Age of Dragons: Beast Unbound

Age Of Dragons: Main Page -> Age Of Dragons: Lifepaths -> Beast Unbound

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Overview

The Old Ways Survive

The pack wheeled overhead as the herd of aurochs (sixty-foot long prehistoric cattle normally known for their belligerence) mournfully bellowed their alarm and fear. Claws-Unsheathed roared for his kin to dive, and the Hunter Dragons fell like thunderbolts amongst the beasts. Firebreath deployed to keep the herd panicked and packed tightly, while claws and teeth opened arteries and jugular veins with a placed precision at odds with the apparent fury of the assault.

One auroch dropped, then another, then another. One of the Hunter Dragons foolishly overextended himself, and caught a bull-horn in the ribs for his carelessness. A blast of flame from Claws-Unsheathed drove the angry auroch back, affording the stripling drake time to extricate himself. The rest of the dragons continued their careful hit and run strikes, harrying the aurochs and dropping two more of them before their alpha roared for them to withdraw.

They circled back into the sky, and let the rest of the herd stampede away to safety. Enough aurochs had been killed to feed the pack for a week, and it did not pay in the long run to kill more than they needed to. Already several of the hungry drakes and dragonesses were showing their anticipation of the feast with exuberant puffs of flame, as well as fighting out for a place in the feeding order by pecking and nipping at each other's wingtips.

Any casual observer would have thought that these dragons had devolved into dumb animals, and abandoned their intellect and intelligence. Claws-Unsheathed knew better. He knew that these were brilliant minds and vibrant souls who had simply chosen to live as beasts, and who were revelling in the vitality and joy of the experience. These were dragons who could have had their meals brought to them spiced and prepared by a legion of mortal servants, and who could be sleeping in jewelled palaces if they wanted to. But they chose this life - to hunt and kill for their own food, to sleep in natural lairs open to the sky, because this was the way that dragons were always meant to be. Civilisation shackled instinct and dulled the soul. These were Beasts Unbound.

The Beast Unleashed Lifepath

The Beast Unbound is a lifepath rejected as primitive by many Breeds, yet seen as sacred by others. To be a Beast Unbound is to set aside the trappings of civilisation (be they material, intellectual or moral) and to exist on a simpler, purer level.

That is not to say that all Dragons on this path remain in it forever. Some will visit the Lifepath only for as long as it takes them to "connect to the Beast within", and will return to civilised lifepaths afterwards. Likewise, some come to it late in life, when they have tired of civilised society.

Regardless, the followers of this path are almost all conscious adherents of the way of life, choosing to deliberately reject a more complex existence, and by doing so feel alive in a way that other Dragons cannot imagine.

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Milestones

Lifepath Sphere Variations

• Atavism (50 XP)

By passing this milestone you have truly tapped into your bestial self, though perhaps by sacrificing part of your sense of self along the way. You gains +1 dice on all tasks relating to his bestial traits (sensory perception, hunting, tooth and claw combat) but have -1 dice on tasks relating to civilisation (high etiquette, academic study, tool use, weapon use, etc.). Passing this milestone is a one way trip - the advantages gained and the costs incurred will be with you for the rest of your life, so embracing atavism is rarely taken lightly by the majority of breeds.

• Strong sexuality (20 XP)

A dragon who has this milestone has enhanced his sexual prowess and fertility. You gain +1 dice on all tasks relating to reproduction, including reproduction itself, sexual performance, and sexual seduction (i.e. seduction with the honest goal of intercourse, rather than manipulation).

• Survivor's constitution (20 XP)

A dragon who has passed this milestone is hardened by the rigours of outdoor life. You gain +1 dice on all tasks relating to your sound constitution, including resisting the effects of hunger, tiredness and thirst, resisting poisons and disease, and maintaining endurance over long flights or tiring activity. Note that this milestone specifically does not help with combat or resist damage checks.

Talents

• Breaking the Shell (3 XP)

You can make a special "shell-breaker" claw attack at +1 TN. If this attack hits, you deals no damage, but the target loses a number of points of Armour Rating equal to the unopposed successes scored on your attack roll.

• Falcon's Pursuit (3 XP)

A true predator stays on his prey's tail. In Skirmish Combat, if an enemy moves away from you (from Close Quarters to Middle Distance) you can opt to immediately move after him, reducing the distance to close quarters again before that enemy's battle phase. Doing so does not count towards your usual movement for this round, but you can only use Falcon's Pursuit once per round.

• Harry the Prey (3 XP)

Pack-hunting takes some practice to master, but once learnt can become almost intuitive. You can make a special "harrying" claw attack at +1 TN. If this attack hits, it is at +1 TN to the damage check, but the target is tagged as being harried until the start of your next action. All melee attacks against a harried target are at -1 TN.

• Peregrine Dive (5 XP)

This hunting technique seems easy enough, but actually requires a lot of finesse and self control. You fly high above your (aerial) quarry, then dive towards the target accelerating with both gravity and controlled wingbeats to achieve considerable velocity. As you moves past your target you snatch at them, grappling them and digging in your rear talons, before breaking your descent with the air resistance of your wings. Though this technique was initially developed to hunt aerial prey, it is also a battle manoeuvre of some utility. To use this Talent, you must be at a higher altitude than your target at the start of your tactical movement phase, but otherwise in the same location. You automatically drop to the target's altitude during the tactical movement phase, and then make an unarmed claw attack at +1 TN during the battle phase. If the attack hits, then the damage check is at -3 TN, and if you wish you can automatically grapple the target.

• Weakening strike (3 XP)

You know that if you weaken a target, you can wear him down. This is a claw attack at -1 TN, that if it deal damage successfully can never deal more than a Light Injury in damage (even if more than one damage success is rolled).

Arcane Lore

• Firejet (10 XP)

With this simple firebreath spell, you aim a blast intended to soften up a single foe, or even score a kill against a weak target. This is a ranged firebreath attack that uses Pneuma to attack and deal damage, and can be used up to middle distance. It does not set fire to targets, has no burst effect, and you can make called shots with this attack. While this firebreath spell may seem weak compared to some, it has the advantage that it leaves prey' bodies intact enough to provide a good meal afterwards.

Lifepath-specific Milestones

• Claws of the Lion (10 XP)

Using your bare claws as your preferred weapon has strengthened and sharpened them. Any unarmed claw attacks you make roll +1 dice on the damage roll.

• Judgment of the Predator (5 XP)

You are adept at assessing the physical strength of a target. You automatically know what any target's Soma score is.

• Foodsense (10 XP)

With time you can grow to recognise the signs of bad food and water, and thus avoid eating or drinking anything that will do you harm. Simply by sniffing, you can automatically recognise food or water that is poisoned, rotten or otherwise harmful to eat.

• Jaws of the Wolf (10 XP)

Hunting and feeding on raw meat has strengthened your bite. Any unarmed bite attacks you make roll +1 dice on the damage roll.

Lifepath Resources

• The Pack

Optionally, after 25 years of being a Beast Unbound you can deem that your Dragon has joined and been accepted into a pack of other Dragons on the same lifepath. Note that if you are of a breed that does not often favour this lifepath, then likely your pack will not be the same breed as you.

• Territory

After 50 years as a Beast Unbound, you or your pack have established a hunting territory that is recognised as yours by sentient and animal life alike. While others may not choose to respect that territory, it is clear to all that it is yours. You know this territory intimately, and are knowledgeable of all of its nuances, prey statuses and ecological patterns.

• Alpha Status

At 100+ years, it is likely that you are the Alpha of your pack, so long as there are no other Dragons in your pack of greater age and strength. Even if there are, at this stage of your Lifepath it is possible for you to strike out on your own and have another pack come to you for leadership.

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