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Okay, I'll bite. I was making a character with Animal Brother power but I could not find any reference or explanation about them. It's quite possibly the least explained or expanded power. I have several questions.


1) The familiar is said that it can be "any kind and any size", do I get to pick the size of my dog (even giant?) or do I roll something? Does this mean my dog can be the size of a horse and the character can ride it like one, seeing as they'd share a special link? If the said dog is horse size, can I use horsemanship and gain the same bonuses as riding a horse?
2) "The animal posesses all its normal abilities, but it will have the maximum ammount of SDC; Hit points, and intelligence for the species." What are these abilities and what are the max SDC and HP and INT for the said species and where can I find these refs for the stats for the said dog?
3) Will the said animal brother also level up with the hero/villain and if the animal dies, a new one after two or so levels will start at level 1 again? If the animal levels up, what sorts of benefits do they get from this aside the HP increase? If my dog dies, can I have another animal of entirely another type or will it be similiar dog with similiar attributes?
4) If linked with "Animal Attributes", will every dog I control be like the animal brother and all the bonuses and feats go together with them?

Dobergirl wrote:Okay, I'll bite. I was making a character with Animal Brother power but I could not find any reference or explanation about them. It's quite possibly the least explained or expanded power. I have several questions.

Don't have the book to hand, but IIRC...

1) I think you can have any real-world animal - so your familiar can be a large example of the largest breed of dog that actually exists, but you can't have an impossibly huge version of a dog. If you could, players would be sending their hundred-foot long hamsters in against the super villains.

2) See the Creating Mutant Animals section of the HU2 rule book (page 162) and under the Animal Metamorphosis power on page 254 of the main book. The stats are there (for common animals, anyway), just spread out a bit.

3) Huh. They should level up, too, shouldn't they? I don't think there's any rules for that. How about...

At each new level of experience, the familiar automatically gains one of the following (roll 1D6):

1: +1 to strike
2: 1D4+4 to Speed
3: +1 to all saving throws
4: 2D4+10 S.D.C.
5: +1 to dodge
6: +1 attack/action per round

Or you have the player just choose from the above list, but I'd prefer the random factor, as it makes the familiar feel like a character in its own right.

If it ever dies, I'd rule that your replacement familiar would be at the same level as the player (re-roll for the above bonuses), and could be any type of animal. Otherwise, it feels like the GM is unfairly penalising the player - it's the GM who killed the first animal, after all.

4) I'd rule no. They'd all be slavishly obedient, but only your familiar shares the unique link with your character.

If you're interested, I whipped up a related home-brew power I while back that you might like - the Super Steed.

Mephisto wrote:I like the Super Steed Power, it would make a lot of sense for Mystic Training, Beastmaster, and even Mystic Object characters to have something so beneficial. Ever thought of converting it to P.P.E. and giving it a Mystic Object option?

No - but now I think I should.

Dobergirl wrote: Okay, I'll bite. I was making a character with Animal Brother power but I could not find any reference or explanation about them. It's quite possibly the least explained or expanded power. I have several questions.

1) The familiar is said that it can be "any kind and any size", do I get to pick the size of my dog (even giant?) or do I roll something? Does this mean my dog can be the size of a horse and the character can ride it like one, seeing as they'd share a special link? If the said dog is horse size, can I use horsemanship and gain the same bonuses as riding a horse?

I'm 95% sure they meant "Any animal, be it a mouse or an elephant". Not "An elephant sized mouse

2) "The animal posesses all its normal abilities, but it will have the maximum ammount of SDC; Hit points, and intelligence for the species." What are these abilities and what are the max SDC and HP and INT for the said species and where can I find these refs for the stats for the said dog? [/quote]

The short answer is "Monsters and Animals" Will likely be the source to find stats for animals, but it's got a few faults. 1: it's one of the older books so the stats are not really 'current' for hp, sdc, or damage and abilities. and 2) it's a book you might not have. and 3) It might not have what you're looking for. You can find stats for animals here and there in other books but that'll likely be the Palladium answer.

By the "abilities' they mean, A hawk can fly, comes with claws and a sharp beak. A dog can run, has teeth and claws and might be able to track people by scent. A bear will be big and strong... a yippy dog is good for punting. A cheetah is really fast... that sort of thing.

The "Maximum amount of SDC hit points and INT would be from the Monsters and Animals book. So if the Int is 1D6, your dog would automatically have a 6.. if HP was PE +3D6, yours would be PE+18. ect.

As for the leveling up... I'd say sure. Every level give them the max number of hp and stuff to level up. Some of them will end up with skills. Like, dogs tracking by scent.. cats with prowl. ect. (( As a disturbing side note... I just checked the shelves in the RPG library.. and it seems my copy didn't make the move to MI... or someone has walked off with it since.... Grr))

Dobergirl wrote:
3) Will the said animal brother also level up with the hero/villain and if the animal dies, a new one after two or so levels will start at level 1 again? If the animal levels up, what sorts of benefits do they get from this aside the HP increase? If my dog dies, can I have another animal of entirely another type or will it be similiar dog with similiar attributes?

As for the leveling up... I'd say sure. Every level give them the max number of hp and stuff to level up. Some of them will end up with skills. Like, dogs tracking by scent.. cats with prowl. ect. (( As a disturbing side note... I just checked the shelves in the RPG library.. and it seems my copy didn't make the move to MI... or someone has walked off with it since.... Grr))

If it dies and you have to wait 2 levels to get another. I'd go one of two ways. 1) The new companion is your level. An animal of equal strength has found you or 2) The animal is half your level, to show that yeah.. one did die, and you're penalized a bit. I'd go with 'at your level' though. You had to wait two full levels to get a new one. That's nothing to sneeze at.

As for the other type of animal, I wouldn't make it HAVE to be the exact same, but your GM might disagree. I'd say you get to pick with in reason. If you're 100% in a city campaign, you probably won't find a 800lbs tiger in an alleyway. (( Though if you found one at the zoo you might be able to break it out)).

Dobergirl wrote:
4) If linked with "Animal Attributes", will every dog I control be like the animal brother and all the bonuses and feats go together with them?

Well the 'main' part of the animal brother power is that you're a brother to all animals. They don't attack or hurt you. Even animals under control of other powers.

If you combine them in a package deal you'd need to get with your gm and find out how he wants that to work. If he wants to give both sets or full on one and half on the other, or "Just one, or the other" which ever.

Note there's some stuff (( NOT MUCH, but some)) On Training animals, such as "Attack/Guard" "Circus Tricks" "Hunting" "Pointers/ Setters" "Retreiving" "Seeing Eye" "Trackers"

In Rifter 18. It's less than a page, but it does give stats, and skills and bonus and such. Probably not enough to pick up the book in and of itself but intresting if you have the book or access to it, to write down and use.

I don't think you can ride dog(their back/leg structure is wrong...).
Then again I love the Sabre's my character has in Warcraft, and you definiately can't ride a cat.
OTOH if were talking about riding nonhorses then you should just be riding bears

Depends on the size of the dog and cat.

If you mean a Yorkie, or a house cat, probably not unless you're fairy sized. if you're talking a tiger, you 'can', if the tiger didn't whip around and rip your leg off. But the animal powers probably prevent that sort of thing.

I like my Obsidian Nightwing.

Pepsi Jedi wrote:Depends on the size of the dog and cat.

If you mean a Yorkie, or a house cat, probably not unless you're fairy sized. if you're talking a tiger, you 'can',

NOpe, it's back isn't stiff enough to support you.

Sir_Spirit wrote:

Pepsi Jedi wrote:Depends on the size of the dog and cat.

If you mean a Yorkie, or a house cat, probably not unless you're fairy sized. if you're talking a tiger, you 'can',

NOpe, it's back isn't stiff enough to support you.

LOL A tiger is plenty strong enough. You would 'Saddle' it up close to the front shoulders.

People seriously underestimate big cat's strength (( and severely over estimate a horses)). Tigers weigh from 300 to 800lbs, and can leap huge distances from standing still. Saw a video of one the other day leaping out of tall grass, about 20 feet length wise and about 10 feet UP to rip open a guy's hand and stomach with a glancing blow.

They're plenty strong enough. You just can't domesticate them thusly. Even house cats have been domesticated a 'short' amount of time historically speaking. Well. you MIGHt be able to, but it'd be extreamly dangerous to try, for both you and anyone near by. but for them 'Not being strong enough'. Heh.

I know what you're trying to say. The skeletal structure and hip joints are built for bearing great loads and what not. I'm just saying even built like they are, some puny human hanging onto them isn't even gonna slow um down. They'll just twist around and kill you before your 'Ride" goes 10 feet.

((And IRL you'd deserve it for trying to ride a tiger. In a fantasy or game setting... .GIDDY UP FLUFFY!!! YAAA KITTY!! YAA!!!))

Pepsi Jedi wrote:

Sir_Spirit wrote:

Pepsi Jedi wrote:Depends on the size of the dog and cat.

If you mean a Yorkie, or a house cat, probably not unless you're fairy sized. if you're talking a tiger, you 'can',

NOpe, it's back isn't stiff enough to support you.

LOL A tiger is plenty strong enough. You would 'Saddle' it up close to the front shoulders.

People seriously underestimate big cat's strength (( and severely over estimate a horses)). Tigers weigh from 300 to 800lbs, a

You are going on about muscles which has little to do with an animals ability to carry you. I know just how strong they are. Muscles aren't what lets a horse carry you around(it does help, but alone muscles can't do it...)
Cat's backs are too flexible to carry you, even near their shoulders, and their feet aren't designed to carry that wait.
Hmm, maybe a male lion could?
But I doubt it.
ANd I haven't even got to the issues of stamina...(which is oneof the reasons, along with the back thing, that bear cavalry is just a fictional idea.)

However, this is only for real cats. Fictional ones can easily do so.
So just get your character a fictional one.

Pfft. Tigers are over-rated anyway: real men ride an ostrich into battle!

I vote for the terror bird!


Daniel Stoker

Those are mentioned in the after the bomb stuff on Metazoic land. Apperently "Before the bomb" Some were recreated for zoo's and stuff but they didn't go over well. They kept looking at kids and small people like they wanted to eat them and it unnerved people.... then they started to eat their Zoo keepers. LOL

Pepsi Jedi wrote:Those are mentioned in the after the bomb stuff on Metazoic land. Apperently "Before the bomb" Some were recreated for zoo's and stuff but they didn't go over well. They kept looking at kids and small people like they wanted to eat them and it unnerved people.... then they started to eat their Zoo keepers. LOL

After seeing how my mom's evil parrot acted and what it tried to do to me... I would totally believe that.


Daniel Stoker

No, but it did like stealing chicken legs...


Daniel Stoker

What book is this power listed in, one of the PU books?
What sort of limitations are there on the intelligence of the creature ? For example if you came across a dragon could you bend it to your will ? What about a race of animal like aliens, or is the power limited to actual animals, bears, wolves, birds, etc?
If somehow a dinosaur was brought forward in time would your powers work on it?

This is in Power Unlimited 1,page 13.

thers also Beast Master,I do not get it,Why thers two Minor powers for controling Animals.
If It was Up to me I would make Beast Master a Major Power.

Razzinold wrote:What book is this power listed in, one of the PU books?
What sort of limitations are there on the intelligence of the creature ? For example if you came across a dragon could you bend it to your will ? What about a race of animal like aliens, or is the power limited to actual animals, bears, wolves, birds, etc?
If somehow a dinosaur was brought forward in time would your powers work on it?

It means animals. Non sentient beings. Not Dragons or aliens that can think. if you go down that route Humans are just 'animals' too.

The 'intent' is dogs and cats and bats and bears. Not humans or aliens or dragons.

dinosaurs could be fun.

thers also Beast Master,I do not get it,Why thers two Minor powers for controling Animals.

Animal brother only lets you control one animal(well, at first). THe rest just ignore you. Beastmaster lets you control all animals.

Rappanui wrote:circus trainer riding a tiger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkOEJ_BIHYE
note, her position, and note, the tiger was pissed after about a minute.

Pfft, like circus animals are real....


More seriously, they lack the stamina to be ridden to war/battle. That cat lasted about a minute. and that was with a small women.

Use the major Summon Netherbeast/Devilsteed power to yank some thing nifty over..