Horses
Your party decides it’s time to buy horses. A quick look at the price list in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook later, they settle on whether they want a heavy or light warhorse, put down the appropriate number of gp, and go on their way, right?
Maybe if you hate fun. Anyone who knows anything about horses (and plenty of people who don’t, like myself), can tell you that horses have tons of personality, and deserve more than to be treated as medieval used cars. We even wrote a book about horses, A Necromancer’s Grimoire: Steeds and Stallions, which includes, among other things, tables for randomly creating horses of varying qualities and with several quirks. The following ten horses were made, in part, using those tables, although I added in a bit extra to round them out. Enjoy!
1. Quail. This chestnut-colored horse was once an impressive racer, but is now past her prime. She has a white marking on her face that vaguely resembles the bird after which she is named. Although she is well-trained overall, and quite healthy and fit for a horse of her age, she refuses to gallop, and is difficult to coax into even a swift trot. She has a particular fondness for treats, though, and bribing her with sugar or candied chestnuts can sometimes result in surprising bursts of speed.
2. Daughter of the Sun. This grey roan horse has no particular markings or spots, but stands out from the crowd nonetheless, as she is a born and bred racing horse, blessed with great speed and endurance. Though by no means docile, she is broken and will take a rider without overly much trouble. She seems to take an almost perverse delight in kicking, however, and will do so whenever she gets the chance, almost as though it were an act of rebellion. She is terrified of rodents, and panics at the sight of them, causing a great ruckus.
3. Leprechaun’s Treasure. This horse has a white face and white-spotted hindquarters, with a straw-yellow coat on the rest of its body. It has poor musculature, and is ill suited for either heavy field work or fast racing, but is strong enough to carry a rider at a slow, comfortable pace (provided that that rider isn’t wearing heavy armor). He has a tendency to shift his feet nervously when he is being saddled, and often steps on his rider’s feet.
4. Felix. This horse has a rich red-gold coat, with a slightly darker mahogany mane and tail. Powerfully-built and full of energy, it is obvious even to those who know nothing of horses that Felix is an impressive horse. Previously, he was the favored mount of Sir Leonard Gilroy, a courageous knight, who supposedly chose Felix because he wanted a horse who was as fearless as he was. Indeed, Felix seems to be completely immune to fear, doubt, or hesitation. Though Sir Leonard died in battle, Felix survived, and eventually made his way into the hands of a horse merchant. He has a distinct dislike for baths.
5. Windjammer. This white-and-brown spotted horse does not live up to its name, and is better suited for farm work than for racing or combat. Still, she is strong enough to bear a rider, and can reach good speeds, albeit not for very long at a time. The main reason she isn’t suited to combat is less her physical prowess than the fact that she frightens easily, and, once frightened, is very difficult to calm down or regain control of. She responds positively to singing and lullabies, for some reason.
6. Fizz. This cream-colored horse is covered with a profusion of very small spots, a coloration pattern sometimes referred to as “flea-bitten.” He is fairly average as horses go, except that he has a particularly strong back, and is capable of carrying a much heavier load than most other horses of his quality, making him a good draft or work horse. This benefit is somewhat lessened by the fact that he has a lazy streak, but that’s nothing that a good trainer—or just close attention and a whip—can’t solve.
7. Victor. This brown horse has a black mane and tail, and a vertical stripe of white running down the center of its face. Trained to be a warhorse, his previous owners were disappointed to find that he was particularly stubborn, especially when it came to trampling down foes. It seems that Victor has a particularly gentle streak, which made him ill-suited for use as a war mount, but he still has quite a bit of potential as a steed for someone who doesn’t intend to ride him into battle.
8. Marisa. This horse has a solid white face, and a chestnut body with white hairs, giving the horse a pinkish look (sometimes known as “strawberry roan”). Previously owned by a circus and used for entertaining, she has picked up more than a few bad habits, the worst of which is her tendency to chew on fences, gates, and other wood. This deficit is somewhat made up for by the unusual tricks she knows, including walking on two legs and counting with her hoof. She is a very finicky eater, and has adopted a taste for some rather unusual foods.
9. Duran. This horse is quite old, and well past its prime. It is brown, with large, irregular patches of white all over its body. Old and feeble, it is no longer suited for carrying an armored rider, but can manage as a mount for unarmored characters, or Small ones. Even if its rider is light enough, however, they will find no end of frustration as Duran has a tendency to stop suddenly, and without warning, for no apparent reason, and refuse to be coaxed into moving again for several minutes. On a bad day, this can occur several times per hour.
10. Kossaka. This horse is young, energetic, and fiery, but may be too much for the average rider to handle. She is dun colored—a sandy coat with a black mane and tail, with a dark stripe extending down her back. Too wild to be completely tamed, she has a tendency to buck, especially with new riders, as though she were testing them for weakness. Those who are able to rein her in find that she has incredible speed and power, and is particularly fond of leaping: her powerful legs allowing her to jump higher and farther than most horses her size.