Creatures: Dinosaurs

Inspirational material

Dinosaurs: Ankylosaur

In a world of predators, the ankylosaur survives by being difficult to eat. They attack as they flee, swinging a large lump of tailbone at pursuers. Their backs are covered in a shell of fused bone lumps and spikes. Their heads form a beak almost like a bird’s.

Archaeopteryx

Common:	prehistory
Class:	animal
Organization:	flock
Activity Cycle:	diurnval
Diet:	omnivorous
Number:	d20
Level:	1
Intelligence:	animal
Charisma:	animal
Movement:	32
Attacks:	bite, claw
Damage:	d2, d3
Defense:	+4
Size:	small (1-2 feet)

Often encountered in a flock, the archaeopteryx is at home above and below the canopy. While it looks like a bird, it is almost as much a dinosaur. Its mouth has teeth, which it uses to eat small rodents, smaller birds, and fish in shallow water.

Beetles, giant

These bugs eat plants, fungi, and dead things in the jungle. Giant corpses deserve giant beetles to clean them! Giant beetles break down dinosaur corpses so that smaller, normal-sized insects can eat the rest.

Dinosaurs: Brontosaur

One of the largest land animals ever, the brontosaur weighed up to 64,000 pounds. They eat constantly, preferring wide open fields or plant-choked marshes and rivers. They whip their long tails to ward off predators; the sound alone is loud enough to deafen anyone in 20 yards for d10 rounds on a failed health roll. Even leisurely flicking their tail makes a loud whip-like crack that sends smaller creatures fleeing. They walk on all fours, but their young can run partially upright. Their heads are remarkably small, the size of a large horse’s head, and their eyes are mounted atop their head like an amphibian’s.

The brontosaur can attack two targets with its feet, doing 2d12 to each, if both targets are within 18 feet of each other.

Burrweeds, giant

Burrweeds develop a relationship with local carnivores. Their roots thrive in bloody soil. There is always a faint musty odor within burrweed patches. These giant reed-like plants are covered in a sharp, stiff fuzz that digs deeply into hair, fibers, and fur. A character caught in a burrweed patch must make an evasion roll; if failed, the number failed by is the number of reeds attached to the character. The character gains that as a penalty to all actions.

If victims thrash about trying to escape, they’ll gain d4 more reeds each round, and the burrweeds will emit a special odor to attract carnivores. The more the victim(s) struggle, the more carnivores will appear. The best way to escape a burrweed patch is to remain perfectly still and carefully remove the fabric (or hair) that is attached to the reeds.

Victims can cut the reeds or tear them up, but this will cause the weeds to release their odor, and the victim will need to make an evasion roll or gain d4 more reeds.

After one minute of thrashing, the reed and all reeds nearby will soften their unused hooks. Any victims caught will remain caught, but the patch will be safe temporarily for anyone who needs to pass through it—such as carnivores arriving for a tasty snack.

Butterflies, giant

Giant butterflies live above the canopy and in open fields. There’s nothing like climbing above the canopy to see a flock of these colorful creatures flitting about. Beautiful creatures, they have no attack. When threatened, they flee, and they’ll do so at the slightest provocation.

Cacti, swinging chain

These large, tree-like cacti have spiny, oblong, fuzzy fruit hanging down in long chains, with fruit growing out of other fruit. The spines are sharp and dangerous. It’s goal, as far as plants have goals, is to spread its seed far and wide.

The cacti can tighten any of their chains and swing them sharply around. When any medium-sized creature comes within ten yards without being careful, the cacti will swing their chains towards the creature(s), hurling spiny oblong fruit towards them. Generally about half will hurl fruit the first round, and the other half (if there is still movement towards the cacti) the second round. Victims will, if hit, be covered with bits of the fruit, and if they fail an evasion roll they’ll have a fruit stuck on them.

When the cactus or its fruit are touched, this will also initiate a swing, swinging the full chain of fruit at the person touching.

Capybara, giant

The largest rodent known, its skull is 20 inches long and it weighs 2,000 pounds. It lives in marshy areas, and its slightly webbed feet allow it to swim quickly. It eats plants and fruit. Outside its home environment, the giant capybara is easy prey for predators.

Centipedes, giant

It moves quickly across the jungle floor and can also go underwater. Its tough crustacean-like shell protects it from predators. It is vulnerable underwater when it molts. Its low profile lets it survive even brontosaur stomps sometimes. Powerful jaws allow it to eat any vegetation and many tiny creatures. It has 30 pairs of legs and skitters through the underbrush. In a hurry its body stretches and twists like an accordion.

Crocodiles, giant

The giant crocodile’s skull is as long as a man. It can make a called attack on any large or smaller creature to grab that creature in its jaws. The victim is allowed an evasion roll. While chomped, the victim takes 2d6 damage per round as the crocodile carries it to its watery lair. Giant crocodiles usually lie in wait submerged, only their eyes above water.

Deer, dwarf

These tiny deer sport long two-pronged antlers, used for fighting amongst themselves. They avoid prey by hiding in the underbrush. Their hide is reddish brown and sometimes mottled white.

Dragonflies, giant

Found skimming the surface of the marshes and lakes of the jungle searching for smaller insects and young amphibians, dragonflies have two pairs of wings, large, bulbous, multi-faceted eyes, and a long, thick, segmented body.

Dunkleosteus

Rare:	oceans
Class:	animal
Organization:	solitary
Activity Cycle:	any
Diet:	carnivorous
Number:	d4
Level:	6
Intelligence:	animal
Charisma:	animal
Movement:	18
Attacks:	jaws
Damage:	3d6
Defense:	+8
Special Attacks:	suction, tail
Size:	huge (6-8 yards)

This giant, toothed fish from the late Devonian measures six to eight yards and weighs a ton. It is the top of its food chain. Despite lacking predators, it is heavily armored, probably because dunkleosteus are perfectly willing to attack other one another with their powerful jaws.

The dunkleosteus opens its jaws so rapidly that it creates a powerful suction underwater. Any creature within three yards of its mouth must make a fortitude roll or be sucked into the jaws; creatures at the edge—two to three yards away—have a bonus of two on the roll. The dunkleosteus gains a bonus of four to bite anyone overcome by suction. Victims of suction have a penalty of two to any action, including attacking the dunkleosteus and avoiding subsequent suction attacks.

The dunkleosteus can attack simultaneously with its tail if there are targets within reach. Its tail does not require an attack roll: anyone within its sweep must make an evasion roll or take d10 points damage.

Gophers, horned

This ancient offshoot of the gopher closely resembles their modern counterpart: they burrow underground and live on roots and seeds. They also sport two horns a centimeter long between their eyes and nose. They use their horns and claws for defense.

Mosquitos, giant

Compared to the other giant insects of the jungle, this 2 to 3 inch long bug might not seem like much of a threat, but it’s a 2 to 3 inch long mosquito. They prefer larger creatures such as the triceratops, capybara, and ground sloths but will also suck the blood of smaller creatures such as humans if the need arises. Because the bite only does a half point damage, victims take no damage unless hit by a swarm.

Moths, giant

The giant moth’s wings are a dull brownish red mottled with white spots and yellow lines. This nocturnal creature does not eat; it survives on fat reserves from its larval life. The larvae eat plant leaves. Moths are eaten by birds (such as the archaeopteryx), by capybara, and by Saurians. They will congregate around light sources, flying randomly around and into lanterns and flames like a drunken tornado of wings.

Pterodactyl

The pterodactyl’s head is three yards long, with a long crest extending above it into the air. When they walk, they walk on all fours, and can move fairly quickly. They can take off from the ground, and will soar where they can but can also power their flight with their wings. They bury their eggs, and live in the lagoon-like lakes and marshes of the jungle. They eat fish and giant insects.

Dinosaurs: Stegosaur

Easily recognizable by two rows of plates along its back and an odd cat-like walk, the stegosaur’s main defense is its four powerful bone tail spikes. Fourteen feet tall, it has shortened forelimbs and an arched back. It walks with its head close to the ground and its tail in the air. It eats green plants, fruit, and seeds. Its small teeth are augmented by stones in its stomach to masticate its food. It can walk partially up trees (leaving its hind limbs on the ground) to access fruits, seeds, and leaves.

Triceratops

One of the most iconic of dinosaurs, the triceratops is easily recognized by the three horns in front of a flared shield-like bone on its head. They stand ten feet tall and weigh over 20,000 pounds. Their head is six-feet long. They eat large plants low to the ground. They will charge creatures smaller than them, and stand their ground against creatures larger than them if they can’t easily run.

While they only eat plants, triceratops are aggressive and easily agitated. They will charge any creature large enough to catch their eyes 20% of the time. The more triceratops in the herd, the more likely stampede becomes: at 5% for each extra triceratops.

Tyrannosaur

The tyrannosaur’s head is five feet long, its jaws incredibly powerful. Its forelimbs are small compared to its body, but they are very strong. The arms can hold prey in place while they’re being eaten. A called shot will grab a medium-sized creature in its mouth and hands (an evasion roll is allowed to avoid capture), doing 2d12 damage each round thereafter.

Standing 13 feet tall at the hips, they run with their tail thrust behind and their head thrust forward. Their feet are 3 feet long and 2 feet wide.

They have a strong sense of smell and are difficult to surprise. The smell of prey near a tyrannosaur will even awaken the creature from sleep. Unless smell is somehow masked, the tyrannosaur gains a bonus of four to detect hidden creatures and creatures have a penalty of four on attempts to hide or surprise the tyrannosaur.

Venus flytrap, giant

The white clustering flowers of the flytrap stand on a long stalk high above the flytrap's billowy, spiked, reddish, vaguely heart-shaped leaves, which lay close to the ground and have a slight, sour smell reminiscent of peaches. Some leaves point upwards to attract flying creatures; others point sideways and down to attract crawling creatures.

Normally the soft leaves of the flytrap are wide open, but if anything touches the sensitive hairs inside the leaves, the spikes immediately stiffen and the leaves snap shut (evasion roll at -2). The spikes cause d3 points of damage on snapping shut, and the leaves’ digestive juices then cause 1 point of damage per round thereafter. One day after killing its prey, the leaves will open and let the bones or shells fall to the ground.

The flytrap is not mobile, and will not attack other than as above.

Weta, giant

The weta looks like a cross between a grasshopper and cricket. Its long back legs let it jump four feet up. They eat plants and other insects smaller than them, and usually flee if threatened by larger creatures. They can play dead, suddenly bite if a creature nears (at +4 to attack), then flee. A minor poison in their bite causes discomforting pain giving a penalty of 1 to any action for d4 hours.