Space Swine

Space swine are boars specially bred by the penguin-like merchant folk of the void. Each stands 3 feet at the shoulder and 6 feet long, with gray pigeon-like wings spanning around 8 feet and a blunt horn jutting 6 inches from its heavy skull. Most are muddy or mottled brown, while those of fine breeding or owned by important merchants may be pure black or white. They grunt like hogs and sometimes coo like pigeons, which annoys their breeders enough that some suspect the cooing was not planned.

Odd as they look, they fight with the bad temper of wild boars and bite for 2d4 points of damage. War mounts are taught to use the horn. If mount and rider have at least 120 feet between them and the target, the pig can plunge at full speed, shrieking a war squeal that climbs in pitch as it closes. On a successful attack roll its 500-pound bulk does 2d10 crushing damage and the horn impales for 1d10 more. Afterward the swine saves vs. breath weapon or is knocked out for 1d4 rounds by a mild concussion, and its rider is thrown.

A war pig learns up to a dozen commands, by hand signs or short phrases. It cannot talk but knows its own name and its rider. If it loses its rider in battle and has the chance to save them, it flees at speed instead, though it feels terrible about it and misses its rider sorely.

Breeders keep space swine in herds, with litters of 3d4 piglets; only the strongest become war mounts. They are good-natured and avoid fights, though adults team up to protect young from predators. They keep clean, preening their wings to stay flight-worthy, and on hot worlds they wallow in mud to cool down.

Strong and sure-footed, a space swine carries 400 pounds without penalty, and its air supply lasts 24 hours, falling to 18 when carrying a rider. Its chief use is tracking. Given a scrap of clothing or a bit of some substance, from gold or silver to water or truffles, it tracks with a Tracking proficiency of 18 and stops only for exhaustion, injury or trickery. In the void between worlds it can catch a trail as far as 48,000 miles away, minus 2,000 miles per hour of age, so a ship that went by 10,000 miles off 12 hours earlier is still traceable. Roll against the same Tracking score of 18. They also serve as pack animals, food and now and then mounts, and they are reportedly delicious roasted with applesauce.

Space swine eat anything, which gives them a minor role cleaning up garbage dumped by passing ships, but beyond that they matter only to their breeders. Other races think the whole idea is mad and call them star pork. The breeders pitch them as the perfect all-purpose beast for the savvy explorer, but savvy explorers are not buying; only tinker gnomes purchase them in quantity, calling them brilliant. A desperate push to sell them to spacefaring halflings as reliable mounts, sturdy porters and a tasty afternoon snack has failed so far.