[FR] Wildshapes from the North?

[Nifft]

I'm playing an evil Druid in one campaign (he's a worshipper of Auril). He's from Vassa and has explored the lands just west and north of there. He's starting out high enough level to Wildshape, and I'm wondering what sort of animals he's encountered in his travels.

Here are what I think is appropriate so far:

- Mountain Lion (uses Leopard stats)
- Polar Bear
- Brown Bear
- Eagle
- Mink (uses Weasel stats)
- Badger
- Wolf
- Bat
- Owl

Can anyone think of more animals for him to know? Vassa is pretty land-locked (from what I can see in the FRCS) so what kind of aquatic animals would he know about? River and lake fish? How big do they get?

Are there any FR-specific animals that he'd know about?

Thanks, -- Nifft

 

[caudor]

If he is that far north...he may encounter a moose as well. I remember seeing one in Alaska. It attacked a car in a Safeway the parking lot right in front of me. Then some guys on snowmobiles chased it off. It was a mean one.

He may have even encountered some werebeavers

 

[Mr Fidgit]

other than what's in the FRCS, i also have The Bloodstone Lands (FR 9) that details (somewhat) Vaasa and Damara, and it simply states, "...and nearly every animal and monster found in a cold wilderness area can be encountered here.” (otherwise, it only states the monsters common in the region)

there really isn't alot of other information out there. i do have some info on Thar (on the other side of the Galena mountains), if you'd like some details of a nearby region...

 

[Blood Jester]

Salmon, who would definitely be found far north (spawning, ya know) can easily reach four to five feet in length and top out just over one hundred pounds. So, that's a damn big fish (I'd put an adult Salmon as a medium creature) and they are fantastic swimmers (would outpace a marathon runner) with incredible endurance.

Try that on for size, but watch out for bears if you swim up rapids during spawning season.


edit: spel nut gud

 

[Nifft]

Blood Jester: Thanks, that's exactly the sort of shape I need! He'll turn into a bear himself if he gets swiped out of a river ...

Mr Fidgit: I'd very much like information from Thar -- my guy has been there (a little) doing "missionary" work for Auril.

Thanks, -- Nifft

 

[~Joseph~]

you probably have seen a wolverine and bison as well, an maybe a fox or wolf, a mountain goat would also probably be there

 

[Mr Fidgit]

The Great Gray Land of Thar (from Elminster's Ecologies - a great supplement for FR, IMO -- the story is told from the perspective of a cynical ranger (hence, the attitude ))

"Wildlife

Mundane wildlife in the regions follows the predator-prey pyramid I grew so familiar with during my early adventures. Hordes of rodents infest the grasslands - mice, voles, shrews and rabbits - and they make life miserable for the idle camper. They invade tents, devour supplies, gnaw leather, and generally make themselves a serious nuisance. The ogres of Thar, superstitious beings that they are, ascribe the damage done to the works of evil spirits and such, but the average adventurer is fully aware of the culprit's identity.

Large hoofed mammals such as deer and antelope are uncommon. Where they do exist, they run in herds of up to a dozen individuals, but pickings in region are scarce and predators must be cunning and merciless, whether human, humanoid, or animal.

Small mammals are preyed on by larger ones like foxes, coyotes, and wolves that travel alone or in small packs. These predators have a bad reputation among the bumpkin set who regard them as vicious killers of humans, raiders of hen houses, or competitors for game. Unsurprisingly, my view of these creatures is more charitable. I have seen the valuable role they play keeping down pest populations, culling sick or dying animals, and maintaining the natural order.

Top predators include a variety of raptors. The majestic steppe eagle, a handsome beast with a lordly white-crested head, is probably the best known, although it is among the rarest. Other avian predators include kestrels, falcons, kites, and owls, as well as the shrike, a perching bird similar in appearance to a jay, whose beak and talons have been adapted to a predatory lifestyle.

These birds also fees on the rodent population of the steppes, as well as on the numerous perchling bids that inhabit the region, filling the area with their songs in spring and summer, but migrating to warmer climes in the fall."

the (mini-) book goes on to describe, in greater detail, the monstrous populations of the region - bulettes, ogres, leucrotta, orcs, manticores, etc.)