Monday, August 8, 2011

New Labyrinth Lord Race/Class: Equestrian Ponies!



A flurry of motion at the door of the tavern caught Lars Kettlebeck's eye and he looked lazily up from wiping down a flagon. A cloud of yellow trail dust was settling out on the front porch, shaken off by some sort of animal that proceeded to come inside.


It was roughly a yard high at the shoulder, equine in configuration, and encased from snout to tail in dully gleaming plate mail barding that showed the patina of knocks and dents that only came from long service in the field. Some kind of crest depicting a horseshoe and a bunch of berries was painted on the flanks of the barding, the bright colors scratched and faded with use and travel.

What glimpses of the little animal's hide there were visible under the metal shell and padded blankets were covered in dirt dulled cobalt blue fur, with a tightly cropped tail of purplish midnight blue that looked for all the world like the end of a well used broom jutting up from the creature's hindquarters through a gap in the steel plates.


A pair of travel stained saddle bags hung over its back, with a coil of rope, an empty waterskin, and a map case dangling from straps on its harness. Lars' sharp eyes furrowed a bit as he took note of a weapon, a common instinct among the tavern keepers in the border towns. What looked like the handle of some kind of falchion or cutlass protruded from beneath the creature's left hand saddlebag, its simple wooden grip marked with indentations that looked like tooth marks.

The barman resumed wiping down the flagon as the creature made its way toward him, the clack clack of the metal soles of the boot like contraptions it wore on its hooves echoing in the relative quiet of late morning. Some of the drunks sobering up in the corners winced at the noise, while others merely gaped at the spectacle of what looked like a tiny knight's destrier walking purposefully across the common room. Lars merely kept a stolid expression as the thing vanished from his point of view, obscured by the bar.

He heard the clinking sound of buckles being undone, followed by a soft clatter of iron soles dropping to the floor, and then the slightly grating sound of the barstool before him being moved. A moment later the little armored creature hove back into view, pulling itself up onto the barstool and sitting up on its haunches with its blue furred fore hooves resting on the eroded varnish of the bar.

A gravelly voice, deeper than Lars would have expected, issued forth from beneath the rounded sallet with its v shaped eye slit. "Do you have any cider, my good sir? I've got the bits to pay for it."

It turned and craned its neck to the saddlebag on its right flank. With deft use of its muzzle, it opened the flap and rooted inside, soon drawing forth a small cloth pouch that clinked softly when it hit the surface of the bar. It then nosed the pouch open and pulled out a silver coin pinched between its front teeth, which it laid carefully before the barman before gathering up the pouch again by its strings and flipping it back into the saddlebag.


As Lars peered down at the silver coin, marked on its face with the profile of a unicorn wearing a small tiara in front of a crescent moon and star, the creature reached up with its fore hooves and grasped the sides of its sallet, lifting it off of its head and setting it gently down on the bar beside it. A pair of large, intelligent, amber colored eyes looked expectantly up at the grizzled barman, a shock of midnight blue mane plastered down to the broad forehead by sweat and the weight of the helmet. It gave him a weary smile.

Lars gave a curt nod and slid the coin across the scratched surface of the bar and into one of the pockets of his apron.
He turned and stepped up to one of the kegs along the wall, filling the flagon in his hand with a dark golden liquid that smelled faintly of apples, raisins, clove and cinnamon. "One cider, comin' up."

As he set the sweet libation down in front of it, the creature's smile widened as it looked up from the flagon to him, a note of gratitude to be heard in its scratchy voice. "Thank you kindly, sir." At that it was suddenly racked with a fit of coughing, causing it to raise one of its hooves to its mouth and avert its muzzle. It turned back to him with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I've been breathing trail dust all day on the king's highway from Stopton. I'm a little hoarse."

Lars nodded laconically, returning the creature's smile with a kindly smirk of his own. "I can see that."

He leaned amiably on the bar as the small equine fished in its other saddlebag and produced a lacquered reed which it lowered into the flagon and began to drink. "So what brings you to Wayford, Mister…"


After a pause as the blue furred creature closed its eyes and licked its lips with a contented sigh, it returned his gaze. "Buckberry." A bold smirk spread across the equine's expressive little face. "I'm just a wandering stallion at arms, looking for adventure and fortune. More the latter than the former, but whatever comes along first is fine with me."

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The Ponies of Equestria are an odd breed of sentient, magical equine who live in a highly civilized yet bucholic fashion comparable to that of halflings and elves. They come in three distinct types, the most common being known as Earth Ponies who are renowned for their strength and industriousness, the winged Pegasus Ponies, and the magically gifted Unicorn Ponies.

While generally content to live in their own idyllic kingdom, under the protection of a pair of patron sister goddesses associated with the sun and moon, many a pony of a more adventurous type has taken up the call of the open road and the thrill of treasure hunting, and have been slowly spreading across the wider world.

Common features shared by all types of Equestrian Ponies are a small size, about four feet at the shoulder for the very largest specimens, and bright coats, manes, and tails of a wide range of colors, often in combinations not found in the rest of the natural world. They are notably equine, but with a much more rounded and delicate appearance, with large, expressive, forward looking eyes set in short muzzled faces.

Equestrian Ponies are peace loving and friendly and tend to have good relations with civilized neighbors, especially when Pegasus Ponies and their weather controlling abilities are present. Earth Ponies get along famously with halflings, and often more adventuresome specimens of both races will partner up, with the halfling riding their equine ally into battle like miniaturized heavy cavalry. (This is viewed as adorable by many foes, up until a lance held at crotch level is encountered, followed by a thorough stomping by four tiny, iron shod hooves.) Elves have a special affinity for Unicorn Ponies and often mingle with them in study and song.

The chaotic races of humanoids and evil monsters universally loathe Equestrian Ponies and often consider them a delicacy. Trolls in particular will attack Equestrian Ponies on sight. The gentle demeanor of the Equestrian Ponies belies their courageous nature, and they will fight back fiercely if attacked. More often than not they will not be alone in their battles, as their almost magical ability to make friends means they have many allies.

Equestrian Ponies speak the Common tongue, their alignment language, and a language used by all types of ponies known as Poneise, which sounds to most listeners rather like Common spoken by a small horse with a mouth full of cake frosting. Unicorn Ponies often can speak Draconic, with just enough facility that most dragons can resist the urge to pinch their little cheeks and tell them how precious they sound, which can be anything from annoying to downright terrifying depending on the age and size of the dragon in question.

CUTIE MARKS:
All Ponies who come of age are marked by a special pictograph that appears by magic on their flanks. This is referred to among them as a "cutie mark" (albeit grudgingly by the males, who would prefer something a bit less effeminate). This mark carries with it a special talent that manifests when the Pony in question realizes their true calling. This ability is in addition to any other abilities gained from the pony's subtype. Roll once on the following table when creating an Equestrian Pony character.

CUTIE MARK GENERATION TABLE:
01: Detect traps on 2 in d6 if actively looking.
02: Detect hidden gemstones on a 2 in d6
03: Detect poison on a 1 in d6
04: Hard bargainer, can get 3/4 value back for resold equipment rather than half.
05: Can predict changes in weather up to four hours in advance on a 2 or less on a d6.
06: Detect fresh water on a 2 or less on d6
07: Detect lies told in presence on a 2 or less on d6 if actively listening for them.
08: Detect secret doors on a 1 in d6 if actively looking.
09: Pony is unusually sure footed, and can maintain their balance even on slick or treacherous surfaces without any move penalty. They're also excellent skaters.
10: Choose a basic crafting skill like baking or knitting or dressmaking. The pony is able, given time and proper facilities, to take 1d20 gp per day and double it producing and selling the results of their labor. Weapons and Armor are not available crafting abilities for this, although other forms of smithing may be.
11: Detect presence of magic in general area on a 1 in d6. Cannot pinpoint this magic unless pony is a Unicorn Pony.
12: Kind demeanor adds a -2 to reaction checks from creatures of animal intelligence.
13: Pony knows 1d4 additional languages. Draconic and Elvish are most common, but others may be available per the campaign world.
14: Forage for enough food to feed up to 4 companions for the day in wilderness areas on a 2 or less in d6
15: Pony may cast a very weak Charm Person effect once per day. The subjects of this Charm may make checks to resist every hour. Doesn't work on actively hostile foes. Subjects of this ability will find themselves going along with what the pony wants despite their better judgement, especially if the pony starts whining.
16: Sound of the pony's laughter allows second save vs. Fear based effects to all allies within earshot.
17: Natural healing ability, may heal 1d4 points of damage to one creature once per day.
18: Twitching premonitions of danger, this pony is only surprised on a roll of 1 on a d6, and gives their group a -1 bonus to surprise rolls.
19: Pony can cause a mild form of Confusion by raising a patter of rapid fire speech at the intended target, causing them to forget to attack or take an intended action for each round the pony prattles at them. The victim may make a Save vs. Spell to break loose from this effect. Victims get a -2 to their save if they can actually understand and think about what the pony is saying to them.
20: A piercing stare that causes those fixed with it to suffer a +2 penalty to Morale checks and -1 to combat rolls. If the pony makes a Charisma check to verbally tell the foe off in a language they understand, they must make an immediate Morale check or flee. Creatures that use gaze attacks must succeed a Morale check to make such an attack on this pony.

EARTH PONIES:
REQUIREMENT: Con 9
Prime Requisite: Str
Hit Dice: d6
Maximum Level: 12

ABILITIES:
Earth ponies are immensely strong for their small size, and can carry loads of up to 300 lbs. without suffering any movement penalty. They may carry a maximum of 600 lbs. at a maximum rate of 60' a turn. They can wear any kind of armor but cannot use shields. They can also wield one handed melee weapons clenched in their teeth, although they suffer a -1 penalty to hit due to it being an ungainly form of attack. It is impossible for them to use bows or other ranged weapons.

Their preferred method of attack is a powerful kick with their hind legs, which can do 1d6 damage per hoof. (Roll an attack for each hoof) If both hooves connect on one target, they are forced to make a save vs. breath weapon or be knocked back 1d4X10 feet. Adventuring Earth Ponies may choose to purchase a special set of iron shoes that increase the damage to 1d8 per hoof. These cost 5 gp for a pair and add 6 lbs. to the amount of weight carried.

They may also use this buck attack to open doors on a 3 or less on a 1d6, with Strength bonus' applying. Any type of door may be opened this way, including magically held or locked doors.

Upon reaching 9th. level, an Earth Pony adventurer may petition their Princesses for a charter to found an outpost town in an unclaimed hex of wilderness. Once the surrounding territory is tamed, ponies of all three types will arrive to settle, setting up farms and orchards around a central village. The founder will be expected to defend and nurture their community, acting as its guardian with their goddess' blessing.

Earth Ponies use the Dwarf table for level advancement, and the Dwarf/Elf/Fighter/Halfling column of the combat matrix. They have their own set of saving throws, with emphasis on their physical hardiness giving them high resistance to poisons and body altering magics like petrification and polymorph.


PEGASUS PONIES:
REQUIREMENT: Dex 9
PRIME REQUISITE: Dex
Hit Dice: d4
Maximum Level: 12

ABILITIES:
These flying ponies are some of the fleetest creatures in the air, with a magical bond to wind and weather. They are capable of flying at a speed of 480' per turn (160' per round), and are extremely maneuverable, able to attain these speeds even in dungeon tunnels and narrow spaces due to their small size. A pegasus pony is capable of entering and withdrawing from melee combat without suffering an attack to do so, so long as they have movement to do so.

A pegasus pony only takes half damage from falling from any height. While they are too small and weak to carry any riders, they may attempt to rescue allies from falls with a successful attack roll, followed by a Save vs. Death. The distance of the fall is reduced by the difference between roll and target number X 10.

These creatures are capable of walking on any mass of cloud, mist or vapor that is thick enough to obscure vision as if it were solid (albeit spongy) ground.

Their preferred method of attack is a kick with their hind legs, which does 1d4 per hoof. They may wear iron shoes to increase this to 1d6, but tend to disdain such hoofwear as it weighs them down. They may make a buck attack against masses of cloud or vapor, dispersing a 10X10' area in a round. The hooves of a Pegasus Pony can strike creatures from the elemental plane of air for damage without penalty, even if the creature in question possesses resistance to normal weapons.

This speed and maneuverability comes at a cost of the strength of their earth bound kin, and they are incapable of flight if encumbered. Armor heavier than light leather barding restricts their wings and thus they cannot wear it. (The royal guards of Equestria's ruling sisters wear enchanted plate mail that is almost weightless, and are hoof picked for their unusual size and strength.) They can carry and use one handed melee weapons in their mouths, with a -1 penalty due to its ungainliness, preferring light blades like daggers or short swords.

Upon reaching 9th. level, Pegasus Ponies can petition their Princesses to build a stronghold in the sky that tends to drift over a designated (usually friendly) area of land. Pegasus ponies will soon arrive to settle, creating their homes out of the stuff of clouds. The skylord will often be allied with friendly airborne creatures, and since a community of Pegasus Ponies can control the weather out to 20 miles radius, they are often courted for friendly relations by the lands below them.

Pegasus Ponies use the Halfling table for level advancement, and the Dwarf/Elf/Fighter/Halfling column of the combat matrix. They have their own set of saving throws, that emphasize their ability to dodge and maneuver, giving them high saves vs. breath weapons and wands.


UNICORN PONIES
REQUIREMENT: Int 9
PRIME REQUISITE: Int and Wis
Hit Dice: d4
Maximum Level: 12

ABILITIES:
A highly magical breed from an already magical race, the horned unicorn ponies are exalted even among the egalitarian society of Equestria. They are capable of casting spells in a similar fashion to Elves and Magic Users, up to the 9th. level of ability. This magic is focused on their horn, which glows brightly when in use. Spells up to 2nd. Level do not need to be memorized, and may be chosen at will on the fly up to the Unicorn Pony's slots per day for spells of those levels. Spells of 3rd. level and higher are studied and memorized from spellbooks in the same fashion as other Magic Users.

In addition, they exhibit a low power form of Telekinesis that they can use at will to lift and manipulate small objects up to 10 pounds at a radius of 5' around their horn, which glows with a soft light when they use this ability. They may manipulate one object at a time, with additional objects for each +1 granted by high Wisdom.

Unicorn Ponies may wear any kind of armor and wield any shield or weapon with their telekinesis, provided their wisdom allows it. (i.e. Two handed weapons like pole arms or bows require that they be skilled enough with their magic to manipulate more than one object at once.)

They may also choose to kick with their hind legs for 1d4 per hoof (1d6 if they are wearing iron shoes) or stab with their horn for 1d4 damage. (This latter attack is only done in desperation, as damage or severing of their horn can cause them to lose their magical abilities.)

Upon reaching 9th. level, Unicorn Ponies can petition their Princesses to establish a town on a hex of settled land. These towns attract Equestrian Ponies of all kinds, with higher populations of Unicorn Ponies. More often than not, such communities will establish a college of magic, where mages of all species are welcome to study and exchange theory and practical applications of magic. This high concentration of magic makes them a very tough nut for chaotic raiders to try and crack.

Unicorn Ponies use the Elf table for level advancement, and the Cleric/Thief column on the combat matrix. They have their own set of saving throws, that reflect their natural magical nature and resistance to such effects.


These class' are hereby designated as Open Game Content via the Open Game License. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is copyright © Hasbro Inc. This article implies no claim on said copyright and is done without permission in the spirit of fun, love, and tolerance.

5 comments:

  1. Awesome post! I'd allow it in my games in a heart beat if a playetr ever asked.

    To bad Wizards is already developing the setting.
    http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dd/20060401a


    PS: Linked to Wisdom

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  2. Heh, suckered me in for a minute. Found myself wondering "Why would they not use "Friendship is Magic" as the basis for the campaign world rather than G3/3.5.

    I've seen fan adaptations in 3rd Edition, and I downloaded someone's Savage Worlds adaptation for eventual use as well.

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  3. Also, why wait for your players to ask? The ponies could work as NPC's too.

    Nothing flaunts your power as a GM like having their mighty adventurer get their butts handed to them by a three foot tall lime green unicorn with a slice of pie tattooed on their rump.

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  4. Oh yes! I am sooo going to kick my player's asses with ponies!

    - Ark

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  5. Love and tolerate the sh!t out of them!

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