Animal conversion guide

[Stormcrow]

I'm trying to keep this as by-the-book and as close to the 2004 spirit of the rules as I can. Enhanced Defenses are mundane traits intended for cinematic characters, not exotic traits intended for non-human characters. For this reason, you won't see Enhanced Defenses on realistic animals.

The distinction between active defenses and avoiding surprise is mostly below the resolution of animal stats. This is illustrated in the lack of accommodation for animals in coming out of stun caused by surprise: it's an IQ roll, but surprised animals obviously won't be stunned for as long as that, so clearly animal stats do not take into account surprise in this way.

As the rules say, "Many animals have Combat Reflexes, which adds +1 to defenses." No mention of surprise or initiative. In the Basic Set, housecats, tigers, tiger sharks, large boars, small boars, cavalry horses, heavy warhorses, and gryphons have Combat Reflexes; notably, lions, guard dogs, great white sharks, and timber wolves do not, animals you might argue do a lot of fighting. It's the really quick or war-trained ones that get Combat Reflexes, not necessarily the ones that are best at fighting or defending themselves.

Thanks for the suggestion, though. I'm glad you find it useful!