GURPS: Ecosystems and Evolution

[Gizensha]

Originally Posted by MagiMaster

Dang. I keep forgetting to write up my thoughts on FP used to hunt. I'm not sure whether or not I'll include it in the final version, but I did have some thoughts:

• Most animals would avoid going below 1/3 FP, since that'd put them in danger from other predators. They'd only burn past that if they were being chased by something already, or otherwise in mortal danger. Let's say most animals will avoid spending more than 1/2 FP at once. Since Basic gives every animal between 10 and 13 HT, they'd have 5 or 6 FP to spend on a hunt.
• It's below the resolution of GURPS, but increasing average FP expenditure should increase consumption. I'm going to make a wild guess that an average creature can expend up to its maximum FP in total per day without losing weight/increasing consumption.
• Pouncing carnivores probably spend this FP one or two at a time for extra effort.
• Chasing carnivores probably spend between 2 and 6 FP sprinting in a few chases per day. (Cheetahs: "Only half of the chases, which last from 20-60 seconds, are successful.")
• Trapping carnivores probably spend the FP building the traps. For creatures as small as spiders, it'd be reasonable to assume that making the webs costs FP, though only slowly. Trapping carnivores probably don't use up as much FP as most other carnivores.
• Hijackers spend FP as per their primary hunting technique, plus one or two for sprinting or extra effort when stealing a kill.
• Scavengers spend FP to sprint in, extra effort some food away, then sprint out (hyenas), or they spend FP hiking to food saving a bit to sprint away from trouble (vultures).
• Grazing/browsing herbivores spend some FP hiking and some for defences. They eat very low quality food, but spend very little effort to collect it (lots and lots of it.)
• Gathering herbivores spend some on extra effort to reach juicy bits of food, and some on defences.
• Decomposers (the moving kind) spend some on hiking or sprinting to get to their next meal, but then save everything else for defences.
• Omnivores do pretty much all of the above depending on the exact animal.
• Filter-feeders, autotrophs, sessile decomposers, parasites and symbiotes don't spend FP except on special defences, or hiking or sprinting while in a mobile form (larva or whatever).
• Of course, any animal might spend some FP on other things. These are just what I think the main expenditures would be.

Did I miss anything? Do you think this info would be useful to a worldbuilder using the rest of the system?

Mainly the FP estimates, I think - I was mainly wanting that for 'If in this ecosystem animals have evolved the ability to cast some spells, how much FP could be justified for a hunt'? - You've given enough to work from for that, I think.