Featured Creature -- Panda

Pandas are to their fellow bears as cheetahs are to other cats: technically a relative, but "weird" enough compared to them that they stand apart. Unlike other bears, they do not hibernate for the winter, and almost never eat meat. They also have strange "thumbs" that have become legendary among those who study the history of life.

Pandas are serene and ponderous (other bears say, "lazy"), and have an even greater association with meditative and spiritual practices than their cousins in other lands. Almost purely vegetarian, they are peace-loving and playful to a fault, but still capable of handling themselves in a fight if necessary.

     AC: 6  
     AT (Dam): 1 bite (1d5 [1d6]), 2 claws (1d3)
     Beginning HP: 7 [8]
     Habitat: Temperate forest and mountains
     MV: 6
     SZ: Medium

Species Traits:

• Calming Presence: Pandas inspire stillness in others.  Simply being in their presence grants other animals a +2 bonus on Seer checks or other lore checks that involve concentration, and a +1 bonus on Fear saves and other rolls to resist a forced shift in Attitude.
• Low-Light Vision
• Panda's Thumb: Pandas have a "mutant" radial sesamoid bone that functions almost like a thumb, and makes them better at grasping small objects than other bears.  They get a +1 bonus on all lore checks that involve tool use or manipulation of objects (but not trap-springing, sleight of paw, or other uses that mimic the use of true hands).
• Scent
• Still Mind: It's difficult to get a panda riled up.  Storyteller lore checks attempting to shift their Attitude in a more hostile direction suffer a -2 penalty.  Pandas also get a +2 bonus on Fear saves. 
• Unique Diet: Pandas are the only bears naturally capable of eating bamboo, their favorite and almost only food.  They get a +2 bonus on all Herbalist lore checks involving the use of bamboo, and with a successful Challenging Healer lore check, can boost their natural healing capability by 50% per day by eating a dose of bamboo. 
• +2 bonus on all lore checks that involve climbing.  This becomes +4 if climbing rocks or trees.
• Suitable Niches: Guardian, Healer, Herbalist, Seer

Defending Your Territory

One of the chief ways animals communicate with and defend their territory or belongings against other animals is through scent marking. This involves rubbing objects or creatures with scent glands, urination, defecation, and other methods of leaving one’s distinct smell on the target. Every species language includes scent as a component, and no one learning another species’ language can truly understand it without knowing that species’ repertoire of scent messages. 

When an object or area becomes contested between two or more animals, a scent battle can ensue. Scent battles are a sort of non-lethal conflict by proxy, but follow different rules, since the parties are usually not both present at the same time. One party marks a target with her scent, then the other character comes along later and tries to overwhelm the previous scent. This can go on for days, sometimes months, without the two characters ever actually meeting. This does not imply, however, that scent battles are unwinnable, or fought by attrition. Victory can be achieved depending on the difference in Hit Dice/Total Levels between the two animals involved. 

Table 4.4 Scent Battle Resolution Matrix shows one way to resolve the conflict. It is based on the original fantasy game cleric’s ability to “turn the undead.” A player consults the column on the left, “PC Level,” to find her own current Total Levels. She then cross-references it with her opponent’s Hit Dice or Total Levels to the right. The number shown is the modifier to her core dice roll when trying to win a scent battle against that opponent; that is, the number she adds to her roll. A * indicates victory without rolling. The opposing character will simply give up the fight and move on to other prospects. 

NPCs who fail three consecutive Scent Battles will also give up and move on to another area. 

Note that this is the only modifier applied to your core dice roll during a Scent Battle, unless you have the Guardian niche.  Guardians can add their niche die roll result to a Scent Battle check.

                                        Opponent's Hit Dice/Total Levels

              

PC Lvl	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1	+7	+3	+1	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
2	+9	+5	+2	+0	No	No	No	No	No	No
3	+11	+7	+3	+1	No	No	No	No	No	No
4	+13	+9	+5	+2	+0	No	No	No	No	No
5	+15	+11	+7	+3	+1	No	No	No	No	No
6	+17	+13	+9	+5	+2	+0	No	No	No	No
7	+18	+15	+11	+7	+3	+1	No	No	No	No
8	*	+17	+13	+9	+5	+2	+0	No	No	No
9	*	+18	+15	+11	+7	+3	+1	No	No	No
10	*	*	+17	+13	+9	+5	+2	+0	No	No

The Foundling -- A Niche For Longpaw PCs

A majority of longpaw children lost or abandoned in the wild can expect little but a horrible death unless they are rescued by their kin or species-mates.  But sometimes -- just sometimes -- an orphaned human or demi-human child gets adopted by a community of beasts and reared as one of their own.

This niche is optional, but can be a great way to bring in players who simply aren't sold on the idea of animal PCs.  Let them play Mowgli or Tarzan instead!

The Foundling
On rare occasions, animals will adopt an orphaned human (or other longpaw) child as one of their own.  Such unique individuals will grow up to prefer the company of their animal family and its species, and have a great deal of trouble interacting with members of their own... especially if they have witnessed longpaw crimes against their adoptive animal family.  Nonetheless, they can become ambassadors of sorts between their parent species and their adoptive species.  Indeed, such Foundlings often become legendary heroes among longpaws, thanks to their unique abilities.

Niche Ability:  Select a Species Trait of your adoptive animal family. This ability is now an inherent trait for you, but comes at the expense of a normal longpaw trait, such as the Versatility of Men, the Tunnel Sense of dwarfs, the Fey Magic of elves, or the Halfling attack bonus with missile weapons.  The longpaw trait you lose and the animal trait you gain are both your choice, but remain permanent throughout your adventuring career.  

In most circumstances, you can use this new Species Trait as effectively as any actual member of your adoptive species.  You can also acquire spandrels based on this adoptive Species Trait, but otherwise must gain rewards and treasure in the standard longpaw ways.

Some Species Traits, such as natural flight or water breathing abilities, are only available in classic fantasy or other high-magic settings. 

Other Abilities:  Add your Foundling level (plus your Foundling niche die result, if any) to all lore checks involving communication between longpaws and your adoptive species, to attempts to communicate with animals other than longpaws and your adoptive species, to find food or water in your adoptive species' preferred habitat, and to applied knowledge about the the geography and other features of the wilderness where you grew up.

Saving Throw: Fear

Threat: Average (+6). This increases to Tough (+3) at 2nd total level, Challenging (+0) at 5th total level, and Formidable (–3) at 8th total level.

Featured Creature: Dolphin

Dolphins have a reputation among longpaws as playful, benevolent sea creatures with great affection for land-dwellers.  But at best, they only half-deserve this reputation.

Much of it comes from the dolphins' ancient feud against shark-kind; whenever a dolphin or group of dolphins protects a swimming longpaw from sharks, it is mostly to deny the shark a meal and not because they have any special affection for humanoids.

Dolphins are also predators, so from the point of view of many fish species, they are fearsome monsters.  Even among themselves, dolphins are prone to violent rivalries and even sexual assault, with losers of conflicts often finding themselves in lonely exile for the rest of their lives.

Nonetheless, dolphins are highly intelligent and social creatures, usually forming strong bonds of friendship within their pods.  In classic fantasy-style campaigns, they can even become Magic-Users, and often form alliances with longpaw races like merfolk and sea elves.

     AC: 5
     AT (Dam): 1 head butt (1d7+1 [2d4])
     Beginning HP: 9 [10]
     Habitat: Oceans
     MV: 12 swimming only
     SZ: Medium

Species Traits: 

• Air Breathers:  Unlike most sea creatures, dolphins cannot breathe water.  They must surface every 15 minutes to take in fresh air.  They can extend this time between breaths by 1 minute per Total Level, after which they must begin making Trauma saving throws.  Failure on this save means they have begun drowning, and must be aided to the surface by companions or they will die.
• Detect Magic: In high fantasy campaigns, dolphins can detect magic to a range of 360 feet underwater.
• Echosight: Dolphins can "see" by means of a natural form of sonar that has a range of 120 feet, enabling them to detect objects or creatures within this range.  If blinded, they can even rely on this echosight to continue acting normally with a successful Scout lore check each round (or other relevant unit of time). This ability is negated by spells or other effects that create areas of unnatural silence.
• Far Speech: Dolphins can communicate with each other over a range of 50 miles underwater, using their language of clicks and whistles (related to whale speech).
• Growth Spurt:  Dolphins become Large in SZ at 3rd Total Level/Hit Dice.
• Legless:  Dolphins have no natural means of moving about on dry land.   Without the aid of magic or super-science, they are confined entirely to aquatic environments.
• Low-Light Vision
• +2 bonus on all Warrior lore checks to formulate plans against sharks and their allies.
• +1 bonus on all attacks vs. sharks and their allies.
• +2 bonus on all lore checks to detect hidden objects or hear noise while underwater.
• Suitable Niches: Healer, Runner, Scout, Seer, Trickster, Warrior.

Featured Creatures: Back To The Cats

Next in alphabetical order from the old RC was the entry for Cats.  I've already covered small cats and the great cats, so that leaves us with the big cats in the middle... along with one very odd kitty out, the cheetah.

I'll cover the big cats in this post, and cheetahs in the next one.

Cats, Big
The name "big cat" covers a range of feline predators in various climates and habitats who are larger than domestic cats but smaller than the great lions and tigers.  This includes bobcats, cougars, jaguars, leopards, lynxes, mountain lions, ocelots, and panthers.

 
Like their kin at either end of the feline size range, big cats tend to be curious, patient, solo hunters adept at stealth and ambush tactics.  They are good climbers with reputations for both ferocity and wisdom in equal measure, and love a good prank at the expense of their kin or even potential prey.

     AC: 4
     AT (Dam): 1 bite (1d7 [1d8]), 2 claws (1d3 [1d4])
     Beginning HP: 7 [8]
     Habitat: Any, varies by species
     MV: 10
     SZ: Small

Species Traits:

• Growth Spurt: Except for bobcats and lynxes, big cats become Medium at 2nd Total Levels/Hit Dice
• Low-Light Vision
• Nine Lives: Cats can re-roll nine critical failures over the course of their career.  Often, this will mean the difference between life and death; hence, the name nine lives.  Once these “lives” are used up, they cannot be restored.
• Scent
• Special Maneuvers: Claw/claw, bite/claw/claw, pounce, rake, wrestle
• Ultravision
• +2 bonus on all lore checks to climb, hide in shadows, and move silently. The bonus is +4 in tall grass or other thick foliage.
• Suitable Niches: Any 

Some rules revisions & housekeeping

Here's a link (which I'll also share on the Quick Start page) to some revised rules that came about as a result of my alpha-test run of Great & Small.  I have a feeling that most of these will be in the final draft of the game.

The big changes are:

1) Hit Dice are now tied directly to Size rating.  Species determines 0-level starting hit points; adding a niche at character creation takes you to 1st level and gives an additional HD roll to add to this total.  Each time you level up afterwards, you gain a new HD of the appropriate type and re-roll all your hp using the new pool of HD, and only change hp total if the new result is greater than the old.

2) Initiative now uses a Move (MV) score determined by your species. I'll be going through the Featured Creatures to revise them, but in the meantime, MV scores can be converted from the old system by dividing the combat movement rate (the number in parentheses) by 5.  This number is added to a 1d10 roll during combat to derive your initiative. Runner characters add their niche die result as a further bonus to this roll.  This will eliminate the system using Speed ratings for declared actions.

3) I've diversified the saving throws so that each core niche now has its own unique save bonus.  The new categories are Blast (Runner), Charm (Storyteller), Deception (Seer), Device (Scout), Fear (Warrior), Paralysis (Trickster), Poison (Herbalist), and Trauma (Healer).  Discerning readers should be able to tell which old-school save category each of these was derived from.

Next week, I will be diving headlong into arranging, re-writing, and compiling the final draft of the full product, including systems for Scent Battles over territory (based on turning undead mechanics!) and hazards of the wilderness, a re-working of OSR treasure rules to accommodate Resources and spandrels, and hopefully expanding the Herbalism list.  Also, creating more tables, including randomized scenario generation ideas.

Meantime, on the blog, I'll continue statting up Featured Creatures -- which will also all be in the final product -- adding 5e-compatible material, more sample PCs of various levels, more setting details for the three campaign schemes, and reviews of some of the inspirational reading.

Thanks to all my readers for the support and encouragement.  This project really feels like it is starting to take on a life of its own.

Scout Niche Errata & Update

I've never been entirely happy with the Scout niche I designed.  So, I'm revising it.

The following Scout Niche Ability description replaces the one in the Quick Start Characters document.  I will upload a new version of that document in the next few days.

Niche Ability: When you select Scout as your niche, you become a consummate explorer and investigator, and a master of interpreting scent messages left by other animals.   

Your mastery of scent marks allows you to glean details about the animal(s) who left them behind, even if they are not members of your species.  With an Average Scout lore check, you can easily identify the name of an individual of your species who left the scent behind, as well as their stated intent.  A Tough lore check allows you to identify another species by her lingering scent, and ascertain how long ago she left the scent mark behind.  A Challenging lore check gives you a general, one-word idea about this other-species individual's message (i.e., "mine," "help," "returning," etc.).  With a Formidable lore check, you can translate the individual's name, approximate age, and Size.  And a Heroic result tells you exactly what the scent message says in detail, allowing you to translate it precisely to others.

In addition to all other bonuses (including Scout level and Scout niche die results), you add +2 to all lore checks when attempting to detect traps, find hidden objects, follow a trail, identify subjects by use of your senses , or spring traps. 

Finally, you begin the game knowing how to communicate with other species better than your comrades: in addition to your species language, you know an additional 1d5 (+ Scout niche die result) languages of other species in your habitat.

The Familiar Niche

The concept of the magic-user's familiar has a long pedigree in fantasy tales and games.  In an animal fantasy campaign, the Familiar can become a protagonist in her own right.  While she largely plays a support role for a Magic-User, the Familiar is endowed with certain unique abilites of her own that make her a viable character option... especially if the Magic-User in question is an NPC.

This niche is optional, and intended for use in campaigns that feature "real"magic, such as a standard classic fantasy setting, or a modern fantasy setting.  It has no place in "reality-lite" campaigns where the supernatural is a subtle influence if it exists at all.  

The Familiar
Magic-Users are notoriously vulnerable at the starts of their adventuring careers, and often call upon arcane forces to protect themselves.  Some spells or rituals allow Magic-Users to call an animal into their service, with whom they share a magical bond that benefits both parties.  These animals, called Familiars, then embark on a life of adventure with their Magic-User partner.  And some learn from their "master," then go on to earn their independence.

Niche Ability:  When you take Familiar as your niche, you benefit from a handful of special abilities rooted in your bond to the Magic-User who summoned you. 

Your mystical bond with a Magic-User allows you to add her maximum possible hit points to your own total, giving you both a better chance at survival.  However, if your Magic-User is ever killed, you must permanently subtract these hit points from your own maximum possible total, which may lead to your own death.

Second, you share an empathic link with your Magic-User, and are always aware of her general location within 200 feet.  You may share your perceptions with her, and she with you, giving each of you a form of remote sensing, and you may speak to each other in your native tongues with perfect understanding.  You also benefit from any spells your Magic-User casts on herself.

Third, you gain a bonus Species Trait from your bond: a +1 bonus to any single lore outside your own (reflecting the fact that most Magic-Users are human, and you are thus sharing in their versatility).  If you become the Familiar of an Elf, you instead gain immunity to the touch of ghouls.  If the Magic-User who called you is a member of some other species, you gain a bonus Species Trait from them based on the BM's judgment.  (NOTE: In some settings, such as the Trucewood Vale, it is possible for animal Magic-Users to have longpaw familiars!) 

Finally, you receive a +1 bonus on all saving throws so long as you are in service to your Magic-User.

Beyond 0 level, this bond grants you further advantages.

At 1st level, a you become an arcane dabbler.  With a successful lore check, you can activate magical items normally only usable by Magic-Users as though you were a Magic-User of equivalent level.

At 2nd level, you become capable of delivering touch spells from your Magic-User to targets normally beyond her reach, as though you are an extension of her body.  And with a successful Familiar lore check on your part, the activation of this spell no longer depends on the will of your Magic-User.  She can cast another spell before you deliver the one you are carrying, and you are capable of changing the intended target to one of your own choosing.

And at 6th level, you become capable of storing extra spells within your mind, that your Magic-User can call upon as though she had remembered or prepared them for the day. The choice of which spells are stored in this way belongs to your Magic-User.  However, you're also able to activate these spells yourself, with a successful Familiar lore check!  You can store a number of spell levels equal to your Familiar level.  Thus, at 6th level, you could hold six 1st-level spells, three 2nd-level spells, two 3rd-level spells, or any other combination of levels that adds up to your total Familiar level (for instance, four 1st-level spells and one 2nd-level spell).

At 10th level or any time following, after years of loyal service, you have the option of gaining your independence from your Magic-User.  If you part ways amicably, you lose all of the above abilities except the extra hit points, bonus on saves, and arcane dabbling, and gain the spell-casting abilities of a Magic-User equal to half your level.  You may then continue to advance in spell-casting abilities by level as though you were a Magic-User yourself... even being able to summon a Familiar of your very own!

Other Abilities:  Add your Familiar level (plus your Familiar niche die result, if applicable) to all lore checks when attempting to intuit the function of magical items, recall or remember ancient mysteries, magic traditions, or cryptic phrases, or to deduce what kind of spell a Magic-User is about to cast by observing her gestures.

Saving Throw: Spells

Threat: Easy (+9). This increases to Average (+6) at 2nd total level, Tough (+3) at 5th total level, and Challenging (+0) at 8th total level.

Streamlined Initiative & Updated Runner Niche

One of my goals for the final version of Great & Small is simplified rules using a unified dice resolution mechanic.  Which is the reason I settled on the current engine, 2d10 +/- modifiers = 20+ meaning a success.

My current version of initiative has always felt too clunky to me, though.  I adapted it more or less as-is from B/X and the Rules Cyclopedia, but I've never felt it works simply enough for my design goals.

So, here's a streamlined version, that will likely replace the version in the Quick Start Core Rules.  The change alters the niche ability of Runners, as well.

Initiative
Your initiative equals your Total Level (or Hit Dice) + the Speed of the action you are declaring. Higher total scores go first, then next lowest scores in descending order.  In the event of a tie between player and BM, both sides should roll the core dice and add their Total Level (or Hit Dice).  The higher result wins.

Changes to the Runner niche
Under these revised initiative rules, Runners now add their niche die roll result to their total initiative score, instead of having all actions default to a Speed of Quick.  Thus, Runner characters' initiative equals Total Level (or Hit Dice) + Speed of declared action + niche die result.

Featured Creature: Raven

NOTE: These stats have been edited to conform to the rules revisions posted on 9/8/15.

At a reader's request!

Raven

Ravens feed on carrion and gather in isolated, abandoned places.  For this reason, they are often seen as dreary or spooky by other beings, despite their great aptitude for play.  They also have a reputation for pointless thievery, often taking great risks to collect meaningless shiny objects from the places they visit. Nonetheless, ravens are highly intelligent and social beings, and the best tool-users among all of bird-kind.

A raven's favorite food is the eyes of the dead.   They feel it honors the fallen by passing their dying sight onto another, becoming the basis of stories that will perpetuate memories of the dead long after they are gone.  Many ravens claim to experience visions or prophetic dreams after eating the eyes of the dead, though whether these visions are genuine or just mad rantings is any non-raven's guess.

     AC 7
     AT (Dam): Bite (1d3); talons (1d2; this is a single attack with both feet at once)
     Beginning HP: 3 
     Habitat: Temperate
     MV: 3; 20 flying
     SZ: Tiny   

Species Traits:

• Bauble-Snatcher's Curse: All ravens carry their mythical hero's curse, and find shiny trinkets of any or no value almost irresistible.  Whenever you encounter such a trinket -- be it well-guarded or not -- you must succeed at a Challenging Charm save, or be compelled to try and steal the object from whoever possesses it.  Luckily, you  get a +2 bonus on your Trickster lore check when attempting this larceny. This bonus does not apply in circumstances where you succeeded on your saving throw.
  
• Eye Peck: On any unmodified attack roll of 19 or 20, you can pluck out or otherwise damage one of your enemy's eyes (provided the enemy has eyes, that is).  This attack blinds her in that eye, imposing a -2 penalty on all further attack rolls, or lore checks that rely on paw-eye coordination.  If you manage a second such attack against the same opponent, she is permanently blinded, a condition that can only be healed through magical means.
• Flyby Attack
• Low-Light Vision
• Tool-Use: You gain a +2 bonus on all Scout lore checks to use tools or decipher the function of simple longpaw devices.
• Ultravision
• -4 penalty on all lore checks involving feats of strength.
• +3 bonus on Runner or Trickster lore checks that involve flying stunts
• Suitable Niches: Familiar, Guardian, Herbalist, Magic-User, Runner, Scout, Seer, Trickster.