Animal Control
Typically used with: Personality.
You know how to issue commands to unintelligent animals as well as train domesticated animals with sets of commands. If you encounter an animal in the wild, you might be able to drive it off in a safe manner, or otherwise get it to do something you want. This skill cannot be used with super-intelligent animals, magical creatures, undead animals, or people. This skill can also be used to affect the disposition of animals in the same way that Negotiate can affect the disposition of humanoids.
Difficulty
As there are several uses for this skill, some examples have been outlined in the table below:
| Example | DL |
|---|---|
| Getting an animal to do a command it knows | 10 |
| Teaching an animal a normal command | 15 |
| Teaching an animal a command that could endanger it, shooing a dangerous wild animal | 20 |
| Domesticating a wild animal | 20 |
| Getting an animal to attack something unnatural or perform a command it doesn’t know | 25 |
| Domesticating a wild animal in a day | 30 |
| Cruel treatment (overworking, etc.), animal is injured | +5 |
Domesticating ("breaking") a wild animal or teaching a domesticated animal a command usually takes 5–7 days. In the case of domestication, the Animal Control check should be performed at the end of the period. If the check fails, the animal must be worked with for an additional period and the check retried.
An animal like a dog can learn a total of 5 commands. Less intelligent animals like lizards can only learn 2 commands. A domesticated animal can learn any of the following commands, or new ones with your GM's approval.
These have a DL of 20 to teach
- Sick 'Em
- The animal will attack whatever you point out, but animals will not attack anything unnatural without extra coaxing
- Guard
- The animal will stay and defend itself, you, someone you point out, or an object
- Track
- The animal can track by scent (if capable)
These have a DL of 15 to teach
- Down
- The animal will back off and lay down out of harm’s way
- Come
- The animal will go to wherever you are
- Fetch
- The animal will go get what you point out, or the first thing it sees if no specifics are given. You can point out an object or a person.
- Heel
- The animal will follow and remain close
- Search
- The animal will go where you point and look for anything odd (or something specific if capable of tracking by scent)
- Stay
- The animal will remain where you point until you return and won't provoke any passersby
- Spellcasting
- Just kidding
- Tricks
- The animal can perform the usual stupid pet tricks
- Work
- The animal will pull or bear a load
The Animal Control skill is also used when riding an animal suited for mounted travel or combat. The difficulty for riding maneuvers not listed here should be determined on a situational basis by the GM. Below are a few examples:
| Example | DL |
|---|---|
| Steadying your arm for a ranged attack while mounted (1 AP; firing without a steadied arm means a −6 penalty to the Attack Roll) | 10 |
| Urge mount to leap (failure results in being thrown) | 15 |
| Roll safely from the back of a mount slain in battle | 18 |
| Staying on a mount which is panicking or attempting to throw you off | 20 |
| Attempting to mount and control a wild animal, bareback | 25 |
Time
Teaching an animal commands takes 5–7 days per command. Interacting with an animal during combat generally takes 4 AP.
Retry
For training, yes. For wild animals, not without spending a fate point
