Astral Projections - Dog-Bears and Bear-Dogs! Oh my! (Genesys)

Your friendly neighborhood Xenobiologist just got back from a jaunt to the Miocene epoch, with The Doctor. (Pretty harrowing, but at least no Daleks showed up.) While there, we came across these two most impressive predators, the Bear-Dogs and the Dog-Bears. Yes, they have physical and behavioral characteristics of both modern species.

The Roaring Earth website describes the Bear-Dogs as “dog-like animals that behaved a bit like bears” and Dog-Bears as, “…the complete opposite: bear-like animals that behaved a bit like dogs.”
Some species of both these (not closely-related) Families are ginormous. Others are only the size of foxes or chihuahuas, however. It’s probably only the 1,000lb/600kg species that are a threat to PCs adventuring in the past or on other worlds. Like the Bear-Dog Amphicyon ingens, (pictured above) a half-ton creature larger than a polar bear. The largest of the Dog-Bears, the genus Hemicyon (pictured below) was more grizzly-sized, as well as a hypercarnivore (diet of over 70% meat), not an omnivore like modern bears.

BEAR-DOG [Nemesis]
Prehistoric predator

Characteristics
Brawn 5
Agility 3
Intellect 1
Cunning 3
Willpower 1
Presence 2

Skills
Athletics 3
Brawl 4
Perception 3

Ability: Silhouette 2

Talent: Adversary 1

Soak: 5 Defense (m/r): 1/0 Strain Threshold: 15 Wound Threshold: 20

Equipment: Powerful Jaws (Brawl, Engaged, Crit 3, Damage 7, Pierce 1, Vicious 1); Foreclaws (Brawl, Engaged, Critical 3, Damage 6, Pierce 1)

DOG-BEAR [Rival]
Prehistoric predator

Characteristics
Brawn 4
Agility 4
Intellect 1
Cunning 3
Willpower 1
Presence 2

Skills
Athletics 3
Brawl 4
Perception 3

Abilities: Silhouette 2, Pack Hunter (Add Boost to combat checks when hunting with at least one other Dog-Bear)

Talent: Adversary 1

Soak: 4 Defense (m/r): 1/0 Strain Threshold: 15

Equipment: Powerful Jaws (Brawl, Engaged, Crit 3, Damage 7, Pierce 1, Vicious 1); Foreclaws (Brawl, Engaged, Critical 3, Damage 6, Pierce 1)

Design & Play Notes: For those as interested in all the biology details as I am: Bear-Dogs are part of the Family Amphicyonidae and Dog-Bears are usually (because, yes, even biologists argue sometimes) placed in the Sub-family Hemicyoninae of the Family Ursidae (along with the modern bears).

But don’t worry! Both the Amphicyonidae and Hemicyoninae have been extinct on Earth for millions of years. But what if, you ask, there’s a Time-Travel or a Jurassic Park type plot? Or the campaign is set in a pulp/supers/fantasy world with the “lost prehistoric island/enclave/valley” trope? Or the GM of your favorite SF/space opera game* loves these stats? Okay, now you may feel free to worry all you want to! Or, you can look on the bright side – one of these might be the Animal Companion of your PC’s dreams.
*No changes needed to use with FFG’s Star Wars RPG lines!

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Linda Whitson

Contributing Writer & Copy Editor at D20 Radio

Linda Whitson is a long-time RPGer, amateur musician & artist, & an officer in the Rebel Legion Star Wars costuming club. Linda met her husband in an AD&D game and they have 2 teenagers, an anime fangirl daughter and a son who plays on his university's quidditch team. She is the Lead Mod of D20 Radio's forums and Copy Editor for the blog. Linda can be reached at GMLinda@d20radio.com