Now they buy pigs

Hjorimir said:
Have you ever tried to "push" a pig? I'm betting that it is tougher than your players think. Also, imagine the noise the pig would be making as it was being mercilessly prodded forward. Every last stinking monster in the place would know they were there. Extremely intelligent opponents would be able to account for the pig as well and lull the intruding band of adventurers into a false sense of security.

Nod. That answer to their strategem makes sense. Pigs aren't stupid animals -- they'd refuse to go in a dungeon -- only canines are loyal enough to go, others would be like "smell ya later". More importantly, it's just not right for the game -- it's not pigs and pigpens!

I've been know to try to bring a goat as self-propelled rations, but never as trap exploder.
 

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Hmm.. just want to mention something that hasn't been mentioned yet. So far, I have seen posts referring to how hard it is to herd pigs (very true!! and chickens are just as bad (especially when you have to chase them down after beheading them)), and how the monsters will hear them complaining.

The thing is, how are they getting the pigs to go INTO the dungeon in the first place? Those places are going to smell like the monsters living there, dangerous, predatory monsters. They are going to have an awful time just getting the pig into the dungeon, and once in, getting it to move towards the dangerous monsters. The pig is going to be trying to run the entire time, and no amount of animal handling or empathy is going to force them to enter someplace that smells like danger to their sensitive noses.

This problem is going to be the same for EVERY type of animal that they try to use as a trap detector when in a dungeon. Animals have a much better sense of smell than humans, whether or not the animal has the scent feat. It would be an insane task to get one to behave like the adventurers want it to.
 

Pigs are among the most onry critters around. Yes, I used to live on a farm and I know this. Herding them is hardwork. I'd think that even in a fantasy setting it would be much harder to herd a pig than to find a cleric or magic user to cast 'find traps'. Not to mention less smelly. Mainly because when animals get scared, they tend to have errr loose bowels and they make lots and lots of noise. And in a dungeon type area, that animal is going to be scared out of its wits.


Onry means stubborn. It is country slang. ;)
 

Well this trick is as old as dirt but it is amusing to see a group whose DM hasn't given it a RB turn...yet.

That said I just had to add the following:

Vincent: Want some bacon?
Jules: No man, I don't eat pork.
Vincent: Are you Jewish?
Jules: Nah, I ain't Jewish, I just don't dig on swine, that's all.
Vincent: Why not?
Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals.
Vincent: Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood.
Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy motherf*****. Pigs sleep and root in s***. That's a filthy animal. I ain't eat nothin' that ain't got enough sense enough to disregard its own faeces.
Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces.
Jules: I don't eat dog either.
Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal?
Jules: I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.
Vincent: Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. Is that true?
Jules: Well we'd have to be talkin' about one charmin' motherf****n' pig. I mean he'd have to be ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I'm sayin'?
 

Keeper of Secrets said:
Yes. Clever. However you might have some kind of fantasy world PETA come after them.

like others said druids ... pig-lovin' Deliverance-type druids.

onry = slang ... add in some vowels and spell it correctly and you get ornery ;)
 
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Lord Pendragon said:
You seem to be missing the point. There's a huge difference between a butcher slaughtering a sheep for mutton, and an adventuring party regularly zapping them with Chain Lightning, Cloudkill, Fireball, spike traps, crushing stone traps, etc. etc. Just because the slaughter of animals may be permissable in a society doesn't mean running them through minefields is. And that's exactly what the PCs are doing. Running the pigs through a minefield in order to find/clear a safe path.

What`s the difference to mine hounds, warhorses etcor anti tank dogs?
 

Korimyr the Rat said:
That's plain smart adventuring.

Ain't no difference between using your bounteous adventuring wealth to pay for a pig to lead the way-- saving you money on resurrections later-- and buying canaries for your mineworkers to save money on replacing them.

Well, it is cheaper to just get the mineworkers than the canaries.. but it isn't great on morale.

I mean, what, I only pay my laborers 1 sp a day. I could get 10 of them as trap detectors for the price of a canary... those birds are dang expensive. Laborers.. a dime a dozen. <evil grin>
 
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Numion said:
Um .. a god would take personal interest in the mistreatment of a few sheep, and send celestials to assist them? How does any cool stuff get done in that world? Is the god of adventurers sending angels to assist the PCs much?
Be careful: If you put being realistic ahead of having fun too much, you end up playing Dirt Farmers & Dysentery.

Also, what's done by a few peasants in the name of a greater good for many people (like farming) is far different from people touched by fate to have a great impact on the world killing animals to, essentially, save on making a wand of detect traps. This is not a needful death for the pigs, this is a fairly callous bit of animal cruelty by people who know better and who are destined to reshape at least a small portion of the world.

Finally, why would you think that gods are rational?
 

sword-dancer said:
What`s the difference to mine hounds, warhorses etcor anti tank dogs?
There aren't convenient alternatives to those. What are you going to do, ride a halfling into battle?

The pigs are taking the place of a) the party's rogue doing his job, b) a 10' pole or c) a wand of detect traps. All of which are available to players and are, frankly, a lot more convenient. Using noisy, smelly, terrified pigs isn't the best course of action, it's animal cruelty.
 

Gez said:
Pigs have an excellent sense of smell. They're as often used as dogs to find truffles, and with a bit of training, could probably be used instead of dogs at airports and other places where you need trained beasts with a good sense of smell.

Except that dogs are easier to train and command more respect than pigs, of course.

Pigs are being phased out of the truffle-hunting business due to their tendancy to eat truffles as soon as they find them.
 
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