Do to some other threads, I was pondering how riding animals are being approached in the current rules, because riding around on stuff is simply cooler then walking. Right now we have basically 1 mount:
* Riding Horse: Overland 5 MPH, Defense 10, Hit Points 10, Speed 10,While mounted you grand combat advantage to all enemies.
Lets expand on that a little, extrapolate from previous editions and other stuff.
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Rules
- Speed after the slash represents that without a rider weighing them down.
- Mounting requires a standard action, dismounting a movement action.
- A rider may spend minor or move actions to Command the mount to use its own move actions. A rider may also spend actions to Commadn the mount to use its attacks (if any) by spending the indicated action type and making a Nature check versus the Wil defence of the creature.
- When attacking a mounted character declare wether attacking the mount or the rider.
- A mount other then a Riding Horse must be gained in game and should require a significant investment in time and resources (at least a full adventure's worth). Initially breaking a mount and training it to be ridden requires a Nature check of twice their Wil defense, but familiarizing it to a new rider just requires a Nature check equal to Wil.
Mounts
* Riding Horse: Generic modern style horse from the book.
All Defenses 10, HP 20, Speed 10/15 (5 MPH overland).
Special: Rider grants combat advantage to all enemies.
Attacks: None.
~ Note: I increased the HP since Bob the generic adventurer should not have 2.5 times the hit points of a horse capable of surviving in Gamma Terra...
* Brutorz (Big Walkers): Half ton telepathic mega-steeds. Great for intimidating the locals and having somebody to talk with... errr... think with on long journeys. They are peaceful, unless provoked, and have a strong code of honor. Functionally they act more as an employee or friend then a pet.
AC 13, Fort 15, Ref 11, Wil 15, HP 28, Speed 8/11 (4 MPH overland)
Special: Can carry 3 riders. Intuition (Mount and rider can't be surprised), Telepathic (mentally communicate within one target within 5 squares, Rider Commands don't require a Nature check).
Attacks: Bite (Minor) +4 vs AC, 1d4+2 dmg. Twin-Kick (Std) +6 vs AC, 2d6+4 dmg.
* Centisteeds (Fast Trotters): Hard to control mix of bug and horse with segmented eyes and as many as 18 legs. They are fidgety and try to flee at any percieved threat (and to their minds everything is a threat). On the other hand, they are among the fastest mounts in Gamma Terra, so if it absolutely has to get their on time...
AC 11, Fort 14, Ref 8, Wil 14, HP 22, Speed 12/18 (6 MPH overland)
Special: Can carry two riders. Each round in combat a rider must spend a minor action and make a Nature check to prevent the mount from activating a skin tight force field (+2 to all defences) that will instantly throw off anyone on it.
Attacks: Trample (Std+Mov) 4 attacks at +2 vs Reflex, 1d4+2 damage each.
* Hoppers (Jackalopes): A giant horned rabbit known for its stupidity, they will readily pick fights they can't win and flee from battles they can. Hoppers may have come from the same worldline that yielded the Hoops as they are similarly rabbit based and also have an odd cartoonish ability (in this case, semi-invisibility).
AC 11, Fort 12, Ref 9, Wil 6*, HP 18, Speed 8/12 (4 MPH overland).
Special: Chameleon (Partial concealment with rider, Total concealment without). Leaping (May ignore difficult terrain when not mounted). A Hopper's Wil for training and command is considered 12.
Attacks: Horns (Std) +2 vs AC, 1d6 +2 dmg {Double damage when charging, if the GM allows}.
* Pinetos (Horse Cacti): A six "legged" spiny riding plant, controlled by jamming a spear into a sensitive nerve clump. Riders not immune to piercing have to take care to only contact the creature via saddle or suffer terrific wounds.
AC 14, Fort 12, Ref 10, Wil 12, HP 12, Speed 7/10 (4 MPH overland).
Special: Spines (Attackers using natural attacks against it suffer 1d6 damage per attempt).
Attacks: Tail Slap (Std) +2 vs AC, 1d10+2 dmg.
* Podogs: Deadly and devious hunters this huge mutated mastiff are also capable of mimicing sounds and even speaking. They are intelligent with an appreciation for history, and like Brutorz they for bonds of friendship with riders.
AC 15, Fort 12, Ref 10, Wil 12, HP 24, Speed 7/10 (3 MPH overland)
Special: Mimicry (Can use any sonic attack used against it the previous round). Rush (During their first attack in a battle they may make a full move as part of their attack).
Attacks: Bite (Std) +3 vs Ac, 1d8+3 dmg.
~ Note: Some Podogs have a second brain. These have a Wil defence 15, Telepathy like Brutorz, are able to perform Mind Breaker Criticals, and should be near impossible to recruit as a player mount. 
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In a seperate but related vein, Motorcycles:
* Motorcycle, Racer: Hp 15, space 1 square; AC 12, Other Defenses 11; Speed 16 (60-90 MPH overland, 75 MPG); Driver: A driver occupies the motorcycle's space and must have one hand free to move it.; Load: 1 Medium creature: 25 lbs of gear.
* Motorcycle, Hog: Hp 30, space 2 by 1 squares; AC 14, Other Defenses 12; Speed 12 (45-60 MPH overland, 25 MPG); Driver: A driver occupies the front square of the motorcycle's space and must have one hand free to move it.; Load: 2 Medium creatures or 1 Large creature: 100 lbs of gear.
There is naturally a huge disparity between the speed per square as MPH compared to say, the Riding Horse, but this represents using the bikes in more of a close combat / tight terrain situation (pretty much walking the bike and using them for short bursts of speed) since otherwise you'd just shoot out of the battle zone...
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So, what do you all think?
I've been toying around with the idea of two relatively close settlements using rockets to quickly travel back and forth. Mostly used to transport goods but Fire Tube Express will transport passengers for a fee, rider beware! Essentially a person, or equipment will be strapped to a giant bottle rocket and shot in the direction of the other settlement. The goods/rider would be collected almost intact by an extensive network of nets, where the rocket is then collected, re-loaded and shot back with another payload.
using rockets to quickly travel back and forth
Sounds like the emergency clone delivery system in an old Paranoia advenure set in the wilderness. It worked great, except those times the rocket buried itself and you had to rescue the new arrival before he suffocated.
But there are horses.
And /no/ other mounts.
Did the horses cut some kind of secret deal?
I want a mutant Road Runner Lizard for my mutants.
How about stats for an excavator? I really want to make my party encounter two hoops riding around in one; one would operate the machine and attack with the shovel and make overrun attempts, while another would ride on the outside and fire a shotgun.