Planetouched Dinosaurs

[ Cordant Planes > Pangaea ]
[ Conditions | Locations | Powers | Animal Lords | Factions | Bestiary ]
[ Aerial | Apex Predators | Aquatic | Herbivores | Megafauna | Pack Hunters | Planetouched ]

Planetouched Dinosaurs

When it comes to tieflings, who said humanoids should have all the fun? Yes cutter, even creatures as ancient as dinosaurs can be touched by the planes—in fact, considering how long they’ve been around, perhaps it’s surprising that so many of them haven’t been altered? Here then is a catalogue of some of the known variations that have been spotted around the Great Ring or in the Elemental Planes. Most of them have been compiled by my good friend Doctor Dhrolin. Well, I say good friend, we’ve never met—well, actually he doesn’t even know I exist, but that’s beside the point. If you can get ahold of his fabulous Dictionary of Dinosaurs then you can read all the gory details. They probably have one in the Fraternity of Order vaults. I don’t know, I’m a tout not a librarian.

Pterosaur	Size (Length, Wingspan in feet)	What in the…?	Challenge Rating, Reference
Sharovipteryx, Morphic *	Tiny	Infused with chaos energy, this tiny flying archosaur can change shape (Planes of Chaos)	CR -1; DDDoD p178
Balaur, Pairbonded *	Small	A ghostly spirit version lingers after death (Bytopia)	CR 1; DDDoD p86
Falcatakely, Harvest *	Tiny	Small therapod with an inspiring song that encourages bravery and plant growth (Arcadia)	CR 1; DDDoD p130
Klobidion, Chameleon *	Small	Pterosaur who can weave illusions to disguise themselves	CR 1; DDDoD p144
Pterodaustro, Gemglow *	Medium	Pterosaur who’ve swallowed magical gemstones and acquired arcane properties	CR 1; DDDoD p166
Swindlespitter	Small	Egg thief with the ability to spray poison	CR 1; Monster Manual III [3e] p41
Zalmoxes, Cursebearer *	Small	When killed emits a shriek that causes a curse of fear	CR 1; DDDoD p95
Fleshraker	Medium	Vicious predator which can trip and grapple	CR 2; Monster Manual III [3e] p40
Nyctosaurus, Umbral *	Small	Pterosaurs from the Shadowfell	CR 2; DDDoD p162
Tanystropheus, Hydra *	Medium	Tanystropheus with the ability to sprout additional heads after injury	CR 2; DDDoD p180
Struthiosaurus, Elemental *	Small	Can reflect back elemental magical damage	CR 2; DDDoD p92
Beipiaosaurus, Nightstalker *	Small	More dangerous in the dark	CR 3; DDDoD p46
Garjainia, Spelleater *	Small	Can sense, swallow and digest magical items and effects (Spirelands)	CR 3; DDDoD p132
Ludodactylus, Spellthief *	Medium	Possesses telekinetic powers	CR 4; DDDoD p107
Nothosaurus, Electrified *	Medium	Aquatic reptile infused with lightning energies	CR 4; DDDoD p161
Bolong. Draconic *	Medium	Possible dragon ancestor with ash breath weapon	CR 5; DDDoD p49
Magyarosaurus, Vanishing *	Large	Can turn invisible	CR 5; DDDoD p90
Mastodonsaurus, Energised *	Large	Giant amphibian radiating elemental energies	CR 5; DDDoD p151
Megalosaurus, Novel *	Large	Erases memories of nearby creatures and charms them	CR 5; DDDoD p155
Leptonectes, Sneering *	Large	Disdainful creature with a frightening grimace (Lower Planes)	CR 5; DDDoD p149
Bloodstriker	Large	Spray caustic blood from its eyes	CR 6; Monster Manual III [3e] p39
Deinonychus, Draconic	Large	Acid Breath Weapon	CR 6–10; see below [3e]
Needletooth Swarm	Tiny (Swarm)	Distraction, blood drain	CR 6; Monster Manual III [3e] p109
Zuul, Gatekeeper *	Large	Ankylosaurus with the ability to smash open planar rifts	CR 7; DDDoD p192-194
Erythrosuchus, Mindmelting *	Large	Predator with a venomous bite that causes disorientation (Pandemonium)	CR 9; DDDoD p128
Quetzalcoatlus, Carrier *	Huge	Even larger pterosaur that can carry multiple passengers	CR 10; DDDoD p170
Wretchglow, the Last Light *	Huge	Bioluminescent deep-sea spinosaurus	CR 10; DDDoD p210
Giraffatitan, Mutating *	Gargantuan	Mutates after being damaged (Limbo)	CR 11; DDDoD p136
Mosasaurus, Stormbringer *	Huge	Aquatic dinosaur with primal power over sea and sky	CR 12; DDDoD p159
Xu’Thul, the Prismatic Terror *	Huge	Spinosaurus infused with the power of Mineral	CR 12; DDDoD p214
Azhdarcho, Lava ‡	Gargantuan	Flame ray, sonic boom	CR 13; Homebrew, see below ‡
Battletitan	Huge	Theropod armoured with banded steel and used as a mount	CR 16; Monster Manual III [3e] p38
Hatzegopteryx, Doomscreamer *	Huge	Its shriek causes sonic damage	CR 18; DDDoD p89

Lava Azhdarcho

N Gargantuan | Animal | Earth | Elemental | Fire | Pterosaur; CR 13 ‡

In the Scorched Wastes on the Plane of Magma cyclopean cliffs and mountains rise up higher than any mountain on Prime. Between those volcanic cliffs nest many obscure flying creatures, the biggest and the baddest among them being the lava azhdarcho. These enormous beasts act much like rocs of more hospitable planes—they fly up between the fumarole clouds of the plane, searching for prey in the molten landscape below. Lava azhdarchos are covered in a durable stone skin instead of mundane scales, and they can expel rays of fire from their mouths to soften up—well, melt—their prey. Mighty dragons of Magma are the only creatures who dare to hunt these giant pterosaurs, but the archosaurs have a trick for that scenario too. With a single flap of their powerful wings they can unleash a powerful sonic boom as they dash through the plane’s burning atmosphere.

It’s probably one of the most dangerous jobs in the multiverse, but it’s said that the ruvoka tribe known as the maltha have discovered a way to tame these creatures. Or perhaps it’s more that they are caretakers and protectors of them. Either way, watch you don’t go offending a maltha because if they’ve got a lava azhdarcho as a friend then you don’t want them as an enemy.

Stats: [ PF 2e ] ‡ Homebrew. Idea based on the kaiju Rodan

The Floating Island

by Robert Wiese, rescued from the Internet Archive

Because this is an island, this adventure locale could be encountered along a coast, such as along the Shining Sea or the Sea of Fallen Stars. Player characters can also sight it from a ship sailing any of the great seas of Faerûn. By placing it in the middle of a sea you might have more flexibility. The encounter text assumes that the heroes sight it from the shore. This locale is suitable for four characters of 12th level.

The road leads along the coast, and as twilight shades the sky, a suitable campsite comes into view. The sea looks clear, but as the heroes prepare camp, the water begins to churn and form whitecaps. The sky darkens with clouds, but no rain or violent storm comes. As darkness settles in, something large can be seen out in the sea in the distance. It is impossible to tell from here what the shape might be without using magic, but it is large even at this distance. Whatever it is, it appears blanketed by clouds or fog. During the night, the island floats toward shore, stopping about 200 feet away. It then moves along the coast and starts out to sea again in the morning. It moves about 1/4 mile per hour.

Note: If the Floating Island is encountered from a ship, the sea does not become choppy around it. The choppiness is due to the interaction of the island with the mainland. However, the sky does become cloudy. The clouds are an effect of the curse contained on the island.

The large object is a floating island—a rock about two miles across that has come loose from the sea floor and now poses a hazard to navigation and to life on Faerûn. Once, not long ago, a cleric of Istishia exiled himself here. This cleric incurred Umberlee’s anger by using his divine powers to save a ship that Umberlee planned to sink. She smote him with a terrible curse: a wasting disease that eats away at the sanity as well as the body. Since it was highly contagious to humanoids, the cleric fled civilization to live out his life on this lonely island. The few dinosaurs that lived there posed no threat to him, and they actually helped keep others away. In the end, the disease killed him, and just as he died, he uttered a final prayer to Istishia and cast himself into a small lake in the center of the island.

Because the curse did not die with the cleric, Istishia then used his power to cut the island loose from the sea floor and set it adrift. The god then placed a black dragon servant on the island to keep the curse safely away from anyone who would suffer from its effects. Umberlee, who vastly enjoyed the floating island of doom, struck down the black dragon. Before it died, however, it mated with several of the dinosaurs on the island so that they could defend the island. Now the island is nothing more than a floating death trap, which is something that Umberlee really appreciates.

The terrain is mostly plains, with a large lake on the east end and the smaller lake in the center. A mountain rises on the west side, and it was in a cave here that the black dragon lived. The island has a population of six half-dragon deinonychuses, two elasmosauruses in the large lake, a small herd of hylaeosauruses (herbivorous dinosaurs about 12-15 feet long), and the half-dragon tyrannosaurus that protects the lake of the curse. In addition, some smaller mammals, turtles, and fish live on the island or its lakes.

Perpetually covered in a low fog, the island is surrounded above by clouds. The fog pours out of the lake in the center of the island due to an element of the curse. In fact, the fog carries the curse, and any humanoid that stays on the island for more than an hour risks contracting the wasting disease. Many a ship’s crew has fallen to this illness after stopping over for water. Anyone on the island must make a Fortitude save every hour to resist the infection.

Umberlee’s Touch: Infection by inhalation; DC 25 Fort save; incubation 1 day; drain 1d4 Con and 1d2 Int. This disease causes rotting of the flesh and insanity. It is very contagious; any humanoid coming within 10 feet of an infected humanoid risks catching the disease (DC 25 Fort save). A remove disease spell cast by an 18th or higher level caster is required to cure this disease; it cannot be cured without magic. This disease affects only humanoids.

If the PCs spend the night on the mainland within sight of the island, they receive a visit. A couple hours after midnight, when the island is closest to the camp, four half-dragon deinonychuses swim from the island looking for food. They hunt as a pack and try to capture something they can bring back to the island.

The black dragon did accumulate some treasure, which is stored in the cave in the mountains where it lived. The treasure is valued at 84,000 gp and consists of a major cloak of elvenkind, a hand of glory, a strand of prayer beads, and an emerald worth 200 gp. Feel free to modify this to fit your campaign and player characters.

Dinosaurs of the Island

Hylaeosaurus: Use bison stats (Monster Manual [3e] p269) with an additional +6 bonus to natural armor because of heavy armor plating; also this is a CR 3 creature.A hylaeosaurus is a four-legged armored dinosaur with a long tail. It has spikes along the sides of its body. A hylaeosaurus is about 12 to 15 feet long. The hylaeosauruses roam the island, but stay away from the center where the half-dragon tyrannosaurus lives.

Elasmosaurus: hp 111; see Monster Manual [3e] p60.

Advanced Deinonychus: CR 4; Large animal; HD 7d8+28; hp 59; Init +6; Spd 60 ft.; AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 14; Base Atk +5; Grp +14; Atk +9 melee (2d6+5, talons); Full Atk +9 melee (2d6+5, talons) and +4 melee (1d3+2, 2 foreclaws) and +4 melee (2d4+2, bite); Space/Reach 10 ft./15 ft.; SA pounce; SQ low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 20, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10.Skills and Feats: Hide +8, Jump +27, Listen +11, Spot +11, Survival +11; Improved Initiative, Run, Track.
Pounce (Ex): If an advanced deinonychus pounces, it can make a full attack, even though it has moved.
Skills: An advanced deinonychus has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.

Half-Black Dragon/Half-Advanced Deinonychus: CR 6; Large dragon; HD 7d10+35; hp 73; Init +6; Spd 60 ft., swim 60 ft.; AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 18; Base Atk +5; Grp +18; Atk +13 melee (1d6+9, claw); Full Atk +13 melee (1d6+9, 2 claws) and +8 melee (2d6+4, 2 claws) and +8 melee (2d4+4, bite); Space/Reach 10 ft./15 ft.; SA breath weapon (60-ft. line of acid), pounce; SQ darkvision 60 ft., immunities (acid, paralysis, sleep), low-light vision, scent; AL CE; SV Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 28, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: Hide +12, Jump +35, Listen +15, Spot +15, Survival +15, Swim +17; Improved Initiative, Run, Track.
Breath Weapon (Su): Once per day, a half-black dragon/half-advanced deinonychus can breathe a line of acid 60 feet long that deals 6d8 points of acid damage (Reflex save DC 18 for half damage).
Pounce (Ex): If an advanced deinonychus pounces, it can make a full attack, even though it has moved.
Skills: A half-black dragon/half-advanced deinonychus has a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Jump, Listen, Spot, and Survival checks.Half-dragon deinonychuses resemble normal deinonychuses (Monster Manual, page 60), but they have a black scaly pattern to their skin and smaller versions of the horns that adorn black dragon heads. They also have a vestigial bony ridge along their necks, reminiscent of those of black dragons. They are pack hunters and work together. They maintain their own population at this size because they are smarter than average dinosaurs and know that the island cannot support more of them. They roam the island in groups of at least two, so PCs can encounter them anywhere. These particular half-dragons have a swim speed instead of a fly speed.

Half-Black Dragon/Half-Tyrannosaurus: CR 10; Huge dragon; HD 18d10+117; hp 216; Init +1; Spd 40 ft., swim 60 ft.; AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +13; Grp +34; Atk +24 melee (1d8+13, claw); Full Atk +24 melee (1d8+13, 2 claws) and +19 melee (3d6+6, bite); Space/Reach 15 ft./10 ft.; SA breath weapon (60-ft. line of acid), improved grab, swallow whole; SQ darkvision 60 ft., immunities (acid, paralysis, sleep), low-light vision, scent; AL CE; SV Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +8; Str 36, Dex 12, Con 23, Int 4, Wis 15, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: Hide +4, Listen +17, Move Silently +6, Spot +17, Survival +7, Swim +18; Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Run, Toughness (x3), Track.
Breath Weapon (Su): Once per day, a half-black dragon/half-tyrannosaurus can breathe a line of acid 60 feet long that deals 6d8 points of damage (Reflex save DC 25 for half damage).
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a half-black dragon/half-tyrannosaurus must hit an opponent up to one size smaller than itself 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 half-black dragon/half-tyrannosaurus can try to swallow a grabbed opponent up to two sizes smaller than itself by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 2d8+10 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the half-dragon tyrannosaurus’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 12). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. The gizzard of a Huge half-black dragon/half-tyrannosaurus can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.
Skills: A half-black draon/half-tyrannosaurus has a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

Istador: Male half-black dragon/half-tyrannosaurus favored soul 6: CR 10; Huge dragon; HD 18d10+117 plus 6d8+36; hp 279; Init +1; Spd 40 ft., swim 60 ft.; AC 18, touch 9, flat-footed 17; Base Atk +17; Grp +38; Atk +30 melee (1d8+13, claw); Full Atk +30 melee (1d8+13, 2 claws) and +28 melee (3d6+6, bite); Space/Reach 15 ft./10 ft.; SA breath weapon (60-ft. line of acid), improved grab, swallow whole; SQ darkvision 60 ft., immunities (acid, paralysis, sleep), low-light vision, resistance (fire 10), scent; AL CE; SV Fort +24, Ref +19, Will +15; Str 36, Dex 12, Con 23, Int 5, Wis 15, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +12, Hide +4, Listen +17, Move Silently +6, Spot +17, Survival +7, Swim +18; Alertness, Flyby Attack, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Multiattack, Run, Toughness (x3), Track, Weapon Focus (warhammer)[B].
Breath Weapon (Su): Once per day, Istador can breathe a line of acid 60 feet long that deals 6d8 points of damage (Reflex save DC 25 for half damage).
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Istador must hit an opponent up to one size smaller than itself with his bite attack. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If he wins the grapple check, he establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe the following round.
Swallow Whole (Ex): Istador can try to swallow a grabbed opponent up to two sizes smaller than himself by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 2d8+10 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from Istador’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 12). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. Istador’s gizzard can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.
Favored Soul Spells Known (6/7/5/3 per day; caster level 6th): 0 — create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, resistance, virtue; 1st — cure light wounds, divine favor, entropic shield, shield of faith, lesser vigor*; 2nd — bull’s strength, cure moderate wounds, lesser restoration, resist energy; 3rd — bestow curse (DC 15), contagion (DC 15), cure serious wounds.
*Spells can be found in Complete Divine.

Istador is a black tyrannosaurus with a horned head, scales, and big black wings. Favored of Istishia because of his mission, he has acquired levels in the favored soul class (from Complete Divine). His father, the dragon, died before he was born, so he learned everything he knows about fighting like a dragon from racial memory and practice. His mother died soon after he was born, and now he is the only animal of his kind on the island. He is quite smart for a dinosaur, and he fights with cunning. He knows that he can heal himself, and he casts lesservigor before any battle if he has the opportunity.
Spells from Complete Divine Vigor, lesser: Gain fast healing 1 for 10 + 1 round per caster level (max 15 rounds).

Sources: Jon Winter-Holt, Margarita, the excellent Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs [5e & PF2]; The Floating Island is by Robert Wiese, originally published on Wizards.com but deleted and rescued from the Internet Archive. Mirrored here for posterity.