The Irish Elk, Megaloceros giganteus, was neither closely related to elk, nor confined to Ireland. It actually inhabited the open forests bordering the mammoth steppe all the way from Ireland to Siberia. It was a huge deer, comparable in size to moose, with the largest known antlers of all time, robustly built, with a distinct hump on the shoulder. Cave paintings show it with a dark face and stripes running diagonally forwards and backwards from the hump, and another forming a ‘chinstrap’ under its jaw. The broad feet seem to have been well suited to soft ground, or swimming.
Irish Elk
ST 22;
DX 11;
IQ 4;
HT 12.
HP 12;
Will 11;
Per 12;
FP 12;
Speed 5.75;
Dodge 8;
Move 6.
SM +2 (3 hexes), 1,300 lbs.
Antlers (11): 2d+2 imp. Reach C-2. May substitute slam damage at +1 per die during Move and Attack. Parry 8.
Slam (11): 1d−3 cr at Move 1, 1d−2 at Move 2, 1d−1 at Move 3-4, 1d at Move 5-6, 2d at Move 7-11, 3d cr at Move 12-15, 4d cr at Move 16-20, 5d cr at Move 21-24. See GURPS Basic Set, p. 371.
Trample (11): 2d+2 cr. Only against SM 0 or less (SM +1 or less if prone). Automatic hit for half damage on overrun. See GURPS Basic Set, p. 404.
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Discriminatory Smell; DR 2; DR 2 (Partial, skull); Enhanced Move 2 (Ground speed 24); Night Vision 2; Parabolic Hearing 2; Peripheral Vision; Quadruped; Temperature Tolerance 2 (Cold); Terrain Adaptation (Mud and Snow); Wild Animal.
Skills: Survival (Woodlands)-12; Swimming-12.
After shedding antlers, remove antlers attack. For partially grown antlers, substitute the following:
Antlers (11): 2d cr. Reach C-1. May substitute slam damage during move and attack. Parry 8.
The above profile is for a stag. For a doe (1,000 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 20. Remove antlers attack. Trample becomes 2d+1. Slam damage becomes 1d−3 at Move 1, 1d−2 at Move 2, 1d−1 at Move 3-4, 1d at Move 5-7, 2d at Move 8-12, 3d cr at Move 13-17, 4d cr at Move 18-22, 5d cr at Move 23-24.