Quick question about the Animal Encounters supplement

[Red Bart]

Two questions actually:

1) Some animal classes have a '+1 Evolution' modifier (an avian omnivore for example). What does this mean? Does it get one roll on the optional evolution table, or does it get a roll on the optional evolution table with a +1 to the roll? Or does it get one roll on the skill rolls table in the evolution column? Or does it get a +1 roll on that column?

2) On page 19 there's a 'Terrain and Movement Chart'. Some values have a bonus or penalty next to the letter that indicates movement type (W+2 for example). What does that bonus/penalty apply to? To size, to all characteristics, to something else?

 

[nats]

2) On page 19 there's a 'Terrain and Movement Chart'. Some values have a bonus or penalty next to the letter that indicates movement type (W+2 for example). What does that bonus/penalty apply to? To size, to all characteristics, to something else?

2. Not having the book my view from what is in the Core Rule Book would be that the W refers to walking (as opposed to flying or swimming) and the +2 is a size DM that is applied to the size table. There arent any movements speeds stated in either of the two animal designs systems (Core Rules and Supplement) which is effectively saying that all animals travel the same speed as humans (which is extremely daft of course).

To correct this decided to import the movement rules from Classic Traveller into my MgT animal design system so I use various speeds such as 1D-5 for filter animals, 1D-4 for intermittents etc. The result means x normal human movement rate, so a result of 1 means the animal moves 4 squares (1 x normal human speed) and a result of 2 means it would move 8 squares (2 x normal human speed) ) See here for an old post about it all:

http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=48618&hilit=animal+speed

Note regarding speeds that humans walk 4 squares per minor action so in the above filter example the filter animal would move between 0 and 1 x the normal movement rate ie it would be either completely static or human speed, depending on the actual dice throw during design. Also note that there are effectively three minor actions per combat round so a human, if he walked for every minor action and didnt attack, could move a max of 12 squares (each square is 1.5m so = 18m) whereas the filter here would move 12 squares or none depending on its design. Some filter animals (like the Sarlacc out of Starwars ROTJ) are static and rely on animals falling into them (of course a Sarlacc could also be classed as a trapper).

On a side note about animal design I have also increased my animal sizes up to 180,000kg which is equivalent to larger than a blue whale - a blue whale is 150000kg (I thought the 5000kg limit in the Core Rules was right rubbish - not even a large elephant). You can do this easily by just increasing the size table down further - there is another post about this here:

http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=50493&hilit=animal+size

Adding bigger animals and varying speeds makes tracking/hunting/encounters so much more fun.

[PS In the human movement example above note that characters can also 'sprint' which is done through an athletics skill throw and allows them to move 24m (16 squares) +/- the effect of the Athletics skill dice throw. But the character cannot react at all and can only can sprint once per combat round and it is classed as a significant action and he cannot do anything else that round. This could be also used for an animal that has athletics skill as well, where it can sprint at 24m per combat turn x its movement rate. A chaser animal with a movment rate of 4x would therefore be able to 'sprint' at a rate of 96m per combat round or 64 squares - which is scarily accurate actually. You might want to impose a rule that sprinting can only be done once a single combat session perhaps instead of the official 'once a combat round' rule. Or alternatively allow animals to sprint a number of times equal to their endurance level per combat session.]

[PPS Note that the rules on serious wounds and crouching reducing movement speed could also apply to animals if desired so for example an animal might be seriously wounded if it has lost a point from all of its three characteristics and reduces its speed down to 1 square (1.5m) per combat turn, and similarly if couching (perhaps to retain surprise) an animal might only be able to move half its rated movement speed.]

I apologise for going off on one to what was a relatively simple question but as you can see I do find animals in Traveller quite interesting I must get that animal encounters book sometime myself.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I have the the book and I think I may have answers to address the RAW, not that mine are more satisfactory. nats has a better solution for the movement:

1) Some animal classes have a '+1 Evolution' modifier (an avian omnivore for example). What does this mean? Does it get one roll on the optional evolution table, or does it get a roll on the optional evolution table with a +1 to the roll? Or does it get one roll on the skill rolls table in the evolution column? Or does it get a +1 roll on that column?

I think, but am not absolutely sure, that it means a +1DM when rolling on the optional Evolution table. The best indicator I have for this is looking at the tables for Amphibian and Aquatic.
Amphibian Carnivores have a +1 Evolution, which allows you to roll a 7 on the optional tables. Note that the "7" row has no asterisk.
Aquatic does not a +DM for Evolution on its types. The "7" row on the optional tables has an asterisk with a note indicating that it acknowledges that you cannot achieve a 7 unless other external modifiers were applied. I guess that the remaining tables all have the asterisk and no note due to typical typo errors from Mongoose (sorry Mongoose please prove me wrong...). I don't know where you would get extra modifiers, the text does not mention any...

2) On page 19 there's a 'Terrain and Movement Chart'. Some values have a bonus or penalty next to the letter that indicates movement type (W+2 for example). What does that bonus/penalty apply to? To size, to all characteristics, to something else?

This chart appears identical to the one found in the core rules p.70 except that the animal type DM is missing. Makes sense you have already determined animal type (aka Animal Class). The table in core rules only gives a DM in size. As an example, your animal lives in the Beach and you roll a 6 for movement. The default size for Beach/Shore is +2DM and the roll indicates a Flyer with an additional size DM of -6 for a total of -4DM (not counting other modifiers). And yes, like the core rules, this means you do not know the speed of the creature in meters per combat turn. Ah, well...

 

[nats]

Another thing that is daft in the animal design system is how they make Carnivores more likely to have armour than herbivores. Common sense would turn this the other way around - herbivorous dinosaurs for example had armour because they were generally large and lumbering, whereas the carnivores were smaller and more dextrous so they would attack using numbers, surprise and/or speed. I cant think of any carnivores that have armour whereas I can think of a lot of herbivores that do....well I suppose you could consider an armadillo a carnivore maybe - that is the only exclusion to the rule! Trust an Australian animal to be different to everything else in the world!!

Anyway I have (for MTU rules) removed the daft DMs from the armour table and made the stated positive DMs for being a carnivore and negative DM for herbivores only applicable to the weapon table. Makes more sense. It is actually only the design example that suggests these DMs are used for the armour table as well as the weapon table anyway, so its probably just a mistake.

Although the armour table does go from 0 to 13 so it does suggest that once upon a time there were some more sensible DMs used for this table. I could see a -1 DM for Carnivores, and a +1 DM for herbivores working on the armour table - I might change my rules to show this myself.

By the way a question to those that have the Animal Encounters book - is it worth getting over the core rules for animals? Does it add anything interesting to make it worth the expense? Or does it, like so many of the MgT supplements, just add more confusion?

 

[Red Bart]

Thanks for answering my questions!

Nats, both your rules suggestions look excellent. I was wondering why there were no movement rules in the book, and yours look simple yet plausible. The extra sizes looks like they open up a whole new kind of creatures, so that's always welcome. I'll probably use your suggestion for armour on herbivores/carnivores too.

Nathan Brazil, that's probably the best interpretation of the (somewhat incomplete) rules as they are written in the book.

 

[Galadrion]

I cant think of any carnivores that have armour whereas I can think of a lot of herbivores that do....well I suppose you could consider an armadillo a carnivore maybe - that is the only exclusion to the rule! Trust an Australian animal to be different to everything else in the world!!

Crocodiles and alligators ain't carnivores?!? Probably be a shock to them and anything they eat... not to mention the Irwin family!

Scales are a form of armor - snakes, komodo dragons, pretty much most carnivorous reptiles...

Chitin is a natural form of plate armor, and there are a heck of a lot of carnivorous insects/arachnids/bugs in general. Heck, crabs and lobsters are largely carnivorous!

There are a lot of armored fish, and most of them are carnivorous.

Also, remember that "armor" in the case of these tables represents a generalized damage-absorption ability - the thick hide of a rhino, bear, or other such tough beastie would count. Heck, a wolverine or badger could probably be justified as having a light grade of armor, and a wild or feral pig might even be justifiable for medium.

 

[nats]

I cant think of any carnivores that have armour whereas I can think of a lot of herbivores that do....well I suppose you could consider an armadillo a carnivore maybe - that is the only exclusion to the rule! Trust an Australian animal to be different to everything else in the world!!

Crocodiles and alligators ain't carnivores?!? Probably be a shock to them and anything they eat... not to mention the Irwin family!

Scales are a form of armor - snakes, komodo dragons, pretty much most carnivorous reptiles...

Chitin is a natural form of plate armor, and there are a heck of a lot of carnivorous insects/arachnids/bugs in general. Heck, crabs and lobsters are largely carnivorous!

There are a lot of armored fish, and most of them are carnivorous.

Also, remember that "armor" in the case of these tables represents a generalized damage-absorption ability - the thick hide of a rhino, bear, or other such tough beastie would count. Heck, a wolverine or badger could probably be justified as having a light grade of armor, and a wild or feral pig might even be justifiable for medium.

Ok maybe I didnt think it through enough to make a generalised statement like that. I can think of a lot of herbivores that dont have any armour and rely on speed as well. Thinking of all those animals it probably goes then that armour provision is pretty randomised in animals. Its a shame that the armour table doesnt specify the type of armour - tough hide, scales, shell, furry hide, etc.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

By the way a question to those that have the Animal Encounters book - is it worth getting over the core rules for animals? Does it add anything interesting to make it worth the expense? Or does it, like so many of the MgT supplements, just add more confusion?

It depends on what you are looking for. My focus is I do game/stat conversions. I made a Rosetta Stone the d20SRD vs. Mongoose Traveller to convert game/campaign elements to/from my favorite systems. For me Supplement 11 brought these elements not found in Core Rules animal generation.

Better Definitions for Terrains - There is a terrain equivalent chart which defines other keywords for to plug into existing terrain types such as: Foothills and Tundra are both types of Hills as far as Traveller are concerned.
Additional Attack Types - Introduces other keywords to fit into the existing natural weapons attack forms. Such as: Constriction and Trample attacks are considered Thrasher attacks.

More quirks for animals - each animal type have quirks tables (2d6, 10 results each table) which give great ideas for mutations/adaptations of that animal type.

Other Worlds DM Tables - This is the one that is a goodie for everyone. The Core Rules and early chapter Supplement Tables assume a more or less earthlike world. Charts in the back allow you to plug in the very odd environment types as DMs to the tables. Like extremes in Gravity, Atmosphere Types, Hydrographics and Temperature ranges.

Charts like the old CT Supplement 2: Animal Encounters in case you are lazy/pressed for time
Detailed descriptions of many "alien" animals to springboard your ideas.