Hunting v1.1

Hunting 1

unting is an essential activity of the people of Hârn and game animals and game birds are widely hunted and trapped. Whales and seals are a specialty of the north and small game is a popular choice for those unable to hunt larger prey due to legal prohibitions or lack of opportunity. Trapping animals for their fur is practiced over most of Hârn but particularly in the belt of wilderness from Peran to Nuthela. Hunted and trapped animals provide meat and eggs for food, skins for tanning, fur for warmth, and feathers for comfort. They are also used for ornamentation, such as game pieces of walrus ivory or charms made from the canine teeth of bears. The trade in these items supports specialist markets and crafters; many mercantylers have become rich through transporting and trading these products. Game is also hunted for sport or as a social activity to cement a privileged group’s identity. Nobles gain renown through their hunting exploits and often employ specialist huntsmen to assist them. Towns and manors employ people to set traps to kill rats, weasels, and other pests. This work is filthy and often dangerous but is steady work and is one of the more lucrative unguilded occupations. Hunting has its risks, and not only those posed by terrain, wild animals, tribesmen, or gargun. Hunters may be fined or even hanged if the lord suspects their kill has been poached or hunted illegally. Serfs supplementing their meager supplies of farm-raised meat are particularly at risk. They must obey a plethora of obscure rules and license restrictions or face the wrath of their lord. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.

Joseph McCallum (order #5164612)

This article introduces detailed rules for stalking and killing prey and trapping animals for their fur. It also contains simple rules to determine the outcome of other types of hunting, such as hunting for sport. For information on fishing and foraging for food, see the Skills section of the HârnMaster core rules. This article expands on hunting articles in HârnLore 4 and HârnMaster Barbarians.

CREDITS Writer: Jonathan Davidson Contributors: Brent Bailey, Daniel Bell, N. Robin Crossby, Alun Rees, Jamie Revell, Matt Roegner, John Sgammato, Thomas Shook Art Director: Richard Luschek Editors: Brent Bailey, Grant Dalgliesh, John Sgammato Layout: Thomas Shook

HârnWorld #4841

Hunting 2 TYPES OF HUNTING People hunt to satisfy their most basic needs: sustenance, social contact, clothing, illumination, entertainment, and a pest-free environment.

Stalking Prey for Food The majority of hunting for meat is for the table of the hunter, whether a prince hunting a stag or a serf hoping to pot a hare. Yet, on the edges of civilization, a cadre of huntsmen hunt for profit. Most hunters work alone or in pairs, stalking their prey until within missile range before letting loose the killing shot. Hunters often group together to tackle large game that is more difficult to kill and beaters are sometimes used to scare the prey, especially birds, towards the hunters.

Sport Hunting Nobles often hunt for sport. This can be a solitary activity but is most often a social pastime. Popular forms of hunting undertaken by nobles are deer hunting with bows or dogs, razorback hunting with spears, and bird hunting with falcons and hawks.

Trapping for Furs While hides and furs are commonly used for clothing in tribal societies, it is the demand from affluent commoners and the noble classes for furtrimmed clothes and accessories that ensures the trappers on the frontiers are kept fully occupied. Fur is also obtained by trading with tribal hunters, with metal goods, salt, and trinkets being exchanged for pelts.

Sealing and Whaling

HUNTING SKILLS These HârnMaster skills cover locating, approaching, trapping, and killing desired prey animals. They also cover the skinning and rough-curing of hides and the gutting, hanging, and drying of meat. The skills represent an awareness of the habits of game animals and their anatomy, plus knowledge of the wilderness and the hunter’s environment.

Hunting Skill [First Use] AGL SML INT Ula/Ara +2

SB2

Hunting covers finding animals; stalking, chasing, trapping, and dispatching them; and preparing the carcass. Hunters may specialize in different habitats (page 12).

Falconry Skill [Two Months] AGL VOI WIL Ula/Ara +1

SB1

Falconry is the art of breeding, flying, training, and doctoring birds of prey to catch small birds and mammals. Falconers specialize in different species of birds. Falconry is a speciality of Animalcraft.

Trapping Skill [One Month] AGL DEX EYE

Ula/Ara +2 SB2

Whaling and sealing are important forms of hunting in northern Hârn. Their meat is an important part of some hunters’ diets and the trade in whale oil, baleen, ambergris, seal oil, sealskins, and ivory is lucrative. Sealing on Hârn is discussed in the Seals bestiary article.

Trapping is the skill of trapping desirable fur-bearing animals, skinning them without damaging the pelts, and preparing the skins for sale. Trappers may specialize in any of the fur animals listed on page 16.

Capturing Live Beasts

Sealing Skill [One Month]

Many wild beasts are trapped alive in the depths of the wilderness and brought back to civilization for entertainment or other purposes. They are often sold at a specialist beast fair before ending up in the Pamesani arenas or even exported abroad.

Vermin Control A host of vermin inhabit buildings in both town and country. Rats and mice infest barns and houses, feeding off grains and spoiling food, while pests like wasps and snakes make life uncomfortable or even dangerous. Small pests of this sort are usually best dealt with by skilled ratters. In general, hunters with attack dogs are used to hunt down and kill larger pests, such as wolves, bears, and other predators that terrorize villagers and prey on livestock.

STR HRG WIL Mas/Lad +2 SB2 The Sealing skill covers locating prime seal beaches, attack techniques, and the production of seal oil, ivory, and dried meat. Sealers may specialize in a species of seal or in the coastal or arctic habitats.

Whaling Skill [One Month] STR HRG WIL Mas/Lad +2 SB2 This skill deals with locating whales at sea, the methods of attacking and killing these huge beasts, and the production of whale oil, baleen, whalebone, ambergris, and dried meat.

Ratcraft Skill [One Month] AGL VOI WIL Ula/Fen +1

SB1

A specialty of Animalcraft skill, Ratcraft includes knowledge of methods for trapping and killing rats and other vermin.

Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


HârnWorld

Hunting 3

HUNTER CHARACTERS Hunters are good as player characters and as NPCs. They may be found in the wilderness, on a social hunt, or in a tavern. The Career Skills list in the sidebar shows the skills a character opens in the occupational skills phase of character generation (see HârnMaster, Character).

Huntsman The huntsman is responsible for maintaining his lord’s hunting equipment and dogs. They are the most skilled hunters, well-versed in tracking, stalking, and handling the hounds. They are most often bachelor knights, squires, or sergeants. They advise the lord on the best tactics for the hunt and lead the lord’s party to the game. Huntsmen spend considerable time in the wilderness, keeping track of game and ensuring its well-being. They have wilderness survival skills and are able to live off the land. The huntsman is often the first to apprehend poachers and will often administer summary justice rather than disturbing the lord’s repose.

Falconer Because few can afford the services of a falconer, they are found almost exclusively in castles and royal hunting lodges. The falconer maintains and trains the lord’s birds, including breeding them or capturing wild replacements. They make the specialist accoutrements of their trade and maintain the mews where the birds are kept. Falconers accompany the birds on the hunt and fly them under instruction from the nobles.

Trapper Most denizens of the civilized kingdoms view trappers as wild, rough men from the wilderness. Most trappers have chosen to forsake the comforts that the settled life brings, in return for the freedom of being their own master. Others, such as outlaws or unfree runaways, have no choice but to live beyond society. Because trappers may have to live for months on their own, they have good wilderness survival skills. Their social skills, however, may leave a lot to be desired.

Sealer/Whaler The stereotypical sealer or whaler is a scarred veteran of the sea. These tough, self-sufficient men spend months away from home and are often dependent on what they can catch or forage. They must survive the harsh northern seas and the dangers of the ice floes to face the largest animals. The death rate for novices is high. They have unique weapons skills, including the harpoons used against whales and dolphins and the haakapik clubs employed to hunt seals. They are also skilled at manufacturing oil and other products from the seals and whales they kill.

Ratter Ratters are typically drawn from the poor sections of urban society. Their unpleasant occupation may make them subject to the contempt of their betters, yet they are nevertheless freemen with a dependable income. Although ratters specialize in the removal of rats and mice, they may undertake other forms of pest control as well, including removing an unwanted wasp nest or den of vipers. Most ratters are accompanied by a terrier, which is used to sniff out rats’ nests and to flush larger vermin. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


CAREER SKILLS Hunter characters open the following occupational skills: Huntsman: Hunting/4, Tracking/4, Stealth/4, Animalcraft (Hounds)/4, Foraging/3, Musician (Horn)/3, Survival/3, Fletching/2, Hidework/2, Weatherlore/2, Bow/5, Dagger/4, Spear/4. Falconer: Animalcraft (Falconry)/5, Hunting/4, Intrigue/4, Hidework/3, Textilecraft/3, Weatherlore/3, Sling/4, Net/3. Trapper: Trapping/4, Tracking/4, Stealth/4, Hunting/3, Cookery/3, Foraging/3, Survival/3, Fletching/2, Hidework/2, Axe (Hatchet)/4, Dagger/4, Bow/3. Sealer/Whaler: Sealing or Whaling/4, Seamanship/4, Hunting/3, Foraging/2, Shipwright/2, Survival (Arctic)/2, Weatherlore/2, Piloting/1, Club/5 (sealer) or Javelin (Harpoon)/4 (whaler), Dagger/5. Ratter: Animalcraft (Ratcraft)/5, Animalcraft (Dogs)/4, Hunting/4, Trapping/3, Herblore/2, Club/5, Net/3. Forester (page 4): Hunting/4, Stealth/4, Tracking/4, Intrigue/4, Animalcraft (Falconry)/2, Weatherlore/2, Spear/4, Bow/2, Sword/4 or Club/5. Nobles add Riding/6, Law/3, Mathematics/1, Script (Lakise)/70+SB.

A New Skill for Old Professions Characters with other suitable occupations (such as hunters, nobles, or Uthriem Roliri) may be given Hunting/3 as an additional (free) skill. Noblemen and ladies may elect to take Falconry/2 instead.

HârnWorld

Hunting 4 HUNTING LAW Three law systems govern hunting on Hârn: feudal, clan, and Thardic. Kings, clanheads, and provincial magistrates all reserve the greatest rights to themselves. Regional or local customs and practices may further restrict who can hunt what and when. At a local level, hunting is the sole prerogative of the lord, who may allow tenants or others to hunt in return for a license fee collected by the reeve. These licenses are typically enforced by the beadle and, in the demesne wood, by the woodward. Poaching is probably the most common crime on Hârn. Most officers of the hunt, some of whom are little more than hired thugs, are happy to exercise summary justice on those discovered poaching or in possession of poached meat; only those of rank and influence reach court. Restitution may be in the form of fines, corporal punishment (often branding or amputation of a hand), or, with a lord’s judgment, capital punishment. Trespassers from outside the manor are likely to face harsher punishment.

Feudal Law

FEUDAL OFFICIALS

The king creates areas known as “forests” that are reserved for royal hunting. These areas include the forest hundreds and other of the king’s estates. Within these areas, forest law overrides all other laws and legal claims and must be obeyed by all who dwell in or use the forest, whether serf or baron. These hunting forests are not just woods—they can be heath, cropland, or any other land. “Forest” is a legal term, not a terrain type. Although the exact nature of forest law varies from one forest to the next, the main objective is always to preserve wildlife for hunting. Typically, manors may not assart new land, trees cannot be cut or felled, and grazing, especially of pigs, is limited. Royal law also dictates that certain animals, often great deer, swan, and heron, may only be killed by the king and those he licenses. The king appoints Foresters-Royal to enforce forest law, collect fees and fines, and manage the forest. These officials often only concern themselves with legal and financial matters and appoint huntsmen, known as foresters, to undertake the physical work. Earls and barons may create similar hunting areas within their fiefs and may limit the species that can be hunted. They also hire foresters to enforce these laws.

Forester-Royal

Clan Law Clan law applies in the areas dominated by the Ivinian and Jarin people, including Orbaal and the Khuzan kingdom of Azadmere. Here, the clanhead owns the rights to hunt the lands the clan controls or claims. Rights may be granted to select clan members in return for a portion of each successful hunt. The terms vary, but often the hunter must provide the clanhead with a quarter of the catch. Where hunting rights are passed on to others, the clanhead’s share remains due in addition to any other arrangement.

Thardic Law In the Thardic Republic, hunting rights over uncultivated lands devolve from the senate to the provincial civic magistrates, who then sell annual licenses to hunt within their province. Hunting rights in lands held by the patrician clans are managed by the senator or clanhead, generally following some variant of clan law. Hunting without a license leads to large fines, with confiscation of land, property, and freedom for those who can’t pay. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


The Foresters-Royal manage the king’s hunting lands and maintain forest law in the forest hundreds. Known as Forest Wardens in some kingdoms, they are always trusted nobles, normally knights. Most are younger sons who are unlikely to inherit, although some hold lands in their own right and a few are barons or earls. The status of the Forester-Royal in the forest hundred is greater than the Bailiff of the Hundred and second only to the sheriff. Although some are avid hunters, hunting skill is often less important than political connections and knowledge of law.

Foresters Foresters are responsible for physically maintaining hunting lands. They manage the landscape for the benefit of game animals, ensure that fences are maintained, see that the wilds are not infringed upon, and track poachers. Some are minor nobles who take a keen interest in hunting and who skillfully and diligently execute their duties. Others are ruffians employed more for their ability to intimidate peasants and rough up poachers than for any skill at hunting. In royal forests, they are appointed by the Foresters-Royal, while tenants-inchief appoint foresters for their own lands.

Woodwards and Beadles The woodward is responsible for the manor’s woods and the beadle for the enforcement of the lord’s law. These manorial officials are detailed in HârnManor.

HârnWorld

THE ART OF HUNTING Although stalking an animal is the most common form of hunting, many hunters prefer to find a likely spot and either lie in wait for the animals to return or set a suitable trap in an area likely to be traversed by the game. A good hunter will know the habits of his prey. Skilled trackers can glean information from animal trails to determine the areas frequented by game. When stalking animals, hunters use their tracking skills and knowledge of game animals to locate suitable prey. They then normally circle the animals to be downwind of them before slowly and stealthily closing on the animals until they get within range of their hunting weapons. Waiting in ambush can be very time consuming and is often only used where the rewards are great and the prey infrequent. Hunters use a variety of techniques to save time or to increase their chances of success. The most common is to herd the prey in the direction of hunters waiting in ambush. A large coordinated hunt may employ dogs or human beaters to frighten the prey from safety toward a defile or other location where the hunters await. This works best when the terrain confines the prey. Another technique is to use food to lure animals to a confined space where the hunters can attack. When hunting smaller game, a range of trapping techniques are used. The most common is the snare, a loop of string designed to strangle the prey or trap a limb. A snare attached to a bent sapling can loft the prey into the air and out of reach of scavengers. A baited cage trap with a swing-door can be very effective. Pitfall traps, with or without sharpened stakes, are dug along animal track-ways and disguised by branches and leaves. Using fences to channel game into the trap is particularly effective. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


Hunting 5

Hunting Weapons The most popular weapons for hunting are the shortbow and crossbow. Spears, both thrusting and thrown, are used against large game animals. The harpoon, a form of spear, is used when hunting fish, seals, and whales. Fine nets are used to entangle or trap small prey, especially birds. They can be effective whether thrown or set up to form traps. Strong nets are used to restrain large prey. Snares and slings are effective against small game. Melee weapons like the axe, mace, and sword are rarely used for hunting. Hunting can be carried out with normal weapons, but there are a few types that have been modified to make them more useful for hunting. The spear used to hunt razorback boars has a long, broad blade and a cross shaft to stop the boar’s momentum from carrying it up the shaft. Ivinian and Obaalese seal hunters use the haakapik, a club with a spike used to drag the carcass. Although many hunters treat their weapons as workaday tools, others spare no expense on high quality and intricately decorated weapons.

HârnWorld

Hunting 6 DETAILED RULES FOR HUNTING The following pages provide HârnMaster rules for the four main hunting techniques: • Ambushing, such as lying in wait along a game trail. • Stalking, actively tracking and pursuing the quarry. • The quarry drive, using beaters to flush game toward waiting hunters. • Pitfall traps for capturing large or dangerous game. For quick resolution, see Quick Rules for Hunting on page 11.

Using multiple techniques Although the hunting techniques are normally used independently of each other, it may be possible to combine them in specific situations. The most common form of this is to use beaters to drive prey towards pitfall traps. More often, the different techniques are used sequentially, such as a failed stalking attempt leading to setting up a later ambush.

Selecting the Quarry If the hunter wants to select a prey species, they must make a Hunting skill test modified by the relative abundance of the animal. This modification is determined by using the quarry’s frequency rating in the Species tables (pages 12–13) to find the corresponding value on the Frequency Modifier table. A failure means that no suitable animals can be found. To increase their chances of a successful hunt, the hunter may forego selecting a specific prey animal and simply hunt whatever they can find.

THE AMBUSH A common technique that can be almost as effective as stalking prey is for the hunters to lie in ambush and wait for their quarry to come to them.

Preparation An effective ambush site may be set on an animal path, beside a pond or other drinking site, at a clearing’s edge, or overlooking a narrow defile or valley. An expert hunter knows local areas frequented by game and can decide which places offer the best concealment. However, as selecting the quarry can be difficult due to the passive nature of the watch, attempts to do so are penalized by using one frequency class lower on the Frequency Modifier table. See Selecting the Quarry above.

The Ambush Once concealed, the hunter waits quietly until the game approaches within range, and then attacks. After one watch, the hunter that selected the ambush site tests their Hunting skill against the Ambush Results table to determine whether any prey come within range. Hunters may shoot at ambushed animals at any stage, but the animals will flee if the attack fails. Alerted prey will not close further and will flee in anyone approaches. For prey that is not alerted, the ambushers can wait to see if the prey approaches closer. Test against WIL×5 for the worst ambusher. On a CS, the animal will halve the distance; on a MS, the prey remains at the same range; on a MF or CF, the animal is startled by the hunters and flees. For further guidance on the behavior of the prey, see Quarry Behavior, page 8. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


Hunting with Hounds Hounds that are bred and kept for hunting may be used to locate and follow the trail left by quarry, to chase fleeing prey, and to retrieve downed animals. Attack dogs are used to hunt dangerous pests like wolves and bears.

Hunting with Horses Most hunters who ride horses dismount to hunt. However, hunters ride when coursing with hounds (pursuing foxes and deer) and for similar sport hunting. They can also give greater mobility to beaters during quarry drives. Mounted hunters use normal HârnMaster riding and combat rules.

Multiple Hunters Where multiple hunters cooperate, these rules generally assume the best skill is used. If desired, a combined EML can be used by adding the best hunter’s skill to the Skill Index (SI), expressed as a percentage, of each additional hunter. Example: For three hunters with EMLs of 54%, 67%, and 42%, the combined hunting EML would be 76%, calculated thusly: 67% (the highest score) + 5% (SI of 54% skill) + 4% (SI of 42% skill).

FREQUENCY MODIFIER Frequency • •• ••• •••• •••••

Modifier –50% –30% –20% –10% +5%

AMBUSH RESULTS CS: 1d3 animals at Sighting Distance ÷ 4 MS: 1d2 animals at Sighting Distance ÷ 2 MF: One animal at Sighting Distance; it stops and is alerted CF: No animals approach ambush site

Sighting Distance for each habitat is given in the Sighting Distance table on page 8.

Approaching Ambushed Animals If a hunter leaves the concealed ambush site to approach the quarry, use the rules on page 7 for Approaching Prey, with a penalty of –20% to reflect that, unlike when stalking, the starting position was not chosen to optimize the approach route.

HârnWorld

STALKING Stalking is the most common form of hunting animals for food. The hunter casts around for recent traces of the prey, tracks it until it is sighted, and then stealthily approaches the animal until close enough to make a shot to kill it. Stalking Quick Resolution rules are given to enable faster and simpler determination of stalking (see page 8 sidebar).

Quarry Selection If, per page 6, the hunters tried to select their prey and failed, then no animal of that type is sighted during the watch and other animals are ignored in the search for the desired prey. If the hunters did not specify the prey animal, then one should be randomly determined on the Species tables.

Preparation Although stalking requires no preparation, the most successful hunters are those who spend time getting to know the local environment, the game animals to be found there, and their habits. When a hunter is operating outside their home territory, a modifier of between –10% and –30% can be applied to their Hunting skill at the GM’s discretion.

Finding Prey The Stalking Results table is used to determine if desirable animals are encountered. Test the hunter’s Tracking skill once per watch, using modifiers for frequency, weather, and local abundance of game (see Overhunting, page 8). The result establishes the number of animals encountered. The Sighting Distance table gives the typical range, in feet, at which the prey is first sighted for each of the habitats used in this article (page 12). Sighting does not necessarily mean the hunter can see the beast; in some cases, they will just hear or smell it. The hunter may then attack or try to close.



Hunting 7 STALKING RESULTS CS: 1d3 animals sighted MS: One animal sighted MF: Animal is alerted and flees (Quick Shot allowed, see page 8) CF: Animal successfully flees or attacks hunter if applicable Modifiers –10% to –60% Heavy rain or snow –15% Area is depleted of game Area is devastated of –40% game

SIGHTING DISTANCE Grassland: Woodland: Forest: Heathland:

600 ft 300 ft 150 ft 600 ft

Coast: Wetland: Ice floe: Alpine:

300 ft 450 ft 800 ft 500 ft

Option: Sighting distance may be reduced when approaching small prey.

Tracking with Hounds When a hound is used to assist in tracking, their Tracking skill can be substituted for the hunter’s. A pack of hounds uses the highest Tracking skill of the hounds with a +5% bonus per 10 hounds. On a CF, the hound(s) find and follow a scent, but not that of the desirable game animal. This might not become apparent to the hunters for quite some time.

HârnWorld

Hunting 8 Approaching Prey If the hunter attempts to approach the prey, make a Stealth or Hunting (whichever is greater) skill test against the Approach Results table. Modify the roll according to terrain (GM discretion), the type of quarry, and weather (a bonus equal to the penalty applied when stalking; e.g. –40% to stalking in misty weather becomes +40% when approaching the prey). When multiple hunters approach the prey, use the worst Stealth skill of the group. Multiple hunters may wish to split into smaller groups, either to make separate approaches or to surround the prey to cut off escape routes. Each party must test against Stealth as they move, based on the worst Stealth in the group, for each distance traveled equal to one half of the distance from the prey. For example, if the prey is 200 ft away and a subgroup circles it, they need to make a Stealth test for each 100 ft traveled. When the hunter believes he is close enough to the animal, he may attempt to down the prey.

Making the Kill The attack may be resolved with the HârnMaster combat rules. Most prey will not be encumbered or fatigued. Normal combat rules apply, including standard modifiers, strike locations, and effective impact. However, if an animal is hit and then fails a Shock Roll, it may be considered downed and helpless, at the mercy of the hunter.

Quarry Behavior When a hunter succeeds in stalking or ambushing prey, the prey will Ignore the first attack. Prey animals will typically flee subsequent attacks if they can. A wounded beast may flee or attack the hunter (Counterstrike or Charge). Animals known to be aggressive, such as razorbacks and bears, may also attack the hunter as described in the relevant bestiary articles. Animals are unpredictable and it is not possible to cover every circumstance. GMs should use their knowledge, experience, and discretion to provide realistic outcomes and interesting game play.

Overhunting It is not possible to hunt an area repeatedly and consistently find plenty of game. Modifications to Tracking skill are made to reflect the increasing scarcity of game as it is hunted in a restricted area. Unless well managed, areas that are regularly hunted by many hunters, such as those near a castle or tribal village, are considered to be depleted. Foresters, huntsmen, and woodwards all attempt to maintain good hunting conditions and preserve game by killing off dangerous predators and restricting poaching. Although they encourage game to live and breed in hunting reserves by managing the environment, they do not breed game animals or stock the land with game caught elsewhere. Even in very wellmanaged areas, overhunting will eventually lead to depletion. Areas that are hunted very frequently by large numbers of hunters, such as those near a gargun complex or a foraging army, are devastated.



APPROACH RESULTS CS: Distance to the prey is reduced to a quarter of the current distance MS: Halve the distance to the prey MF: Distance unchanged. Animal makes Awareness roll and flees if successful (Quick Shot allowed) CF: Hunter stumbles. Prey flees. Modifiers: Quarry is... +10% a large docile animal, e.g. seal –5% a timid herbivore, e.g. deer –10% a predator, e.g. wolf or bird –15% a small herbivore, e.g. hare

Multiple Hunters Approaching Instead of using the worst Stealth skill, a more realistic result can be achieved by having each hunter test their Stealth skill separately and using the worst result.

Quick Shot If a stalking or approach attempt results in a MF, make a Hunting skill test. If successful, the hunter reacts quickly and may make a single missile weapon attack with a –15% penalty. If the animal is wounded but not killed, it can be tracked again with a +20% bonus and with no Frequency modifier. Most hunters consider it a duty to track and kill wounded animals.

Stalking Quick Resolution After one watch, the hunter tests against the average of their Hunting and Tracking skills, which can be modified to allow the hunter to target specific quarry. If successful, use the Quick Kill rules below to determine the number of animals gained.

Quick Kill The hunter tests against the average of their Hunting and missile weapon skill. The number of beasts killed is found on the Quick Kill table by comparing the hunter’s skill success with the animal’s STR (which is a measure of its difficulty to kill).

QUICK KILL CS: MS: MF/CF:

STR ≤25 2 1 0

STR 25+ 1 0 0

HârnWorld

Hunting 9

THE QUARRY DRIVE Hunters may increase their efficiency by coordinating their efforts. One popular team hunt is the quarry drive, where a group of beaters flushes the game and drives some of it towards one or more waiting hunters who try to down them. Because the frightened animals scatter in all directions and move at maximum rate, the hunters normally get only one shot at the prey. The number of opportunities makes up for this.

Preparation The location of the drive must be carefully selected. Ideally, it will have abundant prey, such as a hunting forest. Beaters must be organized and shown the area to be covered. Beaters need not be skilled hunters, they only need to make a lot of noise and commotion. Women, children, and dogs are all commonly used.

The Drive A typical drive, using eight beaters, covers up to 35 acres over the course of one hour. Although the drive itself only takes an hour, the preparation and posthunt activities will fill a whole watch. The number of beaters employed on the drive affects the number of chances the hunter has at flushing the prey. Consult the Beater Results table to determine how many flushes occur. Each flush is a chance for the hunters, towards whom the prey is being driven, to attempt to down an animal as it flees past. These chances are resolved using the rules below or the optional Drive Quick Kill Resolution rule may be used instead. For each flush, check against the lead hunter’s Hunting skill on the Flush Results table. The result reflects the hunter’s skill in finding the best location, the quality of instruction given to the beaters, and their ability to make the best of each opportunity. The Flush Results table indicates the number of animals that flee past and their range, given as a fraction of the distance found on the Sighting Distance table for the habitat. Determine the species of each animal flushed using the Species tables (page 12). After the first flush, subsequent animals will often be of the same species. Optionally, a specific type of animal can be targeted (see Selecting the Quarry, page 6). Although the hunter will select land that favors a particular type of prey, the results of a drive tend to be somewhat random. When more than one animal is flushed, each hunter can target only one animal. Multiple hunters may shoot at the same animal. All flushed animals are fleeing at their maximum rate, usually in cover, so the hunters have only one shot at the animal before it disappears. If an animal is seriously or grievously wounded, it cannot flee further and normal resolution applies.

Quarry Behavior Prey being driven is considered to be alerted and will attempt to Dodge and then flee. Aggressive animals may attack (Counterstrike or Charge) the hunter. See the relevant bestiary articles for more information.



BEATER RESULTS # of Beaters 1–6 7–12 13–24 25–49 50+

# of Flushes 2d2 – 1 2d2 2d2 + 1 2d2 + 2 2d2 + 3

Modifiers to number of flushes Area is depleted of game –1 flush Area is devastated of game –2 flushes Fence used to funnel prey +2 flushes

FLUSH RESULTS CS: MS: MF: CF:

# Animals 1d3 + 1 1d2 1 0

Range Sighting Distance ÷ 10 Sighting Distance ÷ 5 Sighting Distance ÷ 2 N/A

Sighting Distance for each habitat is given in the Sighting Distance table on page 8.

Drive Quick Kill Resolution Use the Beater Results table to generate the number of animals flushed during the hunt. Each flush entitles the hunter to one roll on the Quick Kill table (page 8).

HârnWorld

Hunting 10

PITFALL TRAPS

Using Beaters

Pitfall traps are large pits placed where prey may fall in. In its simplest form, the pit is dug, disguised, and then checked periodically for animals. Hunters can increase their chance of success by erecting fences to funnel the animals toward the pits and/or by using beaters to chase them in.

The use of beaters to drive prey towards pitfall traps improves their effectiveness. It is also common to dig multiple pits to increase the chance that flushed animals will be caught.

Preparation

When beaters are employed to drive animals toward the pit, use the Beater Results table (page 9) to determine how many flushes occur. Each flush result is a chance that an animal has fallen in to a pit.

If a particular animal is targeted, this must be selected before the pit is dug to ensure the pit is of sufficient size and location for that animal. In reasonable ground, a pit can be dug at a rate of ten cubic feet per man hour. This time includes carrying away the spoil and disguising the pit. In wooded or rocky terrain, the rate of progress is significantly reduced. When hunting for the Northern Deer, Urdu tribesmen dig a pit 12 by 20 feet and 6 feet deep. Such a pit would take a single hunter 18 days to dig. Fences are often erected around pits to channel the prey. A suitable length of fencing takes six hours per pit to cut and erect. Stakes may also be placed in pits, which takes an additional hour per 10 square foot of pit.

What Drops In If the pit is simply left to await fate, test against half the lead hunter’s Hunting skill EML each time the hunter checks the pit (maximum of once per day). If fences are used as described above, the test is made against the hunter’s full Hunting skill EML. Success indicates that an animal has fallen into the trap. The type of animal caught should be randomly determined (see Species tables, page 12) unless the pit was designed to trap a particular animal species. In that case, another test against Hunting skill should be made. If successful, an animal of the desired species has been trapped; otherwise, determine species randomly. Prey animals will be injured by the fall, see Prey Falling Damage (see sidebar). Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


If fences are used to funnel the flushed animals to the pits, the lead hunter tests against their full Hunting ML; test against half the ML if fences are not used. Each success indicates that one animal has fallen into the trap. The type of prey captured and the damage from the fall and spikes, if present, are determined in the same way as for normal pitfall traps.

Prey Falling Damage The animal receives a blunt (B) wound with an impact of d6 to a random body location (as per Climbing/Falling rules in HârnMaster Skills). Spikes at the bottom of the pit will inflict an additional point (P) wound with an impact of 3d6+6 against a random body part.

HârnWorld

Hunting 11 Living off the Land Many people must survive in the wilds by living off the land. Tribesmen do it as a way of life. Although the majority of the people of the settled kingdoms live off the produce of farms, some of them, such as travelers and soldiers, spend time living in or crossing the wilderness. Preserved supplies will stretch only so far before they need to be supplemented by food caught and gathered in the wild.

QUICK RULES FOR HUNTING Although hunting attempts can always be played out in full, it is often useful to be able quickly resolve certain situations.

Catching Dinner Hunters living off the land must catch enough food to feed themselves and their dependents. After a watch of hunting (and assuming the hunter has suitable hunting equipment), test against the hunter’s Hunting or Falconry skill. The GM assesses conditions depending on season and habitat and uses the Catching Dinner table to determine the mandays of food obtained. This amount is halved if the hunter was on the move. Fresh meat will not keep for long; there is a cumulative chance of 25% per day of it spoiling in warm weather, half that when cool.

Catch that Rat Pest control is a perennial problem. It takes one hour to try to clear a small building or barn of rats (increase the time for larger structures). Test against the rat catcher’s Ratcraft skill. If he does not have Ratcraft, substitute half his Hunting skill. Assistance from a trained small dog modifies EML by +20%. Success indicates that 2d6 rats were killed. Critical success indicates that 3d6 rats were killed and the nest destroyed. Ratters are typically paid 1f, in kind or coin, per pair of rats killed.

Sealing Sealing is a dangerous occupation. Armed only with clubs, hunters face large, powerful, carnivorous beasts while trying to keep their footing on slippery ice. If quick resolution is desired, test against the average Hunting skill of the sealer party. With an MS, each sealer kills 500 lb of seal; a CS increases this by 50%. If the number of seals is required, divide the total kill by the average weight of the seal type found. Regardless of success, each sealer must then make an injury test roll using the average of their Dodge and blunt weapon skill against the Sealer Injury table. The location of each wound should be randomly determined using the HârnMaster Hit Location table. Wounds will be either crush (blunt aspect) or stab (point aspect), with an even chance of either. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


Abundant edible wild fruits, berries, tubers, and leaves can be foraged by those skilled in identifying wild plants, but poisoning is a risk for the less knowledgeable. Fishing is a safer option, with streams and rivers providing carp, eels, perch, trout, and the occasional crayfish. Animals and birds are plentiful. Hunters and trappers can catch hares, hedgehogs, squirrels, doves, ducks, partridges, and other small beasts. While the rules in this article can be used to catch animals for food, Fishing, Foraging, and Survival skills may also be used as described in HârnMaster Skills.

CATCHING DINNER Poor: Fair: Average: Good: Excellent:

MF – – 1d3 1d4 1d5

MS 1d2 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d10

CS 2d2 2d4 2d6 2d8 2d10

Areas near civilization are likely to be Poor or Fair. Wilderness would be classified as Average or Good. Excellent conditions exist only in tropical rainforests and special places like the Shava Forest. Season is highly relevant.

SEALER INJURY CS: MS: MF: CF:

No significant wounds 1d3 minor wounds 1d4 minor and 1 serious wound 1d6 minor, 1d2 serious, and 1 grievous wounds

Modifiers +10% Chubby seals +0% Lute seals and Sea lions –10% Tiger seals –20% Mammoth seals and Walruses

HârnWorld

Hunting 12 SPECIES TABLES The eight species tables each focus on a particular habitat that corresponds to one of those used on the Atlas Hârnica Maps. These tables may be used to randomly determine the animal hunted or the hunter may choose one using the optional Selecting the Quarry rule on page 6.

The Habitats Habitats are defined by vegetation type, temperature range, and presence of water. Mountainous or hilly slopes affect this but do not define the habitat. Grassland habitat is open or farmed land covered by grass and herbaceous plants. It includes hedges, shrubs, copses, streams, and ponds. They are marked as “Cropland & Pasture” on Atlas Hârnica Maps. Woodland habitat is a mix of grassland and forest habitats. These are marked as “Woodland” on Atlas Hârnica Maps. Forest habitat are densely wooded areas that include small grassy glades, streams, and small lakes. They are marked as “Needleleaf Forest” and “Mixed Forest” on the Atlas Hârnica Maps. Heathland habitat is found in areas that are sandy, dry, or elevated, or that have thin or acidic soils. Characterized by moors and heaths, they are marked as “Heath” on Atlas Hârnica Maps. Coastal habitat applies to beaches, dunes, salt marshes, and the cliffs that bound the islands and coasts. Wetland habitat incorporates swamps, marshes, reed beds, and the margins of lakes, rivers, deltas, and estuaries. May be marked as “Marsh” on Atlas Hârnica Maps. Ice floe habitat consists of the cold, ice-bound northern coasts, where alpine meadows and upland moors lie between deep fjords. If marine mammals are excluded, it can also be used for tundra and other inland frozen landscapes. Alpine/Snow habitat incorporates high alpine meadows of low herbaceous plants, inland scree slopes, bare rocks, and mountain-top winter snow fields. These are marked as “Snowcap & Glacier” and “Alpine” on the Atlas Hârnica Maps. NOTE: If random determination results in a beast that is not appropriate to the locality, reroll or use GM discretion to select one.



GRASSLAND HABITAT d100 Animal 01 Aurochs 02–03 Badger 04–07 Bear, Black 08–10 Bear, Brown 11 Beaver 12–13 Boar, Razorback 14 Cougar 15–16 Curlew 17–21 Duck 22 Forest Deer 23–26 Fox, Red 27–30 Goose 31–33 Great Deer 34–35 Grouse 36 Gull 37–44 Hare 45–47 Heron 48 Otter 49–55 Partridge 56–57 Pigeon/Dove 58–61 Snake (Adder) 62–66 Squirrel 67–69 Swan 70–73 Wisent 74–77 Wolf, Black 78–00 Special (see last column)

Freq. • •• ••• •• • • • • •••• • ••• •• •• •• • ••••• •• • •••• •• ••• ••• •• ••• •••

COASTAL HABITAT d100 Animal 01–03 Aurochs 04–05 Bear, Black 06–13 Duck 14 Fox, Red 15–23 Goose 24–33 Gull 34–35 Heron 36–38 Kittiwake 39–40 Otter 41–42 Pigeon/Dove 43–45 Puffin 46–55 Seal, Chubby 56–59 Seal, Lute 60 Seal, Mammoth 61 Seal, Tiger 62–64 Sea Lion 65–69 Sea Otter 70–72 Swan 73–74 Walrus 75 Wolf, Black 76–00 Special (see last column)

Freq. •• • •••• • ••••• ••••• • •• • • •• ••••• •• • • •• ••• •• • •

WOODLAND HABITAT d100 Animal 01–02 Aurochs 03–04 Badger 05–08 Bear, Black 09–11 Bear, Brown 12–17 Beaver 18–22 Boar, Razorback 23 Cougar 24 Curlew 25–27 Duck 28–32 Forest Deer 33–37 Fox, Red 38–39 Goose 40–42 Great Deer 43 Grouse 44–47 Hare 48 Heron 49–50 Lynx 51–54 Northern Deer 55–56 Otter 57–59 Partridge 60–62 Pigeon/Dove 63–65 Snake (Adder) 66–70 Squirrel 71 Swan 72–74 Wisent 75–78 Wolf, Black 79–00 Special (see last column)

Freq. •• •• ••• •• ••••• •••• • • ••• •••• •••• •• ••• • •••• • •• ••• •• ••• ••• •• •••• • •• •••

WETLAND HABITAT d100 Animal 01–07 Aurochs 08–09 Bear, Black 10 Bear, Brown 11–17 Beaver 18–20 Bittern 21–23 Boar, Razorback 24–28 Curlew 29–39 Duck 40 Forest Deer 41–42 Fox, Red 43–49 Goose 50–51 Gull 52 Hare 53–57 Heron 58–61 Otter 62–63 Muskrat 64–65 Snake (Adder) 66–70 Swan 71–72 Wolf, Black 73–00 Special (see last column)

Freq. ••••• • • ••• •• •• ••• ••••• • • •••• • • •• ••• • • •• •

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Hunting 13 FOREST HABITAT

d100 Animal 01–03 Aurochs 04–06 Badger 07–11 Bear, Black 12–14 Bear, Brown 15–19 Beaver 20–26 Boar, Razorback 27–31 Cougar 32–38 Forest Deer 39–40 Fox, Grey 41–42 Goose 43–47 Great Deer 48–49 Hare 50 Heron 51–53 Lynx 54 Northern Deer 55–56 Otter 57 Partridge 58–62 Pigeon/Dove 63–64 Sable 65 Sheep, Mountain 66 Snake (Adder) 67–72 Squirrel 73–74 Wisent 75–78 Wolf, Black 79 Wolf, Snow 80–00 Special (see last column)

HEATHLAND HABITAT Freq. •• ••• •••• ••• •••• ••••• ••• ••••• •• • •••• •• • ••• • •• • •••• •• • • ••••• • •••• •

ICE FLOE/TUNDRA HABITAT d100 Animal 01–03 Bear, Snow 04–07 Duck 08–11 Fox, Ivinian 12 Goat, Mountain 13–20 Goose 21–26 Gull 27–30 Hare, Arctic 31–34 Kittiwake 35–37 Lynx 38–47 Northern Deer 48–54 Ptarmigan 55–60 Seal, Chubby 61–65 Seal, Lute 66–69 Seal, Mammoth 70–71 Seal, Tiger 72–74 Sea Otter 75 Stoat (Ermine) 76–77 Swan 78–80 Walrus 81–83 Wolf, Snow 84–00 Special (see last column)

Freq. •• •• •• • •••• ••• •• •• •• ••••• •••• ••• ••• •• • •• • • •• ••



d100 Animal 01 Badger 02–03 Bear, Black 04–05 Cougar 06–12 Curlew 13–15 Forest Deer 16–18 Fox, Red 19–20 Goose 21–27 Great Deer 28–36 Grouse 37–41 Hare 42–45 Northern Deer 46–47 Otter 48–52 Partridge 53–54 Pigeon 55–61 Snake (Adder) 62–64 Squirrel 65–70 Stoat (Ermine) 71 Wisent 72–77 Wolf, Black 78–00 Special (see last column)

Freq. • • • •••• •• •• • •••• ••••• ••• •• • ••• • •••• •• •••• • •••

ALPINE/SNOW HABITAT d100 Animal 01–07 Bear, Black 08–12 Bear, Brown 13 Bear, Snow 14–16 Beaver 17 Boar, Razorback 18–22 Cougar 23 Curlew 24–25 Duck 26–27 Fox, Ivinian 28–34 Goat, Mountain 35–38 Goose 39–41 Great Deer 42–44 Grouse 45–48 Hare, Arctic 49–51 Lynx 52–57 Northern Deer 58 Otter 59–64 Ptarmigan 65–66 Sable 67–72 Sheep, Mountain 73–74 Snake (Adder) 75–76 Squirrel 77–78 Stoat (Ermine) 79 Swan 80–81 Wolf, Black 82–85 Wolf, Snow 86–00 Special (see last column)

Freq. ••••• •••• • •• • •••• • •• • ••••• ••• •• •• ••• •• •••• • •••• •• •••• •• • •• • •• •••

SPECIAL RESULTS Although every hunter tries to find their chosen prey, occasionally they encounter something that cannot be ignored, such as an unlooked-for opportunity, a danger to themselves, or an unexpected beast. The category of the encounter can be determined on the Special Results table.

SPECIAL RESULTS 01–25 26–70 71–80 81–00

Hunting party Carnivore on prey Rare beast (not listed) GM discretion

Hunting Party The hunter encounters another hunter or group intent on the same prey; usual options are rival hunters, tribesmen, or gargun. They may be cooperative, compete for the prey, or be hostile.

Carnivore on Prey The hunter encounters a predator or scavenger, or sometimes both, with a newly downed prey animal (reroll on the original habitat table to determine the prey species). Predators and scavengers may attack those they see as a threat to their meal. The Predator/Scavenger table is used to determine the carnivore. Reroll any inappropriate results.

PREDATOR/SCAVENGER d100 01–11 12–17 18–19 20 21 22–26 27 28 29–34 35–43 44–45 46–52 53–60 61–66 67–73 74–89 90–00

Animal Bear Cougar Dalkeshi Merkutlopa Dracofelas Dreadwalker Fox Griffin Hirenu Hounds, Feral Lynx Northern Eagle Snake Wolves Yelgri Ivashu Roll two predators/scavengers GM discretion

GM discretion may include humans or gargun with their own kill or, when two different kinds have been encountered, attempting to obtain the kill of a predator.

HârnWorld

Hunting 14 Social Hunting The goal of the social hunt is to improve one’s status in society, bolster relations with peers, and develop new contacts. This section deals with, in an abstract way, the reputation gained or lost in the hunt and the result of the politicking that accompanies it. If a hunt has been played out in full, the GM should be guided by its outcome. A hunter’s reputation comes from being seen in the right place at the right time. At the end of a hunt event, roll against the Sport Hunting Results table using an average of Hunting and Intrigue skills modified by the actual results of the hunt.

HUNTING FOR SPORT Nobles frequently make a social occasion of hunting. Whether it is young and dashing knights hunting deer, the razorback hunting party of Orbaal’s King Alegar, or the earl’s wife taking her ladies-in-waiting and friends to fly falcons, the hunt is the chance to show off hunting skill, prove bravery in the face of danger, curry favor with peers, and seek patronage. Hunting aurochs, razorback boar, and deer is considered a noble pursuit but foxes and wolves are not so esteemed. Some hunts are better known for their post-hunt revelry, including drinking, raucous singing, and the sport provided by the wenches. Others are sedate affairs overseen by the pillars of society, where etiquette, social graces, and intrigue are the order of the day.

Deer Hunting Deer hunting is considered a noble sport. Groups of nobles chase, drive, or stalk deer, sometimes with hounds or on horseback. Skilled huntsmen often lead the hunt, but the kill is always left to the noble hunters. Most nobles prefer the bow for such hunts. Non-hunting members of the party await the return of the hunters in a camp or hunting lodge.

Razorback Hunting Razorback boar hunting is one of the more dangerous forms of hunting regularly undertaken by nobles. A noble’s forester or huntsman locates a group of razorbacks in advance of the noble party and guides the party to them. The hunter stands before the razorback, which is goaded into charging. The hunter then spears the razorback, hopefully killing the beast to much glory. For important personages, huntsmen stand by, ready to kill the razorback and protect the hunter’s life if he fails to make a clean kill.

Falconry While the younger noblemen are hunting razorbacks or deer, the older noblemen, along with some of the ladies and children, often enjoy falconry. The aim in falconry is to catch small birds, often songbirds, flushed by beaters. Many nobles enjoy flying their own falcons, although some prefer to see their birds flown by a falconer. The catch is a side issue; the main business of the day typically being social gossip, arranging prospective engagements, fostering children, and other important matters. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


SPORT HUNTING RESULTS CS: Hunter credited as key to the success of the hunt. Honored guest at next hunt. MS: Hunter deemed proficient. MF: Hunter failed to impress. CF: Disaster: Made social faux pas or scared game. May not be invited to next hunt.

+15%

+5% +0% –20%

Social ramifications may follow events in the field. Using the modifier from the last column of the Sport Hunting Results table, test against Intrigue and refer to the Society Results table to see if the hunter’s skills enhanced the hunter socially.

SOCIETY RESULTS CS: Hunter gains a new friend or ally. MS: Hunter is looked upon favorably by hunt organizer or senior noble. MF: No improvement to standing. CF: Disgrace: Hunter may be disowned by patron and shunned by friends until hunter reestablishes reputation or another in same social circle suffers the same fate.

Hunting Lodges High-ranking nobles often maintain hunting lodges in their forests. These are normally simple affairs built of wood with space to cook and sleep. When a lodge is not available, nobles readily commandeer a woodsman’s hut, a yeoman’s cottage, or even a local manor for the hunting party’s stay. Knights who hold frontier manors are accustomed to providing entertainment and lodging for unexpected hunting parties. Socially successful borderland knights maintain an adequate larder of food and drink for unexpected guests.

HârnWorld

THE ART OF TRAPPING Nobles and wealthy freemen show their affluence by wearing fur as garment trimming, accessories, and even coats and cloaks. Their willingness to pay handsomely for such rich garb supports a thriving Hârnic fur trade. The fur trade starts with the trapping of fur-bearing animals in the wilderness areas beyond the kingdoms’ borders. There are two types of trappers: tribal hunters who trap over vast ranges of wilderness, and men from the settled realms who specialize in trapping on the frontiers. The prime area for trapping is northern Hârn, from Peran to Orbaal and Nuthela. It is exploited by trappers from Orbaal and Rethem as well as Kubora, Urdu, Equani, Ymodi, Anoa, and Taelda tribesmen. Two major fairs service this trade. The annual Kuboran tribal moot at Kustan covers the western range, while the more important market in Geldeheim covers the east. Mercantylers and hideworkers attend these markets to purchase furs to be resold in towns and cities. The most important fur trade caravan travels from Geldeheim to Tashal each spring. Trappers also work the frontiers and unsettled interior regions of the kingdoms, hunting for pelts to sell to local furriers and clothiers. Although licensed rural hideworkers may trap on manor lands, poaching of animals for their fur is as common as poaching for meat, and just as harshly punished. Licences to trap on manors cost one half the pelts caught within the demesne woods and one quarter of the pelts obtained outside them. The fur trade also deals in the pelts of seals, especially lute seal pups, as well as the hides of bears, deer, wolves, and other large game animals and of some domesticated animals. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


Hunting 15

Types of Traps A wide range of traps are used to capture fur animals. These vary with the animal being sought and the skills of the trapper. The most common trap is the simple snare, a loop of twine that strangles the prey or traps a limb. These are set in places where the desired animal is likely to pass. Snares are sometimes baited but usually not. Sophisticated snare traps are used when required. For example, where scavengers are a problem, the snare can be attached to a bent sapling; when triggered, the prey is lofted into the air, choking it and putting it out of reach. Using a baited cage can be very effective. The cage is designed such that, once the animal is inside, a mechanism is triggered that drops the gate. Cage traps need to be checked very regularly, otherwise the prey may escape or maim itself. Pitfall traps can be used to catch larger animals for their fur but they need to be constantly watched lest the prey escape or become an easy target for predators and scavengers. A simple wicker trap costs 1–3d, a wellbuilt wooden cage 6–9d, and an elaborate metal cage trap will cost a few shillings (12–60d).

HârnWorld

Hunting 16 TRAPPING ANIMALS FOR FUR Trappers stake out a territory for their sole use. Successful trapping is highly dependent on the territory’s terrain. The ideal stake has a mix of habitats so different species can be trapped or for the opportunity to catch the animal undertaking different activities. The size of a stake can vary enormously. Trappers on the borders of civilization are tightly packed and have stakes of around a square league, whereas wilderness trappers may have territories ten times that and the tribesmen have even greater ranges. Traps are placed throughout the territory wherever a good opportunity arises. They are usually set in lines to make them easier to find again when they need to be checked and cleared. Although such lines are unlikely to be straight and many more than one can fit into a square league, stakes are larger to allow for the rotation of trap sites to avoid overhunting.

Trapping Skill The Trapping skill introduced in HârnMaster Barbarians is expanded here with new options and modifiers. The skill is used to set and check traps suitable for small mammals not larger than a fox or badger. Larger animals, such as wolves and bears, are hunted rather than trapped. It takes one daylight watch to deploy or harvest a line of traps one half of a league in length. To determine the success of one line of traps, a roll is made against the Trapping Results table. When a particular type of fur animal has not been specifically targeted, the type of animal caught can be selected from the Species Frequency chart or determined by random roll. After an animal is caught in a trap, there is a 20% chance for every day that traps are not checked that predators or rivals will get to the animal before the trapper does. Remains in the trap are usually worthless.

Overhunting Overhunting can be a serious issue, especially in small territories. If a stake is trapped actively for more than 30 days per square league in a year, it will be depleted of animals for the next 12 months; trapping for more than 90 days per square league leaves it devastated.

TRAPPING RESULTS CS: MS: MF: CF:

1d6 pelts 1d2 pelts No pelts Traps destroyed by animals, gargun, or rivals

Modifiers Var. Species targeting (see below) +10% Successful use of Tracking skill when placing traps –15% Area depleted of game –40% Area devastated of game +10% Autumn hunt –10% Winter hunt –5% Spring hunt +5% Traps set in good mix of habitats –10% Traps set in barren land (e.g. heath)

Species Frequency When the trapper targets a specific species of prey, its relative abundance can be found using the Species Frequency table. The three habitats listed—Grassland (which includes Woodland), Forest, and Alpine— are described on page 12.

SPECIES FREQUENCY Grass Forest Alpine Type •• ••• – Badger • •• – Beaver ••• •••• •• Fox ••••• •• • Hare • •• – Mink • • – Muskrat • •• •• Otter • ••• •• Polecat •• • – Rabbit • •• • Sable •••• ••••• • Squirrel •• •• • Stoat (Ermine) • ••• – Weasel Relative abundance is then used to determine the modifier to the Trapping EML using the Abundance Modifier table.

ABUNDANCE MODIFIER Abundance – • •• ••• •••• •••••



Modifier −75% −25% −10% +0% +10% +25%

HârnWorld

COMPETITION AND LIFESTYLE Trappers from the civilized kingdoms face many dangers. They typically work alone, in wilderness areas, harvesting a valuable commodity that is not only of interest to their rivals but also to wild beasts, tribesmen, and gargun. The wilderness that fringes the kingdoms of Hârn is the domain of the hunter and trapper. Trappers and hunters are often after different game and thus may get along without issue. However, trappers are in fierce competition with each other, especially over prime locations. The wilderness is informally divided into stakes, each claimed by a trapper. Rivalry exists along the borders of those stakes and most trappers are prepared to destroy or rob the traps of their neighbors. This rivalry sometimes breaks out into open fighting between trappers. Often the only way to gain a stake is for one to fall vacant by the death of the occupier; many trappers are too impatient to wait for natural causes. Trapping stakes are beyond the control of the law and no guild polices them. Trappers also compete for prey with local tribesmen and gargun, who will steal any prey from traps that they find. Competitors may lie in ambush for the trapper and are not usually seeking a friendly chat about territorial demarcation. Rangers of the Uthriem Roliri, who consider it repugnant to trap animals solely for furs or entertainment, will destroy or sabotage any traps they find. Wild predators are also interested in the trapper’s catch. Trappers disturbing a predator feeding at the trap may find the beast willing to defend its meal. At other times, predators may happen upon a trapper conveniently distracted at his trap, dealing with the prey. Animals often attracted to traps include bears, cougars, foxes, lynx, and wolves. Birds of prey, chimerae, Ivashu, wyverns, and yelgri, are less commonly attracted. These scavengers destroy pelts even when they don’t pose a threat to the trapper.



Hunting 17 Trap Encounters During each watch spent clearing a line of traps, there is a 5% chance that a trapper will encounter large predators, including gargun and other humans, who are drawn to the trap by the captured prey. Unwary trappers can be taken by surprise. Use the table below to find the nature of the encounter.

TRAP ENCOUNTER 01–32 33–54 55–61 62–67 68–79 80–87 88–90 91–00

Rival trapper Local tribesman Gargun hunters Cats (cougar or lynx) Bears (brown, black, or snow) Dogs (fox, hound, or wolf) Ivashu (any) GM discretion

Number of Traps Most trappers maintain one to three lines of traps, setting one out in the morning and clearing another in the afternoon, covering all their lines in rotation. The number of traps set in a watch is highly variable but will normally be in excess of a dozen. While a larger stake may let a trapper set more traps, it is more often used to allow the trapper to work throughout the year without depleting his stake.

HârnWorld

Hunting 18 THE FUR TRADE

Pelt Value

Some mercantylers specialize in the fur trade. The fur trade is particularly lucrative in Orbaal, Nuthela, Equeth, Himod, and Peran, as well as in the more remote reaches of the Sorkin and Rayesha Mountains. Traders typically journey to traditional trading posts in the spring to acquire pelts trapped during the winter. Payment is not normally in coin, for which tribesmen and free hunters have little use, but rather in metal weapons and tools, woven cloth and dyes, luxury foodstuffs, alcoholic drink, and inexpensive trinkets and jewelry. Prices paid are generally around 10% of the pelts’ retail value. To get a good price, the trapper needs to be offering many pelts, as single pelts are not likely to attract the attention of mercantylers willing to pay top prices. Fur-trading mercantylers travel to one of the specialist fur markets in late spring to sell their surplus stock of pelts and acquire pelts of species they have not obtained themselves. Fur pelts typically change hands at these markets for around 25% of their retail value. The mercantylers transport the furs by caravan to lucrative markets in central and southern Hârn or by ship to Lythia. There the pelts are sold to clothiers and furriers (specialist hideworkers) who make the final product. Furs sold wholesale in Tashal bring 40% of their retail value; in Coranan, 50%. Those who travel to Aleath can sell their pelts wholesale for 60% of their listed retail value.

Some animals’ fur changes to white in the winter and back to its normal color in the summer. Each hue enjoys a special status but the lighter colors are generally more valuable. For example, a stoat’s red-brown summer pelt is worth 18d but its white winter coat, known as ermine, is worth 30d.

The Geldeheim Fur Market The largest fur market on Hârn takes place in Geldeheim on the first of Kelen each year. Ivinian, Jarin, and barbarian trappers and mercantylers converge on the town to trade the best pelts from all over the north. The Orbaalese settlements of Pled and Arathel are primary sources, as are the Nuthela, Himod, and Equeth regions. Traders from Chelemby, Ivinia, and Rethem also attend the market to buy and sell. The market is over within a tenday. Some furs are loaded onto niviks to be transported west to Golotha, northeast to Ivinia, or east and south to Thay before heading across the sea to continental Lythia. A great proportion of the furs, along with the other riches of Orbaal such as whale and sea oil, walrus ivory, amber, and salted fish and meat, are loaded onto pack animals and carts and sent south down the Fur Road via Leriel, destined for the great fair in Tashal.



The retail value of a fur or hide pelt is given in the table below. Prices are for wellprepared pelts of average size with minimal damage and with the feet, tail, and head intact. Larger and smaller pelts may vary prices 50–200%. Quality modifiers can be taken from the Value Enhancement rules in HârnMaster Skills.

In addition to the hide value of animals that are trapped, the table lists those of domesticated animals.

FUR/HIDE VALUE Badger Bear, Black Bear, Brown Bear, Snow Beaver Cattle (calf) Cougar (Black Cougar) Dracofelas Deer, Forest (Speckled) Deer, Great Deer, Northern Fox, Red (Ivinian) Goat (kid) Hare (Arctic) Horse Lynx (Snow Lynx) Mink Muskrat Otter Otter, Sea Polecat Pig (shoat) Rabbit Sable Seal, Chubby Seal, Lute (white pup) Seal, Tiger Sea Lion Sheep (lamb) Squirrel Stoat (Ermine) Weasel Wolf, Black (Snow)

3d 18d 24d 96d 20d 12d (5d) 6d (8d) 240d 6d (9d) 10d 10d 18d (24d) 4d (2d) 1d (1½d) 10d 12d (30d) 9d 12d 24d 42d 6d 5d (1½d) 1d 30d 24d 30d (60d) 120d 48d 4d (3d) 4d 18d (30d) 24d 8d (12d)

HârnWorld

THE ART OF BEAST CAPTURE Hârn is one of the main exporters of wild beasts in Lythia, with the Peran region and Rayesha Mountains its major sources. Beast trappers skilled in techniques for minimizing injuries command good pay because few buyers will purchase injured or maimed beasts.

Capturing wild beasts Many methods are used to capture wild beasts. Using nets and lassos is the simplest technique. If a trapper can entangle the target beast with a net or get a lasso around the neck or a limb, the animal can be dragged to the ground and secured. Pitfalls and snares are common physical traps. Hunters often construct fences to funnel the quarry into a cage, pit, or netted enclosure. As with all traps, care must be taken to ensure that the beast isn’t injured by the trap or while trying to escape. A less physically demanding method involves rendering the beast docile enough to safely approach and secure it. Natural poisons and man-made potions can be used on small darts that are thrown, blown, or stabbed at the target. The beast is tracked until it succumbs. Magic, psionics, and ritual invocations are sometimes successful in achieving the same results. The simplest method for acquiring immature beasts is to find a mother with young, kill or disable the mother, and then capture the young. The disadvantage of this method is the need for extra care of the young, which are still dependent on parental nurture. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


Hunting 19

Use of Wild Beasts Wild and exotic beasts are captured live for a variety of purposes. The Pamesani arenas run by the Agrikan Order of the Octagonal Pit in Rethem and Tharda are major consumers. Powerful, mature beasts are preferred for the arenas as they provide greater spectacle. Popular species include aurochs, bear, cougar, great deer, wisent, and the chimerae. Intelligent Ivashu, gargun, and even tribesmen are also caught for the arena, but these are not captured in the same way as wild beasts. Other beasts are caught to provide entertainment. Badger and bear baiting are popular sports, as are staged fights between pairs of wild animals such as a razorback and wolf. Wild bears are trained to dance, a spectacle that is popular at fairs and among nobles looking to entertain their guests. Some wild beasts are caught for study by arcanists or for use as breeding stock or steeds. Such buyers purchase younger animals that can be more readily trained or controlled.

HârnWorld

Hunting 20 Gargun and Ivashu

Live beast fairs

Gargun and intelligent Ivashu are also hunted and captured to provide entertainment at the Pamesani Games but pose a much more difficult challenge. These creatures can fight back with weapons similar to those of the hunters and use tactics and stratagems as good as those the average hunter employs. Poorly prepared hunters sometimes end up being caught by those they are attempting to capture. Successful hunters are rare, but richly rewarded.

Many castles or market towns have livestock and beast fairs where small numbers of mundane wild beasts such as forest deer fawns or razorback shoats may be sold for food. However, the beast fairs held in Emesa, Leriel, and Shiran are considered pre-eminent on Hârn. The Emesa Beast Fair starts on 10th Agrazhar and attracts buyers from the Order of the Octagonal Pit, hunters supplying Ivashu for the Pamesani Games, traders returning from the Kuboran moot at Kustan, and trappers from all over Peran. Large beasts, especially hirenu and griffin, are commonly seen at the fair. The Leriel Beast Fair starts on 15th Ilvin, with much of the profit going into the coffers of the Prince of Leriel. The fair specializes in the beasts captured in the Rayesha and Jahl mountains and the surrounding Himod and Nuthela regions. Although some beasts are transported along the Fur Way, many are shipped down the Anoth River and to the port nearest to their destination. The main Shiran beast fair takes place during the Banquet of Delights Festival (1st to 7th Halane), with a smaller one held on 7th to 9th Larane. The Shiran fairs are primary for domestic livestock although they have an enclosure for those trading in hunting and fighting dogs and pit-fighting beasts. The festival fair is often visited by hooded Ilvirans trading Ivashu from Araka-Kalai and by traders with animals from the Emesa Beast Fair.

Transporting wild beasts Although a few beasts are docile enough to follow their captor on a tether, the majority must be caged. Cages are typically made to order by woodworkers and transported to the hunting site by cart. Cages for small prey can be made to standard sizes but larger prey need specially designed, reinforced cages. Since many beasts are passive at night, covering the cages with cloth during the day may help to keep the beasts quiet and safe. Captured beasts are transported along makeshift paths on ox-drawn carts, often managing less than a couple of leagues a day. At night, the caravan carts are formed into a defensive circle to protect against attacks by tribesmen, outlaws, or beasts. Cages are transported to flat-bottomed barges or boats as soon as practical. The planning required to ensure that transport and cages are available is formidable but is nothing compared to the task of ensuring that sufficient food is available for the captured beasts. Because many of the most desirable beasts are predators that eat only fresh meat, capturing parties often employ hunters to range out from the camp or caravan and secure fresh meat for the animals. For herbivores, appropriate fresh fodder is required each day. Sufficient food for the hunters and fodder for their animals must be provided and transported as well.

Selling live beasts Most live beasts are sold on a case-by-case basis and keen negotiation skills are essential. The hunters must make a profit after recouping their substantial investment in hirelings, equipment, and supplies, while buyers look to cover the purchase price and profit through resale or admission to places like the Pamesani arenas. The substantial prices paid for the most monstrous beasts are often quoted in pounds. A mated pair of griffins recently sold at Emesa for a record £50, with a similar amount being paid for an ogarna in Ochrynn. Less-exotic beasts can be expensive too, with £6 being paid in Golotha for a black wisent bull on the eve of the annual Slaughterfest. Hârn’s Pamesani arenas have a standing offer of £10 for a live snow bear. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


HârnWorld

Hunting 21 PROFITING FROM HUNTING Some hunters are employed by or bonded to nobles and churchmen to provide game or to assist with hunts. The best customers for the freelance hunter are nobles, the churches, the Mangai, and hideworkers and salters. Few hunters speculatively hunt for meat to sell on the open market. To legally sell his product, a hunter must hunt on unclaimed wilderness or hold a license, obtained for suitable payment, from the holder of the land to be hunted. Those responsible for protecting game will likely question the hunter about the animal’s origin. Under most Hârnic law, it must be shown that the game was poached. If charged, however, a hunter’s chances are slim because the landowner and judge may be the same man. Although nobles usually have the right to hunt their own game, some are not able to and others are happy to supplement their catch with fresh meat provided by a hunter. The churches of Morgath, Naveh, and SaveK’nor buy game from hunters for feasts. Even the hunt-loving churchmen of Agrik, Larani, and Sarajin supplement their own catches with meat bought from hunters. The most enthusiastic buyer is the Church of Halea. Peonian clerics, being mostly vegetarian, seldom buy game. In many large settlements, a guilded hideworker will employ a specialist to butcher animal carcasses in exchange for the hide and brokers the sale of the meat to an innkeeper or to a salter for preservation. A brace of partridge and a hare or two can normally be seen hanging from the stalls of butchers. Smaller quantities might be sold to individuals at markets and fairs but licensing and other laws, a reluctance to buy meat of unknown provenance, and interference from the Mangai make this uncommon. The biggest market for game is among freemen. Some craftsmen, guildsmen, and churchmen are willing to pay a premium to emulate their betters but often do not have the opportunity or lack the desire to hunt for themselves. The feasts held by members of the Mangai emulate noble feasts in size and grandeur and thus require copious quantities of wine and food, including game. Commoners normally only purchase from those they trust, since the penalties for possessing poached meat are nearly as great as poaching itself and the risk of getting spoiled meat may be great.

Animal Value The Animal Values table is used to determine the value of game and farmed animals, both in terms of the numbers of mouths it will feed and the wholesale value of the carcass. This table can be used to calculate the number of beasts required for the lord’s feast or the value of a manor’s autumn cull. It can also be used to value the proceeds of a hunt or determine how long it will feed a party in the wilds. Domesticated animals may also be poached or rustled by lawless individuals such as bandits or tribesmen. Figures are given for a single well-nourished creature of average size unless otherwise noted. Size can vary values by 50–200%. The Food Value (FV) column gives the number of mandays of food one animal produces (based on ~2 lb per day). This can be varied by ± 20%. The Carcass Value (CV) column states the wholesale value for a fresh or well-preserved carcass that has been gutted and skinned. Fresh meat will not keep for long; there is a cumulative chance of 25% per day of it spoiling in warm weather, half that when cool. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


ANIMAL VALUES Wild Animals FV CV Aurochs 550 420d Badger 65 2d Bear, Black 160 24d Bear, Brown 250 60d Bear, Snow 10 96d Beaver 10 4d Bittern ¾ 3f Cougar 15 5d Curlew ½ 2f Duck ½ 3f/pair Forest Deer 12 12d Fox (all types) 10 9d Goat, Mountain 50 18d Goose 2 1½d Great Deer 300 300d 1 Grouse /3 2f Gull ½ 6f/dozen Heron ¾ 3f Kittiwake ¼ 3f/dozen Lynx 10 3½d Muskrat 1½ 3f Northern Deer 300 300d Otter 12 4½d Otter, Sea 30 11d Partridge ¾ 1f Pigeon ¼ 6f/dozen Ptarmigan ¼ 1f Puffin ½ 10f/dozen Sable ½ 1f Rat ¼ 2f/dozen Razorback Boar 40 36d Seal, Chubby 55 54d Seal, Mammoth 800 780d Seal, Lute 100 100d Seal, Tiger 175 132d Sea Lion 220 168d Sheep, Mountain 50 18d Squirrel ¼ 5f/dozen Swan 6 7½d Walrus 550 420d Wisent 500 384d Wolf, Black (Snow) 20 (25) 7d (9d) Domestic Animals FV CV Cattle (calf) 400 (120) 300d (180d) Chicken 1 2f Duck ½ 3f/pair Goose 5 4d Goat (kid) 40 (10) 15d (4d) Horse 200 100d Pig (shoat) 35 (8) 30f (8f) Pigeon ¼ 1½d/dozen Rabbit 1½ 1d Sheep (lamb) 60 (15) 24d (21d)

HârnWorld

Hunting 22 TRADING WITH TRIBAL HUNTERS The majority of hunters are found among Hârn’s barbarian tribes. Most of their hunting is undertaken to feed and clothe themselves. Even though they are self-sufficient in meat and hides, they crave some of the products of civilization and the goods they cannot manufacture for themselves. For these, they trade the surplus of their hunts; in some cases, they hunt solely to get the products that they know the civilized kingdoms desire. The tribesmen trade dried meats, furs, hides, walrus ivory, herbs, ambergris, whale and seal oil, amber, and precious stones in exchange for metal weapons and tools, woven cloth and dyes, luxury foodstuffs, alcoholic drink, and inexpensive trinkets and jewelry. Traders from the kingdoms travel to established contact points, although some tribes, like the Bujoc, also actively seek out traders to barter with. Once contact is made, the traders will find tribal goods laid out for their inspection. They evaluate these and leave civilized goods as an offer of payment, then retire. The tribesmen look over the civilized goods and, if they find them acceptable, leave the tribal goods and depart with the trader’s. If the goods’ value is not acceptable, they leave both sets of goods. The traders can either increase their offer or depart with their own goods and leave the tribal goods for the next trader. If the trader’s offer is insultingly low, the tribesmen may take both sets of goods. Typically, both sides will be suspicious. The trader knows that the whole thing may be a trap, so they employ the best guards they can. The tribesmen have their own hidden warriors. Mutual suspicion and armed men are a threat to peace, even if they want to deal legitimately. Over time, both traders and tribesmen will build up a mutual confidence in each other that may expand into a more general good relationship. Many tribesmen have information they are willing to trade along with pelts and other goods.

Evaluation & Trade This system of bargaining and bartering is dependent on evaluation of what each side is offering. Each side attempts to buy low and sell high. The traders attempt to do a deal for around one tenth of the retail value of the tribal goods, although their initial bid is likely to be lower. Tribesmen do not value coin, nor do they have use for a system that values goods in terms of coins. The value they place on goods is not the same as that of the civilized kingdoms. In order to adjudicate the tribesmen’s reaction to the trader’s offer, use the system described below. Each type of civilized good left by the trader is assigned to one of the categories in the Civilized Goods table, which the GM can adjust to match local tribal conditions. The retail value of the goods is then multiplied by the modifier given (round to nearest whole penny) and the results are totaled across the goods. This gives the trade goods a perceived value that can be compared to the trader’s value of the pelts (one tenth civilized retail). The base chance that the tribesmen will accept the trader’s offer is 70%. This is modified according to the difference between the perceived value of the civilized goods and the value of the tribal goods. Divide the former by the latter and look up the result in the Valuation Modifier table, then add the listed modifier to the base 70% offer acceptance. Roll 1d100 against the modified offer acceptance value and then reference the Trading Results table (sidebar) to determine the tribesmen’s reaction to the offer. Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


CIVILIZED GOODS Weapons and brandy Tools, armour, and salt Mead, ale, or wine; other metal goods; rope, nets, and dyes Preserved foods, dyed cloth and thread, jewelry Plain cloth and trinkets All other trade goods

×1.25 ×1.15 ×1.10 ×1.05 ×1.00 ×0.80

VALUATION MODIFIER (Value of civilized goods) ÷ (Value of tribal goods) 1.70 or greater 1.35–1.69 1.15–1.34 0.85–1.14 0.65–0.84 0.45–0.64 0.44 or less

Mod +25% +20% +10% +0% –20% –40% –50%

TRADING RESULTS CS/ Tribesmen accept deal and depart MS: with trader’s goods. MF: Tribesmen return to hiding to wait for more civilized goods. CF: Tribesmen are insulted, take both; or, it is a trap and trader attacked.

Trading Example The trader examines the tribal goods: 80 chubby seal pelts (worth 1920d), 40 lute seal pelts (worth 1200d), and 10 lute pup pelts (worth 600d). All are in good condition, so they are valued at: (1920 + 1200 + 600) ÷ 10 = 372d The trader lays out his trade goods and the tribesmen value them as follows: Trade goods

Retail

Mod

Value

Metal tools Red blankets Salt Cask of mead Cauldron Leather belts

150d 60d 25d 16d 10d 48d

1.15 1.05 1.15 1.10 1.10 0.80 Total

173d 63d 29d 18d 11d 38d 332d

Dividing the perceived value of the civilized goods (332d) by the trade value of the tribal goods (372d) gives 0.89, resulting in a +0% modifier to the tribesmen’s 70% base chance of acceptance. The GM rolls a MS so the tribesmen take the trader’s goods and leave the pelts for the trader to collect.

HârnWorld

1 4-6 3-4 3-5 3-4 1-3 3-5 1-3 1-3 11-14 7-9 7-10 5-7 6-11 1 2-4 1-3 2-4 3-4 3-4 13-16 7-10 2-4 10-14 1-3 3-5 5-8 1 2-5 4-7 3-5 3-5

3 1¾d ¾ 3f ⅛ 2f/dzn 8 4d 1¼ 1f 3 3d ½ 2f ¼ 4f/dzn ⅛ 2f/dzn ½ 3f/pair ~ 1f/dzn ½ 1f 2 1½d 2f ⅓ 2 1f ½ 6f/dzn ¼ 3f/dzn ¼ 3f/dzn ¾ 3f ~ 1f/dzn ¼ 1f 2 4d 1½d 6 ¾ 1¼d ¼ 1f/pair ½ 1f/pair ¼ 1f ½ 10f/dzn 2 1¾d 7½d 6 ¼ 2f/dzn ½ 1f/pair



FV 1½/dzn ¼/dzn ~ 1/dzn ⅜/dzn 1¼/dzn ½/dzn ⅛/dzn ~ ⅜/dzn ~ ¼/dzn 1/dzn ¼/dzn ¾/dzn ½/dzn ⅜/dzn ⅜/dzn ⅜/dzn ~ ~ ½/dzn 1/dzn ¼/dzn ⅛/dzn ¼/dzn ⅛/dzn ⅜/dzn ¾/dzn 2¼/dzn ~ ⅛/dzn

A tilde (~) indicates an insignificant value.

14-15

•

47-51 52-56

57 58-61 62-68 69-79

80-83 84-85

86 87-90 91-00

•• ••

• •• ••• ••••

•• •

• •• ••••

••• 16-22 •••• 23-32 ••••• 33-46

01-11 12-13

•••• •

81-83 84-93 94-00

71-80

•••

• ••• •••

57-59 60-61 62-70

49-54 55-56

• • •••

•• •

18-22 23-33 34-48

14-15 16-17

• • •• ••• ••••

01-13

••••

••• ••

•••

• • •

81-93 94-00

64-80

•• •

••

• ••

08-14 15-16 17-25

01-05 06-07

94-97 98-00

90-93

82-84 85-89

• •• • •

• •••

•

• •• •

50-52 53-65 66-69 70-76 77-79 80

81

••••

37-49

87-88 89-95 96-98 99-00

76-77 78-86

74-75

62-64 65-71 72-73

49-61

21-31 ••••• 26-43 32-36 •• 44-48

•• • •••

• •• •

•

••• •••• ••

••• ••• •• •

••••

•• ••

••

•

97-00

67-77 78-91 92-96

37-45 46-55 56-63 64-66

22-36

10-16 17-21

05-09

01-04

• •

••••

• • •

••• ••

•• •••

• •

•

93-95 96-00

71-92

63-65 66-68 69-70

36-51 52-62

15-22 23-35

04-08 09-14

01-03

The right side of the table is the SPECIES table (as per Hunting) when hunting solely for birds. The habitats are defined in Hunting. The frequency (Frq.) is used for QUARRY SELECTION and the d100 allows for random determination of species.

89-92 93-00

87-88

•

• ••

83-86

•

•

•••• ••

13-17 18-20

06-12

••• •• •

02-05

••

• 34-37 ••••• ••••• 38-57 • ••••• •• ••• 54-55 • 56-58 ••• 58-69 • 59-63 ••• 70-82 49-53

23-24 25-33

05-06 07-22

01-04

•

• ••

• ••••

•

16-18 19-28 29-48

01-15

• •• •••

•••

01

•

Grassland Woodland Forest Heathland Coastal Wetlands Ice Floe Alpine Frq. d100 Frq. d100 Frq. d100 Frq. d100 Frq. d100 Frq. d100 Frq. d100 Frq. d100

The left side of the table gives the food and cash values for birds and eggs. FV is FOOD VALUE in mandays and CV is CARCASS VALUE of the bird (see Hunting). Clutch is the number of eggs in a nest. Wholesale value is half retail value of 12 eggs. Egg FV is for 12 eggs.

Auk, Great Bittern Blackbird Bustard Cormorant Crane Curlew Dove, Rock Dove, Turtle Duck Finch Fowl, Domestic Goose Grouse Guillemot Gull, Herring Gull, Kitiwake Gull, Sea Mew Heron Lark Partridge Peafowl Pelican Pheasant Pigeon, Wood Plover Ptarmigan Puffin Stork Swan Thrush Woodcock

Species

The hunting table is to be used with the rules in the Hunting article (COL #4841). Species abundance, random encounters, and food and market values can be determined when a hunter is specifically targeting birds.

5½d/dzn 1d/dzn 2f/dzn 3¼d/dzn 1¼d/dzn 4½d/dzn 1¾d/dzn 3f/dzn 2f/dzn 1¼d/dzn ½f/dzn 1d/dzn 3¾d/dzn 1¾d/dzn 2½d/dzn 2¼d/dzn 1¼d/dzn 1¼d/dzn 1½d/dzn 1f/dzn 2f/dzn 2¼d/dzn 3½d/dzn 3f/dzn 3f/dzn 3f/dzn 3f/dzn 1½d/dzn 3d/dzn 8d/dzn 2f/dzn 1¼d/dzn

Egg Clutch Wholesale

Bird CV FV

HUNTING TABLE

HUNTING 23

HârnWorld

HUNTING 24 SEAL HUNTING

Seal Hunting Hazards

Sealing is common along the northern coast of Hârn and less so on the other coasts. Seals are usually hunted while they are ashore, especially during the breeding season. Few seals are caught in the water. Seals are typically hunted with spears and clubs. The haakapik, a club of Ivinian origin, has a blunt face for crushing the skull without damaging the pelt, and a long, curved pick to help drag the carcass. Nets can be used to entangle seals to prevent their escape. Missile weapons are ineffective, as the seals can normally reach the sea before they succumb to their wounds and are thus lost to the hunter even if they later die. Seal hunters usually wait until the seals are ashore, basking in the sun or asleep, then stealthily attack them by surprise from the sea. Assaults from inland tend to fail because there is nothing between the seals and escape to the sea; once in the water, the seals can easily escape or turn their mobility and speed to their advantage and attack the hunters. Sealers wanting a pelt to resell must aim at the seal’s head (–30 to hit) and use a blunt weapon to avoid damaging the pelt’s resale value.

Many things can go wrong on a sealing trip, whether while hunting or in transit.

Sealing Trips

• Ice floes break under weight of hunters.

Sealing expeditions are arranged in ports such as Geldeheim, Arathel, Golotha, Ithius, and Thay. A typical trip includes two or three boats outfitted for voyages that may last several months. Ships may visit many sites before finding a suitable colony. Once a colony is found, rowboats are launched, crammed with oarsmen and hunters equipped with weapons. The hunters strike fast and kill as many seals as possible, then set up a temporary camp on the beach long enough to process the carcasses. The bodies are skinned and the pelts rolled for later curing. The blubber is stripped and put into hogshead barrels or rendered on the spot into oil. The meat is salted, smoked, or occasionally air dried. The whole operation is almost industrial in nature.

Hazards of Seal Hunting

At sea • Storms damage rigging and sails or drive ship aground. • Ice causes rigging to freeze solid, spars to break, and decks to ice up, possibly leading to loss of the ship. • Fog causes ship to get lost or run aground. • Supplies spoil or are contaminated by sea water. • Crew mutinies over poor hunting, lack of fresh food, or brandy running out.

While hunting • Small boat overturns and occupants are attacked by seals or killer whales. • Sealers attacked by tribesmen or rivals to get catch or redress trespass. • Scavengers (including tiger seals) attack the sealers to get at the kill. • Ship strands sealers on beach, deliberately or due to natural causes.

Hypothermia Immersion in near-freezing water can quickly lead to death. Characters will fall unconscious after a number of minutes equal to their Endurance and may die if not rescued.

Seal hunters face many perils. Sealing trips to the ice floes around Ivinia and further northeast are especially dangerous. Many trips result in some loss of life; some sealing boats fail to return at all. The seals with the thickest pelts and richest blubber live in the coldest, most remote waters, which can kill a human within minutes of immersion. Walrus, mammoth seals, and tiger seals have all been known to capsize small boats overburdened with seal hunters. Hypothermia kills quickly and warm, dry shelters are rare indeed in seal-hunting territory. In addition to natural hazards, sealers face mortal danger from the tribesmen and other sealers with whom they compete for pelts and oil.


J DM MCCALLUM (Order #11903103)

HârnWorld

HUNTING 25 REGIONAL SEALING PRACTICES Drawing from their cultural traditions, the nations around the Sea of Ivae and the Itikir Ocean exploit the seal in different ways.

The Ivinian Realms Sealing provides great income to the Ivinians and a significant part of their economy is dependent on it. In Morgat and Nuzyael, seals whelp on ice in the fjords, bays, and inlets of Ivinia and other northern regions. Skivaal’s Bight, off the northwestern coast of Ivae, is the greatest whelping ground, filled with lute seals and their all-important pups. To reach the herds, sealers leave their niviks and traverse the ice floes, often leaping across icy waters that can bring certain death. The potential rewards are huge and many Ivinian clans brave the dangers of the hunt and the risk of a failed expedition. Ibanvaal has a strong tradition of hunting the local chubby, lute, and mammoth seals, but with its routes to the open sea contested by two kingdoms, it has not developed a tradition of sealing outside its domain. Menglana, in northwestern Ivinia, is the center of the region’s sealing. It has the greatest length of sea coast of any of the Ivinian kingdoms and, with a climate ranging from cool temperate to sub-arctic, it has a wide range of seals. Menglana has wide sealing interests, not only in its own waters but throughout Ivinia, Altland, and Hârn. Its hunters have a fearsome reputation gained through hunting mammoth seals and walruses. Inlevik and Wulfenheim are among its great sealing thrans, with their economies critically dependant on sealing. Seldenbaal is the most populous of the Ivinian kingdoms. Having depleted the local population of seals around their numerous islands, Seldenbaalese sealers are forced to hunt as far afield as Altland and Peran. Sealing forms only a small portion of the economy of Jarenmark and limited sealing is done in its waters. However, Jarenmark’s great trading links to the rest of western Lythia make it a leading trader in seal products produced by other nations. Govynan sealers hunt vast stocks of lute, mammoth, and tiger seals in their own lands and along the Altland coast. Govyna’s isolation, however, limits trade and most of their catch is for domestic consumption only.

Orbaal Orbaal has strong sealing traditions in both the native Jarin population and the Ivinian conquerors. Arathel, Geldeheim, Keiren, and Sherwyn are the major centers for seal hunting in Orbaal. Expeditions from Orbaal hunt seals along Hârn’s northern coast from Peran to the Anoth Delta. The search for seals has taken them to the Copyright © 2010, Columbia Games, Inc.


forbidding Afarezir Islands, which they have attempted to colonize. The Orbaalese also venture across the Sea of Ivae and into the Sea of Itikir looking for seals and walruses. Large niviks outfitted for extreme cold and rough conditions are used on these voyages.

The Hârnic Feudal Kingdoms Seals are hunted by Rethemi, Melderyni, and Kandian sealers. Where the beach is part of a manor, feudal law holds that the seals belong to the lord. Chubby seals are thought to bring fishermen luck and are often well protected by social custom. Rethem is the leading sealing kingdom but lags behind Orbaal’s production. Rethemi sealers hunt the chubby seals of their coastline and this local success has led them to journey north to Peran and south to the Emaba Strait in search of chubby seals and sea lions. Sealers from Tormau recently found the colonies of mammoth seals on the Afarezirs. The men of mainland Melderyn are active seal hunters. Sealers based in Thay undertake expeditions across the Sea of Ivae, hunting for seals on deserted islands in search of seal oil and ivory. The inhabitants of Melderyn Isle hunt less, preferring fish above seal meat. While sealing is not as common in Kanday, local seals are caught by the men of coastal settlements when their harvest or hunt is insufficient to feed everyone.

Hârnic Tribal Hunting Barbarian seal hunters operate in small groups and usually kill only what they need. In addition to meat, seals provide bone for tools and skin for clothing and boats. Surplus pelts may be traded for metal goods. Kubora, Urdu, and Equani hunters attack from the sea in coracles and process the kill on the beach before returning home. The chubby seal and walrus are the main prey; the Kubora hunt the mammoth seal as well. The Anoa and Ymodi tribes depend heavily on the seals, especially during winter. The Ymodi hunt from sealskin kayaks but the Anoa conceal themselves on the beach while the seals are at sea. The Adaenum and Kamaki are less dependent on the seal hunt than their northern brothers but will hunt seals if the opportunity presents itself. The Anac-Adaenum consider chubby seals sacred to their god, Manaclir. The Domi Gozyda are active hunters of chubby seal and sea lion. The Chymak sail their clinker boats to seal colonies in the Gulf of Ederwyn. Solori tribes cooperate with each other on winter seal and walrus hunts. Traders from the civilized kingdoms barter with the tribesmen for pelts. See Hunting 22 (COL #4841).

HârnWorld

HUNTING 26 SEAL COMMODITIES Seals are hunted for a number of products, including their pelts, meat, and blubber. The products of a mammoth seal retail for around 240d while the tusks alone of an average walrus are worth 300d. Even an average common chubby seal has a total retail value of around 42d for its pelt, oil, and blubber. Pelts: Sealskins are the most commonly sought product. The skins are used mostly for clothing but are also used in making boats and constructing shelters. The most precious skin in the civilized kingdoms is the pelt of the lute seal pup. This soft white fur is used as an expensive trim on cloaks, boots, and hats; very wealthy people occasionally have a cape made from this fur. Tribesmen make waterproof clothing from supple skins, notably that of the chubby seal and the sea lion; sealskin leggings, parkas, and hats are commonly worn by fishermen of the Urdu, Anoa, and Gozyda tribes. Shoulder and belt bags made from sealskin are common in both the tribes and civilized nations. These keep their contents dry even in the stormiest weather. Sealskin is sometimes used to make containers for transporting scrolls and books for the same reason. The Anoa use sealskins to build coracles and the Ymodi are experts at producing kayaks and tents from thin, supple sealskins and lightweight wooden frames. Blubber: All seals have a layer of fatty blubber just below the skin. Blubber is eaten by tribesmen as a concentrated energy source; it can be preserved by air drying or freezing in northern winters. The primary civilized use for blubber is to render it into oil for use in lamps and as a lubricant. The blubber is heated in a special metal still to liquefy the oil, leaving behind a greasy waste. This waste is used as fuel for the still and produces distinctive clouds of black smoke. Rendering can take place at the kill site or the blubber may be transported elsewhere for processing. The walrus and the mammoth seal in particular are hunted for their blubber. While mammoth seals have the greatest quantity of blubber, walruses produce the highest quality, and most expensive, seal oil. While walrus oil is comparable in quality to whale and olive oils, lesser seal oils tend to be smelly and produce unpleasant black smoke. Meat: Seals provide large quantities of fatty meat that can be preserved by drying, smoking, or salting. Seal meat is a popular staple among the coastal tribes of Hârn. The coastal Anoa and Ymodi eat seal as often as they eat fish, and more often than other meats. Seal meat remains popular with the Jarin of Orbaal. Of the southern kingdoms, only the Rethemi have developed a taste for seal meat and it is considered a local delicacy in some coastal settlements, particularly Ithius and Tormau. Ivory: Only walruses produce ivory. Both the male and female walrus have two tusks, typically 18–24 inches long and weighing 3–6 lb. Walrus ivory is the only ivory locally available in northwestern Lythia and Hârn and is nearly as valuable as imported elephant ivory. It has a large variety of uses for ornamentation. The simplest use is as turned beads used in jewelry and as buttons, but it is most commonly used in carved form for knife handles, pin heads, bottle stoppers, trinket boxes, and in religious art. Some pieces are so exquisitely detailed that they are collected as art. Khuzan jewelers pay very well for walrus ivory.



Commodity Prices

Avg. price per Pelts skin (Retail) Chubby seal 24d/each Lute seal 30d/each Lute seal pup 60d/each Mammoth seal 42d/each Sea lion 48d/each Tiger seal 120d/each Walrus 40d/each

Price (Retail) 2d/sq ft 1½d/sq ft 12d/sq ft 1¼d/sq ft 4d/sq ft 7½d/sq ft 1d/sq ft

Per Hogshead Blubber (50gal/250lb) Chubby seal 36d Lute seal 33d Mammoth seal 42d Sea lion 30d Tiger seal 36d Walrus 50d

Avg. weight per seal 45 lb 105 lb 400 lb 55 lb 190 lb 260 lb

Other Products Walrus tusk each (21” long) Walrus ivory, raw Mammoth seal oil Walrus oil Other seal oils

Price (Retail) 150d/each 72d/lb 10d/gal 12d/gal 7–9d/gal

One gallon of seal oil requires rendering ~20 lb of blubber.

HârnWorld

Hunting v1.1

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