Besides the domestic/herd/riding type animals, what other animals might be kept around for protection or other uses in #DarkSun?
Cilops (tracking)
Jhakar (protection)
Rasclinn?
Tigone?
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Bog waders and agony beetles are used as bioweapons.
Cistern fiends are used to purify (and collect!) water.
Pulp bee for honey and pulp.
I seem to remember one or two other beasts that if trained from young could be used as trackers…
Boneclaw
Tagster
Zhackal
Purple Caterpillar to discipline slaves
Dhaggoran for hunting?
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Aurumvorax - for protection though not in any 2e books, they were in Wake of the Ravager and Crimson Sands computer games
Vermin. Bettles, insects, centipededs etc all of Various types
Any of the great cats.
Basilisks
Cockatrices
Lizards - just about of any type
Lirrs
Reptiles -just about of any type
Giant dragonflies
Goats, Rams, sheep
Rabbits
Rats
Roc’s
Sand howlers
Wyverns
Z’ock’n
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Aurumvorax were in the Monstrous Manual. What do you mean they weren’t in the 2e books? Pretty sure they went further back than that too. Yep, 1e Fiend Folio.
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They may have been listed in a few D&D products but they weren’t referenced in any 2nd ed Dark Sun book products as a creature found on Athas. However, they were presented as creatures on Athas in 2 of the 3 computer games.
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I noticed a reference to figurines of wondrous power; only the fly and lion were allowed, indicating that all other listed animals do not exist on Athas.
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Hello all! Long, long time lurker, first time poster here.
I couldn’t help but amend the stat block for Aurumvorax to bring them more in line with Athas given that they’re most well known for consuming materials that are alarmingly scarce on Athas.
Allow me to present my take on the Athasian Aurumvorax, I would welcome any assistance in balancing the XP Value. I am unsure of how much to bump the XP Value given the differences from the ‘stock’ Aurumvorax.
Athasian Aurumvorax
Climate/Terrain: Rainforest/Scrub Plains
Frequency: Very Rare (Rare during High Sun)
Organization: Solitary (Businesses/Mated Pairs possible during High Sun)
Activity Cycle: Diurnal
Diet: Aumnivore
Intelligence: Low (4-5)
Treasure: See Below
Alignment: Neutral
Number Appearing: 1 (2 if Mated Pair; 2d4+4 if Business)
Armor Class: 0
Movement: 9, Br 3
Hit Dice: 12
Thac0: 9
Number of Attacks: 1 Bite
Damage/Attack: 2d4+7
Special Attacks: Claw Grasp, Claw Rake, Venomous Saliva, War Dance
Special Defenses: Dense Body, Metallic Hide
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Small (3’ long)
Morale: Fearless (19-20)
XP Value: 9,000 (this needs adjusted up due to additional capabilities)
Psionics Summary: Dis 3/Sci 6/Dev 17; PS 16; PSPs 156; Att PsC; Def M-, TW
Psychokinesis-- Sciences: Molecular Rearrangement, Telekinesis, Telekinetic Barrier; Devotions: Control Light, Inertial Barrier, Magnetize, Mass Manipulation, Molecular Agitation, Molecular Manipulation, Soften, Static Discharge
Psychometabolism-- Sciences: Energy Containment, Life Draining; Devotions: Accelerate, Biofeedback, Body Equilibrium, Catfall, Chameleon Power, Heightened Senses
Clairsentience-- Science: Detection; Devotions: Danger Sense, Know Location, Radial Navigation
Legendary creatures dating to Ages past, they are exceedingly rare post-Green Age. The fact that they continue to exist regardless of the dearth of metals on Athas is a testament to their tenacity. Highly territorial and not afraid to engage creatures many times their size, Athasian Aurumvorax deserve their reputation as creatures best avoided. If you see an Athasian Aurumvorax and they’re not trying to eat your face, they’re on the trail of a better source of precious metals.
Legend describes them as having ‘coarse golden hair with eyes of silver’ and being ‘broad muscular beasts with claws and teeth of copper’. Experience will likely display a creature leaner and less hairy than described, with metallic alloy skin glimmering faintly red in the crimson sun. Picture an oversized, eight legged, silver-eyed, green-nosed, rose gold-skinned ferret foaming gallium at the mouth. Despite their small size, they’re extraordinarily dense creatures that are surprisingly agile and sneaky for weighing 350 lbs or more (well and properly fed Athasian Aurumvorax can weigh upwards of 800lbs).
Combat
The Athasian Aurumvorax will engage any creatures who it perceives as disrespecting its territory. It will bite at its prey to secure a grip with its powerful jaws (19 Strength on the bite) and allow its venomous saliva to begin its work (save vs breath weapon every round or take 2d4 damage as your flesh transmutes to metallic slag in its mouth). It technically can stop attacking the prey at this point since, if it can’t kill them before their saliva turns it into a cake of slag, they’ll just die and the Aurumvorax can digest them at its leisure. A successful bite also grants a free Claw Grasp attack, wrapping the two front pairs of Claws onto their prey dealing 2d4+2 (17 Strength on the claws) each from 2d2 Claws and granting two extra holds that need to be broken free of if the grappled creature hopes to escape. The Athasian Aurumvorax will not let go until it or its prey is dead. Additionally, the successful bite gives a free Claw Rake from the two rear pairs of Claws dealing 2d4+2 each from 2d2 Claws. Prey held in the Athasian Aurumvorax jaws loses all AC bonus from Dexterity. Their dense body grants them 50% resistance to blunt weapons and all other forms of impact damage (50% reduction should be the last math calculated before applicable damage is recorded). Because of their metallic hides, each attack against them with a non-metal weapon has a 50% chance to break the weapon rather than inflicting damage (magical weapons reduce this chance by 10% per +). A surprised Athasian Aurumvorax generally reacts by War Dancing, where it arches its back and springs around in a 10’ diameter roughly circular pattern during its initial combat round. The fervor with which they throw their mass about, deals 4d4 to anyone in the area where the War Dance takes place. After the surprise wears off, they implement their typical hunting behavior. They are immune to Normal Fires and take only half damage from Magical Fire. Finally, they are immune to all poisons and gasses.
They have a terrifying arsenal of psionic powers at their disposal. They’ll hunt ore veins with Detection and Heightened Senses. If they can’t find their dietary preferences, they’ll stalk prey using Chameleon Power and apply Life Draining or Static Discharge if their formidable physical prowess isn’t sufficient to avail them. Biofeedback and Energy Containment can help further reduce damage taken. Inertial Barrier and Telekinetic Barrier to mitigate incoming missile fire and isolate prey. Molecular Rearrangement will allow them to still eat in the absence of meat or ore.
Habitat/Society
The Athasian Aurumvorax is a generally solitary creature that will roam scrub plains and range into rainforests in their search for prey. Athasian Aurumvorax will use dens of opportunity except when they’ve assembled as businesses for mating season.
They are obligate Aumnivores who’ve evolved over time to derive their required nutrients from other sources. They flourish most when able to directly consume raw precious metals (copper, gold, silver), better still if they are in the form of unsmelted ores. They can make due with flesh but it requires extra processing for digestion. For starters, their saliva turns their live prey into a worthless metallic slag that is suitable for their digestion. They will devour the pliable lead-like alloy voraciously within a few rounds (or a turn at most if near to their bodyweight in a single sitting). Soon afterwards, they’ll fall asleep so deeply they can be mistaken for dead (waking them now is the most likely time to see a War Dance) and this will last for minutes to hours depending on the size of the meal to be digested. When they wake, they’ll excrete Voraxium, which (in terms of Athasian Aurumvorax consumption) is a suitable substitute for processed or raw precious metals. Though they’ll eat the Voraxium, a trained tracker will spot the mercurial stains left on the ground.
Every seven years, during the High Sun season that opens the Seofean Year of Fury, Athasian Aurumvorax will gather in matriarchal groups of up to 12 (2d4+4, 60/40 female/male) called businesses. Businesses gather for the purpose of mate selection with females dominating the process. Businesses will remain in close proximity for the duration of the mating season, though will pair off beginning in the last week of Hoard (and prior to Zenalia at the latest). Males generally collaborate in mutually beneficial defense and hunting activities while the females effectively hibernate through gestation (though all members of the business get a +2 to all attack rolls in defense of their territory during mating season). These collaborative exercises prepare the Dads for fatherhood. Gestation takes 75 days and can produce 3-6 young per litter. The young are ready to leave the den after another 75 days but will need to be rescued by Dad before that. Athasian Aurumvorax Moms have about two months in their patience tank and then they start viewing their young as food. Dad will usually evict Mom around day 50 to provide more food for the young (as well as for their safety). The young will rely on Dad until approximately their second Dessalia, when Dad will instigate dispersal as they’ll be physically mature at this point.
Many Dwarves take foci that involve hunting the Athasian Aurumvorax. They’re hesitant to explain however the legends speak plain; dwarves were the first to domesticate and proliferate the Athasian Aurumvorax. This is pointed to by many scholars as the primary explanation of why Athas is so very metal poor.
Ecology
Athasian Aurumvorax hide can be crafted into a garment by a craftsperson proficient with both Leatherworking and Metalworking. One hide can make one set of size Small clothes that provide AC 3 or a Breastplate for a size Medium creature that provides AC 5. They are extremely heavy however, weighing 50 lbs for either option. These garments are also extremely valuable, potentially fetching 2k gp or more. Even more valuable than the garments, are the live young collected as still blind kits since they can be used to farm precious metals. Athasian Aurumvorax corpses can be smelted to produce an amount of Voraxium equal to 60% of the weight fed to the smelter (300 lbs of Athasian Aurumvorax into the smelter yields 180 lbs of Voraxium out of it). If the hide is smelted intact with the rest of the carcass, adjust to 80% yield and calculate for an additional 50 lbs (350lbs of Athasian Aurumvorax+Intact Hide into the smelter yields 280 lbs of Voraxium out of it)
Voraxium can be smelted into 1 part glass, 2 parts copper, 2 parts gold, 2 parts silver and 3 parts mercury.
Yes, I greatly miss my ferrets.
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