Cattle (domestic)

Cattle

Detail	Cow	Bull
Species	bovine
No. Appearing	20-200	2-5
Behaviour	herd
Range	rural
Size	5 ft. at shoulder	5½ ft. at shoulder
Weight	1,000 lbs.	1,330 lbs.
Intelligence	1	2
Armour Class	7	6
Hit Dice	3	4+1
Action Points	5	5
Max. Stride	11	14
THAC0	19	18
Hp/Die	d4+d6	d12
Attack Forms	2: horns
Damage	horn (1-6)	horn (1-8)
Natural Abilities	stampede	charging, trampling

Domestic cattle trace their ancestry back to auroch cattle, which were initially domesticated approximately 7,500 years ago in the southern Caucasus and northern Mesopotamia. Since then, these selectively bred cattle have expanded their presence to every continent, adapting to diverse climates worldwide. Through selective breeding, much of the natural aggressiveness has been bred out of domestic cattle, making them generally indifferent to humans as long as they are not provoked. However, many bulls still retain a potential for aggression.

Medieval cows were significantly smaller than contemporary beef cattle breeds, typically weighing around 500 pounds. They had a relatively compact and stout body shape with shorter legs compared to modern cattle. This body structure allowed them to graze efficiently in the rough and often hilly terrain of medieval Europe. Further, medieval cows possessed prominent horns, which varied in shape and size, curving or extending outward from the animal's body, increasing the risk of injury to farmers.

Behaviour

If cornered, cattle will stand and fight, but given the opportunity they prefer to move off at a steady pace until left alone. Herders are able to keep them moving through calling, tapping them along or "driving" them from horseback.

Ordinarily, when kept on a farm, dairy cows are brought in from the pasture for milking in the evenings and let out on the field again after being milked again in the morning. Beef cows may be allowed to remain overnight on pastures that have been fenced in.

They use much of their day to eat and lounge — when driven too hard, they will grow "nervous" and sensitive to loud noises or abrupt movements. On long drives, steps are taken to ensure that cattle remain calm and are allowed periods to relax — as there's a danger that a cattle herd will break into a run, starting a stampede.

When stampeding, a body of cattle may swing in any direction, even turning back on themselves. They'll wreck wagons, buildings, trees and anything else in their way. A character in their path can be easily killed by multiple horns and collective incidental damage. For any character caught in a stampede, allow one horn attack will occur per every 20 cows, while every cow is assessed for causing damage from their weight.

Bulls

Bulls are more muscular and aggressive than cows, playing a significant role in beef ranching, dairy farming and other cultural activities like bullfighting. A male bull that's been castrated is called a "steer," "ox" or "bullock." Bulls have a large, bony head with protective ridges over the eyes. Their horns are thicker and shorter than thoses of cows, curving outwards in a flat arc rather than upwards in a lyre-shape.

They require careful handling; if angered, they'll drop their heads and charge, gaining +2 to hit and striking with +1 damage to each horn that hits. Adjacent creatures are subject to incidental damage and those who are stunned will be trampled upon for an additional 2-8 damage.

See Bestiary