Source Player Core pg. 202
On the Frontier, no one survives without trusting something bigger—or wilder—than themselves. From the crystalline plains of Viridia to haunted shipwreck zones, animal allies are more than steeds or pets. They're partners against starvation and sentinels for the storms that warp reality. Bio-rangers whisper gene-hymns into furry ears, exorcists urge spectral hounds through broken hulls, while Zero-Gravity wranglers guide silk-moths that weave hull patches in vacuum. Control an Animal is both art and science, blending primal intuition with modern tech.
Each command is a negotiation: trust freely exchanged, a contract deeper than words. On some worlds, old starbeast protocols are honored—scented tokens, pulse-coded language, or even mana-tattooed hide markings cue a working bond. When the Rift howls and your only hope rides on a lizard-mount or data-crow, the difference between a clear command and a failed check is measured in heartbeats.
The Control an Animal action allows a character to direct a trained or domesticated creature during encounters and exploration in Starfall. Using the Nature skill and your connection with the creature, you can issue commands such as attack, move, or perform a trick. This action is critical in mounted combat, wilderness survival, and for anyone who relies on fams (familiar animals), gene-modded beasts, or cybernetically enhanced companions.
Command an Animal Untrained
Single Action
You issue an order to an animal. Attempt a Nature check against the animal's Will DC. The GM might adjust the DC if the animal has a good attitude toward you, you suggest a course of action it was predisposed toward, or you offer it a treat.
You automatically fail if the animal is hostile or unfriendly to you. If the animal is helpful to you, increase your degree of success by one step. You might be able to Command an Animal more easily with a feat like Ride.
Most animals know the Drop Prone, Leap, Seek, Stand, Stride, and Strike basic actions. If an animal knows an activity, such as a sqoux's Go for the Eyes, you can Command the Animal to perform the activity, but you must spend as many actions on Command an Animal as the activity's number of actions. You can also spend multiple actions to Command the Animal to perform that number of basic actions on its next turn; for instance, you could spend 3 actions to Command an Animal to Stride three times or to Stride twice and then make a Strike.
Success The animal does as you command on its next turn.
Failure The animal is hesitant or resistant, and it does nothing.
Critical Failure The animal misbehaves or misunderstands, and it takes some other action determined by the GM.
Mounts: To make your animal move, attack, or defend in structured encounters, you must use this action each round. Riders with the proper feat or psychic interface may command more consistently.
Unusual Companions: GM may change the skill and DC for robotic, semi-sapient, or Rift-mutated creatures. Commanding a robot-raptor may call for a Computers check; calming a Rift-chimera may require Nature and Medicine both.
Environmental Hazards: Flaring Rift weather, psychic dissonance, or exposure to tech anomalies may increase difficulty or require additional checks, such as Will saves for the animal or interface maintenance for the handler.
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