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Houserule: Pets & Service Animals

I spent too long looking trying to generate a random horse system.  After taking a break from it, I thought about how to handle dogs (war, riding, hunting, and tracking), guard geese, hawks, elephants, and riding apes.  I decided I wasn't smart enough to get too into the weeds with them, and came up with this, which is far too simple for what I want it to do, and is probably still too complicated, but kind of gamifies shopping.

Pets & Service Animals

This is for every kind of animal

Tricks

Dumb animals can learn 2 tricks, smart animals learn 4.  They either follow a visual signal or a sound. 
Each trick takes 1d6 weeks to learn. Most useful animals are already trained.
Here is a sample listing of tricks:

  • Attack: Move and attack on their own when opportunity arises.

  • Battle Trained: Does not check morale at the start of battle.

  • Defend: Attack hostiles that get too close.

  • Guard: Make noise when creatures it doesn’t know well gets too close.

  • Hunt: Predators have a 1-in-6 chance twice per hour to capture game while traveling unencumbered.

  • Knee-directed: Follow rider directions based on knee pressure.

  • Leap: Jump over obstacles on command, even if they can’t see the other side.

  • Rescue: Look for hidden or trapped people, pull them out if unconscious.

  • Retreat: Withdraw from combat, returning to handler.

  • Silent: Does not make noise until commanded otherwise.

  • Sound-directed: Follow direction based on driver’s sounds.

  • Stay: Don’t move from this position.

Traits

For these rolls, roll a red d6 and a green d6.  Use the lower die value.  Player chooses on a tie.
No re-rolls of duplicates.  Red d6 is first entry for a number, green d6 is second.

Physical Traits (roll twice):

  1. Mute: doesn’t make noise; Deaf: can’t hear.

  2. Rotund: -5 ft. speed, +1d6 HP; Delicate: -1 to CON checks/saves.

  3. Majestic: -1 on morale for creatures hit by it; Graceful: +1 to evasive AC and saves.

  4. Lean: +1 to initiative, -1 to CON checks.; Stocky: +15% inventory, +1 1d6 HP, +1 to CON checks.

  5. Stolid: +2 to CON checks to avoid exhaustion and +1 morale checks;
    Sprinter    : +5 ft. of movement, -2 to CON checks to avoid exhaustion.

  6. Muscular: +1 dmg, +20% inventory; Tough: advantage on hit dice and CON saves, +1d6 HP.

Personality (roll twice):

  1. Gluttonous: Eats even when full, needs a loyalty check to avoid being tempted by food, +1d3 tricks;
    Skittish: Gain +1 on initiative, and evasion-based saves and -1 on morale.

  2. Cunning: Aids allies against foes for either defense or attack;
    Observant: Advantage on surprise checks to to avoid hazards moving through hazardous terrain.

  3. Stubborn: +1 morale and loyalty checks, -1 to handling checks;
    Loyal: +1 to morale checks, and will fight beside their master even if their master goes down.

  4. Wild: -1 to handling and loyalty checks, +1 to morale;
    Anxious: -1 morale checks, +1 to initiative and surprise checks.

  5. Reckless: +1 to initiative and morale checks, -1 to saves and AC;
    Cautious    : +1 to saves and surprise checks. 

  6. Clever: +1 to handling, morale, and surprise checks, +1d3 tricks;
    Aggressive: +1 morale & initiative  checks and dmg.  -1 AC against enemies set for a charge.

 

Additional Optional House Rules for Animals

Handling Checks are checks to see if an animal follows a command. If your game doesn't
have a system for this, I suggest a 2d6 roll below the animal's morale value, with a +2 bonus
if they don't like what they're currently doing, and a -2 penalty if they do. If you don't have
morale, assume the following morale scores: a well-cared for animal has a morale of 9, an
average animal of 7, and an abused animal 5.

Clerics:
Animals associated with their deity which their deity has sent to them roll three times for each
type of trait and get the two of each type chosen by the cleric's player.
Fighters:
A fighter who has cared for their mount personally for at least a month gives it additional hit
points equal to the fighter's level. 
If a mounted fighter makes their save against an area of effect spell or effect, the mount takes
no damage if the fighter makes their save.
Magic-Users:

For familiars, roll three times for each type of trait and get the two of each type chosen by
the magic-user's player.
Familiars are immune to spell effects while touching the magic-user unless the magic-user is killed or goes unconscious.
Familiars automatically succeed on loyalty checks, and have advantage on morale checks.
Thieves:

For creatures a thief has trained for at least a month:
Increase the base number of tricks by 50%.

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