Roleplayer #7, November 1987
The Dire Wolf and Pack Tactics
by Steffan O'Sullivan
The Dire Wolf
ST: 16 Move/Dodge: 7/6 Size: 1 hex
DX: 12 PD/DR: 1/1 Weight: 150-250 lbs
IQ: 4 Damage: 1 die cut Origin: Ice Age
HT: 17 Reach: C Habitats: Plains, Forest, Arctic, Mountain
The dire wolf is the sturdy but slow precursor of the modern wolf. Dire
wolves are active both day and night, traveling in packs ranging from four
to forty animals. Scavengers by nature, dire wolves prey upon animals in
distress -- the injured, the old, the abandoned young. They often attack
animals trapped in mires, rock slides and tar pits. The La Brea tar pits
contain more skeletons of dire wolves than of any other mammal.
Dire wolves have no fear of humans. Should a party encounter them, the wolves
will attack using pack tactics (see below). They will not be driven off
until they have suffered at least 50% casualties.
Pack Tactics
Pack animals like wolves and lions hunt using clearly recognizable tactics.
First, they select a single animal -- usually a weak or sick individual
-- to cut off from a herd. They seldom attack healthy animals -- even the
biggest predators have difficulty bringing down large prey. Most adult herd
animals can outrun pack predators over any significant distance, and if
they do get cornered, they put up more of a fight than predators are willing
to deal with.
Once the prey has been separated from the herd, the pack will chase and
harass it for some time before attacking in earnest. Members of the pack
take turns snapping at its heels and sides, keeping the quarry running while
their fellow hunters rest. This constant pursuit weakens the prey for the
final attack. Once the beast is on the brink of exhaustion, the pack can
bring it down easily.
If the prey chooses to stand rather than flee, the pack will rapidly surround
it. A few hunters will feint to draw its attention -- then the others rush
in, attacking from the sides and rear. If the beast turns, the former attackers
will withdraw while the one-time feinters rush it from behind. The victim
is quickly overwhelmed by the numerical superiority of its attackers. Pack
predators will rarely attack a large animal head-on -- individuals which
use this suicidal tactic quickly drop out of the gene pool.
Pack hunters will attack humans just as they do other animals -- by chasing
them until they drop, or by surrounding them and attacking from the flanks.
If a party stands its ground, but the pack is unable to surround it -- or
if the humans stand back-to-back, leaving no flanks exposed -- the pack
will be hesitant to attack. Instead, the hunters will try to keep the party
pinned down, waiting to exploit any opening. If the pack is desperate, some
members may charge the party in an attempt to overwhelm them in a frontal
assault. The other pack members will be quick to take advantage of any ensuing
chaos.
(Back to Roleplayer
#7 Table of Contents)