[DL] (Spoilers) Undead Horses

["Matthew M. DeForrest" <mmdeforrest@worldnet.att.net>]

> > Here
> >
> >
> > Be
> >
> >
> > Spoilers
> >
> >
> >
> > So, git if you're not a Marshal.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> I am curious about your undead horse.  Information
> about zombie animals can be found in RV&C2 (pg 54-56)
> and BotD (pg 36-37).  Where did the horse come from?
>
[snip]
>
> What thought have you put into this creature?

Truth be told, there wasn't a lot of thought initially put into Rosepettal
(the Undead Horse's name).  She started out as an exceptional horse that was
"upgraded" to a critter companion when I came across the rules in RVC and
drew a joker during the horse's creation.  (See page 128 for the official
rules if you're a Marshal.  If you aren't, I thought I told you to git.).
Much of the initial setup for the horse came from the player, who liked the
idea of having a horse with a sweet and gentle name but a terrible
disposition.  The player also described the horse as ugly, smelly, and
unkempt (no matter how often she's brushed).  If this weren't enough, she
decided that "Rosie Snacks" were little bits of ripe/slightly rancid bacon
(I added the part where the horse keeps it between her cheek and gum.  This
is a particularly unpleasant habit because the horse also spits -- very
accurately (5d6).  She usually does this at people who look clean and neat
or who seem to be annoying her rider.  While this habit has caused trouble,
it did allow the horse to stave off some prairie ticks.

According to the official rules, the horse is supposed to slowly decompose.
I have decided that so long as she is fed Rosie Snacks, she can keep herself
together.  The only problem is that this would require the horse to be
actually harrowed -- not something I particularly want.  I could have gone
with the idea that the horse keeps the Manitou in check but I did not want
the Stone of the horse world as part of the posse.  As such, I have ruled
the horse to be something of a unique creature in the Weird West.  The
horse's will is strong enough to keep it going and it is able to tap into
the Hunting Grounds because it is the descendant of the Horse Spirit.  Since
it is of this world, however, it is unaligned with the Manitou or the Nature
Spirits and is, instead, somewhere in between.  I may even allow the horse
to count coup, as if it were harrowed -- I think that it will really creep
out the posse when it happens.  Of course, some of the coup will be utterly
useless to a horse....

While this may initially seem like a lot of advantages, I have chosen to do
this for two reasons.  1) I see no reason to spoil the character concept to
fit in with the rules due to a random draw (Even if I weren't about to marry
the player.).  If she spends the chips on the horse, I'd rather not have it
rot out from under her.  2) As strange as this may sound, I enjoy playing
the horse as an NPC.  While most of the horse's expressions are non-verbal
(beyond a few grunts -- not very horse-like but it's easier than trying to
imitate a horse), it can give me some input into what is going on.  It's
also an opportunity for some comic relief.  3) As I alluded to, once the
posse begins to get a sense of what's going on with the horse, I think it
will really creep them out.  They know it has a mysterious background but
their limited knowledge of a mysterious background is what they have -- an
arch-enemy and a knack.  (The PC also has an ancient pact -- stitchin' --
that I may work into the horse's undead state later.)

The short answer is that I'm still working on the concept some and that I am
drifting away from the "official" rules the further into it I go in order to
produce a better story for the players.  If anyone has any thoughts or
feedback, I'd be happy to get any suggestions.

Matt