FREQUENCY: Common
NO. APPEARING: 2-40
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 12? to 18?
HIT DICE: 1 hp to 13 HD
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (kick or bite)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil to 2-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Trample
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Animal
SIZE: S to L (up to 45? long)
Ornithopods are a diverse group of ornithiscian
dinosaurs, They
may be found in Triassic, Jurassic, and
Cretaceous landscapes and
may range from rabbit- or chicken-sized
to mammoth-sized, although the largest forms are found in the Cretaceous.
All are
herbivorous and bipedal, though some may
be partly omnivorous
and most go down on all fours at times.
Most also have a beak
used to crop vegetation. The ornithopods
are inoffensive and
usually seek to escape if attacked, unless
they are defending their
young and eggs. If they retaliate, they
use either a bite (some of
the smaller forms do this) or a powerful
and well-aimed kick.
They vary with size as shown below:
| MOVE: | 12" | 12" | 15" | 18" | 15" | 12" |
| HIT DICE: | to 1/4 | 1/2 | 1 | 2 | 5-8 | 9-13 |
| DAMAGE: | Nil | 1-2 | 1-4 | 1-6 | 2-12 | 2-16 |
| SIZE: | S(to 5) | M(6) | M(7-8) | M(9-10) | L(16-25) | L(26-45) |
Triassic ornithopods do not exceed ¼
HD, while Jurassic ornithopods do not exceed 8 HD. The ornithopods include
creatures
with thick helmetlike skulls that allow
them to rush heedlessly
through the forest without getting brain
damage from hitting
trees. They also include types that have
spikes on their thumbs
(Iguanodon is an example),
weapons which are not effective
against smaller foes like humans. Most
prominent is a Cretaceous
group that includes the largest members
and which is characterized by various bizarre crests and bumps on the head.
These last
include Lambeosaurus
and Anatosaurus,
the latter also being
known as Hadrosaurus and Trachodon,
the best known of all the
so-called ?duck-billed? dinosaurs).