Animals of Burden
- Camel
- Irascible animals that are adapted to life in dry climates. Often used for transportation in deserts.
- AC 7 [12], HD 2 (9hp), Att 1 × bite (1), 1 × hoof (1d4), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 150’ (50’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 20
- ▶ Ill-tempered: Bite or kick creatures in their way, including owners.
- ▶ Water: After drinking well, can survive 2 weeks without water.
- ▶ Desert travel: Move at full speed through broken lands and deserts.
- Draft Horse
- Bred for great strength and endurance. Used to pull vehicles and ploughs or as beasts of burden.
- AC 7 [12], HD 3 (13hp), Att None, THAC0 17 [+2], MV 90’ (30’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 6, AL Neutral, XP 35
- ▶ Non-combatants: Flee, if attacked.
- Mule
- Stubborn horse/donkey cross-breeds used as beasts of burden.
- AC 7 [12], HD 2 (9hp), Att 1 × kick (1d4) or 1 × bite (1d3), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 120’ (40’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 8, AL Neutral, XP 20
- ▶ Tenacious: Can be taken underground, if the referee allows it.
- ▶ Defensive: May attack if threatened, but cannot be trained to attack on command.
- Riding Horse
- Lightly built horses adapted to run at high speed. Can survive purely on grass, wherever available.
- AC 7 [12], HD 2 (9hp), Att 2 × hoof (1d4), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 240’ (80’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 20
- War Horse
- Bred for strength and courage in battle. Adapted to short bursts of speed; not suited to long-distance riding.
- AC 7 [12], HD 3 (13hp), Att 2 × hoof (1d6), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 120’ (40’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 9, AL Neutral, XP 35
- ▶ Charge: When not in melee. Requires a clear run of at least 20 yards. Rider’s lance inflicts double damage. Horse cannot attack when charging.
- ▶ Melee: When in melee, both rider and horse can attack.
| Animals of Burden |
| |
Unencumbered |
Encumbered |
| Animal |
Cost (gp) |
Miles per Day |
Movement Rate |
Max Load (Coins) |
Miles per Day |
Movement Rate |
Max Load (Coins) |
| Camel |
100 |
30 |
150’ (50’) |
3,000 |
15 |
75’ (25’) |
6,000 |
| Horse (draft) |
40 |
18 |
90’ (30’) |
4,500 |
9 |
45’ (15’) |
9,000 |
| Horse (riding) |
75 |
48 |
240’ (80’) |
3,000 |
24 |
120’ (40’) |
6,000 |
| Horse (war) |
250 |
24 |
120’ (40’) |
4,000 |
12 |
60’ (20’) |
8,000 |
| Mule |
30 |
24 |
120’ (40’) |
2,000 |
12 |
60’ (20’) |
4,000 |
Dogs
| Dogs |
| Dog Type |
Cost (gp) |
Miles per Day |
Movement Rate |
| Hunting |
17 |
36 |
180’ (60’) |
| War |
25 |
24 |
120’ (40’) |
- Hunting Dog
- Domestic breeds selected for their intelligence and excellent sense of smell.
- AC 7 [12], HD 1+2 (6hp), Att 1 × bite (1d6), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 180’ (60’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 10, AL Neutral, XP 15
- ▶ Tracking: By scent. Once started, very difficult to put off the trail.
- ▶ Command: Trained to attack on owner’s command.
- War Dog
- Large domestic breeds selected for their bulk and ferocious nature.
- AC 8 [11], HD 2+2 (11hp), Att 1 × bite (2d4), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 120’ (40’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 11, AL Neutral, XP 25
- ▶ Armour: Trained to wear armour (see Tack and Harness).
- ▶ Command: Trained to attack on owner’s command.
Tack and Harness
| Tack and Harness |
| Item |
Cost (gp) |
| Dog armour |
25 |
| Horse barding |
150 |
| Saddle and bridle |
25 |
| Saddle bags |
5 |
Dog armour: Light leather armour with a spiked collar. Provides the animal with an AC of 6 [13].
Horse barding: Armour made of leather and plates of metal. Provides the animal with an AC of 5 [14] and weighs 600 coins.
Saddle bags: Hold up to 300 coins weight.
Dungeon Mounts
Dungeon explorers may invest in specially trained mounts to aid in subterranean delving. Such creatures provide comfort, security, and enhanced navigation capabilities, but each brings with it specific risks and challenges. These creatures can be caught in the wild or raised from infancy; in all cases, dungeon mounts lack the trustworthiness of horses and always retain some degree of risk.
Training: An animal trainer specialist (see Specialists in OSE) is required to safely train monsters captured in the wild, including those raised from eggs / infants. The required training time is listed in the table opposite.
Upkeep: Dungeon mounts have specialised food and care requirements, making them expensive to keep. Monthly costs are as follows: cave grub 50gp, giant mole 100gp, goliath ant 200gp, grizzly bat 1,000gp.
| Dungeon Mounts |
| | Unencumbered | Encumbered |
| Animal | Time to Train | Miles per Day | Movement Rate | Max Load (Coins) | Miles per Day | Movement Rate | Max Load (Coins) |
| Cave Grub | 1 month | 12 | 60′ (20′) | 6,000 | 6 | 30′ (10′) | 12,000 |
| Giant Mole | 12 months | 18 | 90′ (30′) | 3,000 | 9 | 45′ (15′) | 6,000 |
| Goliath Ant | 6 months | 36 | 180′ (60′) | 4,500 | 18 | 90′ (30′) | 9,000 |
| Grizzle Bat | 8 months | 36* | 180′ (60′)* | 1,500 | 18* | 90′ (30′)* | 3,000 |
| *: Flying movement rates listed. |
- Cave Grub
- Giant 10′ maggots. Simple, plodding creatures that are easy to train. Ideal companions for hauling massive treasure hoards out of sacked tombs and ancient ruins.
- AC 9 [10], HD 4+1 (19hp), Att 1 × bite (1d3), THAC0 15 [+4], MV 75′ (25′), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 6, AL Neutral, XP 125, NA 2d4 (3d6), TT None
- ▶ Delicious: Other monsters are likely to attack cave grubs first.
- ▶ Short life cycle: 3 months after hatching, cave grubs form hard chitinous shells around their bodies and pupate for 3 days before metamorphosing into cave flies.
- Cave Fly (Mature Cave Grub)
- 12′ long, feral psychopaths of the insect world. These predators are impossible to domesticate and stand in sharp contrast to their tranquil larval form.
- AC 5 [14], HD 6 (27hp), Att 1 × bite (1d8) or digestive vomit, THAC0 14 [+5], MV 90′ (30′) / 120′ (40′) flying, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 9, AL Chaotic, XP 500, NA 1d2 (1d2), TT None
- ▶ Digestive vomit: Cave flies can vomit a 30′ cone of acid once per day, 4d6 damage (save versus breath for half).
- Giant Mole
- Tough and strong, giant 10′ moles defend themselves with their massive claws. Giant moles can dig tunnels in anything but the hardest stone, providing huge utility for navigating the underworld.
- AC 5 [14], HD 6 (27hp), 2 × claws (1d10), THAC0 14 [+5], MV 90′ (30′), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (3), ML 8, AL Neutral, XP 500, NA 1 (1d3), TT None
- ▶ Burrow: A giant mole can dig a 10′ long, 5′ diameter tunnel through soft earth in one turn, or through solid stone in 1d3 hours.
- ▶ Scent-sight: Moles have poor eyesight and depend heavily on smell for navigation. Unusually fragrant environments confuse a mole (make a morale check or move randomly).
- ▶ Naturally solitary: Giant moles are hard to train.
- Goliath Ant
- Mighty 6′ long insects capable of carrying armoured riders and heavy loads. Goliath ants use claws, adhesive foot pads, and hairs on their legs to stick to nearly any surface. These climbing abilities, paired with their natural strength and powerful defences make them desirable and versatile dungeon mounts, capable of navigating extreme cavernous terrain.
- AC 3 [16], HD 4+2* (20hp), Att 1 × bite (3d4), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 180′ (60′), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (2), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 200, NA 2d4 (4d6), TT None
- ▶ Wall crawlers: Capable of walking up sheer surfaces and along ceilings.
- ▶ Hydrophobic: Will no ford a river no matter its width.
- ▶ Pheromone driven: Riders control goliath ants with chemical signals released by bottled pheromones, manufactured by alchemists (see Accessories). These are thrown into the ant’s path to command it to attack, guard, or walk (following the rider’s directions).
- ▶ Pack mentality: When encountering other giant ants, goliath ants must make a morale check. If the check fails, they revert to their instinctive hive mentality, losing all training and domestication.
- Grizzly Bat
- Winged, woolly mammals with 15′ wingspans: large, loyal, and intelligent. Capable of carrying small riders and using echolocation to navigate in the dark.
- AC 6 [13], HD 3+1 (14hp), Att 1 × bite (1d6), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 30′ (10′) / 180′ (60′) flying, SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1), ML 8, AL Neutral, XP 50, NA 1d10 (1d10), TT None
- ▶ Echolocation: Unaffected by effects that impair, modify, or rely on sight. Blinded by magical silence.
- ▶ Flying mounts: Grizzly bats can carry small riders (e.g. halflings or gnomes). Riders must be unencumbered (no metal armour or heavy packs).
- ▶ Roost: Grizzly bats can hang upside down from cave ceilings.
- ▶ Big eaters: An active grizzly bat requires 50 lbs of meat per day.
| Dungeon Mount Accessories |
| Item | Cost (gp) |
| Ant pheromone (1 command) | 10 |
| Barding (AC 5 [14], 800 cn) | 300 |
| Saddle and bridle | 50 |
| Saddle bags (hold 500 coins) | 15 |