Elven War Horse
by Jamie BatyGAZ5
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 3d10+9 (25 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares)
Armour Class: 15 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+11
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6 +4)
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d6 +4) and 2 hooves +1 melee (1d6 +2)
Space/Reach: 10 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., empathic bond, low-light vision, scent, telepathy
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +7
Feats: Alertness,(B), Endurance, Run
Environment: Any land
Organisation: Domesticated (Alfheim Only)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: Special
Level Adjustment: -
The elven war horse is a special breed of horse found only in Alfheim. They are the result of a breeding program that combined unicorn, chevall, and horse (mostly Ethengarian breeds).
The elven war horse is a short-legged, quick horse with uncanny intelligence. Their intelligence and speed make them more than a match for heavier, armoured warhorses, as they have proved in hundreds of battles.
These horses must be bred true, or their offspring are just like regular horses. These lesser horses are sold outside of Alfheim, but the true war horses are kept in Alfheim, only leaving when their riders are part of an army fighting outside of Alfheim.
Combat
Elven war horses are bred to fight in concert with their riders. If encounter without a rider, they will bite and kick with their hooves. A rider must succeed on a Ride check in order to attack the same round the horse does.
Empathic Bond (Ex): Elven War horses bond with their riders. This process takes several months, after which an elven war horse's rider gains a +4 bonus to all Ride checks while mounted on the horse and +8 bonus to all Handle Animal checks made regarding the horse.
Should the rider and horse be parted for more than a week, the horse becomes shaken. The horse recovers within a day of the rider's return. If the rider is killed, the shaken horse must be carefully taken care of or it too will die. After a year of care, the horse recovers and may bond with another rider.
Telepathy (Su): An elven war horse can communicate telepathically with any other equine within 100 feet.
Carrying Capacity: A light load for an elven war horse is up to 300 pounds; a medium load, 301-600 pounds; and a heavy load, 601-900 pounds. A heavy warhorse can drag 4,500 pounds.
Advancement
Elven war horses may be found varying in quality, as can regular horses. Superior (+1 HD, +5ft speed, +1 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Wis) and Superb (+2 HD, +10ft speed, +3 Str, +3 Dex, +3 Con, +2 Wis, +1 Cha) quality mounts are more common for these horses due to their magical nature and the elves tight breeding controls.