The West That Wasnt - Adversaries
The West is home to all manner of critters and varmints, as well as men and women from all walks of life. The bestiary contains Traits and Skills for a selection of them, both mundane and supernatural, should your game take a turn in that direction.
Each entry has a set of traits followed by important skills or attributes. If a Trait Skill is not listed, it is assumed to be 1. If a regular skill is not listed, it is not possessed. Creatures of Size 8 or greater cause Fear when within a single move (a number of Paces equal to their Move value).
Animals deal damage in combat based on their size and the following table:
Animal bites are deadly attacks. Most animal claws are impact attacks, subject to Judge discretion (exceptionally long or sharp claws should be deadly). Most animals begin a fight with claw attacks, attempting to slow their foe enough to allow for an effective bite. Bite attacks add +2 to the TN unless the foe is prone or otherwise immobilized. The Force and DB values listed apply to claw attacks (if they are impact).
The Mundane
The north American bear is one of the deadliest animals in the wilds anywhere in the world. Stats given are for a typical brown or black bear, but larger and more powerful examples certainly exist, with size 9 or even 10, and DB up to 10.
Cowboys are one of the most common occupations in the West. Many a man, and woman for that matter, makes their livelihood driving and caring for cattle across the vast expanses of the western landscape.
Coyotes are small predators, operating either individually or in packs. The coyote is common in indigenous American folklore, often occurring as a trickster. Coyotes generally hunt larger prey in pairs or groups, while smaller prey is caught by individuals.
Mountain lions, or cougars, are large, wide ranging feline predators. Cougars are solitary and nocturnal, and are rarely seen during daylight hours. They hunt from ambush, but avoids humans and will yield prey to larger predators such as bears or jaguars.
As with cowboys, outlaws are very common in the West. Many a man and woman make their living from greed and force of arms.
Wolves are large, pack hunting predators.
