Creatures: Animals

Animals: Bats

These bats have adapted to life underground by developing their sense of hearing to such a degree it resembles sight. While darkness, fog, and other sight impairments do not affect bats, silence blinds them.

The normal bat is unlikely to attack anything larger than rat or rabbit-sized creatures. They are more likely to be dangerous in fear, as when a swarm of bats escaping one danger swarms someone while on the run. Normal bats, when they do attack, use their claws or (more often) their sharp but tiny teeth.

The giant bat will attack small creatures alone, or swarm with three or more other giant bats to attack medium-sized creatures. The giant bat has a wingspan of three to six feet and attacks with its sharp claws rather than by biting.

Animals: Bears

Bears will generally eat nuts, berries, grasses, insects, fish, deer and moose fawns, and carrion, and become more carnivorous as you move from black to brown to polar. They are solitary, though they may come together at feeding or watering holes. The territories of male bears can range to 200 square miles or more and may overlap with other males’ territories. Female territories will be much smaller and generally will not overlap. Females usually weight about half what males weigh.

Bears hibernate in dens in winter, from October or November to March or April (for males) or until April or May (for females).

Bears most commonly move on all fours. They can stand and walk on their hind legs, but this is usually done in order to see farther. They are very intelligent for animals, and very curious.

Bears attack with their front claws, getting two attacks per round doing so. Bears will often, especially if attacked with long weapons, attack as a called shot. If both called shots are successful, the opponent must make an evasion roll or be caught in a bear hug. Once its victim is caught in a hug, the bear is at a bonus of four to attack and two to damage, and only short weapons, such as knives or daggers, may be used against the bear. The victim may attempt to struggle out of the bear hug instead of attacking by making further evasion rolls each round.

Black Bears: Black bears are the smallest and least aggressive of these three bears. They are generally aggressive only when mating, injured, or protecting young. They den in caves, in hollow trees, or behind fallen trees. They are fond of honey. They tend to avoid habitats that include the more aggressive brown bear. They mark their territories with scent, and by making claw marks on trees. Black bears are from four to six feet long and generally weigh 150 to 400 pounds. Males average about 300 pounds but may weigh up to 800 pounds.

Black bears have shorter claws then the brown bear. Their claws are curved. They are agile tree-climbers. A female will often have her cubs climb a tree when danger lurks. The black bear has small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, and a short tail. Their color ranges from white through chocolate brown, but most are black or dark brown.

Brown Bears: The brown bear includes the grizzly and the Kodiak. Their color varies from creamy brown to black. They have long claws and are known for their aggressive behavior. They have been known to go after larger animals such as moose and elk. Males weigh from 300 to 850 pounds. They can be up to nine and a half feet long.

Brown bears prefer dense forests, tundra, and lower alpine mountain regions. They have a concave face, high-humped shoulders, and shorter, rounder ears than black bears. They den by digging through the roots of large trees.

Polar Bears: The polar bear is the most carnivorous and aggressive of bears. They are almost exclusively carnivores, preying on seals, walruses, and even narwhals or beluga whales. They are patient, sitting near a known hole or den for hours waiting for an animal to emerge. The polar bear eats only the skin and fat of its prey, leaving the rest of the carcass for other animals such as the arctic fox.

Polar bears are from eight to eleven feet long and generally weigh 500 to 1,000 pounds but can weigh up to 1,700 pounds. They sport a four inch layer of fat that keeps them warm and protects them from physical aggression. The polar bear has a longer, narrower head and nose, and smaller ears, than other bears. The polar bear appears white because of the optical qualities of its fur, but its skin is black to draw in heat. It can easily handle temperatures as low as –34 degrees Fahrenheit.

The polar bear can walk on ice easily due to special adaptations on their feet. They are also excellent swimmers. They move as well on ice or under water as they do on land. They do not hibernate unless pregnant. They tend to live in areas of annual ice such as northern shores. They spend their winters on pack ice. Pregnant females will, however, winter by digging a large den in the snow. They are not particularly territorial.

Animals: Cats, wild

The wild cats are all fearsome, known for their cunning and regal mien. Whether for their ferocity or their piercing, almost unearthly eyes, these cats will often play an important role in local lore. Cats are solitary, with each male patrolling a territory that includes one or more females.

They have keen senses: sight, hearing, and smell, gaining a bonus of 2 to any perception rolls. All are excellent climbers, all can swim (though most avoid water), and all are exceptionally strong for their size. They can jump great distances even with large prey in their mouths.

Their camouflage makes them difficult to see in forest or brush. There is a penalty of 2 to perception rolls to see a wild cat that is hiding.

Bobcat: The bobcat is only about twice the size of a housecat. Their fur is somewhat brown with dark streaks and a mottled appearance. Bobcats are great climbers, and will wait in trees for prey to come by, or for predators to leave. The bobcat primarily hunts small prey such as rabbits, squirrels, and birds. When hungry they may hunt prey as large as a deer. When they do, they will cover the remains with snow or leaves and return to it later.

Bobcat territories run from one square mile to twenty square miles. Their territories can double in winter or other times of scarcity, and their territories will often overlap with other bobcat territories. The bobcat is the most adaptable of the wild cats, and will live anywhere from the far north to near-desert areas, including right near urban areas.

Cougar: The cougar’s fur is brown to orange with lighter patches, though this varies from region to region. The cougar’s habitat ranges from snow to desert, and to mountains throughout that spread.

Cougars weigh about 200 pounds. They will drag prey up to a thousand pounds, and prefer large mammals such as deer and elk. Their territories run from ten to four hundred square miles. They run up to 40 miles an hour, jump up to ten feet straight up (even carrying prey), and leap up to forty feet, half that from a standing position.

The cougar is also known as panther, puma, or mountain lion. Unlike other large cats, it will not roar, instead sounding more like smaller cats.

Jaguar: The jaguar’s fur is yellow or orangish yellow, with dark patterns spotting it. A rare and fearsome form is all black. The jaguar prefers dense jungle, but will also live in forests and areas of water. The jaguar, unlike other cats, enjoys swimming.

Jaguars weigh about 200 pounds, and will carry creatures of up to 600 pounds in its jaws. Their territories range from fifty to a hundred square miles. They will occasionally share territory with a cougar.

The jaguar prefers large prey, and will even attack and kill armored creatures, its powerful bite piercing right through the armor. Its preferred attack is to bite straight through the top of the skull.

Jaguars are also known as panthers (especially the black version) and in some areas will be called a lion or tiger if no actual lions or tigers exist.

Crickets, giant

These noisy crickets are more annoying than dangerous, though any victim caught in a swarm of them may disagree. The cricket’s chirping drowns out any normal noise; even yells are nearly impossible to hear over the chirping of three or more giant crickets.

While the giant cricket is herbivorous (eating any sort of plant product, including paper and cloth), they will investigate any new creatures within six yards as a possible source of food, hopping onto the creature and causing (on a successful attack roll) d4 points of damage.

They tend to live in large open caverns underground, where they will have room to hop (giving them their faster movement rate).

Animals: Gorillas

Because of their resemblance to humans, gorillas often have a special place in the local mythology. Gorillas are highly intelligent for animals and will use crude tools to solve simple problems. The giant gorilla will throw rocks at enemies, for 2d6 points damage.

A troop of gorillas will be lead by a silverback, usually the strongest or canniest among them, the alpha male. The silverback will likely have more survival points than the rest of the gorillas and may have a bonus of one or two to damage per attack.

Normal gorillas run about five and a half to six feet tall, and weigh 300 to 450 pounds The giant gorilla stands ten to fourteen feet tall, and weighs 1,200 to 2,000 pounds.

Ground sloths, giant

In shape vaguely like a bear, with thick red skin and long spiked tails, the giant ground sloth is a fearsome predator. The creature can stand and fight upright, but usually moves on all fours. It has a long face, almost like a camel’s or horse’s.

The giant ground sloth is also known for its unearthly scream, which gives other creatures a penalty of 2 to surprise rolls if they have not yet detected the sloth. The thick skin of the sloth can be difficult to penetrate, even by arrows, and provides the sloth with its high defense.

One species of giant ground sloth sports a prehensile, spiked tail. When attacking smaller creatures (small or smaller), the sloth will often swing this tail. On a successful attack, the target must make an evasion roll or be stuck. The sloth will then be more easily able to attack with its claws, as the opponent is now immobilized.

Horses, domestic and wild

Horses are commonly used as pack, draft, and riding animals among humans and, sometimes, Elves. In some areas, domesticated horses outnumber wild horses.

Wild horses roam plains and other relatively unforested grasslands, such as plains, steppes, and lightly-forested low hills. They graze on the grasses almost continuously. Each herd is led by a dominant mare and stallion, other mares, and offspring. They are mildly territorial, and more protective of the herd (especially mares) than of the territory.

Other herds can consist of colts who have been driven away by the lead stallion but who have not yet established dominance in another herd.

Some wild horse herds are actually herds of feral domestic horses. The statistics for a feral domestic horse is the same as for its fully domesticated relatives. Feral horses will be much more skittish, however, and more easily frightened. While riding horses can be captured and trained by skilled horsemen, feral warhorses cannot be trained as warhorses unless captured very young.

Horses can sleep lying down or standing up, and are ready to awaken and flee predators at a moment’s notice. Horses only need two or three hours of sleep each day, and may grab it in slices as short as 15 minutes. They need one to two hours of deep sleep—lying down—every day or two.

Animals: Humans

Humans are short-lived bipedal creatures. They come in many colors. Humans usually attack with weapons, though they can attack bare-handed. Humans live in tribal orders, often based on families. Families will often congregate together to form villages, which, if economically advantaged, may attract other families to form towns or cities.

Humans grow plants in fields for consumption, and will also both hunt animals and keep them for slaughter. They may also forage for foodstuffs, and will eat anything if they have enough salt or other spices available.

Leeches, giant

Purplish black, bloated slugs a foot long and half as wide, giant leeches attach to creatures and suck their blood. While slow, their rubbery skin makes it difficult to harm them.

On a successful attack by one of these creatures, the victim must make an evasion roll or the leech has attached itself and does one point of damage per round. It will unattach itself after taking ten points.

Salt or other such material will cause two points of damage per round to the leech. Removing a living leech requires a successful attack roll at a bonus of 3, and causes d4 points of damage to the victim. Removing a dead leech only causes 1 point of damage to the victim.

Lizards, giant

These great green lizards resemble the much smaller desert iguana. They have long, thin bodies with a longer tail extending the length again of their bodies and more. They can sit motionless for hours and blend in well in jungle or cavern. Giant lizards are mostly herbivorous but do eat large insects, worms, and small creatures, and can be dangerous if attacked. They defend with their sharp claws and with their whip-like tail, which can snap even at targets in front of them. For this, the giant lizard is often known as a tailsnapper.

Octopuses, giant

These undersea creatures have a pouch-shaped bodies and eight sucker-covered tentacles. Their bodies and tentacles can grow up to eight yards end to end.

When threatened, the giant octopus can loose a cloud of blank ink that darkens an area twice level yards in diameter. The octopus will then leave as quickly as possible. Giant octopuses rarely attack anything that is as large as they are. Besides their ink, they can also change their color to blend in to their surroundings, granting a penalty of four on any rolls to detect the octopus. They may eject ink level times per day.

Giant octopuses will attack with their strong tentacles or their hard, sharp beak. The giant octopus may make up to two attacks with its tentacles, using its powerful suckers to tear its prey apart. On a successful called shot, if the victim fails an evasion roll the octopus has grabbed the victim and further tentacle or beak attacks are as for immobile targets. This may only be done on medium or smaller targets.

Giant octopuses move either by walking or by propelling themselves through the water by sucking in and then expelling water. Giant octopuses are very intelligent for animals and will learn from experience and may even be trained. They have excellent visual, smell, and taste perception.

Giant octopuses den beneath coral, rocks, or other natural features. Their dens are filled with the remains of their prey. They may squeeze through very narrow passages, as long as their hard beak can fit.

Animals: Orochs

Standing six feet tall at the shoulder or more, with horns two to four feet long, these fierce ancestors to domesticated cattle cannot be taken lightly. Rare except for in deep, virgin forests and isolated plains, these herbivores will nonetheless attack at the slightest provocation those who encroach on their territory.

Animals: Rats

The normal rat is generally cautious, avoiding human contact. It is only dangerous in packs, where the packs use the mass combat rules.

The giant rat, also known as the swamp beaver, is a furry, black-eyed giant rat, inhabiting both fresh and salt water areas. It is a master swimmer. It can easily stay submerged for ten minutes, and under extreme conditions for up to half an hour.

Giant rats often carry disease, and on a successful attack there is a 1 in 20 chance that the victim must make a health roll to avoid disease.

Snakes, large and giant

These larger than normal snakes come in many varieties. Large snakes can be four inches to six inches in diameter, and up to seven to twelve yards long. Giant snakes will be two or more feet in diameter and twenty to forty yards long or more.

Medium snakes can constrict around small or smaller victims. Huge snakes can constrict around large or smaller victims. Constriction requires a called shot, and the victim is allowed an evasion roll to avoid. Large snakes cause d6 points of constriction damage and giant snakes cause d10 points of constriction damage. Constriction damage is automatic, per round, once the evasion roll is failed. A victim trapped by a constriction attack can devote their efforts to trying to get out; an evasion roll will get them out, or a fortitude roll at a penalty of the snake’s level.

Most larger snakes are not poisonous, but some can be. As a general guideline large snake poison will have a strength of 4, an action time of one round, and cause d3 injuries. Giant snakes will not be poisonous.

Snake, poisonous

Poisonous snakes come in many varieties, and can be described as needed. Poisonous snake venom can vary in potency depending on the species, but as a general guideline has a strength of 2, an action time of one round, and causes d2 injuries.

Spiders, large and huge

Large spiders are fairly horrific: they look like large tarantulas the size of a small house cat, with the same temperament (they'll kill anything in sight as long as it moves) but not nearly as cuddly. Huge spiders are even worse, two to three feet high and as wide.

Anyone bitten by a spider must make an evasion roll or be poisoned. Large spider poison is relatively powerful. It has a strength of 1, an action time of one round, and causes d2 injuries. Huge spider poison has a strength of 2 and causes d3 injuries.

Many spiders will have a poison that, rather than injures, paralyzes for d2 or d3 minutes. They will then wrap the victim in webbing, drag back to their web, and eat the living victim at their leisure.

Squirrels, faerie

The faerie squirrel is generally indistinguishable from a normal grey squirrel during the summer and fall, but during winter its fur turns a light blue, its bushy tail a faded white.

The most amazing appearance given by the faerie squirrel (known as the komorleran, or snow squirrel among the Elves), is the twice yearly mating season. In early spring or early fall, the faerie squirrel turns nocturnal, and its bushy white tail becomes phosphorescent. At such a time a traveler in the northern forests can suddenly see tens or hundreds of glowing lights move quickly from tree to tree and finally out of sight again.

Faerie squirrel nest in trees, building their nests from twigs, leaves, and broad ferns.

Animals: Wolves

Wolves are carnivorous pack animals. They will usually stay away from humans unless conditions warrant otherwise, but they do eat domesticated animals whenever it is easy to do so. The wolf attacks with its claws and powerful jaws. If both claws are successful, it will also bite.

The dire wolf is an ancient animal, dating from the Pleistocene. In size only a little larger than a normal wolf, its jaws are much larger and more dangerous, tearing flesh and crushing bone. Dire wolves travel in slightly smaller packs, but are somewhat more cunning than the wolf, and make dangerous opponents in the dark forests of the world where older creatures still lurk.

Otherwise very much like a wolf, the dire wolf is braver around humans and preys on larger herd animals.

Animals: Wolverines

Wolverines live in high rocky foothills, usually near or above the timberline. They tunnel dens out of the hillsides and their tunnels can reach fifty yards. Their dens are sometimes hidden behind snowfields. They live in areas of high snowfall and their fur is particularly adapted to surviving in snow and cold. Because of this, wolverine fur is highly regarded and desired among human populations.

Wolverines are a form of weasel rather than wolf. They can sometimes resemble a small bear, with dark brown fur sometimes with a silvery facial pattern and sometimes streaked with two tan stripes down their length. They range from 30 to 60 pounds. Wolverines tend to live off of rodents such as squirrels and hare, and carrion of larger animals, but are capable of taking down larger prey. They have powerful teeth.

Wolverines generally travel or nest in groups of one male and one or more females, with one to three young per female. Wolverines can and will climb trees. While considered diurnal, the wolverine can be active both day and night and ranges widely in search of food. The wolverine will not generally attack any creature larger than itself but may scavenge among packs and tents for food, or attack weakened creatures.