RSS
Beasts and animals have instincts that help them survive. They're not just going to walk into traps set by the heroes, and they'll fight and try to escape if cornered. And some of them are dangerous predators, who will stalk and attack humans if given a tenth of a chance. Ordinary animals can be some of the most dangerous and daunting foes a group of adventurers may face!
Players may underestimate animals, given they may inhabit a world where there are intelligent monsters or aliens all over the place. But the humble horse or wolf or eagle can be a nasty shock if used properly and played with true animal cunning.
Commentary by memnarch (who has not seen the movie)
Huh. This I wasn't expecting. Sure, Rose and Finn had to get off at some point. But getting thrown off just before a cliff? I guess that makes sense for extra drama. It just feels unnecessary even considering the rest of the... everything, really. This is going to be a wild ride to see how this whole chase scene actually played out in the future.
The dropping of the saddle though? That's far enough outside of a typical Star Wars scene that I wonder if this movie script was partially taken from a separate movie. Don't get me wrong, it's a great way to show the heroes in a good light. It just doesn't feel like something that would show up in Star Wars anywhere, and beasts wearing saddles are rare as it is.
Transcript
GM: Your fathier emerges from the brush right before the edge of a cliff!
Rose: Whoa! I pull hard on the reins.
GM: Riding roll.
Rose: 6. Uh oh.
GM: The beast instinctively swerves, throwing you from the saddle.
[SFX]: toss!
[SFX]: thump roll...
GM: You roll towards the edge of the cliff and <roll>... pull up just short.
Finn: Phew!
Rose: We’ve escaped the police and have our cash. We need to find BB-8 and a ship.
Finn: Remove the saddle and let the fathier free.
Rose: I do that.
[SFX]: slip
[SFX]: thump
GM: It gives you a look of animal gratitude and runs off.
Rose: Wait. Were those things intelligent?
GM: It let itself be ridden by you. What do you think?