The World of Avlis

Is a dire wolf just a wolf that got really tough, or got affected by magic or something? or is it some kind of subspecies? or something else?

It means that you can kill them without feeling guilty

I thought this sounded familiar.

http://www.avlis.org/viewtopic.php?t=67119

whoops.

TripleAught wrote:It means that you can kill them without feeling guilty

Not feeling guilty doesn't exclude you from a stabbing.

You should ask Moredo... Samwir is a Dire Gnome.

3.5E Monster Manual wrote:Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of ordinary animals. Each kind tends to have a feral, prehistoric, or even demonic appearance.

Note that all dire animals in the MM are always neutral, so dire does not make them evil.

Buddha wrote:I thought this sounded familiar.

http://www.avlis.org/viewtopic.php?t=67119

heh. this is the first thing I thought of as well

TripleAught wrote:It means that you can kill them without feeling guilty

Tell that to a druid.

This brings up an excellent point. I was travelling to Mikona via the forest and I literally got Jumped by 5 Dire bears, I was getting a beat down and started to buff up and run around till I could get some spells up. I did so, THen started to kill them when all of a Sudden some druid or ranger comes up and tells me not to do that. I understand the concept of Druids and rangers loving trees and animals ok fine with that but I always thought that DIRE means they were created with some sort of Magic. Dire XXXX does not normally come out in the forest. IT is not the result of a natural process which is why they are hostile. WHy protect these? Does that make good IC sense? I didnt think so but I am open to learn, someone want to explain this please?

Squid wrote:I always thought that DIRE means they were created with some sort of Magic. Dire XXXX does not normally come out in the forest. IT is not the result of a natural process which is why they are hostile. WHy protect these? Does that make good IC sense? I didnt think so but I am open to learn, someone want to explain this please?

I recall nothing that states that Avlisian Dire animals are created by magic. They are just larger, more primordial and beastial kin to the rest of their stock.

The fact that you can take Dire Wolves as an Animal Companion (either Ranger or Druid) attests to the fact that they are perfectly natural and well inside their sphere of influence. Wild Shape also allows druids to turn into a Dire Bear, for much the same reason.

Sorry friend, but they're animals. Maybe a little more primative and agressive, but still animals.

Of course it makes sense to protect them. They're a part of the forest, mages are not. Also, bear in mind that dire animals do not attack druids and rangers, so to a druid or ranger, they are simply another of many forest species that are being disturbed and often hunted for their blood.

Well, I found this information when I searched on the net. Granted it is 3.5, and I believe Avlis runs on 3.0 rules.

From WotC d20 rule source material

DIRE ANIMAL
Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of ordinary animals. Each kind tends to have a feral, prehistoric, or even demonic appearance.

Now, I have druid character. I did RP shaking heads and what not when others killed animals in his presence. However after reading through following link I think I will play him bit differently.
http://www.avlis.org/viewtopic.php?t=15626

Hope this helps.

Froggy

yes, they are bigger, i think they should at least have a way to distinguish them from regular ones ingame

though I'm not going to say what a dire wolf is the word "dire" itself means terrible. or something like that.

horatio wrote:Also, bear in mind that dire animals do not attack druids and rangers, so to a druid or ranger

Oh, hell yes they do...

There is a small half-elf shaped smear on a tree that used to be my Druid/Cleric Selbhe when she accidentally walked in on someone elses Dire Tiger spawn. Kai'Ral gets attacked by Dire Bears all the time.

Where is it printed that Dire Animals do not attack Druids/Rangers?

KaiRal Windspar wrote:

horatio wrote:Also, bear in mind that dire animals do not attack druids and rangers, so to a druid or ranger

Oh, hell yes they do...

There is a small half-elf shaped smear on a tree that used to be my Druid/Cleric Selbhe when she accidentally walked in on someone elses Dire Tiger spawn. Kai'Ral gets attacked by Dire Bears all the time.

Where is it printed that Dire Animals do not attack Druids/Rangers?

I am at work at present so dont have time to go searching for where it says it but they are definitely not supposed to and most don't. They used to always attack (leading to all sorts of annoying situations for rangers/druids) but the team implemented a change to stop it happening, perhaps it is buggy?

Fire Monkey wrote:I am at work at present so dont have time to go searching for where it says it but they are definitely not supposed to and most don't. They used to always attack (leading to all sorts of annoying situations for rangers/druids) but the team implemented a change to stop it happening, perhaps it is buggy?

Hmmm... First I have heard about it. I will query on it, though...

Funny coincidence

...dire meaning ancient and prehistoric...

...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4748058.stm

Fire Monkey wrote:

KaiRal Windspar wrote:

horatio wrote:Also, bear in mind that dire animals do not attack druids and rangers, so to a druid or ranger

Oh, hell yes they do...

There is a small half-elf shaped smear on a tree that used to be my Druid/Cleric Selbhe when she accidentally walked in on someone elses Dire Tiger spawn. Kai'Ral gets attacked by Dire Bears all the time.

Where is it printed that Dire Animals do not attack Druids/Rangers?

I am at work at present so dont have time to go searching for where it says it but they are definitely not supposed to and most don't. They used to always attack (leading to all sorts of annoying situations for rangers/druids) but the team implemented a change to stop it happening, perhaps it is buggy?

As far as I know, when the change went in, most, but not quite all, of the animal spawns stopped attacking druids and rangers. Since you can't always remember which, this introduced a random element to it, which has always seemed alright to me. I can normally, as a druid, walk past 'most' animals without them being bothered. Occasionally, I meet some particularly hungry ones is how I play it.

I did a search but couldn't find a post for it. It was a long time ago however I am sure of that much.