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From Fax Encyclopedicus

This article traces the development of wolves, dire wolves and worgs through the various editions of D&D. Each edition treated wolves and their kin slightly differently, and the definition of a worg versus a dire wolf has undergone severe changes. == Original D&D == Wolves in general did not appear in the 'blue-book' edition of Dungeons & Dragons. I do not have access to the older brown-cover editions or Chainmail to see if wolves existed in those editions, and so can not state the wolf, dire wolf, or worg statistics from those versions. == Basic D&D == The 'red-book' edition was the first rule-set to call itself 'Basic Dungeons & Dragons'. In this book, wolves and dire wolves were provided. In this set it was assumed that worgs and dire wolves were identical. Because of this, dire wolves (the prehistoric ancestor of modern wolves) were depicted as more intelligent than normal wolves as well as being bigger. {|border=0px |- |||'''Normal Wolf'''||'''Dire Wolf''' |- |'''Armor Class:'''||7||6 |- |'''Hit Dice:'''||2+2||4+1 |- |'''Move:'''||180' (60')||150' (50') |- |'''Attacks:'''||1 bite||1 bite |- |'''Damage:'''||1-6||2-8 |- |'''No. Appearing:'''||2-12 (3-18)||1-4 (2-8) |- |'''Save As:'''||Fighter: 1||Fighter: 2 |- |'''Morale:'''||8 (6)||8 |- |'''Treasure Type:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''Alignment:'''||Neutral||Neutral |} '''Wolves:''' Wolves are meat-eaters and hunt in packs. Though wolves prefer the wilderness, they will occasionally be found in caves. Captured wolf cubs can be trained like dogs (if the Dm permits), but it is difficult. If 3 wolves or less are encountered, or if a pack is reduced to less than 50% of its original numbers, their morale score is 6 rather than 8. '''Dire Wolves:''' Dire wolves may be found in caves, woods, or mountains. They are larger and more ferocious than normal wolves, and are semi-intelligent. They are fierce enemies and usually hunt in packs. They are sometimes trained by goblins to be used as mounts. Captured dire wolf cubs can be trained like dogs (if the DM permits), but they are even more savage than normal wolves. == Advanced D&D == In Advanced Dungeons & Dragons true differentiation between dire wolves and worgs were made. Worgs were the larger, more intelligent creature. The number of appearing wolves and dire wolf/worgs and the damage a normal wolf does was increased. The HD of a dire wolf was changed to differenciate between worgs and dire wolves. The alignment of the worg changed from Netural to Neutral with evil tendencies. {|border=0px |- |||'''Wolf'''||'''Wolf, Dire (Worg)''' |- |'''Frequency:'''||Common||Rare |- |'''No. Appearing:'''||2-20||3-12 |- |'''Armor Class:'''||7||6 |- |'''Move:'''||18"||18" |- |'''Hit Dice:'''||2+2||3+3 (4+4) |- |'''% in Lair:'''||10%||10% |- |'''Treasure Type:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''No. of Attacks:'''||1||1 |- |'''Damage/Attack:'''||2-5||2-8 |- |'''Special Attacks:'''||Howling||Howling |- |'''Special Defences:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''Magic Resistance:'''||Standard||Standard |- |'''Intelligence:'''||Semi-||Semi- (low) |- |'''Alignment:'''||Neutral||Neutral (evil) |- |'''Size:'''||S||M (L) |- |'''Psionic Ability:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''Attack/Defense Modes:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''X.P. Value:'''||35+3/hp||60+4/hp (90+5/hp) |} '''Wolf:''' These carnivores are found in wild forests from the arctic to the temperate zones. They always hunt in packs and if hungry (75%) they will not hesitate to follow and attack prey, always seeking to strike at an unguarded moment. Their howling is 50% likely to panic herbivores which are not being held by humans and calmed. They love horsemeat. If encountered in their lair there is a 30% chance that there will be 1-4 cubs per pair of adult wolves. Cubs do not fight and can be trained as war dogs or hunting beasts. '''Wolf, Dire:''' This variety of wolf is simply a huge specimen typical of the Pleistocene Epoch. They conform to the characteristics of normal wolves. '''(Worgs):''' Evil natured, neo-dire wolves are known as worgs. These creatures have a language and are often found in co-operation with goblins in order to gain prey or to simply enjoy killing. They are as large as ponies and can be ridden. They otherwise conform to the characteristics of wolves. == 2nd Edition Advanced D&D == In 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, more information was added to the wolf entry, and the dire wolf/worg entry again referenced the regular wolf for more detail. For some reason, the worg and dire wolf switched HD and apparant physical size. Now the dire wolf is the larger, but it is still the worg entry that mentions 'as large as ponies'. While Morale rules were re-introduced, the special pack morale rules from Basic D&D were not carried through. {|border=0px |- |||'''Wolf'''||'''Worg/Dire Wolf''' |- |'''Climate/Terrain:'''||Any forest||Any forest |- |'''Frequency:'''||Common||Rare |- |'''Organization:'''||Pack||Pack |- |'''Activity Cycle:'''||Any||Any |- |'''Diet:'''||Carnivore||Carnivore |- |'''Intelligence:'''||Semi- (2-4)||Low (5-7)/Semi- (2-4) |- |'''Treasure:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''Alignment:'''||Neutral||Neutral (evil)/Neutral |- |'''No. Appearing:'''||2-20 (2d10)||3-12 (3d4) |- |'''Armor Class:'''||7||6 |- |'''Movement:'''||18||18 |- |'''Hit Dice:'''||2+2||3+3/4+4 |- |'''THAC0:'''||19||17/15 |- |'''No. of Attacks:'''||1||1 |- |'''Damage/Attack:'''||2-5||2-8 |- |'''Special Attacks:'''||Howling||Howling |- |'''Special Defences:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''Magic Resistance:'''||Nil||Nil |- |'''Size:'''||S (2'-4')||M (4'-7')/L (7'-12') |- |'''Morale:'''||Average (10)||Steady (11)/Average (10) |- |'''X.P. Value:'''||65||120/175 |} Wolves are active and cunning carnivores, capable of surviving in nearly every climate known. Although the color of their fur varies from species to species based on the climate in which they dwell, all wolves have some features in common. They are all characterized by powerful jaws and teeth, bushy tails, and round pupils. In many respects, wolves greatly resemble domesticated dogs. '''Combat:''' Wolves frequently hunt in packs during the winter months, although they may be found alone when prey is more abundant. When they do work in packs, they are 75% likely to follow and attack potential prey. Such attacks are often launched at an unguarded moment or when the prey is distracted in some way. The howling of wolves, by which they mark their territory and communicate with each other, is 50% likely to panic herbivores that are not being held and calmed. Domesticated animals, such as horses or cattle, can usually be soothed by humans who are with them. '''Habitat/Society:''' Wolves are social creatures, living and hunting in packs. The social order within the pack is quite strict, with every wolf knowing its place. Each and every wolf pack is led by a single male. In the lair of a pack of wolves, there is a 30% chance that any given pair of wolves will have 1-4 cubs. Although the cubs will not fight at this point, they can be trained to serve as excellent war beasts or hunting animals. '''Ecology:''' Wolves are valuable hunters in the wilderness. Over the centuries, they have been hunted to extinction in several areas and the result is normally a vast increase in the numbers of rodents and other small animals which are normally kept in check by the hunting of wolf packs. In many arctic regions, mankind has used wolves as breeding stock for sledge teams. By crossbreeding the wild canines with their domesticated counterparts, men increase the overall vigor of their dogs. '''Dire Wolves:''' The dire wolf is simply an ancestor of the various modern species. Generally large in size, they are otherwise similar to their descendants. '''Worg:''' Worgs are an offshoot of dire wolf stock that have attained a degree of intelligence and a tendency toward evil. Worgs have a primitive language and are often found serving as mounts for goblins. Worgs are as large as ponies. == Battlesystem: 2nd Edition == As part of 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, a new version of Battlesystem was released. These stats are here for completion purposes. Neither dire wolves nor worgs were detailed, although generic conversion rules were included. '''Wolf, war hounds, etc.''' {|border=0px |- |'''AD:''' 6||'''AR:''' 8||'''Hits:''' 2||'''ML:''' 11||'''MV:''' 18" |} == 3rd Edition D&D == In 3rd Edition wolves, dire wolves and worgs were completely separated from each other. Worgs were considered monsters, dire wolves were grouped with other 'dire' animals, along with dire rats and other giant animals. All stats changed, Dire Wolves became larger than ever, while Worgs maintained a half-way mark between normal wolves and dire wolves. Skill points and feats for animals were poorly defined, not matching the pattern set by characters and other monster types. Worg alignments changed from Neutral with evil tendencies to Always Neutral Evil. {|border=0px |- |||'''Wolf'''||'''Dire Wolf'''||'''Worg''' |- |||Medium-size Animal||Large Animal||Medium-sized Magical Beast |- |'''Hit Dice:'''||2d8+4 (13 hp)||6d8+18 (45 hp)||4d10+8 (30 hp) |- |'''Initiative:'''||+2 (Dex)||+2 (Dex)||+2 (Dex) |- |'''Speed:'''||50 ft.||50 ft.||50 ft. |- |'''AC:'''||14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)||14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural)||14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural) |- |'''Attacks:'''||Bite +3 melee||Bite +10 melee||Bite +7 melee |- |'''Damage:'''||Bite 1d6+1||Bite 1d8+10||Bite 1d6+4 |- |'''Face/Reach:'''||5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.||5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.||5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft. |- |'''Special Attacks:'''||Trip||Trip||Trip |- |'''Special Qualities:'''||Scent||Scent||Scent |- |'''Saves:'''||Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1||Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6||Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3 |- |'''Abilities:'''||Str 13, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6||Str 25, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10||Str 17, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 10 |- |'''Skills:'''||Hide +3, Listen +6, Move Silently +4, Spot +4, Wilderness Lore +1*||Hide +5, Listen +6, Move Silently +5, Spot +6, Wilderness Lore +1*||Hide +7, Listen +9, Move Silently +7, Spot +9, Wilderness Lore +2* |- |'''Feats:'''||Weapon Finesse (bite)||-||Alertness |- |'''Climate/Terrain:'''||Any forest, hill, plains and mountains||Any forest, hill, mountains, plains, and underground||Any forest, hill, plains and mountains |- |'''Organization:'''||Solitary, pair, or pack (7-16)||Solitary or pack (5-8)||Solitary, pair, or pack (6-11) |- |'''Challenge Rating:'''||1||3||2 |- |'''Treasure:'''||None||None||1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items |- |'''Alignment:'''||Always neutral||Always neutral||Always neutral evil |- |'''Advancement:'''||3 HD (Medium-size); 4-5 HD (Large)||7-18 HD (Large)||5-6 HD (Medium-size); 7-12 HD (Large) |} Wolves are pack hunters infamous for their persistence and cunning. '''Combat:''' A favorite tactic is to send a few individuals against the foe's front while the rest of the pack circles and attacks from the flanks or rear. ''Trip (Ex):'' A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action (see page 139 in the Player's Handbook) without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. '''Skills:''' A wolf receives a +4 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent. ---- Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of normal animals. They tend to have a feral, prehistoric look. '''Dire Wolf:''' A dire wolf is an immense gray of black wolf, about 8 feet long and weighing some 700 pounds. '''Combat:''' Dire wolves prefer to attack in packs, surrounding and flanking the foe when they can. ''Trip (Ex):'' A dire wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action (see page 139 in the Player's Handbook) without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire wolf. '''Skills:''' A dire wolf receives a +1 racial bonus to Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks and a +2 racial bonus to Hide checks. It also receives a +4 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent. ---- Worgs are dire wolf off-shoots that have attained some intelligence and an evil disposition. They sometimes associate with other evil beings, particularly goblins, whom they serve as mounts and guardians. Worgs typically live and hunt in packs. Their favored prey is large herbivores. Although they typically stalk and kill young, sick, or weak animals, they don't hesitate to hunt humanoids, particularly when game is scarce. Worgs may stalk humanoid prey for hours or even days before attacking, and choose the most advantageous terrain and time of day to do so (during the predawn hours, for example). A worg looks like a black or gray wolf, with a malevolent intelligence in its face and eyes. The typical specimen grows to 5 feet long and stands 3 feet tall at the shoulder. More intelligent than their smaller cousins, worgs speak their own language. Some can also speak Common and Goblin. '''Combat:''' Mated pairs work together to bring down large game, while lone worgs usually chase down creatures smaller than themselves. Both often use hit-and-run tactics to exhaust their quarry. A pack usually circles a larger opponent: Each wolf attacks in turn, hitting and retreating, until the creature is exhausted at which point the pack moves in for the kill. If they get impatient or heavily outnumber the opponent, worgs attempt to pin it. ''Trip (Ex):'' A worg that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action (see page 139 in the Player's Handbook) without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the worg. '''Skills:''' A worg receives a +1 racial bonus to Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks, and a +2 racial bonus to Hide checks. A worg has a +4 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent. == D&D 3.5 == Effectively, there are only minor differences between 3rd edition and 3.5. Skills and feat allocations were made consistant with other creatures, lowering the number of ranks allocated to skills, while adding more feats. In the Monster Manual, the skill points allocated to Worgs were miscalculated. There should be two more ranks allocated. Interestingly, worg alignments changed back, going from Always Neutral Evil to Usually Neutral Evil. {|border=0px |- |||'''Wolf'''||'''Dire Wolf'''||'''Worg''' |- |||Medium Animal||Large Animal||Medium Magical Beast |- |'''Hit Dice:'''||2d8+4 (13 hp)||6d8+18 (45 hp)||4d10+8 (30 hp) |- |'''Initiative:'''||+2||+2||+2 |- |'''Speed:'''||50 ft. (10 squares)||50 ft. (10 squares)||50 ft. (10 squares) |- |'''AC:'''||14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12||14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 12||14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12 |- |'''Base Attack/Grapple:'''||+1/+2||+4/+15||+4/+7 |- |'''Attacks:'''||Bite +3 melee (1d6+1)||Bite +11 melee (1d8+10)||Bite +7 melee (1d6+4) |- |'''Full Attack:'''||Bite +3 melee (1d6+1)||Bite +11 melee (1d8+10)||Bite +7 melee (1d6+4) |- |'''Space/Reach:'''||5 ft./5 ft.||10 ft./5 ft.||5 ft./5 ft. |- |'''Special Attacks:'''||Trip||Trip||Trip |- |'''Special Qualities:'''||Low-light vision, scent||Low-light vision, scent||Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent |- |'''Saves:'''||Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1||Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6||Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3 |- |'''Abilities:'''||Str 13, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6||Str 25, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10||Str 17, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 10 |- |'''Skills:'''||Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3, Survival +1*||Hide +0, Listen +7, Move Silently +4, Spot +7, Survival +2*||Hide +4, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Spot +6, Survival +2* |- |'''Feats:'''||Track, Weapon Focus (bite)||Alertness, Run, Track, Weapon Focus (bite)||Alertness, Track |- |'''Environment:'''||Temperate forests||Temperate forests||Temperate plains |- |'''Organization:'''||Solitary, pair, or pack (7-16)||Solitary or pack (5-8)||Solitary, pair, or pack (6-11) |- |'''Treasure:'''||None||None||1/10 coins; 50% goods; 50% items |- |'''Challenge Rating:'''||1||3||2 |- |'''Advancement:'''||3 HD (Medium); 4-6 HD (Large)||7-18 HD (Large)||5-6 HD (Medium); 7-12 HD (Large) |- |'''Level Adjustment:'''||-||-||+1 (cohort) |} Wolves are pack hunters known for their persistence and cunning. '''Combat:''' A favorite tactic is to send a few individuals against the foe's front while the rest of the pack circles and attacks from the flanks or rear. ''Trip (Ex):'' A wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+1 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the wolf. '''Skills:''' Wolves have a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent. ---- Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of ordinary animals. Each kind tends to have a feral, prehistoric, or even demonic appearance. '''Dire Wolf:''' Dire wolves are efficient pack hunters that will kill anything they can catch. Dire wolves are mottled gray or black, about 9 feet long and weighing some 800 pounds. '''Combat:''' Dire wolves prefer to attack in packs, surrounding and flanking a foe when they can. ''Trip (Ex):'' A dire wolf that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip its opponent (+11 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire wolf. '''Skills:''' A dire wolf has a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks. It also has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent. ---- A typical worg has gray or black fur, grows to 5 feet long and stands 3 feet tall at the shoulder. It weighs 300 pounds. More intelligent than their smaller cousins, worgs speak their own language. Some can also speak Common and Goblin. '''Combat:''' Mated pairs or packs work together to bring down large game, while lone worgs usually chase down creatures smaller than themselves. Both often use hit-and-run tactics to exhaust their quarry. A pack usually circles a larger opponent: Each wolf attacks in turn, biting and retreating, until the creature is exhausted, at which point the pack moves in for the kill. If they get impatient or heavily outnumber the opponent, worgs attempt to pin it. ''Trip (Ex):'' A worg that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+3 check modifier) as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the worg. '''Skills:''' A worg has a +1 racial bonus on Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks, and a +2 racial bonus on Hide checks. *A worg has a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking by scent. [[category:Adventuresome Worgs]]

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