Mountain Terrors - Introduction

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 Terrors © 2015 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reference to other copyrighted material in no way constitutes a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. Chronicle System, Green Ronin, and their respective logos are Trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. Special Thanks to the contributors on the Chronicle System Community Development Forum, for all their contributions, advice and sharp eyes for the system’s mechanics. You guys are aces.

INTRODUCTION Welcome to the first Chronicle Creatures compendium: Mountain Terrors. The Chronicle Creatures series is a collection of individual monsters of varying power levels, designed for use with the Chronicle System. The 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. This section also expands on the rules for training animals. The 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. The 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. These 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 This product is a bestiary for the Chronicle System, divided into four sections, focusing on some of the creatures one might find living in and around mountainous areas. The Animals section expands the game stats for normal animals, with an emphasis on mountain-dwelling creatures. These 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.

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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. These points may not be added to any Resources that are penalized by the Drawbacks, however. Beast-Infested

2 points

The 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)

Tales 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 roll are increased by 1.

Other Dangers of the Mountains The creatures in this bestiary are not the only dangers that threaten those who venture into the mountains. The Narrator is encouraged to keep some of these dangers in mind for encounters that occur in highland terrains. They usually apply to Step One: Battlefield of any Combat encounter—see Chapter 9: Combat, in A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying (SIFRP) core rulebook for more details.

Weather The heights of the mountains often create severe weather patterns unseen in lower vales. Extreme Cold

Colder seasons can become extremely frigid in the mountains, and even warmer seasons may find nights colder in the mountain passes. The Narrator is encouraged to use the Extreme Cold rules in Chapter 11: The Narrator of the SIFRP core book for both night and day in winter, and in

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 majority 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. This generally includes creatures of horse-size or larger against an opponent of adult human size. Throughout this work, we have included the modified Combat Defense for creatures fighting adult human-sized opponents in parentheses. Thus, a badger has a Combat Defense of 7 (9), reflecting the +2 Combat Defense bonus it gains against larger opponents. many nights in both early spring and late autumn. There are even some mountains so high that they remain snowcapped and frozen year-round. 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 otherwise more arid lands. In even normal situations, these can affect Visibility and the Terrain negatively when determining Step One: Battlefield. As these situations continue, they can lead to mudslides and avalanches in treacherous areas (see below).

Debris Falls The height of surrounding terrain presents particularly unique dangers in the mountains. Unstable materials— whether earth drenched by rains, unstable rock formations or a pile-up of snow and ice from a heavy snowfall—can become dislodged and come down atop the heads of those passing beneath them. Avalanches, rockslides, and mudslides have an Intensity rating ranging from 1 to 5. A 1 indicates a light fall of mud or snow that may injure but rarely kills or causes more than a

Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors

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Introduction slight obstacle to travel. In contrast, an Intensity 5 avalanche likely buries those caught under them in tens of feet of snow and ice, trapping those it doesn’t kill outright, and a mudslide of Intensity 5 carries with it tons of rock and other debris.

Avalanche There are four main concerns to deal with when dealing with avalanches: detecting the avalanche, seeking shelter, the moment of impact, and being buried. Generally speaking, the center of the avalanche has four degrees of success, and is a number of yards across equal to double the Intensity. For each “step” of equal area away from the avalanche’s center, reduce the degrees of success in the avalanche’s attack by one. So, an Intensity 4 avalanche is 8 yards across at its center. For each 8 yards in either direction away from its center, reduce its innate degrees of success by one: 3 degrees at the 8 yard point, 2 degrees at the 16 yard point, 1 degree at the 24 yard mark, and then a lot of loose but relatively harmless powder cloud for a distance out from that. Detecting the Avalanche

The faint rumblings of an avalanche can often be detected beforehand by those who are paying attention and know what to look for. This is a Survival test, with bonus dice from the Notice specialty of Awareness applying to the roll. This is a Formidable (12) test for Intensity 1 avalanches, Challenging (9) for Intensity 2 and 3 avalanches, Routine (6) for Intensity 4 avalanches, and Easy (3) for Intensity 5. Seeking Shelter

Those who become aware of the avalanche before it happens may run to seek cover. This is a Survival test, with a Routine (6) difficulty for those who detected the avalanche themselves, rising to a Challenging (9) difficulty for those who are warned by those who actually noticed it. Moment of Impact

The Narrator must decide how many degrees of success the avalanche has at the point where characters are located. An avalanche inflicts Damage equal to its Intensity multiplied by the degrees of success in that spot. So, being in the 3-degree zone of an Intensity 3 avalanche inflicts 9 damage. These degrees of success are reduced by the number of degrees of success rolled by the character in the Seeking

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Shelter action, above. This can reduce the damage to nothing, as a character finds shelter between an outcropping and the oncoming impact, for example. If the amount of damage inflicted is equal to or greater than a given character’s passive Endurance, that character is also rendered unconscious by the strike. This unconsciousness lasts for one minute at one degree of success, plus one minute for each degree of success scored above the character’s passive Endurance. Being Buried

Characters buried in the snow are in real danger. Narrators should use the “Suffocation & Drowning” mechanics in Chapter 11: The Narrator of the SIFRP core book. Only conscious characters may hold their breaths per those rules. Characters who’ve been buried by an avalanche must also make an immediate check against Extreme Cold, in the same chapter. Even those dressed warmly are in danger of cold shock from sudden submersion in piles of snow. A character is buried beneath a number of feet of snow equal to the Intensity of the avalanche multiplied by the number of degrees of the avalanche’s force after the character’s Seeking Shelter degrees of success are factored in. Thus, a character struck by an Intensity 4 avalanche with 3 degrees of success would be buried beneath 12 feet of snow, ice and stone—potentially quite deadly. Gaining even 1 degree of success on the Seeking Shelter roll previous would reduce this to 8 feet of burial. If a character is conscious, he may dig himself out with a Routine (6) test using either Athletics (Strength) or Survival (Strength from Athletics applies). Such a test takes 1 minute of work, and for each degree of success, the character extricates himself from 1 foot of snow and ice. A character that is not buried may make similar rolls to dig another character out of the snow, but must know where to dig in order to lend a hand. Finding a character is an Awareness (Notice) or Survival (Notice from Awareness applies) test. The difficulty is Routine (6) if the character in question is moving, and under 5 feet or less of snow. It becomes Challenging (9) if the character is buried under more than5 feet of snow but still moving, and Formidable (12) if the character is unmoving. Each roll requires a minute of searching to find someone, and if successful locates someone in the area whose situation meets the Difficulty of the searcher’s test result.

Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors

Introduction To find a specific person, the searcher must have an idea of where they were when the avalanche struck, and make a Cunning (Logic) test, at a Difficulty of Routine (6) for Intensity 1 and 2 avalanches, Challenging (9) for Intensity 3 and 4 avalanches, and Formidable (12) for Intensity 5. Mudslides

Mudslides happen when excess rain or spring melt saturates the soil atop the bedrock of a mountain, causing it to slide downslope in a torrent of mud and rock. These debris slides can bury people in multiple feet of mud, potentially suffocating them. For all intents and purposes, the mechanics of a mudslide are identical to those of an avalanche, save for the following differences: BB BB BB

Extreme Cold mechanics are not used.

The Difficulty to dig oneself out is increased by +3.

The Difficulty to find someone buried in mud is increased by +3.

Rockslides

Rockslides occur when something shifts in the mountain’s core, such as during an earthquake, or when accumulations of fallen boulders and scree give way, tumbling downslope. Those caught in their path are in tremendous danger from the crushing wave of stone. Fortunately, rockslides tend to be the rarest of these forms of debris slides. For all intents and purposes, the mechanics of a rockslide are identical to those of an avalanche, save for the following differences: BB BB

BB

BB

The Difficulty to Seeking Shelter is increased by +3.

In the Moment of Impact, rockslides inflict double damage; thus, a three-degree Intensity 2 rockslide still 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. 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.

Mountain Terrain Qualities The following Battlefield Qualities might easily apply to any encounter in the mountains. Each one is noted if it applies to Combat Battlefields, Warfare Battlefields, or Intrigues. Treacherous Terrain Combat

The kinds of treacherous terrain discovered in the mountains usually involves mud flats from a recent mudslide or hard raid; fields of scree, tiny rocks and pebbles that make footing unsure; and areas where snow has piled up to inhibit movement. Boulder Field Combat

A wide area filled with large, rocky protrusions. It is easy enough to find cover in such an environment, and there are plenty of places to hide behind as well. This area qualifies as Treacherous Terrain (see Terrain, under Step One: Battlefield, in Chapter 9: Combat of the SIFRP core book), costing 2 yards of Movement for each single yard of distance. It is also littered with Obstacles (in the same section), requiring a Lesser Action to move around or through large boulders or rock piles, and providing cover of +5 for using a boulder, or a full +10 by hiding behind an outcropping and taking no other action. Those inclined to do so are considered to be in a situation that allows the use of a Stealth (Sneak) test the entire time they are within this area. Destiny Point: By spending a Destiny Point, you can gain any of the following benefits: BB

BB BB

BB

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. Increase the bonus you gain from cover by an additional +5.

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.

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

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Introduction

Cliff-Top /Narrow Mountain Road Combat, Intrigue

This 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 Technique in an Intrigue. Destiny Point: You may spend a point of Destiny to cause your target to trip. He receives no test to avoid the plummet, but may spend a point of Destiny (assuming he has any) to avoid such a fate. Footcatch Crevices

Combat

This terrain is filled with cracks and crevices, providing plenty of space for the unwary to twist an ankle or worse. It is considered treacherous terrain, per the Terrain rules in

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. Majestic Vista Intrigue

The site offers an impressive sweeping view, breathtaking to behold. It grants a +1B to all attempts to use Charm or Seduce Techniques. Destiny Point: You may cause the target to be swept up in the beauty of the location, increasing his Disposition toward you by one step for the rest of the Intrigue. This may only be countered by the expenditure of a Destiny 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. Though 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. This 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

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Animal Will

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 Training an animal to perform a single task or role requires an Animal Handling (Train) 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. The 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. The Tricks and Roles described in this section include mention of those animals most often trained to such tasks. The 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 These individual Tricks can often be learned by a variety of animals, each performing them somewhat differently from one another. Commanding an animal to use one of these Tricks is an Animal Handling test, with the Charm Specialty, unless otherwise noted in the Trick. Some animals may find themselves in situations where they may try and throw off the training in order to react according to their instincts, e.g., a dog wanting to bark at something when he’s been ordered to be silent, a horse wishing to flee from fire when it has been ordered to stay and the like. When the master is present, it is a simple Animal Handling test against the animal’s passive Will; if the master is not present, it is the animal’s Will test against the master’s passive Animal Handling. Agility Tests Dogs, Horses

The animal is trained to perform a variety of leaping and agility tricks. For dogs this is usually leaping through hoops, and for lighter animals, tumbling and flipping. For horses this is often course navigation, leaping fences and the like. Attack Dogs, Horses, Ravens

With this command, the animal will attack any individual that is currently menacing its master. Horses trained to this will lash out with hooves, which is rarely a natural inclination. A rider giving this command from horseback may use the Ride Specialty. Bear a Rider Dogs, Horses

The animal is trained to bear a rider, with or without saddle. The rider must be of a size and weight that the animal

could reasonably bear. No roll is necessary to have the animal perform this function, although all commands given while in the saddle use the Ride Specialty. Bear a Burden Dogs, Horses, Ravens

The animal is trained to bear burdens on their backs or pull wayns and sleighs as appropriate for their size. Ravens trained to this will carry messages tied to their legs without trying to rid themselves of it. All commands given with this skill use the Drive Specialty. Charm Dogs, Horses

The animal will perform any number of trained actions that most people find entertaining or endearing: bows, counting tricks, eliciting sympathy by drooping ears and sighing and the like. The animal can also perform basic dance steps to music, and animals with both this trick and the Agility Tests Trick can perform quite advanced dances. Come Dogs, Horses, Raptors, Ravens

The animal is trained to come when called. Dogs, horses, and ravens will answer to their names or a whistle; raptors usually are trained to a bell or whistle. Fetch Dogs, Ravens

The animal is trained to fetch either something that is thrown by the master, or retrieve a specific kind of item, such as food, shiny things, pieces of paper and the like. An animal may be trained to this Trick multiple times, each time adding another kind of item it will fetch.

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Introduction

Guard Dogs, Horses

This 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 the master placing that person’s hand on the animal’s flank while giving the command. An animal with this training issues a vocal warning to those getting too near to it. Harry Dogs, Raptors

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standing still. The 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. Silence Dogs, Horses, Raptors

With this command, the animal refrains from making its normal vocalizations. Dogs and horses with this command also actively employ their Stealth to keep from making undue 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.

Though 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.

Heel & Stay Dogs, Horses, Raptors, Ravens

Terrain Traveling Horses

With this command, the animal remains calmly beside the master, remaining with him when either walking or

With this training, a horse is trained to navigate through terrain that it would normally find difficult, such as wet-

Speak Ravens

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). There are no rolls involved in the use of this kind of training, which becomes second nature to the mount. Track 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 throw off or confuse the scent, such as moving into a heavily populated area, a body of water or stronger scents like fire or blood can all force re-tests as well, often at higher Difficulties. Wear Barding Dogs, Horses

The animal is trained to bear armor that is sized and fitted for its shape. There are no rolls involved in the use of this kind of training, which becomes second nature to the animal.

Roles Unlike other Tricks, these are a specific function for the animal, rather than an individual limited command. These are “jobs,” as it were, training the animal to the numerous commands and situations necessary to function in this capacity. Each role is considered a single Trick, and each roll to teach a Role counts as two weeks. No animal may be trained to more than one Role. Entertainer (+3 Difficulty) Dogs, Horses

The animal is trained to perform in one of many ways: as a show animal of some kind, or performing alongside an entertainer. The animal is assumed to know the Agility Tests and Charm Tricks, and either the Fetch or Speak Trick. Falconry-Trained (+3 Difficulty) Raptors, Ravens

Birds trained thusly can be used for hunting. Hawks and ravens are launched from the fist to fly out and attack game birds flushed from the surrounding wilds, while falcons and eagles are launched from an aerie and follow the mas-

ter, watching carefully for any game birds or small game like rabbits that they can strike. These animals are assumed to know the Attack, Fetch, and Heel & Stay Tricks. Farmer (+0 Difficulty) Horses

The animal is trained as a farm animal, for the myriad purposes to which horses are put on the farm. The animal is assumed to know the Bear a Rider and Bear a Burden Tricks. Guard (+6 Difficulty) Dogs

Trained as guardians, these dogs are often used as household defense, and are ssumed to have the Attack, Come, Guard, and Heel & Stay Tricks. Herder (+3 Difficulty) Dogs

The animal is trained to assist with corralling a herd animal of some kind, patrolling their edges to keep them together and defend against predators. The animal is assumed to know the Come, Guard, and Heel & Stay Tricks. House (+0 Difficulty) Dogs

The animal is trained to live indoors, well-socialized, quiet and tending to its wastes outdoors rather than inside. The animal is assumed to know the Heel & Stay and Silence Tricks. Hunter (+6 Difficulty) Dogs

Dogs with this training are taught to be hunting companions, remaining near the master until they are given word to flush out the prey. They range outward, barking to drive larger prey back towards the hunting party. The animal is assumed to have the Attack, Fetch, Heel & Stay, and Track Tricks. Warrior (+6 Difficulty) Dogs, Horses

The animal with this training has been accustomed to the chaos, blood, and pain of battle, and will not spook in such situations. Such animals are considered to have the Attack, Guard, Heel & Stay, and Wear Barding Tricks for dogs, or the Attack, Bear Rider, Guard, and Wear Barding Tricks for horses. These animals qualify as “war-trained” for the purpose of those rules that require it in the SIFRP core system.

Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors

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Introduction Badger

Animal Trainer Benefits

Badgers can be aggressively territorial, and are equal adept at scavenging and killing their own prey.

The following Benefits are for characters with a notable talent for training animals. Such individuals may find a place in any lord’s retinue as a Master of Horse or Master of Kennels, or may undertake their skills for their own benefit and profit. Master Trainer (Ability)

Your wealth of experience means animals trained by you learn their tasks quickly and efficiently. Requirements: Animal Handling 3 (Training 2B)

The time to train an animal is halved when you do the training. You gain either two rolls per week to teach Tricks, or one roll every week to teach a Role. Way with Beasts (Ability)

Animals seem to trust and favor you. Requirements: 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 Tricks they can learn.

Animal Traits The following creatures are considered normal animals, and adhere to the rules for such creatures from Chapter 11: Narrator, in the SIFRP core book. Creatures have rank 0 in the following Abilities: Animal Handling, Deception, Healing, Language, Knowledge, Marksmanship, Persuasion, Status, Thievery, and Warfare.

They 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.

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Bobcat, Lynx A mid-sized hunting cat, bobcats are short-tailed with pointed and tufted ears. They are between 2-4 feet in length but will attack a human in self-defense.

Catamount, Puma The largest of the great cats, the catamount can weigh in excess of 200 lbs and grow longer than 9 feet. They 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. Though 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 The stag (or hart) is a common target in noble hunts, and a popular meat on the feasting table.

Elk Larger and more likely to fight back than deer, elk antlers have been known to gore a hunter.

Falcon Extremely smart and easy to train, falcons are one of the preferred hunting birds for nobility. They 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 Agility 3 (Balance 2B, Dodge 1B, Quickness 1B), Athletics 3 (Climb 2B, Jump 2B, Run 2B, Swim 1B), Awareness 4 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Endurance 3, Fighting 3, Stealth 5 (Sneak 2B), Survival 3 (Hunt 2B) Combat Defense: 10 (12)

Natural Armor: AR 0

Health: 9

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Movement: 8 yards

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Bite

3D

2 Damage

Vicious

Claws

3D

3 Damage

Fast

Attack 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. COYOTE Agility 4 (Balance 1B, Dodge 2B, Quickness 2B), Athletics 2 ( Jump 1B, Run 2B), Awareness 3 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Fighting 3, Stealth 4 (Sneak 3B), Survival 3 (Forage 2B) Combat Defense: 9

Natural Armor: AR 0 Bite

Health: 6

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Movement: 8 yards

3D

Agility 4 (Dodge 2B, Quickness 2B), Athletics 4 ( Jump 2B, Run 3B), Awareness 3 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Will 3 Combat Defense: 11

Natural Armor: AR 0

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Health: 6

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Movement: 8 yards

2D

2 Damage FOX

Agility 3 (Contortions 1B, Dodge 1B, Quickness 1B), Athletics 2 ( Jump 1B, Run 1B, Swim 1B), Awareness 3 (Notice 1B), Cunning 2 (Memory 1B), Stealth 4 (Blend-in 1B, Sneak 2B), Survival 4 (Forage 1B, Hunt 1B) Combat Defense: 10 (12)

Natural Armor: AR 0 Bite

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Health: 6

Movement: 7 yards

2D

FALCON Agility 5 (Quickness 3B), Athletics 1, Awareness 4 (Notice 3B), Cunning 1, Endurance 1, Fighting 1, Survival 3 (Hunt 2B) Combat Defense: 10 (12)

Talons

1D

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

Agility 3 (Contortions 1B, Dodge 1B), Athletics 2 (Climb 1B, Swim 1B), Cunning 1, Endurance 2 (Resilience 1B), Fighting 3, Survival 3 (Forage 1B, Hunt 1B), Will 3 Combat Defense: 7 (9)

Natural Armor: AR 0 Bite

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❂

Health: 3

Movement: 1 yard / Fly 10 yards 1 Damage

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Health: 6

Movement: 4 yards

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3D

2 Damage

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 Agility 4 (Balance 2B, Dodge 2B, Quickness 2B), Athletics 4 (Climb 2B, Jump 2B, Run 2B, Strength 2B), Awareness 5 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Endurance 3, Stamina 1B, Fighting 4, Stealth 5 (Sneak 1B), Survival 4 (Hunt 2B) Combat Defense: 13

Natural Armor: AR 0

❂

Health: 9

Movement: 8 yards

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Bite

4D

4 Damage

Vicious

Claws

4D

6 Damage

Powerful

Leaping Charge: When it charges, the catamount can make two attacks – once with its bite, and once with its claws. ELK Agility 3 (Dodge 2B), Athletics 4 ( Jump 2B, Run 2B, Strength 2B), Awareness 3 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Endurance 3, Fighting 3, Will 3

2 Damage

Escape Artist: 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.

Natural Armor: AR 0

In addition to the animals detailed in this chapter, the normal animals detailed in these sourcebooks can readily be found in mountain environments.

2 Damage DEER

Antlers

Mouuntain Animals

Combat Defense: 10 (8)

Natural Armor: AR 0

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Health: 9

Movement: 6 yards

Antlers

3D

4 Damage

Stomp

3D

6 Damage

Knockdown: 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. Stomp: 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

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Introduction

GOAT, MOUNTAIN Agility 4 (Balance 3B, Dodge 1B, Quickness 1B), Athletics 3 (Climb 3B, Jump 2B, Run 1B), Awareness 3, Cunning 1, Endurance 3, Fighting 3, Will 3 Combat Defense: 10

Natural Armor: AR 0 Horns

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Health: 9

Movement: 8 yards

3D

3 Damage

Charge: The 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. Knockdown: 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. This can be especially dangerous to foes in the mountainous terrain that is the home of these creatures. HAWK Agility 3 (Quickness 2B), Athletics 2 (Strength 1B), Awareness 4 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Survival 3 (Hunt 2B) Combat Defense: 9 (11)

Natural Armor: AR 0

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Health: 6

Movement: 1 yard / Fly 6 yards

Beak

2D

2 Damage

Talons

2D

2 Damage

VULTURE Awareness 4 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Endurance 3, Fighting 1, Survival 3 (Forage 2B) Natural Armor: AR 0 Beak

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Health: 9

Movement: 1 yard / Fly 5 yards

1D

2 Damage

Natural Armor: AR 0 Bite

3D

❂

Health: 9

Movement: 6 yards 3 Damage

Knockdown: 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.

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Agility 2 (Quickness 2B), Awareness 3 (Notice 1B), Cunning 1, Stealth 2 (Blend-in 1B) Combat Defense: 9 (11)

Natural Armor: AR 0 Bite

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2D

❂

Health: 6

Movement: 3 yards

2 Damage

Venomous

Venomous: Snake venoms act in a variety of fashions, but can be represented generically with the following toxin:

Virulence: 3 (normal) 4 (deadly) Frequency: 1/hour Toxicity: 2 (small snake) 3 (large snake) Diagnosis: 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.

Recovery: Wounds can be recovered normally, once the toxin has run its course. OWL Agility 3, Awareness 5 (Notice 3B), Cunning 1, Stealth 4 (Sneak 2B), Survival 3 (Hunt 2B) Combat Defense: 10 (12)

Agility 3 (Dodge 1B, Quickness 1B), Athletics 3 ( Jump 1B, Run 1B, Strength 1B, Swim 1B), Awareness 3 (Notice 1B), Cunning 1, Endurance 3 (Stamina 1B), Fighting 3, Stealth 4 (Sneak 1B), Survival 4 (Forage 1B, Hunt 1B, Track 1B) ❂

SNAKE, VENOMOUS

Natural Armor: AR 0

WILD DOG

Combat Defense: 9 (11)

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 Venom Injected

Retrieve: 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 carry 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)

Goat, Mountain

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Health: 6

Movement: 1 yard / Fly 4 yards

Beak

2D

2 Damage

Talons

2D

3 Damage WEASEL

Agility 2 (Contortions 2B), Cunning 1, Endurance 2 (Resilience 1B), Fighting 2, Survival 2 (Forage 1B, Hunt 1B) Combat Defense: 8 (10)

Natural Armor: AR 0 Bite

2D

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Health: 6

Movement: 4 yards 2 Damage

Trainable: Weasels are very clever, and take training easily. Treat them as Will 1 for the purpose of Animal Handling (Training) 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.

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 The largest of the birds of prey, vultures are primarily scavengers with a sense of smell as keen as their eyesight. They have tremendous endurance, gliding and flying long distances to find fresh carrion to consume.

WILDCAT Agility 3 (Balance 2B, Dodge 1B), Athletics 2 (Climb 1B, Jump 1B, Run 1B), Awareness 4 (Notice 2B), Cunning 1, Stealth 5 (Sneak 3B), Survival 3 (Hunt 2B) Combat Defense: 9 (11)

Natural Armor: AR 0 Claws

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Health: 6

Movement: 6 yards

2D

1 Damage

Knockdown: 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. WOLVERINE Agility 3 (Contortions 1B, Dodge 1B, Quickness 1B), Athletics 3 (Climb 1B, Run 1B, Strength 1B), Awareness 3 (Notice 1B), Cunning 1, Endurance 3 (Resilience 2B, Stamina 1B), Fighting 4, Survival 3 (Forage 1B, Hunt 1B), Will 3 (Courage 2B) Combat Defense: 9 (11)

Natural Armor: AR 0

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Health: 9

Movement: 6 yards

Bite

4D

3 Damage

Claws

4D

4 Damage

Powerful

Implacable: Wolverines can take Injuries to reduce damage to their Health.

Wildcat

Wild Dog

The smallest of the hunting cats, this can also be used to 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

Weasel Weasels are small, clever predators that can be trained to perform simple tricks. These statistics can also represent stoats and ferrets.

The largest natural member of the weasel family, wolverines are aggressive, foul-tempered and nearly fearless. They regularly drive wolves and even bears away from kills to claim the meat for themselves.

Chronicle Creatures: Mountain Terrors

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