Widely regarded as the king of the dinosaurs, the tyrannosaurus is a massive predator with a wide mouth filled with viciously sharp teeth. Thundering beasts of fury and hunger, tyrannosauruses are bold and fearless carnivores that eagerly bite off great hunks of large prey and swallow smaller prey—such as most humanoids—in a single gulp. Although they can subsist on carrion, tyrannosaurs prefer live prey.
Tyrannosauruses stand on two wide, powerful hind legs that allow them to run quickly, and their thick tails provide them with exceptional balance. Although a their small forelimbs are of little use other than to hold prey in place while the predators tear at their victim’s flesh with their fearsome jaws, even these forelimbs bear sharp claws several inches long. As fearsome as tyrannosauruses are alone, they sometimes hunt in packs to take down massive prey. Only the most powerful creatures can successfully train tyrannosauruses, and even then, only when they can provide the ravenous beasts with a steady diet of meat.
Some tribes of giants, particularly cyclopes or more obscure denizens of primeval lands, have even trained tyrannosauruses as mounts or beasts of war. In other places, xulgaths feed these prisoners to these mighty dinosaurs as part of executions or ritual sacrifices. Some xulgath cults even revere tyrannosaurs as incarnations of their violent demonic demigods. For their part, tyrannosaurs who have grown used to having their meals provided in this manner are remarkably well-behaved toward their feeders and keepers. Tyrannosauruses are 50 feet long and weigh 7 tons or more.
Other variants of the tyrannosaurs include slightly smaller dinosaurs such as the allosaurus, or even larger dinosaurs like the ravenous giganotosaurus. Even the smallest tyrannosaurs, such as the nanotyrannus, are never smaller than Large in size, yet despite this smaller stature, they are no less ferocious, and those who would assume that a nanotyrannus is "safer" to train would do well to think again!
The ankylosaurus is the largest of the heavily armored dinosaurs called ankylosaurids, but smaller versions exist as well. Still Large in size, these smaller dinosaurs, such as the 16-foot long pinacosaurus, lack the trample ability and are rarely above 4th level. Regardless of size, ankylosaurids tend to be relatively muted in coloration, with mixes of black, brown, and gray. When captive, an ankylosaurus’s keeper might paint its scales bright colors to signify to others that is not a wild creature.
Remnants from the world’s primeval era, these enormous reptilian animals still exist in large numbers in isolated and remote wildernesses or far underground within magical Darklands caverns. Lizardfolk, orcs, giants, and other monstrous humanoids sometimes use dinosaurs as mounts, guards, or hunting animals. Humans and other ancestries have also been known to collect dinosaurs, be it to display them in menageries or keep them as exotic pets or guardians. Such activities are generally pursuits of the rich or eccentric, but certain druids and other guardians of nature feel strong kinships with dinosaurs as well and take them on as companions. When dinosaurs establish themselves in regions beyond their normal habitats, it is generally the result of these captive creatures escaping into the wild.
Dinosaurs in Fantasy
At first glance, the inclusion of dinosaurs in a fantasy setting might seem strange, but dinosaurs are an excellent creature to use in a game that bridges the gap between familiar real-world animals and legendary monsters. If having dinosaurs mix freely with lions, manticores, and dragons still seems strange to you, consider having them dwell in remote, primeval lands, as suggested in the sidebars on pages 99–100. On Golarion, dinosaurs do exist in the wilder regions of the world, particularly on the continent of Garund, though they are common enough that PCs might find some on display in a menagerie in a northern city, in use as guardian creatures, or even kept by druids as loyal animal companions.
Dinosaur Resources
As animals, dinosaurs have little interest in treasure (although velociraptors and deinonychuses, like their bird cousins, enjoy keeping sparkling baubles in their nests), but the remains of adventurers strewn about their lairs often still have valuable gear. Dinosaurs can also be harvested for rare and valuable trophies such as teeth, talons, armor plates, and the like.
Dinosaur Guardians
As with most animals, dinosaurs can be tamed or domesticated, but the difficulty of this task increases along with the dinosaur’s level. Lizardfolk and orcs are fond of using dinosaurs as beasts of burden, workhorses, mounts, or even war beasts. Certain dinosaurs, such as velociraptors and deinonychuses, make excellent trackers as well. The largest and most dangerous dinosaurs, such as the tyrannosaurus, are generally avoided, although more powerful creatures like giants have been known to be able to keep them as pets, guardians, or even brutal executioners. In certain cities, dinosaurs are popularly featured as combatants in blood sports and other gladiatorial battles.
Primeval Lands
Dinosaurs fit well into certain types of settings. They’re often found in isolated lands like primeval jungle valleys or plateaus—regions known as lost worlds for their inaccessibility and lack of any encroaching civilization. In addition to dinosaurs, other megafauna can exist in these places as well, along with giant insects or aggressive creatures like bulettes, carnivorous plants, chuuls, and drakes. Such regions can make for perilous and intriguing adventure sites, especially if you combine them with ruins of ancient civilizations to explore once the party has navigated the hostile wilderness regions.
Hollow Worlds
Another classic place that dinosaurs are found in fiction are in “hollow worlds.” Some campaign settings might not contain entire isolated worlds within them, but many, such as Golarion, have expansive underground lands. The deepest region of the Darklands of Golarion—a realm called Orv—is an optimal place to find a hollow world. Typically infused with magic that allows for jungles to grow deep underground (and sometimes even sunlike orbs that illuminate the lands from above, simulating a day‑night cycle), areas such as Deep Tolguth of Orv make perfect places for dinosaurs to roam.
Other Dinosaurs
A wide range of dinosaurs are presented on these pages, but any trip to the movies, exploration of dinosaur books, or a quick online search reveals a wealth of additional creatures that could fit into your game as well. Armor-headed pachycephalosaurs, spike-thumbed iguanodons, duck-billed hadrosaurs, sail-backed spinosauruses, and more await discovery by those who would seek out the mysteries of the lost worlds where the thunder lizards still rule!
