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Old 06-12-2009, 10:40 PM   #1
Ed the Coastie
 
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Default Wolfpacks

How would you run an encounter between a group of PCs and a large pack (15-20 strong) of wolves/feral dogs? The critters are too large to really count as members of a swarm, and there are too many of them to run as a regular combat.
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Old 06-12-2009, 11:24 PM   #2
sjard
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

I used to run them as pairs. Used to because my players got annoyed at how often I used wolves.
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Old 06-12-2009, 11:47 PM   #3
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

Why is 20 to many? The only time it becomes troublesome with so many combetants is when you have to track HP, IMO. So just let them go down after one hit (maybe have the alpha track normal HP). Also it's very likely that half of the wolves are going to evalutate while others are attacking so they alternate between only half of them actually doing something each turn.

If you find it annoying to have to roll so many dies try giving them a skill that easily translates to a single-die, for instance Skill: 10 has 50% chance of success. No reason to roll 3d6 there, just roll 1d6 and say 4+ is a hit. For skill 11 (62,5%) you could just roll d10's and say that 6+ hits. For skill 12 you could rol l1d20 and success on 15+ and so on. I use this method with ranged fire, so 10 archers can fire at a single PC with just one handfull of die, instead of 10 times 3d6.
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Old 06-13-2009, 09:47 AM   #4
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

If you use a battle map, most of the wolves won't be able to attack at once and will have to wait for an hex to open up adjacent to one of your PCs.

Wolves hunt in packs, so they'll fight strategically, not climbing over each other all trying to get a piece, some will wait in ambush while the others drive their prey towards them.

So no single attack round involves all 20 wolves.

Also, for added realism, if you fall down you will occupy 2 hexes and will suddenly become vulnerable to more wolves.
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Old 06-13-2009, 11:41 AM   #5
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed the Coastie View Post
How would you run an encounter between a group of PCs and a large pack (15-20 strong) of wolves/feral dogs? The critters are too large to really count as members of a swarm, and there are too many of them to run as a regular combat.
Well you know unless they were under some kind of compulsion you'd only have a kill a few of them and the rest would run off. Other than that, it's an appropriate occasion for mook rules. They don't use defenses, and one hit takes one opponent down.
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Old 06-13-2009, 01:12 PM   #6
hal
 
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

Mind you, this is how I'd do it, and is not a reflection of "Hey, this is how YOU should do it" ;)

From what I've read, wolves and many other predators Unless the kind who go beserk) tend to be of the mindset (understanding? Cunning?) where a wounded predator is a liability to the pack, and a crippled predator is just dead but doesn't know it yet. Wolves are not likely to fight to the death, and are more likely to retreat and lick their wounds than to stand up and fight. That being said, wolves are also a cunning lot, where they know they don't have to take down prey NOW. Running in relays is a common tactic of wolves running in a pack, and is even common with dogs running down deer. Chase the prey until it is exhuasted and then go in for the kill. If you wanted to have a LOT of fun with your players, try running the game of "We'll keep you occupied until you can't get enough sleep, then we will attack" and see how the players respond to that.

But, here is how I'd run an encounter with 20 HUNGRY wolves (as that is about the only reason I'd expect wolves to be attacking prey they normally avoid!).

First night, the wolves move in on the camp, with only 10 active attackers. They will use snapping attacks (ie defensive attacks) at normal damage-2, but with a +1 dodge ability. They're trying to find out which of the prey is most likely the weakest/slowest/most vulnerable. The moment even ONE of the wolves is wounded, they all retreat.

Assess the player characters a penalty to fatigue equal to their encumberance level.

Shortly after they retreat, they return, some will be the original wolves attacking, some will be less [edit: the other group that didn't initially attack]. Again, they try to find the weakest member of the group and concentrate on him, retreating again upon taking damage. Keep this up such that the players are unable to rest, and under relentless attack.

If even ONE player character attempts to chase after the wolves as they retreat, then the wolves suddenly attackk enmass against the one lone adventurer. Three to the front to take up his attention, and three to the back to take advantage of the lone defender, and the rest of the wolves harry and harrase the remainder of the human herd (ie the adventurers) to keep the isolated human at the mercy of the attacking wolves surrounding him.

From that point onwards, the lone human is in dire straights. The frontal wolves are using either feints or snapping attacks (defensive attacks), while the two flanking wolves are going for the legs/feet in what amounts to grappling attacks. The third wolf from behind either attacks for a leg itself with a powerful attack (ie All-out-attack Strong) or it leaps into a body slam like attack aimed at the torso of the defender. The intent is plainly to knock the victim down for where all of the wolves can enter into close combat, going for the arms, legs, and throat.

In the meantime? Those other wolves will be snapping away merrily as they attempt to find perhaps another wolf [edit: another human rather...] to nail.

Once the wolves have a SINGLE prey down and out, they may very well run away, or they may very well begin to tug the unmoving body of their victim away from the group. They WILL not fight to keep the prey, knowing that eventually, they can get their meal once the [edit: Human herd] herd moves on.

Rather than just run the wolves as mindless attack robots, run them as a group of individuals who WANT to live to enjoy their meal. Run them as cunning beasts who have employed certain tactics since before recorded time, where they wear away their intended prey by use of fear and pack tactics. Have them attack non-stop in relays so as to cause their prey to wear out sooner.

In gurps terminology, make an effort to wear your player characters down to fatigue levels of 3 or less, and make an effort to cause the player characters to lose fatigue due to lost sleep. If you can do that, the entire episode will be memorable to where they will call you every name in the book they can (many unprintable in polite company), but they will remember that encounter with a sense of "We survived it" rather than "ho hum, I swung, one dead wolf. I swung again, another dead wolf. Gee, wolves aren't all that tough."
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Last edited by hal; 06-13-2009 at 07:01 PM. Reason: I really SHOULD proof read before hitting the send <sigh>
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Old 06-13-2009, 03:29 PM   #7
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

You're an evil devil, Hal. I like it. Gonna have to stick a wolf pack in my fantasy game.
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Old 06-13-2009, 06:28 PM   #8
Ed the Coastie
 
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

I like it.

I'll probably even use that tactic against the PCs. One of the PCs is a (essentially former) Park Ranger from Yellowstone National Park...so she may be aware of wolf tactics.
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Old 06-13-2009, 11:28 PM   #9
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Default Re: Wolfpacks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed the Coastie View Post
I like it.

I'll probably even use that tactic against the PCs. One of the PCs is a (essentially former) Park Ranger from Yellowstone National Park...so she may be aware of wolf tactics.
Animal Handling or Naturalist might be useful skills for convincing the pack to leave you alone, unless as noted they were truly starving/under some kind of compulsion.
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