DS2 and SG2: Flora and fauna

    A few ideas for flora and fauna in DS2 and SG2.  These are for
"ordinary
unpleasant wildlife", rather than opponents in their own right, and most
would work best with an umpire. My intention is to use the existing game
mechanisms wherever possible. Where I give an Earthly animal or plant as
an
exemplar, I'm not suggesting these ideas accurately simulate anything
local!

    General points: beasties should be allocated to particular terrain
types, e.g. "there are snakoids in the scrub and crocoids in the
forest".
Numbers, distribution and the severity of the beasties causing chit
draws
can be tuned according to whether the scenario calls for a hell-planet
or
just a bit of local flavour.

1) Ambush\trap predators:
    a) snake-like, or "carnivorous plantlike" entities.  These can be
treated as a type of antipersonel mine, with moving infantry forced to
draw
a chit in DS2, or a low-impact mine attack in SG2, unless they use a
combat
action to watch out for the wildlife.
    b) large predators conducting close assaults from cover, like
crocodiles
or lions. When infantry enter the appropriate terrain, check to see if
there's an attack (roll a 1 on whatever die type is agreed before the
game).
If there is, roll a die for the number of elements attacking, and treat
them
as Confident Militia assault elements which always try to follow
through.  A
hell-planet might produce something big enough to overrun a vehicle.
    c) kraken type lurker- not necessarily in water. Perhaps a huge
antlion
type in a concealed pit.  This could perhaps draw several chits against
the
first element (including vehicles) to approach within a critical
distance (I
assume it would then be killed by modern weaponry). A rarity on non
hell-planets.

2) Swarmers- killer bees, vampire bats, Star Trek "flying omelette
monsters"
etc:
    a) ordinary ones cause panic in green troops.
    b) more severe types cause panic in any troops on foot or open
vehicles.
    c) really severe ones put an "under fire" or suppression marker on
infantry.

3) Confusers- local wildlife causing sensor readings which can be
confused
with enemy troops or mines.  Perhaps the seed-pods of a local plant
gives
off a chemical resembling burnt scattermine propellant, or perhaps those
"local badgers" might be a camouflaged enemy platoon, Kra'Vak LRRPs or
the
like.  Mine or hidden unit markers are used, and each requires a combat
action to remove it.

4) Interferers:
    a) Pesky critters-These cause hidden units to be revealed by
changing
their behaviour and giving away units' positions- think of troops of
baboons
in a wildlife park, stealing food and windscreen wipers and generally
drawing attention to their vicinity, or of spore-clouds puffed into the
air
when touched.  If the pestered unit is fired on, count the range as
being 6"
closer for DS2, or one range band for SG2.
    b) Migrating megafauna- vast numbers of big beasts traughling across
the
board- any dismounted (and perhaps vehicles less than Armour-2) in the
way
either move or draw a chit.

5) Terrain modifiers: I suggest these mostly be quite localised in
effect
e.g. a scattering of the iron hard nests of the local termites let
infantry
count as dug-in, or a patch of apparently open ground is in fact riddled
with nests and tunnels, making it rough.

Rob Paul