Camel

Tall and gangly, camels have padded feet and saddles perched awkwardly ahead of the hump. Coats run from white through tan to dark brown, short on desert breeds and shaggy on mountain stock. White camels are considered lucky and sell for 2-5 times the normal price. Desert, racing, and war camels have one hump; mountain camels have two.

A foul-tempered camel has a 50% chance to spit at anyone trying to ride or load it, and a spat-upon target goes blind for 1-3 rounds 25% of the time. A frightened herd has a 25% chance to stampede. Each creature in its path that does not duck behind a wall, tree, rock pile, or similar shelter is trampled by 2d4 camels for 1-4 points of damage apiece and cannot get up until the herd has passed.

Camels bear just one calf a year, so good breeding stock is prized, and strong, even-tempered animals are coddled to produce as many young as possible. Like horses, camels come in grades of quality.

They eat grass, grain, and shrubs, and their humps let them go two weeks without food or water. They carry heavy loads for long stretches, are loaded while kneeling, and often refuse to rise if burdened past their encumbered limit.

War camel: drawn from the strongest desert camels and trained for years, sometimes bred from lines of retired war camels, to stand firm amid blood and chaos. It bites for 1d4 and strikes with two hooves for 1-6 each; hoof hits keep the target pinned on the ground.

Desert camel: slow, steady, and made for the wastes, with broad pads and fatty, water-rich humps. It hauls heavy loads through harsh terrain with a rolling gait that sways more than a horse's.

Mountain camel: a two-humped pack animal of hills and highlands, of no use on open sand.

Racing camel: bred for speed over temper, it is the costliest and nastiest camel, spitting often even at handlers. Long thin legs and small hooves make it remarkably fast, but it usually accepts only a few riders. Expect to pay at least double a war camel's price.