Note: The quarry table appears at the end of the file. This article has application beyond hunting...
------------------------------------- Class Tracking Cost ------------------------------------- Common 3d6+10 6d Hunter 3d6+30 12d Superior 3d6+50 24d -------------------------------------Characters with Animalcraft may train dogs to improve Tracking ML and enhance value. Dogcraft may be considered a speciality of Animalcraft. Training takes about 2 hours a day in 3-5 sessions. It may begin at 2 months and continue until the dog is a year old. Dogs under a year are rarely used for hunting. A professional's Dogcraft may be generated with 2d6x10. A trainer tests Dogcraft each month:
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Success Tracking Value
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[CF] +1d2-1 +4d
[MF] +1d3-1 +8d
[MS] +2d3 +12d
[CS] +2d6+1 +18d
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Example: Jarl buys Spot, an untrained, four month old hunter whom he will train himself. Spot's Tracking is ML42 (3d6+30). Jarl has Animalcraft at ML50 and dogcraft as a speciality; therefore, his dog- training EML is 60. After the first month, he tests EML60, gets MS, then rolls 5 with 2d3, increasing Spot's Tracking to ML47. After 7 more months of training, Spot's Tracking is increased by another 26 points to ML73.
NOTE: A dog's tracking ability does not reflect on its ability to perform other duties; eg. a dog may be a poor hunter and an excellent shepherd. Poor hunters with other skills would, of course, cost more.
NOTE: Jarl, by spending eight months training, has earned himself about eight skill development rolls on Animalcraft (GM discretion).
------------------------------------- 1d100 Age of Trail Track ------------------------------------- 01-25 2d30-1 minutes +10 26-50 1d6 hours +0 51-70 3d6 hours -10 71-85 6d6 hours -20 86-95 9d6 hours -30 96-00 12d6 hours -40 -------------------------------------Use the appropriate Hârnmaster encounter table for "Other" (GM discretion). Other encounters may be inedible. Dodge is dealt with later.
The age and nature of a trail determine how easy it will be to follow. Hence, once the trail is found modify Tracking (EML) by any/all Track Modifier(s) given.
Example:
Jarl (Tracking ML48) and Spot (ML73) are casting for a trail in temperate woodland. The GM allows a casting roll every 18 minutes. After 36 minutes, Spot finds a trail. The GM rolls 32 to determine that the trail is 1d6 hours old and 39 to determine that it was left by a deer. This produces Track Modifiers of +0 and -5.
Tracking skill may also be used, at GM discretion, to guage age/nature of the spoor.
Example:
Jarl tests his Tracking EML43 (ML48+Track Modifier of -5) to determine the age/nature of the trail. The GM rolls 75 (CF) to guage the age of the trail which Jarl estimates at 28 hours (wrong). The GM rolls 42 (MS) for nature so Jarl correctly determines that the beast is a deer. Jarl does not like his chances of following such an old trail (Spot probably knows better), so he gives up on the deer and casts again.
NOTE: At some point, the GM should generate more information at his discretion: Is the quarry a mother with young? Has a den/lair been discovered? These depend on the time of year and the nature of the beast. The hunter may opt to cast for a new trail rather than approach an inedible or "unethical" prey.
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Age TTF Age TTF
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2/less 1 21-30 5
3-6 2 31-42 6
7-11 3 43-56 7
12-20 4 57-72 8
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Intelligent creatures do not generally follow this rule. The TTF of a
trail left by a human, Sindarin, etc. is equal to about 75% of its
age. Additional tracking rolls are made each league. When TTF is reduced to zero, the tracker has found his prey.
[CS] Reduce TTF by two hours.Impediments, such as rivers, tracts of stony ground, etc., may cause delay or loss of trail and require extra checks against Tracking (ignore success on extra checks).
[MS] Reduce TTF by one hour.
[MF] no change, an hour wasted. Two consecutive MFs lose the trail.
[CF] Trail Irretreviably Lost.
------------------------------------- Quarry Mod ------------------------------------- Moose/Sheep/Goat/Gargun -5 Beaver/Cat/Fox/Wolf/Stag -10 Deer/Rabbit/Hare/Sindarin -15 -------------------------------------As the hunter gets closer to his target, the chance of detection is increased. Modify EML according to the distance from which the current Approach Roll is made:
------------------------------------- Distance Mod ------------------------------------- Over 75 feet +0 51-75 feet-5 26-50 feet -10 Less than 26 feet -20 -------------------------------------Other modifiers, such as for bad weather, the activity of the quarry, or for other types of quarry, are left to GM discretion. The approach roll is interpreted as follows:
[CF] Target Flees. TTF is now 1 hour.Minimum range is ten feet; at this distance, any missile weapon may be optimally employed. The missile attack is, generally, resolved with Hârnmaster combat rules. A Target Size modifier (SzM) and Dodge Factor is given for each quarry on the Quarry Table. An unalerted target Ignores an alerted target Dodges.
[MF] Target alerted. Hunter may try one shot at the current range.
[MS] Range reduced by 25% target unalerted.
[CS] Range halved without alerting target
The chance that a single shot will bring down the quarry varies from one animal to another. This may be resolved entirely with the Hârnmaster combat rules, or the GM may ignore strike location (etc.) and use the Down Factor given on the Quarry Table; this factor is the percentage chance that a successful missile strike will down the quarry, rendering it helpless. A wounded beast that is not downed may flee or attack the hunter; the chance that it will attack is given on the Quarry Table under Aggressiveness (Agg). If the missile misses, animals will generally flee, but some creatures will turn on the hunter; the chance of an unwounded animal doing this is one half its Aggressiveness.
If the beast flees the hunter may pursue. A wounded animal will leave a (+20) better trail, and add 1d3 hours/leagues to the TTF; most hunters deem it their duty to follow and put the animal out of its misery. An unwounded, fleeing animal will add 1d6 hours to TTF.
A quarry drive generally requires at least four beaters and one marksman. Additional marksmen will simply increase the chance of bringing animals down.
The Drivemaster examines the terrain and lays out the paths that should be followed by each participant. His Tracking skill will affect the success of the hunt.
Example:
A 13 beater drive will cover 169 acres and take 4 hours and 10 minutes.
Depending on the abundance of game in the area, the GM rolls every 5- 20 minutes against the Huntmaster's Tracking skill to determine if one or more animals show themselves to the marksman(men):
[CS] 1d3 animals in quick succession.Each animal is identified by the GM normally. Animals presenting themselves to the marksmen are generally in rapid flight, this generally allows each marksman no more than one shot at about 1d6x5 foot range. If several animals show at once (CS) each marksmen must select one target. They may pre-arrange target allocation.
[MS] 1 animal shows itself.
[MF] Animal escapes.
[CF] Animal Turns on Beater.
With each appearance roll, the GM checks off the appropriate number of minutes. When these equal or exceed the time required for the drive, the process is complete and the hunters may clean and dress their catch.
The Drivemaster locates and disguises the pit. When an animal comes to the pit, a roll is made against the Drivemaster's Tracking ML:
[CS/MS] Animal(s) Fall in.Evasion should take into account the abilities of the beast; a deer is able to leap most pits once they are detected; this means that the trap has no effect, although any marksmen can still take their shots. A boar will circumnavigate thus allowing the marksmen (at least) one additional shot. An animal which falls into the trap is easily finished, provided it cannot climb out (GM discretion).
[MF] Animal(s) detect & Evade Trap
[CF] Animal(s) turn on beater(s).
The principal drawback with pits is the time they take to dig. Another problem is that each animal that falls in removes the disguise. This requries the marksmen to kill and remove the beast and restore the disguise before the next animal shows itself. This operation generally takes about 2d6 minutes. The main advantage of a pit trap is its relative certainty, especially when the marksmen available are few or unskilled.
Example:
Jarl (Tracking ML78) and some friends are lying in wait at a stream he has selected. He has brought his young nephew Kjalin (Stealth ML31) along. The area has average to abundant game so the GM rolls for a game encounter every 45 minutes against an EML of 55 (31+78)/2.
QUARRY TABLE ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1d100 QUARRY Track SzM Dodge End Down Agg ----------------------------------------------------------------- 01-05 Bear +10 +20 60 18 10 90 06-08 Beaver +20 -20 50 9 65 10 09-21 Boar/Pig +10 -15 50 16 20 95 22-25 Cat/Lion -10 -10 90 13 35 50 26-41 Deer -5 -5 85 9 55 5 42-47 Fox -5 -20 65 7 65 5 48-55 Moose/Cattle +0 +20 35 18 10 50 56-60 Rabbit/Hare -5 -25 85 7 65 5 61-70 Sheep/Goat +0 -10 90 15 25 15 71-76 Stag -5 +20 45 13 35 40 77-82 Wolf -10 -10 70 13 35 50 83-84 Gargun +10 -5 55 var 50 50 85 Khuzdul +0 -5 55 13 35 75 86-94 Human +0 +0 55 11 45 75 95 Sindarin -20 +0 65 11 45 35 96-00 Other n/a -- -- -- -- -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1d100 : Random Generation Roll Track : Tracking EML modifier SzM : Size Aiming Modifier Dodge : Dodge Factor End : Endurance Down : Chance of downing prey Agg : Aggressiveness -----------------------------------------------------------------