CREATURES

Below is a brief list of some of the sorts of creatures heroes might encounter as they voyage through the jungle-infested islands of the DINO-PIRATES. Of course, many islands remain unexplored and home to unknown creatures, so this list is by no means exhaustive.

Afrovenator

12th Level Animal

Allosaurus

15th Level Animal

Ancestral Guardian

11th Level Spirit

Ankylosaurus

16th Level Animal

Apatosaurus

12th Level Animal

Ape

4th Level Animal

Argorth

13th Level Aberration

Assassin Vine

4th Level Plant

Baryonyx

15th Level Animal

Bat

1st Level Animal

Black Bile Jelly

8th Level Ooze

Blemmyae

5th Level Monstrous Humanoid

Brachiosaurus

15th Level Animal

Cannibal Spirit

11th Level Spirit

Cockroach, Giant

4th Level Vermin

Composognathus

2nd Level Animal

Crypt Wight

4th Level Undead

Deathweb

9th Level Undead

Deinonychus

4th Level Animal

Dimetrodon

3rd Level Animal

Dragonfly, Giant

6th Level Vermin

Eryops

5th Level Animal

Elasmosaurus

10th Level Animal

Gastonia

11th Level Animal

Gecko, Giant

1st Level Animal

Glowing Frog

2nd Level Supernatural Beast

Hopping Vampire

6th Level Undead

Liopleurodon

20th Level Animal

Manticore Cactus

6th Level Plant

Mechanithrall

5th Level Necrotech Construct

Megaraptor

8th Level Animal

Mosquito, Giant

2nd Level Vermin

Ndalawo

10th Level Undead

Onijegi

1st Level Monstrous Humanoid

Pachycephalosaurus

13th Level Animal

Parasaurolophus

15th Level Animal

Pteranodon

8th Level Animal

Quetzalcoatlus

14th Level Animal

Rat

1st Level Animal

Rat, Dire

1st Level Animal

Reliquary Guardian

7th Level Construct

Sea Drake

12th Level Supernatural Beast

Shark

3rd Level Animal

Siren

7th Level Monstrous Humanoid

Snake, Constrictor

3rd Level Animal

Snake, Viper

1st Level Animal

Spinosaurus

20th Level Animal

Steam Drake

12th Level Supernatural Beast

Stegosaurus

11th Level Animal

Swarm, Killer Bee

7th Level Vermin

Swarm, Razorbats

7th Level Animal

Tuyewara

17 Level Construct

Therizinosaurus

13th Level Animal

Triceratops

16th Level Animal

Tyrannosaurus

18th Level Animal

Creature Descriptions

Each creature is organized in the same general format, as described in the following text. Much of the information on a creature is condensed into a creature statistics block, the contents of which are explained below.

Each creature in this section is given in the same general format, and includes the following information:

Level

Creatures have levels much like heroes and other characters do. However, most creatures do not have roles or, more precisely, "creature" is their role in the story. Creature level can be treated much like role level in most ways, and is used to determine many of the creature's capabilities, just like role level for heroes.

A creature's level also serves as a rough guideline of what sort of challenge it should pose to the heroes. Generally, a creature the same level as the heroes should pose a reasonable challenge, while a lower-level creature is less of a threat and a higher-level creature is a more serious challenge. A creature more than two levels higher than the heroes may be too great of a challenge at the heroes' present level.

Role

While most creatures do not have roles (apart from being creatures), some can acquire levels in one or more of the heroic roles (adept, expert, warrior, generalist). Role levels apply to creatures the same way they do to others and creatures gain the usual benefits of the role, including combat and saving throw modifiers, skills, and feats. Some capabilities may be of more or less use to certain creatures, and the Narrator decides which skills or feats, for example, a particular creature may acquire and use.

Type & Subtype

A creature's type has a significant effect on its capabilities. Type essentially serves as the creature's role. Note that 1st-level creatures with a heroic role determine their combat bonus, saves, skills and feats according to their heroic role alone (as heroes do). Monsters with multiple levels in any given creature type that gain levels in a heroic role do so using the rules for multi-role heroes.

Creature Subtypes

Subtypes are descriptors added on to a creature type in parentheses. Not all creatures have a subtype, while others have multiple subtypes.

Movement

A creature's movement speed is the amount of distance it can cover in one move action. If a creature wears armor that reduces its speed, this is indicated along with a note specifying the armor type; the creature's base unarmored speed follows.

If the creature has other modes of movement, these are given after the main entry. Unless noted otherwise, such modes of movement are natural, not powers.

Burrow: The creature can tunnel through dirt but not through rock, unless the descriptive text says otherwise.

Climb: A creature with a climb speed has a +8 bonus on Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a Difficulty greater than 0, but it can always take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. The creature climbs at the given speed. If it attempts an accelerated climb, it moves at double the given climb speed (or its normal land speed, whichever is less) and makes a single Climb check at a -5 penalty. Creatures cannot move all out while climbing. The creature can use its Dodge (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attack rolls against a climbing creature.

Fly: A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.) All fly speeds include a parenthetical note indicating maneuverability, as follows:

Flying creatures can make dive attacks. A dive attack works like a charge, but the diving creature must move a minimum of 30 feet. Creatures can move all out while flying, provided they fly in a relatively straight line.

Swim: A creature with a swim speed can move through water at the given speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always take 10, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Creatures can move all out while swimming, provided they swim in a straight line.

Abilities

Creatures have the same ability scores as heroes: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha), although some creatures lack certain ability scores, as outlined in the "Nonexistent Abilities" section.

Intelligence

A creature can speak all the languages mentioned in its descriptive text. Any creature with an Intelligence score of -3 or higher understands at least one language.

Skills

This section lists the creature's skills along with skill modifiers, including adjustments for ability scores and any bonuses from feats or other traits.

Feats

This section lists any feats the creature may have. Creatures must meet the feat's prerequisites like characters must.

Bonus Feats

Some creatures receive bonus feats based on their type.

Traits

Creatures often have various special traits listed in their statistics and described here.

Combat

This section lists the creature's attack bonus, maneuver bonus, damage, Defense, and initiative bonus, modified by the creature's other traits, as appropriate.

Saving Throws

The creature's Toughness, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throws are listed here. The modifiers take into account all of the creature's other traits.

Conviction

Creatures generally have no Conviction points, but can gain Conviction by taking levels in a heroic role, in which case the creature acquires the same Conviction as a hero of that level. This is ignored if the Narrator has determined that a particular creature is a minion, since minions don't have Conviction.