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Some stories require noble stallions, ravenous wolves and powerful bears to be told. Others require well... less Mythic animals, shall we say. The following mundane beasts of burden have been adapted from the old ArM4 supplement, The Mythic Bestiary: Revised Edition, using the new guidelines found in Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults (HoH: MC), pages 38-43, for use in Ars Magica Fifth Edition. This latter supplement also contains the Feral Scent and Pack Mentality/Follower Flaws used in several of the beasts below. Details of the Heroic Virtue Great Bearer can be found in Houses of Hermes: True Lineages in the Mercere chapter.
In all, there are about a dozen different creatures detailed, counting the variants. These mundane beasts are designed to complement Andrew Gronosky's excellent free supplement, The Book of Mundane Beasts, which is available for download from the Atlas Games website at: www.atlas-games.com/pdf_storage/ArM5Beasts.pdf. All of the animals in this article could be used in stories utilising the new trade rules detailed in City and Guild, for example, or could come in handy if one of your Hermetic magi has a penchant or dropping livestock onto opponents' heads from a great height. I understand that this latter occurrence is more common in some Sagas than others - YMMV.
There are no elephants here. You'll just have to wait for those.
Characteristics: Cun -3, Per 0, Str +4, Sta +4, Pre -4, Com -4, Dex -1, Qik -2
Size: +2
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: Ferocity (Consumed by Lust), Improved Characteristics, Long-Winded; Noncombatant
Qualities: Defensive Fighter, Domesticated, Hardy
Personality Traits: Lustful +3, Meek +2
Reputations: Brutish 2 (Local)
| Weapon/Attack | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon 1 | 0 | +5 | +4 | +5 |
Soak: +4
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1/-1, -3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (16-21), Incapacitated (22-28), Dead (29+)
Abilities: Athletics 3 (Climb), Awareness 3 (Predators), Brawl 4 (Dodge)
Appearance: These statistics describe a typical domesticated ass or donkey found throughout Mythic Europe.
Rare Bjornaer magi born in the Levant have been noted as having a donkey Heartbeast of melancholic humour with a choleric aspect, but such individuals always have Heartbeasts of the wild version of this animal, the onager (see below), as noted in HoH: MC, "The Heartbeast," pages 18-24.
Onager (Wild Ass): Delete the Domesticated Quality and Noncombatant Flaw. Add the Herd Animal Quality. Change the Personality traits to Jealous +4 and Wild +3. Add the Envious (Minor) Flaw. Add Survival 5 (Desert). The onager's hooves have the following combat statistics: Init +0, Atk +5, Def +4, Dam +5.
Characteristics: Cun -2, Per -1, Str +3, Sta +4, Pre -4, Com -5, Dex -1, Qik -2
Size: +2
Confidence Score: 1 (3)
Virtues and Flaws: Ferocity (When in Season), Lesser Immunity: Thirst, Long-Winded, Wilderness Sense; Feral Scent
Qualities: Domesticated, Extra Weapon: Bite, Fast Runner, Hardy, Tireless
Personality Traits: Humble +3, Lustful +6, Stubborn +3
Reputations: Ill-tempered 3 (Local)
| Weapon/Attack | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bite | -2 | +4 | +1 | +4 |
| Hooves | 0 | +3 | +2 | +4 |
Soak: +4
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (15-21), Incapacitated (22-28), Dead (29+)
Abilities: Athletics 4 (Running), Awareness 3 (Predators), Brawl 2 (Dodging), Wilderness Sense 1 (Find Water)
Appearance: These statistics are for a dromedary (single-humped) riding camel found in eastern Mythic Europe such as Africa, Arabia, Egypt and the remainder of the Levant. The Bactrian camel (two-humped), which is found on the eastern fringes of Mythic Europe in Persia, the Tarim basin and onwards into China, is basically identical apart from the addition of the Thick Fur Quality (add +1 to Soak).
Rare Bjornaer magi born in the southeastern peripheries of Mythic Europe have been noted as having a dromedary or Bactrian camel Heartbeast of melancholic humour with a choleric aspect, but such individuals always take the wild versions of these animals as noted in HoH: MC, "The Heartbeast", pages 18-24.
Camels have been bred, like horses, to have differing traits:
Pack Camel: Delete the Fast Runner Quality, and add the Great Bearer Virtue. Most Bactrian camels are pack camels.
War Camel: Add the Aggressive and Pack Animal Qualities and the Ferocity (When Ridden) Virtue. Increase Brawl (Natural Weapons) to 5. A war camel's kick has the following statistics: Init +0 Atk +7 Dfn +4 Dam +4.
Wild Camel: Delete the Domesticated Quality. Reduce Communication to -5. Add the Defensive Fighter (including an extra Fatigue level) and Herd Animal Qualities. Increase Brawl (Dodging) to 4 and Wilderness Sense (Find Water, or replace with Sense Sandstorms) to 3. Add Survival 5 (Desert). A wild camel's kick has the following statistics: Init +0 Atk +6 Dfn +3 Dam +4.
Characteristics: Cun -3, Per 0, Str +5, Sta +5, Pre -4, Com -4, Dex -2, Qik -3
Size: +2
Confidence Score: 0 (0)
Virtues and Flaws: Great Bearer, Improved Characteristics x 3, Long-Winded, Tough; Noncombatant, Pack Mentality/Follower
Qualities: Defensive Fighter, Domesticated, Hardy, Tireless
Personality Traits: Stubborn +3, Plodding +2
Reputations: Hardy 2 (Local)
| Weapon/Attack | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hooves | -1 | +4 | +3 | +6 |
Soak: +8
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (16-21), Incapacitated (22-28), Dead (29+)
Abilities: Athletics (Climb) 3, Awareness 3 (Predators), Brawl 4 (Dodge)
Appearance: These statistics describe a typical mule or hinny found throughout Mythic Europe.
Unlike the other animals in this section, there are no Bjornaer magi born with a mule Heartbeast as there is no wild version of these animals, as noted in HoH: MC, "The Heartbeast", pages 18-24. Bjornaer with an onager, or wild ass, Heartbeast have been noted, however - see "Ass (Donkey)" above.
Characteristics: Cun -2, Per 0, Str +6, Sta +4, Pre -4, Com -4, Dex -1, Qik -2
Size: +2
Confidence Score: 0 (0)
Virtues and Flaws: Improved Characteristics, Tough; Pack Mentality/Follower
Qualities: Defensive Fighter, Domesticated, Hardy, Large Horns, Tireless, Tough Hide
Personality Traits: Patient +6, Gentle +2
Reputations: Strong 5 (Local)
| Weapon/Attack | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Horns | 0 | +6 | +5 | +7 |
Soak: +9
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5/-5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-7), -3 (8-14), -5 (15-21), Incapacitated (22-38), Dead (29+)
Abilities: Athletics 4 (Hauling), Awareness 3 (Predators), Brawl 4 (Dodging)
Appearance: These statistics are for a male or female domesticated ox, bred for work, of about the same size as the usual Bull described in The Book of Mundane Beasts. The yak is a similar creature found in the far east of Mythic Europe and used as a pack animal in mountainous areas of Central Asia where camels, mules and horses are unsuitable. In Egypt and the Levant, the water buffalo is used for the same purposes.
There are no Bjornaer magi with a domesticated cattle Heartbeast, although there are a few Bjornaer with the Heartbeast of a wild water buffalo, wild bull, wisent (European bison) or aurochs. Rare Bjornaer magi born in the far eastern peripheries of Mythic Europe with a wild yak Heartbeast have been recorded. See "Great Ox" below for details of these creatures.
Bull (Taurus): see The Book of Mundane Beasts, page 3.
Cow (Vacca): Drop the Improved Characteristics Virtue, and reduce Strength to +4 and Stamina to +3. Add the Noncombatant Flaw. Delete the Defensive Fighter, Hardy, Large Horns and Tireless Qualities, and add the Herd Animal Quality. Delete the 4 extra Fatigue levels. Reduce Brawl to 2. A cow's smaller horns give it the following combat statistics: Init -1, Atk +4, Def +0, Dam +6.
Water Buffalo: Add the Amphibious Quality and gain Swim 5 (Home Terrain).
Yak: Add the Lesser Immunity: Cold Virtue, and their extremely thick hair gives them the Tough Fur Quality (+1 to Soak).
Characteristics: Cun -2, Per 0, Str +7, Sta +5, Pre -4, Com -4, Dex -1, Qik -2
Size: +3
Confidence Score: 0 (0)
Virtues and Flaws: Improved Characteristics x2, Tough; Pack Mentality/Follower
Qualities: Defensive Fighter, Domesticated, Hardy, Herd Animal, Large Horns, Tireless, Tough Hide
Personality Traits: Patient +6, Gentle +2
Reputations: Simple-Minded 2 (Local)
| Weapon/Attack | Init | Atk | Dfn | Dam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Horns | 0 | +6 | +4 | +8 |
Soak: +10
Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1/-1, -3/-3, -5/-5, Unconscious
Wound Penalties: -1 (1-8), -3 (9-16), -5 (17-24), Incapacitated (25-32), Dead (33+)
Abilities: Athletics 4 (Running), Awareness 3 (Predators), Brawl 4 (Dodging)
Appearance: These statistics are for a large male or female domesticated ox specifically bred for heavy work such as pulling wagons or ploughing fields. Such creatures weigh in at about 2000 pounds - somewhat larger than the usual Bull described in The Book of Mundane Beasts or the "Ox (Bos)" in this article. Feral bulls have been known sometimes to grow to a similar size. Other wild cattle of this size include the aurochs of Poland and Lithuania, the water buffalo of Egypt, the smaller horned wisent (European bison) of the Ardennes region and the wild yak of Central Asia.
Although there are no Bjornaer magi with a domesticated great ox as a Heartbeast, there are a few Bjornaer with the large Heartbeasts (Size +3) of wild water buffalo, wild bulls, wisent (European bison) or aurochs. Rare Bjornaer magi born in the far eastern peripheries of Mythic Europe with a wild yak Heartbeast have also been noted. All of these larger wild Heartbeasts are of melancholic humour with a minor phlegmatic aspect. Larger, Mythic versions of these animals are believed to exist but are not able to be chosen as Heartbeasts. See HoH: MC, "The Heartbeast", pages 18-24 for further details.
Aurochs: Add the Aggressive Quality, and delete the Domesticated and Tireless Qualities. Reduce Communication to -5, and drop two of the extra Fatigue levels. Decrease Strength to +6, and increase Dexterity to 0 and Quickness to -1. Add Survival 5 (Plains), and increase Brawl to 5 (Defending Herd). Change the Personality Traits to Aggressive +3. A feral bull's large horns have the following combat statistics: Init +1, Atk +8, Dfn +6, Dam +8.
Wild Water Buffalo: Add the Amphibious Quality. Delete the Domesticated Quality, and reduce Communication to -5. Add Swim 5 (Home Terrain) and Survival 5 (Rivers). Change the Personality Traits to Protective +3 and Aggressive +2.
Wisent: Add the Aggressive Quality, and delete the Domesticated, Large Horns and Tireless Qualities. Reduce Communication to -5, and drop two of the extra Fatigue levels. Decrease Strength to +6, and increase Dexterity to 0 and Quickness to -1. Add Survival 5 (Plains), and increase Brawl to 5 (Defending Herd). Change the Personality Traits to Protective +3. A wisent's smaller horns have the following combat statistics: Init +0, Atk +8, Dfn +3, Dam +7.
Wild Yak: Add the Lesser Immunity: Cold Virtue and the Wilderness Sense Virtue. Their extremely thick hair gives them the Thick Fur Quality (+1 to Soak). Delete the Domesticated Quality, and reduce Communication to -5. Add Survival 5 (Mountains) and Wilderness Sense 1 (Weather). Change the Personality Traits to Protective +3.
Text copyright © Lachlan Hayes 2007.