Animal Handler

[timm meyers]

Anyone feel the need or have ideas on filling out the Animal Handler talent?
The main gist of this skill is the ability to train animals imho. However, the book gives some good parameters on befriending wild animals that may be encountered.
1 MH away from others, act friendly, roll 3/IQ. If successful you get a reaction roll from the critter. If "friendly" (a 5 or a 6 reaction) the animal will follow and or possibly defend you until you leave the area or become your pet.

I contemplated adding a few factors to this situation such as reaction roll modifiers.
+1 animal is given sustenance (treat, water, or is this just part of being "friendly")
+1 medical aid (assuming the animal is hurt and you have a Vet talent or healing potion etc.)
+1 Freeing them from a trap/cage/defile/tree
+1 defending them or rescuing them from an enemy or predator.
+1 Returning or protecting their offspring. Of course once returned the mother/father would likely not follow you and abandone the cubs, but maybe you have time to live in the jungle with them?
+1 .....???

Of course all of these situations could be modifiers for the 3/IQ instead?

[hcobb]

Recall that there is a maximum possible positive modifier to a reaction roll, so just add Halfling and Master Bard and you're all set.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by timm meyers

Anyone feel the need or have ideas on filling out the Animal Handler talent?
The main gist of this skill is the ability to train animals imho. However, the book gives some good parameters on befriending wild animals that may be encountered.
1 MH away from others, act friendly, roll 3/IQ. If successful you get a reaction roll from the critter. If "friendly" (a 5 or a 6 reaction) the animal will follow and or possibly defend you until you leave the area or become your pet.

I contemplated adding a few factors to this situation such as reaction roll modifiers.
+1 animal is given sustenance (treat, water, or is this just part of being "friendly")
+1 medical aid (assuming the animal is hurt and you have a Vet talent or healing potion etc.)
+1 Freeing them from a trap/cage/defile/tree
+1 defending them or rescuing them from an enemy or predator.
+1 Returning or protecting their offspring. Of course once returned the mother/father would likely not follow you and abandone the cubs, but maybe you have time to live in the jungle with them?
+1 .....???

Of course all of these situations could be modifiers for the 3/IQ instead?

It's an interesting talent to check out. Since it isn't a fighting talent, it gets passed up most of the time. In a game in which I'm a player, the GM created a family that were a mixture of Animal Handlers and Wizards. It has added an interesting hook for one of my PCs to pursue. This particular PC is an Expert Horseman and Driver but wants to develop in the Animal Handler direction so that he can train all kinds of interesting animals. The area of Cidri where this family resides could allow for that to occur.

You could stack some of those reactions in a particular situation with the max reaction being +3.

I was thinking of experimenting with some NPCs along this line that are the like the mountain man (Naturalist/Woodsman) with a bear friend or pack of wolves that like him. Perhaps, even more animals that are at his command.

Perhaps, A reptile man in the swamps that has swamp creatures on his side.

[hcobb]

I've written up an encounter using Animal Handler to vex wizards who routinely use illusions to fight beasts here:
https://www.hcobb.com/tft/Job_Role/Pride_Advisor.html

[timm meyers]

Originally Posted by Bill_in_IN

It's an interesting talent to check out. Since it isn't a fighting talent, it gets passed up most of the time. In a game in which I'm a player, the GM created a family that were a mixture of Animal Handlers and Wizards. It has added an interesting hook for one of my PCs to pursue. This particular PC is an Expert Horseman and Driver but wants to develop in the Animal Handler direction so that he can train all kinds of interesting animals. The area of Cidri where this family resides could allow for that to occur.

You could stack some of those reactions in a particular situation with the max reaction being +3.

I was thinking of experimenting with some NPCs along this line that are the like the mountain man (Naturalist/Woodsman) with a bear friend or pack of wolves that like him. Perhaps, even more animals that are at his command.

Perhaps, A reptile man in the swamps that has swamp creatures on his side.

Thats my big question? Is such a chart worth adding for inspiration or is it ultimately dangerous and distracting?
The +3 stack grants an almost sure thing of gaining a pet but of course they have to be found in such dire circumstance (trapped, hurt, hungry) so it is still hopefully uncommon? Until the power gamer handler digs holes everywhere to trap and starve wildlife and insist the GM give them a menagerie of pets......

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by timm meyers

Thats my big question? Is such a chart worth adding for inspiration or is it ultimately dangerous and distracting?
The +3 stack grants an almost sure thing of gaining a pet but of course they have to be found in such dire circumstance (trapped, hurt, hungry) so it is still hopefully uncommon? Until the power gamer handler digs holes everywhere to trap and starve wildlife and insist the GM give them a menagerie of pets......

Situational modifiers seem reasonable, but there will be negative ones, too. It would be appropriate for a wounded animal to have a flight/flight response if wounded, for instance. It might be worth using Fear Factors to determine the initial psychological state of an animal, giving negative modifiers to the animal handler’s roll in proportion to margin of failure. I’d not give a bonus to attempts to work with an animal that succeeded on its Fear Factor roll.

[hcobb]

A major balance point is the training, feed, and control rules at ITL 94.

[larsdangly]

Note there is a terrific Hexagram article on trained animal companions and magical familiars. I forget the issue number, but I'm sure if you are interested you can figure it out quickly!

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Situational modifiers seem reasonable, but there will be negative ones, too. It would be appropriate for a wounded animal to have a flight/flight response if wounded, for instance. It might be worth using Fear Factors to determine the initial psychological state of an animal, giving negative modifiers to the animal handler’s roll in proportion to margin of failure. I’d not give a bonus to attempts to work with an animal that succeeded on its Fear Factor roll.

True. Positive and negative reaction modifiers may need to be listed for a final resultant modifier on a reaction roll or IQ roll.