----- Original Message -----
From: “Gary” <geeman@SOFTHOME.NET>
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2002 7:47 PM
> How long should it take to accomplish this type of additional training?
Teaching an animal tasks as well as unusual tasks take 2 months. So I would
either stick with 2 months, or bump it up to 3 months. In any event I would
keep it measured in months for BR realm turn accounting.
> What kinds of requirements should there be for such training?" That is,
> not any horse should be able to trained to be more alert. Should the
> types of training that an animal can “take” be reliant upon a random roll
> on the part of the DM, or should the player get to pick?
Depends on why the horse is being considered. If a player wants a specific
kind of horse, Id figure out how long hed need to search. Id say 1-2 months if hes going stable to stable looking for a specific exceptional
horse. 2-4 months in Brectur (not a horse breeding people), and a single
month in areas, like Coeranys, identified as being good with horses. If the
player sought out a guilder or guild master who dealt in horse trading, Id either go with a Gather Information check to know the immediate location of such a horse, or Id rule that the NPC knew the information and revealed it.
If the player is not looking for a specific horse, but just horse trading in
general, and I wanted to place a horse of quality in the market, Id give him a DC 10 to recognize that the animal was better than normal, and a DC 20 to recognize that the horse could be trained with a feat. As to what kind of training the animal was capable of, Id probabaly pick myself. Players can
look for what they want, or they can stumble upon what I have placed. I
dont rely on random tables for stuff like this. I may use them, but if the result doesnt interest me, I re-roll or select one. I do the same thing
with NPC blood powers.
> How much training can one animal take? There`s some guidelines for this
sort of thing in various spells, but just for the sake of differentiating
spells and mundane skills I think there should be a difference.
Id generally go with a single feat per exceptional animal. Normally the servicable years for a warhorse are between 3-5 and that really doesnt
justify too many feats. Animals that are special in some other way
(blooded, awakened, legendary) I would consider allowing two feats for.
How much does having additional training increase the value of an
animal? This might depend, of course, on the types of training involved,
but as a general guideline I mean.
Price list:
Horse, heavy base price 200 gp
Horse, light base price 75 gp
warhorse x2
exceptional x2
masterwork, untrained x3
masterwork, trained x4
Exceptional animals are not capable of being trained, but are particularly
healthy, fine specimens, good coat and so forth. Masterwork animals
(animals of quality) are always recognized as at least exceptional animals,
if they are not recognized as masterwork. If the horse trader does reconize
their potential , they are masterwork untrained. If in fact they have been
trained, they are masterwork trained.
So an animal that was a heavy warhorse trained to grant a +2 bonus to avoid
being dismounted would cost 1600 gp in open market. 200 gp base, x2 for
warhorse, x4 for masterwork, trained.
If I were so inclined, I might seek out a young animal, heavy type which I
reconized could be trained with the toughness feat (5 hp). I couldn`t have
him for less than 400 gp, and a savvy horse trader may know his real worth
and demand 600 gp. I could then train him as a warhorse myself, as well as
train him for the toughness feat.
Kenneth Gauck
kgauck@mchsi.com
The Birthright Homepage: http://www.birthright.net
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