Bear psychology question

[Janx]

Part of the adventure Stolen Lands from Paizo. The disgraced cleric of a nature goddess comes seeking redemption, saying he had a vision of a long-lost temple of his nature goddess, but that it was guarded by a foul tempered bear. The disgraced cleric said if he can restore the temple, he can regain the favor of his goddess. Seeing a quid-pro-quo situation, the players helped him out and found the temple, thinking the restored cleric could then help them out with healing & whatnot, when needed.

Just out of curiousity, how does a goddess of nature justify killing bears that have taken up residence in her long lost temple?

I could see her asking them to move, or maybe asking them to help defend the place.

But nature goddesses probably don't cotton to whacking some animals so humans have a place to worship. Seems kinda bogus.

As such, as a PC, I would have assumed that fallen cleric dude was hopped up on some serious shrooms if he thought that was going to get him back in with his boss.

I may be missing a detail here, but the plothook as explained sounds dicey...

 

[Keenberg]

Seconding what Rechan and Gilladian have said. Furthermore, as a Psychology major, I know it requires more "mental resources" to stop a mental process rather than exhausting the task instead.

Furthermore, you're the DM. You decide what the enemies do, and why they do it. If this means your kill a PC, it means the PC is dead. While outright saying this at the table is bound to make the players hate you, you can put it into effect without explicitly stating so. The other PC's can still resurrect the dead PC, or he and you can work out how a new PC is introduced to the adventuring party.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Just out of curiousity, how does a goddess of nature justify killing bears that have taken up residence in her long lost temple?

I could see her asking them to move, or maybe asking them to help defend the place.

But nature goddesses probably don't cotton to whacking some animals so humans have a place to worship. Seems kinda bogus.

As such, as a PC, I would have assumed that fallen cleric dude was hopped up on some serious shrooms if he thought that was going to get him back in with his boss.

I may be missing a detail here, but the plothook as explained sounds dicey...

I'm a bit under the weather right now or I'd look it up, but I believe the module had the bear as a cursed evil human who took the form of the bear and was thus polluting the temple. Since my game is higher level than the recommendation, I changed it to the bear being a demonic bear.

 

[Rechan]

@Janx

I'm a bit under the weather right now or I'd look it up, but I believe the module had the bear as a cursed evil human who took the form of the bear and was thus polluting the temple. Since my game is higher level than the recommendation, I changed it to the bear being a demonic bear.

Actually in the module, the priest went a little mad because the region was overwhelmed with trolls/etc. So he lured a bear to the shrine, then sacrificed it "to any who would answer his call" for aid in driving out the monsters. His god punished him, turning him into an immortal bear to replace the one he had slain, and "forced him to remain at the site as a guardian until someone worthy of [The goddess of the hunt] could come and lift the curse".

So cursed yes, polluted no.

 

[mmadsen]

Basically, animal fights happen because one side is too stupid to have measured up his oponnent and thinks he can win.

This, by the way, is totally unlike human fights...

 

[NewJeffCT]

@Janx

Actually in the module, the priest went a little mad because the region was overwhelmed with trolls/etc. So he lured a bear to the shrine, then sacrificed it "to any who would answer his call" for aid in driving out the monsters. His god punished him, turning him into an immortal bear to replace the one he had slain, and "forced him to remain at the site as a guardian until someone worthy of [The goddess of the hunt] could come and lift the curse".

So cursed yes, polluted no.

Thanks Rechan - XP awarded

 

[David Howery]

Bears generally just ignore badly wounded / non-moving opponents. Unless they're really hungry. But I can't recall a single story about man eating bears.

I know there have been a couple of cases of man-eating grizzlies in Yellowstone Park... years ago, I read a (really grim) book on one of them, and the effort to find and kill it. Part of the problem back then was that the bears were drawn to where the people were because trash was poorly collected/disposed of, and the bears became too used to associating people with food. I could be wrong, but I think the grizzly bear is the only animal in N. America that has ever been a serial man-eater...

 

[the Jester]

Bears generally just ignore badly wounded / non-moving opponents. Unless they're really hungry. But I can't recall a single story about man eating bears.

Polar bears are allegedly one of the few species on Earth that will hunt man.

 

[Janx]

This, by the way, is totally unlike human fights...

Yes, but unlike human D&D fights, animals tussle for a bit then break off. Very seldom does either combatant take a serious wound because fighting to that point will likely hinder the animal's ability to hunt, get food and heal up.

That's akin to you having 80 HP, take a couple 1d8 hits and failed to hit on your own (misses). So, you back off before the damage starts stacking up.

Unless the animal is trying to eat you as prey, animals don't fight to the death. They cut and run when they start losing, and the winner doesn't pursue, because it has no need to.

 

[DnD_Dad]

A bear would continue to thrash and annihilate the target until distracted by another combatant(ie attacked.). Animals maul/gore in response to being threatened an will go way beyond just knocking someone down. They are instinct when it comes to violence.