Handle Animal - the Defend trick

[Thanee]

Last session we noticed, that the Defend trick can quite easily emulate the Attack trick in many situations. Because defending animals automatically attack the assailants of whomever they are going to defend, one can simply direct the animal to defend someone currently under attack in order to turn the animal on the attackers.

Of course, it does lack a bit of the finesse of the Attack trick and only works 'retroactively', but it's quite effective in most situations.

Do you think it's right or ok to use the Defend trick this way?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bront]

I don't see why not.

I've never used the tricks per say, more of a general "how well does the animal behave" based on how many tricks known, the animal's intelegence, and the handeler's skill. It didn't look too bad to use though.

 

[shilsen]

Do you think it's right or ok to use the Defend trick this way?

Sure. As you say, it only works retroactively, so it's not as effective for attack purposes as the Attack trick. similarly, you could use the Attack trick to get your animal to attack someone fighting your friend, which is using the Attack trick to achieve a Defend command, but doing so retroactively. Works both ways.

 

[Legildur]

The only drawback I can see is that the animal probably won't defend against all creatures.

The Attack skill quite clearly states that "Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (inclusing such unnatural creatures as undead an aberrations) counts as two tricks."

 

[Pickaxe]

The only drawback I can see is that the animal probably won't defend against all creatures.

The Attack skill quite clearly states that "Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (inclusing such unnatural creatures as undead an aberrations) counts as two tricks."

Couldn't that same interpretation be reversed to say that it's a drawback of attack? In other words, because defend (and guard) don't have any text limiting what the animal will attack, one could say that defending animals will attack anything attacking the defended. Thus, you could use defend as a way to get around this limitation. Haven't trained your dog to attack magical beasts? Tell him to defend your buddy attacking the worg.

Another advantage of defend is that you can get the animal to switch targets more easily; he can attack any new opponents attacking the defended, and he won't run off after a fleeing opponent.

I still think it's a perfectly legitimate use of the trick.

--Axe

 

[Teemu]

I see nothing wrong with it. The 'attack' trick is better in situations where you start the fighting, though.

 

[Thanee]

Okay.

Now about the above-mentioned question...

- Will an animal with the Defend (or Guard) trick actually attack unnatural opponents, or not?
- And if you think not, will it do so, if you have also taught it the Attack trick twice?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Vraister]

- Will an animal with the Defend (or Guard) trick actually attack unnatural opponents, or not?

No, it defends against creatures it would normally attack.

- And if you think not, will it do so, if you have also taught it the Attack trick twice?

Yes, as it would attack unnatural opponents.

Vraister aka Gilthas ;-)

 

[Len]

- Will an animal with the Defend (or Guard) trick actually attack unnatural opponents, or not

Yes, because there's nothing that says it won't. The definition of the Defend trick doesn't reference the Attack trick, so there's no reason to apply the limitation of one to the other.

If you want a "common sense" explanation for this, your companion will defend you if it's obvious that you are being attacked, no matter what strange shape the attacker is. But if you order your companion to attack something that it doesn't recognize as a creature, it won't even know what you mean. "What, you want me to attack that rock? How the heck am I supposed to do that?"

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Okay.

Now about the above-mentioned question...

- Will an animal with the Defend (or Guard) trick actually attack unnatural opponents, or not?
- And if you think not, will it do so, if you have also taught it the Attack trick twice?

Bye
Thanee

What about teaching it the Defend trick twice?