Laurel in the Valley of Spirits

[Admin]

Laurel, being the beastmaster she is, would like to spend some time to talk to some of the animal generals. She of course would like to speak to her own totem general...learning the value of animals that one hunts (deer, elk, boar, etc...) vs. those that typically aren't "hunted"... or all animals fair "game" if hunted appropriately?

She would also approach the Tiger General (Shere Khan certainly fascinated her!!!), and asks for insight into the ways of such animals...insight that merely speaking feline or befriending smaller cats can't grant..she would do the same with other animals she's not very familiar with but find fascinating, such as Bear (polar, grizzly), Dolphin, Butterfly, Monkey....

With each, she would seek greater understanding of what it means to be a beastmaster...she would like to broaden her knowledge of the animal kingdom.

[David]

I think the Beasts would be happy to share some of their insight. In fact, Laurel gets a 1% eep class bonus. Instead of a fixed value, she can add 1% of her TOTAL eeps as a bonus (and double it to boot!) from the insight the animals share with her. She cannot stay overly long, since the heroes are still mortal and only spirits can linger in the Valley, but there is still much she learns in the short exchange. Moreover, and animal skill or talent or friend you would like is now a gimme. So, if Laurel wants some skill that a (metaphysical) animal could teach (check out the shaman article), consider yourself ecstatically inspired. Likewise, if there is some animal friend found in the the Indian eco-system you're interested in, you know where to find such a beast nearby.

There are no polar bears present, although other bears are. The Tiger General is happy to speak with Laurel, although he perpetually licks his chops while speaking with you...and his gaze is a little unnerving...

[Admin]

That's very cool!! I will definitely take some time to think about what skill or knowledge I would like to learn, hell, I have two open non-weapons currently!!

Well as for Indian animals...my first thought would be a bengal tiger (specifically a white one)...then I was thinking, hey, so many characters choose tigers that I was thinking of going for another great cat...Lion, Male lion that is What do you think of that? I also like the idea of a chimpanzee, or any other ape as opposed to a monkey.

I'm for hearing suggestions from others

[David]

Sounds good, but neither lions nor chimps are found in the Indian ecosystem. Heck, you MIGHT find an orang, but I don't think so. All other great apes (other than yeti) are limited to Africa.

David the armchair-anthropologist

[Admin]

As we discovered, lion's do indeed exist in India, here's a cool site about them; it includes pictures:
www.asiatic-lion.org/

...I also found this site [Disclaimer: I am not able to discern it's accuracy, but I am merely saying I found it interesting. I do not know if the historical or religious symbolism is correct]
www.khandro.net/animal_lion.htm

Ooooh...just re-read this info about Ligers....
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger

"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The liger is a cross (a hybrid) between a male lion and a female tiger. It is therefore a member of genus Panthera. It looks like a giant lion with diffused stripes. Like tigers (and unlike lions), ligers like swimming.

A cross between a male tiger and a female lion is called a tigon.

Known ligers exist due to human influence, either by deliberate human intervention, or by humans putting lions and tigers in enclosed spaces together. In natural conditions tigers and lions generally do not inhabit the same territory - the two species used to coexist in the wild in India, but inhabited different regions. Today in India, Lions exist only in the Gir forest. There have been no confirmed reports of natural interbreeding, though there are long-standing claims that this has happened."

Any chance "Sam" can be a LIGER?
hehe

[Admin]

Here is a site from the University of Wisconsin on the Rhesus Macacque. I had Laurel choose this one because they specifically are able to adapt to almost any environment.

pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/rhesus_macaque/taxon

The rhesus macaque occupies an enormous range of habitats and climates, ranging from snow-covered mountains through dense forests to semi-desert and urban areas.

Macaques are crafty pickpockets, know how to open refrigerators, and brazenly snatch lunch pails from government workers, he said. "They have learned the tricks of finding food in an urban environment."

[David]

Howdy Kari,

Given that you're in the Valley of Spirits and were in communion with both the Cat General and the Lion King, sure, Sam can be a liger. Please note, however, that liger are a) sterile, b) bigger than ANY feline, c) tend to be, well pussies -- this from multiple sources. Basically, they're NOT as fearsome as their ancestors on either side; they're sorta the panthera version of Baby Huey. Yes, a Beastmaster could overcome this trait, but I just want you to be aware of ALL the ramifications. Personally, I think this would make Sam very interesting and distinct.

Let me know,
David
aka
Gamoth and Ashtabular
as well as
Gilgamesh

[Admin]

Well, the "fierceness" factor for Laurel isn't that big of a deal...yes, I would want to work w/ Sam to be a capable defender...but heck, if I wanted big brutish beasties, Callie wouldn't be a fox!! lol

I like the idea of something original, that can only really be found in an area of "Indian" influence....it's not like I'm going to be coming back this way again...

What kind of combat modifiers would a liger have as compared to a lion or tiger? I'm assuming they do less? or because they are bigger, would they do more? Nothing that needs a definitive answer currently, but would appreciate help in how to figure this kind of stuff out.

[David]

I would think that ligers would actually do POTENTIALLY more damage than any other great cat, including tigers, but they would suffer some to-hit penalty to reflect their LACK of ferocity. It'll be a moot-point until Sam grows up some. Also, what about having Sam be short for Sampson, much like Sam is short for Samandra?

Just a thought...

[Admin]

I like the name idea

As for the to-hit penalty, what about -2...but could be modified to -1 or if Laurel uses a skill slot to learn animal "training" or animal "behavior modification" could this penalty be negated completely?

[David]

I'm glad you liked it. I think it works.

I would make the penalty only a -1 to hit (and no bonus to MAC for being fierce). I would probably say, however, that the penalty is permanent (to offset the upper-end damage and hit die range). You'll notice each of the great cats has some advantage over the others; ligers would be allowed to exceed normal hit die limitations WITHOUT becoming "special" animals (there've only been a handful of animal NPCs who could earn eeps over 23+ years -- Ash, Ramu, Zenobia, and now Callie -- Nikaris was the result of a Deck of Many Things draw and thus created that way and Gilgamesh and Bethsheba as well as Kaarlak are PCs -- Briar, Bristles, and Brambles, Pawntaw, Oskino, Blackfur and Nightfang, Amarillo, Arioch, Tyr and Jaro, Orion and Juno, and the other animal companions are/were just animals).

David
aka
Gamoth of Ki, with Ashtabular, Ramu, Nikaris, Leia, Tyr, Jaro, Yurla, and Sheba (RIP)
and
Gilgamesh
and
Gor with Arioch and Ska (RIP), Xenobia (the bloodhawk, not the cave lioness), Taj, and Cyrus
and
Trelf Brambleburr with Blackfur and Nightfang
and
Brandy Foxwalker with Oskino
and
Shellique with Callisto and Proteus
and
Brianna with Orion, Juno, and Rosebud
and other druid/animal-types I'm sure I'm forgetting...although I seem to play the VAST majority of druids...

[Admin]

A few more questions...

1) When you say ligers would be able to exceed normal hit die limitations w/ out becoming "special"... what does that mean? That ligers may earn xps in order to advance their hit die (but have a very low cap? Or they get more hit die at their adult age than a "normal" animal would?

2) As to my previous question about asking the animal spirits about which animals are ok to hunt versus which may not be hunted, is there a clear delineation? Or it simply a matter of: if you are hungry and in need of food, then hunt what is available...whether it's bears, rabbits or monkeys?? I'm assuming hunting for pure sport is abhorrent...I could see Laurel dealing w/ sport hunters in a very UN-friendly way!! I am trying to imagine a native american view of hunting, if you hunt it and kill it, you better eat the meat and use whatever else you can.

But again, are there any "protected" animals? Ones that should not be hunted?

Thanks!!
kk

[David]

Howdy KK,

1) animal NPCs do NOT have to earn eeps. They simple grow up over time, topping out whenever that species' max hit dice are reached. Off the top of my head, that's 3 HD for panthers and cheetahs, 4 HD for jaguars, and 5 HD for lions and tigers. A liger should have stats move like a smilidon or cave lion (I'll need to do research on comparative weights to determine which set of stats to use -- or better yet, you could do it!). So what it means is that Sam will have more hit dice and better hit points than any other great cat figure EXCEPT Ash, Zenobia, or Nikaris (who use NPC rules), Gilgamesh or Bethsheba (who use PC rules).

2) humans are also part of nature and thus may hunt to survive, so long as that is the only reason for the endeavor. There is no "reserved game" in the Valley or to these Spirits -- such a concept is far too "human" for their tastes...although humans do taste good...

David

[Admin]

From a zoo site:

A liger is the offspring of a lion and a tigress. It is bigger than either parent, 10 - 12 ft in length - making it the biggest hybrid cat and, for many people, the most fascinating. Ligers vary in appearance depending on how the genes interact and on which subspecies of lion and tiger are bred together. In general, males grow sparse leonine manes and the facial ruff of a tiger. Males and females have spotted bellies and a striped back. They roar like lions and "chuff" like tigers. The females exhibit conflicting needs for lioness-like sisterhood and tigress-like solitude.

Here are a few pics of Ligers: