DINOSAUR

Dinosaurs are reptiles, their name being derived from the Greek "terrible lizard," descended from a variety of the species called thecodonts. The two orders of dinosaurs are saurischians and ornithischians. All carnivorous dinosaurs fall into the former order. All armored and/or horned dinosaurs fall into the latter order.

Because of the nature of time in planes where magic works, dinosaurs widely separate in time are discussed hereunder, for they can be found intermingled on some alternate world, strange plane, or isolated continent somewhere. Great detail will not be given to any one kind, but all major forms are depicted.

It must be borne in mind that all of these reptiles are extremely stupid.

Their motivation is primarily hunger. The predatory types are both ferocious and voracious. The herbivorous dinosaurs are likewise insatiable eaters, but they tend to either ignore all non-eatable things which do not appear to threaten them or flee in panic from anything which they view as dangerous. Certain plant eaters, however, are aggressive in their defense, and these sorts are dangerous, notably stegosaurs, ankylosaurs, and ceratopsians.

Marine dinosaurs might overturn vessels to get at the "food" aboard, or they might snatch unsuspecting creatures from the decks of passing ships.

Land carnivores will pursue anything that looks or smells edible, only ceasing pursuit when the prey has obviously moved completely out of their grasp. Herbivorous dinosaur herds might stampede in virtually any direction, as long as it is away from one of the big meat-eaters. Any creature directly in the path of such a stampede will be carried along or killed — the latter if smaller, slower, and weaker.

One of the most vicious of predators, this monster can run across hard ground at great speed.

[With the tail, an allosaurus is 30-ft long.]

This fast carnivore uses speed, its long, grasping forearms, its large teeth, and its hind legs with ripping talons in terrible combination. 

It hunts by running at prey, leaping, and delivering gutting rakes with its rear legs as it claws and bites. The jumping rear talon attack is at +2 to hit and delivers 2-12 points of damage. 

As these dinosaurs are only about 6 feet tall, they could be mistaken for relatively harmless creatures.