RE: SGII -- Scenario with alien creatures

Having gotten a better look at the creatures when I got home last night,
I appear to have underestimated their size a bit: in scale, their backs
are about 
seven feet high at the tallest point, about the same width around at the
point of greatest girth, and stretch some eleven feet from nose to tail.

Obviously a force to be reckoned with, especially when crazed by hunger.

(Hey, I think that I've just created my squad for Carnage Con Queso next
year!)

> Hello, my comments below are marked by [Bri]

Being a lazy cuss, I'm going to reply to the both of you at once....

> Now, in their defence, they have fat. Lots and lots of fat. 
> It takes a lot of damage to kill an adult Beast; predators 
> often tear off bits, leaving horrendous 
> wounds that would kill most animals. The beasts, however, 
> survive...and don't even feel much pain, since the fat 
> deposits are pretty insensitive areas. 

I doubt they'd be completely insensitive (they're going to want to know
a
predator has just bitten them on the butt so they can try and get away
from
it). However, pain could make their stampedes more chaotic or they could
turn to try and defend themselves...

[Bri] Agreed. How does the animal protect itself from preditors?
Charge them like Rhinos & Elephants? Run away (they do not seem
the gazelle type)? Fast Healing and regeneration? Poison glands 
on skin? Some reaction should be observable.

Bulk is one factor -- they're just too damn big for a lot of carnivores.
 And for those that *can* take them on, all of the vital organs are
protected by that big 
layer of flab -- it takes work to kill a Beast, and while the predator
or predators are working on killing the chosen victim, the rest of the
herd can shuffle off 
to Buffalo.

At least, that was the assumption.  I'm also guessing that their skulls
are pretty thick, making the heads an undesirable target

Any of this remotely plausible?  It's not like I'm making it up as I go
along, or anything like that!  No, no, not me....

But in any case, having attacks make them run faster...that only makes
sense, really.	Start the charge at d8 inches, increase it to d10 when
they start 
taking hits?
 
> I'd probably even leave them as stationary until gunfire starts up
(consider
> them grazing or resting up).

[Bri] Stationary or moving 2-3" each turn somewhat randomly.

Yeah, I've got to remember the difference between figure scale and
ground scale....

>> Once they start charging, though...d8 inches, twice a turn, 
>> towards the source of gunfire? They 
>> are determined, but they have these stubby little legs to 
>> deal with. As targets, they are easy to hit (treat as one 
>> range band closer than normal), but very 
>> resistant to damage. d10 armor, ignore any "Wound" results? 

> I'd play it this way first and have them effected by wounds if they
prove
> too overwhelming.

[Bri] Agreed. You don't want them too difficult to kill (but not
too easy either).

Must do some playtesting, obviously.  

>> What's a good mechanism for trampling, though? 

> When a squad is hit by a stampede treat them as being in CC with PA
(the
> beasts). I'd probably rate the beasts as D8 or D10 quality for this.
This
> way some may be able to escape with scratches, but the majority of
riflemen
> will be in big trouble if they don't get out of the way first (which
is
> probably fair). You can consider any "wounded" beasts as ones that
tripped
> as they ran or ones where the squadie got a final shot off as they
were hit
> or something. If you're getting too many dead beasts from this
interaction
> up the quality die or say that when resolving casualties after CC for
the
> beasts 1 = dead, 2-3 = wounded, 4-6 = stunned.

[Bri] This sounds good!

Enthusiastically agreed

>> And how can I deal with a *different* 
>> source of gunfire when the Beasts are 
>> already charging? 

> Have them always head for the closest. Or have each beast on the edge
of the
> herd (so the lead on, and leftmost/rightmost ones) do a reaction test,
if
> they pass they continue as they are, if they fail they head off for
the new
> sound (or vice versa) with any beasts behind them following them (so
you may
> well see the number of herds increase as they split and head in
different
> directions).

[Bri] Yes. I would think that they would deal with the greatest
and closest danger first. If there is no gun fire near the heard,
and no new casualties, they should move toward the potential food.
But if there is (close fire or fighting), they should stay and
protect themselves.

A reaction test, yes...that's perfect.	And if it splits the herd into
two or more smaller herds, so much the better.	Anything that gives the
GM a chance to 
roll some dice and move some miniatures around is a good thing!

>> (I've had another fun thought, as well: If rifletree 
>> detonations draw Beasts from miles around, they're llikely to 
>> draw some predators that *feed* on the 
>> Beasts, too. There are some nasty lizard creatures that came 
>> from the same set as the figures that I'll be using as the 
>> Beasts.....)

> I'd say the predators are a bit more cautious in their approach or try
to
> set up near the "explosive noise" and ambush as the beasts come in. On
top
> of the danger for the riflemen of running into said preds, the facts
preds
> do this would make the beasts pretty scittery around the goo (and thus
the
> firefight), so more likely to stampede if something scares them.

That will work out well -- anything to make the scenario more chaotic. 
Complete chaos (when kept to a reasonable size) makes for fun gaming.

[Bri] You can also add some interesting characteristics to the plants.
Perphaps the plants are sound sensitive. If one goes off the others are
triggered to go off as well. Perhaps gunfire could set off the plants.
The
goo could be sticky or slippery. Either way could effect movement of
soldiers caught in it (shift down 2"/1 die type).

Oh, that's good...and if the Beasts are close enough to smell the goo,
then they'll have another reason to get up close and personal, won't
they?

"Sarge?  It's...it's...*licking* me, Sarge!  Make it stop!"

Thank you both for the input -- much food for thought!

-- 
John Crimmins
johncrim@voicenet.com
http://www.voicenet.com/~johncrim