. If its rider wants to go in a different direction he takes a -5 penalty on any horsemanship rolls. Roll a d6 whenever riding it to see what mood he is in. On a 1 the horse is contrary and seems to have urgent business in the wrong direction.

Steps on Feet: This beast takes perverse joy in stomping on feet and crushing toes. When a character is afoot in his immediate vicinity, he must make an awareness roll to avoid d6 damage (ignoring armour).

Lazy: This horse does not like to move. This functions as Headstrong but instead of going in a different direction the horse refuses to move.

Gentle: This noble horse is a kind soul. It may never be attack-trained (though it can be combat-trained) and it gives a +3 to Romance or Flirting rolls whilst its owner is out riding or hunting with ladies.

Escape Artist: No stable built by man can hold this horse. He can undo bolts and lift bars and likes to go exploring. A failed squire roll involving this horse means that the squire is off chasing it down. A fumbled roll indicates that the squire and horse are lost and a search party may be required.

Strong: This horse is a wall of muscle. Add +5 to STR and increase lance damage by a single point.

Fleet: This horse may have some Arabian blood or be faerie blessed. Add +2 to Movement rate.

Robust: This horse is tough and fit. Add +5 to CON. If a wound or event would ever ruin this horse, it is not ruined but instead loses the robust trait.

Stable: Even at a gallop this horse keeps things steady. Reduce any negative modifiers on horsemanship rolls for the rider to be knocked off by 3.

Leaper: This horse loves to jump and has an amazing spring. Add +5 to any horsemanship checks made by the rider to leap an obstacle or enemy.

Sure-footed: This horse takes its lead from nimble hill ponies. Add +5 DEX and ignore any negative modifiers due to hilly or unstable terrain.

Knows trick: This horse is clever and he knows at least one trick. Create one trick with the GMs approval. With time and a horsemanship roll you may be able to teach your mount further tricks.

Fearless: This horse would ride into hell. It is immune to mundane or magical fear as long as its rider is unaffected.

Any thoughts?

And now how do you breed these?
And what is the cost modifier?

fg,
Thijs

And now how do you breed these?
And what is the cost modifier?

fg,
Thijs


Most of the traits can't be bred. They are quirks to make PK horses part of the story.

I suppose if you were starting a heavy charger breeding program to build towards Andalusians then getting a bunch of Strong and Fleet regular chargers and mares would be a reasonable start.

I'm not sure I'd charge any more or less for the horse. The idea here is that this is not something you go looking for but rather something that comes to you and you deal with it as the horses personality and abilities emerge over time riding it.

Your manor herd produces a new charger. It turns out that it likes to bite a lot.

Positive trait horses might make for good tourney prizes or rewards from great lords but I'd avoid having PKs go on shopping trips for fleet horses.

Any thoughts?

I admire the application of KAP Traits here, fun stuff!
but

This looks like a peculiar breed, where none of them are ordinary and have no particular trait; I'd follow Thijs' hint and make these occasional, and modifying the price

The Lazy Horse would never make it to the field
Headstrong also; it is a menace to the unit
A horse that rears might give the damage bonus to the rider, but it also exposes itself when opposed by more than 1 footman; and why against only footmen?
Stable: staying on a horse is not a matter of the horse's stability; galloping horses are not variously unstable, nor necessarily unstable while galloping (my wife can ride at a gallop without stirrups--I bet any knight could too)
Leaper: this is called Jumping in equestrian language

4, 7, 8 & 9 could all be renamed.

"Sausage" or possibly sumpter.

some nice ideas, but best reserved for occasional Special horses with an appropriate price tag rather than being applied to all.

Any thoughts?

I admire the application of KAP Traits here, fun stuff!
but

This looks like a peculiar breed, where none of them are ordinary and have no particular trait; I'd follow Thijs' hint and make these occasional, and modifying the price

The Lazy Horse would never make it to the field
Headstrong also; it is a menace to the unit
A horse that rears might give the damage bonus to the rider, but it also exposes itself when opposed by more than 1 footman; and why against only footmen?
Stable: staying on a horse is not a matter of the horse's stability; galloping horses are not variously unstable, nor necessarily unstable while galloping (my wife can ride at a gallop without stirrups--I bet any knight could too)
Leaper: this is called Jumping in equestrian language


Thanks for the feedback. Will revisit a few of these with some tweaks in a bit.

My intent here is largely to give each horse a distinctive characteristic to make it memorable to the players. I want to put a bit of tension into those horse survival rolls in the winter phase beyond mere financial concern.

I might make a minor traits table with mostly cosmetic/minor traits and have it feed in to the more heavy-duty table above on a high roll.

Horses can be bought/sold/traded. Especially during tournaments knight can gain huge amount horses they can sell off.
It's simple economics, everything has a price (even if only Arthur can afford it).
If after a year you notice you have a fleet horse, another knight might offer you a large amount of gold and a normal horse in exchange. How much gold would that need to be?

fg,
Thijs

D&D is a very bad source for ideas and the Dragon magazine too- horrible research or none at all. All the at the Stephen King level of research :o



Biter: The horse has a nasty temperament and likes to take chunks out of unsuspecting bystanders. If attack-trained add 2 to the normal skill modifier for non-lance attacks. Subtract 2 from all squire-rolls involving the horse as it terrorises your trainee knight.

Horses with this habit are far too dangerous and are put to death. Onagers whom also have this habit, were allowed to live and used as mounts, but they were never European mounts.


Kicker: Walking behind this dead-eyed brute is a bad idea as he loves to kick out. Anyone foolish enough to do so must make a DEX check to avoid taking 4d6 points of damage from his flailing hooves. A fumbled squire roll involving this horse means that your squire has been seriously injured.

One has to be either entirely unexposed to horses or reckless to be kicked by one. when I was in the first group a horse kicked me, but I was neither harmed or even knocked down. Horses are just too predictable and slow to do much damage or need a dexterity kick. It's all too easy to see when they're going to kick and too slow for someone not to be able to avoid their kicks. I do know someone whom was kicked in the head by one when in its stall with it- no damage just a knockdown and knockout, maybe adjust to this rather than 4d6 damage.


Bucks: Your horse is high-spirited and periodically tries to throw you. Once per session where you are mounted the GM can call for a Horsemanship roll to avoid being thrown off. The mounts high spirits give it +1 to Movement rate.


Horsemanship is about training a horse to obey, a dominated horse should not act like this with it's rider. A horse like this that has not been taught obedience will also do things like galloping at fences, stopping suddenly and trying to throw the rider.


Bone-jarring: Whatever jangling way this ungainly beast moves it is uncomfortable and tiring for its rider. Travelling for a day or using the beast for more than four rounds of a battle requires a CON roll to avoid fatigue setting in (-5 to all skills).

The penalty is too high and in battle one does not get fatigue, instead one gets wind broken and possibly dies afterward or if lucky no longer has the ability to stand (been there done that after a dusk to dawn fight, I normally sleep 5 hours, I slept for 48 hours and felt like rip van winkle when I woke up). Northern pike typically fight this hard and will end up wind broken, in which case they'll go belly up if one releases them and die. A few lucky ones can stay upright if one helps them for a few minutes).


Single Rider: This stubborn horse will answer to only one master. For all other riders it counts as untrained and will buck uncontrollably or simply refuse to move. It is loyal to this master and will stand over him should he fall in battle.

Combine with high spirited horse ;)


Rears: In stressful situations this horse is prone to rearing up in a threatening display. In combat against footmen it imposes a valorous check on any foes seeking to engage the rider. Those who pass can attack normally and inflict +d6 damage if they use spears or similar long weapons to attack the mounts exposed belly.

Horses rearing and trying to plunge are just like horses trying to kick (predictable and slow). A foot man with a sword or even a spear could cut one or both legs off such a horse.- this would be a +10 attack situation for the footman rather than a runaway situation.


Headstrong: This horse knows where it wants to go. If its rider wants to go in a different direction he takes a -5 penalty on any horsemanship rolls. Roll a d6 whenever riding it to see what mood he is in. On a 1 the horse is contrary and seems to have urgent business in the wrong direction.

Medieval war horses were bridled with severe curb bits, they're going where ever they're ordered to go, even spirited horse don't like certain pain they can't avoid and submit.


Steps on Feet: This beast takes perverse joy in stomping on feet and crushing toes. When a character is afoot in his immediate vicinity, he must make an awareness roll to avoid d6 damage (ignoring armour).
Too much damage, treat as a knockdown due to pain or sword whip the bad horse ;)


Lazy: This horse does not like to move. This functions as Headstrong but instead of going in a different direction the horse refuses to move.

This is why spurs were invented and used ;), though even barebacked horses will move when one kicks them in the side 8)


Gentle: This noble horse is a kind soul. It may never be attack-trained (though it can be combat-trained) and it gives a +3 to Romance or Flirting rolls whilst its owner is out riding or hunting with ladies.

Meek spiritless horses are totally unsuitable for battle, though a fine mount for an archer.


Escape Artist: No stable built by man can hold this horse. He can undo bolts and lift bars and likes to go exploring. A failed squire roll involving this horse means that the squire is off chasing it down. A fumbled roll indicates that the squire and horse are lost and a search party may be required.

Intelligence can be annoying in a horse ;) these can also untie knots with their teeth and tongue. I was that hapless squire all too often :-[ >:( chains and padlocks work though ;) 8)


Strong: This horse is a wall of muscle. Add +5 to STR and increase lance damage by a single point.

Horses don't really had their strength and size as their rider's damage, but is consistent with KAP



Fleet: This horse may have some Arabian blood or be faerie blessed. Add +2 to Movement rate.
Those darn faeries are always up to mischief :)


Robust: This horse is tough and fit. Add +5 to CON. If a wound or event would ever ruin this horse, it is not ruined but instead loses the robust trait.[quote]
Ruined horses are really wind broken and normally die, otherwise well balanced.

[quote]Stable: Even at a gallop this horse keeps things steady. Reduce any negative modifiers on horsemanship rolls for the rider to be knocked off by 3.

Yes, graceful high dexterity horses are very good- one of the many reasons percherons and shires were never used as war horses.


Leaper: This horse loves to jump and has an amazing spring. Add +5 to any horsemanship checks made by the rider to leap an obstacle or enemy.

One can really leap over an enemy- they usually have 8'-9' long spears-just too high for a horse to jump over.


Sure-footed: This horse takes its lead from nimble hill ponies. Add +5 DEX and ignore any negative modifiers due to hilly or unstable terrain.

Mules are extremely sure footed, but not noted for gracefulness or nimbleness, so no +5 to DEX.


Knows trick: This horse is clever and he knows at least one trick. Create one trick with the GMs approval. With time and a horsemanship roll you may be able to teach your mount further tricks.

Teaching a spirited horse the trick of obedience is the only trick a knight would want his horse knowing ;)


Fearless: This horse would ride into hell. It is immune to mundane or magical fear as long as its rider is unaffected.

A fearless high spirited horse is the horse every knight wanted :)

Cool stufff, Morningkiller. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to the revised list. I love this kind of stuff. Can never have too many tables to provide those extra little details I might not otherwise think of.


T.