FREQUENCY: Common
NO. APPEARING: 2-40
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 12?
HIT DICE: 1 hp to 6HD
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (bite)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil to 2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Trample
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
SIZE: S to L (up to 9? long)
Dicynodonts are mammal-like reptiles from
the Triassic. They
are herbivores and vary in size from that
of a woodchuck to that
of a small rhinoceros. These bizarre creatures
are bulky, with
short, stout limbs, a thick tail, and
a barrel-shaped torso. The
limbs sprawl out towards the sides rather
than being fully tucked
under the body, as they are in mammals
or dinosaurs. Dicynodonts have few teeth, or may even be toothless with
the exception
of a pair of tusks in the upper jaw. The
teeth are largely replaced
by a horny beak resembling that of a parrot
or turtle. The snout is
short, and the large eyes face forward.
There are no hooves, only
large flat claws and stubby toes.
Though small dicynodonts may use their
claws to dig, and large
ones may rear up and use them to pull
down foliage, dicynodonts
are not dextrous enough to use their claws
in self-defense. Some
common sorts of dicynodonts are semiaquatic
herbivores, like
hippopotami.
The shape of the beak varies with the diet, which
may include any sort of vegetable matter.
Dicynodonts vary with
size as follows:
| HIT DICE: | to 1/4 | 1/2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4-6 |
| DAMAGE: | Nil | 1-2 | 1-4 | 2-5 | 2-8 | 2-12 |
| SIZE: | S(to 2) | M(3) | M(4) | M(5) | L(6) | L(7-9) |
Dicynodonts that have tusks do no more
damage than those
lacking them, since the primary weapon
used in biting is the beak.