Why don't animals have ranks in Survival? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Why don't animals have ranks in Survival? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Altar_Boy
06-28-07, 08:00 PM After going through the second chapter of the Monster Manual years ago, I've always thought it funny that no animals have any ranks in Survival, a skill absolutely necessary for finding food and surviving in the wilderness.

Usually, animals have their skills plunked in Spot and Listen, which makes sense for an encounter with PCs. The animal only really needs those skills to be an effective combatant. But if animals had to roll for Survival each day, it seems that most would starve every second day. Unless they take twenty on it.

I don't know. It makes sense for predators to take Spot over Survival, I guess.

Your thoughts? Could an Elk feed itself and its young using the Survival skill?
Aryxbez
06-28-07, 08:04 PM I guess it is something that either slipped the creators minds, or they just wanted them built for encounters. I guess like you said they probably take 20's on survival checks.
NeueRegel
06-28-07, 08:50 PM Have any of you ever stepped away from the computer or the gaming table, say, sat out on your porch and had a cup of coffee and a cigarette and really "watched" animals? That's all they do. All day long. It's a constant "take 20 hours" on foraging. I have a hundred birds, from thrushes and hummingbirds to an occassional hawk; 3 rabbits, 1 raccoon, 1 possum, 1 full grown doe, and about a dozen squirrels, and half that many chipmunks. They don't "take" survival as a skill; They live it as an instinct. It's "all" they do. Constantly. Giving animals the "skill" would be as redundant as giving me ranks in breathing.

It's not "overlooked". It's just so assumed and obvious as to not be worth mentioning.

:)

Neue
Shadowfax7
06-28-07, 08:50 PM First, Survival is an untrained skill and an animal could take 10 and feed itself (get along in the wild).

Second, animals have Scent . . . makes it much easier to find food than the Survival skill.

Note that taking 20 would mean 24 hrs x 20 = 480 hrs (20 days), as you can only make one check each 24 hrs to "get along in the wild".

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Altar_Boy 06-28-07, 08:00 PM	After going through the second chapter of the Monster Manual years ago, I've always thought it funny that no animals have any ranks in Survival, a skill absolutely necessary for finding food and surviving in the wilderness. Usually, animals have their skills plunked in Spot and Listen, which makes sense for an encounter with PCs. The animal only really needs those skills to be an effective combatant. But if animals had to roll for Survival each day, it seems that most would starve every second day. Unless they take twenty on it. I don't know. It makes sense for predators to take Spot over Survival, I guess. Your thoughts? Could an Elk feed itself and its young using the Survival skill?
Aryxbez 06-28-07, 08:04 PM	I guess it is something that either slipped the creators minds, or they just wanted them built for encounters. I guess like you said they probably take 20's on survival checks.
NeueRegel 06-28-07, 08:50 PM	Have any of you ever stepped away from the computer or the gaming table, say, sat out on your porch and had a cup of coffee and a cigarette and really "watched" animals? That's all they do. All day long. It's a constant "take 20 hours" on foraging. I have a hundred birds, from thrushes and hummingbirds to an occassional hawk; 3 rabbits, 1 raccoon, 1 possum, 1 full grown doe, and about a dozen squirrels, and half that many chipmunks. They don't "take" survival as a skill; They live it as an instinct. It's "all" they do. Constantly. Giving animals the "skill" would be as redundant as giving me ranks in breathing. It's not "overlooked". It's just so assumed and obvious as to not be worth mentioning. :) Neue
Shadowfax7 06-28-07, 08:50 PM	First, Survival is an untrained skill and an animal could take 10 and feed itself (get along in the wild). Second, animals have Scent . . . makes it much easier to find food than the Survival skill. Note that taking 20 would mean 24 hrs x 20 = 480 hrs (20 days), as you can only make one check each 24 hrs to "get along in the wild".