Handle Animal
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General Skill — Charisma and Agility
The Handle Animal skill allows characters to train animals and ride them.
Specific Uses
Train
Charisma
A character can use the Train action to raise and train animals. Only one animal may be trained at a time.
| Action | DC | Time Taken |
|---|---|---|
| Raise from Infancy | 20 + HD of animal | Animal's Maturation |
| Tame Wild Animal | 25 + HD of animal | Four weeks |
| Train to Ride | 20 | Three weeks |
| Train for Combat | 25 | Four weeks |
| Teach a specific action | 15 + 2 per previous action taught | One week |
Raise from Infancy — This check is rolled twice, once at the start of raising the animal, and once at the end. If the first check fails, the animal dies as an infant. If the second check fails, the animal remains bestial. A successful second check means that the animal is now domesticated and will treat its trainer as its mother.
Tame Wild Animal — This check is used to take a mature wild animal and domesticate it. The check is rolled twice, once at the beginning of the four week period, and once at the end. The first check determines whether or not the animal is captured and placated enough to train, and the second check determines whether or not the domestication was successful. Failure of the first check simply means that the animal escapes or doesn't allow itself to be captured. Failure of the second check means that the four weeks spent training the animal were wasted.
Train to Ride — This check is used to teach the animal to accept a rider. The check is rolled once. If the check fails, the three weeks are wasted.
Train for Combat — This check is used to harden the animal's resolve in battle, allowing it to act and attack at it's owner's commands. If an animal is to be trained as a combat mount, it first must be trained to accept a rider, then trained for combat. The check is rolled once. If the check fails, the four weeks are wasted.
An animal trained for combat will attack, defend, and retreat on command.
Domesticated animals (such as horses) not trained for combat take a -4 on all attacks almost as if they were Nonproficient.
Teach a specific action — This check is used to teach an animal to perform a specific action on command. Example actions include attacking a target, defending a target, or retrieving an indicated item. It costs 2 AP to direct the animal to do this action during combat, though you can teach them to respond specifically to stimulus (anytime you see a wolf, attack). Very difficult actions may have a higher DC.
Ride
Agility
Ride governs how well characters can ride animals. A character trying to ride an animal that isn't trained to be ridden takes a -8 to Handle Animal checks made to ride. Trying to ride an animal unsuited to riding takes another -4. For example, if Roland tries to ride a baboon, he takes a -4 because the baboon is unsuited to riding, in addition to the -8 because the baboon is untrained, for a total of -12.
Ride actions usually take no AP because your mount is taking the action for you. Unless noted all ride checks are a free action.
| Action | DC |
|---|---|
| Guide with Knees | 10 |
| Stay mounted | 5 + Damage dealt |
| Handle mount in battle | 25 |
| Direct mount to attack | 20 |
| Fast mount or dismount | 25 |
Guide with Knees — This allows the rider to use two hands while riding for a round. Failing this check means that the rider may only use one hand for this round.
Stay mounted — This allows the rider to stay on his mount when he is dealt damage. If he fails, he falls from his mount.
Handle mount in battle — This applies only to riding mounts that have not been trained to handle combat and must be made at the start of the rider's turn every round. The failure of this check means that the mount runs away from combat for this round.
Direct mount to attack — This action lets both the rider and the mount attack this round. Failure of this check means that the mount attacks, but the rider is unable to.
Fast mount or dismount — This action lets a rider mount or dismount a mount at no AP cost. Failure of this check means that it costs 2 AP to mount the animal as usual.
Skill Tiers
This skill starts at Tier Zero. The upgrade cost of skill tiers is 2 + (Current Skill Tier x2) Upgrade Points.
Tier One
A character with Tier One Handle Animal can use their Handle Animal skill on animals as if using the Negotiate(Diplomacy) skill for the purpose of affecting animals' disposition towards him.
When doing this to a trained animal, the check is made verses the trainer's or rider's own Handle Animal check.
Tier Two
A character with Tier Two Handle Animal can attempt to ride an animal that hasn't been trained to ride at a -4 penalty instead of a -8.
Tier Three
A character with Tier Three Handle Animal can train an animal in one week's time less than usual.
