Jaelommiss
First Post
If they have reliable access to water then it might be more efficient for them to use mules to feed it.
Each one costs 8gp and consumes 10 lbs of feed daily (though since that same feed works for a Large horse the DM might lower it slightly), and should weigh roughly 500 lbs. It can carry 420 lbs, or 42 days of food for itself, or more if it pulls a cart or wagon. Since carnivorous animals are less picky than humans, I'd estimate 350-400 lbs of usable meat, or 35-40 days per mule. A cart and Gentle Repose helps here, though the Bag of Holding is equally good if it has a preserving spell on it.
Even in a desert there should be some grasses for it to feed on each night if you get a good campsite. If you can get 5 lbs of vegetation each night, then a single mule will last upwards of 84 days before needing to get more feed for it. 3 lbs of grass grants 60 days.
Mules can also serve as pack animals for water barrels and treasure, though only have a movement speed of 40 ft. If the party is mounted on faster creatures it will slow them down.
Two mules with bit and bridle and a cart will cost 35gp, and can pull 14(str) * 30 * 2 (counts as large) * 2 (two of them) = 1680 lbs. Even subtracting 200 lbs for the cart leaves enough for 74 days of feed each. If you leave town with 500 lbs of meat in your Bag of Holding and slaughter a mule for 400 lbs of food on day 50, then you'll have enough food for the second to last until day 90 when the refilled meat runs out. After that there's an additional 40 days, for a total time of 130 days before you need to return to town for more supplies (with 8 mule feed left over that would probably be left behind with the cart). All of this assumes that the predatory mount can't hunt anything for itself and that there is no additional vegetation for the mules to graze. If the mount can operate comfortably in the desert then it is likely native and will have prey available if the party has time to hunt.
If, somehow, 130 days isn't enough, then you can bring more mules and load the cart more heavily. Each time you kill a mule there will be a bit more food for the survivors.
Each one costs 8gp and consumes 10 lbs of feed daily (though since that same feed works for a Large horse the DM might lower it slightly), and should weigh roughly 500 lbs. It can carry 420 lbs, or 42 days of food for itself, or more if it pulls a cart or wagon. Since carnivorous animals are less picky than humans, I'd estimate 350-400 lbs of usable meat, or 35-40 days per mule. A cart and Gentle Repose helps here, though the Bag of Holding is equally good if it has a preserving spell on it.
Even in a desert there should be some grasses for it to feed on each night if you get a good campsite. If you can get 5 lbs of vegetation each night, then a single mule will last upwards of 84 days before needing to get more feed for it. 3 lbs of grass grants 60 days.
Mules can also serve as pack animals for water barrels and treasure, though only have a movement speed of 40 ft. If the party is mounted on faster creatures it will slow them down.
Two mules with bit and bridle and a cart will cost 35gp, and can pull 14(str) * 30 * 2 (counts as large) * 2 (two of them) = 1680 lbs. Even subtracting 200 lbs for the cart leaves enough for 74 days of feed each. If you leave town with 500 lbs of meat in your Bag of Holding and slaughter a mule for 400 lbs of food on day 50, then you'll have enough food for the second to last until day 90 when the refilled meat runs out. After that there's an additional 40 days, for a total time of 130 days before you need to return to town for more supplies (with 8 mule feed left over that would probably be left behind with the cart). All of this assumes that the predatory mount can't hunt anything for itself and that there is no additional vegetation for the mules to graze. If the mount can operate comfortably in the desert then it is likely native and will have prey available if the party has time to hunt.
If, somehow, 130 days isn't enough, then you can bring more mules and load the cart more heavily. Each time you kill a mule there will be a bit more food for the survivors.
