FREQUENCY: Common
FREQUENCY:
Common ([Cold Civilized Hills], [Cold Civilized Swamp], [Cold Civilized
Plains]), ([Cold Wilderness Hills], [Cold Wilderness Swamp], [Cold Wilderness
Plains])
FREQUENCY:
Rare ([Cold Civilized Mountains], [Cold Civilized Forest]), ([Cold Wilderness
Mountains], [Cold Wilderness Forest])
FREQUENCY: Common ([Temperate
Civilized Swamp], [Temperate Civilized Plains])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Temperate
Civilized Mountains], [Temperate Civilized Forest])
FREQUENCY: Common ([Temperate
Wilderness Hills], [Temperate Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY: Rare ([Temperate
Wilderness Mountains], [Temperate Wilderness Forest], [Temperate Wilderness
Swamp])
FREQUENCY:
Common ([Tropical Civilized Hills], [Tropical Civilized Swamp])
FREQUENCY:
Uncommon ([Tropical Civilized Plains])
FREQUENCY:
Rare ([Tropical Civilized Mountains], [Tropical Civilized Forest])
FREQUENCY:
Common ([Tropical Wilderness Hills], [Tropical Wilderness Swamp], [Tropical
Wilderness Plains])
FREQUENCY:
Rare ([Tropical Wilderness Mountains], [Tropical Wilderness Forest])
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 12"
HIT DICE: 3
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2 ~
16
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-2/1-6
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: [Neutral]
SIZE: L (6xhuman-size) <dj5.331>
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE:
II | 35 + 3
<XP was missing from
DMG>
SAVES: 13.14.15.16.16
Mules are generally sterile
hybrids
between horses && donkeys.
They are strong &&
agile, thus able to negotiate dungeons
well in most cases.
Mules can be very stubborn
and uncooperative at times, and they are
likely to bite || kick their
own handler if in a contrary mood. <animal handling roll to avoid?>
They are not panicked by
fire,
but strange smells may cause them to bolt away, or begin to bray loudly.
A mule can carry 200# in
weight at normal SPEED, 600# at one-half SPEED.
DSG: As mentioned
in the MM, mules are somewhat reliable
supply mounts. Up to 2,000 gp of weight,
evenly distributed
in saddlebags, does not encumber a mule.
The animal has no
problems walking as far as any character.
If more than 2,000 gp,
up to the maximum of 6,000, is carried,
the mule travels at 1/2
speed and refuses to walk for more than
eight hours a day.
There is a 50% chance that a mule can
be persuaded to jump a
chasm that is six feet wide or less; a
mule will never jump a wider
gap. If the die roll indicates failure,
the mule cannot be persuaded
to change its mind about the obstacle
before it. A mule never
jumps when carrying more than 2,000 gp
of weight.
A mule can walk down stairways that are
of average steepness,
and can also climb stairways that are
of average steepness, or
even a little steeper. There is a 50%
chance that a mule can be
persuaded to climb or descend a very steep
slope.
A mule can
keep its footing as well as a human. If
a slope requires characters
to use their hands to climb or descend,
the slope is too steep for a
mule.
A mule swims fairly readily, and jumps
from a height of up to six
feet to enter water. There is a 90% probability
that a mule is willing
to perform one of these tasks. Again,
if loaded with more than
2,000 gp, however, the mule refuses to
enter the water. A swimming
mule travels at a rate of 3“ per round.
When mules are traveling in a string, all
of the mules follow the
leader. Thus, if the leading mule agrees
to perform one of the
above tasks, the others automatically
follow. If the leader
refuses, the PCs can unhitch the leader
from the string and check
for the second mule in line (now the leader
of the string). The old
leader does not change his mind even if
all the other mules proceed.
As mentioned in the Monster Manual, mules
tend to be very jittery
when exposed to strange smells. If a mule
is alarmed by an
odor, it might bolt away (25% chance),
begin to bray in panic
(25% chance), freeze in place (25% chance),
or continue to function
normally (25% chance). If a group of mules
is involved, a single
check is made to determine the group’s
reaction, so all of the
mules bolt, bray, etc.
When walking on stone, mules make even
more noise than
characters clinking along in plate mail.
Normally this noise is
audible to a distance of 360 feet. If
characters wrap leather or
cloth boots around the hooves of the mules,
this distance is
reduced to 90 feet. Such muffles must
be replaced daily, however,
so it is impractical to muffle the hooves
of mules for weeks
on end. A party employing mules can always
be followed, for
obvious reasons.
WSG: MAX. LOAD : 5,000/7,500
NORMAL: 12"/6"
RUGGED: 9"/6"
HEAVY: 6"/3"
* miles per 8 hours
** 1/2 of current move"
= # of hrs. of stamina (cf. WSG.32)
FIRE:
6/11/- <>
WEATHER: 6/12/-
NOISE: 6/11/-
ODOR: 7/12/- <camels:
dj5.331>
OTHER: 6/10/12
(notice/agitate/panic)
MEAT: 6 rations (20 if a
full day is spent butchering the mule)
COST: 20
g.p.
CART, SMALL: normal terrain
at 12", rugged terrain at 7" (max. load: 600#)
CART, MEDIUM: normal at
10", rugged at 6" (max. load: 750#)
* miles per 8 hours
WSG:
Although it is a much hardier && stronger animal than a
horse, the mule’s advantage
in this regard is offset by its slower
movement rate over normal
terrain.
But it travels over rugged and
very rugged terrain at least
as well as a horse, and because its
carrying capacity is greater
that that of most horses it is often the
best animal to take on a
journey through potentially treacherous
terrain.
Every animal has a personality
all its own (see below), but
mules are particularly noted
for their capriciousness -- which
usually manifests itself
in stubbornness. A character may be frustrated,
but should not be surprised,
if his mule decides to remain
rooted to one spot for half
an hour or longer. A character can get a
stubborn mule to MOVE (without
causing injury to the animal) by
making a STR Check. But
the mule, if it still feels stubborn,
will only take a few steps
before pulling up short again -- and
making a long succession
of Strength Checks can get very tedious
for everyone involved; it
is usually better simply to wait until
the mule decides to move
again.
A mule normally needs the
same amount of food (plants or
grain) and water as a horse
does, but it can be kept on threefourths
normal rations for as many
as three consecutive days before
suffering any adverse effects.
SA:
Also, I {wish} to correct another error that
appeared in my first column concerning mules.
For some strange reason
I kept thinking they were donkeys.
Mules can carry what a warhorse
is supposed to**,
but once you get them down
in a dungeon they are not going
to want to TURN comers and such.
Everything else I said in
that answer I still stand behind.
If I have greatly upset
anyone by my answer, I meant no {harm}.
I
am only tackling a huge
column as a 1st-level writer. So please bear
with me. If I make a mistake,
I will gladly correct it in a later column.
(**Correction:
'warhorse' is like a template on a light, medium,
or, heavy horse.
'warhorse' has no effect on carrying capacity.
a light, medium, or, heavy horse is turned into a 'warhorse' by use of
the Animal Training proficiency)