Simple rules for taming beasts in Mythic Bastionland

In my ongoing Mythic Bastionland campagin, my players captured a little lizard that they want to keep as a pet.

Since I find this has awesome potential for long term character development, I’ve decided to write some quick and simple rules for taming it. The idea is to foster regular interaction between the knights and the beast and encourage them to care about their critter.

Taming Beasts

• A captured beast has a Loyalty score starting at -2.
• It has to be caged or leashed or will run away the first opportunity it gets.
• It must be fed each day or will lose one point of Loyalty. What could satiate its hunger?
• Each time you feed it, roll on the following table. If you successfully resolve a tense situation by addressing the suggested question, the beast may gain one point of Loyalty.

d6 + Loyalty	Reaction
1-	Aggression: The beast snaps at the Knight. What could calm it down?
2	Escape Attempt: The beast tries to flee by destroying the cage / leash that holds it. How can its escape be hindered?
3	Sadness: The beast cries after its mother and siblings. What could cheer it up?
4	Sickness: The beast’s maw and eyes are covered with greenish slime. How could it be healed?
5	Growth: The beast has visibly grown. It gains +1d6 VIG and might require a bigger cage now.
6+	Affection: The beast lets you rub its belly. The second time you get the result: it won’t try to run away anymore when you let it out of the cage.

I’ll try out the rule in the upcoming sessions and will let you know how it went!

What do you think?
Is it too convoluted?
Have you ever been in need for taming mechanics in your campaign?
Share your experience in the comments down below!

Update 13/03/2026

My player loved the idea of taking care of the lizard and eagerly started feeding it random body parts whenever the Company found or “produced” any.

I ended up not asking for a roll on the table every single day. I would advise any Referee to follow their gut feeling – if it slows down pacing substantially then don’t feel the need to force a roll. I rather asked for a roll when the narrative focus switched to the lizard naturally.

We got two rolls on the table that session:

• First one: Sickness. This turned out great since it gave the player a mini side quest to complete during the session! The Company decided to return to a herbalist they’ve previously encountered. She gave the lizard a herbal infusion that cured the sickness and raised the loyalty to -1.
• Second: Agression. The lizard snapped at the knight and I let them roll a VIG save to avoid damage. Nothing much happened there but it was ok since they still had to deal with the sickness anyways.

After one session the lizard is still far from being tamed. Will continue to explore this promising mechanic in the upcoming sessions!