Dinosaurs — Prehistoric Creatures for Fantasy RPGs
Prehistoric Animals in the Bestiary
Tracks, Herds and Hunting Grounds
Dinosaurs are not one sort of monster. The lightly built Coelophysis and enormous Tyrannosaurus were predators of very different sizes and times; the horned Centrosaurus and long-necked Brachiosaurus survived by different means. A useful encounter starts with what the animal eats, what frightens it and whether the party has entered its feeding or nesting ground.
Across open country, a herd of Pentaceratops may force a caravan to stop long before any horn is raised. In scrub and woodland, the small Psittacosaurus offers a quieter animal encounter, while an armoured Dacentrurus is difficult to drive away from its path. Tracks, broken branches and fresh dung tell travellers more than a distant roar.
For a predator, look to the Acrocanthosaurus or Daspletosaurus. They are powerful wild animals, not villains looking for a fight. A carcass, breeding site, narrow ford or trapped young animal may explain why one stays instead of retreating. Escaping its territory can be a better outcome than killing it.
This catalogue spans the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous, as well as regions that were never neighbours. Some linked prehistoric reptiles, such as Nothosaurus, were not dinosaurs at all. A campaign may bring such animals together, but their real histories and habitats should not be mistaken for one natural prehistoric ecosystem.
The full creature list follows. Open an individual entry for its size, rules, behaviour and game statistics, and check the stated rules edition before using a legacy stat block.
Other Prehistoric Reptiles
The wider collection includes animals that lived alongside dinosaurs but were not dinosaurs. For prehistoric seas, follow Liopleurodon, Cryptoclidus and Plesiosaurus. For flying reptiles, see Pteranodon, Pterodactyl, Quetzalcoatlus and Rhamphorhynchus. The giant crocodilian Deinosuchus belongs by the rivers rather than in a dinosaur herd.
Two further records in this archive are Pisanosaurus and an additional Anchisaurus entry. They remain separate from other entries with related names; compare the individual rules before choosing a version for play.
- Acanthopholis,
- Acrocanthosaurus,
- Allosaurus,
- Amargasaurus,
- Anatotitan,
- Anchisaurus,
- Anhanguera (pterosaur),
- Ankylosaurus,
- Archaeoceratops,
- Archaeopteryx,
- Argentinosaurus,
- Avaceratops,
- Avimimus,
- Bambiraptor,
- Baryonyx,
- Beipiaosaurus,
- Bellusaurus,
- Brachiosaurus,
- Brontosaurus,
- Buitreraptor,
- Camarasaurus,
- Camptosaurus,
- Carcharodontosaurus,
- Carnotaurus,
- Centrosaurus,
- Ceratosaurus,
- Cetiosaurus,
- Charonosaurus,
- Clidastes, Coelophysis,
- Coelurus,
- Compsognathus,
- Compsognathus Swarm,
- Dacentrurus,
- Daspletosaurus,
- Deinonychus,
- Dilophosaurus,
- Diplodocus,
- Edmontosaurus,
- Elasmosaurus,
- Eoraptor,
- Epanterias,
- Epidexipteryx,
- Eshanosaurus,
- Euparkeria,
- Eustreptospondylus,
- Gallimimus,
- Gasosaurus,
- Giganotosaurus,
- Gigantoraptor,
- Giraffatitan,
- Gorgosaurus,
- Halticosaurus,
- Herrerasaurus,
- Huayangosaurus,
- Hypsilophodon,
- Iguanodon,
- Kentrosaurus,
- Lambeosaurus,
- Leptoceratops,
- Lexovisaurus,
- Maiasaura,
- Mamenchisaurus,
- Mapusaurus,
- Masiakasaurus,
- Massopondylus,
- Megalosaurus,
- Megaraptor,
- Micropachycephalosaurus,
- Microraptor,
- Microvenator,
- Monoclonius,
- Mononykus,
- Nodosaurs,
- Nothosaurus,
- Notoceratops,
- Ornitholestes,
- Ornithomimus,
- Ouranosaurus,
- Oviraptor,
- Pachycephalosaurus,
- Pachyrhinosaurus,
- Paleocinthus,
- Panoplosaurus,
- Parasaurolophus,
- Pawpawsaurus,
- Pentaceratops,
- Piatnitzkysaurus,
- Pinacosaurus,
- Plateosaurus,
- Postosuchus,
- Prenocephale,
- Prosaurolophus,
- Protoceratops,
- Psittacosaurus,
- Rugops,
- Saltasaurus,
- Saurolophus,
- Sauroposeidon,
- Scelidosaurus,
- Scutellosaurus,
- Segnosaurus,
- Seismosaurus,
- Shantungosaurus,
- Shunosaurus,
- Shuvuuia,
- Sinocalliopteryx,
- Sinornithosaurus,
- Sinraptor,
- Spinosaurus,
- Stegosaurus,
- Stokesosaurus,
- Struthiomimus,
- Struthiosaurus,
- Tsintaosaurus,
- Styracosaurus,
- Suchomimus,
- Tanystropheus,
- Teratosaurus,
- Therizinosaurus,
- Torosaurus,
- Torvosaurus,
- Triceratops,
- Tuojiangosaurus,
- Tylosaurus (Mosasaur),
- Tyrannosaurus,
- Utahraptor,
- Velociraptor,
- Vulcanodon,
- Xiaosaurus,
- Yangchuanosaurus,
- Zuniceratops,
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