Sr5 Critter companions
Everyone can have a pet. Cloned dogs, rainbow colored macavs, glow-in-the-dark kittens. Heck throw a half-eaten soy burger in the barrens and you will have 2d6 devilrats within 10 combat turns. But an animal companion is something more. The shadowrunner, also called a handler, has established a special bond with a non-sapient critter. This bond isnt neccesarily friendly, for some it can even be abusive, for either or both parties. But its still a bond. That bond is what separates a pet from a critter companion.
Rules
Critter companions cost karma. They have 2 costs associated with them, a static power cost and a variable loyalty cost. The total starting level of its power and loyalty combined is capped at 7 during character generation. Furthermore neither Power nor Loyalty may be higher than the handlers handle animal skill.
For instance a runner acquires a dog and pays 3 karma for its power level, then he chooses to buy its loyalty at between 1 and 4. (Dogs have a max loyalty rating of 6, but anything above 4 would bring its total above 7).
During gameplay the loyalty score can be increased or even drop. This is handled as if the critter was a Contact.
Critter role and loyalty
Each critter has a specific role they excel at, this is called an aptitude (Ferocity, Senses and Guile).
Choose an aptitude for the critter, all difficulty levels for handle animal rolls in that field is reduced by 1.
The loyalty of the critter encompasses its training and willingness to work with its handler. Each level of loyalty adds 1 to any handle animal rolls the handler makes on the critter. Each level also allows the critter to upgrade one of its existing skills by 1, or gain one of the skills listed under its aptitude. The skill cant be upgraded to more than its handlers handle animal skill.
Aptitudes
| Ferocity | Senses | Guile |
|---|---|---|
| Unarmed combat | Assensing** | Sneaking |
| Running | Perception | Palming |
| Cyber combat* | Computer* | Hacking* |
| Astral combat** | Electronic warfare* | Escape artist |
| Intimidation | Tracking | Gymnastics |
| Survival | Survival | Performance |
| - | Navigation | Software* |
| - | Running | - |
|* Must be a technocritter
|** Must be able to astrally perceive
Companion options
This section encompasses expanded options for your critter companion. Except for the ritual all other options counts as normal positive qualities. Cyberware quality options doesnt cost nuyen, but they do cost the critter essence as normal. Most likely the runner liberated the critter from a corporate facility.
Attune animal (Adept Ritual) This ritual allows an adept handler to bond with a mundane animal. Karma cost to bond with the animal is equal to its power lvl. As long as the animal is within loyalty X 100 meters of the adept it counts as having an installed CAST system. This bond is magically in nature, and the adept doesnt need any technological means to make use of it- like Sim modules and commlinks- it also cant be hacked. An adept handler may have one critter attuned at a time, and one extra for each initiation grade.
This ritual replaces the one from street grimoire, it still allows the adept to empower his critter.
TRACES Critter 5 karma The critter has a TRACES system installed. This requires an implanted commlink, CAST or Stirrup interface to work.
Stirred not shaken critter 5 karma The critter has a stirrup interface system rating 1 installed. The system comes without a Skilljack system, but it can be purchased as normal. For 5 karma extra the system can be beta grade instead of normal grade.
CAST Critter 5 karma The critter has a CAST system installed. This requires a SIM module and a device with a Persona capability for the runner to take advantage of the CAST system. Handle animal rolls against the critter gans a +2 bonus and decreases the threshold by 1.
Warform Critter 5 karma Any mundane critter can be created as a warform. It gains the following benefits.
- 2 attributes may be increased by 1 each.
- The critter gain 1 free point of essence that can be used for bioware or geneware. Bought as normal.
- A 10% essence discount on all bio- and geneware
- A 20% nuyen discount on all geneware.
- The handler gains a +2 bonus on handle animal rolls on it.
Chimeric Critter 2 karma Any mundane critter can be created as a Chimeric critter instead (an animal cant be both a chimeric and a warform critter). It gains the following benefits and drawbacks:
- Up to 6 chimeric abilities as listed in Howling Shadows.
- -1 on all handle animal rolls per 2 chimeric traits
- Gains the precarious physiology negative quality from howling shadows.
List of Critter companions
Other critters may be available at the GMs discretion. For instance critters with a higher power rating than 6, like a Piasma, or a Cerburus hound. Or aquatic themed critters like warform dolphins if its a pirate campaign.
| Animal | Power | Max loyalty | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog | 3 | 6 | Mundane | CRB |
| Horse | 3 | 6 | Mundane | HS |
| Wolf | 4 | 4 | Mundane | HS |
| Cat | 2 | 5 | Mundane | HS |
| Crow | 2 | 5 | Mundane | HS |
| Eagle | 3 | 5 | Mundane | HS |
| Bandit | 5 | 5 | Mundane | HS |
| Ferret | 2 | 4 | Mundane | HS |
| Hell hound | 6 | 5 | Awakened | CRB |
| Blood monkey | 4 | 4 | Awakened | HS |
| Gomatia | 3 | 5 | Awakened | HS |
| Ozian baboon | 6 | 5 | Awakened | HS |
| Phoenecian bird | 5 | 4 | Awakened | HS |
| Shadow hound | 5 | 5 | Awakened | HS |
| Devil rat | 2 | 3 | Toxic | CRB |
| Iridescent owl | 5 | 3 | Toxic | HS |
| Razor cat (small) | 5 | 3 | Toxic | HS |
| Bastet | 4 | 4 | Technocritter | HS |
| Mongrel | 5 | 5 | Technocritter | HS |
| Rook | 4 | 4 | Technocritter | HS |
| Ipodo | 4 | 3 | Technocritter | KC |
Toxic critters Toxic critters counts as awakened animals. Because of their unnatural nature, loyalty costs double for all non-toxic shaman/adept handlers.
Technocritters All technocritters are emerged. Their incooperative nature means that their loyalty costs are doubled for all handlers except emerged or AI handlers.
Critter companion cyberware
Critter control modifiers
Below is a list of more or less permanent handle animal modifiers the handler would face when directing his critter. This can be combined with the regular social modifiers from the CRB or by adjusting the threshold.
Commanding a critter in combat or other stressfull situations would be set at around Hard difficulty (threshold 4).
| Ability | Modifier | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalty | +1 pr lvl | Here |
| Critter Power | -1 pr lvl | Here |
| Essence loss | -1 pr 0.5 essence lost | Here |
| Chimeric traits | -1 pr 2 traits | CF |
| Warform | +2 | CF |
| Orientation goad | +0 | HS |
| Cast* | +2 | HS |
| Stirrup interface | N/A | HS |
| Attune animal | as CAST | SG |
| Animal empathy | +1 pr level | CRB |
| The Beasts way | Special | SG |
| Critter pheromonesn | Special | CF |
*CAST also reduces Animal handling tresholds by 1.
Success test and thresholds
Thresholds are modified by the critters nature related to the task at hand, and the difficulty of the task. Getting a bandit to steal something would be 2nd nature to it, getting it to jump in front of a speeding truck would be either directly against its nature or certain death depending on the situation.
| Difficulty | Threshold | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 1 | Simple stuff |
| Average | 2 | 2nd nature |
| Hard | 4 | Combat |
| Very hard | 6 | directly against nature |
| Extreme | 8-10 | Certain death |
Critter control options
There are several means of controlling your companion. Technological, magical or the good ol' fashioned way.
Technologically the ORIENTATION GOAD is the least invasive implant available. It allows the handler to control the direction of his critter- it does not however give him any control over what the critter actually will do during its forced movement. You can force the horse to the well, but not force it to drink. This implant is often combined with cameras, attached or implanted.
CAST allows the handler to control his companion through simsense emotions. Not only does the horse wants to go to the well, but the handler can make sure that it also feels thirsty. A conflict may arise if said well is guarded by cyberwolves or something else deemed very dangerous by the critter. The critter uses its own skills and abilities as normal.
STIRRUP INTERFACE allows the handler to monitor all senses of the critter. If the handler also possesses a control rig he may jump into it, as if it was a drone. He uses the critters physical attributes, but his own skills with a minus 1 penalty. When controlled by a jumped in handler the critter has no say regarding the well, water or cyberwolves- it is essentially a biological drone.
Credits
Layout created by /u/DJPhoenix719
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