The Beast ancestry encompasses a diverse array of creatures, drawing inspiration from the magnificent and multifaceted animal kingdom. From gentle herbivores to relentless predators, Beasts embody the raw power and untamed beauty of nature.

All Beasts will, naturally enough, have the Animal property. They must place their lowest attribute in Education, and can never select Education for an upgrade.

Regardless of their species, Beasts all gain a +1 bonus to their Foresight. The ability to sense and react to danger is vital when one must survive in the wild.

A Beast will have one of five different sizes, as listed below. Select the one most suitable for your creature.

A Tiny Beast is typically less than 40cm in length, and weighs only a few kilograms. A common housecat, or a fairly large parrot, would be an example of a Tiny Beast. They start with five stamina, and will have a speed of three. Tiny Beasts suffer a -2 to their Body, but gain a +2 to their Agility. They reduce their damage dice one step, and also inflict -1 points per damage die rolled in combat.

A Small Beast is around 75cm in length—up to a meter, when tail is considered–and typically weighs about ten kilograms. An average-sized dog is a good example of a Small Beast. They start with eight stamina, and will have a speed of five. Small Beasts suffer a -1 to their Body, but gain a +1 to their Agility. They reduce their damage dice one step.

A Medium Beast will be about the same size as a human—wolves, cheetahs and black bears all come in about the size of a Medium Beast. They start with ten stamina, and will have a speed of six.

A Large Beast will be two to three meters in length, and weigh about 400 kilograms. Gorillas, brown bears, horses and tigers are all excellent examples of Large Beasts. They start with twelve stamina, and will have a speed of seven. Large Beasts will gain a +1 to their Body, but suffer a -1 penalty to their Agility. They increase the size of their damage dice one step.

These are the giants of the animal world, being three to four meters in length and weighing a tonne or two. Elephants, hippopotamus and rhino all qualify, as does the bison or the salt-water crocodile. Huge Beasts will gain a +2 to their Body, but suffer a -2 penalty to their Agility. They start with fifteen stamina, and will have a speed of eight. They increase the size of their damage dice one step, and also inflict +1 damage per die of damage rolled.

The diet of a Beast has a surprising impact on its capabilities.

A Browser must spend much of its time eating, as it gets less energy from plant matter than a carnivore does from meat. As time spent eating is time that they are more vulnerable, they must be on watch for predators. Browsers gain a further +1 bonus to their Foresight.

The ability to consume anything halfway nutritious allows the omnivore to be less selective about its food, but also leads to them being more creative in acquiring such. Omnivores take a +1 bonus to their Dexterity.

Beasts that attack other beasts for food gain a +1 bonus to their Agility, as the ability to strike suddenly is typically required.

Choose one of the following features for each level the creature has.

Flight
Increased Damage
Natural Weapons
Plague Bearer
Sharp Senses
Swift
Swimmer