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Steppe Bison - Gentle Beast of Burden


JoshSkele10
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Suggestion

Edit: To address the comments discussing why this is not the best fit for Aberration, I do not disagree. I did not mention this in the original post, but part of my intentions for this creature in this specific map were because this is the only map I could see this creature being fully used in.

The Bison does not have any specific tie in to Aberration, and other maps fit it better thematically, but on those maps I believe it would only be used for the milk. All of its other features,  especially resource transportation, are made more convenient and safer with the flyers on those maps.

Aberration is unique in how most resources are not found in the area people make bases in, and without flyers transporting resources between the areas proves difficult at times. I wanted some way to make this task easier and safer, but it makes sense why some do not like this creature for the map. If response to the creature is good but replies continue to disagree with it being in Aberration, I may submit it for the other maps instead.

 

 

Another play at the Giant Bison, this one based on Bison priscus.  It may seem too normal for Aberration, but these creatures are uniquely equipped to deal with the hostile environment and can have abilities that tie in to existing features of the map.  The idea was to keep things simple, not giving it a half dozen abilities and instead focus on adding utility to the few abilities it does have.  For the moment, there is no artwork for these creatures. May or may not add some to this post if it gains traction.

 

Wild

The Bison are found in large herds throughout the Fertile Green Zone and Bioluminescent Blue Zone, particularly the large flat areas found there.  Survivors will quickly learn that the Bison are gentle giants and will ignore all creatures unless provoked.  However, anything daring enough to attack a herd will soon find itself being overrun in a massive stampede that can topple some of the strongest dinosaurs on the Ark.  The only way to survive a stampede is to climb; running and fighting are futile against a sea of horns.  Despite their strength in numbers, they are weaker when alone, so it is advised to encounter one in this state if you want to kill or tame it,  though this certainly does not trivialize it.

 

Taming

Owing to their gentle nature, the Bison will be a passive tame.  In order to be tamed, a Bison must be separated from its herd. It can be tamed by feeding it like other herbivores, but this will take too long alone.  To tame it more quickly, you must surround it with other tamed dinosaurs that are of similar size, giving it an "adopted herd" so it does not feel alone.  Depending on what food you feed it and how many tamed creatures surround it, its taming effectiveness will increase.

 

Tamed

Survivors who manage to tame a Bison will find a sturdy mount at their disposal.  Bison are strong and have thick skin, so they are immune to most conditions that may affect them. Extreme temperatures, gnashes, venom, and even Aberrations potent radiation pose no threat to them.  Riders must be careful, though, since many of these can still affect them.

Despite their stocky appearance, they are naturally quick animals when the terrain suits them.  Bison are capable of outrunning most predators in an open field, but are mediocre swimmers and incapable of climbing.

Bison lack hardware to efficiently harvest any resources, but still prove invaluable to support this purpose due to their extremely high carry weight and ability to reduce the load of most materials. A tribe with several Bison can use them to ferry resources back to their base before other dinosaurs become overburdened while harvesting, aided by their movement speed.

Attacks

Bison have limited options for attacking, but the few attacks they are capable of are quite strong.

Headbutt: Basic attack to do solid damage

Back Kick: Much like the Equus, these kicks deal less damage but cause torpor to increase significantly

Stampede: Read Below

Herd Boost

Like a Pack Boost, but slightly different.  When a group of Bison of any combination of genders is together, they form a herd, gaining damage and resistance buffs.  These buffs will be smaller than those for existing pack creatures, but can stack higher with more Bison (10+).

When in a herd, wild Bison will form a Stampede when any is hurt.  When tamed, they will do the same if set to Neutral, but a player riding a Bison can manually initiate a stampede.  Stampeding Bison will smash through most creatures and some structures, dealing increased damage as they do so.  As they run, they also will churn the ground, uncovering resources much like the earthquakes do on Aberration.

Milk

Female Bison produce a special milk that is adored by most baby creatures.  When given to newborns, it provides food and slight imprint bonuses, making it much easier for Survivors to raise creatures.

This milk can also be added to most recipes to make them more effective, increasing the duration of special effects granted by the food and drink.

Edited by JoshSkele10
Address responses about being in Aberration
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