D&D General Dinosaurs in your campaigns

[TravDoc42]

I love dinosaurs in D&D! I have sitting around in my notes somewhere a Spelljammer planet called Antedeluvia, which is populated by prehistoric creatures due to a gravitational time anomaly!

 

[mamba]

due to a gravitational time anomaly!

evolution is not directed, not all planets formed at the same time, you do not need a time anomaly for this

 

[Oofta]

All dinosaurs were bipedal (at least until they got too heavy) but not all dinosaurs had feathers.
The defining trait of dinosaurs is the existence of a sacrum (3 or more fused vetebrae that connects the hips to the backbone) and the first types appeared 230+ million years ago but sign of feathers only begins 180 million years ago, so the earliest dinosaurs were not feathered.

only 77 types of dinosaur are definitely known to be feathered. The rest are very much debated but it seem likely that all Theropods and a few ornithiscians had feathers (although it is pointed out that all mammals have hair but Elephants and Whales are largely hairless - large adult theropods (eg Spnosaurus) might thus have been bald).

Ankylosaurs and Stegs were not feathered (though it may have had quills) and no evidence of feathers has been found amongst Sauropods. The ceratopsian Psittacosaurus had quills, but no sign of feathers have been found in other Ceratopsians including Triceratops.

There's also the theory that many of the Therapods had feathers when they were young, or only on parts of their body when they were older. Which means this image could be somewhat accurate, at least for a younger T-Rex.

 

[TravDoc42]

evolution is not directed, not all planets formed at the same time, you do not need a time anomaly for this

That's a good point! I just enjoy the idea of time flowing differently here, Feywild style.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Thanks, @Tonguez !

 

[Minigiant]

one continent has them, along with generally being more ‘lizard’ focused, ie it is where Lizardmen, Kobolds and other lizard-y creatures are originally from

And yes, mostly no feathers, but a few do have them

I do the same.

There is a continent that is scaly focused called Ptilea with dinosaurs.

They follow a strict caste hierarchy of

Rexus (Tyrannosaurus folk), Dragonborn, Coatl (Feathered Snake Men)
Orochi (Snake Men 2)
Tortle
Lizardfolk
Triceradons (small triceratops folk)
Winged Kobolds
Kobolds
Dirt
Polluted dirt
Yuanti

They ride dinosaurs and are constantly at war as the top 3 think they should be the soul ones on the top of the caste system.

Think Warhammer Lizardman but the Slann are Feathered snakes, Dragonborn, and T-Rex men.

 

[Vaalingrade]

It was actually a revelation for me when it became apparent that our own planet had provided thousands of goofy creatures to rival any D&D monster.

Most of them were crocodiles or sharks.

 

[Tonguez]

There's also the theory that many of the Therapods had feathers when they were young, or only on parts of their body when they were older. Which means this image could be somewhat accurate, at least for a younger T-Rex.
View attachment 386938

feathers have been liberating to the general conservatism of Paleoart but it has been pointed out that theres no reason why Dionos wouldnt have other soft features we associate with birds like wattles, combs and bushy tails

 

[Voadam]

One would need to move closer to the equator to mind any in my games. Unless the axe-beak counts, the only dinosaur in the last 10 years has been a skeletal version imported into the town.

View attachment 386921

While I can't remember using dinosaurs I have used extinct things like Hyaenodons, Tasmanian Tigers, and Giant Elk.

I had an orc barbarian I played whose big thing was that axe beaks were mounts.

 

[Vaalingrade]

feathers have been liberating to the general conservatism of Paleoart but it has been pointed out that theres no reason why Dionos wouldnt have other soft features we associate with birds like wattles, combs and bushy tails
View attachment 386955
View attachment 386957

Let us not forget ceratopsian quills.