When Herbivores Fight

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

    • There is no direct correlation between which are the warriors in this world based upon if the animal type is a carnivore or a herbivore, because to do so would be to ignore some of the largest and strongest creatures in the world itself...

      Take for example that elephants are herbivores, so are Gorillas, Caribou, Giraffe, Rams, Hippopotamus, Wild Hogs, Horses, Kangaroo, Rhinoceros, Ostrich and many others...

      Talents such as TOUGHNESS can make a deference, but so can having natural BODY ARMOR... Also, the fact that AGILITY, DEXTERITY, and VIGOR play as much a part of the combat system as STRENGTH means that balance is achieved between all animal types with respect to potential abilities related to defensive and offensive capabilities...

      Even under the less elaborate rules of combat listed in the BASIC COMPENDIUM (and much more in the soon-to-be-published MAGIC AND MARTIAL ARTS GUIDE!!!!... By the way have you already asked for your copy for Christmas? ) ...skill will most often succeed over innate physical or behavioral traits, as it can and often does in our own world (and, may I say,...even more so in the world of cinematic martial arts).

      Take for example, one of the most fearsome characters in our game was a flying squirrel named Taki'Mahd who was the captain of a crew of sky pirates which were part of the CRYSTAL CORSAIRS.... I myself have run a poison arrow frog which was extremely deadly, and a hummingbird which could deal death to a degree that was almost beyond comprehension both at a distance and up close and personal. Ffinally, I also ran a child character which was known for cutting off heads and severing limbs in combat... so the true way to determine who or what animal types are the best warriors is entirely based upon the wishes of the player and how they decide to spend the allotted points...

      Keep in mind that all animals are gifted by mother nature with certain gifts and while a bite might seem to be more damaging than a well placed kick by a hoof or a trample, in the end the damage sustained will be directly related to the CHARACTERISTICS in question one way or another, and the luck of the dice... As such, there is no way to say that carnivores are mightier than herbivores or are any more or less dangerous if either of the animal types truly wish to cause harm...

      I suppose motivation would be another factor which would and should be taken into consideration. A parent defending its young may be more dangerous than another which is simply hunting for food...

      It is well worth noting that once you add higher intelligence into the list of factors to be considered, the outcomes become much more unpredictable with regards to any benefits being quantifiable based upon the diets or behaviors of animal types... Since knowledge itself is power, having the knowledge of another creature's habits, body, or weaknesses could be used to wicked effect...
    • Speaking of Kangaroos...I made an earlier post about where in Dardunah you could most likely find Kangaroos and all those other Oddball Australian Animals like the soon-to-be-coming Koala, Platypus, Wombat etc...Reading the Glossary I could see no indication where I could find Marsupials, Bikari is the land of Herd Zoics Gilari is where you find temperate forest Zoics....Not sure is Australian Animals who live in the Temperate Forests are included in that, one land I can't remember the name of where the Simians are the Leaders...Where in Dardunah are you most likely to find a Kangaroo?
    • This is an excellent question and one I can luckily provide some insight.

      Kangaroo can be found in many places upon the world of Dárdünah, but would likely be most comfortable in areas which share some of the same weather as the places they are found dwelling upon the planet Earth. Let us consider for example that Kangaroo would like grass lands and places where they would be able to utilize the animal abilities they have naturally, which are certainly GREAT LEAP, BOUNDING, and NIGHT VISION as a start, but which might also include THERMAL REGULATION due to the thin skins on the hands of the animal and the numerous blood vessels which are found near the surface of the body in that region. This special adaptation allows Kangaroo the ability to cool themselves down very rapidly in our own world as they survive in the harsh conditions of Australia. One might also petition the GAME MASTER to allow for WATER STORAGE to be purchased by Kangaroo as well being that they survive on minimal amounts in our own world.

      So starting from there let us extrapolate that they could be found in any desert or semi arid region upon the world. One such place is AMNOL, also known as THE LAND OF THE STEPPES. It is essentially a prairie desert with tall, smoking mountains, shrub deserts, and burning sands... Another place one might find Marsupials is the nation of DAR-PURAM, either on the island which is the seat of its power or on the mainland considering that the island has many similarities to the continent of Australia. The ISVARATE of MAGAR is another place which is known to have an almost infinite variety of VAJRAH of all kinds. The peaceful ISVARATE of NILAM with its peaceful nature towards most other nations flaunts a mixture of different types of animals from all walks of life and many different areas... The mighty AMIN OF THE WEST known as SUSTRUM would be appropriate for marsupials interested in making a good life for themselves although attaining the heights of the NOBLE CASTES might be very difficult, since that nation is largely ruled by felines. The centrally located ISVARATE known as TISHINIA center of world trade hosts a variety of animals of all sorts equally placed among all levels of society, indeed the very language of the people of TISHINIA is perhaps the most popular choice for a second language (after one's native tongue) since so much of the trade that sustains the various nations of the world finds its way at some point within its bounds. It only makes sense that the language of TISHINIA is often chosen due to it allowing the greatest possible chance of communication in a world with over twenty tongues being in common use...

      I hope this gives you some ideas for where you would like to place your Kangaroo... Keep in mind this is but a small taste of the type of detailed information you will find with in the pages of the up-and-coming WORLD GUIDE!

      UNTIL NEXT TIME, GOOD NIGHT AND SLEEP TIGHT! 8o
    • Being a soldier is a little different than being a warrior which is what your original question was... I will take this moment to examine with you the differences between the two which is small yet significant... it has often been said that "a soldier follows orders while a warrior follows his heart" ...

      Both are FIGHTERS engaged in combat and violence, often of a military nature.

      Let us first look at what a soldier means... A soldier is a fighter who is a militant follower of an organization, or a paid combatant by profession, and follows orders while having a duty to his country... As such, he may have attended a special academy to learn how to function well with in an organized unit and be trained in the order of command, the specifics of which we will address in the specialized martial arts soon to be available in the up and coming MAGIC AND MARTIAL ARTS guide.

      Now let us look at the other...

      A warrior is one who may exhibit bravery and courage towards a certain organization, group, or set of ideals,...and will execute these when a given set of circumstances warrant action, whether any money has changed hands or not. Whether they are in the military or not, they tend to fight for personal glory and typically work the betterment of the societies they are a member of, with or without monetary compensation. Monks may be warriors, Gladiators may be warriors, ect. ect...

      So, in short, a warrior is anyone versed in the martial arts who has some ideal they will fight for, either singularly or as a group , but a soldier specifically serves in the standing armed forces of his nation.

      In the up-and-coming book MAGIC AND MARTIAL ARTS we attempt to distinguish the difference between these two words by grouping martial arts into categories, namely...TEMPLE STYLES used by priests and monks of different types,...MILITARY STYLES used by fighters and often taught in military schools, palace guards, and mercenaries,...ARENA STYLES used by gladiatorial fighters and spiral arenas, and finally LINEAL STYLES which are typically used within the confines of a particular HOUSE or LINE...

      The MAGIC AND MARTIAL ARTS guide will most certainly clear up any confusion between these two terms and show how any character may be a warrior because to be a warrior is merely a matter of skill, however to be a soldier is a matter of choice and professional preference... The important thing to remember is that almost all animal types have natural weaponry which means that they are all equally able to defend themselves and cause damage in one way or another, the only question is what the motivation is to do so...
    • It is a very subtle difference between the two....

      I had to think about it for a moment before I was able to explain the difference myself,...knowing that, in many poor villages, there are those with the skill to fight against injustice from unfair forces regardless of which ever form they may manifest... Also it is worthy of note that warriors may not even be fighters but might be social justice warriors using laws and their voices to defend those whom they feel are worthy of it...

      I like the martial arts movies were soldiers come into a village and are defeated by a group of peasant warriors wielding pitch forks, gardening tools, and a variety of other everyday items after they attempt to extract a toll of food or other resources from the local population, which could cause suffering due to the lack of enough supplies needed to care for the community itself during times of extreme need, such as for a harsh winter...

      I really like the conversations we have about all these different subjects.... It takes a special kind of mind to be able to examine so many different things and come to logical conclusions together... This is so very rare in our everyday society that I find myself looking forward to our exchanges on this forum!!!

      Take care my friend!!!
    • Marsupials tend to be of all shapes and sizes, and usually fit into the broader categories we use to indicate what Zoics might live where in Dárdünah... In general, as Griffin noted, there's no singular Dárdüni country where marsupials might come from in the SHARD RPG, and might instead be found in any of the areas Griffin listed, and potentially in others, if the climate there is suitable for their tastes...

      Though you may notice that we sometimes indicate "types" of animals living in one region or another, being a marsupial might mean fitting into any number of those animal "types" we mention, from large to small... Most countries in Dárdünah are cultural and racial "melting pots" after all, even if those melting pots sometimes favor primarily Sarpah, Vajrah, or Paksin jenu-types specifically...

      Also, when it comes to certain types of Zoics and the professions or occupations often associated with them in the Animal Templates, it's important to note that these are all merely suggestions, not specific limitations or absolutist directives... You'll notice, in our upcoming Magic and Martial Arts book, that we specifically show the Rat as wearing armor and preparing to brandish a weapon, even though the Template itself doesn't really indicate that they gravitate toward warrior-like professions... This is an indication that not all Zoics choose to fit into the stereotypes often associated with them...

      Scottie ^^