Buy me a coffeeDinosaur, “Stegosaurus: Guardian of the Primeval Silence”
“With towering back plates and a tail of death, the Stegosaurus is the prehistoric tank you never saw coming—until it skewers you!”
The Stegosaurus is a hulking quadruped, measuring up to 30 feet long and weighing over 5 tons. Its most iconic features are the double row of towering, kite-shaped plates running from its neck to tail, each plate standing up to 3 feet tall and flushed with blood-rich capillaries that may have been used for display or thermoregulation. Its thick, muscular tail ends in a fearsome quartet of 2–3 foot long spikes, gleaming like primitive lances—known as the thagomizer. Its head is low-slung, with a small, beaked mouth and dull eyes that belie the raw power of its armored form.
Behavior:
Stegosaurus is a peaceful browser by nature, slow-moving and deliberate, with a keen awareness of its surroundings. It rarely shows aggression unless provoked, but once threatened, it becomes a living siege engine. It will swing its tail with devastating force, using terrifying precision, often breaking bones with a single strike. It is fiercely territorial during mating seasons or when guarding nesting grounds.
Habitat:
Found in subtropical lowland floodplains, fern prairies, and ancient coniferous forests, Stegosauruses travel in loose herds, often accompanied by other herbivores like Camarasaurus or Diplodocus. They prefer areas near river deltas and shallow lakes where lush undergrowth is plentiful.
Modus Operandi:
When encountering a threat, the Stegosaurus adopts a sideways stance, presenting its plates to intimidate while positioning its tail for a wide arc. If the aggressor advances, the Stegosaurus lashes out with a sweeping, crushing tail strike capable of impaling or launching smaller predators. Ambush is not its style—it is a walking fortress, trusting in bulk, armor, and brute force to deter enemies.
Motivation:
The Stegosaurus is driven by instinct: feeding, mating, and survival. It is protective of its kind and will defend hatchlings and herd members with surprising tenacity. It holds no malice—only a relentless will to live in a world of giants and monsters.
Stegosaurus 5e
Stegosaurus 5e
Stegosaurus Pathfinder
Stegosaurus
Huge Beast (Prehistoric), Unaligned
Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 (+6) | 9 (–1) | 20 (+5) | 2 (–4) | 13 (+1) | 6 (–2) |
Saving Throws Con +8, Wis +4
Skills Perception +4
Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing (from nonmagical attacks)
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened
Senses Passive Perception 14
Languages —
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3
Traits
Tail Spikes.
When a creature ends its turn within 10 feet of the Stegosaurus, the Stegosaurus can make a Tail Slam attack against it as a bonus action (once per round). The tail’s massive spikes make close approaches risky.
Intimidating Plates.
When a creature misses the Stegosaurus with a melee attack, it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack roll against the Stegosaurus before the end of its next turn. The Stegosaurus’s swaying back plates create a fearsome, towering silhouette.
Sure-Footed.
The Stegosaurus has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made to resist being knocked prone or pushed.
Actions
Multiattack.
The Stegosaurus makes two attacks: one with its Stomp and one with its Tail Slam. It cannot target the same creature with both attacks on the same turn.
Stomp.
Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 21 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Tail Slam.
Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) piercing damage.
If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Trample (Recharge 5–6)
The Stegosaurus charges in a 15-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw, taking 26 (4d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. Creatures that fail are also knocked prone.
Combat Tactics
- Uses Trample early to disrupt front lines or punish clustered enemies.
- Alternates Stomp and Tail Slam to control space and pressure melee attackers.
- Keeps foes at bay with Tail Spikes, especially those attempting to flank or harass.
- Maintains a defensive stance using Intimidating Plates and Sure-Footed resilience.
- Fights to protect territory or herd members, retreating only when severely wounded.
Stegosaurus
Huge beast (Dinosaur), Unaligned
Armor Class: 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 76 (8d12 + 24)
Speed: 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 20 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 11 | 5 |
| +5 | -1 | +3 | -4 | 0 | -3 |
Senses: Passive Perception 10
Challenge: 4
Actions
Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (6d6 + 5) piercing damage.
Stegosaurus
This huge dinosaur has a small head, twin rows of sharp dorsal plates, and a muscular tail terminating in a set of bony spikes.
The stegosaurus is one of the most distinctive-looking dinosaurs’ its twin rows of dorsal plates and spiked tail are enough to give most predators second thoughts before attacking. It is 30 feet long, 14 feet tall, and weighs 5,000 pounds.
| Stegosaurus CR 7 |
| XP 3,200 N Huge animal Init +6; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +16 |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 22, touch 10, flat-footed 20 (+2 Dexterity, +12 natural, -2 size) hp 90 (12d8+36) Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +5 |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 30 ft. Melee tail +16 (4d6+12 plus trip) Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 27, Dexterity 14, Constitution 17, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 13, Charisma 10 Base Atk +9; CMB +19; CMD 31 (35 vs. trip) Feats Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (tail) Skills Perception +16 |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment warm plains Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3-12) Treasure none |
Stegosaurus Companions
Starting Stats: Size Med.; Speed 30 ft.; AC +6 natural armor; Attack tail (2d6); Ability Scores Strength 10, Dexterity 18, Constitution 10, Intelligence 2, Wisdom 12, Charisma 10; Special Qualities Low-Light Vision, Scent.
7th-Level Adv: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack tail (2d8 plus trip); Ability Scores Strength +8, Dexterity – 2, Constitution +4.
| Section 15: Copyright Notice – Bestiary 2 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2, © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. |