​Adventuring Aids: Animals

Most animals attack at Skill 2. Animals can be trained to higher levels by animal trainers. Animals also get the standard +1 to Combat when they’re using their body to attack. This is in addition to any combat bonus listed below. Remember that size differences will often affect combat with animals. Animals will usually put all their Combat Q onto Attack if attacking for food or irrationally. If defending territory, they’ll usually put half on Attack and half on Defense.

The abilities listed below are averages. If you desire variation, modify build, strength, agility, constitution, hearing, sight, smell, and height up or down by 2d10%. Normal charisma for animals is generally d6. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people even like cats. Wild animals have a bonus to their Perception equal to their age in days, on the Doubles chart.

Animals are almost always Normals. Super-pets, of course, are Special.

Under Damage, a p indicates the animal’s attack causes penetrating damage. Such animals usually have a bonus of 1 vs. Skin Temper. The number given under Skin is the bonus to Skin Temper for the animal. The number given under Movement is the modifier to the animal’s Move Roll. If only one number is listed, it modifies the animal’s land movement. If two numbers are given, the first modifies the animal’s normal movement, and the second modifies the animal’s land movement.

Animals that can attack with their tail (such as alligators and crocodiles) will attack with whatever is nearest the target. The tail will often get a bonus because of its size (see Clubs). Tails do bludgeoning damage.

Animal poison (snakes, for example) is usually a DP poison of type 1 to 3, although extremely deadly poisons do exist in the animal world. Animals with a poisonous bite often have an added bonus of 1 vs. Skin Temper.