The lineage of these big cats split from that of modern lions (Panthera leo) at the start of the middle Pleistocene. The first species to emerge after the split was the colossal Panthera fossilis, which rapidly became the dominant apex predator throughout Eurasia. By the late Pleistocene, it had evolved into two smaller species, the Steppe Lion, P. spelaea, which lived in Eurasia and Alaska and the American Lion, P. atrox, which claimed the warmer parts of North America. P. spelaea continued to shrink over time, eventually becoming smaller than P. leo. Both species went extinct during the end Pleistocene extinction event.
Cave art shows that P. spelaea males had no mane and hair samples indicate they were a little paler than P. leo. Remains attributed to P. atrox show reddish fur. Their social behaviour is unknown, but some evidence suggests that P. atrox lived in prides, while P. spelaea was either solitary or lived as breeding pairs with their cubs.
Panthera fossilis
ST 20;
DX 13;
IQ 4;
HT 11.
HP 20;
Will 11;
Per 12;
FP 10;
Speed 6.00;
Dodge 10;
Move 8.
SM +1 (three hexes), 1,000 lbs.
Bite (15): 2d cutting. Reach C.
Claw (15): 2d cutting. Reach C-1.
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 2; Catfall; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 2; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 16; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Flexibility; Night Vision 2; Parabolic Hearing 1; Penetrating Voice; Quadruped; Silence 1; Temperature Tolerance 2 (Cold); Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-15; Running- 14; Stealth-13; Survival (Plains)-12.
The above profile is for a male. Females (700 lbs.) have ST and HP 18 and do 1d+2 damage with a bite or claw.
P. atrox males (550 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 16, DR and Temperature Tolerance to 1. Females reduce ST and HP to 16, DR and Temperature Tolerance to 1. Both do 1d+1 damage with a bite or claw.
Early P. spelaea use the same profiles as P. atrox, except their Temperature Tolerance remains at 2. Later P. spelaea males (200 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 12, SM to 0, DR and Temperature Tolerance to 1. Females (150 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 11, SM to 0, DR and Temperature Tolerance to 1. Both do 1d−1 damage with a bite or claw, which have reach C.