Metailurini in GURPS

The ‘dagger-toothed cats’ never got as large as the biggest saber-toothed cats. They had robust, conical, and relatively short fangs, well suited to throttling struggling prey. Their tails were almost as long as those of modern cats.

Dinofelis

This bulky ambush predator had powerful forelegs, which helped both in climbing and subduing prey.

ST 14; DX 13; IQ 4; HT 11.

HP 14; Will 10; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 7.

SM 0, 330 lbs.

Bite (15): 1d impaling.

Claw (15): 1d cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 14; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-14; Climbing-16; Stealth-13; Survival (Woodlands)-13.

Metailurus

This cat’s long, powerful legs allowed it to make impressive leaps, ideal for pouncing from ambush.

ST 10; DX 13; IQ 4; HT 11.

HP 10; Will 10; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 12.

SM 0, 110 lbs.

Bite (15): 1d−2 impaling.

Claw (15): 1d−2 cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-14; Climbing-15; Jumping-16; Stealth-14; Survival (Woodlands)-12.

Yoshi

A cheetah-like animal with a slender build, long-legs, and short muzzle.

ST 9; DX 13; IQ 4; HT 11.

HP 9; Will 10; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 13.

SM −1, 85 lbs.

Bite (15): 1d−2 impaling.

Claw (15): 1d−2 cutting.

Traits: Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 26; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 1; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-15; Running-16; Stealth-14; Survival (Plains)-12.

Homotherini in GURPS

The ‘scimitar cats’ had lighter builds and were better adapted for running than their relatives the Smilodontini. It is believed that their flattened and serrated fangs would have been fully covered by lips. Their overall appearance would have been similar to modern cats, mostly distinguished by their short tails.

Amphimachairodus

A huge cat, even larger than Smilodon populator, with relatively short legs, necessitating ambush as its main hunting strategy. Sexual dimorphism in size suggests that it was a social animal. It seems to have preferred smaller prey. Its close relative Nimravides was better built for speed and preferred big game. It seems to have used its jaws in a manner similar to modern big cats, clamping onto the throat to strangle large prey. The largest species, N. catocopis, was similar in size to Amphimachairodus, but others were less than one-third their weight.

ST 19; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 12.

HP 19; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 9.

SM +1 (2 hexes), 900 lbs.

Bite (14): 2d impaling.
Claw (14): 2d cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Chummy; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 18; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-14; Stealth-14; Survival (Plains)-14.

For Nimravides catocopis, increase Move to 10, (Ground Speed 20 with Enhanced Move), and remove Chummy. Smaller species such as N. galiani (260 lbs.) and N. thinobates (300 lbs.) also reduce ST and HP to 13 (bite and claw damage 1d) and SM to 0.

Homotherium

A relatively slender, long-legged cat, well suited to high-speed chases across open ground. Well-preserved remains show that it had a plain brown coat as an infant. It seems to have hunted very large prey, which indicates it probably hunted in groups. Its relative Lokotunjailurus was even more lightly built. Both had enlarged dewclaws to assist in grappling prey.

ST 15; DX 13; IQ 4; HT 11.

HP 15; Will 10; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 10.

SM +1 (2 hexes), 440 lbs.

Bite (15): 1d+1 impaling.
Claw (15): 1d+1 cutting.

Traits: Born Biter 1; Chummy; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 20); Night Vision 1; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-15; Running-13; Stealth-12; Survival (Plains)-12; Wrestling-15.

For Lokotunjailurus, reduce ST and HP to 12 (bite and claw damage 1d−1), SM to 0, increase Move to 12 (Ground Speed 24 with Enhanced Move), and remove Chummy.

Xenosmilus

The ‘cookie-cutter cat’ not only had two large slicing fangs, but also serrated incisors. It is believed to have used these to carve chunks out of its victims, killing them slowly from blood loss. It was a bulky animal, almost bear-like in its proportions.

ST 18; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 12.

HP 18; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 8.

SM +1 (2 hexes), 770 lbs.

Bite or Claw (13): 2d cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 16; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-13; Climbing-13; Stealth-14; Survival (Woodlands)-12.

Smilodontini in GURPS

Promegantereon was the earliest known member of the ‘dirk-toothed cats’. It was leopard-sized and well suited to climbing. Although it had long upper canines and reduced incisors, these features weren’t nearly as pronounced as they would become in later genera. Its descendant Paramachaerodus had somewhat more powerful shoulders, indicating a preference for grappling with claws before using its teeth. Rhizosmilodon was a larger and more robust animal, but still lacked truly massive fangs. Megantereon was even bigger and did have long fangs, but was still smaller and less well armed than Smilodon fatalis. It also had a distinctive flange under its chin, a feature which convergently evolved in many other saber-toothed predators.

Promegantereon

ST 10; DX 13; IQ 4; HT 11.

HP 10; Will 10; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 10.

SM 0, 140 lbs.

Bite or Claw (15): 1d−2 cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 2; Catfall; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 20; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Flexibility; Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-15; Climbing-16; Stealth-14; Survival (Woodlands)-12.

For Paramachaerodus, add Wrestling-14.

Rhizosmilodon

ST 11; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 12.

HP 11; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 10.

SM 0, 170 lbs.

Bite or Claw (14): 1d−1 cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 2; Catfall; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 20; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Flexibility; Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-14; Climbing-14; Stealth-14; Survival (Woodlands)-12; Wrestling-14.

Techniques: Targeted Attack (Brawling Bite/Neck)-12.

Megantereon

ST 12; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 12.

HP 12; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 10.

SM 0, 220 lbs.

Bite (14): 1d−1 impaling.

Claw (14): 1d−1 cutting.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 2; Catfall; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 20; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Flexibility; Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-14; Stealth-14; Survival (Woodlands)-12; Wrestling-14.

Techniques: Targeted Attack (Brawling Bite/Neck)-12.

Smilodon in GURPS

The creature that stood in the gate was like the embodiment of nightmare legend. Its color was of a curious pale quality which made it seem ghostly and unreal in the dim light. But there was nothing unreal about the low-hung savage head, and the great curved fangs that glistened in the firelight. On noiseless padded feet it approached like a phantom out of the past. It was a survival of an older, grimmer age, the ogre of many an ancient legend—a saber-tooth tiger. No Hyborian hunter had looked upon one of those primordial brutes for centuries. Immemorial myths lent the creatures a supernatural quality, induced by their ghostly color and their fiendish ferocity.

The beast that glided toward the men on the stakes was longer and heavier than a common, striped tiger, almost as bulky as a bear. Its shoulders and forelegs were so massive and mightily muscled as to give it a curiously top-heavy look, though its hind-quarters were more powerful than that of a lion. Its jaws were massive, but its head was brutishly shaped. Its brain capacity was small. It had room for no instincts except those of destruction. It was a freak of carnivorous development, evolution run amuck in a horror of fangs and talons.

Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black River.

Paleontologist P. W. Lund originally named Smilodon ("knife-tooth") after the shape of its incisors, being unaware of the huge canine fangs of the upper jaw. These fangs are the most iconic feature of the cat, and have a flattened knife-like profile for slicing into flesh. It is believed that they were not used during the initial attack, but instead delivered the killing blow after the prey was immobilized with claws. The force of their bite was considerably less than that of a lion or tiger, but precision and deep penetration apparently allowed them to dispatch their victims quickly.

Aside from the teeth, they were distinguished from other cats by a heavy build, large size, short tail, and relatively massive front limbs. They seem to have been specialized in taking large prey from ambush, lacking the speed and endurance for pursuits over long distance. Fur length, coloration, and pattern are unknown, but some degree of camouflage seems likely. Although it isn’t clear what they sounded like, the bones related to vocalization don’t seem especially similar to those of any of their modern relatives, but are a bit closer to the big cats. They couldn’t purr, but may have been able to roar. Sexual dimorphism in skull shape, healed injuries, and several finds of multiple individuals suggest that they were at least somewhat social and may have hunted in packs.

Three species are known. The earliest and smallest was the North American S. gracilis, which seems to have been a bit more of a generalist predator rather than a big-game specialist. S. fatalis was larger and more specialized. After spreading into South America it evolved into the even larger S. populator.

Smilodon populator by Charles R. Knight (1903)

Smilodon gracilis

ST 11; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 12.
Will 11; Per 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 10.
SM 0 (2 hexes), 180 lbs.

Claw (14): 1d−1 cutting. Reach C.
Clawed Grapple (14): 1d−4 cutting. Effective ST 14 for attempts to break free, and doing so causes damage again. Reach C.
Bite to Neck (10): 1d−1 impaling. Reach C.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 20; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-14; Stealth-14; Survival (Plains)-14; Wrestling-14.
Techniques: Clawed Grapple-12; Targeted Attack (Brawling Bite/Neck)-10.

Smilodon fatalis

ST 16; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 13.
Will 11; Per 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 9.
SM +1 (2 hexes), 480 lbs.

Claw (13): 1d+1 cutting. Reach C, 1.
Clawed Grapple (13): 1d−2 cutting. Effective ST 20 for attempts to break free, and doing so causes damage again. Reach C.
Bite to Neck (11): 1d+1 impaling. Reach C.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 18; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Stealth-14; Survival (Woodlands)-14; Wrestling-13.
Techniques: Clawed Grapple-18; Targeted Attack (Brawling Bite/Neck)-11.

Smilodon populator

ST 18; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 13.
Will 11; Per 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 8.
SM +1 (2 hexes), 700 lbs.

Claw (13): 1d+2 cutting. Reach C, 1.
Clawed Grapple (13): 1d−1 cutting. Effective ST 24 for attempts to break free, and doing so causes damage again. Reach C.
Bite to Neck (11): 1d+2 impaling. Reach C.

Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 16; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/second); Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 3; Parabolic Hearing 1; Quadruped; Silence 1; Ultrahearing; Vibration Sense (Air; Short Range 1); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Stealth-14; Survival (Plains)-14; Wrestling-13.
Techniques: Clawed Grapple-22; Targeted Attack (Brawling Bite/Neck)-11.