Why is the Mule considered a Game Breaker?

Zaran · May 25, 2010

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IronWolf · May 25, 2010

The SRD lists a mule as an option to purchase for 8gp.

Zaran · May 25, 2010

Yeah, the mule is in the 3.5 PHB. It was removed from the game in 4e though like other game breaking devices!

firesnakearies · May 25, 2010

DMs just couldn't handle the power of the mule. It was a real pain in older editions. You had to totally plan your adventures around the presence of one (or more!!) mules. It made a lot of content completely trivial.

Try running a published scenario with players who have a mule (or two!!). All I have to say to that is, "Yeah right."

Basically, when you can look on CharOp and every single build includes mule ownership, you know there's a problem.

Honestly, I salute the bold and visionary designers of 4th edition for having the courage to defy those mule-abusing powergamers of yesteryear and take that ridiculous pack animal out of the game. Finally, we can have some sanity at the table.

It's about time, I say.

Neonchameleon · May 25, 2010

Why do you want to buy one? And what's wrong with it remaining a background datum?

And for the record, IIRC in Living Realms there was a breaker involving them. Two mules and a cart - and you're allowed to crash them. Something like 6d10 damage for an almost autohitting consumable. That therefore got replaced after every session under Living Rules. (Or so I've been told - I've never played Living anything).

Mark Hope · May 25, 2010

As if the removal of the DonkeyHorse wasn't bad enough, whatever happened to the DonkeyHotay?

Zaran · May 25, 2010

You can do all kinds of things with a Mule! The obvious one is to carry all of the mage's crap so the fighter doesn't have to. And you know how those greedy rogues want to haul every thing that isn't nailed shut in that tomb. Oh, wait! They have a crowbar for those too!

Mules are great trapfinders, emergency rations, and great victims for big bad monsters to fly off with one in it's maw. Do you have an annoying NPC? Ask them to guard the precious party mule (if you are lucky the dragon will eat the NPC first, mules cost money).

Basically, when you can look on CharOp and every single build includes mule ownership, you know there's a problem.

Oh, good call there! But maybe they could have made it so that the mule's traits can only be used with the Mule's Class or Paragon Path powers.

Scribble · May 25, 2010

The Mule is a redundant creature... I mean is it a horse? Is it's a donkey?

What's its niche?

Even it can't decide. It's much better to have just a regular horse, and be done with the half horse forever.

Oh and fey horse too we need those.

and Dark horse... cause dark stuff is cool.

Stupid redundant mule.

Doug McCrae · May 25, 2010

The Wrathflame Donkeyhorse will be in MM3.

Piratecat · May 25, 2010

When I played Old D&D with Gygax a few years back he didn't encourage purchasing a mule; instead, he recommended we buy a dungeon cart, basically an adventurer-pushed wheelbarrow to carry treasure. Even after a gelatinous cube ate my mule, my accursed companions put my unconscious elf in the cart and used me to batter open doors. I'm still bitter. My mule barely lasted half an hour.

In comparison, 4e boasts several versions of the mule: the kickgroin donkeyhorse, the cart-rammer donkeyhorse, the gnomechewer donkeyhorse, and the universally disliked bootpiddle plopstep donkeyhorse. I think they're just too powerful for an average group! These things can fight, run, set off traps, act as a mount, act as cover, be used as an alarm, and double as iron rations. Broken.