In the previous session of my 2-player Dungeons & Dragons session, the PC were attacked by goblins and a grass fire started (and thank-fully ended), but one of their horses and a donkey, carrying a lot of their equipment and rations, bolted.
The start of last night’s session was the two characters trying to find these animals.
Both were domesticated, but had only just been bought by the PCs and so were not keen on returning.
Because there are no hard and fast rules for this, I ended up simply getting the PCs to make WIS checks to see if they could find them.
Not a terrible thing to do, but this morning I wanted to come up with a better system for this.
Given, it doesn’t happen every session, but when travelling in the untamed wilderness, equines could easily bolt at the first sign of danger.
The Systems
I actually developed two simple systems:
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- A one-roll system which is very quick but doesn’t let you play out the searching
- A more complex one (but still relatively simple) system, using some of the rules already found in old school D&D-like games.
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If, after reading these rules, you are not sure which to use, here is my thoughts:
I’d actually use a combination of the two systems:
Use number 1 for ordinary situations and in a fairly safe area, like a town or farm.
Use the second system when the animals are particularly valuable, the terrain is dangerous, or the search itself could become an adventure.
System 1 – Simple, One-Roll Version
For situations where you don’t want to spend much table time on the search, use the following table and simply roll a 1D6 for each turn (10 rounds) the characters spend looking.
| 1d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | No sign of the animals. |
| 2 | Find tracks leading in the wrong direction. |
| 3 | Find fresh tracks. |
| 4 | Find the animals’ tracks and follow them. |
| 5 | Spot the animals at a distance. |
| 6 | Find the animals nearby. |
You can apply a +1 or -1 for particularly favourable or unfavourable circumstances. If the roll is unsuccessful, the characters can spend another turn searching and roll again.
System 2 – More Complex, Old-School Rules
This system is based on the traditional old-school approach: reaction rolls, tracking, exploration turns and a little uncertainty.
Step 1 – Determine Distance
You need to determine how far the animals have travelled. When an animal bolts, roll 1d6 to determine how far it travels before stopping or slowing down.
| 1d6 | Distance Travelled |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1D4 x 10 yards |
| 2 | 1D6 x 10 yards |
| 3 | 2D6 x 10 yards |
| 4 | 1D4 x 100 yards |
| 5 | 1D4 x 100 yards |
| 6 | 2D6 x 100 yards |
Modify the distance according to circumstances:
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- Familiar surroundings: Reduce distance by half.
- Severely frightened: Double distance.
- Pursued or threatened: Double distance.
- Tethered or encumbered: Reduce distance by half, or prevent flight entirely if securely tied.
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Step 2 – Determine Whether the Animals Remain Together
Roll 1D6, and on a 1-2 they separate. If they separate, determine their distances independently.
3. Searching for the Animals
Searching takes one exploration turn (10 minutes).
The characters must decide how they search:
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- Look for tracks: Follow hoofprints, disturbed vegetation and other signs.
- Search the surrounding area: Look for the animals themselves.
- Call or whistle: Attempt to attract the animals’ attention.
- Use a familiar animal: Another horse or donkey might help locate them.
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Roll 1d6 for each exploration turn spent searching.
| 1d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | No useful signs found |
| 2-3 | Signs found, but their direction is uncertain. |
| 4-5 | Signs found; the animals’ direction is apparent. |
| 6 | Animals located. |
You can add in search modifiers as called for, giving a +1 for beneficial conditions (soft ground, a tracker present, searching during the day), or apply negatives (darkness, heavy rain, or time passed).
4. Finding the Animals
Once found, have the horses make a reaction roll to see how the animals react.
Again, apply bonuses or negatives based on relationship to the animal (-1 if new, up to +2 for a strong bond), if the animal is hungry, injured, or still frightened (-1).
On a very low roll, the animal will bolt again. On a low roll they may still be skittish and not allow the character to lead them anywhere for a few hours. Use your judgement when adjudicating the animal’s reaction.
If the animal bolts again, repeat the process, but halve the distance travelled.
5. Time and Wandering Monsters
Searching for animals in dangerous territory carries risks.
I would use the normal OSE wandering monster rules, with a check every 2-3 exploration turns (20-30 minutes) as per a dungeon-like environment, or whatever frequency is appropriate for the wilderness location.
If multiple animals are involved, the PCs could split up to save time, but that comes with its own challenges.
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