Animal Encounters

[Raellus]

TIL I learned that there are more tigers in captivity in the USA than there are in the wild, combined, in the rest of the world.

As of 2006, there were an estimated 12,000 Tigers in the US (4,000 in Texas alone)- the vast majority of these animals in the hands of private owners! Add in African lions and hybrid 'Ligers' and that number goes even higher.

In a T2k scenario, it's likely that a lot of private owners would not be able to take care of their big cats. Many will starve to death, or be put out of their misery, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility that quite a few lions and tigers and bears, etc., will get loose (especially in the chaos following the TDM)- it happens more than you might think, IRL.

The point that I'm getting at is that encounters with Tigers and other big cats in the CONUS would not be terribly unrealistic. Has anyone encountered big cats in a game?

What Ref hasn't thrown a pack of feral dogs at their players? Or wolves? Inspired by stories of "Hogzilla", I threw a huge feral pig at my players in a campaign set in Arkansas. I also created a travelling merchant NPC whose caravan featured a camel he rescued from a zoo in Poland. The players encountered it during a winter snow storm.

What animal encounters have you designed, as a Ref, or played through as a PC?

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[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Raellus

TIL I learned that there are more tigers in captivity in the USA than there are in the wild, combined, in the rest of the world.

I read that and became deeply sad.

[rcaf_777]

Didn't TDW make an adventure on this I think a challenger article?

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

Didn't TDW make an adventure on this I think a challenger article?

"Tyger, Tyger", or something like that.
Also due to efforts to stop various illnesses, the U.S. has more Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pigs than Vietnam, Thailand , though they are trying to bring them back.

[Olefin]

Originally Posted by Raellus

TIL I learned that there are more tigers in captivity in the USA than there are in the wild, combined, in the rest of the world.

As of 2006, there were an estimated 12,000 Tigers in the US (4,000 in Texas alone)- the vast majority of these animals in the hands of private owners! Add in African lions and hybrid 'Ligers' and that number goes even higher.

In a T2k scenario, it's likely that a lot of private owners would not be able to take care of their big cats. Many will starve to death, or be put out of their misery, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility that quite a few lions and tigers and bears, etc., will get loose (especially in the chaos following the TDM)- it happens more than you might think, IRL.

The point that I'm getting at is that encounters with Tigers and other big cats in the CONUS would not be terribly unrealistic. Has anyone encountered big cats in a game?

What Ref hasn't thrown a pack of feral dogs at their players? Or wolves? Inspired by stories of "Hogzilla", I threw a huge feral pig at my players in a campaign set in Arkansas. I also created a travelling merchant NPC whose caravan featured a camel he rescued from a zoo in Poland. The players encountered it during a winter snow storm.

What animal encounters have you designed, as a Ref, or played through as a PC?

-

Feral pig encounters can be very bad news indeed - they are unbelievably dangerous and could easily take out a couple of PC's in the right conditions

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Olefin

Feral pig encounters can be very bad news indeed - they are unbelievably dangerous and could easily take out a couple of PC's in the right conditions

From what I've heard, their meat can also be a bit stringy, and tough if not cooked carefully (there's a procedure). It's not like the pork we're used to.

[Olefin]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

From what I've heard, their meat can also be a bit stringy, and tough if not cooked carefully (there's a procedure). It's not like the pork we're used to.

I looked on your site and didnt see them -have you ever done stats on a feral pig?

[kcdusk]

As a kid, when i first got T2K, i laughted at animal encounters.

Now though, much older and experienced, i think they add a good, different dimension to the game.

I've used wild dogs to generate noise and spook players. i might have had them steal food or boots left out over night to be a nuisance.

In australia, dingos are common but not really a threat. Wild dogs are generally a dangerous mix of dingo and / or domestic dogs gone wild. Pack animals, i know of kangaroo shooters who have been scared of wild dogs at night, just the real life threat they pose.

Re feral pigs or any animal, even a light wound can be an issue for player characters. If left untreated it becomes infected quickly. Turning to a medium wound?!

A good chance for the medic or wanna-be medic to get involved!

[Olefin]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

As a kid, when i first got T2K, i laughted at animal encounters.

Now though, much older and experienced, i think they add a good, different dimension to the game.

I've used wild dogs to generate noise and spook players. i might have had them steal food or boots left out over night to be a nuisance.

In australia, dingos are common but not really a threat. Wild dogs are generally a dangerous mix of dingo and / or domestic dogs gone wild. Pack animals, i know of kangaroo shooters who have been scared of wild dogs at night, just the real life threat they pose.

Re feral pigs or any animal, even a light wound can be an issue for player characters. If left untreated it becomes infected quickly. Turning to a medium wound?!

A good chance for the medic or wanna-be medic to get involved!

Considering how much time characters spend searching for food and stuff to make fuel wild animal encounters should be part and parcel of any T2K campaign. Plus they offer great ways to work their way into campaigns as specific "adventurers" a la the Challenge Article that has been mentioned before