Mongoose Traveller SRD
Animals
Animals have a similar range of characteristics to humans, but there are several differences:
Instinct: Instinct is the animal equivalent of Education. Animals apply their Instinct DM to tasks such as sensing prey or solving problems.
Pack: Pack is the animal equivalent of Social Standing. The higher a creature’s Pack score, the larger the group that it is associated with, and the more standing the creature has in that group.
| Roll for Creature Movement | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrain Type | DM | Size DM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Clear | +3 | - | W | W | W | W | W +2 | F -6 |
| Plain or Prairie | +4 | - | W | W | W | W +2 | W +4 | F -6 |
| Desert (hot or cold) | +3 | -3 | W | W | W | W | F -4 | F -6 |
| Hills, foothills | - | - | W | W | W | W +2 | F -4 | F -6 |
| Mountain | - | - | W | W | W | F -2 | F -4 | F -6 |
| Forest | -4 | -4 | W | W | W | W | F -4 | F -6 |
| Woods | -2 | -1 | W | W | W | W | W | F -6 |
| Jungle | -4 | -3 | W | W | W | W | W +2 | F -6 |
| Rainforest | -2 | -2 | W | W | W | W +2 | W +4 | F -6 |
| Rough, Broken | -3 | -3 | W | W | W | W +2 | F -4 | F -6 |
| Swamp, Marsh | -2 | +4 | S -6 | A +2 | W | W | F -4 | F -6 |
| Beach, Shore | +3 | +2 | S +1 | A +2 | W | W | F -4 | F -6 |
| Riverbank | +1 | +1 | S -4 | A | W | W | W | F -6 |
| Ocean shallows | +4 | +1 | S +4 | S +2 | S | S | F -4 | F -6 |
| Open ocean | +4 | -4 | S +6 | S +4 | S +2 | S | F -4 | F -6 |
| Deep ocean | +4 | +2 | S +8 | S +6 | S +4 | S +2 | S | S -2 |
| 2d6 | Herbivore | Omnivore | Carnivore | Scavenger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 or less | Filter | Gatherer | Pouncer | Carrion-eater |
| 2 | Filter | Eater | Siren | Reducer |
| 3 | Intermittent | Gatherer | Pouncer | Hijacker |
| 4 | Intermittent | Eater | Killer | Carrion-Eater |
| 5 | Intermittent | Gatherer | Trapper | Intimidator |
| 6 | Intermittent | Hunter | Pouncer | Reducer |
| 7 | Grazer | Hunter | Chaser | Carrion-eater |
| 8 | Grazer | Hunter | Chaser | Reducer |
| 9 | Grazer | Gatherer | Chaser | Hijacker |
| 10 | Grazer | Eater | Killer | Intimidator |
| 11 | Grazer | Hunter | Chaser | Reducer |
| 12 | Grazer | Gatherer | Siren | Hijacker |
| 13 or more | Grazer | Gatherer | Chaser | Intimidator |
| 2d6 | Creature Type |
|---|---|
| 2 | Scavenger |
| 3 | Omnivore |
| 4 | Scavenger |
| 5 | Omnivore |
| 6 | Herbivore |
| 7 | Herbivore |
| 8 | Herbivore |
| 9 | Carnivore |
| 10 | Unusual Event or Natural Feature |
| 11 | Carnivore |
| 12 | Carnivore |
Behaviours (top)
Terran creatures that exemplify these behaviours are noted in brackets after the name. Characteristic modifiers and skills are noted after the description – the exact level of skills varies depending on the particular creature.
Carrion-Eater (vulture): Scavengers which wait for all other threats to disperse before beginning. Carrion-eaters have Recon. Instinct +2.
Chaser (wolf): Animals which kill their prey by attacking and exhausting it after a chase. Chasers have Athletics (co-ordination and/or endurance). Dexterity +4, Instinct +2, Pack +2.
Eater (army ant): Eaters will eat anything they encounter, including characters.
Endurance +4. Pack +2.
Filter (earthworm): Herbivores which pass their environment through their bodies are termed filters. Unlike grazers, which move to food, filters move a flow of matter through themselves and filter out the food. Endurance +4.
Gatherer (raccoon, chimpanzee): Gatherers are herbivores that collect and store food. Gatherers have Stealth. Pack +2.
Grazer (antelope): Grazers move from food source to food source, often in large packs. Their primary form of defence tends to be fleeing danger. Instinct +2, Pack +4.
Hunter (baboon): Opportunistic predators that stalk easy prey. Hunters have Survival. Instinct +2.
Hijacker (lion): Scavengers which steal the kills of others through brute force or weight of numbers are hijackers.
Strength +2, Pack +2.
Intimidator (coyote): Scavengers which establish their claim to food by frightening or intimidating other creatures. Intimidators have Persuade.
Killer (shark): Carnivores that possess a raw killing instinct, attacking in a frenzied manner. Killers have Melee and either Strength or Dexterity +4, Instinct +4, Pack –2.
Intermittent (elephant): Herbivores that do not devote their entire time to searching for food. Intermittents have Pack +4.
Pouncer (cat): Pouncers kill by stalking and ambushing their prey. Pouncers have Stealth, Recon and Athletics. Dexterity +4, Instinct +4.
Reducer (vermin): Reducers are scavengers that act constantly on all available food, devouring even the remains left by other scavengers. Pack +4
Siren (venus fly-trap): Sirens create a lure to attract prey. Usually, this lure will be specific to the species the siren preys on, but some rare lures are universal. Sirens have Deception. Pack –4
Trapper (spider): An animal which allows its prey to enter a trap. Generally, any creature surprised by a trapper is caught in its trap. Pack –2.
Creature Sizes and Characteristics (top)
For each creature, roll 2d6 for its Size and apply any Dice Modifiers from its Terrain or Movement category. The creature’s Size determines its Weight, Strength, Dexterity and Endurance – for example, a roll of 7 means that the creature has a Strength of 3d6, an Dexterity of 3d6 and an Endurance of 3d6.
Roll 2d6 separately for the animal’s Weapons and Armour. Add a +8 DM when rolling for weapons if the animal is a Carnivore, and a +4 if it is an Omnivore; subtract a –6 DM if the animal is a Herbivore. Scavengers automatically have Teeth in addition to any other weapons. If a number is present after the Weapons type, then add that number to the number of damage dice the creature rolls.
| 2d6 | Weight (kg) | Strength | Dexterity | Endurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 or less | 1 | 1 | 1d6 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 1d6 | 2 |
| 3 | 6 | 1d6 | 2d6 | 1d6 |
| 4 | 12 | 1d6 | 2d6 | 1d6 |
| 5 | 25 | 2d6 | 3d6 | 2d6 |
| 6 | 50 | 2d6 | 4d6 | 2d6 |
| 7 | 100 | 3d6 | 3d6 | 3d6 |
| 8 | 200 | 3d6 | 3d6 | 3d6 |
| 9 | 400 | 4d6 | 2d6 | 4d6 |
| 10 | 800 | 4d6 | 2d6 | 4d6 |
| 11 | 1600 | 5d6 | 2d6 | 5d6 |
| 12 | 3200 | 6d6 | 1d6 | 6d6 |
| 13 or more | 5000 | 7d6 | 1d6 | 7d6 |
| 2d6 | Weapons |
|---|---|
| 1 or less | None |
| 2 | Teeth |
| 3 | Horns |
| 4 | Hooves |
| 5 | Hooves and Teeth |
| 6 | Teeth +1 |
| 7 | Claws +1 |
| 8 | Stinger +1 |
| 9 | Thrasher +1 |
| 10 | Claws and Teeth +2 |
| 11 | Claws +2 |
| 12 | Teeth +2 |
| 13 or more | Thrasher +2 |
| 2d6 | Armour |
|---|---|
| 1 or less | 0 |
| 2 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 2 |
| 7 | 2 |
| 8 | 3 |
| 9 | 3 |
| 10 | 4 |
| 11 | 4 |
| 12 | 5 |
| 13 or more | 5 |
Roll 2d6+DMs for the animal’s Instinct and Pack. Intelligence for most animals is 0 or 1.
All animals have at least Survival 0, Athletics 0 and Recon 0, and most will have 1d6 ranks split among these skills, Melee (natural weapons), and any skills listed in their behaviour.
Damage from attacks depends on the creature’s Strength score.
| Strength | Damage |
|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1d6 |
| 11-20 | 2d6 |
| 21-30 | 3d6 |
| 31-40 | 4d6 |
| 41-50 | 5d6 |
| 51-60 | 6d6 |
| Pack | Encountered |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1 |
| 1-2 | 1d3 |
| 3-5 | 1d6 |
| 6-8 | 2d6 |
| 9-11 | 3d6 |
| 12-14 | 4d6 |
| 15+ | 5d6 |
Animal Reactions (top)
When characters disturb an animal or otherwise draw attention to themselves while within its territory roll 2d6 and consult the following table. If the result on the table is neither attack nor flee, then the animal stands still until provoked again, in which case roll again.
| Type | Attack | Flee |
|---|---|---|
| Herbivore | ||
| Filter | 10+ if possible | 5- |
| Intermittent | 10+ | 4- |
| Grazer | 8+ | 6- |
| Omnivore | ||
| Gatherer | 9+ | 7- |
| Hunter | If the hunter is bigger than at least one character, then it attacks on a 6+. Otherwise, it attacks on a 10+ | 5- |
| Eater | 5+ | 4- |
| Carnivore | ||
| Pouncer | If the pouncer has surprise, it attacks. | If the pouncer is surprised, it flees. |
| Chaser | If the chasers outnumber the characters, they attack. | 5- |
| Trapper | If the trapper has surprise, it attacks | 5- |
| Siren | If the siren has surprise, it attacks | 4- |
| Killer | 6+ | 3- |
| Scavenger | ||
| Hijacker | 7+ | 6- |
| Intimidator | 8+ | 7- |
| Carrion-eater | 11+ | 7- |
| Reducer | 10+ | 7- |