Animals:
Brahmin
Short overview:
Brahmin are the gentle, two headed cows of the wasteland. Usually, a Brahmin has only one gender, but from time to time hermaphroditic Brahmin are said to be born.
Their minimal and maximal statistics look as follows:
| Strength | Perception | Endurance | Charisma | Intelligence | Agility | Luck | Courage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimal | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Maximal | 14 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 6 |
29 points may be freely added to the minimal values, but no value may lie below the minimal value or above it.
A good draft or carry Brahmin would look, correspondingly, something like this:
| Strength | Perception | Endurance | Charisma | Intelligence | Agility | Luck | Courage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
The statistics explained:
STRENGTH:
PERCEPTION:
ENDURANCE:
CHARISMA:
INTELLIGENCE:
AGILITY:
LUCK:
COURAGE:
Per point of strength a brahmin may carry 30 pounds or drag 60.
Perception is the same with Brahmin as with humans: it's the value that shows how well a Brahmin can notice a hazard or an escape route or similar.
The endurance is the value, for how long a Brahmin can work in between fodder or sleep pauses. Unless it is overburdened (by having to pull too much for example, or by receiving too little fodder), this value is about 1 to 1 translatable into hours.
Animals can suck up, too. This value shows how trusting the animal is.
Each point of intelligence gives a bonus of 5 to all tests on training.
Per each point of agility, a Brahmin can move 3 cm in a combat round, as long as it is unburdened. A pack or draft Brahmin only for 2.5 to 2 cm.
Details to be found under work and movement.
(AG = Action points).
As with humans, luck modifies all and nothing.
This value shows how desperately a Brahmin tries to withstand danger. Please remember that Brahmin are gregarious animals that really dislike braving danger. It's therefore rather uncommon, when a brahmin crosses a burning barn to rescue a friend.
Costs:
A fully grown brahmin costs about 200 $ and feeds and drinks for about 50 $ a week.
Feed and rest:
Generally the rules distinguish between full encumbrance and half encumbrance. Furthermore the times are rounded up (5.5 hours = 6 hours).
A Brahmin, as a product of the Great War, uses a lot less water than an unmutated cow, to wit, a Brahmin still needs around 40 – 70 liters of water a day and it eats 10 – 20 kilos of fodder, but pretty much every plant will do.
Half encumbrance is, when a Brahmin must carry half or less than it's carrying capacity. As pertains the pulling of carts, the carts enhance the ability of a brahmin to move weights, since a well built cart with good axles and wheels is easier to move. (One should consider how much easier
it is for a human to move things using a wheelbarrow or similar, as opposed to just holding those things in one’s hands). As for the holding capacity, the value given in the vehicle table is the value for full encumbrance.
This half encumbrance can be sustained for a full hour per points endurance.
Full encumbrance is when the Brahmin must carry more than half it’s carrying capacity. This type of encumbrance can be sustained for half an hour per point on endurance by a brahmin.
Afterwards, it needs an hour of rest for every hour of encumbrance. If it has to work more than hours * EN, then it needs two hours of rest for each started hour. If it is worked for EN * 2 hours, either half encumbered or fully encumbered, it dies of exhaustion.
Training:
The two headed cows of the post nuclear wasteland are relatively easy to train. Training one to be a good draft brahmin takes 9 months and a skill of 40.
Movement:
A brahmin that is half encumbered can go for 50 km a day or pull a cart that same distance. When fully encumbered it can go up to 30 km daily.
In combat an unencumbered brahmin can move for 3 cm per point on Agility, a half encumbered brahmin for 2.5 cm and a fully encumbered for 2 cm.
When a brahmin is hitched in front of a cart, the movement in combat is that of the cart.
Brahmin in combat:
Brahmin have an armor rating of 4 against normal damage, against laser, explosive and electrical damage as well as 2 against plasma and fire damage.
Their hit points are explained under the statistics explained.
They can kick enemies that come too close. Such an attack does (ST : 4) * D3 damage and costs 3 AP.