Mountain Terrors - Introduction

Transcript

A Creature catalog for the Chronicle System OUNTAIN M TERRORS A Compendium of Chronicle Creatures for Mountain Terrains AUTHOR: MARK BRISTOW, JAMES COOK, BRIAN DUDOLEVITCH, ADAM EASTERDAY, WOJCIECH GRUCHALA, JOHN C. HAY, ALYC HELMS, GUSTAVO MARTINEZ DEVELOPER: JOSEPH CARRIKER EDITOR: TOM CADORETTE GRAPHIC DESIGN & ART DIRECTION: HAL MANGOLD INTERIOR ART: STEPHANIE PUI-MIN LAW Chronicle Creatures: Mountain errors © 2015 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. LLC. All All rights reserved. Reference to other copyrighted material in no  wayy cons  wa constit titute utess a cha challe llenge nge to the res respec pectiv tivee cop copyrig yright ht hol holder derss of of that that mat materi erial. al. Chr Chroni onicle cle Syst System, em, Gre Green en Ron Ronin, in, and th their eir res respec pectiv tivee logo logoss are are  rad   radem emark arkss of of Gre Green en Ron Ronin in Pub Publis lishin hing, g, LL LLC. C. Special Tanks to the contributors on the Chronicle System Community Development Forum, for all their contributions, advice and sharp eyes for the system’s system’s mechanics. You You guys are aces. INTRODUCTION  Welcome to the first Chronicle Creatures  compendium: Mountain Terrors. Te Chronicle Creatures series is a collection of individual monsters of varying power levels, designed for use with the Chronicle System. Te Chronicle System is the name we’ve given to the mechanics engine that runs  A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying . While the rules of this system were designed specifically for George R.R. Martin’s  Westeros, they will work just as well for any other setting. In order to facilitate such game play, we are developing a series of modules under the Chronicle System name, providing new elements and ideas for use with the system that might not always fit into the established world of A Song of  Ice and Fire . We feel this will give Narrators more options and plenty of flexibility to make their games truly their own,  whether they are adapting the system to a “homebrew” setting, or simply providing their players with a Westeros that diverges in some way from the accepted canon. mal Cohort Benefit, as well as those instances where they might be encountered, such as on hunting trips. Tis section also expands on the rules for training animals.  Te Beasts  section focuses on creatures of roughly animal intelligence and capability, although they are not found in our modern real world. Creatures of dire size, strange (but plausible) physiology, and weird niches in their environment all fall into this category.  Te Horrors , on the other hand, are explicitly fantastic and quite monstrous. Many of these things have the faintest touch of magic to them, or are otherwise far more intelligent that one might expect such creatures to be. Horrors are usually quite rare in low-magic, gritty fantasy settings, but more common in high-magic tales.  And finally, the Legends . Tese creatures are overtly magical or otherwise fantastic. In low-magic, gritty fantasy settings, they are the subjects of legends and stories, often fearful ones.  Whole bodies of superstition and myth may crop up around them, and they may have been more common at some point in the past… or perhaps becoming so once again. Mountain Terrors Beast-Haunted  Tis product is a bestiar y for the Chronicle System, divided into four sections, focusing on some of the creatures one might find living in and around mountainous areas.  Te  Animals   section expands the game stats for normal animals, with an emphasis on mountain-dwelling creatures. Tese animals are perfectly suited for the Ani- Chronicle System If you enjoy this product, we invite you to check out our other Chronicle System supplements, available on PDF and Print-on-Demand at greenronin. com.  Woodland Creatures, the precursor to the Chronicle Creatures series, featuring Beasts, Horrors, and Legends of the woodlands and forests. Out of Strife, Prosperity , a sourcebook that presents a vast selection of new Wealth Holdings for  your House. Chronicle of Sorcery , a sourcebook that lays the groundwork for the addition of sorcery and magic for characters’ use in the Chronicle System.  2  Domains Because of the scale the Chronicle System operates on, the terrors in this book might not just threaten individual characters that encounter them, but also entire domains unfortunate enough to be near or even within the highlands that the creatures call home.  With the Narrator’s permission, players may purchase the following Domain Drawbacks. Purchasing a Domain Drawback grants a small pool of points that may be directly added as bonus points to other Resources at domain generation. Tese points may not be added to any Resources that are penalized by the Drawbacks, however. Beast-Infested 2 points  Te mountain domain of choice is infested with a beast of some kind, chosen from the Beasts chapter of this or other Chronicle Creatures bestiaries. Attacks against individuals traveling through the mountains are common, and even travel in groups is no guarantee of safety. Gain a -1 to House Fortune rolls. Population Resource decreases due to a House Fortunes roll are increased by 1. Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors Introduction Horror-Prowled (4 points) Something unwholesome and hungry haunts your peaks and vales, chosen from the Horrors chapter of this or other Chronicle Creature bestiaries. You lose smallfolk to it all the time, and occasionally patrolling soldiers run afoul of the horror as well. Gain a -1 to House Fortune rolls. Population and Power Resource decreases due to a House Fortunes roll are increased by 1. Legend-Haunted (6 points) Attacking Small Targets  As a reminder, any target in combat that is significantly smaller than its attacker gains a +2 to Combat Defense due to the discrepancy in size. A solid ma jority of the creatures in the Animals section qualify for this bonus if they are attacked by an opponent of adult human size. Likewise, any target that is significantly greater in size than its attacker receives a -2 penalty to Combat Defense due to its great size. Tis generally includes creatures of horse-size or larger against an opponent of adult human size.  Troughout this work, we have included the modified Combat Defense for creatures fighting adult human-sized opponents in parentheses. Tus, a badger has a Combat Defense of 7 (9), reflecting the +2 Combat Defense bonus it gains against larger opponents.  ales are told of your gloomy mountains, and the mystical, accursed thing therein, chosen from the Legends chapter of this or other Chronicle Creature bestiaries. Your people have generations of tales about it, and probably a handful of superstitious protections supposed to protect against it. So fearful are those tales, and widely spoken of, that many merchants refuse to enter your domain. Gain a -2 to House Fortunes rolls. Population, Power and Wealth Resources decreases due to a House Fortunes many nights in both early spring and late autumn. Tere roll are increased by 1. are even some mountains so high that they remain snowcapped and frozen year-round. Other Dangers of the Mountains  Te creatures in this bestiary are not the only dangers that threaten those who venture into the mountains. Te Narrator is encouraged to keep some of these dangers in mind for encounters that occur in highland terrains. Tey usually apply to Step One: Battlefield  of any Combat encounter—see Chapter 9: Combat , in A Song of Ice and Fire Role playing (SIFRP)  core rulebook for more details. Weather Precipitation Mountains frequently serve as a barrier against which heavy clouds are thrown, releasing their precipitation. As such, mountains can often see precipitation even in other wise more arid lands. In even normal situations, these can affect Visibility and the errain negatively when determining Step One: Battlefield. As these situations continue, they can lead to mudslides and avalanches in treacherous areas (see below). Debris Falls  Te heights of the mountains often create severe weather  Te height of surrounding terrain presents particularly patterns unseen in lower vales. unique dangers in the mountains. Unstable materials—  whether earth drenched by rains, unstable rock formations Extreme Cold or a pile-up of snow and ice from a heavy snowfall—can Colder seasons can become extremely frigid in the moun- become dislodged and come down atop the heads of those tains, and even warmer seasons may find nights colder in passing beneath them. the mountain passes. Te Narrator is encouraged to use  Avalanches, rockslides, and mudslides have an Intensity the Extreme Cold rules in Chapter 11: Te Narrator  of the rating ranging from 1 to 5. A 1 indicates a light fall of mud SIFRP  core book for both night and day in winter, and in or snow that may injure but rarely kills or causes more than a Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors 3  Introduction slight obstacle to travel. In contrast, an Intensity 5 avalanche Shelter action, above. Tis can reduce the damage to nothlikely buries those caught under them in tens of feet of snow ing, as a character finds shelter between an outcropping and ice, trapping those it doesn’t kill outright, and a mudslide and the oncoming impact, for example. of Intensity 5 carries with it tons of rock and other debris. If the amount of damage inflicted is equal to or greater than a given character’s passive Endurance, that characAvalanche ter is also rendered unconscious by the strike. Tis unconsciousness lasts for one minute at one degree of success,  Tere are four main concerns to deal with when dealing plus one minute for each degree of success scored above  with avalanches: detecting the avalanche, seeking shel- the character’s passive Endurance. ter, the moment of impact, and being buried. Generally speaking, the center of the avalanche has four degrees of Being Buried success, and is a number of yards across equal to double the Intensity. For each “step” of equal area away from the Characters buried in the snow are in real danger. Narraavalanche’s center, reduce the degrees of success in the tors should use the “Suffocation & Drowning” mechanics avalanche’s attack by one. So, an Intensity 4 avalanche is in Chapter 11: Te Narrator of the SIFRP core book. Only 8 yards across at its center. For each 8 yards in either di- conscious characters may hold their breaths per those rection away from its center, reduce its innate degrees of rules. Characters who’ve been buried by an avalanche success by one: 3 degrees at the 8 yard point, 2 degrees at must also make an immediate check against Extreme the 16 yard point, 1 degree at the 24 yard mark, and then Cold, in the same chapter. Even those dressed warmly a lot of loose but relatively harmless powder cloud for a are in danger of cold shock from sudden submersion in piles of snow. distance out from that.  A character is buried beneath a number of feet of snow Detecting the Avalanche equal to the Intensity of the avalanche multiplied by the number of degrees of the avalanche’s force after the char Te faint rumblings of an avalanche can often be detected acter’s Seeking Shelter degrees of success are factored in. beforehand by those who are paying attention and know  Tus, a character struck by an Intensity 4 avalanche with  what to look for. Tis is a Survival test, with bonus dice from 3 degrees of success would be buried beneath 12 feet of the Notice specialty of Awareness applying to the roll. Tis snow, ice and stone—potentially quite deadly. Gaining is a Formidable (12) test for Intensity 1 avalanches, Chal- even 1 degree of success on the Seeking Shelter roll previ lenging (9) for Intensity 2 and 3 avalanches,Routine (6) for ous would reduce this to 8 feet of burial. Intensity 4 avalanches, and Easy (3) for Intensity 5. If a character is conscious, he may dig himself out with a Routine (6) test using either Athletics (Strength) or SurSeeking Shelter  vival (Strength from Athletics applies). Such a test takes 1 minute of work, and for each degree of success, the char Tose who become aware of the avalanche before it hapacter extricates himself from 1 foot of snow and ice. A pens may run to seek cover. Tis is a Survival test, with character that is not buried may make similar rolls to dig a Routine (6)  difficulty for those who detected the avaanother character out of the snow, but must know where to lanche themselves, rising to a Challenging (9)  difficulty dig in order to lend a hand. for those who are warned by those who actually noticed it. Finding a character is an Awareness (Notice) or Sur vival (Notice from Awareness applies) test. Te difficulty Moment of Impact is Routine (6) if the character in question is moving, and  Te Narrator must decide how many degrees of success under 5 feet or less of snow. It becomes Challenging (9) the avalanche has at the point where characters are located. if the character is buried under more than5 feet of snow  An avalanche inflicts Damage equal to its Intensity multi- but still moving, and Formidable (12) if the character is plied by the degrees of success in that spot. So, being in the unmoving. Each roll requires a minute of searching to 3-degree zone of an Intensity 3 avalanche inflicts 9 dam- find someone, and if successful locates someone  in the area age. Tese degrees of success are reduced by the number of  whose situation meets the Difficulty of the searcher’s test degrees of success rolled by the character in the Seeking result. 4 Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors Introduction  o find a specific person, the searcher must have an idea Mountain Terrain of where they were when the avalanche struck, and make a Qualities Cunning (Logic) test, at a Difficulty of Routine (6) for Intensity 1 and 2 avalanches, Challenging (9) for Intensity  Te following Battlefield Qualities might easily apply to 3 and 4 avalanches, and Formidable (12) for Intensity 5. any encounter in the mountains. Each one is noted if it applies to Combat Battlefields, Warfare Battlefields, or InMudslides trigues. Mudslides happen when excess rain or spring melt satuCOMBAT rates the soil atop the bedrock of a mountain, causing it  TREACHEROUS TERRAIN to slide downslope in a torrent of mud and rock. Tese debris slides can bury people in multiple feet of mud, po-  Te kinds of treacherous terrain discovered in the mountentially suffocating them. For all intents and purposes, the tains usually involves mud flats from a recent mudslide or mechanics of a mudslide are identical to those of an ava- hard raid; fields of scree, tiny rocks and pebbles that make footing unsure; and areas where snow has piled up to inlanche, save for the following differences: hibit movement. B Extreme Cold mechanics are not used. B  Te Difficulty to dig oneself out is increased by +3. BOULDER  F IELD COMBAT  Te Difficulty to find someone buried in mud is in A wide area filled with large, rocky protrusions. It is easy creased by +3. enough to find cover in such an environment, and there are plenty of places to hide behind as well. Tis area qualiRockslides fies as reacherous errain (see errain, under Step One: Battlefield, in Chapter 9: Combat  of the SIFRP core book), Rockslides occur when something shifts in the mountain’s costing 2 yards of Movement for each single yard of discore, such as during an earthquake, or when accumulations tance. It is also littered with Obstacles  (in the same section), of fallen boulders and scree give way, tumbling downslope. requiring a Lesser Action to move around or through large  Tose caught in their path are in tremendous danger from boulders or rock piles, and providing cover of +5 for usthe crushing wave of stone. Fortunately, rockslides tend to ing a boulder, or a full +10 by hiding behind an outcropbe the rarest of these forms of debris slides. For all intents ping and taking no other action. Tose inclined to do so and purposes, the mechanics of a rockslide are identical to are considered to be in a situation that allows the use of those of an avalanche, save for the following differences: a Stealth (Sneak) test the entire time they are within this area. B  Te Difficulty to Seeking Shelter is increased by +3. Destiny Point:  By spending a Destiny Point, you can B In the Moment of Impact, rockslides inflict double damage; thus, a three-degree Intensity 2 rockslide still gain any of the following benefits: B inflicts 12 damage. Additionally, anyone who takes more damage than their passive Endurance is considered to have the Maimed Drawback until they have received medical attention and at least one week of rest per degree of success the damage is over their passive Endurance. B B  As part of Being Buried, rockslide victims are in danger of suffocation only if they end up buried beneath four feet or more of stone and dirt. Digging oneself (or someone else) out of a rockslide is extremely hard work, increasing the Difficulties to do so by +6. B Move over or through the boulders as part of your normal movement and without need to take a Lesser Action to get through the obstacles. B Increase the bonus you gain from cover by an additional +5. B On a successful attack, you may spend a point of Destiny to also cause your target to trip, falling prone, or even over a cliff. B Use the terrain to hide without using a Lesser Action to do so; it is considered part of your normal Movement. Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors 5 Introduction CLIFF -TOP /N ARROW  MOUNTAIN R OAD COMBAT, INTRIGUE Step One: Battlefield of Chapter 9: Combat  in the SIFRP  core book A character may choose to throw caution to the  wind, dashing at his normal Movement. Doing so requires a Challenging (9) Agility (Balance) test to avoid tripping and twisting an ankle. Failing this test causes the character to fall prone; a Critical Failure causes the character to badly injure their ankle or leg, taking the Crippled Drawback until they have had a chance to rest and heal for a number of days equal to (10 - Endurance). Destiny Point:  You may spend a point of Destiny to cause a target to trip.  Tis area presents a narrow fighting space, with a tremendous fall on one or both sides of the battlefield. Fighting tests are performed at a -2 penalty due to the limits of space. Any attack that causes a target to fall prone or trip can result in a fall. In such an instance, the one falling must make a Challenging (9)  Agility (Balance) test to avoid plummeting off the space. In an Intrigue, any close interaction comes with the unspoken threat of a simple shove off the cliff, granting +2 to all uses of the Intimidation echnique in an Intrigue. M AJEST IC V ISTA  INTRIGUE Destiny Point:  You may spend a point of Destiny to cause your target to trip. He receives no test to avoid the  Te site offers an impressive sweeping view, breathtaking plummet, but may spend a point of Destiny (assuming he to behold. It grants a +1B to all attempts to use Charm or has any) to avoid such a fate. Seduce echniques. Destiny Point: You may cause the target to be swept up F OOTCATCH  C REVICES COMBAT in the beauty of the location, increasing his Disposition  Tis terrain is filled with cracks and crevices, providing toward you by one step for the rest of the Intrigue. Tis plenty of space for the unwary to twist an ankle or worse. may only be countered by the expenditure of a Destiny It is considered treacherous terrain, per the errain rules in Point by the target. ANIMALS OF THE MOUNTAINS Even in a setting that might be called “high magic,” the mountains are usually populated mostly by normal animals. Tough they are usually quite shy of the people who tromp through their home, it is not uncommon to encounter these creatures, whether as chance encounters, as the prey of a noble’s (or poacher’s) hunt, or even serving at the side of those with the skill to train them.  Tis chapter presents a set of expanded training rules for domesticating and teaching animals of a variety of tricks and roles, including a set of Benefits for those characters  who specialize in that task. It also includes a set of stats for Training Difficulty 6  A NIMAL W ILL DIFFICULTY   Will 1 Routine (6)  Will 2 Challenging (9)  Will 3 Formidable (12)  Will 4 Hard (15)  Will 5 Very Hard (18) normal animals that might be found in a mountainous setting, adding to the animals found in Chapter 11, A Song of  Ice and Fire Roleplaying  ( SIFRP  ) core book. Expanded Training Rules  raining an animal to perform a single task or role requires an Animal Handling (rain) Extended test, requiring a number of successful tests equal to the animal’s Will minus Cunning (minimum 1). Each test assumes a week of regular training, working with the animal for several hours every day.  Te Difficulty of this roll is based on the animal’s Will rating:  An animal may learn a number of tricks equal to its Cunning. After that, training each additional trick increases the Difficulty of the task by +3, cumulative. Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors Introduction Training Non-Standard Animals Fantasy is rich with animal companions, often trained to a degree that is actually impossible with such animals in the real world. Te ricks and Roles described in this section include mention of those animals most often trained to such tasks.  Te Narrator, of course, has the option of adding animals to the lists for any of these tasks to reflect the realities of her setting. Additionally, if a character wishes to train an animal in a task not normally available to an animal of that type, the Narrator who wishes to allow it (but not make it standard) might increase the animal’s effective  Will by +1 or +2 for the purpose of that training. Generally speaking, insects and reptiles (with some exceptions) cannot be trained. Tricks could reasonably bear. No roll is necessary to have the animal perform this function, although all commands given  Tese individual ricks can often be learned by a variety of  while in the saddle use the Ride Specialty. animals, each performing them somewhat differently from BEAR  A  B URDEN DOGS , HORSES, R  AVENS one another. Commanding an animal to use one of these  ricks is an Animal Handling test, with the Charm Spe Te animal is trained to bear burdens on their backs or cialty, unless otherwise noted in the rick. Some animals may find themselves in situations where pull wayns and sleighs as appropriate for their size. Ravens they may try and throw off the training in order to re- trained to this will carry messages tied to their legs without act according to their instincts, e.g., a dog wanting to bark trying to rid themselves of it. All commands given with at something when he’s been ordered to be silent, a horse this skill use the Drive Specialty.  wishing to flee from fire when it has been ordered to stay CHARM DOGS , H ORSES and the like. When the master is present, it is a simple  Animal Handling test against the animal’s passive Will; if  Te animal will perform any number of trained actions the master is not present, it is the animal’s Will test against that most people find entertaining or endearing: bows, the master’s passive Animal Handling. counting tricks, eliciting sympathy by drooping ears and sighing and the like. Te animal can also perform basic  A GILITY  TESTS DOGS , H ORSES dance steps to music, and animals with both this trick  Te animal is trained to perform a variety of leaping and and the Agility ests rick can perform quite advanced agility tricks. For dogs this is usually leaping through hoops, dances. and for lighter animals, tumbling and flipping. For horses COME DOGS , H ORSES, R  APT ORS, R  AVENS this is often course navigation, leaping fences and the like.  Te animal is trained to come when called. Dogs, horses, and ravens will answer to their names or a whistle; raptors  With this command, the animal will attack any individual usually are trained to a bell or whistle. that is currently menacing its master. Horses trained to F ETCH DOGS , R  AVENS this will lash out with hooves, which is rarely a natural inclination. A rider giving this command from horseback  Te animal is trained to fetch either something that is may use the Ride Specialty. thrown by the master, or retrieve a specific kind of item, such as food, shiny things, pieces of paper and the like. An BEAR  A  R IDER  DOGS , H ORSES animal may be trained to this rick multiple times, each  Te animal is trained to bear a rider, with or without sad- time adding another kind of item it will fetch. dle. Te rider must be of a size and weight that the animal  A  TTACK  DOGS , HORSES, R  AVENS Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors 7 Introduction GUARD DOGS , HORSES standing still. Te animal can also be commanded to remain in one place. Raptors and ravens will follow a master from the air, but cannot be commanded to stay in one place.  Tis command causes the animal to either remain in one spot and guard it against everyone it is not familiar with, or to remain with and protect an individual, designated by SILENCE DOGS , HORSES, R  APTO RS the master placing that person’s hand on the animal’s flank  while giving the command. An animal with this training  With this command, the animal refrains from making its issues a vocal warning to those getting too near to it. normal vocalizations. Dogs and horses with this command also actively employ their Stealth to keep from making unH ARRY  DOGS , R  APTO RS due noise by their passage. Some animals can be trained to harry an opponent, distracting them from their tasks. Hounds will bark and snap, sometimes even grabbing onto limbs and pulling, while raptors flap in a target’s face with wings and talons. An opponent who is harried is -1D on all tests until the animal is recalled or stopped. HEEL  & S TAY  DOGS , HORSES, R  APTO RS, R  AVENS SPEAK  R  AVENS  Tough all ravens pick up the occasional word here and there, this training teaches a raven a small vocabulary of  words that it can use to communicate certain concepts such as hunger, a warning and the like.  TERRAIN TRAVELING HORSES  With this command, the animal remains calmly beside  With this training, a horse is trained to navigate through the master, remaining with him when either walking or terrain that it would normally find difficult, such as wet- 8 Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors Introduction lands or mountains. When in that terrain, the horse’s movement is calculated as though it were in one category of terrain better (Deserts, Hills and Light Woods become as Plains, and Mountains, Wetlands and Dense Woods are treated as though they were Deserts, Hills, and Light  Woods). Tere are no rolls involved in the use of this kind of training, which becomes second nature to the mount.  TRACK  DOGS ter, watching carefully for any game birds or small game like rabbits that they can strike. Tese animals are assumed to know the Attack, Fetch, and Heel & Stay ricks. F  ARMER  (+0 DIFFICULTY ) HORSES  Te animal is trained as a farm animal, for the myriad purposes to which horses are put on the farm. Te animal is assumed to know the Bear a Rider and Bear a Burden ricks. GUARD (+6 DIFFICULTY ) DOGS  When given a strong scent to follow, the dog can follow the trail left by that scent with a Survival test. Each mile of trail requires an additional test. Situations that might  rained as guardians, these dogs are often used as housethrow off or confuse the scent, such as moving into a heav- hold defense, and are ssumed to have the Attack, Come, ily populated area, a body of water or stronger scents like Guard, and Heel & Stay ricks. fire or blood can all force re-tests as well, often at higher HERDER  (+3 D IFFICULTY ) DOGS Difficulties.  Te animal is trained to assist with corralling a herd animal of some kind, patrolling their edges to keep them together  Te animal is trained to bear armor that is sized and fit- and defend against predators. Te animal is assumed to ted for its shape. Tere are no rolls involved in the use of know the Come, Guard, and Heel & Stay ricks. this kind of training, which becomes second nature to HOUSE  (+0 DIFFICULTY ) DOGS the animal.  W EAR  B ARDING DOGS , H ORSES  Te animal is trained to live indoors, well-socialized, quiet and tending to its wastes outdoors rather than inside. Te animal is assumed to know the Heel & Stay and Silence Unlike other ricks, these are a specific function for the  ricks. animal, rather than an individual limited command. Tese are “jobs,” as it were, training the animal to the numerous HUNTER  (+6 DIFFICULTY ) DOGS commands and situations necessary to function in this capacity. Each role is considered a single rick, and each roll Dogs with this training are taught to be hunting companto teach a Role counts as two weeks. No animal may be ions, remaining near the master until they are given word trained to more than one Role. to flush out the prey. Tey range outward, barking to drive larger prey back towards the hunting party. Te animal is ENTERTAINER  (+3 DIFFICULTY ) DOGS , H ORSES assumed to have the Attack, Fetch, Heel & Stay, and rack  ricks.  Te animal is trained to perform in one of many ways: as a show animal of some kind, or performing alongside an  W  ARRIOR  (+6 DIFFICULTY ) DOGS , H ORSES entertainer. Te animal is assumed to know the Agility  ests and Charm ricks, and either the Fetch or Speak  Te animal with this training has been accustomed to the  rick. chaos, blood, and pain of battle, and will not spook in such situations. Such animals are considered to have the Attack, F  ALCONRY -T RAINED (+3 D IFFICULTY ) R  APT ORS , R  AVENS Guard, Heel & Stay, and Wear Barding ricks for dogs, or the Attack, Bear Rider, Guard, and Wear Barding ricks  Birds trained thusly can be used for hunting. Hawks and for horses. Tese animals qualify as “war-trained” for the ravens are launched from the fist to fly out and attack game purpose of those rules that require it in the SIFRP core birds flushed from the surrounding wilds, while falcons system. and eagles are launched from an aerie and follow the mas- Roles Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors 9 Introduction Badger Animal Trainer Benefits Badgers can be aggressively territorial, and are equal adept at scavenging and killing their own prey.  Te following Benefits are for characters with a notable talent Bobcat, Lynx for training animals. Such individuals may find a place in any lord’s retinue as a Master of Horse or Master of Kennels, or  A mid-sized hunting cat, bobcats are short-tailed with may undertake their skills for their own benefit and profit. pointed and tufted ears. Tey are between 2-4 feet in length but will attack a human in self-defense. Master Trainer (Ability) Your wealth of experience means animals trained by  you learn their tasks quickly and efficiently. R EQUIREMENTS: A NIMAL H ANDLING 3 (TRAINING 2B)  Te time to train an animal is halved when you do the training. You gain either two rolls per week to teach ricks, or one roll every week to teach a Role. Way with Beasts (Ability)  Animals seem to trust and favor you. R EQUIREMENTS: BEASTFRIEND  Your affinity with animals is almost legendary. Reroll all 1s on all Animal Handling tests. Additionally, animals you train are considered to have one additional point of Cunning for the purposes of determining how many ricks they can learn. Animal Traits Catamount, Puma  Te largest of the great cats, the catamount can weigh in excess of 200 lbs and grow longer than 9 feet. Tey are stealthy predators, and more than a match for a human opponent. Coyote Smaller dog-like beasts related to both wolves and dogs, coyotes are scavengers in more arid terrains. Tough they do move in packs as feral dogs and wolves, they almost never engage large animals—to say nothing of humans— directly. In places where coyotes live, they often have a reputation as tricksters for two reasons: the way their  yips and howls sound somewhat like human laughter, and their stealth. Coyotes are known to actually move on their tiptoes when desiring to be sneaky, and are masters of stealth. Deer  Te stag (or hart) is a common target in noble hunts, and  Te following creatures are considered normal animals, a popular meat on the feasting table. and adhere to the rules for such creatures from Chapter 11:  Narrator , in the SIFRP  core book. Elk Creatures have rank 0 in the following Abilities: Larger and more likely to fight back than deer, elk antlers  Animal Handling, Deception, Healing, Language, have been known to gore a hunter. Knowledge, Marksmanship, Persuasion, Status,  Tievery, and Warfare.  Tey can never take tests related to these abilities and automatically fail when called to do so. Certain uses of other abilities may be impossible. Creatures can make Fighting tests with their natural weapons only. Some animals may have access to a Fly specialty in Athletics, the equivalent of the Run specialty for animals capable of flight.  Abilities not listed for an animal, but not forbidden, are assumed to be at a rating of 2. 10 Falcon Extremely smart and easy to train, falcons are one of the preferred hunting birds for nobility. Tey are known for their exceptional speed and ability to take down larger birds  while on the wing. Males may also be known as tercels . Fox One of the smallest wild canines, foxes are popular for hunting because of their exceptional cunning and stealth. Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors Introduction BOBCAT, LYNX Mouuntain Animals  A GILITY  3 (B������ 2B, D���� 1B, Q�������� 1B),  A  THLETICS 3 (C���� 2B, J��� 2B, R�� 2B, S��� 1B),  A  WARENESS 4 (N����� 2B), CUNNING 1, ENDURANCE  3, F IGHTING 3, S TEALTH 5 (S���� 2B), SURVIVAL 3 (H��� 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 10 (12) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 HEALTH: 9 ❂ MOVEMENT: 8 ����� ❂ BITE 3D 2 D����� V������ CLAWS 3D 3 D����� F���  A  TTACK FROM  ABOVE: Bobcats use positional height to give them an advantage that their small size might other prohibit. A bobcat attacking from surprise will leap out of a tree to attack larger prey, allowing it to use both its claws and bite on the first round of combat. In addition to the animals detailed in this chapter, the normal animals detailed in these sourcebooks can readily be found in mountain environments. SIFRP: Bear, Eagle, Hound (wild packs), Raven, Wolf   Woodland Creatures:  Badger, Bobcat, Catamount, Deer, Elk, Falcon, Fox, Hawk, Owl, Snake ( Venemous), Vulture, Weasel, Wildcat, Wolverine BADGER  A GILITY  3 (C���������� 1B, D���� 1B), A  THLETICS 2 (C���� 1B, S��� 1B), CUNNING 1, ENDURANCE  2 (R��������� 1B), F IGHTING 3, SURVIVAL 3 (F����� 1B, H��� 1B), W��� 3 COYOTE COMBAT DEFENSE: 7 (9)  A GILITY  4 (B������ 1B, D���� 2B, Q�������� 2B), A  THLETICS 2 ( J��� 1B, R�� 2B), A  WARENESS 3 (N����� 2B), CUNNING 1, F IGHTING 3, S TEALTH 4 (S���� 3B), SURVIVAL 3 (F����� 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 9 N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 BITE HEALTH: 6 ❂ ❂ MOVEMENT: 8 ����� 3D  A GILITY  4 (D���� 2B, Q�������� 2B), A  THLETICS 4 ( J��� 2B, R�� 3B), A  WARENESS 3 (N����� 2B), CUNNING 1, W��� 3 COMBAT DEFENSE: 11 N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ MOVEMENT: 8 ����� 2D 2 D�����  A GILITY  3 (C���������� 1B, D���� 1B, Q�������� 1B),  A  THLETICS 2 ( J��� 1B, R�� 1B, S��� 1B), A  WARENESS 3 (N����� 1B), CUNNING  2 (M����� 1B), S TEALTH 4 (B����-�� 1B, S���� 2B), SURVIVAL  4 (F����� 1B, H��� 1B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 10 (12) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 6 MOVEMENT: 7 ����� 2D FALCON  A GILITY  5 (Q�������� 3B),  A  THLETICS 1, A  WARENESS 4 (N����� 3B), CUNNING 1, ENDURANCE 1, F IGHTING 1, SURVIVAL 3 (H��� 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 10 (12) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0  T ALONS 1D ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 3 MOVEMENT: 1 ���� / F�� 10 ����� 1 D����� HEALTH: 6 MOVEMENT: 4 ����� 2 D�����  TREMENDOUS DIGGER : Badgers can dig with great speed. A badger can dig through normal soil at a rate of 3 yards a minute. CATAMOUNT, PUMA  A GILITY  4 (B������ 2B, D���� 2B, Q�������� 2B), A  THLETICS 4 (C���� 2B, J��� 2B, R�� 2B, S������� 2B),  A  WARENESS 5 (N����� 2B), CUNNING 1, ENDURANCE 3, S������ 1B, F IGHTING 4, S TEALTH 5 (S���� 1B), SURVIVAL 4 (H��� 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 13 N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 9 MOVEMENT: 8 ����� BITE 4D 4 D����� V������ CLAWS 4D 6 D����� P������� LEAPING  C HARGE: When it charges, the catamount can make two attacks – once with its bite, and once with its claws. ELK  A GILITY  3 (D���� 2B), A  THLETICS 4 ( J��� 2B, R�� 2B, S������� 2B), A  WARENESS 3 (N����� 2B), CUNNING 1, ENDURANCE 3, F IGHTING 3, W��� 3 2 D����� ESCAPE A RTIST: Foxes are lithe and evasive opponents, expert at fleeing from threats and predators. If a fox breaks out of combat, it does not trigger a free action attack. ❂ 3D HEALTH: 6 ❂ FOX BITE BITE 2 D����� DEER  A NTLERS N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ COMBAT DEFENSE: 10 (8) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 9 MOVEMENT: 6 �����  A NTLERS 3D 4 D����� S TOMP 3D 6 D����� K NOCKDOWN: Whenever an elk gets at least 2 degrees of success on a Fighting test with its antlers, it can forgo the extra damage to knock its opponent to the ground. It may immediately make a follow-up Stomp attack on a felled enemy. S TOMP: Against prone opponents and animals significantly smaller than it (like hunting dogs), an elk may use its weight to stomp rather than gore with its antlers. An elk must knock an opponent of adult human size or larger down first with its antlers. Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors 11 Introduction GOAT, MOUNTAIN  A GILITY  4 (B������ 3B, D���� 1B, Q�������� 1B),  A  THLETICS 3 (C���� 3B, J��� 2B, R�� 1B),  A  WARENESS 3, CUNNING  1, ENDURANCE 3, F IGHTING 3, W��� 3 COMBAT DEFENSE: 10 N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 HORNS ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 9 MOVEMENT: 8 ����� 3D 3 D����� CHARGE: Te thick skull of a mountain goat makes its head a fairly efficient bludgeoning weapon. When a mountain goat charges, it gains an additional +1 to its horns damage. K NOCKDOWN:  When a mountain goat gets at least 2 degrees of success on a Fighting test with its Charge, it can forego the bonus damage from the Charge to instead knock the target prone. Tis can be especially dangerous to foes in the mountainous terrain that is the home of these creatures. Goat, Mountain  A large hoofed beast with the beard, shot tail and long black horns of other goats, mountain goats are known for their feats of phenomenal climbing and balance. Males (called billies) can stand as much as three-and-a-half feet at the shoulder, and can weigh as much as 300 lbs. Mountain goat hooves are cloven and can be spread wide for support, have inner pads that provide traction, and the tips of their feet have sharp dewclaws—these all combine to allow mountain goats to achieve footing in seemingly sheer SNAKE, VENOMOUS  A GILITY  2 (Q�������� 2B), A  WARENESS 3 (N����� 1B), CUNNING 1, S TEALTH 2 (B����-�� 1B) HAWK COMBAT DEFENSE: 9 (11)  A GILITY  3 (Q�������� 2B), A  THLETICS 2 (S������� 1B),  A  WARENESS 4 (N����� 2B), CUNNING 1, SURVIVAL 3 (H��� 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 9 (11) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 6 MOVEMENT: 1 ���� / F�� 6 ����� BEAK  2D 2 D�����  T ALONS 2D 2 D����� VULTURE  A  WARENESS 4 (N����� 2B), CUNNING  1, ENDURANCE 3, F IGHTING 1, SURVIVAL 3 (F����� 2B) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 BEAK  ❂ ❂ 2D 2 D����� INJECTED  V IRULENCE: 3 (normal) 4 (deadly) F��������: 1/hour  TOXICITY : 2 (small snake) 3 (large snake) D��������: Routine (6) Snake venoms affect the blood and central nervous system of the  victim, causing bleeding and in the most deadly cases, respiratory paralysis. On a successful attack, the victim takes 1 Wound as the toxin spreads and cripples the victim. R ECOVERY : Wounds can be recovered normally, once the toxin has run its course. OWL 2 D�����  A GILITY  3, A  WARENESS 5 (N����� 3B), CUNNING 1, S TEALTH 4 (S���� 2B), SURVIVAL 3 (H��� 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 10 (12) WILD DOG N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0  A GILITY  3 (D���� 1B, Q�������� 1B), A  THLETICS 3 ( J��� 1B, R�� 1B, S������� 1B, S��� 1B), A  WARENESS 3 (N����� 1B), CUNNING 1, ENDURANCE  3 (S������ 1B), F IGHTING 3, S TEALTH 4 (S���� 1B), SURVIVAL 4 (F����� 1B, H��� 1B, ���� 1B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 9 (11) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 BITE 3D ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 9 MOVEMENT: 6 ����� ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 6 MOVEMENT: 1 ���� / F�� 4 ����� BEAK  2D 2 D�����  T ALONS 2D 3 D����� WEASEL  A GILITY  2 (C���������� 2B), CUNNING  1, ENDURANCE 2 (R��������� 1B), F IGHTING 2, SURVIVAL 2 (F����� 1B, H��� 1B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 8 (10) 3 D����� K NOCKDOWN: Whenever a wolf gets at least 2 degrees of success on a Fighting test, it can forgo the extra damage to knock its opponent to the ground. 12  V�������  V ENOMOUS: Snake venoms act in a variety of fashions, but can be represented generically with the following toxin: HEALTH: 9 MOVEMENT: 1 ���� / F�� 5 ����� 1D BITE HEALTH: 6 MOVEMENT: 3 ����� ❂ SNAKE V ENOM R ETRIEVE: Because of their size and hunting style, hawks can be easily trained to retrieve certain objects, whether it’s prey or a key ring. Hawks can carr y an item of up to 5 pounds without difficulty. Larger prey and items (up to 10 pounds) can be borne for a round, but not longer. COMBAT DEFENSE: 8 (10) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 BITE 2D ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 6 MOVEMENT: 4 ����� 2 D�����  TRAINABLE: Weasels are very clever, and take training easily. reat them as Will 1 for the purpose of Animal Handling (raining) tests. Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors Introduction cliff-faces and other precarious perches in the mountains. Stats for the mountain goat can be used for similar animals, such as bighorn sheep and tahrs. Hawk Hawks, like falcons, are easy to train and favored by nobility for hunting small ground animals. While not as smart as a falcon, they are still possessed of a high intellect and keen eyesight. WILDCAT  A GILITY  3 (B������ 2B, D���� 1B), A  THLETICS 2 (C���� 1B,  J��� 1B, R�� 1B), A  WARENESS 4 (N����� 2B), CUNNING 1, S TEALTH 5 (S���� 3B), SURVIVAL 3 (H��� 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 9 (11) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 CLAWS ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 6 MOVEMENT: 6 ����� 2D 1 D����� K NOCKDOWN: Whenever a wolf gets at least 2 degrees of success on a Fighting test, it can forgo the extra damage to knock its opponent to the ground. Owl Seldom trained, owls are easy to identify by their barrel shapes and wide eyes. Adaptations of wing and feather allow them to fly silently and sneak up on their prey. Snake, Venomous Venomous snakes are common in the woodlands, but seldom attack humans unless threatened. Vulture WOLVERINE  A GILITY  3 (C���������� 1B, D���� 1B, Q�������� 1B),  A  THLETICS 3 (C���� 1B, R�� 1B, S������� 1B),  A  WARENESS 3 (N����� 1B), CUNNING 1, ENDURANCE  3 (R��������� 2B, S������ 1B), F IGHTING 4, SURVIVAL 3 (F����� 1B, H��� 1B), W��� 3 (C������ 2B) COMBAT DEFENSE: 9 (11) N ATURAL A RMOR : AR 0 ❂ ❂ HEALTH: 9 MOVEMENT: 6 ����� BITE 4D 3 D����� C���� 4D 4 D����� P������� IMPLACABLE: Wolverines can take Injuries to reduce damage to their  Te largest of the birds of prey, vultures are primarily scavHealth. engers with a sense of smell as keen as their eyesight. Tey have tremendous endurance, gliding and flying long disWildcat tances to find fresh carrion to consume.  Te smallest of the hunting cats, this can also be used to Wild Dog represent a domestic cat. Large dogs tend to hunt in packs, allowing them to support each other and take down even large opponents or prey. Wolverine  Te largest natural member of the weasel family, wolverWeasel ines are aggressive, foul-tempered and nearly fearless. Tey  Weasels are small, clever predators that can be trained to regularly drive wolves and even bears away from kills to perform simple tricks. Tese statistics can also represent claim the meat for themselves. stoats and ferrets. Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors 13