Dinosaur

Dinosaurs, or terrible lizards, are ancient beasts that may be related to dragons.

Among the traits that predatory dinosaurs share with many dragons are sharp teeth, a savage disposition, a well-developed sense of territory, and a ruthless capacity to hunt. Herbivorous dinosaurs usually are not aggressive unless wounded or defending their young, but may attack if startled or harassed.

Dinosaurs come in many sizes and shapes. Bigger varieties have drab coloration, while smaller dinosaurs have more colorful markings. Most dinosaurs have a pebbly skin texture.

Dinosaurs most often live in rugged or isolated areas that humanoids seldom visit: remote mountain valleys, inaccessible plateaus, tropical islands, and deep fens.

Combat

Dinosaurs take full advantage of their size and speed. The swift carnivores stalk prey, staying hidden in cover until they can get into charge range and rush to the attack. Herbivores frequently overrun and trample their opponents.

Deinonychus

This lean, long-legged bipedal creature has wicked-looking claws on its feet and a brightly colored hide that reminds you of a tropical bird. It stands about as tall as a human, and its outstretched tail makes it least twice as long as it is tall.

This fast carnivore is sometimes called a velociraptor, though that name properly belongs to a much smaller creature.

A deinonychus is bright green along its back and flanks, with a much lighter shade of the same color on its underside. The body has darker spots or stripes. Its tail extends straight out behind itself, held aloft by an intricate structure of bony supports, thus allowing its weight to be carried entirely by the back legs. It weighs about 600 pounds.

Combat

A deinonychus uses a combination of speed, grasping forearms, large teeth, and hind legs with ripping talons. It hunts by running at prey, leaping, and ripping with its rear talons as it claws and bites. The talons count as one attack.

A deinonychus has a relatively large brain for a dinosaur, and its pack hunts with cunning tactics.

Pounce (Ex): If a deinonychus charges, it can make a full attack.

Skills: A deinonychus has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.

Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 60.

Elasmosaurus

This beast has a thick, ovoid body with fins instead of legs and a very long, snaky tail and neck. Its neck makes up one-half of its total length.

Though it resides primarily in the water, an elasmosaurus only breathes air.

An elasmosaurus has a total length of some 30 feet, including a tail half as long as its entire body, and weighs about 5,000 pounds. Observers who see only its head or tail might easily mistake it for a massive snake.

Combat

An elasmosaurus is aggressive and attacks anything it notices. The creature is strong, fast, and highly maneuverable, able to turn quickly and lunge at prey. When hunting, it travels with its head out of the water, snapping down quickly to seize prey.

Skills: An elasmosaurus has a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in water.

Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 60.

Megaraptor

This creature is a larger version of the deinonychus, standing about 12 feet tall with a total length of 24 feet. It has the same appearance, habits, and abilities of the smaller version.

Pounce (Ex): If a megaraptor charges, it can make a full attack.

Skills: A megaraptor has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.

Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 60.

Triceratops

The massive beast has a huge plate of bone protecting the front of its 6-foot-long head, from which project two great horns, while a shorter horn juts from its nose.

This massive herbivore is fairly short-tempered and aggressive.

A triceratops has a body about 25 feet long and weighs about 20,000 pounds.

Combat

These creatures are likely to charge and skewer any creature of at least Large size that infringes on their territory. A triceratops uses its trample attack on smaller opponents.

Powerful Charge (Ex): When a triceratops charges, its gore attack deals 4d8+20 points of damage.

Trample (Ex): Reflex half DC 28. The save DC is Strength-based. See Overrun.

Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 61.

Tyrannosaurus

This towering predator has an enormous head and a mouth full of dagger-sized teeth. It stands on two powerful legs and has only vestigial forelimbs.

This ravenous creature is the most fearsome of all carnivorous dinosaurs.

Despite its enormous size and 6-ton weight, a tyrannosaurus is a swift runner. Its head is nearly 6 feet long, and its teeth are from 3 to 6 inches in length. It is slightly more than 30 feet long from nose to tail.

A tyrannosaurus eats almost anything it can sink its teeth into, and spends a great deal of its time scavenging for carrion and chasing smaller carnivores away from their kills.

Combat

A tyrannosaurus pursues and eats just about anything it sees. Its tactics are simple⁠—​charge in and bite.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tyrannosaurus must hit an opponent of up to one size smaller with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe the following round.

Swallow Whole (Ex): A tyrannosaurus can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of up to two sizes smaller by making a successful grapple check.

The swallowed creature takes 2d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the tyrannosaurus’s gizzard. See the Swallow Whole special ability for escaping the stomach, which has an AC of 12 and 25 hp.

A Huge tyrannosaurus’s gizzard can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Skills: A tyrannosaurus has a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

Source: Monster Manual (version 3.5), page 61.