Four legs

[Zaron]

What happens when a four legged animal/creature has one leg disabled/severed? Two? 

I imagine that at three, it is definitely unable to move.

[Nick Brooke]

One of our cats is a tripod (her foreleg was amputated after a RTA). She gets around at great speed, leaps and bounds with confidence, is very nimble, and can swat at rivals with her remaining front paw by rocking back on her haunches, kangaroo-style.

Here, have a photo of Cleopatra Catra Brooke:

[Ali the Helering]

Awww... still cute and deadly😀

[David Scott]

I've seen a few 3-legged cats (missing front legs), and recently saw a 3-legged dog (back legs). It's not uncommon:

• https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2018/10/how-animals-thrive-with-three-legs

Two legs becomes problematic, but humans can often solve this, I had a friend with a dog that had lost the ability to use it's back legs, and so had wheels. There's also cases of front wheels:

• https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/video/tv/prosthetic-wheels-put-a-squirrel-on-the-road-to-recovery
• https://www.handicappedpets.com/blog/8-need-to-know-dog-wheelchair-tips/#:~:text=It's true that many wheelchair,exercise they so desperately need.

Occasionally there are artificial limbs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K7JtO4u7MA

 

[PhilHibbs]

Three limbs incapacitated will definitely have a four-legged animal at zero general HP. Not for a centaur, but -1 in three limbs would.

[French Desperate WindChild]

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Two legs becomes problematic, but humans can often solve this, I had a friend with a dog that had lost the ability to use it's back legs, and so had wheels.

that's true

however, in a bronze age economy would people do the same effort (or in any not "rich like us" economy) ? In the other hand, gloranthan can solve this with magic I think

Edited January 11, 2024 by French Desperate WindChild

[David Scott]

10 minutes ago, French Desperate WindChild said:

however, in a bronze age economy would people do the same effort (or in any not "rich like us" economy) ? 

As a story hook yes. The adventure to the Dwarf to get a mechanical leg for your x.

[Ali the Helering]

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

The adventure to the Dwarf to get a mechanical leg for your x.

Automated pogo-sticks, anyone?

[Kloster]

12 hours ago, Zaron said:

What happens when a four legged animal/creature has one leg disabled/severed? Two? 

I imagine that at three, it is definitely unable to move.

My last dog lived his 6 last years of life with only 3 legs without any problems (except for climbing on my wife's knees), and we had a 2 or 3 km walk every evenings. So, definitely able to move.

[Darius West]

3 hours ago, David Scott said:

As a story hook yes. The adventure to the Dwarf to get a mechanical leg for your x.

Or alternately go to your Chalana Arroy Healer and get a regrow limb spell cast on you.

[Darius West]

I recognize this is a very valid question.  Especially with consideration to mounts.  I'm not sure that a mount that loses the use of its legs will do anything other than fall over and scream in pain.  

[Zaron]

It was a legit question.   The whitestone adventure has hungry feral dogs in a side quest.

Edited January 12, 2024 by Zaron

[Nick Brooke]

I don’t think anybody has suggested it wasn’t a legit question, or that there are any non-legit answers.

If you’re asking whether a feral dog is likely to flee or otherwise be unwilling to fight or incapable of fighting immediately after you maim or sever one of its limbs, as a GM I’d most likely say “Yes.” (If it’s been trapped or cornered, though, you could have a hard time finishing it off; alternatively, because I’m not into animal-murdering sims, I might handwave a finale and get on with the interesting part of the adventure.)

But if you’re asking “Could a four-legged animal companion or embodied allied spirit still move and fight after losing a limb?,” the answer is “Yes,” and the proof is Cleo. She is awesomely capable, an inspiration to us all.

I’m not sure anyone has bothered studying what happens to a rider when their mount loses a limb. It doesn’t seem credible to me that they’d be able to do anything other than dismount, more or less ignominiously. But maybe someone who watches more Grand Nationals than I do can post a counter-argument?

[Ali the Helering]

1 hour ago, Nick Brooke said:

I’m not sure anyone has bothered studying what happens to a rider when their mount loses a limb.

I can't help but imagine that they would be far less likely to be trapped under said mount if they aren't using stirrups, but I don't follow horse racing either!

[Snork]

The mount falls over. The rider hopes they weren't travelling at speed

 

[jajagappa]

On 1/10/2024 at 8:52 PM, Zaron said:

What happens when a four legged animal/creature has one leg disabled/severed? Two? 

I imagine that at three, it is definitely unable to move.

Depends on the animal/mount. A year or so ago we had a deer regularly passing through our yard with a clearly broken/useless forefoot. It generally limped through on three legs, but could still jump when needed. Definitely a slower pace but still got around. Perhaps with more active, larger predators than the local coyotes it would have been killed.