Packing, Teamster, Mount

[Siliconhobbit]

So I've been working a particularly interesting spin on the Remorhaz for my campaign and it involves them becoming semi-domesticated.

Various bits of info here and there that I have come across state in one form or another that the Remorhaz can be tamed in various ways for use as guards or even riding mounts.

I wanted to expand on this a little by using them as pack animals as well as part of a team of animals that might be pulling or hauling cargo or even a wagon/sleigh/skiff of some sort.

Now, GURPS conveniently has a skill for a character to take that allows them to serve AS a mount for another, appropriately called Mount (B210).

I'm trying to find, or even come up with 2 other skills that might round out the other 2 points of this domesticated triangle for the Remorhaz: Packing and Teamster.

Both Packing and Teamster work for the individual that is doing the Packing onto the animal or guiding/driving the Team of animals.

What skill or skills would be appropriate for the ANIMAL ITSELF to learn, in this case the Remorhaz, that would work like the Mount skill?

As in:

Mount is to Riding as
_______ is to Packing as
_______ is to Teamster.

Where the blank spaces above are the skills that the animal gets to learn.

Assume in this instance that the Remorhaz has more than its base IQ of 2, and instead tops out at 4.

Or am I making the entire endeavor to difficult?

[Refplace]

Running and Leadership perhaps.

[Dalillama]

Lifting/Hiking

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Siliconhobbit

Mount is to Riding as
_______ is to Packing as
_______ is to Teamster.

Porting and Carting are my suggested names.

[acrosome]

I's say... Hiking (Porting) for Packing, since for most characters it includes the skill to pack and haul a rucksack? Maybe... Professional Skill (Carting) for Teamster? Or a Professional Skill for both, if you don't like the idea of a Hiking specialty?

[ericthered]

I think packing stays packing. It applies equally to packing a backpack, loading up saddlebags, or arranging a moving truck.


Teamster is interesting. There is a case for just using hiking, but there is another for making it a professional skill.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I think packing stays packing. It applies equally to packing a backpack, loading up saddlebags, or arranging a moving truck.

I can see that. In this case give the porter Packing (Porting) to indicate they are specialized in the act of carrying and being loaded, but aren't actually as skilled in packing or loading another.

Teamster is interesting. There is a case for just using hiking, but there is another for making it a professional skill.

Agreed.

Possibly both Hiking and Professional Skill (Team). Or as above, give the 'mount' Teamster (Hauling) to indicate it's the "pulling the wagon" side of the skill.

[Pursuivant]

It's possible that you could use techniques based on Mount.

I believe that there is/was a technique for horses called "under pack" which allowed them to buy off DX penalties for moving while carrying a load. A similar technique called "in harness" might apply when pulling a load.

If the creature is sapient enough to communicate with its handler, Packing skill might apply to the process of "being loaded". The same thing might apply for, an AI vehicle which can help its operators balance and tie down internal loads using Freight Handling skill.

If the animal is smart enough to determine its own routes, pace, etc. Hiking skill would apply.