a5 dogs life - beyond belief games · it’s a dog’s life is a role-playing game (rpg). in rpgs...

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Acknowledgements

Game Design

Simon Washbourne

Play testers

Annette Washbourne, Nigel Uzzell, Janine Uzzell, Phil Ratcliffe, Mark George, Alyson George, Ian Greenwood, Paul Simonet, Leigh Wakefield,

Mike Richards, Alison Richards, Gary Collett,

Stephanie N Small & “Leftyleo”.

Artwork Cover: Meg Baker

Interior: Gill Pearce, Meg Baker & Stephanie N Small

It’s a Dog’s Life © 2008 by Simon Washbourne

All rights reserved.

Contents

I What is this? 1

II Great Home 5

III Characters & Roles 20

IV Abilities 44

V Barks 53

VI Tooth & Claw 60

VII Gamesmastering 66

VIII Critters 73

IX Adventures 84

X Appendices 99

IT’S A DOG’S LIFE

1

WHAT IS THIS?

Introduction

It’s a Dog’s Life is a role-playing game (RPG). In RPGs the action takes

place in the imagination of the players rather than on a board as in other types of game. By using a set of rules as a framework, the players create

game characters (player characters or PCs which, in this game, are prairie

dogs) to act as their alter egos, living in the world they have created. In essence, the players are creating a story as they go and much of the story

is simply a verbal interchange between the players.

One of the players takes the role of the gamesmaster (GM). This player

has the task of creating the adventures, much like an author writing a sto-

ry. (Interestingly, It’s a Dog’s Life has been described as ‘Watership

Down’ on the Great Plains). However, unlike an author, the GM doesn’t always know what the characters will do. This is because the other players

are playing those characters. The GM directs the flow of the game, de-

scribes the things that the characters see and hear (and smell and taste) and speaks for the other characters (critters) that they come across during the


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course of the adventure.

Sometimes the outcome of a character’s action is not a foregone conclu-

sion and this is where these rules will help. These rules describe how the GM and players can determine the success or otherwise of the actions of

their prairie dogs as they adventure across the plains. This is a deliberately

‘rules-light’ game. This means that there are not rules for every thing that characters might want to do, but the rules are simple enough to cater for

most things with a little judgment. Even so, if the rules start getting in the

way of telling a good story, then ignore them or use them sparingly.

It’s a Dog’s Life is a fantasy game, but not in the traditional sense of

elves, dwarves, magic and swordplay. The prairie dogs in this game take

the place of the heroes that you might be used to playing. Although It’s a Dog’s Life is fantasy it does have its basis in reality and a lot of what is

written about prairie dogs in these rules is taken from fact. There are more

real-life facts about prairie dogs in the last chapter of this book, just in case you are interested. Some of these facts might even find their way into

your own games and they will certainly help you understand more about

these interesting critters. However, the game is not about playing real prai-

rie dogs but fantasy ones. So don’t let real-life natural history rule your games - after all this is a game, so just go and have some fun with it!

Dice in the game

In most role-playing games dice are used to judge whether a character

succeeded at a task and It’s a Dog’s life is no different in this respect. The

dice used are twenty-sided dice (denoted as d20) and standard six-sided dice (denoted as d6). Sometimes more than on d6 will be rolled and this is

denoted by a number in front of the ‘d6’, so if 2 dice are needed, the nota-

tion would be 2d6. Sometimes a number is to be added to or subtracted from the result of the dice roll. That would be denoted as d6+1, or d6-1

and so on. Occasionally, these rules talk about d3 or d2. In the former

case, this means that the result of the dice roll is divided by two (rounded

WHAT IS THIS?

3

up) and in the second case, the result is divided by 3 (in effect a 1, 2 or 3

=1 and a 4,5 or 6 = 2).

D20 The d20 is used when rolling to see whether an ability has been used suc-

cessfully or not. The number rolled needs to be lower than the target

number.

D6

The d6 is used when creating your character attributes and when rolling

for damage in Tooth & Claw. In these cases, generally speaking, the higher the number, the better.

Example of role-play

GM: Recently some dogs have gone missing including the healer, Sedge.

He was last seen yesterday around sunrise, harvesting some plants that

grow a short distance from Great Home

Nicky: (playing a Brave called Burrow-Digger) That’s not good, is he our

only Healer?

GM: No, fortunately, but he is a very wise dog, who is thought to grow

the best crop of Dropseed anywhere. He also brought back a mighty Brave from death once, with a single Bark.

Nicky: Wow, very skilled!

GM: Yes and several Scouts including Moon-Dog and Swiftly-Finds-Stuff

wish to go and find him. But they need a strong Brave and they ask you

and your twin brother, Dark-Paw (a Sentinel) to go with them. Steve: (Speaking as Dark-Paw) “Sister, I think we must go with them and

find what has happened to Sedge”.


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Nicky: “Yes, you are right brother. Moon-Dog, we will go with you and

Swiftly-Finds-Stuff, if you show us the way”.

GM: You all begin to scamper through the wilderness of the prairie. It is particularly dry at the moment and dust begins to settle in your fur as you

travel. You come to the outer edges of the town past the older disused bur-

rows and growing plots. Make a Watching Ability roll, if you do not have Watching, the default is your dog’s Alertness.

Nicky: Burrow-Digger has not got Watching, but Alertness is 3 and (rolls

a dice) I rolled a 15….oops! Not a good roll.

Steve: Aha, of course Dark-Paw does have Watching 3, and with his

Alertness of 5, I need 8. I rolled 4 any good?

GM: You see a small speck of red liquid. You have seen this stuff before.

Blood!

Steve: “LOOK!” says Dark-Paw, speaking sharply but quietly.

GM: The Scouts offer to look around and they easily follow the path of blood and the sick smell gets stronger.

Nicky: “This isn't good. We should be careful”

GM: suddenly you come upon the disturbing and sickening body of a

dismembered prairie dog…….……..and so on. The game is afoot!

5

GREAT HOME

The Tribe

I am Talks-With-Birds, the High Speaker of Great Home. I speak for High

Chief Strong-Heart and it falls upon me therefore, to tell you something about the way we live.

Strong-Heart has his burrow right in the middle of our town of Great Home. In his burrow are his own personal chambers and the chambers of

his immediate family, called his Tribe. The Lodge is also here and it us in

this hallowed hall that the Great Councils take place between Strong-Heart and all the other Tribal Chiefs. Of course, Tribal Speakers also at-

tend the Great Council, so the Lodge is well known to me. We use it for

our own Tribal Councils too.

We are the Dawn Eagle Tribe and we are ably led by Strong-Heart and his

mate Berry. Then there is myself and the ten other Elders of the Tribe to-

gether with our own mates and pups and other adults.


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The Elders are: Leaf-Paw, the Healer (my own mate), Storm and Crow-

Face the Sentinels, the Scouts Wander-Free and Lone-Dog and the Braves

Many-Scars, Snaggle-Tooth, Stone-Paw and Torn-Ear. The remaining

adults have no particular role in our family other than to share food gath-ering duties, dig new chambers, look after the young pups, clean out our

burrows and so on. Some of them are old and just happy that they are still

useful to the Tribe and others are yet young and eager to take up more challenging roles when they are ready.

Our Tribal Totem, the Dawn Eagle comes from our legendary hero Flies-

With-Eagles. She taught us our Tribal Bark, which has been passed down many generations and many of our traditions come from her time, like the

Tradition of Feathers. This is where young adults are first given their offi-

cial Roles in the Tribe. At this stage, we hold a ceremony whereby they receive their first feather, denoting their new status. Later, additional

feathers can be awarded for acts of bravery and so on, as when Flies-

With-Birds fought the Eagle to save her pups.

GREAT HOME

7

Anyway, I digress. Our lands consist of a number of burrows and cham-

bers connected by tunnels, Just beneath the entrance to our homes, we

have built a listening post so that our Sentinels can wait and check for

sounds before risking their heads by looking out of the entrance hole.

Above ground, we construct mounds for our Sentinels to have a good

view of the surrounding area. From here they can watch for predators whilst our pups play and whilst Leaf-Paw and her helpers work on their

plots, tending the plants that grow all around our tribal lands.

The burrows of the other tribes that make up Great Home radiate out from our home burrows like the rays from the sun. The nearer burrows are

reserved for the tribes of the greatest status. This is a simple question of

the size and the strength of the tribe.

The most fertile soils are right here in the centre of Great Home. This is

where the grasses and plants are more succulent and receive the attention of the best Healers of Great Home.

Most of the burrows are connected by one route or another underground,

but only the Scouts know all of the underground ways. Journeys across town are usually quicker using the best-known paths, which are normally

partly above and partly below. Sentinels guard the entrances and exits of

the common ways.

The further out from the centre of Great Home you go, the tougher life is

for the tribes that live there. On the outer fringes of the town, a little less than half a day away, the tribes are the smallest and have the least status.

They are the first to be attacked when there are predators about, their

crops are the poorest and beyond them is only the vast open expanse of

the untamed prairie.

These lesser tribes often have no Speaker or Healer and so tend to be

poorly represented at Tribal Councils (if their Chiefs bother to attend at all) and they often rely upon other tribes for help when they have sickness


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or injury. Their Scouts are amongst the most adventurous though and they

know the most about what exists beyond the outer reaches of the town.

The burrows nearer the centre change paws from time to time as tribes gain in strength and others lose some of their power or status. Sometimes

there are skirmishes between the tribes and these can lead to raids and

open slaughter. The Councils are where grievances are supposed to be aired, but this doesn’t always happen.

So it is a constant battle for tribes to maintain their position. We have to

ensure that one day, when the time is right, our Chief Strong-Heart is re-placed by a powerful Brave, lest one of the other tribes seek to usurp our

own place at the centre of Great Home. Fortunately, that day is far off, as

Strong-Heart is still in the full flush of his vigour and youth.

Feather Tradition

The Tradition of Feathers is an old one dating back to the time of Flies-With-Eagles. Although the eagle is our Totem, feathers of many different

kinds can be worn. Other tribes have adopted the tradition, even though

their own Totems might be some other critter. Some tribes don’t use feathers as adornments - they use bits of twigs, old bones, sharp thorns or

porcupine quills - sometimes pushed through their ears or other parts.

Within the tribe, wearing feathers denotes the status of the wearer. Ini-

tially, one feather is awarded for a dog that is given a Role within the

tribe. For many members of the tribe, this is the height of their status and

they are never awarded more than one. Other, more adventurous dogs go on to be decorated with two or more feathers.

The feathers are held in place by a cunning method. First of all, a dog chews the quill of the feather so that it becomes rough and serrated. Then

a paste of plant juices and special saps is applied to give the serrated edges

GREAT HOME

9

extra hold. Once in place, the feather will normally hold good for many

moons before it needs fixing again.

Feathering Ceremony A prairie dog is awarded her first feather when she has been assigned a

Role in the Tribe. This feather is presented by Chief Strong-Heart in a

grand Feathering Ceremony. The whole ceremony is presided over by my-self and is a moment of great pride for the recipient and great joy for the

rest of the Tribe. Much merrymaking and a lot of playful frolicking takes

place afterwards (if you get my drift). Our Sentinels need to be extra

watchful on these occasions and I take great pains to ensure that all of the Dreamcatchers hanging around the Lodge are in perfect condition in case

a ferret or coyote should be wandering past.

For the purposes of the game, you can assume that the player characters

have already received their first feather. In fact, a great place to start

your campaign might actually be at the Feathering Ceremony itself. All

the player characters could be young pups who have just been assigned their Roles and are together in the Lodge nervously awaiting the arrival

of Chief Strong-Heart with the feathers that mark their new status in the

Tribe.

Earning more feathers

Whilst most dogs only ever receive the one feather, some dogs go on to

earn further feathers, normally for acts of bravery but there are other things that can earn a dog a feather. Braves will obviously earn feathers

for courageous acts, out-Stancing dangerous enemies, leading the Tribe to

victory over another tribe and so on. Healers may earn feathers for finding a cure for the Black Death or nursing an important Tribal Elder back to

health after injury. Scouts can earn feathers for finding new sources of

food or for locating new lands to build new towns.


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Dreamcatchers An extension of the Feather tradition, Dream-

catchers are fetishes made by Speakers and

Healers of great power and wisdom. The require-ment is that they have Plant Lore, Critter Lore and

Wisdom all of 4 or greater, before they can make

one. Of course, 2 or 3 dogs working together can

make one, provided each requisite is covered by one or more of the dogs.

Dreamcatchers are crafted to protect against cer-tain predators and to drive them away. The type of

critter is specified beforehand (because the feath-

ers and grasses used differ for each critter type, as does the arrangement and design of the fetish).

The Dreamcatcher requires a minimum of 3 dif-

ferent grasses and feathers from 2 different birds

You note the number of feathers that your dog has won on your char-acter sheet, in the space provided. Each feather gives your prairie dog

extra status within the Tribe. A dog with two feathers is always classed

as a Tribal Elder and this has its own privileges. However, the per-sonal effect on a dog with a feather or two is extraordinary. A feather

seems to instil a sense of self-belief and pride, a feeling that the dog is

protected by the spirits of the dogs of the ancient Legends.

This translates, in game terms, to a resource that can be drawn upon

from time to time during the game session, to improve a character’s

chances of succeeding at actions they would otherwise have failed at. For each feather that a dog has, she can draw upon this inner spirit

once per adventure, to add a bonus of +2 to a single dice roll and turn

a failure into a success. There is more about this in the chapter headed Abilities. If a feather is used in this way, it doesn’t go away, it is avail-

able to be used again in the same way in the next adventure.

GREAT HOME

11

to work. It also requires successful Very Hard Critter Lore and Plant Lore

rolls, otherwise all it is a very interesting but useless trinket.

A Dreamcatcher will only work once against one critter of the type it was designed to ward against. Once used, it no longer has the power against

the critter and a new one must be made. However, if all the rolls are suc-

cessful in the making, it will never fail. How long the critter stays away is another matter!

There will usually be Dreamcatchers all around The Lodge to protect the

tribe whilst they are at their Councils.

Daubing

Speakers have devised a way of mixing mud of various hues (sometimes mixed with plant extracts for extra variety) and daubing this mixture onto

the fur of prairie dogs—Braves and Scouts are particularly keen on these

markings and they often wear them when preparing for battle or adventure

as a kind of ‘war paint’. The designs are stylised and based on the shapes and markings of various critters of the prairie.

Tribal Legends

The Prairie Dog and the Coyote (Adapted from Native American Folklore)

Long ago it is said that somewhere out there beyond the big prairie, prairie dogs had a town. It is also known that the ancient prairie dogs used to roll

big rocks over their burrows at night whilst they were sleeping to keep out

the rattler and the ferret as even in those far away days, these were our enemies.


12

Then one day, those prairie dogs having gathered together were merry-

making and dancing outside their homes. As they were continuing in this

way, Coyote arrived among them.

Coyote said, “You are all dancing?”

“Yes”, they replied.

“All of you shut your houses tightly. We will dance. All keep coming, all

keep coming”, said the Coyote. “All of you dancing, holding paws with

each other, come with your eyes tightly closed”.

So, the prairie dogs closed up their tunnels with the rocks they used for

that purpose and began to dance with Coyote. As they danced, Coyote

grinned a wicked grin, showing his sharp teeth. From one end of the long line of dancers, he came biting them. One of the more wary prairie dogs

hadn’t shut his eyes as tightly as the others, for he was not taken in. He

saw that Coyote was biting the dancers. That one, whose name was Watcher said, “Everyone Run! He is come killing us!”

Those ones who heard Watcher ran to their homes. As they were unable to

get into their burrows quickly because they had closed the entrances, Coyote continued biting. The Coyote then piled together all he had bitten

and ate a great feast.

Prairie dogs no longer bar the entrances to their homes and always ensure

that their Sentinels are watchful in case Coyote should ever come back to

trick his way into their towns.

Thunderhoof and Kynos

For a long time Bison ruled the plains. They roamed where they wanted and because of their huge size, were untroubled by coyotes and eagles

who hunted smaller prey.

Kynos, The Lord of the prairie dogs being mindful of what Coyote had

GREAT HOME

13

done to another town, saw that the plains could be a safe home to both

dogs and bison. So went out to find Thunderhoof, the Lord of the Bison to

seek his permission to live on the plains.

Thunderhoof laughed at the audacity of the little dog who approached him

and was tempted to squash him under his mighty hoof. However, Kynos persisted and said “If you let us build our homes on your plains, we will

forever tend the crops and grasses that grow there and in doing so will

ensure that even in times of drought there is food to sustain all of us”.

Thunderhoof was impressed with the fearlessness of the prairie dog and

could see how this arrangement would benefit his herd. He was particular-

ly aware of the suffering that his herd had endured the last time that drought came to the plain. So he removed his hoof from over Lord Kynos

and nodded his great shaggy head in assent.

Since that day, prairie dogs and bison have become great friends. Kynos brought his tribe to the prairie and founded the First Town, which he

named Thundertown after the Bison Lord.


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GREAT HOME

15

The Scout and The Owl (Adapted from Native American Folklore)

Once, long, long ago, there stood a large prairie dog town at the base of a

mountain. This town may or may not have been Thundertown, the tale is not clear. All around about the base of this mountain were the sky-holes

and door-mounds and pathways of the grandfathers of the prairie dogs. At

the very top of the mount was the home of a wise old Burrowing-owl.

One summer it rained and it rained and it rained. As it rained, so the wa-

ters rose to the tops of the dog’s best crops of dropseed and blue grama.

The prairie dogs did not like this for it made them wet and threatened their homes. Then the prairie dogs began to curse the rain, for they could no

longer go to the fields to collect food. The Elders decided to call a Great

Council. Every-dog trooped to the council, which was gathered in the Great Lodge.

“Now,” said the chief, who may or may not have been Lord Kynos, for

again the tale is unclear, “Our fields are flooded. We are short of leg and we can't go into the lakes to gather food, and here we are therefore going

hungry”.

They talked and talked but could find no answer until at last a young

Scout piped up that it would be well to apply to their grandfather, the Bur-

rowing-owl, who lived in the top of the mountain. The Scout, called Swift-Paw, was chosen as messenger to the Burrowing-owl. He climbed

to the top of the mountain and respectfully asked the owl for his help. The

old grandfather Burrowing-owl, asked what was the matter.

“My grandfather,” said the prairie dog, "in council we have considered

how to stop the rains; but all of our efforts and devices are quite futile, so

that we are forced to apply to you."

“Ah, indeed,” said the old Owl, scratching the corner of his eye with his

claw. “Go down home, and I will see what I can do tomorrow morning.


16

As you all know very well, I am a Speaker. I will set aside four days for

fasting and meditation and sacred labours. Please await the result.”

The youngster humbly bade him farewell and departed for his town be-low.

Next morning the Burrowing-owl gathered a large quantity of beans, of the kind that smell not pleasantly. He went about for a long time, hunting

at the roots of bushes. At last he found one of those ill-smelling beetles,

with its head stuck way down in the midst of the roots. He grabbed him up

and took him home.

When he arrived there, he gave the beetle a great pile of beans to eat.

Then, when the beetle had finished, he placed another great pile before him. The beetle ate them all till he was broad of girth.

While the feast was going on the Owl found round piece of buckskin and he was running a thread of twisted grasses round about the edge of it with

his beak and claws, leaving two strings at either side, like the strings with

which one draws together a pouch.

Then he grasped the beetle and squeezed the beetle into the bag. Not so

strongly that he was killed, but so that he exhaled a great deal of foul wind

into the bag. The bag was swelled until it was so full with struggling wind that it could hardly be tied up.

When the morning of the fourth day came, and the rain still continued, in fact increased, the old Owl took the bag of wind out to the mount before

his doorway.

Now, you know that if one goes near a Tip-beetle and disturbs him, that Tip-beetle will rear himself on his hands and head and disgorge breath of

so pungent a nature that nobody can withstand it. Woe to the nose of that

dog who is in the neighbourhood! It will be so seared with this over-powering odour that it cannot sneeze, though desiring never so much to do

GREAT HOME

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so. You also know how too many beans affect a dog. Conceive then, the

power of the medicine contained in that little bag.

The old Owl hit the bag one whack of his wing. The clouds, before so thick, glaring with lightning, trembling and swirling with thunder, now

began to thin out in the zenith and depart, and the sunlight sifted through.

The Owl hit the bag another stroke, behold, afar off scudded the clouds as before a fierce blast. Again the old Owl hit the bag with a huge beat of his

wing. The clouds were resting on the far away mountain-tops before he

had lowered his wing. Then, with one mighty effort, he gave the bag a

final whack, wholly emptying it of its contents, and the sky was as clear as it is on a summer's day.

Out from their holes trooped the prairie dogs, and sitting up on their haunches all round about the mountain, they shouted at the tops of their

shrill voices, in praise of their great Speaker, the Grandfather Burrowing-

owl. Behold, thus it was in the days of the ancients. And for that reason prairie-dogs and burrowing-owls have always been great friends.

The Eagle and the Brave

The Brave, Broken-Paw (named after an injury from a fall as a pup) was watching over her pups one day, when a nearby Sentinel let out a warning

bark that told of the approach of an eagle.

Broken-Paw tried in vain to get all her pups to safety, but the shadow that

passed overhead told her that she was too late. Without thinking, she leapt

towards the massive feathered beast that was swooping down on her terri-

fied pups. She hit the eagle and dug her claws and teeth into its side.


18

The startled eagle

took off not ex-

pecting such a

savage attack, taking the fearless

prairie dog with

him. The eagle managed to hook

her into his sharp

talons and sped

off towards the mountains with its

struggling prey.

Broken-Paw was

not yet finished.

She bit into the eagle’s leg and

started to draw

blood. The eagle

was in pain and decided that there

must be easier

ways to eat and so dropped the prairie dog, who fell a long way down to the earth.

Broken-Paw was badly broken again, but the Sentinels had seen where she fell and directed the Scouts to find her. They brought her back to be

healed and found gripped tightly in her teeth an eagle feather. It was this,

they say, that slowed her fall and saved her life.

She earned her new name Flies-With-Eagles and so began the Tradition of

Feathers - the wearing of feathers in the fur, both for passing into adult-

hood and for acts of bravery.

GREAT HOME

19

The Sentinel and the Grasshopper Now many moons ago there was a town out on the prairie where lived the

Sentinel, Stands-Tall. The Dark Death had been striking at every town

across the prairie at this time and no-dog knew the cause, but the town was afraid and the Sentinels were alert for danger.

Now a little grasshopper came hopping along to the edge of Stands-Tall’s vision. Many Sentinels had ignored the little grasshopper for they are no

threat to town or tribe. However, Stands-Tall was ever cautious and shout-

ed to the grasshopper to go away. The grasshopper smiled and said “But I

am not harmful to you”.

The Sentinel re-

mained firm and said again “Leave our

town, or I will bite

you” and with that

the grasshopper left.

Now I am not saying

that grasshoppers are responsible for

bringing down the

Dark Death, but what I will say is that the

plague persisted and

for many moons oth-

er tribes suffered horribly. However,

not one prairie dog

from Stands-Tall’s town has ever died

from the Dark Death

since that day.

20

CHARACTERS & ROLES

First steps

The first step for a player of It’s a Dog’s Life is to make a prairie dog

character. The GM will not do this; he has plenty of other things to do but he will help you through the process. For a start, the GM will describe

some of the background and stuff that your character would know about

Great Home and the prairie dog traditions. This will help you decide what kind of Role you might like for your character; that is whether you want a

big tough Brave, a stalwart Sentinel or a slightly unhinged Speaker.

The steps of the character creation process are as follows:

Roll attributes - you roll a single dice for each of the four attributes of

Size, Agility, Alertness and Wisdom. There is an optional method, which your GM will explain if he is happy for you to use this other method. Put

the resulting numbers in the spaces on your character sheet.

CHARACTERS & ROLES

21

Choose a characteristic - you need to think about what physical or social

feature is the most apparent thing about your character. Write this down

on your sheet.

Dreams - you need to know what are the aims or goals that drive your dog

to a life of adventure, rather than just stay safe and secure in Great Home

like the vast majority of prairie dogs. Write your Dream down on your sheet.

Feathers - all player characters have been presented with their very first

feather for being accepted into their Role in the Tribe. Put a ‘1’ in the space on your sheet.

Wound points - add six plus the Size attribute of your character and write this number down on your character sheet.

Choose a Role - there are six Roles, although the Wildling isn’t a Role as such. Check that your dog has the minimum Attribute required for the

Role chosen. Write your chosen Role on your sheet.

Barks and Abilities - Write down the Barks and Abilities that your char-acter automatically receives for the Role you have chosen.

Select further Barks and Abilities - you get further points to increase your dog’s Barks and Abilities or to acquire new ones. Write the final lev-

els down in the space on your sheet.

Name your prairie dog - if you haven’t thought of a name already, you

need to chose one now.


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Creating your character

Attributes Attributes are a numerical way of defining a critter for game purposes.

They are the natural or born traits of the critter. They help determine what

a critter is capable of and form a yardstick for comparing the relative strengths and weaknesses of prairie dog characters and other critters.

To determine your characters attribute levels, simply roll one dice (d6) for each and write down the numbers in the order they appear on your prairie

dog character sheet. Now total up the numbers. If they equal or exceed 16,

do nothing more at this stage. If they total less than 16, you can add points

to any attribute, so that the overall total is brought up to 16. You cannot raise any individual attribute above 6 at this stage.

Alternative attribute method Some players pre-

fer to decide the

attributes for their

character in a non-random way. This

is often because

they already have a good idea of the

type of character

they want to play. If this is the case,

then this method

can be used. Sim-

ply distribute 16 points amongst the

four attributes in

CHARACTERS & ROLES

23

any way you like, subject to the usual minimum of 1 and the maximum of

6 in each attribute.

Using this method, you have more control over your character choices. However, you do not have the potential to end up with a truly magnificent

prairie dog, with high scores in every attribute.

Legendary Attributes

Attributes for prairie dogs are a maximum of 6 at the character creation

stage. Some critters have far higher attributes, particularly Size.

However, as characters are taken through their adventures and Prairie Tales begin to be made about them, their legendary status increases. This

is measured in the game by Legend Points (LP).

These are points that are given out by the GM at the end of adventures and

they may be used to increase Attributes above their starting levels.

Size This attribute is a measure of not only how big the critter is, but also its

hardiness, strength and general toughness. A big critter can get more

power into its bite, is more able to withstand punishment and appears more intimidating to smaller critters. Size is most important to Braves and

therefore needs to be 4 or more for a prairie dog to take this Role.

Agility This is a measure of the critter’s overall nimbleness, speed, surefootedness

and stealth. An agile critter is more likely to be able to scramble through

small gaps, dart swiftly over open terrain and outmanoeuvre a pursuer. It is most useful to Scouts and so prairie dogs need at least a 4 in this attrib-

ute to become a Scout.


24

Alertness This attribute is a measure of the critter’s overall attentiveness, taking into

account all of the senses - sight, scent, hearing and touch. It is used to be

aware of approaching predators or to notice unusual things a long way away. Because of this, Sentinels require at least 4 in Alertness.

Wisdom

Wisdom is important to both Healers and Speakers, both of whom require at least a 4 in this attribute. Wisdom is a measure of the critter’s knowl-

edge, memory, reasoning, will and worldliness. A high value in Wisdom

means the critter is likely to consider problems before acting, whereas those with low Wisdom often act rashly.

CHARACTERS & ROLES

25

Characteristics Your prairie dog character is different to the other dogs of the Tribe. This

is because she has been marked by Lord Kynos for heroic things and

eventually to have tales spoken about her exploits.

Because of this, your prairie dog is likely to have some characteristic or

trait that sets her apart from other dogs, so that they can see immediately that there is something special about her.

This characteristic can be physical or social and can initially been as either

a strength or a weakness, although this is not necessarily the case. It is simply something that makes your character a bit unusual. It must be

something that becomes obvious to other critters, if not straight away,

shortly after first meeting and associating with her.

The characteristic can be almost anything that your GM deems appropri-

ate. There are no special rules for them as they are simply designed to give

a little more ‘colour’ to your character and to be role-played accordingly.

If a situation crops up where you and your GM decide that the characteris-tic may prove an advantage (or handicap) then you may be able to have a

bonus or a penalty to a roll, but this option should be used sparingly.

Characteristics are simply intended as an aide to role-playing your charac-

ter, not as a specific part of the game mechanics.

Examples of characteristics

Physical - White fur, grey fur, matted fur, little or no fur, a streak of a dif-ferent colour running through the pelt, two-tone fur, large or deformed ear

or ears, different coloured eyes, only one eye, long snout, long tail, no tail,

deformed tail, deformed paw, unusual bark, unusual scent, cute, mean-looking, scarred, and so on.


26

Social - Excitable, bad tempered, lazy, humble, dreamer, likeable, nosey,

loner, forgetful, bossy, thoughtful, kind, determined, stuffy, and so on.

Dreams Ordinary prairie dogs do not have lofty aims. The height of their achieve-

ment will be finding a mate and rearing a family. They will be quite

content with this. Let’s face it, with all those predators about, living long enough to have a family is quite an achievement in itself!

However, this is not enough for player-characters. They are already marked for better things when they are born, so they tend to have loftier

goals, which are the characters Dreams. These are goals or aims that they

have and it is these goals that drive them to their life of adventure.

For many gaining their first feather is enough. They have a Role in their

Tribe, so they have status and this will mean that their voice will be heard

in Council and that they are more attractive to potential mates. For a few others this simply won’t do. They have much higher aims and their minds

are full of the legends of Thundertown, Kynos, Flies-With-Eagles and all

the other myriad of Prairie Tales recounted by their Speakers. They want to be spoken about with awe and reverence, they want to be the centre of

the great tales, and they want to do things that mean something.

For game purposes, it is simply a matter of deciding what makes your

prairie dog opt for a life of adventure rather than taking the easy option

that most other dogs take. Why does she want to cross the prairie? Why does she stand up to fearsome critters when others would just run? What

makes her tick?

Choose an interesting goal for your character. Something that she could reasonably achieve. Some of them are fairly short-term goals, such as

finding a mate or protecting a cub or things like that. These will tend to be

achievable in one or two sessions and will be classed as easy. Others are

CHARACTERS & ROLES

27

long-term and will only be reached after a great quest full of perilous en-

counters and difficult choices. These will be termed difficult.

You can make your dream as tough as you like. With the GMs help you need to determine whether it is easy, moderate or difficult to achieve and

assign a number to it of 1, 2 or 3 respectively. The number is the number

of extra Legend Points that your prairie dog will earn if she achieves her dream during the adventure or during a series of adventures. If she

achieves her dream, she can then add a new one to replace it.

Just about every dog has dreams of finding Thundertown. All dogs talk about it, but of course some Dream about it. You do not need to add this

Dream to your character sheet. It is assumed. It is known as The Great

Quest.

Feathers

Your character has a Role in the prairie dog society. Therefore she has

acquired her first feather already.

Example Dreams The Great Quest (5) Find a long lost sibling (1 or 2) Become a Tribal Elder (1) Become Chief of the Tribe (2) Become Chief of Great Home (3) Become Chief Speaker of Tribe (2)

Visit five Dog Towns and learn a new tale in each (2) Out-Stance a ferret (1) Kill a ferret single-pawed (2) Save an Elder’s life (2) Find a cure for The Dark Death (3) Found a new colony (2 or 3) Find a mate (1) Gain a second feather (1)

Gain several more feathers (2) Be awarded the most feathers ever (3) Follow the Bison-Way to the end (2 or 3)

Go up into the mountains (2)


28

Feathers are more than a mark of status to the wearer. They mean that the

character has proved herself to be worthy of respect and therefore it is a

matter of great personal pride to be awarded a feather. They are worn as a

badge of honour.

It is this great sense of personal achievement that can help your character

in dangerous situations. By drawing upon the spirit of her ancestor, or the spirit of her tribe, she can add +2 to any roll once per moon for each

feather she has been awarded.

Wound points Wound points are a numerical rating that helps you keep track of the inju-

ries that your prairie dog character might suffer during her adventures.

These wounds might be scratches and bites given by other critters during fights (Tooth & Claw). Wounds might also be caused by accidental

means, like falls and so on.

Your character has a number of wound points equal to 6 plus her Size at-tribute. So, with a Size of 4, your dog would have 10 wound points. (In

fact all critters in the game have wound points worked out on the same

basis. So, a Bison with a size of 54 would have 60 wound points).

As your character becomes injured, her wound points will fall by the

amount of damage suffered. When wound points reach 0, your prairie dog is unconscious and dying. She will need a Healer very quickly.

When wound points fall below 0, your prairie dog is dead.

Wound points may be recovered by rest and by healing through the Tend

Wounds ability of Healers. By resting, prairie dogs recover 1 wound point

each night. With a Healer tending them, they can recover 3 points every 2 nights of full rest.

CHARACTERS & ROLES

29

Using Tend Wounds, a Healer can lick a wound clean and heal injuries.

Using Plant Lore, Healers can restore lost wound points even more quick-

ly. See the Tend Wounds ability for more information about this.

Sometimes, even death is not the end for a prairie dog. There are Healers

out there who can recall the departing spirit with their Bark of Life. Check

out the section on Barks, for more information.

Names

Sometimes in role-playing games it is difficult to come up with suitable

names. In It’s a Dog’s Life it is vitally important not to choose a name that doesn’t sound right. The whole mood of a game can be changed if you

pick an unsuitable or outright silly name. ‘Deputy Dawg’ would be amus-

ing, but not at all in keeping.

Prairie dogs are often named for things that they might see around them,

for a characteristic of the dog or after another critter on the plains. Some-

times they are named, like Flies-With-Eagles, after something they have done. They may even be given a new name as a result of their exploits,

again like Flies-With-Eagles.

Role

Selecting your Role will give you additional abilities. Roles are discussed in more detail later.

Example names for prairie dogs Dreams-of-Mountains, Stone-Face, Dark-Eye, Runs-With-Bison, Moon-Face, Bright-Eye, Burrow-Digger, Sharp-Sight, Never-Fear, Far-Gaze, Star-Dreams, Snake-Friend, Wolf-Dog, Gorse, Thorn, Sand, Cloud, Eats-Too-Much, Long-Tooth, Quick-Foot,

Sees-All, Little-Mouse, Bison's-Bark, Sleepy-Head, Always-Hiding.


30

Your character will start with level 1 in each of his Unique Ability,

Unique Bark, Tribal Bark and Second Ability.

Prairie dogs also get a Tribal Bark. This Bark is unique to the Tribe and all members are taught it from a very early age. Barks are dealt with in

greater depth in a later chapter.

You then have a further 6 points to distribute amongst these Barks and

Abilities as you wish.

After that, you have a further 6 points to obtain levels in any other freely available abilities or allowed Barks or to improve those you have already

from your Role. However, no Ability or Bark may be improved to higher

than 6 at this stage.

Example of character creation

First of all I roll a dice four times, getting 2, 2, 4 and 5. The total is only

13, so I get a further 3 points to put where I like (16-13=3). I decide I want to play a Healer, who I will call Sun-Dancer, so I put 1 extra point into

Wisdom, making that the maximum of 6. The other 2 points go into Agil-

ity and Size. The final Attributes are as follows:

Size 3, Alertness 4, Agility 3, Wisdom 6

Sun-Dancer’s Size of 3 gives him 9 Wound Points (6+3=9).

Looking at the list of Abilities and Barks for a Healer, I decide to place

my 6 points asequally as possible between Tend Wounds, Bark of Life, Tribal Bark and Plant Lore. With the extra 6 points I take another Bark

(Bark of Weakness) at level 3 and add another 1 to Tend Wounds. Abili-

ties and Barks now look like this

Tend Wounds 6, Plant Lore 2, Bark of Life 3, Bark of Weakness 3, Tribal

Bark 2

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31

I decide on a social characteristic of ‘claustrophobic’. With the help of the

GM, we decide that my dog doesn’t go mad or get terrified underground -

it is more of a strange preference for being outdoors in the sunshine - but

to other dogs it is seen as very odd indeed. Finally Sun Dancer has the Dream of healing a dog that is suffering the Dark Death and with the GM

we decide this is worth 3 Legend Points when completed (as it will be

hard to achieve). I then write a ‘1’ in the box for Feathers and Sun-Dancer is ready for a life of adventure.

Character Roles There are five Roles that you may

choose from. These are the Roles that

prairie dogs can take up when they reach adulthood. Some dogs never

take up such a Role - they are content

to look after tribal burrows, the pups

and the crops. Others will have had Roles in the past and are now aged

and whilst they may be able to pass

on the benefit of their experience to younger pups, they cannot any longer

be relied upon to fulfill the very de-

manding duties associated with each Role.

Each Role provides one Unique Abil-

ity and one Unique Bark. These are skills taught by Elders to dogs who take that Role. They are handed down and are secrets known only to them.

There is also a second ability taught to dogs, but this is not necessarily

unique to the Role.


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Brave

Unique Ability: Stancing

Unique Bark: Bark of Cour-

age

Second Ability: Tooth & Claw

Many dogs fight. It is a part of

their nature, from their early years as pups fighting with their

siblings to get the best food. It is

the strongest of these that usual-ly go on to become Braves.

However, simply being able to

fight is not necessarily the only role of the Brave. Braves are

warriors and they do need to be

big and tough. They also need to be fearless and aggressive. They need to be aware of how to fend off crit-

ters far bigger than themselves. They sometimes need to work as a team in

order to do this. Most of all, they need to be able to fend for themselves

though.

Braves need to make themselves known. They do not always need to

fight. Making your opponent stand down is often the best way to deal with an enemy, especially one that could hurt you badly, even if you can win

the fight. Better to scare off three opponents than kill one and be so

wounded that you cannot protect your family against the other two.

This is why Stancing is so important to a Brave. Some Braves are not ac-

tually that able at fighting, but never get found out because they are more

intimidating than their enemies.

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33

Every Tribe must have Braves. They are probably the most numerous of

all the Roles, but also lose members the quickest. Whenever one Brave is

killed, there is always another pup waiting in the wings for his feather to

take up the challenge of defending his Tribe and seeking glory for himself.

Of all the Prairie Tales recounted by Speakers everywhere, it is the tales

of Braves that are most called for and the most numerous. If there is a fer-ret loose in the town, it is always the Braves who are called upon to face

it. If a quest is to be undertaken, Braves are always required in the party.

If a new Chief is needed, a Brave is likely to be the one to fill it.

The Braves burrows tend to be near the centre of the tribal community,

where they can mass together to defend, or receive orders from, the Chief.

Their homes tend to be sparse and functional.

Sayings of the Braves

The Brave must be seen: What use if your companions are attacked

and you are skulking?

The Brave must be courageous: What use if you are seen but unable to

act?

The Brave must be strong: What use to act, if you cannot hurt your

enemy?

The Brave must lead: If you do not show boldness, why should others

follow?


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Healer

Unique Ability: Tend Wounds

Unique Bark: Bark of Life

Second Ability: Plant Lore A tribe needs at least one Healer if the tribe is to grow and be strong. No

tribe without a Healer lives in any place other than the very outer fringes

of Great Home.

Healers are present at birthings. They ensure the mother is fit and well and

will improve the chances of both the mother and her young surviving the ordeal.

Healers tend the sick

and injured. They know how to clean

wounds to prevent in-

fection and aid the healing process. They

have skill in removing

poisons from open

wounds and know how best to look after prai-

rie dogs with fevers

and other ailments. Some also know how

to look after other crit-

ters with injuries or illnesses (those with

Critter Lore).

Healers can recognise disease, particularly

the early signs of The

CHARACTERS & ROLES

35

Dark Death; the evil plague that can wipe out entire families or even

whole towns, once it takes hold. A few of the most gifted Healers have

had some success in curing dogs that contract The Dark Death as long as

they spot the signs early enough.

Healers also have the job of looking after a towns food crops. Those with-

out skilled Healers tend to eat poorly and often need to supplement their food with a little water, which is not good as water is always in very short

supply. The best Healers make sure that the crops they grow are the best

available and that they are lush and succulent.

Healers are skilled in recognising other plants too - ones that we should

normally avoid. They make sure that these plants do not infest our plots so

that young pups do not accidentally nibble at them and become poisoned.

A Healers burrows will normally be fairly neat and tidy. Healers tend to

have a ‘larder’ where they keep a variety of plant stuffs, both for food and for their healing properties.

Some of the wisest of Healers can create Dreamcatchers.

Sayings of the Healers

(Adapted from Native American tradition) Everything on the prairie has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, every critter a mission.

This is the Healer’s theory of existence.

From Wisdom comes all power. It is from Wisdom the Healer has the

power to heal and make feather charms. Healers know that all healing

plants are valuable and must not be misused-used.


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Scout

Unique Ability: Scouting

Unique Bark: Bark of Loca-

tion

Second Ability: Critter Lore,

Plant Lore or Tooth & Claw

Scouts tend to be loners. They might occasionally do their

scouting in pairs but more of-

ten than not they like to be free of their restraints imposed by

the tribe and go out alone onto

the Prairie.

Scouts tend to be the wildest

and untidiest of prairie dogs.

This is for several reasons. One, because they are ener-

getic and always out and about

and have little time for the

washing and grooming that goes on amongst the other prairie dogs of the tribe. In their Role as Scouts, they are required to be constantly exploring

and seeking new ways, over and above ground, through bushes and

thorns, over sun-baked dust bowls and through muddy puddles. All this muck and dust leaves their fur grubby and matted.

The other reason though, is that Scouts will always tell you that the more muck and dirt they leave stuck in their fur, the less chance they will have

of being spotted or scented by other critters. Accordingly, there is an un-

spoken competition amongst Scouts, to see who can get the scruffiest of

all.

CHARACTERS & ROLES

37

Scouts love their daubings though. They like to have designs of other crit-

ters on their fur as they say it helps them blend in against all kinds of

backgrounds.

Scouts are sent out to investigate rumours and of critters seen in the area,

near the fringes of town. It is also the job of Scouts to seek areas to build

new towns, or to find new sources of food and so on. Those tribes who have no Healers might also rely on Scouts to find water when they need it.

In any group sent out on the prairie, it is always wise to have a Scout

around because even in areas they do not know, they have an uncanny knack of being able to find their way home.

Scouts burrows are often on the edges of the tribes range. They tend to be

as scruffy and ill kempt as their owners. Often unoccupied for long peri-ods, they may contain odd bits and pieces of twig and bone from their far

wanderings.

Sayings of the Scouts The Scout must be quick: What use are your findings if you tarry too

long?

The Scout must be stealthy: What use are your findings if your enemy

knows you are there?

The Scout must be nimble: When you are seen, you must run like the

wind.

The Scout must know his enemy: What use are your findings, without knowledge of your enemy?


38

Sentinel

Unique Ability: Watch-

ing

Unique Bark: Bark of

Warning

Second Ability: Critter

Lore or Tooth & Claw The Role of the Sentinel

is one of the most im-

portant of all of the roles of the tribe. Sentinels are

charged with the duty of

watching over Healers

tending their crops, the pups at play, the en-

trances to our homes and

the travelling groups at sleep.

To function properly,

Sentinels must have keen eyesight, excellent hearing and a nose for dan-ger. They must learn where to stand for the best vantage point in any

situation and they must be able to stand upright for very long periods,

without stinting. Wind, rain, hot or cold, Sentinels must endure all in their duty.

The Role of the Sentinel may not seem as exciting as that of the Brave or the Scout, or as charismatic or strange as that of the Speaker or as wel-

come as that of the Healer but they have in their paws the key to the

continued well-being of the whole town.

When travelling with adventuring groups, Sentinels learn how to nap

when on the move, so that they are ready for duty at a moments notice.

CHARACTERS & ROLES

39

They are always alert and keeping a watch on the skies for that telltale

speck in the sky, the rustling bush or a scent on the breeze. They know

which things spell potential danger and which ones they can ignore.

Many Sentinels can fight too. It is not a requirement of the Role and some

swear that it hones their senses to danger if they cannot. Some learn more

about other critters instead. Most learn both abilities sooner or later.

Sentinels tend to have their burrows nearest to the surface and at the outer

edges of the tribal burrows. Their burrows are often designed so that any

sounds on the surface can be amplified within and they are positioned downwards of the prairie wind so that smells from above will waft around

in the chamber, giving advanced warning, even when not on duty.

Sentinels also have ‘guard posts’ set just below the surface, which serve a similar function.

Sayings of the Sentinels

The Sentinel must be vigilant: What use are you to your companions, if they cannot rest?

The Sentinel must know his enemy: What use being aware, if you don’t know friend from foe?

The Sentinel must endure: What use your vigilance, if you are too tired to watch?


40

Speaker

Unique Ability: Prairie Tales

Unique Bark: Bark of Com-

mand

Second Ability: Critter Lore

or Plant Lore

Speakers often seem to live in their own dream worlds. Some

put this down to all the ancient

tales and legends they must learn, all the strange and fara-

way places they must imagine

and all the ferocious critters

they have to describe when they learn and tell their tales.

Others put it down to the odd

berries and fungi they eat and say that some of the Speakers

best Prairie Tales are told just

after they have eaten some of

these things. Most of them are ones that Healers would tell us not to eat. One thing is certain. Speakers

are extremely knowledgeable and, as the saying goes, knowledge is pow-

er. If the Braves go on to become Chiefs of their tribes, then Speakers are their voice.

When young Speakers are learning their craft, they often go on long jour-neys across the plains. This is for several reasons. One is to learn, first

hand, of the places and critters that will appear in the legends and tales

that they weave. Secondly, it is to visit other Dog Towns along the way,

spreading the tales of their own tribe and learning new ones from the tribes they visit.

CHARACTERS & ROLES

41

Finally, of course, they will be able to take part in adventures of their own

and will have their own unique story to recount upon their return home.

Speakers are the most welcome of any prairie dog in any town. You

should never turn away a Speaker. They bring news and stories from far away. It is always a time of great excitement when a travelling Speaker

comes to town.

Some of the other critters on the plain are also interested in the tales that a

wandering Speaker may bring and many are the tales of a Speaker saving

herself from being on the menu of some lonely fox or snake. Owls, in par-

ticular are known to trade Prairie Tales with prairie dog Speakers.

A Speakers burrow is likely to be a clutter of feathers, grasses, odd weeds

and strange herbs. There are likely to be strange daubings on the walls of their homes and peculiar smells permeating around. Like Healers, some of

the wiser Speakers are able to create Dreamcatchers.

Sayings of the Speakers

(Adapted from Native American tradition) All things in the world are in two. In our minds we are two, good and

evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly. We have a right paw that strikes and makes for evil and

we have a left paw full of kindness near the heart. One foot may lead

us to an evil way; the other foot may lead us to a good way. So all things are two, all two.

The traditions of our Tribe are handed down from father to pup. The

chief is considered to be the most fearless and leader of the Tribe. The Speaker however, is thought to have more inspiration. He is supposed

to be in communion with the spirits. He daubs himself in the designs of

other critters such as the raccoon and decorates himself with the plum-age of birds, such as the dove, eagle and hummingbird.


42

Wildling

Unique Ability: None

Unique Bark: Bark of The Wild

Extra Bark: Bark of Mimicry

Second Abilities: Critter Lore and one other, of choice

Wildlings are prairie dogs that live outside of normal prairie dog society.

They have no Tribe, no status and quite probably few friends. Often the friends they do have are critters other than prairie dogs. As such, the Wild-

ling is not a Role in the prairie dog society, but for game purposes is

considered a Role.

How they came to be the

loners that they are will

vary from one Wildling to another. She may have

been the sole survivor of a

dog town wiped out by the Dark Death or by a savage

Ferret. He may have been

born some way away from

the nearest town, perhaps with his mother dying in

childbirth or being killed

by a predator. He may be an outcast from his Tribe.

Some Wildlings are prairie

dogs that were orphaned from a young age and

brought up by some other

critter, like a ground squir-

rel or even an Owl!

Wildlings are on the

CHARACTERS & ROLES

43

whole a bit feral and wild - far more so than Scouts. They are born loners

and although they probably crave the company of other dogs, they often

find the rigid tribal structure difficult to get used to. Wildlings tend to be

always on the move and often borrow old holes and so on rather than dig their own burrows. When they do dig, they are usually little more than

scrapes in the ground.

Their ‘speech’ tends to be a little hard to follow for other prairie dogs,

who possibly see them as a bit simple or deranged as a result. Wildlings

have two characteristics rather than one, with scruffy, smelly, bald

patches, one eye, scarred, loner and similar being common.

If you want a Wildling character you need to determine with your GM

how he came to grow up outside of the prairie dog community. All four of the Wildling’s attributes need to be 3 or higher. Instead of a unique ability,

they have two secondary abilities and instead of the Tribal Bark they have

the Bark of Mimicry. They do not need to meet the minimum require-ments that other Roles need to meet for this Bark.

Wildling characters have no Tribal Role and therefore do not begin play

with a feather. They can earn feathers later however and could even take a ‘second’ Role.

Sayings

Wildlings have no sayings. They have no hierarchy and therefore no handed-down traditions. What they have learned, they have learned for

themselves and each Wildling will have different views on survival.

44

ABILITIES

Overview

Abilities are the learned knowledge passed down through generations of prairie dogs. In other games they might be referred to as skills.

Using abilities is relatively straightforward. Mostly, you will describe what your character is doing and the GM simply lets your character do it,

especially if it is well within your dog’s capabilities. Sometimes the GM

will ask you to make a roll, when for example, your character is trying to

do something for which the there is a chance that she will not succeed or that the GM simply wants to determine how well your dog succeeded

(having already decided that you will be able to do it).

Making an ability check

You roll 1d20. If the roll is equal to or below your character’s most ap-

propriate Attribute + Ability + Modifier, then she succeeds. If the roll is

ABILITIES

45

higher, then either she fails or there is an added complication even though

she succeeds.

The attribute used is the one most appropriate to the task and there are suggestions listed for each Ability in the Ability descriptions. If a charac-

ter does not have the Ability, but tries to carry out an action the default

roll is based upon the Attribute + Modifier.

Modifiers

Modifiers are found in the table below. Typically they range from +5 to –

5. The GM will determine what modifiers are appropriate and some point-ers are given in the ability descriptions.

Task difficulty table

Task Difficulty Modifier

Easy +2 to +5

Straightforward +1

Moderate 0 Tricky -1

Hard -2

Very Hard -3 to -5

A natural roll of ‘1’ is always a success and a ‘20’ is always a failure.

Increasing abilities Abilities can be raised above their starting levels using Legend points

gained from adventures. New Abilities can also be gained by using these

Legend Points (LP), although some Abilities are available only to prairie

dogs who have the appropriate Role.

To increase an Ability that your character already has costs 1 LP per level

up to 6. Over 6, the cost is 2 LP per level. The maximum level for a prai-rie dog is 12. Only 1 level can be ‘bought’ at a time using these points.

New abilities cost a point to level 1.


46

The Abilities explained

Critter Lore (freely available)

The knowledge of other critters, how to recognize them, what they are

like, what they eat, whether they are friendly and so on. Wisdom is the base attribute for using this ability. Modifiers might be negative if the

prairie dog has never come across the critter before (i.e. just heard about

it) or positive where the critter is common.

Daubing (requires Critter Lore & Plant Lore)

This is the ability of the dog to daub fantastic designs in a sort of mud-

plant paste onto a prairie dog’s coat. The designs are often copied from the natural markings on the pelts of other critters. The task difficulty is

always moderate. Once daubed, the design lasts for two moons and then

must be replaced. The effects of a successful daubing depend on the de-sign being daubed onto the pelt of the dog.

ABILITIES

47

Any dog can be the recipient of a daubing, but a dog can only have one type of daubing on her coat at any one time. The bonus is added to Attrib-

ute rolls if a dog does not have the particular Ability in question. Daubing

is a Wisdom-based ability.

Fleeing (freely available)

This is the skill of being able to escape a predator. It takes account of the

dog’s ability to make sudden sharp turns, weave between and over rocks, uneven terrain and otherwise use any features that might help the dog get

away.

Plant Lore (freely available)

All prairie dogs know which plants they can eat. This ability gives them a

knowledge far beyond this. It means the dog knows in which type of soil their preferred foodstuffs will grow, how best to cultivate the land around

their home burrows and knowledge of plants, roots and fungi that have

medicinal or poisonous qualities. Some dogs and Speakers in particular

use certain herbs and fungi to induce visions and dream states to open their minds to the ancient ones and to visions of the past present and fu-

ture. Wisdom is the base attribute used for Plant Lore rolls. Negative

modifiers may be applied if the plant is rare or the prairie dog is looking for a very specific plant or if the prairie dog is out of her own habitat. The

modifier will be positive if the dog is in her own town or the plant is very

common.

Badger +2 to Stancing ability rolls Chipmunk +2 to Scouting ability rolls

Eagle +2 to Watching ability rolls

Owl +2 to Critter Lore or Plant Lore ability rolls Raccoon +2 to Prairie Tales ability rolls

Wolverine +2 to Tooth & Claw rolls

Rattler Provides protection against poison. Also gives any Healer a +2 to her Tend Wounds ability against the effect of poison on

the dog that has been daubed with the Rattler design.


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Prairie Tales (unique ability - Speakers only)

The knowledge of the legends and lore of the prairie dogs - Lord Kynos,

Thunderhoof, the First Town, Flies with Eagles and so on. This

Ability allows the Speaker to weave wondrous tales from these legends and to craft their own tales on the spot. Prairie Tales are amongst the few

entertainments in the prairie dog world, so Speakers are very welcome in

all towns across the prairie. Wisdom is the main attribute used for making Prairie Tales rolls, Modifiers would be positive if about a dog’s own tribe,

or negative if making up a tale for the first time and so on.

These are the stories and legends of ancient times and places in dog lore. They tell of heroic deeds, fantastic battles, wonderful adventures and

olden wisdom. They tell of battles and bravery, love and kindness. They

are used to teach as much as they are used to entertain.

Speakers are the repositories of many of these tales. First off, they learn

all they can of their own Tribal Totem and Traditions. Then they learn to tell them to others. Then they learn how to create new tales or reinvent old

tales according to their own style, often bringing something new to the

tale so that they can be repeated down the years, keeping them fresh and

exciting.

In this way, Speakers have become the most respected and welcome of all

the dogs who travel across the plains. They are well known for bringing news from afar and a new Speaker in town is always good for an eve-

ning’s entertainment.

One of the most told Prairie Tales is that of the First Town of Thunder-

town. Its location has passed into myth and is a place constantly sought by

the most adventurous scouts. It is believed to be located at the foot of a

mighty and virtually un-climbable mountain that reaches to the stars.

Sentinels believe that from the top they could keep watch over the whole

prairie and need never fear predators again.

ABILITIES

49

Scouting (unique ability - Scouts only)

The ability to move around without being seen heard, or scented. Using

the cover that is available and lying low where necessary, a Scout can get

very close to another critter with little chance of being noticed. Agility is most often the attribute used for scouting rolls, but in some circumstances

Alertness might be used. Weather conditions and availability of cover

might lead to modifiers to the roll.

Stancing (unique ability - Braves only)

The skill of intimidation and making oneself appear bigger and tougher

than perhaps is the case. Used to put across a point in an argument or more often to gain an advantage in a confrontation.

Stancing, when used well will tend to make fighting unnecessary as the loser in a Stancing contest will often back off completely. Stancing can be

used against any critter - if the character has Critter Lore, a successful roll

will add +1 to the dog’s Stancing roll.

When Stancing, both critters in the contest must make an ability roll

(those with no Stancing ability simply use their size). If both succeed, it is

a standoff for the time being, they are hunched up against each other snarling, bristling, nose to nose and so on. This lasts for a few heartbeats

and they can both try again. If both fail, they are simply pacing around

one another, slightly standoffish, but cannot roll again. Both will back off.

If one succeeds where the other fails, then there is a victor and the loser

may slope away with his pride dented. (If he ever has to fight the winner at some future point then he will have a negative modifier in Tooth &

Claw of –2). Size is the base attribute used for Stancing rolls.

Swimming (freely available)

In the event of a dog coming across a body of water, this might be a useful

ability if she should fall in or need to get across. The difficulty would mainly depend on how fast the water is flowing and so on.


50

Tend Wounds (unique ability - Healers only)

Knowledge of wounds, disease, illness, its causes and treatment. The abil-

ity to know how to staunch a bleeding cut or bite and prevent infection.

The Healer does this by licking the wound and possibly even biting out pieces of infected flesh. Saliva, mixed with the right plants (see Plant

Lore) may be even more effective. On its own, a Healer can restore up to

1 wound point per 2 levels of ability (minimum 1). Cleaned up in this way wounds will be clear of infection. Used together with a successful Plant

Lore roll, the ability will restore 1 wound point per level.

Tend wounds can also be used against poisoning, disease and so on. Wis-dom is the base attribute for this ability. Modifiers might be applied for

particularly severe wounds, or for delays in tending wounds. The Dark

Death is always at least a Hard roll. With Critter Lore, a Healer can tend the wounds of other critters.

Tooth & Claw (freely available) Tooth & Claw is the ability used when two critters fight. The ability has

its own section later in these rules. Agility is the base attribute used for

Tooth & Claw rolls.

Watching (unique ability - Sentinels only)

This is a great skill passed down to Sentinels from generation to genera-

tion. It is the ability to stay alert in all situations and in all weathers and of standing at rest although completely awake and ready. Using this ability,

the Sentinel will spot the swooping hawk or stalking ferret long before

they have a chance to do any harm. Sentinels can also see much further across the plains than other prairie dogs, because they know how to stand

to gain the fullest advantage of their own body size and any advantageous

features in the land around them. Most Watching rolls will use Alertness,

but there may be occasions when Size will be important. Poor weather conditions or rough terrain are likely to lead to negative modifiers.

ABILITIES

51

Example of using Abilities

Sun-Dancer the Healer has had a few adventures and along the way has gained another Feather and the abilities of Critter Lore at level 2 and

Daubing at level 1.


52

He is attempting to daub the scout ‘Swiftly-Finds-Stuff’ with the design of

the rattler, because the scout knows he is approaching rattler territory and

wants to protect himself in case he is bitten.

Sun Dancer’s player rolls a d20 to determine whether the effect of his daubing is successful or not. Sun Dancer has a Wisdom of 6 and with his

Daubing of 1, he requires 7 or less. He rolls the dice, which comes up 9.

Not enough. Unfortunately Sun-Dancer’s skill isn’t sufficient to give Swiftly-Finds-Stuff the protection he needs.

Later on Swiftly-Finds-Stuff comes bounding back to the Healer in a

panic. As expected, he ran into a rattler who bit him and although the Scout was able to get away, he is now weakening from the effects of the

venom.

Sun-Dancer attempts to use his Tend Wounds ability. He has a 4 in this,

which with his Wisdom means that the total is 10. The GM says it is a

Moderate Ability roll to stop the poison, so rolls a d20. It comes up 12! Too high.

However, Sun-Dancer has 2 Feathers, so the player tells the GM that Sun-

Dancer will focus on one of the Feathers he has earned, drawing upon the spiritual forces of his ancestors and invest some of this into his healing.

This gives a bonus of +2, turning a failure into a success and preventing

the spread of poison through Swiftly-Finds-Stuff. (Of course, had the Daubing worked in the first place, he would have had a +2 bonus without

having to draw upon a Feather). Now to deal with the bite wounds he suf-

fered!

53

BARKS

What’s in a Bark?

Every prairie dog barks. That is how we talk to one another, together with

the way we stand, make faces and so on. However, our Barks are differ-ent. These have power. They tap into spiritual forces beyond our ken.

Some Speakers say that these forces are from within. Others say they come from spiritual forces all around us. Many believe the spiritual power

comes directly from Lord Kynos himself. A few hold to the more mun-

dane view that we and other critters are somehow pre-conditioned to obey the Bark. Me? I subscribe to the view that Lord Kynos is behind the power

that is within our Barks. I also think that if our Scouts can ever locate

Thundertown, we might actually find the answer there.

What we do know is that our Barks can have an effect upon other prairie

dogs and some other critters too. Each of the Roles in our tribes learns

their own unique Bark, taught only to dogs who take up that Role.


54

Tribal Barks are a bit different. They are taught to every dog of the tribe.

They are used as a means of identification and have other powers too.

Use of Barks Barking takes only

a heartbeat to per-

form, so a Bark can be used at just

about any point in

the action, includ-

ing during flurries of Tooth & Claw. A

Bark may be used

once at the fullest capability during

the period from

when to moon is at

its highest, to the following moon

(i.e. in a day). In

other words any Barks used are re-

covered at the next

moon.

However, if a Bark

can be used more

than once in this period if a Bark of a

lower power is

used. So, a dog with a Bark at level 2

BARKS

55

could use a level 1 bark and then still be able to use it again at level 1 later

on. A dog obviously cannot Bark more times before the next moon than

she has levels in the bark.

The Bark of Life differs in that it can be used only once at its fullest capa-

bility in the span of 6 moons. After the seventh moon (a week), the Bark is

again recovered in full.

No rolls are needed to determine the success of the Bark. It works auto-

matically. The only thing that is not necessarily automatic is another

critter’s reaction to the Bark.

Some of the Barks have very specific details of the game effect, like the

Bark of Courage and other Barks are deliberately open to interpretation, based on the demands of the story and so on. This is really down to the

GM and what works for the situation.

You state the effect that you would like the Bark to have and the GM de-

cides whether that is reasonable and either allows it to happen or allows it

to have a limited effect, depending on circumstances and so on. A Bark is

as much a plea for help from the GM, often when everything else has been tried or a way to drive the story along.

Bark of Blindness (only available to Speakers and Healers) This Bark affects a critter’s senses so that whatever is that critters best

sense; he is to all intents and purposes ‘blinded’. It affects a critter for a

number of flurries equal to the level of the Bark.

Bark of Command (unique to Speakers)

This Bark may be used to force a critter to do something that is otherwise

against his wishes. The command is contained in a number of ‘words’ equal to the level of Bark, so at level 1 it might be ‘sit’ or ‘silence’

whereas at level 6 it could be ‘attack the rattler in the tunnel’. A critter

cannot be commanded to die although it might be commanded to jump off a cliff, which might produce the same result!


56

Bark of Confusion (only Scouts, Sentinels, Speakers and Wildlings)

Makes the Bark sound as if it is coming from elsewhere as a distraction -

it is either specific i.e. “behind that rock” or “from that burrow”, to more general i.e. “all around” or “behind them”. Any critters this Bark is aimed

at will believe the noises to be coming from the place the dog suggests

and at the very least are likely to investigate or look in that direction.

Bark of Courage (unique to Braves)

This is used to instil a sense of fearlessness into the Brave herself, plus a

number of other friendly critters equal to the level of the Bark. This results in the dogs affected gaining +1 on all their Tooth & Claw rolls until the

end of that particular combat.

Bark of Friendship (only Speakers and Wildlings)

This Bark makes critters believe the Speaker is their very good friend. It

works on a number of critters equal to the level of the Bark. It wears off gradually over a period, usually completely by the next moon.

Bark of Life (unique to Healers)

Using this most wondrous of Barks, a Healer may bring a dog back to life. It is said that the Bark recalls the departing spirit. This Bark may be used

only once before the seventh moon, at its fullest level. It will revive a dog

who has been reduced to negative wounds equal to the level of ability. So, a dog with Bark of Life at level 1 can revive a dog (or other critter) who

has been reduced to –1 wounds.

Bark of Location (unique to Scouts)

This is used to get soundings from the echoes of the Bark and enables a

Scout to pinpoint exactly where he is, where major obstacles are and so

on. It effectively gives the Scout a mental picture or map of the surround-ing area. It is especially useful in tunnel complexes.

BARKS

57

Bark of Mimicry (only Scouts, Sentinels, Speakers and Wildlings)

A rare and special Bark available only to certain prairie dogs and even

those require Critter Lore at level 4 or higher and their own Bark or their

Tribal Bark also at 4 or more. This Bark allows the dog to mimic the sounds made by other critters, so that they could impersonate a rattlesnake

to scare off intruders and so on. They don’t look like the critter in question

though, so if seen, it blows their trick.

Bark of Strength (only available to Braves, Speakers and Healers)

This Bark increases the damage level in Tooth & Claw, so that the dog

causes damage of the next damage dice (see Tooth & Claw), for the dura-tion of the fight. Can be used on one dog only, per level in the Bark.

Bark of Stunning (only available to Healers, Sentinels and Speakers) This Bark causes critters to stumble and become dazed and for several

flurries or more. Small critters might be knocked senseless and larger crit-

ters might simply have to shake their heads a little to clear the effects before carrying on.

Bark of Warning (unique to Sentinels)

Used to alert all the dogs of the Tribe (or nearby) of approaching danger and the nature of the danger. It immediately awakens sleeping dogs (‘let

sleeping dogs lie’ is not a maxim of Sentinels) and causes intruders to

baulk slightly, buying even more time for the tribes Braves to get alert and ready. Some intruders are actually put off completely by a Bark of Warn-

ing.

Bark of Weakness (only available to Healers and Speakers)

Any one critter this Bark is directed at will become weaker, causing one

level of damage less in Tooth & Claw per level of Bark, for the whole bat-

tle.

Bark of The Wild (unique - Wildlings only)

This Bark attracts or summons a critter to the aid of the Wildling. The crit-ter called can be more or less any that are nearby, but the rarer the critter


58

called, the longer he might need to get there. Those more likely to come

quickly are those that are friendlier to prairie dogs, but even so sometimes

a Wildling can call an Eagle to his aid. The summoned critter will not

necessarily do exactly what the Wildling wants, but sometimes just the mere fact that a critter turns up at all will suit the dog’s purpose.

Tribal Bark (unique to Tribe members) Each tribe has its own Bark. A lot of information is passed by the Bark,

such as the name of the tribe, its status, the Chiefs name, the location of

the tribe and so on. It is used to tell other dogs who you are and where you

are from. It even tells of your own status if you want it to. The Bark can also be used when approached by a critter of the type the tribe is named

after - the Tribal Totem. The critter will very likely recall his association

with the Tribe (the GM can make a Wisdom roll, if required to help gauge the possible reaction) and depending on the nature of the critter might help

the dog or stop and talk, or might simply not eat him if he was going to or

might just turn away and ignore him.

Improving Barks with Legend Points

Legend points can be used to increase levels in a Bark, on a point for point basis up to level 3. Beyond level 3 up to level 6, Barks cost 2 points to

increase by one level. Barks cannot be increased beyond level 6.

New Barks can be bought using LP, if the Bark is of a type available to

the dog’s Role.

BARKS

59

Example of how Barks are used The Wildling, Tangle-Fur, is scampering around a rock, when suddenly a

Ferret launches himself out at him. There is nowhere to hide so Tangle-

Fur lets out a Bark of the Wild, which he has at level 3. He decides the

situation is pretty dire so uses the Bark to it’s fullest.

The GM reasons that a level 3 Bark is pretty powerful and so describes an

Eagle that was swooping overhead that seems to have been alerted. It won’t be there immediately, but it gives the dog hope, so he turns and

faces the ferret.

The ferret hasn’t spotted the Eagle yet (the GM makes an Alertness roll

for the ferret) and leaps at the Wildling, who backs away. Too late, the

ferret is upon him and a flurry of Tooth & Claw ensues.

As the two separate, the ferret is unharmed (the Wildling has Tooth &

Claw 2 plus Agility 4, requiring 6, but rolled 16) and the Wildling is badly

bitten (the ferret has Tooth & Claw 8 and Agility 6, requiring 14 and rolled 11) and has suffered 5 wound points.

However, as the two circle each other readying themselves for another

flurry of Tooth & Claw, the ferret notices the shadow of the Eagle as it passes overhead. The GM decides that that is enough for the ferret and

that he will make a bolt for cover.

The Eagle swoops past and then continues on her way. She wasn’t even

hungry and isn’t actually sure why she swooped down so low and it’s

soon forgotten as she continues her way to her nest in the distant moun-tains.

Tangle-Fur breathes a sigh of relief and legs it before the ferret plucks up

the courage to come back out into the open again.

60

TOOTH & CLAW

Overview

Fighting occurs amongst critters for many reasons - predators hunting

prey (not often much of a fight, admittedly), territorial, females protecting their cubs and so on. In It’s a Dog’s Life there are other reasons too, be-

cause the characters are adventurous and will become involved in quests

and missions and so on that takes them far away from Great Home and to places full of danger. Although it is usually best to avoid combat, some-

times it is inevitable. When it does occur, it is called Tooth & Claw.

Combat between critters is essentially a very simple affair. Often they size

each other up first (Stancing) and then when they get to grips, it is a sim-

ple melee of mad activity, snarls, yelps, bites, failed bites, barks, flying fur

and slashing claws. Amongst all of this there may be a few telling bites and possibly lots or a little blood. Sometimes there is a killing blow.

There is no art to it, no great tactics or anything. It is just a tangle of fur, teeth and claws.

TOOTH & CLAW

61

Flurries

The combat is broken down into several ‘flurries’ of a few heartbeats or so. During each flurry, each critter involved makes a Tooth & Claw ability

roll. This is at Moderate, on the task modifier table, unless there are any

modifiers the GM thinks are appropriate.

Any combatant who succeeds has managed to hurt the other during the

flurry. Roll damage according to the size of the critter on the Tooth &

Claw Damage Table (below). It might be a single bite or an accumulation of scratches and nicks, but the end result is that when the flurry is over,

the critters part and one or both of them have been hurt.

Tooth & Claw damage table

Critter Size Wounds Caused

1 d2

2-3 d3 4-5 d6-1

6-7 d6

8-10 d6+1 11-13 d6+2

14-16 d6+3

17-20 d6+4

21-24 d6+5 25-28 d6+6

29-32 d6+7

and so on +1 per 4 Size

If they both succeed, they both hurt each other and if they both fail, then

neither hurt the other. If one succeeds where the other fails, then one is the

‘winner’ of that flurry. They part facing each other, snarling (or whimper-


62

ing). It is important to note that this all happens at the same time. There is

no ‘initiative’ or similar, where one critter ‘goes first’.

At this point they can decide again whether they want to have another go at each other. The ‘loser’ of a flurry (if there is one) often calls it a day at

this point and would tend to back off. There could even be a brief Stanc-

ing conflict (again). If this happens, the ‘winner’ gets a bonus of +1 to his Stancing roll.

If both critters decide to continue the fight, another flurry of melee ensues.

Other actions in Tooth & Claw

During a flurry, dogs that are not involved in fighting can take a number of alternative actions. They can help their friend in the fight and if they

do, both dogs in the fight get to make Tooth & Claw ability rolls against

the one roll of their opponent.

Dogs can Bark either during a flurry or between flurries. Barking only

takes a heartbeat.

Dogs can also choose to flee but only between flurries. Once a flurry of

melee is in progress, the dog will have to wait for a pause before she can

turn tail.

Fleeing

Sometimes the only sensible alternative to fighting is running away, espe-

cially where you are likely to be on the menu if you lose the fight. If you decide that your character will flee the confrontation, this essentially boils

down to a mad chase across the land, where the pursued is trying every

endeavour to throw off her pursuer. She will try every trick in the book - scampering over and under rocks and boulders, through bushes and shrubs

TOOTH & CLAW

63

and making sudden sharp turns at intervals, all the time looking for the

safety of a hole or somewhere to take cover.

The rules for fleeing are really as straightforward as the rules for Tooth & Claw. The pursued makes a Fleeing Ability roll (using Agility only, if the

character does not have fleeing) and the pursuer makes a Hunting Ability

roll. Depending on the nature of the terrain, the pursued may need to make a hard, moderate or a straightforward roll. A hard modifier would be ap-

propriate where there is very little natural cover and straightforward

would mean that there are plenty of things to get in the way of pursuit.

Results

There will be four possible results. The character will succeed and the

pursuer will fail. In this case, the prairie dog escapes and manages to get down a hole or simply gets clean away. The pursuer probably gives up

and finds easier prey. Alternatively, if the storyline demands it, the pur-

suer might hang around the area trying to pick up the trail (Hunting +

Alertness) or lie in wait somewhere.

The next result will be that the character fails and the pursuer succeeds. In

this case, the character is caught and despite her best efforts is now forced to take part in a flurry of Tooth & Claw. After that flurry is over, she

could turn tail and run again, or continue to fight.

The final two results are that they both fail or both succeed. In these cases,

the chase is on. Neither critter has gained or lost ground over the other.

After a short narrative describing some detail of the chase, both roll again

as above


64

Example of Tooth & Claw

A prairie dog Brave is set upon by a ferret who was lying in wait in some

bushes. There is no chance of Stancing beforehand and the Brave failed to

notice the ferret.

The Brave has Tooth & Claw 2 and Agility 4. The player rolls 1d20 and

gets 5. Success! The GM (for the ferret) rolls 12. The ferret has Agility 4

and Tooth & Claw 7 for a total of 11. However, the GM determines that

TOOTH & CLAW

65

the ferret surprised the dog and so gets an ability modifier of +1 and so his

total is 12, meaning he succeeded too.

The Brave has Size 5, so rolls d6-1, for 2 wounds on the ferret. The ferret has size 8 and rolls d6+1, for 4 wounds on the Brave. They fly apart snarl-

ing and barking.

Facing each other now, they circle and stare at each other. The Brave is

the most wounded as he took 4 wounds and has only 7 left. The ferret took

2 and so still has 12 left (the player doesn’t know this though).

At this point, it might be sensible for the prairie dog to turn and run, but

even then the ferret might still catch him. The player decides his Brave

will try Stancing.

He makes a roll. The dice comes up ‘6’. The Brave succeeds as his ability

of 2 means he needed 7 or less, with a Size of 5. The GM rolls for the fer-ret., who has Stancing 5. He needs 13 or less, but rolls a 20 - a failure! (20

always fails).

The GM decides that the ferret has had enough – he wants easier prey and was surprised at the toughness of this prairie dog. He says to the dog “You

were lucky this time, I’d watch your back in future if I were you” and

turns and slopes off.

The player could say he wants his dog to give chase, but he was lucky and

he has survived a fight with a ferret. If there was a Speaker here, he might have a Prairie Tale told about the encounter. As it is, he’ll just have to see

the Healer about his bloody wound.

66

GAMESMASTERING

The art of being a GM

The GM has a big job on his hands. He has to know the rules pretty well,

has to design the scenarios and has to be ready to react to the actions of the players and apply common sense when the rules don’t provide an an-

swer. It isn’t just his job to make a fun game, that both the GM and the

players share responsibility.

If you’ve run games before, then you probably know many of the tricks

that you can use to keep a game going and to keep the players interested. However, if you are new to running a game session, then the following

paragraphs will help you. Even if you have been a game master in other

games, you might find something helpful for your It’s a Dog’s Life cam-

paign.

CRITTERS

67

Applying the rules It’s a Dog’s Life is not primarily about rules. It is primarily about drama,

action and telling a good story. The rules are there to provide a structure to

your game sessions and to provide some of the answers to what will hap-pen when characters do things. The rules cannot possibly contain all of the

answers though.

The idea is to get into the habit of choosing the times when to apply the

rules strictly and when to ignore the rules, for the benefit of the story. The

dice for example, are good to build an element of surprise into the actions

of the players, but sometimes, when your scenario demands that the char-acters succeed, asking the players to roll dice can be a disaster if they fail.

A good rule of thumb, is often not to let the roll of a dice determine whether a character succeeds or fails in a task, but to determine the level

of success or failure. So, say a character is seeking information vital to the

next part of the scenario but fails the roll, you could decide that he picks

up a few hints or finds out that some other critter can help him, but he doesn’t discover everything he wanted to know. Thus the game doesn’t

stumble to a complete halt, the players still have some leads and openings

to continue the adventure.

GM characters

There is sometimes the temptation to create a NPC to go along with the

player characters. This is sometimes necessary, especially if the players are short of a player for some reason, especially if they are lacking a par-

ticular Role between them. However, you must always remember that the

player characters are the heroes. The scenarios should focus upon them and their exploits, not on the characters that you create. Keep your charac-

ters in the background, unless the players bring them to the fore or ask

about them. Don’t spend long parts of the game session describing what your characters are doing.


68

Don’t railroad Players are clever and often come up with ideas that you hadn’t consid-

ered. Their characters sometimes go off in directions that you couldn’t

possibly have detailed in your scenario. The thing not to do here is to try to force them back on track by making it impossible for them to go any

further unless they do what you want them to do. In fact the whole point

of role-playing is that it is a game about choices. The players are free to go beyond the boundaries that would otherwise be imposed by other types

of game.

You can use various tricks to get the players back on track, if you need to. They could meet some critter along the way or they could find a clue that

puts them back on course. Better still, let the players go where they will

and do what they want. You can tweak your scenario to suit. If the players didn’t know what was in your scenario in the first place, it can’t hurt to

change it. You can cut out the less important parts of your scenario if you

need to, or bring them back in later on

A prairie dog’s perspective

As a GM, you have the job of ‘making it real’ for the players. Of course,

Prairie dogs can’t talk, don’t make maps, don’t really have magic barks and so on. However, for game purposes great liberties have to be taken

with these things. For extra colour and to help ‘dehumanise’ your games a

bit, try not to use directions like north and south etc. Use terms like ‘to-

wards the mountains’ , ‘bison-ward’ (for the direction the herd go) or ‘homewards’ and so on.

Time For periods of time, Tooth & Claw is broken down into flurries. You can

use ‘heartbeats’ for very short moments of time and for longer periods,

you could use times like ‘when the shadows are long’ or ‘as the sun is high in the sky’ and so on.

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Distance

There are no miles, yards, feet or inches. Use expressions like ‘a paw

away’ (very close) a ‘dog’s length’ for a foot or so, ‘a few dog’s lengths’

or a ‘snakes length’ for a yard or so and a ‘short dash’ or a ‘bison length’ for a couple of yards.

For longer distances, bear in mind that critters cannot see as far as we can (except birds) so you can be far vaguer with your distances. Use terms like

‘a long way away’ or ‘half a day away’.

Tribal Totems There are many tribal families in Great Home and each tribe is named for

one of the critters of the prairie, called Tribal Totems, or just Totems.

The most powerful are the tribes of The One Bison, The Shadow Ferret,

The Dawn Ea-

gle and the

Laughing Coyote.

Speakers of each tribe are

able to recount

the Prairie Tales of their

own tribe and

how they

chose their Totem.


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Creating new prairie dog Tribes Sometimes you will need to create a new tribe ‘on the hoof’ and this is a

simple way of coming up with a name for the tribe.

To create more tribes, simply roll a dice (d6) and look along the top row

of table 1, finding the column with the number you just rolled. Then roll

the dice again, this time reading down the left hand column for the num-ber you rolled. This time look at the row for the number you rolled, and

that is the first part of the name of your new Tribe. Follow the same pro-

cedure, but this time use table 2. That is the critter type, or the Tribal

Totem of the Tribe you have just created.

Table 1

Roll 1-2 Roll 3-4 Roll 5-6

1 Sun 1 Laughing 1 Silent 2 Moon 2 Running 2 Swift

3 Star 3 Pouncing 3 Shadow

4 Dusk 4 Snarling 4 Bold

5 Dawn 5 Sleeping 5 Wise 6 Dark 6 Watching 6 Great

Table 2

Roll 1-2 Roll 3-4 Roll 5-6

1 Snake 1 Eagle 1 Wolf

2 Rat 2 Bison 2 Lion

3 Gopher 3 Coyote 3 Hawk

4 Rabbit 4 Shrew 4 Raccoon 5 Fox 5 Ferret 5 Badger

6 Owl 6 Mouse 6 Skunk

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Glossary

Bark: A ‘call’ that has spiritual or mystical power

Berry: Elder of the Dawn Eagle Tribe, mate of Chief Strong-Heart

Blue Grama: Lush prairie grass, one of our favourites for eating Brave: The defenders of our burrows, a Role

Broken-Paw: Flies-With-Eagles’ original name

Council: Meeting of the Tribal Elders Council, Great: Meeting of all the Tribes of Great Home

Dark Death: A deadly disease that kills within moons

Daubing: Marking the coat with a paste of mud and plant juices in de-

signs often copied from markings on other critters Dawn Eagle Tribe: The name of our Tribe

Dreamcatcher: Fetish made from grass and feathers to ward off predators

Elder: High status Tribe member, with at least two feathers Feathering: The ceremony that young pups undergo when they have been

given a Role in the Tribe

Feather Tradition: The use of feathers to denote bravery and status. Some Tribes use things other than feathers, like porcupine quills and

thorns

Flies-With-Eagles: Legendary female prairie dog

Great Home: Our town. A collection of many Tribes Great Quest: The Dream of every dog to some day find Thundertown

Many dogs never actually begin the Great Quest, but they still talk about it

Healer: A Role. A dog who heals the sick and tends the food plots High Chief: The Chief of a whole Town. Great Home’s High Chief is

Strong-Heart

High Speaker: The High Chief’s Speaker Kynos: The Lord of Prairie Dogs; a figure of legend

Lodge, The: Meeting place for the Tribal Councils

Moon: A period of time (a day)

Prairie Tales: Legends, stories and Tribal Traditions handed down by Speakers

Role: A special position granted to a worthy dog

Sand Dropseed: One of our favourite foods Scout: A Role. Finds things out on the plains


72

Sentinel: A Role. Guards our pups, our food and our homes

Speaker: A Role. A teacher and storyteller

Stands-Tall: A Sentinel from the legends

Strong-Heart: Our High Chief. A Brave Swift-Paw: A Scout from the legends

Talks-With-Birds: Great Home’s High Speaker

Thunderhoof: Legendary Lord of Bison Thundertown: Mythical lost town across the prairie

Tribal Totem: A critter after which the Tribe gets its name

Tribe: A family of prairie dogs under one chief

Wildling: A feral prairie dog without a Role

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CRITTERS

Armadillos

Size d6+6, Agility d3, Alertness d6-1, Wisdom d3 Abilities: Bony plates; Armadillos can ignore d6 wounds every time

they are hit in Tooth & Claw.

These are weird critters indeed. You don’t see then too often. I saw one

once, I think, many moons ago but it was dark and I can’t be too sure. He

was kind of lumbering and snuffling around, nose to the ground. Not

much for talk, so I’ve heard. They have this tough skin that stops most of their predators like Coyotes. Still, they are a bit dim, so Coyotes can often

trick them with their wily ways.

Bats

Size d2, Agility d6+1, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d6-1

Abilities: Flight 6, Sonar 6 (as Bark of Location)

Bats are like little flying mice. You don’t see them that often, because

they flit around in the dark of night catching moths then disappear off to

Kynos-knows-where in the daytime. The bats I have spoken to tell me they don’t fly as gracefully as birds because they have different wings.

They do however have this unique ability to get around in the darkness


74

though a bit like our Scouts, I think. They generally seem to be nice little

critters but difficult to talk to for any length of time.

Badgers Size d6+7, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6

Abilities: Stancing 3, Hunting 3, Tooth & Claw 5

These critters are bad-tempered, powerful fighters: they don’t have too

many enemies, because they can take good care of themselves. They like

to burrow, have white stripes on their faces and nasty long claws. They

like a good story though, so you might be in luck if you have one to tell.

Bears

Size d6+30, Agility d6-1, Alertness d6-1, Wisdom d6 Abilities: Hunting 3, Fishing 6, Tooth & Claw 9

Bears are massive great critters. They have dark fur all over and great slobbering muzzles full of wicked teeth. If that isn’t enough, they can use

their massive paws quite deftly to pick us up and shove us into their foul

smelling maws. Sends shivers down my spine. Still, you aren’t likely to

find them near Great Home and if you are questing, your Sentinel will see them long before they become a danger to you.

Apparently, they have cousins called Grizzlies or some such who are even bigger and have worse tempers. Legend has it that you need to pass a cave

full of these monsters to get to Thundertown, so may Kynos be with you.

Bison

Size d6+50, Agility d3+1, Alertness d3, Wisdom d6+1

Abilities: none of note

Bison are amongst our greatest friends, ever since the time of Lord Kynos

and Thunderhoof. Bison are huge, so huge in fact that they sometimes

don’t even notice us and that represents our biggest danger from them. They have great shaggy heads with horns sticking out on top. Bison roam

CRITTERS

75

the plains in great herds and eat grass most of the day. They are particu-

larly fond of the grasses that our Healers cultivate for them.

Bison like to wallow on the mounds that surround the burrow system of Great Home. This can be very destructive, but our Healers know that this

helps to create hollows where rainwater can collect and so help in the

growing of crops. Of course, the Bison also leave plenty of dung behind, which helps fertilize the area, although you sometimes have to be quick to

avoid being covered. Being ‘splatted’ the young pups call it.

Bobcats Size d6+6, Agility d6+3, Alertness d6+2, Wisdom d6


Now these critters are terrible and ferocious. If you see one run; that’s my

advice to you. They seem to know no fear. I’ve heard that they will attack

animals many times their own size, which is considerably bigger than us prairie dogs. They’ll eat you as soon as look at you, as well as mice, rab-

bits, birds, gophers - you name it we’re all on the menu.

Burrowing Owls Size d6, Agility d6+1, Alertness d6+2, Wisdom d6+2

Abilities: Flight 10, Hunting 7, Tooth & Claw 4

These birds are about the same size as we are, so they really only repre-

sent a danger to some of our smaller cousins and perhaps our pups.

However, Legend has it that it was a Burrowing Owl called Who-Who, that befriended Lord Kynos after he led his tribe onto the prairie and be-

came his first Speaker. Who-Who showed Kynos’ tribe how to dig into

the ground to build their homes and taught them about all of the other crit-

ters on the plains. He taught them that Wisdom is just as important as bravery and this friendship has extended through to this very day. Burrow-

ing owls can often be found living near or in the outer fringes of Great

Home and other dog towns.


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Chipmunks

Size d6-1, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6-1


These are friendly little critters. There are lots of different tribes, but I

can’t really tell the difference. They sometimes get a bit uppity if you tell

them this though. Like we’re supposed to know? Anyhow, they have stripes extending down to the base of their tales, which are a lot longer

than ours. Their colour varies from dull yellow to grey-brown. They eat

nuts, seeds and fruit.

Cottontails

Size d6, Agility d6+1, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d3


These critters are about our size. They are a bit wary (even of us) but can

be quite friendly. I reckon they are a bit lazy too, because they like to take over our old burrows on the edge of Great Home, rather than dig their

own. Sometimes they just make their shelters in brush heaps. They are a

bit simple; so don’t expect to get too much sense out of them.

Coyotes

Size d6+9, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6+1

Abilities: Hunting 3, Tooth & Claw 5, Silvertongue 4 (treat as a Bark of Command, but let characters make Prairie Tales/Wisdom rolls to

get away)

Never trust a Coyote. That’s my best advice to you. If he says something

to you he is only trying to win your trust, so he can get close just to eat

you. Remember the old Prairie Tale? Don’t listen to his devious words.

He eats nearly anything, so like I said keep out of his way. You can tell him from his cousin the fox by his greyish coat.

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Eagles

Size d6+10, Agility d6, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d6+2

Abilities: Flight 10, Hunting 9, Tooth & Claw 6

Much as I feel an affinity with Eagles being our Tribal Totem and all, I

don’t really feel an urge to put my Tribal Bark to the test. Eagles are so

big, I wonder whether they would even hear it. I doubt I could get my Bark out even if am Eagle was coming for me anyway! As I said, they are

huge (even when seen from a distance, which quite frankly, is close

enough) and swift and deadly. They will eat many types of small critters,

although with the vigilance of our Sentinels and the protection of our bur-rows, we prairie dogs are safer than many.

Ferrets Size d6+3, Agility d6+1, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d6


Now this beast is a fearsome proposition, I can assure you. For a start, it is

bigger than us but not so big that it cannot come down into our burrows to

seek us out. Ferrets are light brown in colour except for their feet and evil

killer eyes which are dark as the night.

They feed mainly upon us prairie dogs and our cousins the ground squir-

rels. Why us? Kynos only knows, but they seem to derive enormous satisfaction from it. I have heard of whole tribes being wiped out by just

one or two of these berserk killers.

Foxes

Size d6+8, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6+1

Abilities: Hunting 4, Tooth & Claw 5, Silvertongue 3

I must admit that I can’t really tell much of a difference between foxes

and coyotes, but then I don’t normally hang about when they are around.

There are even different types of foxes, according to one Speaker I met.


78

These critters are quick and deadly and, like Coyote, very wily. They are

quite happy to eat us as well as others of our friends, so be warned.

Gophers Size d6-1, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6-1


This is another friendly critter, the Gopher. They like to burrow and,

unlike us, prefer to stay in their tunnels all of the time. So you might find

them a bit, well, sort of ‘earthy’. They also like to store their food in their

cheeks, which seems odd to me. Doesn’t it get all soggy in there?

Ground Squirrels

Size d6, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6-1 Abilities: none of note

Now these critters are our cousins and although they are loners, they have the attitude of one or two Scouts I know. There are loads of different

types, some have stripes, some have spots (they don’t daub them on like

we do). They like to burrow and are about our size too. They don’t bark

though. You can usually rely on help from these guys, if you need it.

Hawks

Size d6+6, Agility d6, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d6 Abilities: Flight 10, Hunting 9, Tooth & Claw 5

Always keep one eye on the sky. If it’s not an eagle up there, you can bet it’ll be a hawk. Not as big as an eagle, but that isn’t much comfort to the

likes of us. Just get down your burrow as quick as you can. These flying

critters can see the whole prairie from up there and can spot movement

almost anywhere. If you can find a hawk feather, you’ll be lucky, so they say. Get it to your Speaker sharpish.

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Jackrabbits

Size d6+3, Agility d6+2, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d6-1

Abilities: Jumping 12

This critter is too up himself, if you ask me. He looked down his nose at

me, like he just trod in something. Still, my Bark is worse than my bite, I

like to say, so after he had been taught a little lesson, he was more willing to treat me with a bit of respect. Jackrabbits have long ears, long legs and

seem very quick on their feet, if not in their heads. They seem to eat al-

most any kind of vegetation (no taste!) and, like us, can make do with

little or no water. The most remarkable thing though, is how far they can jump. If you put 20 Braves nose to tail, I am sure a Jackrabbit could clear

them in one bound.

Kangaroo Rats

Size d3, Agility d6+2, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6

Abilities: Jumping 8

Jumpy critters these and I don’t just mean they can jump a long way. I

mean they seem edgy and nervous all the time. Highly strung. Still, I’m

not surprised, they have more predators than we do. There are apparently lots of different families of kangaroo rats but, quite frankly, who cares?

Still, get one to stay still long enough and you will find them to be

friendly enough.

Lions

Size d6+25, Agility d6+1, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d6 Abilities: Hunting 8, Tooth & Claw 9

You think bobcats are scary? Well, you run into one of these terrors.

Makes a bobcat look like a rabbit. Lions are rare and I have only second paw accounts. Perhaps they exist only in Prairie Tales? Just as well really.


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Lizards


Abilities: Hunting 2, Tooth & Claw 2

There is an old Legend that says that if a lizard bites you, it will hold on

till it thunders. There is another that says if a critter catches hold of a liz-

ard’s tail the tail will drop off. Then, later on the lizard will come back for his tail and join it back on again. Those two Prairie Tales just show how

weird a critter a lizard is. You’ll find them basking in the sun by day or

under a rock (or even in our old burrows) at night.

Mice



There are many types of mouse, most of which are a brown-grey colour

with white bellies and long tails. They are nimble little critters that eat seeds, plants and some insects. They build their nests under rocks and

such. Members of the Little Mouse Tribe even live side-by-side with these

little guys. There are some mice, called Grasshopper Mice (who are quite

common on the plains) that feed almost exclusively on insects. Yum!

Pikas

Size d6-1, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6-1 Abilities: Whistle (several types, similar to Barks though fewer)

These critters are a bit like us and a bit like rabbits. They tend to like the mountains, so you don’t get them around Great Home very much. They

Whistle, so that’s how you know them. Some of our Scouts reckon their

whistles are a bit like our Barks, but I’m not so sure. If they are though,

perhaps they have Roles in their society too?

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Prairie Dogs

Size d6, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6

Abilities: Tribal Bark 1, otherwise none of note, unless the dog has

a Role*

If you haven’t been paying attention, these are the critters that this game is

all about.

Raccoons

Size d6+6, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6

Abilities: Tooth & Claw 3, Hunting 2

These critters get everywhere. They are very nosey and love to learn new

things and have loads of tales to tell themselves, if you can get then to talk to you, rather than have you for a tasty snack. Truth be told, they go for

smaller critters than us, as a rule. Anyhow, you can tell a raccoon by his

markings - a ringed tail and black round the eyes. These are great designs to copy, when you are being daubed.

Rattlesnakes

Size d6+4, Agility d6-1, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6 Abilities: Death Rattle (as Stancing) 8, Tooth & Claw 3, Hunting 4,

Poison bite (victim has to make a Moderate ability roll using Size to avoid

being paralysed and loses one hit point per

flurry thereafter

whether he succeeded or failed the first roll,

unless he makes a fur-

ther Moderate ability

roll)

If you hear an eerie

rattling sound, get the hell out of there. It


82

means rattler is near and about to strike. In actual fact, if you hear it, you

can assume you are dead already. They strike quickly and their poison is

deadly. Not much a Healer can do. So don’t get bitten.

Shrews

Size d2, Agility d6+1, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6-1

Abilities: Stancing 2, Tooth & Claw 1

Shrews are quite aggressive for such a little critter. They can catch you by

surprise too, because they look a bit like mice. They prefer watery areas

though and aren’t often seen in the daytime. They eat loads of insects and grubs and things. Must need it with all that aggression.

Skink Size d6-1, Agility d6+1, Alertness d6+1, Wisdom d3

Abilities: Hunting 2, Tooth & Claw 2

Skinny little guys these things. No fur either, so no wonder they like to

bake themselves in the sun and hide away at night when it goes cold. They

look a bit like snakes except they got legs too - pretty fast runners when

they want as well. Never seen a lizard bothering any of us. They talk kinda funny so it’s hard to understand them. They’re ok though.

Skunks Size d6+6, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6

Abilities: Odour (as Stancing) 6, Hunting 2, Tooth & Claw 2

Smelly critters, these. Only when you catch them by surprise though. Oth-

erwise they are a bit temperamental. Might even have a go at you. Smaller

critters like mice are definitely on the menu. Black with white stripes and

bushy tales. That’s how you’ll recognise them, if you don’t smell them first. Mind you, the smell is enough to knock you out completely. Luckily,

its only a defensive thing - it is intended to ward off predators like Coyo-

tes and other bigger critters.

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Wolves

Size d6+15, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6

Abilities: Stancing 3, Tooth & Claw 8, Hunting 5

Now these critters are pure legend, I am certain. They are like big coyotes

or foxes, so the tales would have it. More vicious though and they don’t

need the trickery of those critters either. Not as vicious of the next critter though.

Wolverines

Size d6+8, Agility d6, Alertness d6, Wisdom d6 Abilities: Stancing 5, Tooth & Claw 9, Hunting 7

Luckily, we don’t see these around very much. They are large, shaggy, brown-furred monsters. They are also exceptionally ill-tempered. You

don’t stand a chance if one catches you whilst he is hungry. If he is not

hungry, he will probably just kill you anyway. Some even kill deer and elk. And deer and elk are real big. Probably couldn’t kill a Bison though,

but I bet they would have a good go.

84

ADVENTURES

Overview

It’s a Dog’s Life is a game all about adventures and quests. Adventures can be one-off scenarios that begin and end after an evenings play. They

can be designed like short stories, each of which starring the same cast of

characters (maybe with a slightly changed cast, if players can’t make it, or new players come along). Best of all though, is when adventures are

linked in some way and so that what went in the last adventure has a bear-

ing on the next one. These are called campaigns.

Designing adventures can be a bit daunting. The thing is, you shouldn’t

bust a gut over it. The more it is planned out, the less easy it will be to

play. There are some sample adventures near the end of this book, to give you a feel for the type of thing that makes a good It’s a Dog’s Life adven-

ture.

The beginning adventures can be simple tasks given by Chief Strong-Heart, like the adventure called Ferret Trouble. However, after a while

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85

this approach will get a bit stale, so you may need to vary it. There are

many ways to do this.

If a one of the players is a Speaker, you can say that she has some sort of vision after eating a certain plant. This vision could be in the form of a

riddle or a visit from Lord Kynos or just a faraway place or event. A Scout

could come across something out on the prairie - strange tracks, an un-known critter or a dead body. A Speaker from some distant town could

come to Great Home with a Prairie Tale that could lead to a new adven-

ture. Be creative. Once you begin differing the way to introduce scenarios

to the players, you will start to develop a campaign structure to your games.

Campaigns Campaigns are a series of adventures that usually have a common thread

or greater goal, that strings the adventures together. Campaigns tend to

have common elements throughout the adventures. These elements may

be that there is an ultimate aim for the players - maybe they are trying to track down one very powerful foe and each adventure brings them clues

that bring them closer to their enemy. The Great Quest is an example of a

campaign that will be played over several or more sessions leading to a fabulous climax - the dream of many prairie dogs, Thundertown itself.

Maybe the characters have their own personal agendas - a Speaker might want to become the Chief Speaker of Great Home. A Healer might want

to find a cure for The Dark Death. A Scout might want to find Thunder-

town. A Brave might want to be Chief. A Sentinel might simply want to

find a mate. These are the characters dreams and so they should be work-ing towards these goals anyway. They make a fantastic way for GMs to

come up with adventures that the players might be really keen to play.

Players might have other ideas for their characters and often these are a

great source of material for GMs struggling to come up with adventures of

their own. Don’t be afraid to plunder the players ideas for campaigns and


86

adventures. It means they have a lot more personal stake in your game.

Campaigns work best when the player characters have lives of their own

too and where you play out sessions that have a real meaning for their

characters.

Earning Legend Points Adventures are where characters earn status within their tribes and even

gain reputations beyond their own tribes, perhaps throughout Great Home

and even in other dog towns. After each adventure, the GM will award

Legend points. The number of points varies from about 1 to 3, depending upon the nature of the adventure, the difficulties faced and the way the

players played their characters to the spirit of It’s a Dog’s Life.

If the group has a Speaker with them, and that Speaker can succeed in tell-

ing the Prairie Tale of their adventures before the chief, or the chief or

Speaker of another tribe, then another point can be awarded to each char-

acter, as they bask in the glory of their adventures.

These Legend points can be used to increase attributes, abilities or Barks

or learn new ones. Alternatively, a character can learn a second Role, if she has sufficient Legend points.

• Attributes: 2 points per point up to level 6. Then 3 points per point

up to level 8, which is the maximum

• Abilities: 1 point per point up to level 6. Then 2 points per point up to a maximum of 12

• Barks: 1 point per point up to level 3. Then 2 points per point up to

a maximum of level 6 • New Role: 6 Legend points. The prairie dog gets the Unique Abil-

ity, Bark and Second Ability of the new Role all at level 1. He is

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87

also awarded a second (or additional) Feather. It is extremely rare

for any dog to have more than two Roles

• Feather: An extra feather for the first point spent (this is extra to

the Feather the dog has already got from her Role). Then 2 points for the next (third) feather. Then 3 points for the next and so on.

Adventure seeds

Some of these are just short ideas to throw into an ongoing campaign or

game session. Others could be fully fleshed out into whole adventures or

even longer quests and campaigns.

• A strange lost critter comes to Great Home, from far across the

prairie

• Crops are being eaten or destroyed by an unknown thief or un-

known thieves and the Healer wants to know who or what it is

• A quest to accompany a Healer or Speaker collect feathers and

other materials with which to make a Dreamcatcher, to replace

one in the Lodge that no longer has power

• Looking for lost pups or scouts that wandered off across the prai-

rie

• A Speaker character trying to learn new tales from other towns

• Accompanying a Healer who is looking for rare plants to combat

the Dark Death

• Exploration, searching for new place to establish a colony

• Tribal disputes, wars and politics

• A lost critter with strange markings or daubings on his fur, that

could be a ‘map’ to the location of Thundertown

• The Bison haven’t been seen for many moons. Where are they?

High Chief Strong-Heart wants some brave dogs to go along the

Bison-Way to see if they can find out where they are or why they don’t pass by Great Home anymore


88

• The Great Quest (there are some ideas for incorporating The

Great Quest into your campaign later on in this book).

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89

Longer adventures

Killer Ferret

Some prairie dogs have been going missing from the outer fringes of

Great Home. Some of the tribes that live out that way have got together to petition Strong-Heart for a gathering of the tribes to get something done

about it.

The result of the Great Council is that the player characters are summoned before chief Strong-Heart, who tells them that he wishes them to go out to

the area where the disappearances have occurred and see what they can

find out. Their job is to see what is the cause and try to reach a solution if possible or if not, report back with their findings. He suggests they talk to

the Elders of the Running Gopher Tribe who have lost more of their num-

ber than any of the others out that way.

Any Scouts in the party will know that they need to travel mountain-ward

from the time the sun rises, till it is high in the sky. If there is no Scout,

then the characters will have to ask around and the journey will be twice as long. Out here, there are many deserted burrows, several lived in by

other critters such as mice and burrowing owls. The grasses are poor and

sparse.

The characters will be treated with a little suspicion, unless they have a

Speaker in the group or until they tell the Tribe why they are here. They will learn that their have been several disappearances, the most recent of

which was only at sunrise. It was Grass-Fur the Tribes only Healer, who

had wandered too far looking for a plot of decent soil. The Tribes only

Sentinel couldn’t be everywhere at once and despite his warnings, she wandered out of his sight. The group are shown by Boulder, the Sentinel,

the last place he saw her. The group will probably want to head in that

direction, as it is about the only lead they have and the Healer might still be alive.


90

If they have a Scout, the group can follow her trail. Otherwise they will

have to just head that way and hope for the best (perhaps having an en-

counter with a critter of some sort as they get off track a little). They will eventually find the remains of a critter in a patch of longer grass.

There is blood everywhere. The body is the Healer, but there is not much

left of her. (A Critter Lore roll, will show this to be the work of a ferret). A short distance from the body (Watching roll for Sentinels in the party)

will reveal a strange ring of woven grasses, with feathers attached. It is a

Dreamcatcher. A successful Plant Lore or Critter Lore roll will reveal that it is unfinished, but only needs a little more work. It is designed to ward

off a ferret.

A scout will be able to find the tracks of the killer ferret leading towards some disused tunnel entrances at the very outer edges of Great Home. The

ferret is in the burrow asleep, sated after his dawn feast. However, it is not

long till the sun goes down and he will be back out for another night of hunting and killing.

The ferret needs at the very least to be chased away from Great Home. It would help if the characters could get the Dreamcatcher completed. They

are unlikely to be able to do it themselves (they won’t have the necessary

ability levels) , but they could find someone to help from among the

nearby tribes. Alternatively, if the group is strong in Braves, then they might be able to out-Stance or out-fight him.

Black-Foot The ferret is a fairly typical one, called Black-Foot, with stats as follows:

Size 7, Agility 5, Alertness 4, Wisdom 3

Abilities: Stancing 6 (13), Hunting 7 (11), Tooth & Claw 8 (13)

Wound points: 13

(The figure in brackets is the total d20 roll needed, not including any modifi-

ers).

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Dog Trouble Some prairie dogs from a dog-town some way across the plain towards the

mountains are looking for a new home as the soil around there own has

become poor and the bison don’t come by as often as they used to.

There are a dozen of these dogs - hardened Braves and a couple of Scouts

and Sentinels, all under the Chief called Rock-Claw. These dogs have matted and ‘spiked’ fur, with bits of bone and twigs thrust through it, and

‘war-paint’ daubed on their faces. Some even have a porcupine spine or

thorn thrust through an ear. (Think ‘punk’ or Mad Max in style here).

They are members of the Bloody Porcupine Tribe - a cruel and heartless tribe of thugs and murderers.

Rock-Claw is following reports from one of his scouts of a town rich in food and comfortable burrows just ripe for the picking - Great Home.

However, he is aware that the Chief is strong and will not just give up his

position that easily and Rock-Claw does not intend to risk losing his life in

a challenge.

Their plan is to attack a weaker tribe on the outskirts of Great Home and

kill the chief, Braves and any others who put up a fight, enslaving the rest. Then they intend to work their way around the other tribes nearby, build-

ing their power and strength, moving in towards the centre as they go

taking the females and putting down any resistance. The eventual aim is to make a challenge upon Strong-Heart for leadership.

However, even then they don’t plan a fair challenge. Oh no.

Rock-Claws’ own Speaker, Snake-Tongue is planning to ingratiate him-self with the tribes of Great Home, so that he can get close to Strong-

Heart. At the appointed time, Rock-Claw will challenge Strong-Heart.

Snake-Tongue will then poison Strong-Heart (using a particular plant he knows) - not to kill him, but to make him weak and nauseous and easy for

Rock-Claw to best in Tooth & Claw. Then Great Home will be theirs.


92

This isn’t really an adventure as such, it is really a whole ongoing story

that you can play through either as part of an ongoing plot-line with the

characters perhaps coming across bits and pieces of the plot as they go

about there other adventures. Maybe they find some of Rock-Claws Braves harassing some prairie dogs of another tribe, or perhaps they find

some of his Scouts stealing some of the best crops from around the centre

of Great Home. They could run into a ‘work-party’ of dogs being forced to dig tunnels by some Braves and Sentinels of Rock-Claws tribe, or even

run into an old friend who has been beaten up and badly disfigured, for

standing up against them.

Alternatively, they could come back from a long adventure to find Great

Home almost overrun by the Bloody Porcupines. Perhaps there has been a

huge civil war and members of Strong-Hearts Tribe are now fighting a guerrilla war from hidden tunnels in some abandoned area of town. Use

this in a way you find interesting.

(The figure in brackets is the total d20 roll needed, not including any modifiers).

Rock-Claw Brave (Chief)


Abilities: Stancing 6(12), Tooth & Claw 5(11), Bark of Courage 4, Tribal

Bark 3

Wound points: 12

Snake-Tongue

Speaker

Size , Agility 3, Alertness 5, Wisdom 6

Abilities: Prairie Tales 5(11), Plant Lore 4(10), Critter Lore 1 (7)

Bark of Command 3, Bark of Weakness 2, Bark of Confusion 1, Tribal Bark 3

Wound points: 8

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Plague Town A small dog colony a few days away from Great Home has been hit by

The Dark Death. You could allow the group to come across this town

whist they are travelling the plain on some other quest or mission or sim-ply have a Scout from that town come to Great Home for help from the

Healers (in the latter case, the Scout could actually have brought the Dark

Death with him, meaning that Great Home itself is at risk, bringing the whole problem ’closer to home’, especially if one of the player characters

is unfortunate enough to have come into contact with the Scout).

Anyway, the characters will find the colony in a rather pathetic state—untended plots, poorly maintained guard posts and burrows, hardly any

dog around and a smell of rot and decay from within and around the vicin-

ity. Luckily, this smell keeps most predators at bay too.

The characters will need to come up with a cunning plan. If they have a

Healer or Speaker, then a Plant Lore roll will tell them that there is a very

rare herb that grows near the mountains (a long way away!) that is sup-posed to be able to cure the Dark Death. A successful Prairie Tales roll,

will mean that the Speaker recalls the tale of an ancient and venerable

Hermit who lives near the foot of the mountains, who is believed to be the sole survivor of a great plague in his own town many dog-generations ago.

(If rolls are failed, the characters can always go and see their own Head-Speaker or even the wise burrowing owl that they know about, either of

whom can tell them bout the above) .

These stories will probably lead the characters on the long journey to the mountains. They will definitely need a Scout with them, for the path is

hard and dangerous. Sentinels are a must too. If the characters do not have

characters of these types in their number, you could allow an NPC to join them. Alternatively, you could allow them to become lost several times (if they don’t have a Scout) perhaps leading them to other adventures along

the way whilst all the time dogs back home are falling to the Dark Death,


94

or they could be attacked by more predators along the way (without a Sen-

tinel).

Eventually, their path will lead to the Hermit. He is the whitest, oldest and frailest-looking prairie dog they will have ever seen. He is both a Speaker

and a Healer. His name (though it is long since he heard it spoken, is Star-

Born, because his mother gave birth to him under the brightest star there has ever been. This was in a time, so he says, when Great Home was but a

small colony of his old town of Bison-Way, which fell to the Dark Death

all those moons ago.

Star-Born is a bit strange, and talks in an odd way because he is unused to

company. His home is full of little side tunnels full of bits of bone, old

dried plants, feathers, part finished and finished Dreamcatchers and so on. He is a font of Wisdom and old knowledge and can help the characters

with their quest.

Star-Born

Speaker & Healer (Hermit)


Abilities: Prairie Tales 6 (15), Plant Lore 6 (15), Critter Lore 6 (15), Bark of

Command 6, Bark of Life 6, Bark of Mimicry 4.

Wound points: 7

This is a chance to learn! This scenario gives the GM opportunity to

allow the characters to learn new Prairie Tales or other abilities from

the Hermit. He is happy to pass on his knowledge to the group.

They can also learn a bit more about the location of Thundertown—as

the old dog heard a Prairie Tale from a Speaker when he was just a

young pup, who had met a very old Bison who knew of a herd that passed that way occasionally.

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The Old Wolverine On one of their quests, the characters will come across a very nasty critter

indeed - a wolverine! This could be during or part of any adventure and

would work well as a part of the previous adventure, especially as the mountains are a more likely place to find a wolverine.

The wolverine will step out in front of the characters from behind a boul-

der and block their path, ideally in a narrow mountain pass or somewhere difficult to escape from the wolverine.

However, the wolverine (called Bite-of-Death) is old, lost and has suf-

fered a badly mauled paw, which he got in a fight with another wolverine. The paw is causing him great pain and in fact he isn’t that hungry, having

eaten quite recently.

If a character Healer is available, he or she can see that the wolverine is

injured and appears to be in pain. The Healer may be able to help, with

critter lore. Without a Healer, the characters will have to talk to the wol-

verine before they can find out about his injury. This is possible, because the wolverine doesn’t attack straight away as they would perhaps expect

from this beast (if indeed they recognize it as such).

If they get talking, the wolverine tells them his name is Bite-of-Death. He

is grateful for any help and will teach any dog some of his best Tooth &

Claw or Stancing moves and tricks.

Bite-of-Death

Wolverine


Abilities: Tooth & Claw 8(11), Stancing 5(15), Hunting 5(7)

Wound points: 16


96

The Great Quest Locating Thundertown is the ultimate dream of very many prairie dogs

who have the spirit of adventure within them. Scouts constantly venture

far and wide, seeking trails and following paths that lead out across the plains. Speakers swap Prairie Tales in the hope that there will be clues in

some of the new stories they learn. Sentinels at watch will sometimes look

to the skies for a glimpse of the top of a faraway mountain that might just possibly be the location of that mythical place. Many dogs give up on the

idea and settle down to a life in Great Home. Content as they seem, there

is still an occasional ache in the hearts of most dogs that they didn’t pur-

sue their Dream.

For other dogs, the yearning is too strong. These dogs are called to The

Great Quest; that is forever following the slightest of hints, the merest of suggestions and the oldest of trails with the slimmest of hopes that they

might eventually discover a route that leads to the First Town. None so far

has found it, or if they have, they have not returned to talk of it.

How do you get to Thundertown?

This is a question for you, as the GM to decide. You don’t need to do it

straight away, but sometime during the adventures you are going to have to provide some answers and so you need to think about it now. It could

be at the end of a very long and very ancient Bison-Way, criss-crossed

several times by other Bison-Ways, sometimes making it difficult to find the original trail. It could be, as one of the legends suggests, up through a

pass in the distant mountains. Some legends even suggest that you need to

pass through a cave full of grizzlies to get to Thundertown. Perhaps Thun-

dertown is across a raging river or huge canyon. Maybe the path to Thundertown leads through a dark forest. It could be that all of these

things are true or none of them. But, during the course of their adventures,

you should allow the characters to pick up snippets of information or find clues that will keep them getting nearer to their Dream. One Prairie Tale

speaks of a critter, just known as The Puzzle, whose pelt markings are

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97

some sort of secret message that if worked out, gives directions to the lo-

cation of the First Town.

What will the characters find there? One option is that Thundertown is the largest Prairie Dog town that there

has ever been. An ancient, yet vibrant and beautiful town set against the

backdrop of a mighty mountain rising up out of the land and reaching up into the clouds. The place is dotted with pleasant little plots, pools of

sparkling water, colourful herbs and plants and well cared for burrows.

The Tribes are all well fed and want for very little. It is idyllic and alluring

and everything anydog ever dreamed of. The High Chief is a direct de-scendent of the Great Kynos himself and will make anydog welcome for

there is room for everyone and food is plentiful. Everydog is happy and

their lives are blissful.

Another option is perhaps exactly the opposite. Perhaps the ancient town

is a run-down dilapidated dump, full of malnourishment and disease. Maybe the High Chief is a tyrant and has a personal army of thuggish

Braves who enforce his strict rules and keep the populace down, cowed

beneath his spiteful paw. Maybe his Chief Speaker has set up a weird cult

of worshippers of The Mountain - in the shadow of which Thundertown sits in its wasted and lifeless misery.

Perhaps the browbeaten populace are looking for a new leader from afar away across the prairie, spoken of in their ancient prophecies, who will

show them how to rise up and throw off the chains of their despotic over-

lord.

Maybe Thundertown is just an empty, lifeless shell. Deserted perhaps,

many moons ago and now just a place of empty memories and weed-

choked plant beds. Maybe in the tunnels and chambers of the town, there are some secrets to be found. Secret powers that were known in Lord Kynos’ day but lost in the passing of time. The characters could ex-

plore these echoing halls and quiet chambers uncovering the mysteries held within. Perhaps the chambers are now home to some other deadly


98

critters - a family of ferrets or chamber of rattlers. Maybe, because the

passages are old and uncared for, there will be rock-falls and cave-ins. It

could be a bit like a ‘dungeon adventure’. Perhaps there are even spirits of

the dead drifting around, whispering to the characters for good or ill.

Another option is that Thundertown is not real. It never existed, except in

Prairie Tales. The Great Quest is just enlightenment and Thundertown, a Nirvana.

Take an idea from above, change it to suit you and your players. Or make

up your own version of Thundertown. You know your players best and you know what they will be happiest with. Go with it. Happy adventuring!

99

APPENDICES

Real prairie dogs

Prairie dogs are truly social animals

and live on the central plains of North America, in Wyoming, Colorado,

South Dakota and so on. They are

closely related to ground squirrels. There are five species of prairie dog;

Black-tailed (the most common),

White-tailed (slightly smaller and live in the mountains), Gunnison's, Utah

and Mexican. They all have small

ears, short tails and muscular little

legs. Their buff-coloured fur blends in with the earth in which they dig their

burrows.


100

Size Prairie dogs vary in size from 11 to 14 inches and weigh from 1 to 3

pounds. They can live for up to 7 years but males tend to live no longer

than 5. The females give birth to only 1 litter of 1 to 6 pups and the breed-ing season begins late winter to early spring.

Towns

Prairie dogs live in areas known as ‘towns’, which are marked by low mounds of bare dirt and sand where they have excavated it from their bur-

rows. Huge prairie dog towns, such as one that covered 25,000 square

miles and supported a population of approximately 400 million prairie dogs, once were reported from Texas. Although prairie dogs still locally

are common, today less than one percent of the prairie dog population and

habitat remain.

Within the towns, dogs live in social groups called coteries that work to-

gether to collect foodstuffs and nesting materials and cooperate to fend off

threats from intruders, which may be predators or dogs from other cote-ries. A typical coterie consists of between 4 to 6 adults and their young of

up to a year in age.

Beyond 1 year, the young will often relocate, taking over abandoned

holes, digging new holes on the edge of the town or travel up to several

miles away to start new towns.

Many of the burrows in a town are interconnected, so escape routes are

left open if a predator chases a dog down a burrow. Other critters also use little used or abandoned burrows, including mice, rabbits, some reptiles

and ground-nesting birds.

The towns are watched over by dogs that stand upright atop the earth mounds and keep a sharp eye out for signs of intruders. When they spot

APPENDIX

101

danger they give a warning bark and every dog bolts for the safety of its

burrows.

Communication These barks are the dog’s way of communicating. They include warning

barks, territorial calls, defence barks, fighting snarls fear screams and

tooth chattering.

Prairie dogs are well adapted to avoid predation. The eyes are located high

on the head and are able to focus on overhead objects very well. Taller

view-blocking vegetation at the edges of towns is cut down by the ani-mals, who are then able to stand upright on their mounds for an

unobstructed view of their surroundings.

Food

In and around the town grow the plants and grasses that form the diet of

prairie dogs. The volume of plant material on the town itself is much re-

duced, but because of the constant grazing, the annual production and protein content of the plants is greater than that growing on the surround-

ing grasslands.

When most of the grasses are gone, prairie dogs must feed on the other

plants that have become established. Some of these are preferred food-

stuffs and some are not. Accordingly prairie dogs will begin to feed on a

wider variety of foods when the preferred types are decreased.

Predators

There are a number of predators that hunt prairie dogs, such as coyotes, bobcats, foxes, badgers, eagles, hawks, rattlesnakes and most of all, the

feared Black-footed ferret, whose diet consists primarily of prairie dogs.


102

Inspiration for this game came from a visit to Devils Tower National

Monument, Wyoming, where there is a large prairie dog colony, see

http://www.nps.gov/deto/dogs.htm

Other inspirations were the Duncton Wood books of William Horwood

and Watership Down by Richard Adams.

For more information about Prairie Dogs, visit

http://www.prairiedogs.org/index.html

For more stuff from Beyond Belief Games, visit http://beyondbeliefgames.webs.com/

APPENDIX

103

BARBARIANS OF LEMURIA (BoL)

The sword & sorcery role playing game, with rules

that really do reflect the genre. Available in PDF

from RPGNow, or in print from it’s publisher Cubicle

7 Entertainment or your local hobby store

SUPERS! COMIC BOOK ROLE PLAYING GAME

Fast character generation, simple rules, great fun.

This is the heroic supers game you’ve been waiting

for. Available in print from it’s publisher Cubicle 7

Entertainment or your local hobby store

KIDS & CRITTERS OLD SCHOOL RPG TRILOGY

Tales from The Wood

Lashings of Ginger Beer

It’s a Dog’s Life

Coming from Cubicle 7 in 2011

GO FER YER GUN!

Old school role-playing in the Wild West

Using familiar rules, this game takes D20, pairs it

down and presents a simple but exciting game of

gunfights and saloon brawls

MEDIEVAL MYSTERIES

Old school rolplaying using the rules from Go Fer Yer

Gun! To present a game of sleuthing in the middle

ages, in the style of Cadfael.

TOMBS & TERRORS

Old school fantasy roleplaying using the rules first

seen in Go Fer Yer Gun!.


104

WEBSITES

CUBICLE 7 ENTERTAINMENT: www.cubicle-7.com/

BEYOND BELIEF GAMES: http://beyondbeliefgames.webs.com/

LORDS OF LEMURIA: www.freeyabb.com/d6fantasy/portal.php

EVIL DM PRODUCTIONS: http://evildm.blogspot.com/

OTHER BoL PRODUCTS:

Dogs of W*A*R

A real man’s role playing game of modern gung-ho

mercenary adventures using the Barbarians of

Lemuria rules. Available in PDF from RPGNow or in

print from LULU.COM.

Legends of Steel (BoL Edition)

BoL setting book for the world of Erisa, by Evil DM

Productions and Beyond Belief Games. Available in

print from LULU.COM, in PDF from RPGNow or di-

rect from the Evil DM website.

Barbarians of The Aftermath

BoL setting book for post apocalyptic role playing,

by Jabberwocky Productions. In PDF from RPGNOW

or print from Cubicle 7

a5 dogs life - beyond belief games · it’s a dog’s life is a role-playing game (rpg). in rpgs...

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