Animals?

[tkdco2]

I have to admit the way animals are built in Traveller confuse me. Does anyone have a write-up (preferrably of a real-world animal) as an example so I can understand how to do it?

[bestialwarlust]

What do you find confusing?

[tkdco2]

The whole way of writing them up was confusing for me. I found a couple of websites with animals. They helped a bit. Still, I was hoping to find examples of how to write up real animals like lions or elephants or even poodles.

[bestialwarlust]

I'm no expert but I'll see if I can help let me review the information in the book to make sure I remember it correctly.

[tkdco2]

Thanks.

[bestialwarlust]

Ok here's my attempt if anyone has any corrections please feel free to add. So following the checklist provided in book 3

1. Determine UPP and terrain types appearing on world in question.
2. For each terrain type, generate an encounter table.
A. Determine type DM and size DM for terrain from terrain type table.
B. Select encounter column format or generate a different one.
C. Determine animal type and quantity using animal type table.
D. Determine special attributes (if any) for each animal type.
E. Determine specific details of animal.
1) Note weight and hits.
2) Note weapon used and wounding as altered by wound alteration.
3) Note animal armor.
F. Determine specific animal characteristics for this entry.
3. Apply common sense as required.



1. Determine UPP and terrain types appearing on world in question.

So for a bear type animal on an earth like planet

A867A79-B - earth

As a reminder the stats represent:

Starport -1st digit
Size -2nd digit
Atmosphere -3rd digit
Hydrographics -4th digit
Population -5th digit
Government -6th digit
Law level -7th digit
Tech level -8th digit

2. For each terrain type, generate an encounter table.

Now we need to move to step 2. The point to remember here is animals are abstract they represent just a type of animal not a species

A. Determine type DM and size DM for terrain from terrain type table.


For now we'll just do forest Terrain This gives us Type --forest, Terrain -- woods,Type DM -4, Size DM -4


B. Select encounter column format or generate a different one.

Under creating encounter tables "The referee should determine if the encounter table will use one die or two; two dice tables are more complex, and should be selected for terrain or worlds that will be frequently used, while one die tables are for worldsor terrain typeswhich do not merit detailed representation"

I'll use a 1d6 encounter table

C. Determine animal type and quantity using animal type table.

This is where you'll get a bear -- one of them would be omnivore and we'l go with eater

D. Determine special attributes (if any) for each animal type.

We'll go with no special attributes from the special attributes table

E. Determine specific details of animal.
1) Note weight and hits.
2) Note weapon used and wounding as altered by wound alteration.
3) Note animal armor.
F. Determine specific animal characteristics for this entry.

So here's where we can specify more detail on the bear from the Animal Sizes and Weaponry table. Normally we roll randomly on this table but since we want to create a specific animal let's pick. A good size Alaskan bear can weigh up to 680 kilo's so we'll go with that, but the table only lists 400 or 800 so let's just go with 400. For hits Since our bear is a little small let's go with 5D/2D (we'll roll this up once we put the entry on the table), next is wounds Claws do 1D and teeth 2D, looking at the wounds column let's select +1D for now. We already chose weapons as Teeth and Claw. For armor I'll go with Mesh.

Then animal characteristics To Attack; To Flee; To Speed
I'll roll this. Checking omnivore eater we get

A4 (roll of 4 on d6)
F4 (Roll of 3 with a +1 mod)
S2 (Roll of 3 with a -1 mod)

So putting it all together this one looks like:

Die Animal Weight Hits Armor Wounds and Weapons
1 1 Eater 400 19/8 mesh claws and teeth


This would be our first entry and if we're crafting an encounter table we'd roll up 5 more that way. Now we've made a generic entry for an animal by keeping it this way you can use the same stats but apply it to a totally different animal on another planet. Say you go to a planet with albino ape omnivores why reinvent the wheel. You just use the same table. This way you can alter the appearance on different but similar type of planets.


And the most important rule when creating anything

3. Apply common sense as required.


Does this help at all? I'm not sure if I answered your question.

[tkdco2]

That helps a lot. Thank you so much, bestialwarlust!

[bestialwarlust]

Sept 5, 2015 18:30:50 GMT -6 tkdco2 said:

That helps a lot. Thank you so much, bestialwarlust!

Thanks glad I could be of help. As long as I didn't muddy the waters.

[bestialwarlust]

This supplement can be useful. It works out tables for world types ahead of time

www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80144/CTS02Animal-Encounters?cPath=21_4767

[tkdco2]

Thanks again. I think I'll get that supplement.