Buy me a coffeeEuparkeria, the Fang of Forgotten Dawn
“Before dinosaurs ruled the Earth, this lightning-fast lizard with a killer grin hunted in shadows—meet the original apex underdog: Euparkeria.”
Euparkeria is a lithe, reptilian creature roughly three feet in length, with a slender frame, narrow snout, and sharp, recurved teeth perfect for piercing flesh. Its limbs are long and muscular, with hind legs slightly longer than the forelimbs, suggesting bursts of bipedal sprinting. Covered in fine, scale-like osteoderms, its mottled gray-brown hide blends seamlessly with scrubland and forest floor. A long, stiff tail aids in balance during rapid movement and tight turns.
Behaviour:
Euparkeria is a solitary, alert predator—skittish, cunning, and lightning-fast. It exhibits crepuscular activity, preferring dawn and dusk hunts to avoid larger predators. When threatened, it sprints short distances on two legs to confuse and outpace pursuers, then drops to all fours to disappear into underbrush or crevices. Its head constantly darts and tilts as it calculates the movements of potential prey—or nearby threats.
Habitat:
This creature thrives in semi-arid floodplains, sparse forests, and seasonal wetlands—environments with open ground, tall ferns, and scattered stones or fallen logs for ambush and escape. It nests in shallow burrows or beneath exposed tree roots, often close to dried riverbeds teeming with insects, lizards, and amphibians.
Modus Operandi:
A Euparkeria hunts through short-range ambush: it stays motionless in cover, then lunges with shocking speed. It disables prey with a swift bite to the neck or flank, then retreats to a shaded hiding spot to consume its kill. It avoids direct confrontation, relying instead on stealth, speed, and terrain advantage.
Motivation:
Driven by pure instinct, Euparkeria is motivated by hunger and survival. It does not attack out of aggression but will lash out in panic if cornered. Its behavior reflects a finely tuned evolutionary balance—predator to the small, prey to the large.
Euparkeria 5e
Euparkeria 3.5
Euparkeria
Small Beast, Unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (natural hide, quick reflexes)
- Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
- Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft., burst sprint 50 ft. (see Sudden Sprint)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 17 (+3) | 13 (+1) | 2 (−4) | 12 (+1) | 5 (−3) |
- Proficiency Bonus +2
- Saving Throws DEX +5
- Skills Stealth +5, Perception +3
- Senses Darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 13
- Languages —
- Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
- Creature Type Beast
- Environment Forests, Wetlands, Scrublands, Forgotten Valleys
Traits
Instinctive Ambusher.
On the first round of combat, the Euparkeria has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that has not yet taken a turn. It can take the Hide action as a bonus action if it begins its turn in lightly obscured terrain (e.g., ferns, rocks, ruins).
Sudden Sprint (Recharge 4–6).
The Euparkeria can move up to 50 feet in a straight line without provoking opportunity attacks. During this movement, it can pass through the space of Medium or larger creatures. If it ends this movement adjacent to a surprised creature, it gains advantage on the first melee attack that turn.
Evasive Reflexes.
When the Euparkeria is missed by a melee attack, it may immediately move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. It can’t use this reaction again until the start of its next turn.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature and this is the first attack Euparkeria has made against it this combat, the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 additional piercing damage from a precise nerve strike.
Skitter and Strike (Recharge 5–6).
The Euparkeria moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks, makes a Bite attack, and then moves again up to half its speed.
Euparkeria
This reptile is about the size of a small dog. It is lizard-like in shape, but it carries its legs underneath it like a crocodile and has a crocodile-like head.
Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.
On this Thread
Euparkerias are about 3 feet long, stand about 1 foot off the ground, and weigh around 20 pounds. They eat meat, scavenging when they can and feeding on fish, amphibians and other smaller reptiles. When food is scarce, they join into flocks to hunt larger prey- a pack of six or eight can and will attack man-sized opponents, especially solitary ones.
| Dinosaur, Euparkeria | |
| Small animal | |
| Hit Dice | 1d8+1 (5 hp) |
| Initiative | +2 |
| Speed | 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class | 14 (+1 size, +2 Dexterity, +1 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 12 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +0/ -4 |
| Attack | Bite +2 melee (1d4) |
| Full Attack | Bite +2 melee (1d4) |
| Space/Reach | 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Qualities | Low-Light Vision, Scent |
| Saves | Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +1 |
| Abilities | Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 13, Intelligence 1, Wisdom 13, Charisma 5 |
| Skills | Hide +9, Listen +2, Move Silently +5, Spot +2 |
| Feats | Run (B), Stealthy, Weapon Finesse (B) |
| Environment | Warm desert and plains |
| Organization | Solitary or flock (2-8) |
| Challenge Rating | ½ |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Always neutral |
| Advancement | 2 HD (Small), 3 HD (Medium) |
| Level Adjustment | – |
COMBAT
Euparkerias prefer to attack from ambush and in numbers. They flee if their prey offers a stiff resistance, however, or if one or more of their number is slain.
Sprint (Ex): Once per hour, a euparkeria can move 6 times its normal speed (180 feet) when it makes a charge.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #66 (1982).