DINOSAURS! - Back to Basic

The Mandela Effect has eliminated the 40+ dinosaur stat-blocks from Advanced and Basic D&D, leaving only scattered references - including that they're big stupid hungry reptiles.

Oh no! Have to make my own in a lonely-fun vacuum. 

Compatible with most old school D&D-alikes/derivatives.

(And apologies to dinosaur aficionados and experts).

Proof!

They don't need species names: Big Hungry, Old One Eye, the God-Beast,

Hit Dice.

As they are equally huge and weird (see above for proof), dinosaurs can be built on the 1e AD&D Froghemoth, meaning they get 16 HD.

Armour Class.

Things like Pterodactyls are leathery so they have AC as leather (+2); most other dinosaurs are scaly so they have AC as scale armour (+3). The dinosaurs with armour plates (you decide if Stegosaurus is one of these) have AC as plate (+6). 

Triceratops gets +1/+2 vs. missiles for having a shield round its neck - Stegosaurus might also qualify for back plates, if you've not already decided they're armour plated.

Pterodactyls can also get +1 to +3 for flying, or nothing if you think they're clumsy, ponderous fliers.

Attacks.

One big attack for 6d6, or can split the dice between up to six opponents. 

Pterodactyls always split three ways: beak and two wing buffets for 2d6 each (and see below). 

1d6 attacks are incidental bashes, blunders and buffets in the melee.

2d6 and 3d6 attacks are claws, kicks, flipper and tail swipes and so on. Includes the bites of small-headed herbivores.

4d6 and above are carnivore bites, single-target stamps, goring and tossing with horns. 

6d6 is the slavering jaws of the Tyrant Lizard King, being trod on by a Brachiosaurus, sat on by a Triceratops.

If you prefer, 4d6+ attacks don't need a hit roll, you save to evade.

Various 3d6+ attacks can cause hull damage; 4d6+ can cause structural damage.

Special Attacks.

On a successful hit of 19-20 vs. a human-sized target, the dinosaur inflicts a special.

(If smaller than human-sized, special on 14+)

The big carnivores swallow you whole; the big herbivores trample you underfoot. 

Auto-damage (save to resist for half) each round until you can escape/are rescued - you're pretty helpless while being digested/stomped. Various bits of equipment are at risk.

Marine dinosaurs knock you into the water or swallow you if you're already there; includes capsizing and holing boats.

The armoured dinosaurs with spiky tails knock you prone and you drop whatever you're holding - lose Initiative and no attacks for two rounds (one to pick up your weapon, one to get back up - in any order, or you can crawl away). 

You can also use this for rams, butts and tossing by the bone-headed and the horned dinosaurs.

Flying dinosaurs carry you off into the sky, or knock you down (like a spiky tail) with a wing buffet, or knock you off the branch/bridge/deck/ledge with same.

...unless they do an apocalyptic swoop - an AoE attack of up to 16 dice, but also suffers same number of dice damage itself. If you like, use massive damage instant death rules on it. Maybe it's also on fire because the volcano has erupted.

Special Defences.

Immune to spells that don't cause points of damage, normal fire and poison/venom.

Use your judgement - it'd be shame to spoil a cool improvisation or cunning plan for the sake of a statement. 

There's special cases to be made for all sorts of illusory tricks, setting things on fire, freezing the lake/river/swamp, casting disintegrate as the stinking jaws close round you like a cage, enlarging toads thrown into the yawning throat etcetera.

Stupid Dinosaur Behaviour.

At this stage, dinosaurs are pea-brained monsters of appetite and are easily fooled. 

Carnivores always attack and always attack the nearest largest suitable target. Includes siege engines, other dinosaurs, submarines, airships, lighthouses, mining equipment, atmosphere processors, time-machines, and trains (etc).

Herbivores generally only attack if attacked. If surprised (whether or not with hostile intent), they must pass a Morale Check or stampede - trampling you into the dirt (as special, above - and see below).

Horned herbivores can set vs. charge, but mainly do so against other dinosaurs (and similar, above).

All dinosaurs can fight on for d3 rounds at 0 to -16 hp (or if their head has been disintegrated in spectacular improvisational manner). 

Split their attacks between as many opponents as possible, and on a natural 20 (or a 1, if you prefer) they topple over (dead) on whatever they're fighting for a 6d6 AoE.

Morale for most dinosaurs is 8. On a double six, they go berserk and fight to the death, even turning on each other.

Morale Checks can also be triggered by 10+ points of magical cold/fire damage, or a similar amount of electrical damage, in a round.

Commentary.

These are the dinosaurs of Ray Harryhausen and Charles R. Knight and not as many Doug McClure films as I thought. They don't even aspire to Jurassic Park levels of accuracy, let alone have feathers.

I've noted elsewhere that my opinion is the older edition dinosaurs are high in number, low in inspiration.

I think the E/X of Basic D&D probably got it about right by having a limited range, even if they're otherwise unexceptional in their treatment. The Master set consolidation (particularly after the Latinate glut of the 1e AD&D Monster Manuals) was a sensible move, and was the spark point for this article.