Cheetah

Cheetah The cheetah is a medium-sized, lightly built cat. Its fur is sand colored and it is covered with dark spots. The cheetah is unique among cats because of its non-retractable claws. A skilled hunter endowed with natural camouflage, victims of a cheetah attack suffer a -3 on their surprise roll. They are famed for their tremendous bursts of speed, and can run at triple speed (45' per round) for three rounds. The cat must rest 3 turns before sprinting again. Cheetahs can spring 10' upward or 20' forward. If both forepaws hit during an attack the cheetah is able to rake for 1-2 points of damage with each of its rear claws. If defending their young, cheetahs receive a +2 on their attack and damage rolls and will fight to the death. Cheetahs inhabit warm plains and grasslands, often sharing their range with lions. Their favorite prey are the antelope that in-habit the plains, and they rarely attack men. Cheetahs are territo-rial, but may live alone, in pairs and in groups. The female raises a litter of 2-4 young alone. The young, who stay with their mother for as long as 2 years, can be completely trained and do-mesticated. The fortunes of the cheetah rise and fall with those of its prey; when the population of antelope and other game declines, so does that of the cheetah.