T-Rex and mastadons or equivalent

[Drakon]

Has someone done an adventure or written of a planet that has T-Rexes or equivalent?

Or something equivalent to mastadons.

Her ladyship believes that such critters could be imported, raised and ranched planetside. That they would be good sources of leather and meat, and possibly offer a kind of dude ranch or safari experience for paying tourists. She is willing to fund an expedition, but first needs to figure out where such an expedition would be heading.

 

[Blue Ghost]

I think the Gypsy Knight Games guys have a planet with a few dinos statted and written up. Check out their quick worlds' series. I think the planet is Tal'Kalares.

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/97258/Quick-Worlds-17-TalKalares?manufacturers_id=3565

But maybe double check with the vendor or someone else who purchased it to make sure.

 

[Timerover51]

Has someone done an adventure or written of a planet that has T-Rexes or equivalent?

Or something equivalent to mastadons.

Her ladyship believes that such critters could be imported, raised and ranched planetside. That they would be good sources of leather and meat, and possibly offer a kind of dude ranch or safari experience for paying tourists. She is willing to fund an expedition, but first needs to figure out where such an expedition would be heading.

I have worked up a world based on the Pleistocene Epoch in North America circa 300,000 years ago, assuming that the Ancients terraformed a planet to resemble the Earth during the Ice Age period. The fauna included Mammoths, Mastodons, Sabertooth cats, and I am using Bjorn Kurten's book, Before the Indians, to work up the ecology and animals that would have been present at that time. Quite of few current creatures were around then.

Just work up a planet using something like that.

Otherwise, track down a copy of Space:1889, and use that concept of Venus for your background.

 

[Timerover51]

Following this up some more with additional information.

First, for those interested in working up a dinosaur world, you might want to take a look at the basic rule book for Space: 1889, and the supplement, Conklin's Atlas of the Worlds, as Venus is depicted there as a planet of dinosaurs, on land, sea, and in the air. As it was also a GDW product, the combat system and animal damage system is similar to Traveller, and should not present problems in converting it. The books are available for download on DriveThruRPG.

If you are looking at dinosaurs, L. Sprague De Camp's classic story, A Gun for Dinosaur, can be read online at the Baen Publishing website.

http://hell.pl/szymon/Baen/The best of Jim Baens Universe/The World Turned Upside Down/index.htm

If you have not read it, I would highly recommend that you do so.

 

[G. Kashkanun Anderson]

I have worked up a world based on the Pleistocene Epoch in North America circa 300,000 years ago, assuming that the Ancients terraformed a planet to resemble the Earth during the Ice Age period...

Well, then, you're in luck. The Ancients did, in fact, transport whole arkloads of Terrestrial flora and fauna (including humans) to a world known as Urunishu, somewhere in Antares Sector. And, as luck would further have it, that planet is currently undergoing a period of severe glaciation, and has been since at least the time of its discovery by the Vilani, roughly some 6,000-7,000 years before present (game time).

On the other hand (and less fortunately), the guy who put together Antares Sector neglected to name any world in it Urunishu, although there is a subsector by that name there. However, the existence of the world is canonical, so it is floating around out there somewhere. We just don't know exactly where it is.

 

[Cryton]

Post number 13 in this thread is something I did a long time ago. Its dinos, but you can mod the stats. Hope it helps...

http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=21519&page=2

 

[Timerover51]

Well, then, you're in luck. The Ancients did, in fact, transport whole arkloads of Terrestrial flora and fauna (including humans) to a world known as Urunishu, somewhere in Antares Sector. And, as luck would further have it, that planet is currently undergoing a period of severe glaciation, and has been since at least the time of its discovery by the Vilani, roughly some 6,000-7,000 years before present (game time).

On the other hand (and less fortunately), the guy who put together Antares Sector neglected to name any world in it Urunishu, although there is a subsector by that name there. However, the existence of the world is canonical, so it is floating around out there somewhere. We just don't know exactly where it is.

Hmm, if that is the case, then in the OTU there would be a planet like the one that I am working on, with a very similar concept. Quite interesting case of two different individuals coming up with about the same idea totally independently.

Based on this, then posting on the forum a basic ecology once I have it done would be very useful to the members as a whole. Looks like I will have to figure out how to do that.

 

[selunatic2397]

I did not use dinosaurs but on debarre in the darrian subsector my gamer ran into the debarre bear...

Needing a quick and dirty description...I said it kinda sorta looked like a prehistoric cave bear, but bone white and much more massive...

He was reading the Niven Pournalle sequal to Mote and promptly dubbed it "Snow Ghost".

His astrophysicist ran like the wind...his vargr had a dex 2 points better than mine...I had psionic Awareness and boosting my str/end to my max bagged a trophy class Snow Ghost!

With only my IISS blade [survival knife] as I had dropped my magnum revolver in the fight.

I let his vargr scientist see the footprints of a "really big miniphant maybe?" in the snow...no dice...he went back to the hunting lodge...the mammoths remain undiscovered for the present time.

My scout survived til the rescue party found him...then bragged his irish behind off about his kill.

 

[Drakon]

Following this up some more with additional information.

First, for those interested in working up a dinosaur world, you might want to take a look at the basic rule book for Space: 1889, and the supplement, Conklin's Atlas of the Worlds, as Venus is depicted there as a planet of dinosaurs, on land, sea, and in the air. As it was also a GDW product, the combat system and animal damage system is similar to Traveller, and should not present problems in converting it. The books are available for download on DriveThruRPG.

If you are looking at dinosaurs, L. Sprague De Camp's classic story, A Gun for Dinosaur, can be read online at the Baen Publishing website.

http://hell.pl/szymon/Baen/The best of Jim Baens Universe/The World Turned Upside Down/index.htm

If you have not read it, I would highly recommend that you do so.

I have Space 1889 and Conklins!! great!

I feel stupid I never realized that Space 1889 was done by GDW. Poifect! Thanks

 

[Drakon]

I did not use dinosaurs but on debarre in the darrian subsector my gamer ran into the debarre bear...

Needing a quick and dirty description...I said it kinda sorta looked like a prehistoric cave bear, but bone white and much more massive...

He was reading the Niven Pournalle sequal to Mote and promptly dubbed it "Snow Ghost".

His astrophysicist ran like the wind...his vargr had a dex 2 points better than mine...I had psionic Awareness and boosting my str/end to my max bagged a trophy class Snow Ghost!

With only my IISS blade [survival knife] as I had dropped my magnum revolver in the fight.

I let his vargr scientist see the footprints of a "really big miniphant maybe?" in the snow...no dice...he went back to the hunting lodge...the mammoths remain undiscovered for the present time.

My scout survived til the rescue party found him...then bragged his irish behind off about his kill.

This is great, thank you for this story

 

[Drakon]

I've also posted this in the T5 group. This is my first attempt. Did I leave anything out?

Agamba (pl. Agambi) (Khumaakikhaku Galilu)
Length: 12 Meters, Volume: 360 m^3=360,000l, Burden=1.83 tons, End=7

Name, Niche, quant, Size, Speed, Strength, Moves, Type, Mass A/F
Agamba C, Lone, VLarge, VSlow, Std(3),Walks, Chaser, 5,500 kg, 10/10

The Agamba (plural Agambi) is a large carnivorous therapod native to the planet XXXXXXX. Weighing in at approximately 5 and half metric tons, these 20 meter tall bipeds roam the forests and plains of their home world.

The skeleton is internal, calciferous, and is very similar to those of Terran therapods. Agambi are bipedal, using a muscular pair of hind legs for locomotion, and a smaller pair of forearms for food manipulation, and mating. The Agamba's long tail is used for balancing while it chases prey, and as a weapon during combat. Its skin is rough, pebbly and covered in fine scales.

The head is a typical arrangement of brain surrounded by a boney cranium upon which are laterally paired sensory organs (eyes, nose and ears), as well as a ventrally located mouth. The nose is very sensitive. The massive jaw can reach 1.5 meters long. The teeth are arranged in a common fashion for a carnivore.

Respiration is the common O2/CO2 exchange accomplished by a pair of lungs located in the upper body cavity. The circulatory system is closed, the 4 chambered heart transports the blood gasses by means of an iron based hemoglobin, which gives the blood a red color.
Agambi are carnivorous chasers, eating some of the larger fauna of their home world. They can be found in forests, semi forested savanna, and grasslands.

Agambi congregate in family groups of two parents and 2 to 5 juveniles in various stages of development. There are two genders, which pair for life, producing 1 young a season. Agambi do not hunt as a group. The parents will each hunt solo, at different times, while the other keeps watch over the young.

Breeding in captivity has not been attempted. Agambi meat is quite delicious and color varies from dark tan to almost white. The skin is quite thick and makes very sturdy leather if properly tanned.

 

[selunatic2397]

Neat, well written, and understandable...bravo!

 

[Drakon]

I still need to work out the damage done by its teeth, claws and tail.

 

[Timerover51]

20 meters tall but weighs only 5,500 kilograms? Something does not compute. Either height is too great or weight is too low.

 

[Drakon]

20 meters tall but weighs only 5,500 kilograms? Something does not compute. Either height is too great or weight is too low.

Akk, you are correct. Unit conversion error. Some specimens were "about 40 feet (12 meters) long and about 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6 meters) tall. Its strong thighs and long, powerful tail helped it move quickly, and its massive 5-foot-long (1.5-meter-long) skull could bore into prey."

It should be 6 Meters tall instead of 20. My apologies.

"Mass estimates have varied widely over the years, from more than 7.2 metric tons (7.9 short tons),[8] to less than 4.5 metric tons (5.0 short tons),[9][10] with most modern estimates ranging between 5.4 metric tons (6.0 short tons) and 6.8 metric tons (7.5 short tons)."

 

[Timerover51]

Okay, that puts in on par with the T-Rex and a few other such meat-eaters. Break out the .600 Nitro Express or Samuel Baker's "Baby" to go after it.

 

[Drakon]

Okay, that puts in on par with the T-Rex and a few other such meat-eaters. Break out the .600 Nitro Express or Samuel Baker's "Baby" to go after it.

Remember, the baroness wants live specimens, live breedable specimens

Once the ranch is operational, and a sufficient population is established, Agambi hunting licenses will be issued.

 

[Timerover51]

Remember, the baroness wants live specimens, live breedable specimens

Once the ranch is operational, and a sufficient population is established, Agambi hunting licenses will be issued.

It is called shooting the adults and collecting the young. And remember too, you will need to stock the ranch with prey animals as well, with between a 1/10 body mass ration of predator to prey if reptile metabolism, or 1/100 body mass ratio of predator to prey if you assume a mammalian metabolism. Given the size of your critter, you probably should be thinking of prey animals ranging in size from 1 ton to about 20 tons or so, figuring that the very large ones will only be taken if sick, injured, or old. Anything much smaller than 1 ton would not be worth chasing unless really easy prey or carrion.

 

[Drakon]

It is called shooting the adults and collecting the young. And remember too, you will need to stock the ranch with prey animals as well, with between a 1/10 body mass ration of predator to prey if reptile metabolism, or 1/100 body mass ratio of predator to prey if you assume a mammalian metabolism. Given the size of your critter, you probably should be thinking of prey animals ranging in size from 1 ton to about 20 tons or so, figuring that the very large ones will only be taken if sick, injured, or old. Anything much smaller than 1 ton would not be worth chasing unless really easy prey or carrion.

Her idea is to also raise mastadons, also for the meat, leather, and hunting for rich tourists, as well as food for the Agambi. Whether this is a good idea or not, well...

 

[Timerover51]

Her idea is to also raise mastadons, also for the meat, leather, and hunting for rich tourists, as well as food for the Agambi. Whether this is a good idea or not, well...

Hmmm, typically, predators will tackle prey up to three times their size, but only if the prey cannot hit back too hard. Mastodons might not be that agreeable to the Agambi, as between trunk and tusks, they do pack a wallop, and if they act like current elephants, attacking one may lead to the entire herd counterattacking.

Also, you would have to watch the ratio of Agambi to mastodons pretty closely, as mastodons are not going to replenish losses that quickly. You also are going to need a fair amount of territory for the mastodons just to feed them, like no more than 4 or so per square mile of land, and mastodons were browsers, so that would be forest or mixed vegetation, not open grass land. I suspect that your duchess is going to want more Agambi than one every 10 or so square miles of ranch.

You might want two separate areas, one for the Agambi and one for the mastodons. Put something like buffalo or cattle or something going about 1,000 pounds or more for prey for the Agambi, and have them in open grassland, where you can support about 50,000 pounds of prey biomass per square mile, which still does not give you a high population of Agambi unless you assume a reptilian metabolism, and even then, you are looking at maybe 1 per 2 square miles, or 5 square kilometers. If it is more of a mammalian metabolism, then you will need up to 10 times as much area.

Nothing ever said raising big predators for fun is easy.

I am using the predator-prey ratios from The Serengeti Lion by George Schaller for biomass, along with some other stuff on predator-prey ratios that I have collected over the years.