a SPORTS HORSE supplement
2023-08-12
They can but bring horse to the water brink
But horse may choose whether that horse will drink1
Horses on the brink! is a supplement for SPORTS HORSE2 providing a loose setting (see: HORSE LOCATIONS) and a plot generator (see: HORSE PLOT) and also HORSE MAGIC (HORSE MAGIC).
The content provided herein is enough to get you started with a game of SPORTS HORSE. But it doesn’t tell you everything you need to know. The finer details of the HORSE LOCATIONS and the resolution of your HORSE PLOT are left up to you. You must play to find out.
Behold: horse magic!3
| D20 | VERB | ADJECTIVE | NOUN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pat | stable | cab |
| 2 | gallop | tight | rein |
| 3 | trot | smart | whip |
| 4 | clean | troubled | stable |
| 5 | whip | careless | groom |
| 6 | temper | strained | stall |
| 7 | stroke | vicious | colt |
| 8 | neigh | sore | rider |
| 9 | strain | restless | hostler |
| 10 | whistle | cheery | harness |
| 11 | bleed | uphill | hay |
| 12 | flog | shady | bridle |
| 13 | stumble | hoof | oat |
| 14 | harness | thoughtful | hedge |
| 15 | fret | airy | coachman |
| 16 | chuck | plucky | farrier |
| 17 | heal | timid | bran |
| 18 | rein | uncommon | mash |
| 19 | lash | lazy | halter |
| 20 | shy | lame | luggage |
Here’s the deal with horse magic. Roll from two columns of your choice at the beginning of each session.
For example, I just rolled for adjective noun and got a 12 and a 3. That’s shady whip. Spooky!
Now it’s all about interpreting the spell’s meaning, and negotiating its impact and effect.
Horse magic is freeform. The only rule is that it costs dice from your SPIRIT pool. A minor effect probably costs 1 or 2 SPIRIT. A medium effect, 3 or 4. A large effect could cost 6 or more!
You can roll for a new horse spell at the beginning of each session, or when the fiction calls for it. e.g. after a momentous event, after a significant rest, etc.
Flexible magic: Optionally roll twice, and then choose any two words from the rows that you rolled.
Ways to use the plot generator:
Roll d6. Read the WHO the WANTS and the BUT. This is the plot for your game.
Roll d6 three times. Once for WHO, once for WANTS, and once for BUT. This creates a more random, zanier plot for your game.
Do any or none or both of the above. Look at the results and let them spark your imagination. Come up with your own characters, motivations, and complications.
| D6 | WHO | WANTS | BUT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | stableboy | impress the stablemaster | secretly terrified of horses! |
| 2 | farmhand | create a new breed of underwater horses | can’t swim! |
| 3 | farrier | a date to horse prom | a leprechaun stole all the horseshoes! |
| 4 | photographer | take first prize at the competition | is a were-horse! |
| 5 | groomer | replace jockeys with robots | camels? |
| 6 | veterinarian | develop a new technique | sabotaged by a bitter rival! |
THE OLD WATERING HOLE: There is a wise old farmhand here. What a glorious mustache they have. The old watering hole is shady and cool and its muddy banks are welcoming to all creatures, tame and wild. There is a large, large tree here, its branches reaching out over the water.
THE PASTURE: Green, green grass as far as the eye can see. Troy, a retired show horse, can be found here and is happy to reminisce about their glory days to anybody who will listen.
THE STABLES: Where the horses are stabled and groomed. The farrier shoes the horses out back.
THE RACETRACK: Kids and spectators crowd the fences to see the horses race by. Small fortunes are made and lost each afternoon. Three-Fingered Gerald, a local gambling enthusiast, has experienced the highest highs and the lowest of lows at this track. Horse sports of all varieties are held in the infield.
THE VET: Where horses go to get better. Dr. Arizona Chance is working on perfecting her groundbreaking horse massage technique.