Dunheved
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Posts: 529
Joined: Wed 11 Mar 2020, 02:07
Location: UK

Rangers on Horses

Sun 15 Jun 2025, 10:00

A Ranger has Frugal as their default Treasure rating. It has occurred to me that a select few members of this Culture might be honoured or recognised as being worth supporting them having a riding horse. Culturally it would give a Dunedain Chieftain the ability to send a moderately sized group of Rangers on a particular mission e.g. A group of six trolls is identified and the alarm raised. Eight Dunedain are dispatched to reinforce the local cell of three Rangers and so intercept the trolls with a significant force.

Based on ROTK, these mounted Rangers would be awarded a Grey Cloak as a very low key, but very important, symbol of their status within Dunedain society. And they would be eligible to be a full member of The Grey Company of the Chieftain, after a period of service or errantry. Only Dunedain and Elves of Imladris, the Havens and Lothlorien would recognise that the cloak has such a significance.

Such Rangers have access to a riding horse (not a beast of burden) without having to accumulate the Treasure needed to raise out of Frugal status. Several Ranger refuges in the wild have the resources to stable/supervise a mount or two for a few days

As a separate extension, the Grey Cloak itself might be considered as being made with elf qualities (woven by elves of Imladris, and very specially by Arwen Undomiel?) So, a +1d6 Stealth Useful Item? Or +1d6 Awe.

In my own head this is the reason why Halbarad could only gather such a small group to travel to Aragorn in Rohan.
 
Sebastian
Posts: 289
Joined: Thu 01 Oct 2020, 04:58

Re: Rangers on Horses

Tue 17 Jun 2025, 17:49

At least in my group there are two ways to come to a good riding horse. First you can accumulate the necessary treasure und raise your standard of living. But second, there might be reasons within the story. I like the second option best, to be honest, since my hero for example doesn't care too much for treasure. And in our campaign there isn't much possibility to get to treasure at all. And I don't like the notion to look under every rock to find gold. Yes, sometimes it fits the story that there is a hoard, but at least for us that's rare.

But it would totally fit the story, if for example Queen Nimue would grant us horses, even for heroes that could't afford them.
 
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Harlath
Posts: 597
Joined: Sun 19 Jul 2020, 10:40

Re: Rangers on Horses

Tue 17 Jun 2025, 21:45

Temporary use of a horse is something I've had come up a few times as part of a council.
 
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AndrewTBP
Posts: 82
Joined: Sun 18 Sep 2022, 06:53
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Rangers on Horses

Wed 18 Jun 2025, 01:56

The Grey Cloaks idea reminds me of The Sweeney, a 1970s UK police drama.
 
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AndrewTBP
Posts: 82
Joined: Sun 18 Sep 2022, 06:53
Location: Sydney, Australia

Re: Rangers on Horses

Sun 03 Aug 2025, 02:57

The new Starter Set Over Hill and Under Hill mentions Rangers of the North with horses in 2 scenes.

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