Hidey Horse (Patreon)

Wondrous item, rare

This hollow metal horse is as large and heavy as a riding horse, although the space beneath its legs is covered by metal sheets. It has small windows and a door on its side, which can be opened using an action. The door is large enough for a Medium creature to squeeze through it. Inside the metal horse is enough space for two Medium or three Small creatures to stand; you can use an action to switch places with another creature within the horse. The bottom of the horse is covered in miniature wheels, and the floor is exposed below it. If you're at the front of the horse, it and any other creatures within it magically move with you while you walk beneath it.

While at least one living creature is inside the metal horse, it is covered in an illusion that makes it appear as a living horse from the outside. The illusion doesn't hold up to physical inspection, and a creature can discern the nature of the horse by succeeding on a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check using an action.

Several buttons exist within the body of the horse. A creature at the front of the horse can use an action to press as many as two buttons. Pressing a button causes the horse (and corresponding illusion) to do one of the following things:

Button 1. It emits a metallic whinny. It sounds like a normal horse from outside.
Button 2. It emits a metallic snort. It sounds like a normal horse from outside.
Button 3. It extends its front legs by two feet, making the illusion perform a rearing maneuver. The creatures inside are magically obscured for the duration.
Button 4. It shakes its head.
Button 5. It nods its head.
Button 6. It flicks its tail.

While there isn't anything inside the metal horse, you can use an action to speak its command word to cause it to magically fold down and collapse into a metal box. The box is a 1-foot cube and weighs 10 pounds. Holding the box and speaking the command word again causes it to unfold and form the metal horse. It takes 1 minute for the horse or box to transform.

The horse is a magic object with 30 hit points and resistance to all damage. It's immune to poison and psychic damage, although the creatures inside the horse can still be affected by certain area effects, such as a stinking cloud, at the GM's discretion. If the horse is reduced to 0 hit points, it falls over, exposing everything within it and automatically begins to collapse into the box. When this happens, it can't be transformed into the horse again until 24 hours have passed, at which point it regains all of its hit points.

The group of hunters strolled back into the guild hall, proudly carting in the fetid corpse of the otyugh.

"Here it is! And in record time, too, I'll mention. Surely that'll be worth something."

The associate behind the counter happily handed over a hefty pouch of coins. As the lot began to divvy up their wages, he mentioned, "Say, since that was so quick, you could stand to look into this job we just got. Unlisted. Something about three goblins in a horse."

The one hunter glanced back up, still counting out coins. "Do you mean 'on' a horse?"

The associate looked down to confirm his notes. "...No."