HORSE (Equus caballas)
Role: Standard Mount For Heroes, Plow Animal
PL 6 (54)- Minion Rank 3, Sidekick Rank 11
Normal Version: PL 3-4
STRENGTH 5
STAMINA 7
AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 4
DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4
AWARENESS 1
PRESENCE -2
Skills:
Athletics 6 (+11)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 2 (+3)
Insight 3 (+4)
Intimidation 6 (+4, +5 Size)
Perception 6 (+7)
Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Attractive (To Women), Great Endurance, Improved Critical (Hooves), Power Attack
Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Low-Light Vision, Radius Sight) [3]
"Animal Physiology" Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
"Natural Size" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Reach) [2]
Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +1
Defenses:
Dodge +2 (DC 12), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +7, Fortitude +9, Will +4
Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Horses cannot speak to humans, nor use their hooves to easily manipulate objects.
Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 8 (54)
Era: Modern
Range: Plains of Europe, Asia & The Americas
Stereotypes: Noble and loyal. Human-esque.
Colouring: Gray, white, brown, black, red, tan
Size: Up to 8 feet long (800-1500 lbs.)
Encounter Groups: Wild herds of 3-25 creatures, or mounted by sentients.
Diet: Grass & vegetation
Tactics: Flee using speed or attack all-out with powerful hooves.
-It's obviously no surprise horses are all over fiction- pretty much any War-based movie set before 1900 will feature tons of them, they're an iconic figure of multiple images (the "General Riding the Horse" picture), and oh yeah, GIRLS LOVE THEM. It's pretty much the ultimate "Get girls to fawn over an animal" symbol ever- probably why people Girl-ified the Unicorn over the years. Horses are believed to represent a strong masculine symbol to females (particularly younger ones), and the dependency on their owners can make that a powerful metaphor for many things (essentially a strong, masculine figure that NEEDS them).
-Like Dogs, Horses have numerous breeds, though they don't differ nearly as much as dog breeds do. I'm no horseman, but I know there's several different roles they play- heavy Draft Horses used to pull plows, and still pull sleighs and the like. Ponies are simply a name for horses that don't grow over a certain height (taxonomically, they're the same animal as Horses), and can be used for many of the same purposes big horses can. Sport Horses are used for racing and other athletic competitions (Thoroughbreds are amongst this number), and are usually Arabs or Thoroughbreds. There's about a thousand categories and sub-categories for them, as you might imagine for such an expensive, useful animal. The "active" careers of the animals aren't often that long, especially for racehorses (it's a HARD game, and would probably kill the animal if left on for too long). Stock Horses are typically used around cattle (they have a good "cow sense").
-Curiously, smaller horses are often a bit tougher than the big breeds, pound-for-pound. The large sizes tend to be "stretched out" a bit, as their bone density doesn't increase as rapidly as their size does (taller humans can suffer physical maladies from their height as well). But there are few sights less impressive than a MONSTROUS steed- a breeder from Colorado often comes to Alberta animals shows, and one of their Clydesdales is taller than SIX FEET at the withers (shoulder, basically), and easily measures about eight feel tall.
-These stats represent a full-blown Elite Horse ridden as a mount by a hero. It's strong- not the weak-ass D&D/M&M "Strength 13" animal- this one can carry multiple people on its back, do a hell of a lot of damage, and is pretty lethal. At PL 5.5, it's enough for a common armed man, and leans heavily towards damage & toughness compared to accuracy and defensive capabilities. It's large, has Radius Sight (horses and other animals like it can see 350-degrees around them, making them all but impossible to sneak up on without cover, are fast as hell, and are generally not a bad animal to have around. Their sheer size gives their riders a bit of a boost too, especially if you give people a bonus for having the "high ground". Mounted cavalry were a huge part of ancient warfare- the general and his Shock Troops were a powerful force on the battlefield, often being used to pierce the deeply-set infantry. Horses also have Attractive to women, though that's more because it's kinda funny, since Horses can't bluff or really "persuade" that well.
-A stronger horse like a Clydesdale might do more damage (and be heavier- the heaviest horse ever weighed in at *3,300 lbs.*!!), but would almost certainly be less-accurate. Horses that size were probably not that useful in battle, anyhow- I think a more warm-blooded breed would be ideal, though large horses would be used for heavily-armored soldiers (for obvious reasons). The very-successful Mongols & Arabs would use lighter, more mobile breeds, allowing for fast cavalry maneuvering. Many heroes in fiction have Horses with borderline-human Intelligence & Awareness, and the Will Saves to match.
-Wild Horses are typically at this level, and are notoriously fighty- as large herbivores, feral horses can be territorial, particularly the males. Males will also get into vicious battles over females, biting, kicking and smashing the living crap out of each other. Even so, they will often flee from predators- very few animals could possibly outrun a Horse over open ground, especially given the stamina of these animals.