Do Aslan ride horses?

[ShawnDriscoll]

Do Aslan ride horses? Or some other animal?

 

[F33D]

Do Aslan ride horses? Or some other animal?

Definitely not horses as they don't have them. I've never seen any other material showing them riding an animal. But, there are materials I don't have.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I'm removing core rulebook skills that I don't see mentioned in the Aslan skill list. Some background skills are not used by the Aslan it seems.

 

[Boneguard]

A cursory look in my GURPS and CLassic Traveller doesn't seem to indicate any kind of riding beast for any race other then in generic term.

However, considering their culture, it would make sense that -if they have an animal big enough to carry them- they would develop mounted warfare. Now, I would be incline to say that the mounts would be a Carnivore (or omnivore) rather then herbivore like we human use, but that just me.

 

[locarno24]

Not necessarily. Rule-of-cool aside, non-carnivores are a damn sight easier to domesticate - since by definition any carnivore you might consider as a mount is bigger and stronger than you are...

the aslan have been through a similar social development process to (solomani) humaniti: prehistory, history, technology, so it would be unusual if the concept of domestic animals didn't occur - if only to pull carts and turn treadmills. Domestic animal muscle isn't the only way of powering a pre-industrial society, but you'd expect one that didn't have it to be big on owned manpower.

 

[F33D]

the aslan have been through a similar social development process to (solomani) humaniti: prehistory, history, technology, so it would be unusual if the concept of domestic animals didn't occur - if only to pull carts and turn treadmills. Domestic animal muscle isn't the only way of powering a pre-industrial society, but you'd expect one that didn't have it to be big on owned manpower.

In the New World there were no riding animals. By the time Europeans arrived there was no one using animals as beasts of burden either.

 

[rust]

By the time Europeans arrived there was no one using animals as beasts of burden either.

Mostly true, although the Inca used llamas as beasts of burden,
and rarely even as riding animals. The Inuit used their sled dogs
as beasts of burden during the summer, but admittedly the bur-
den had to be a comparatively light one (ca. 15 kg).

 

[F33D]

By the time Europeans arrived there was no one using animals as beasts of burden either.

Mostly true, although the Inca used llamas as beasts of burden,
and rarely even as riding animals. The Inuit used their sled dogs
as beasts of burden during the summer, but admittedly the bur-
den had to be a comparatively light one.

I discounted both of those because the small size of the animals and the extremely limited usefulness therefore. BTW, they weren't riding animals. I have been down there & it is just a myth. They are too small to carry a human adult any distance. Good for kiddie rides though. There are at least a few hundred llamas kept as pets in the area I live.

 

[rust]

BTW, they weren't riding animals. I have been down there & it is just a myth. They are too small to carry a human adult any distance.

There are very few llamas able to carry an adult human, and I
would consider llama riding a case of cruelty to animals in most
cases, but it is not entirely a myth - there have even been so-
called sportsmen who used llamas to play polo ...
http://www.mountlehmanllamas.com/llamas-poloplayers.jpg
... and some llama breeders offer llama riding tours:
http://www.traveloutthere.com/files/photo_gallery/457x306/Lama-Ride-70512.jpg
In South America llama riding is very rare, but not completely
unheard of:
http://www.mountlehmanllamas.com/pc-quito-manonllama.jpg

 

[F33D]

BTW, they weren't riding animals. I have been down there & it is just a myth. They are too small to carry a human adult any distance.

There are very few llamas able to carry an adult human, and I
would consider llama riding a case of cruelty to animals in most
cases, but it is not entirely a myth - there have even been so-
called sportsmen who used llamas to play polo ...
http://www.mountlehmanllamas.com/llamas-poloplayers.jpg
... and some llama breeders offer llama riding tours:
http://www.traveloutthere.com/files/photo_gallery/457x306/Lama-Ride-70512.jpg
In South America llama riding is very rare, but not completely
unheard of:
http://www.mountlehmanllamas.com/pc-quito-manonllama.jpg

I'm talking about what happened historically as a general practice. Not what some are doing today. And yes, I too would consider it cruel. It' a shame what some needlessly do to animals to make a buck.

 

[coldwar]

I believe this would be about the animal skill and its branches.

Personally, I would see Aslans having the skill. Most for Veterinary, Training and Farming.
Maybe for riding, but I think Aslans would only view riding a mount as a leisure and not entirely useful in combat.
And I do think if they did find a mount, it would most likely be a herbivore. Easier to feed, and doesn't eat in to Alsan food stocks.

 

[GypsyComet]

Despite what the Mongoose version of Aslan art may suggest, Aslan are not Moks.

Rule of Cool trumps that, though.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I see Wanderer has some animal skills. I'll do a search/replace if necessary.

 

[Reynard]

I'm curious as to why the Animal skill group is absent on the aslan skill list even as a rare skill. The aslan sourcebook descvribes the khta, a carnivore used as a riding mount so the skill is known.

Looking over their skill distribution I'd say aslans of whom humans are most likely to meet are strictly practical. Animals for burden and transporation are simply not consitered when higher tech means are available. Aslan society is also much more homgenous throughout its interstellar range than most other races especially human. An aslan colony world is mostly likely higher tech no matter how wild and woolly the lands around them.

To illustrate in terms of our own moderm world, there are lots of riding animals in the United States, a very industrialized nation, yet the vast majority of its citizens have never ridden and would have no Animal(riding) skill. Yet they, as well as aslans in the right circumstance, could still use a riding animal but very poorly. In game terms, they couldn't expect to do more tha n sit and maybe guide the animal in the right direction. Anything more is a skill check with the -3 penalty.

Aslans can use riding animals without reflecting it in character generation. You just need a story reason for it.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I'm curious as to why the Animal skill group is absent on the aslan skill list even as a rare skill. The aslan sourcebook descvribes the khta, a carnivore used as a riding mount so the skill is known.

Good find! I missed that entirely. But I look at animal encounters and NPCs last in these books.

Looking over their skill distribution I'd say aslans of whom humans are most likely to meet are strictly practical. Animals for burden and transporation are simply not consitered when higher tech means are available. Aslan society is also much more homgenous throughout its interstellar range than most other races especially human. An aslan colony world is mostly likely higher tech no matter how wild and woolly the lands around them.

To illustrate in terms of our own moderm world, there are lots of riding animals in the United States, a very industrialized nation, yet the vast majority of its citizens have never ridden and would have no Animal(riding) skill. Yet they, as well as aslans in the right circumstance, could still use a riding animal but very poorly. In game terms, they couldn't expect to do more tha n sit and maybe guide the animal in the right direction. Anything more is a skill check with the -3 penalty.

Aslans can use riding animals without reflecting it in character generation. You just need a story reason for it.

I've made the Animals(Riding) skill into an Animals(Pack) skill, like pack mule or for stage coach use. Would that be Animals(Hauling)? I don't know the terms.

 

[rust]

I've made the Animals(Riding) skill into an Animals(Pack) skill, like pack mule or for stage coach use. Would that be Animals(Hauling)? I don't know the terms.

I used to call it "Animal Handling (species)" and to include related
subskills like basic veterinary skill and such.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I've made the Animals(Riding) skill into an Animals(Pack) skill, like pack mule or for stage coach use. Would that be Animals(Hauling)? I don't know the terms.

I used to call it "Animal Handling (species)" and to include related
subskills like basic veterinary skill and such.

Unfortunately, that skill name is not generalized enough to get any use in one of my games. But Animals(Handling) sounds like the ticket.