Re: (TFT) Dinosaurs for TFT

["Robert Morger" <rmorger@ev1.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <pvk@oz.net>
To: <tft@brainiac.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 8:40 PM
Subject: Re: (TFT) Dinosaurs for TFT



> >> Hmm, ok, but it's also big and in the way - for humans at least, it
> >> might
> >> not be possible to strike at the body from the front, due to the frill,
> >> especially if the Triceratops were concentrating on you as a threat.
> >
> > Then go for the legs B^) its another reason they might make a great
mount,
> > added protection.
>
> Well, glancing at the skeletal diagram at:
>
>
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/dinos/Triceratops.shtml
>
> It looks to me like a humanoid will need a weapon well over two meters
> long to be able to reach the legs from a position in front of the
> triceratops. In fact, it looks like a humanoid in front would mainly be
> fighting with the skull.

Enter Pikes, Halbreds or missile weapons, or dont get caught in the front
hexes if you can help it. B^)
>
> >> True. Though the competing creatures were quite different, and scaling
> >> up
> >> creates many physical challenges that aren't as pronounced for smaller
> >> creatures. For example, dogs have a huge range of sizes from Chihuahua
> >> to
> >> St. Bernard or Great Dane. The big heavy dogs often can't run as fast
as
> >> smaller ones, and certainly it doesn't scale with size, and often they
> >> have skeletal failures over time (hips tend to wear out on some
breeds).
> >>
> > Yes but thats all stuff a GM/DM would need to decide the stats I am
giving
> > are for full grown species in their prime that are of average size.
There
> > is
> > a huge anount of leeway after that.
>
> I didn't mean differences between individuals. I was referring to your
> comparison to current animal herbivores for speed, and asserting that it
> wasn't necessarily the case that an extremely large dino herbivore would
> move quickly.

 Actually my case would be that they would not necessarily move slowly, in
your example above using dogs I would like to see a Chihuahua that could
keep up with a Great Dane at a flat out run. I think you need to look at the
way the creature is built and compare (apples to apples) it to similarly
built beast that is still around today. If that was what you were trying to
say then I apologize for muddying the waters.


> Perhaps, but they're still going to behave relatively consistently (and
> after intelligent human observation, somewhat predictably), compared to a
> pack of non-panicked human warriors, especially if the dinos have never
> encountered weapons or magic. Or at least, human players might hope so,
> and have more fun if they can try to "prevail with their IQ", since they
> may likely have a rather tough time doing it with muscle. As with other
> animals and monsters, I think a big part of what makes them interesting
> and authentic, is if their non-human behavior. Dinosaurs wouldn't fight
> just like enormous brigands or knights, and perhaps not even like giant
> animals. They also might possibly get confused or frightened by some types
> of new things, or by getting hurt by something smaller than them. Also
> from a GM perspective, having introduced PC's to dinosaurs, it can be nice
> to have appropriate ways for them to survive the experience. ;-)

Oh I agree whole-heartedly on the above I dont think they would act human at
all.

>
> PvK
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