PDA

View Full Version : Large size Riding Dog (5e)



HamsterKun
2019-04-28, 07:43 AM
We all know that riding dogs are Medium, and thus only halflings and gnomes can use them as mounts. However, a friend of mine tickled me with the idea of actually having a dog the size of a horse (Large) so as to be ridden by say, a human or half-elf.

Zhorn
2019-04-28, 08:45 AM
Sure thing, simplest method would be to take a mastiff, change the hit die from d8's to d10's, and up the bite from 1d6 to 2d6 to match it's increased size.

Alternatively, re-purpose the Dire Wolf, Winter Wolf, or Worg (goblins already use worgs as mounts, so there's precedence)

jjordan
2019-04-28, 08:59 AM
We all know that riding dogs are Medium, and thus only halflings and gnomes can use them as mounts. However, a friend of mine tickled me with the idea of actually having a dog the size of a horse (Large) so as to be ridden by say, a human or half-elf. Love the idea. Logistically, that's going to be a big dog. Horse and mules can comfortably carry up to 20% of their body weight. Dogs can only carry 10-15%. To carry a 180lbs person wearing 20lbs of gear you'd need a 1000lbs dog. Considering Great Danes can, in extreme examples, get up to 200lbs you're talking about a very, very big dog. And remember that dogs are carnivores (not obligate carnivores like cats, but they still need meat in their diet to be healthy) so feeding them is going to be like ten to twenty times as expensive as feeding a horse and foraging will be far more difficult. On the other hand you rarely hear about a horse ripping out an attacker's throat, so there's that. :)

HamsterKun
2019-04-28, 10:36 AM
Love the idea. Logistically, that's going to be a big dog. Horse and mules can comfortably carry up to 20% of their body weight. Dogs can only carry 10-15%. To carry a 180lbs person wearing 20lbs of gear you'd need a 1000lbs dog. Considering Great Danes can, in extreme examples, get up to 200lbs you're talking about a very, very big dog. And remember that dogs are carnivores (not obligate carnivores like cats, but they still need meat in their diet to be healthy) so feeding them is going to be like ten to twenty times as expensive as feeding a horse and foraging will be far more difficult. On the other hand you rarely hear about a horse ripping out an attacker's throat, so there's that. :)

I was thinking more like an English mastiff or St. Bernard. I suppose a Great Dane would work too; all three could be bred for strength anyway.