Pterodactyl Hunt 2003
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This article is related to the Pterodactyl Hunt. |
Note: This page is a historical record of the decisions and events involved in the 2003 Pterodactyl Hunt. It was not and should not be used in the planning of any Pterodactyl Hunt, except as a reference.
The appropriate venue for those running the Pterodactyl Hunt to plan is the hunt list, hunt (at) swil.org.
The 2003 Hunt took place on October 3rd. It was run by Jillian Waldman, Arthur Chu, and Nicolas Ward as the Hunt Wizards, with considerable assistance from presidents Mark Handler and JC Ravage, as well as the Hunt Committee and the Hunt List.
| Table of contents |
Monster list
The following monsters were used in the 2003 hunt:
| Monster | Played by |
|---|---|
| The Black Knight | Matt Fowles |
| The Cat | Sam Crane |
| The Fishmonger | Abigail Friedman |
| Hobgoblin Queen | Rachel Sapiro, with Chris Segal as Chieftan |
| Hydra | Lisa Spitalewitz and Jackie Werner |
| Oracle | Zara Yost |
| Orc King | Adrian Packel, with Jawaad Hussain as Warchief |
| Pterodactyl(s) | Ben Bagley, JC Ravage, Michael Noda |
| The Werewolf | Tom Winner |
| The Sphinx | Mai Pucik |
| The Jabberwock | Mark Handler |
| Turtles | Ben Newman, Miriam Newman, Ross Messing, Eliza Blair |
The Sphinx was invented this year by Mai Pucik, who after some conversations with JC Ravage and the hunt list came under the impression that she was merely reviving a retired monster, not creating an entirely new one. Mai's Sphinx was vaguely similar to the retired Troll, but had much stronger interactions with players. Dressed in vaguely tawny and outrageous colors, she told riddles for money. She was also one of the monsters on the list for the sticker side quest. To her immense frustration, she was often mistaken for a squire, though she didn't get to maim the rugby players in return for the insult.
The Vampire and Shadow were deliberately allowed to skip a year, because someone argued that they were too powerful.
This was the first year where we used PVC-framed wings for the Pterodactyls, and since there were three sets of wings, it was the first year in which there were three Pterodactyls.
During hunt planning, people tossed around the idea of upgrading from two to three basic monster races, with Kobolds supplementing Orcs and Hobgoblins. However, this idea got lost when we implemented modifications to make the two monster races not just culturally, but also functionally different. Both Orcs and Hobgoblins were given special advantages over the hunters: Orcs were given longswords, and Hobgoblins were given reduced target area, in the form of a standard black trashbag with the end cut off, duct-taped around the hobgoblin's stomach. This was supposed to reinforce the general stereotype that orcs were large and brutish, and hobgoblins were smaller and brutish. In order to maintain game balance and give hunters some monsters to fight that weren't more powerful than them, we added a third race of Grunts. Like hunters, Grunts were armed with a standard sword and trashbag, and no special perks. They outnumbered each of the other two races slightly, and were recruited primarily from freshmen and groups like Sixteen Feet. Trying to improve monster recruitment numbers and reach out to the rest of campus, we also recruited a large number of Orcs from the Men's Rugby Team.
The Wizards did a terrible job of informing the Oracle about what was supposed to be going on, forgetting that she was a Mawrtyr who hadn't memorized all the details of the Hunt.
Side Quests
- Sticker quest
- Most gold
Rule Set
- Daggers: Silver daggers were on sale at Hunt Central, and could be used both as offhand weapons and to kill the Werewolf
- Duels: A player or monster could accept a challenge to single combat, and was immune to other attacks until he or his opponent was killed
- Amulets: On sale at Hunt Central, warded off the Cat and Werewolf
- Hunt licenses: Every member of a team attacking a Pterodactyl needed a license. Hunt licenses are lost when a player is killed in a conflict with the Pterodactyl or its guards, but not otherwise.
Anecdotes and Gameplay
The wizards spent the first part of the Hunt going crazy trying to find the glowing hearts, which eventually turned up at the bottom of the box at Monster Central.
One or two of the Rugby team Orcs showed up drunk.
The PVC Pterodactyl wings turned out to be more fragile than previously expected, with pieces of PVC coming loose from their joints when Pterodactyls were attacked. At least two of the Dactyls managed to break a wing in their final battle.
Orientation
Hunter Orientation was run in small groups in Parrish Parlours, with an experienced monster or wizard orienting each group, and handing out trashbags once they had gone over the rules. Each orienter was given a piece of paper with the rules on it to go over, and a team of demonstrators visited each group to show how to kill a Pterodactyl properly.
The contents of the Hunter Orientation sheet was quite similar to that written for the 2002 Hunt, and is as follows: The following rule sheet was handed out to all hunters. Orienters used it as a guideline for what they told hunters.
Hunter Orientation Sheet
Hello, and welcome to the Pterodactyl Hunt. All of us want you to have a good time, but there are several things you should know before you enter the playing field.
The two basic items you will have are a sword and a trash bag. You wear your trash bag over your torso. It represents your target area. If a monster strikes you in the target area, you are dead. When you die, you surrender all of your equipment, but not your gold, to the monster. You then should return to Hunt Central, located at the foot of the stairs on McGill Walk, to get a new sword and rejoin the fray. The sword is how you kill monsters. Most monsters can be killed by striking them with your sword in their target area, indicated by a black trash bag. If you kill a monster, it will reward you with some gold pieces. Some monsters give more gold than others, and some will give you something other than gold. White pieces are worth 1 gold, blue and red pieces are worth 3. When you kill a monster or a monster kills you, you should step aside from the battle and complete the transaction. Whoever survives the battle can then rejoin the fray. The gold can be used at Hunt Central to purchase various items that will aid you in your quest. You cannot kill anyone not wearing a black trash bag. You can, however, interact with them. They may help you in your quest or they may kill you, so beware. Also, dead monsters will carry their swords over their heads. Dead monsters must respawn before they can be attacked again.
There are several very important rules that you must always obey. Never hit anyone in the head with a weapon. If you hit anyone in the head, you are immediately dead. The monsters have the final say in any dispute. If you are very unhappy with a monster's word, seek out a hunt wizard (Jillian Waldman, Arthur Chu, or Nick Ward). You may only use one weapon at a time. If you obtain a new weapon, you should give your old weapon to the person giving you the new weapon. You may only use the weapons distributed as part of the Pterodactyl Hunt. You also may only hunt as in groups of up to six. Groups of greater than six will be dispersed. Finally, never engage in combat outside the playing area. The playing area is the field adjacent to Sharples plus Mertz Field. The path before Mertz and the construction area for the new dorm form the eastern boundary. The paths directly adjacent to the field, running from the train station to the back of Sharples, along the east side of Sharples, and across from Sharples patio, over McGill walk, to the far edge of Mertz Field, form the other boundaries. In other words, if you cross a path except for McGill Walk, you have gone out of bounds. Anything that takes place of bounds doesn't count.
The main object of the hunt is to kill the Pterodactyls. Before you can attack the Pterodactyls, you must obtain a Pterodactyl Hunting License. Only people with licenses can attack the 'dactyls, or the 'dactyl guards while the latter are within sight of a 'dactyl. To kill the Pterodactyl, you must strike both wings such that the round target piece falls out. After the wings are hit, you may kill the Pterodactyl by striking it in the target area as you would any other monster. Beware the Pterodactyl's venom, it is as deadly as any monster's blade and can kill from a distance. If you are shot in the target area, you are dead. If you are successful in killing the Pterodactyl, you will be handsomely rewarded. IMPORTANT: There are no lines to fight the 'dactyls. If you are waiting to engage a 'dactyl, you are subject to attack by other monsters.
In addition to seeking to purchase 'dactyl hunting licenses and kill the 'dactyls, there are a number of ways to earn fame. Inquire at Hunt Central for more information. Additionally, at the end of the hunt, the hunter with the most gold will also be rewarded, as will the hunter with the most 'dactyl scales.
If there is something else you wish to know, consult the oracle. The oracle can be found at the Hemlock Tree between the back door of Sharples and the tunnel. But before you can consult the oracle, you must prove that you are worthy.
Good luck and happy hunting.
The Monster Orientation Sheet was similarly written by JC and Mark from the previous year's content, and contained economic information and summaries of what each monster did:
Monster Information Sheet
Target areas are trash-bags. If you?re struck in the trash bag, you?re dead. Pull the hunter aside and give him some gold (or whatever else is appropriate for your monster type). If you?re in dactyl combat, wait until the end to distribute funds. If you kill the hunter, take his sword and any other equipment he may have (shield, license, etc.). When you are killed, place your sword over your head and go to monster-regen. Monster regen locations are at the entrance to the tunnel under the train station and in the area tucked in between Sharples and the hill. Deposit any bounty you?ve obtained from the hunters and refill your gold supplies, if necessary. Then rejoin the fray. If you see any hunter acting inappropriately and or unsafely, tell him or her to stop. If the behavior continues, tell a squire or wizard. You have the final word in any dispute. Be honorable about this, but be fair. White chips are worth 1 Red chips are worth 3 Blue chips are worth 9 Level 1 Monsters: Orcs, Hobgoblins, Kobolds, Achilles, Tortoise 1 Gold for Cheap Shots 3 Gold for Standard Kill Up to 6 Gold for Exceptional Kill Level 2 Monsters Dactyl Guards, Monster Royalty 1 Gold for Cheap Shots 6 Gold for Standard Kill Up to 9 Gold for Exceptional Kill Level 3 Monsters Werewolf, Hydra, Jabberwock 3 Gold for Cheap Shots 9 Gold for Standard Kill Up to 12 Gold for Exceptional Kill Monster Descriptions: Orcs are common grunts. They are issued a longer sword than the standard hunter sword. They are led by the Orc King, who has an even longer sword. Fierce rivals of the Orcs, Hobgoblins have a standard-length sword but have a smaller target area. The Hobgoblin leader wields two swords. (The four members of the Kobold Collective are armed with daggers and small shields. When slain, the Kobold Chairman will surrender a silver dagger. (this part was left out of the final copy)) The Tortoise cannot be hit in the back, which is covered in duct-tape armor. This makes for a very distinctive look. He is accompanied by Achillies, who can only be slain by being struck below the knees. Dactyl guards are armed with swords and shields and can be found near the Dactyls. The presence of the Pterodactyl is enough to regenerate the guards. The Jabberwock has two claws that catch, and also jaws that bite. The target area is the end of a long head piece. Upon being slain, the Jabberwock will surrender both a copious amount of gold and a "snicker-snack." The Hydra is two monsters armed with very long flails and connected by a tube. Both halves of the Hydra must be killed within ten seconds, or the dead head regenerates. The Werewolf has fearsome claws that kill instantly. The Werewolf is immune to most weapons; the silver daggers will slay this fearsome beast. Neither the Vampire nor the Shadow can be slain. The touch of the Vampire is fatal, but the Shadow is harmless. They are identical save for one feature that identifies the Vampire. The Vampire and Shadow will switch roles several times during the course of the evening. The Cat is playful but can be deadly. The Fishmonger sells fish, which, if given to the Cat, will please her greatly. The Oracle is also said to be fond of fish.
Layout
- Campus map (http://www.swarthmore.edu/visitordash/map_campus.html)
- Hunter Orientation: Parrish Parlours
- Playing field: Sharples and Mertz fields, from the hemlock tree to Parrish steps (most of Mertz field didn't actually get used)
- Hunt Central: Magill Walk
- Monster Central: Sharples back door
- Oracle: Under the hemlock tree
Economy
External Links
- The Swarthmore Phoenix: They only come out at night (http://phoenix.swarthmore.edu/2003/2003-10-09/living/13295)
- Arthur Chu's monster list (http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/swil/Pterodactyl/deepest/achumonsterrecruit.txt)
History of the Pterodactyl Hunt
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|---|---|---|
| Topics | Equipment | Economy | Victors | Characters | Quests | Organizing | |
| Years | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 2006 | 2007 |
