CRETASUS ADVENTURE GUIDE

By Fred Bush, Joseph Goodman, and Mike Roberts

Welcome to the world of Broncosaurus Rex! Be sure to look

for these products at your local game store:
Core Rulebook, available now
Dino Hunters Guide to Velociraptors, July 2002
Dino Hunters Guide to Tyrannosaurus Rex, Fall 2002
For more information, or to join our mailing list, contact us.
www.broncosaurusrex.com
[email protected]

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Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards
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System Rules Document Copyright 2000 Wizards of
the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip
Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and
Dave Arneson.
Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex
Core
Rulebook Copyright 2001 Joseph Goodman DBA Goodman
Games (contact [email protected], or see
www.broncosaurusrex.com)
Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex Cretasus
Adventure Guide Copyright 2002 Joseph Goodman DBA
Goodman Games
(contact
[email protected], or see www.broncosaurusrex.com)

This printing of Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex

Cretasus Adventure Guide is done under version 1.0 of the
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Rex Cretasus Adventure Guide Copyright 2002 Joseph
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Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex Cretasus
Adventure Guide is copyright 2002 Joseph Goodman DBA
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of the Open Game License.

CRETASUS ADVENTURE GUIDE

Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Chapter I: The Main Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
New Savannah & Environs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
New Savannah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Mount Crowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
The Dukes and Butlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
The McQuarry Brothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
The Hideout Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
The Great Library of Logos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
The Crystal Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
The Tecumseh Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Fort Tecumseh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
The Dino Warriors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Fort Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Federal Marshals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Ironclads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
The Southwestern Plains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
The Black Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
The Bayou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
The Bay Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
The Inland Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
The Bay Side Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Underglen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Fort Apache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Plesiosaur Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
The Northwestern Plains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Barrister House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
The Warp Pirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Chapter II: Dinosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Dinosaur Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Cultural Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Dinosaurs in the Wild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Dinosaurs in the Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Dinosaurs as Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Dinosaur Combat Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Chapter III: Player Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Character Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Prestige Class: Dino Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Prestige Class: Federal Marshal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

Machinists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Skill Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
New Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
New Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Chapter IV: Gamemaster Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Generating Settlements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Typical NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Getting Around Cretasus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Common Mounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Vehicle Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Typical Vehicle Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Buying a Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Treasure Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Encounter Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Chapter V: Creature Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Coloration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Subspecies and Mutations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Albertosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Ceratopsians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Cheirolepis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
Dryosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Dunkleosteus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Eurypterid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Hadrosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Kronosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Leptoceratops (Zulep) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Plesiosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Quetzalcoatlus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Scray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Small Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Spinosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Stenonychosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Tanystropheus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Therizinosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Trilobite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Vulcanodon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Template: Ironclad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128

Credits
Writers: Fred Bush, Joseph Goodman, Mike
Roberts
Copy Editor: Derek Schubert
Cover Artist: Walter Stuart
Logo Designer: Derek Schubert

Interior Artists: Tim Burgard, Brianna Garcia,

Dan Morton, Derek Schubert, V. Shane
(vshane.com), Walter Stuart
Concept Artist: Andrew Farago
Graphic Designer: Joseph Goodman

Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex created by Joseph Goodman

Dedicated to my brother Mike. Thanks for all the good games.

Introduction
Welcome to the world of Cretasus! Cretasus is the setting for
Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex, a game world where cowboys use laser rifles to hunt dinosaurs. If you havent read the
Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook, you might
want to do so before continuing in the Cretasus Adventure Guide.
You could use this book in any d20 setting, but it is best suited to
Dinosaur Planet: Broncosaurus Rex.
We have divided the Cretasus world into several volumes.
This first, the Adventure Guide, will give you all the information
you need to start adventuring in the planets Main Valley, the most
settled area of Cretasus. Future works will cover new dinosaur
species and specific regions in greater detail, as well as some of
the other great valleys of Cretasus.
For those of you unfamiliar with Dinosaur Planet:
Broncosaurus Rex, it is set in the year 2202. Dinosaurs have been
discovered on the planet Cretasus. The two main factions in
human politics the Union and the Confederacy rush to establish a military presence, even as pioneers from across the galaxy
come to farm, hunt, and domesticate the dinos.
Settlers on Cretasus have identified hundreds of varieties of
dinosaurs virtually identical to those once found on Earth.
Prehistoric mammals have been sighted in neighboring regions,
engendering theories that the planets massive surface area has
created numerous micro-climates separated by mountains or other
impassable terrain. Some micro-climates have remained frozen
in evolutionary time or have evolved along unusual lines, while

others have evolved more normally. The result is widely different

ecological results in close proximity to each other.
Some of the dinosaurs are the classic dumb brutes we all
know so well. But most are not. Velociraptors have near-human
intelligence. They live in organized tribes which loosely connect
into larger nations. Tyrannosaurus rex live in widely dispersed
family groups whose members remember genealogies for hundreds of years. Triceratops travel in large herds with rigorous
social organization. Almost every species has its own language,
and the more intelligent ones have dialects specific to each region.
Even though Cretasus is far outside established political borders, it has been brought to the forefront of galactic politics by its
Earth-like environment and abundance of dinosaurs. The
dinosaurs have great potential as weapons and beasts of burden, a
point not lost on either the Confederacy or Union generals.
Although the Union and Confederacy long ago ceased open warfare, they have never ended hostilities. Now the battle for Cretasus
threatens to re-open a centuries-old conflict.
Characters can choose from six new character classes presented in the Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook: Bronco Rider,
Machinist, Soldier, Spy, Two-Fister, and Wild One. They can be
Union or Confederate, staunch loyalists or complete impartials, or
they may hail from one of several independent factions.
Adventures abound on the newly settled planet, with aliens, warp
pirates, the dinosaur nations, intergalactic trade, and rustlers,
ranchers, robbers, and wranglers to round out the universe.

Chapter I: The Main Valley

The Main Valley is ringed by steep mountains which isolate
it from the rest of Cretasus. The only break in the mountain
perimeter is the Fur River, which flows directly into Mammoth
Valley to the west. One can travel to Mammoth Valley on the river
itself or along the treacherous bluffs beside it. The Fur River
earned its name from the occasional migrants who follow it out of
Mammoth Valley in the dinosaur-laden Main Valley, these mammalians are the only creatures to sport fur of any kind.
The center of human civilization on Cretasus is New
Savannah, the planets only city to speak of. Staunchly
Confederate, it sits between Fort Tecumseh to the west and Fort
Apache to the east. New Savannah houses the planets only civilian spaceport, although ships with wilderness landing capabilities
can (and do) land in the wilderness.
In contrast to the relative sophistication of New Savannah,
the territories around it are the wild west of Cretasus. Stretching
from Fort Tecumseh in the west to Fort Apache in the east, you
will find the large farms and ranches, the watering holes and
saloons, the small towns, the big herds of domesticated broncos,
the rustlers, and the stables and mills and tanneries. This area is
still quite wild, but human occupation is extensive enough that
towns are relatively safe from wild dinosaurs (with the occasional dramatic exception). By now, most hunters and trappers have
moved further into the frontier where the wild dinosaurs are still
plentiful.

To the west of Fort Tecumseh, and to the east of Fort Apache,

are the true frontiers. At any time of day, there is at least one
wagon train leaving New Savannah for these frontiers, carrying
pioneers lured by the promises of free land, undiscovered gold,
and simple freedom.
The passage west is called the Tecumseh Trail. As it heads
into the great southwestern plains, it splits. Most settlers end their
journey near the fork, setting up a farm somewhere on the plains.
Some continue along the southern route, which leads to the
forests, Lake Hope, and the frontier town of Garsville. A very few
make the dangerous journey north along the edge of the swamp
known as the Bayou: a route that ultimately crosses the Fur River
and leads to the fertile northwestern plains.
The passage east from New Savannah is called the Bay Trail.
It soon turns north as it winds along the banks of the inland sea.
Most settlers along this route make their living by fishing, but
some have headed east into the deep valley forest. The forest is
thick with dangerous dinosaurs, but lush and ideal for logging and
raising a variety of crops on cleared land. The Bay Trail ends at
Plesiosaur Bay, a lawless settlement on the very northern tip of the
inland sea.
These general regions New Savannah, the Tecumseh Trail,
and the Bay Trail provide the structure for our description of the
Main Valley. Together with the vast Northwestern Plains, they
make up the valleys four quadrants.

New Savannah & Environs

New Savannah
New Savannah is the first great city on Cretasus to have
developed through the natural processes of settlement. Situated on
the shore of a great land-locked ocean, it provides a focal point for
the vast number of smaller habitations and farms that extend
across the plains towards the distant frontiers and beyond.
Ranchers and farmers come to New Savannah to sell their livestock and crops, making the citys market place a hive of activity.
Soldiers and Dino Warriors come to enjoy the loquacious atmos-

phere of New Savannahs many watering holes and other distractions that help mentally postpone the next tour of duty. Trades of
every kind are plied within its tall stone walls, some less salubrious than others, but all intrinsic to New Savannahs rich and varied tapestry. Inside its granite boundaries, youll find people looking for a good time, others seeking a respite from the bitter conditions of frontier life, and still others hunting the rewards that
such endeavors bring. If you want to make your mark on Cretasus,
New Savannah is your best bet for a solid starting point, for without the security provided by its civilized community, your plans
have foundations of sand.

The History of New Savannah

Early Developments
New Savannah developed as the largest community on
Cretasus soon after people discovered the great land-locked
ocean. Finding food on Cretasus was always a major concern for
the settlers, and a source of fresh water, untouched by man, would
always guarantee food. Fishing expeditions quickly proved that
New Savannah would have the bare necessities to sustain a population far larger than any other prospective site had yet offered,
and the plains surrounding it were suitable for both pastoral and
arable agriculture, due doubtless to the presence of the ocean.
Quarries of stone, mines for fuel, forests for wood: all lay within
relatively easy reach of the site chosen to establish the first settlement, and it soon became the center for the whole of the regions
activity. If farmers found their crops destroyed by the untamed
dinosaurs wandering from the eastern forests, they knew they
could find food at New Savannah. Many of the early victims of
stampeding herbivores relinquished their land in return for a fishing vessel and a rudimentary wooden dwelling.
These men and their families were the founders of modern
New Savannah. Few families left after stopping on the shores of
the picturesque ocean, so abundant were the fish and helpful
neighbors. Those with an eye for commerce quickly purchased the
land off disenchanted farmers, knowing that others would follow
eager to try their hand at taming the land, and it was not long
before much of the land surrounding New Savannah was in the
hands of the Porter family and its patriarch, Hepsediah Porter.

The Porter Family

A wealthy industrialist and philanthropist descended from
Atlanta, Hepsediah Porter was committed to establishing a model
community on Cretasus. Having successfully combined business
interests with an often-contradictory devout belief in fair play,
Porter had left for Cretasus in search of a fresh start after the
heart-breaking death of his beloved wife Marie. His sons and
daughters asked to travel with him, and the whole family left on a
ship with little of the pomp and circumstance that their wealth had
accustomed them to.
Porters arrival on Cretasus was not auspicious. As the ship
descended to the verdant plains he had identified for settlement,
the crew saw an eighteen foot tall metal man below them. They
had stumbled onto secret testing grounds for the Unions ironclads, the powerful walking tanks that the Union hoped to someday deploy against the Confederacy. Porter retreated, but not
before the ironclads warning shots breached the hull. After a wild
descent, the damaged craft finally came to rest. Porter and his
shipmates found that they were in the middle of a desert. They
were way off course.
Taking what supplies that they could carry, the party left the
ship and struck out in search of the plains. Some stayed with the

stricken craft, insisting that they would be rescued when they

were reported as missing, but most left, with Porter at their head.
His strong personal charm, wise yet swift mind and keen skills of
negotiation had made him a popular man on board ship: despite
his age, it was only natural that he should lead the expedition into
the distant depths of this unfamiliar planet.
Several settlers wanted to set up a more permanent camp after
only three days of travelling, but Porter persuaded them to continue. He spoke as if certain of brighter prospects ahead, and there
were very few dissenting voices as he laid out his plans for a
longer trek into the interior. They had plentiful supplies, wellserviced transports, and fuel supplies to see them right for several
weeks touring. He sent motorcycle riders and horsemen out ahead
of the main group to warn of obstacles and relay any good news,
such as the discovery of a source of fresh water and food. For
eight days and nights, each rider brought back the same story: that
there was nothing but desert surrounding them, and that they had
made their initial landing way off target. With the exception of
unusual crystal formations and the occasional small dinosaur,
there was nothing to be seen but sand and shale.
Hepsediah realized that those whod refused to come with
him would be calling for help that would never come; they were
nowhere near their intended destination, and there was no guarantee that the radios on the ship would be able to contact those who
could save them. Porters eldest son, Daniel, volunteered to go
back for the settlers that had stayed with the ship. Despite his gut
feeling, Hepsediah allowed Daniel to do so. Several members of
the party objected, because if Daniel were to make the return journey and catch up with the main contingent he would need a great
deal of the remaining fuel and food. Others opined that the people
at the ship would have already been rescued by now. Some families wanted to travel with Daniel, as they believed that Hepsediah
was mistakenly leading them to starvation in a barren desert.
At this point, the first cracks appeared in the settlers previous
solidarity. Most were ignorant of Hepsediahs concern for his son
and the well-being of those who traveled with him; it would
indeed be a great feat for anyone to make a return journey and survive. Critics showed more interest in the fact that they had been
travelling for over a week, and yet had found nowhere to set up
camp. Now that the convoy was going to be split, they would have
fewer vehicles none to spare if any broke down and they
would also have fewer supplies. They estimated that they could go
on for only one more week without finding a supply of food; then,
they would starve. Porter restricted rations to half their current
level, which was unpopular, but the settlers stuck with the man
who had brought them here so far unscathed by the hostile wilderness through which they drifted.

Parting of the Company

The convoy split on September 12th, Hepsediah fighting back
the tears as his son climbed into the cabin of the lead truck. The
Porter family had always been renowned for their wanderlust;

Hepsediahs distant relatives had been at the frontiers of American

settlement many generations ago, and it was evident that both
Daniel and his father had inherited the trailblazing spirit. Neither
had experienced such a split first-hand, however; they had always
operated as a family, and found the parting difficult, especially
before the eyes of those who had followed them into the desert. A
few words of encouragement were exchanged, as were proud
boasts of a speedy return. Their smiles that followed were forced
through overwhelming sensations of loss for both father and son,
the like of which they had not experienced since the death of
Marie, wife and mother respectively to those facing this difficult
separation. Both parted into a future of dire uncertainty. The mood
in both camps hung heavy that night.
Hepsediahs expedition left the next morning, moving further
into the interior and communicating with Daniels convoy through
radio. After four days of travel,
Hepsediahs group found themselves on
an incline. They were heading towards
mountains, and all quickly realized that it
would be almost impossible to get the
trucks over them except by a pass.
Motorcyclists were sent out once again,
and after a day, the first returned with
news that there was a gorge running
through the mountains. The gorge was
clearly hazardous, but the party could only
continue onwards. They had seen large
dust clouds behind them, and once it was
clear that Daniels convoy was not responsible, the settlers became quite keen to
delay any meeting with the cause of the
disturbances. The storm or stampede
behind them could damage their vehicles,
but the way forward also seemed distinctly unforgiving. Choosing the lesser of the
two perceived evils, the company set off
toward the mountain pass.
They were not long into the second
days travel when an avalanche of rocks
hurtled down the mountainside toward the
lead vehicle. Other vehicles were knocked
over as the rocks crashed into the gorge,
killing several of the settlers and blocking
the path forwards. It was far too hot to
begin clearing the debris; after an initial
search for survivors, it was decided to
clear the way during the night. Those
unharmed by the incident set up camp,
whispering to their neighbors that they
should have traveled with Daniels convoy. The party worked hard through the
night to remove fallen rocks and crushed
vehicles, but more remained. As they
awoke the second night, many in the party

echoed anothers dissatisfaction at Porters leadership. Hepsediah

was despondent. He knew that if there was nothing beyond this
mountain pass, they were doomed. The louder the murmurs of
mistrust, the more he doubted his decision to lead them here.
However, they now had little option but to continue onwards. That
night, they cleared the gorge with superhuman effort. After travelling through the night, the party soon came to the other side of
the range and gazed on a world wholly different from the desert
dunes they had left days before.

Beyond the Mountains

As the light of a new day suffused their senses, the settlers
looked in awe at the plains that stretched before them. Desert
quickly gave way to grasses, trees, and other plants: the first signs

of life they had seen for an age, a wild array disappearing into the
horizon as far as the eye could see. Small herds of grazing
dinosaurs could be seen in the distance, slowly making their way
across the landscape that seemed an herbivorous utopia. To
Hepsediah Porter, such lushness spoke of one thing: water. He
would soon find water. His group would survive.
Previous doubts gave way to jubilation, and Porter was hailed
as a genius. Despite the excitement, Porter himself was less than
gleeful, as the mountain range had severed the radio link with his
sons party. While the travelers celebrated, Hepsediah worked
without rest on the radio, trying to catch a frequency through
which he could hail his son. His labors went unrewarded, and
while his company exulted, something inside him seemed to die.
Instinctively, he knew that Daniel had perished.

The Inland Sea

Now determined that the planet not take any more lives,
Hepsediah sent motorcyclists to search for a river. There had be a
river flowing from the mountains into this plain to give it such
vibrant life. After a days searching, the scouts returned, two of
them having found rivers that flowed from the mountains. Several
members of the company asked why no such rivers had flowed
into the other side, but their questions were quickly drowned in
the excitement that followed the announcement that the nearest
river would be followed to its destination. If it followed the same
pattern as rivers on Earth, it would flow to the sea, where the travelers knew they would find a place to rest.
As the river grew greater, so did the hopes of the settlers.
After two more weeks of travel beside its lush green bank, they
reached their destination. The rivers mouth opened into a vast
lake, the likes of which the travelers had never seen. Lazy
hadrosaurs splashed in the shallows, a huge herd of triceratops
grazed the lush green shoots along the shore, and low-flying
pterosaurs plucked fish from the gentle waves. The water was a
deep blue, untarnished by man and primordially pure.
Building small fishing vessels, the intrepid settlers soon discovered the vast array of aquatic life that proved not only easy to
catch in their nets but eminently suitable for their cooking pots.
Their first week passed with disarming swiftness, and the travelers knew that they had arrived.

The Birth of New Savannah

It wasnt long before the inhabitants of the planet began to
show an interest in these new arrivals. The settlers first encounters with the dinosaurs did nothing to engender an open-minded
attitude towards the creatures that were now their co-habitants,
but Porter knew that if they were to survive, the settlers would
have to somehow live with these giants. Some advocated shooting
the dinosaurs if they came too close; however, the settlers
weapons would merely irritate one of the creatures, perhaps
enough to enrage it and cause the whole herd to stampede in

response. Preventive measures were needed, foundations on

which could be built a permanent future for the settlement, and the
ocean would be their ally.
Porter proposed the construction of a deep, wide moat around
the settlement, with a wooden palisade atop the earth thrown up
by the digging of the channel. The deep water should discourage
the casual visitor, and the palisade would protect the settlement
from the more determinedly inquisitive while providing an excellent vantage point from which to espy the surrounding plain.
Some parts of the plan would prove difficult to achieve; the construction of a lock to stop the water flowing away from the channel when the tide retreated seemed the most challenging mechanical problem. Some of the settlers balked at the sheer toil of that
the scheme.
Adapting well to the task ahead of them, the settlers modified
some of their vehicles using the tools and equipment they had
brought from Earth. The work took weeks, but fortunately the
herds of herbivores kept their distance, possibly because they saw
the trucks and diggers as a new kind of predator. Whatever the
reason, it was a welcome piece of good fortune, for the small settlement could not have withstood the charge of a terrified herd.
However, while all eyes were on the vast numbers of herbivores
that moved along the coast, others slipped through the forest
glades unseen. The settlers would soon discover that they were not
the only ones capable of alarming the destructive mass of the
triceratops.

Taming the Wild

As night fell one balmy June evening, the lookouts reported
swift creatures approaching from the edges of the forest towards
the foremost members of the vast herd, which was now drinking
at the oceans edge. It was clear the herd was unaware, as they
remained fixed on quenching their thirst. With the benefit of their
night-vision goggles, the lookouts saw that a pack of albertosaurs
was on the move, intent on sating their hunger at the expense of
the herd.
Porter was alarmed. Much of the herd was now within a kilometer of the settlement, and should they stampede to escape the
predators, there was a distinct possibility that they would charge
the settlement. However, the albertosaurs had some considerable
distance to travel over sparsely covered ground, and they too were
in no hurry to panic their quarry. They began to move slowly as
they came out of the forest, making the best use of the cover
around them to hide from the herd. Porter knew it was now or
never.
Asking for volunteers from the unmarried men, he proposed
that the settlers venture out and take the fight to the albertosaurs.
Their vehicles could cover the ground in a few minutes, and if
they could drive off the albertosaurs, they would be unlikely to
return. One group was to drive the herd away from the village,
while another group on the faster vehicles would take what fight
they had in them to the hunters.

Most of the young men volunteered. Taking the deadliest

weapons in the settlements well-kept arsenal, they set out on the
fastest motorcycles in teams of two: one to concentrate on driving,
the other riding pillion to fire the guns. Their small size should not
alarm the herbivores, whose attention was to be demanded by the
pick-up trucks and massive engineering vehicles that seemed to
have stayed the herd during the construction of the palisade and
moat.
The bikers took absurd risks in driving away the albertosaurs.
Believing that a head shot was the only way to make the bullets
count, they had to get in close. Young Abraham Jackson was the
first to feel the powerful teeth of an enraged albertosaur close
around his body, damning both him and his pillion passenger to a
terrifying death and sending Abraham to rest with his family. Zeke
Wylde, a seventeen-year-old dead-eye shot from Hazzard County,
Mars, settled the debt, sending several hollow-point rounds
through the hateful staring orb of the largest albertosaur, which
had been watching Zeke and his driver as if sizing up its next
meal. Another albertosaur fell as three gunmen riddled its face
with bullet-holes, forever closing its mandibles of death.
Whether it was the roar of the bikes engines or the simple
fact that they were now on the receiving end of the kind of brutal
aggression they usually handed out, the albertosaurs began to run
towards the forest glade. Zeke downed another two as they fled,
and other teams wounded several more. Though the albertosaurs
were much hardier than the humans theyd fought, the horrific
wounds inflicted by the hollow-point rounds ensured that at least
a few escapees would die in the very near future.
Here was the first sign that man had established himself on
Cretasus. The natural order of the dinosaur planet was to be
changed forever by mankinds intervention; he was to play the
role of a brutal shepherd, protecting the flock from all harm so that
he could slaughter them himself. The first albertosaur pack that
the settlers had encountered would soon starve to death, deprived
of the food source that had always been available to them.
Although they had only been here for weeks, all Cretasus now
knew that the humans had arrived.

advisers were also to travel to the area, to survey it and measure

its potential for expansion.
Realizing that this would soon be the largest settlement on
Cretasus, Porter decided that it needed a name. The community
was unanimous in its opinion that Porter should choose the name
for their piece of Cretasus, and it wasnt difficult for him to make
up his mind. Thinking of his beloved wife Marie and the splendor
of the city of his ancestors, he proclaimed to rapturous applause
that the settlement would be known as New Savannah.
The first ships landed fourteen weeks after the albertosaur
attack, by which time the inhabitants had prepared temporary
accommodation for the new arrivals. Masses of machinery and
supplies were unloaded, including fuel, mining tools, felling
equipment, engineering vehicles, and temporary structures. Many
of the settlers were specialists: miners, quarrymen, lumberjacks
and machinists from all over the galaxy had come to New
Savannah to aid in its development. Each had brought their families; Porter had requested that most of the new settlers be family
men in order to avoid the problems that plagued developing communities in the old west, where the drinking and gambling of single men bored with the monotony of their solitary lives had
stressed the mining towns to breaking point.
The advisors sent to New Savannah were a great surprise to
Porter. He had known all three of the senior post-holders from his
earlier days, and they were delighted to see him. Edgar
Winthorpe, his old business partner who had left to manage operations elsewhere, joined him as the industrial advisor; Jonas
Crowe, an old university friend, had been appointed scientific
advisor to the community; and finally, his old fishing friend
Nathanial P. Hood, a descendant of the famous Civil War general,
accompanied the new wave of settlers as military advisor. Other
officials and specialists had been sent to help build a lasting community, including doctors, fire chiefs, and planning architects.
With them at his disposal, Porter knew that New Savannah was
ready to take its first major leap towards its destiny as the greatest
example of human endeavor on all of Cretasus.

Building New Savannah

The Second Wave
After the albertosaur incident, many settlers who had previously been ranchers suggested dividing the herd. This would
reduce the threat it posed and let it be used as a source of food. To
do this, they would need more hands. Since the settlement had
survived the initial threats posed to it by the planets environment,
Hepsediah decided it was time to call for more settlers.
News of the travelers success in establishing the community
sparked a great deal of interest in the Confederacy. Drawing
together an armada of ships for the journey to the fledgling settlement, Confederacy officials informed Porter that many new settlers would be heading for the inland ocean, with masses of
machinery and materials so that they could take full advantage of
the prime land hed discovered. Scientific, industrial and military

10

With the new machinery and skilled workers to use it, work
started on the construction of a whole new city by the ocean.
Builders worked night and day to erect permanent dwellings, following architects plans for town blocks based on the distinct
squares in the original pattern of Savannah, Georgia. Heavily
armed teams ventured into the mountains to assess their mineral
value and begin mining ore, while workers prepared the foundations for the new factories that would process them.
Ranchers got to work driving a portion of the vast triceratops
herd away from the sea and into the plains, where they were
watered and managed by the humans. Most of the ranches were
founded along the river, extending the community onto the plains.
It was then that the predators reared their ugly heads and caught
the settlers unaware. A lack of security and a dearth of easy prey

saw the destruction of both the Jones ranch and the Caddocks
before armed patrols could drive the predators away. Some of the
ranchers figured that they had overstepped the boundary of safety. The older hands pulled back into the town until they could adequately protect themselves and their families out on the plain.
Some families, determined to make the most of the land and the
opportunities that it offered, stayed outside what the others considered a safe distance, but many paid a terrible price for doing so.
With new buildings erected every day, the pace of New
Savannahs development had fooled these younger ranchers into
believing the predatory dinosaurs were no longer a threat, and that
the humans had scared them off for good. However, the original
settlers determined resistance had forced the predators to take
more risks and attack whenever hunger forced an opportunity. The
ranchers living on the very edge of the community proved to be
perfect targets.
Most realized that New Savannah itself could not protect all
who decided to live out on the plains. Nathanial P. Hood, New
Savannahs military advisor, suggested the construction of small
outposts from which patrols could be launched against threatening
predators. These would also act as an early warning system
against other threats; Hood was all too aware that the Union
would be equally interested in the rich land surrounding New
Savannah, and he was determined not to give any ground to the
enemies of his country. Four small wooden forts were erected
along the bank of the river, each six kilometers apart: close
enough to support each other but far enough apart to actually play
a useful role in supporting the outlying ranches. Union spies and
potential interlopers could be apprehended at one of these forts,
and the forts very presence would increase the range that patrols
could cover. They would also provide convenient resting places
for the workers that traveled to and from the mountains, for rich
deposits of ore had been discovered and work had begun in
earnest to retrieve it. And all the time, the building of permanent
structures continued in New Savannah.
As the years progressed, more and more settlers came to New
Savannah, until the town was forced to spread over the plains
towards the forests and the mountains. Each influx brought more
machinery, equipment and resources to develop the town. Soon,
over two hundred thousand souls lived in New Savannah and its
environs. The town had expanded out in a checkerboard fashion,
copying the squares of old-time Savannah, and there were all the
offices, facilities, and amenities that humans elsewhere would
have expected to find. Farmers started to farm the vast plains, and
ranchers herded the triceratops further and further from the new
city. Ruthless purges against dinosaur predators were carried out
to clear the way for further human development and for the security of the herds, but predators would always reappear just when
the people thought them destroyed. As Hepsediah Porter and his
family grew in years, so the city of New Savannah grew in size
and maturity, until it was a self-sufficient and thriving community. Whether you come here for commerce or adventure or just to
bask in its splendor, New Savannah is a must-see spot for anyone
on Cretasus.

The City Today

Governing the Wilderness
If it were not for the presence of dinosaurs among them, the
citizens of New Savannah could be forgiven for thinking that
theyd never left Earth. All the raw materials valued on Earth can
be found somewhere near the city, whether it be in the ocean, the
earth or the mountains. In fact, the land is so fertile, so inviting to
humanity, that some have even entertained thoughts that theyve
discovered Eden, while others (mostly conspiracy theorists)
believe that it is some grand alien plan to lure humans to a single
location, in order to make it easy for aliens to harvest them for
their own sinister reasons. While the debate continues amongst
those with very little to do, the majority of New Savannahs people get on with the job of making Cretasus their home.
A self-supporting community, New Savannah benefits from a
sound organizational structure conceived by Porter and his advisors. As the city grew in size, so did the need for a system of law
enforcement and social services to provide the infrastructure for
the thriving community. All these services were provided by the
Confederacy. They include a fire service, free public heath system, sanitation department, police department, and all the other
public utilities and structures of government one would expect to
find in a major city.
Acting as head of the New Savannah community is
Hepsediah Porter, now in his early fifties. He and his close advisors form what government there is; there are none to rival him,
although there are sometimes voices of dissent, which usually
manifest themselves in protest or pressure groups. There is very
little in the way of political debate in the homesteads of the city,
and it is unlikely that there will be a place for it in the near future.
All of those who come to New Savannah do so out of choice; if
they are unwilling to live by its laws or pay its taxes, they simply
leave for the frontier. All who travel through space to New
Savannah are fully aware what is expected of them, and those who
refuse to comply are typically asked to leave.

Settling in New Savannah & Acquiring Land

There are two ways one can come to live in New Savannah.
The most common is through an employment contract, which
guarantees the successful applicant a house and some land. The
second way is through land purchase. The Confederacy has
enough troops in the area to forcefully lay claim to the plains of
New Savannah, and it can sell land to those who wish to live
there. A nominal rent is paid to the Confederacy to help finance
the army and forts in the area. Only a handful of the citizens resent
paying the taxes and rent, as theyre all too well aware of what
might happen if the patrols stop and the predators return in numbers.
Those less well-off are also eligible for land purchase by
mortgage, for which they purchase the land for a nominal fee, and

11

then are expected to pay a greater sum of rent to the Confederacy

to pay for the land. Failure to pay means eviction; New Savannah
isnt a socialist utopia, and life there can be as harsh for those who
fail as it is back on Earth.
Once the land has been purchased, the owner is free to do
with it as he or she sees fit (providing the Confederacy gets its
rent, of course). There are strict regulations preventing the mass
purchase of land or monopolies of ownership, as Porter and the
Confederacy are wary about potential land barons buying up all
the land and then selling to Union settlers. This is one conceptual
Mason-Dixon line that theyre determined to preserve.
Of course, many visitors to New Savannah choose neither of
the above options, opting instead to stay only long enough to gather supplies for passage to the frontier.

Industry
All conceivable types of industry occur in or around New
Savannah. All kinds of ore are mined, mostly around the mountains that separate the New Savannah plain from the desert that
Porters initial expedition had to cross. Many of these industries
are in the hands of the Confederacy, as they supply vital raw materials critical to any nation at times of war. The processing factories are kept close to their sources of supply, which means that
New Savannahs greatest industrial center is in fact many miles
away from the city. Life for the families of the miners and other
workers is harder than for those fortunate enough to live within
New Savannahs walls, but they have their own communities and
small towns that support them.
The largest town is called Mount Crowe, after Porters scientific advisor who discovered the main seams of ore in and around
the mountains. It is probably the last major stopover point for anyone wishing to head off into the mountains or beyond into the
desert, though very few come there for such a purpose. Most work
for the mining companies, and theres always work available for
deadeye shots to guard the ponderous travelling freight wagons.
Work is also underway on a railway between New Savannah and
the factories to reduce the risk of dinosaur attack; none of the huge
haulage wagons can travel very fast across the plain of New
Savannah, and while the trucks are pretty indestructible, their
crews arent. Pteranadons and pteradactyls from the mountains
have been known to attack resting convoys, and there is always
the threat of bandits. Drivers and outriders are always in demand
too; if one is looking for passage between New Savannah and the
mountains with food and pay, then the freight convoys are the best
option.

Places of Note
There are several places of particular importance in New
Savannah:
City Hall, where all the Offices are located;
The Docks, where most commercial and military boats moor;

12

The Grand Market, where most trade is done in New

Savannah;
Chatham Theatre, the largest and most popular theatre in
New Savannah; and
The Spaceport, the only one on Cretasus under civilian control.

City Government
Hepsediah Porter is the man responsible for the development
of what is essentially his city. As the population began to grow, he
studied the design Robert Castell had developed and that James
Oglethorpe used to create their magnificent Georgian city, the
Earthly Savannah that Porter loved so much. Drafting plans for
New Savannah, Porter and his team adopted the system of broad,
straight streets interspersed with grassy squares and parks. Lining
these streets were buildings of all kinds: houses and apartment
buildings, food stores, neighborhood shops, etc. The prototype
allowed for great flexibility and a pleasant human scale. Thirty
such squares formed the basis of the early city, and as more people arrived, more squares were added. The moat and palisade system were replaced by stone walls, which soon had to be ringed by
a second perimeter of massive wire fences as the city continued to
grow. While not as secure as the palisade, the fences are strong
enough to provide protection from the smaller dinosaurs now that
the ranchers had reduced the threat of mass stampedes.
Porters initial desire had been to re-create the eighteenth and
nineteenth century architecture that Savannah was famed for, but
simple economics and building pressures ruled out such ambitions
in the short term. However, as more settlers arrived and the
machinery to develop more impressive structures came available,
some of his dreams became reality.
New Savannah has a burgeoning business community, spectacular docks, the only civilian spaceport on Cretasus and much
more to interest the adventurer. It is the epitome of sophistication
and Southern gentility, and is even more outstanding given the
harsh environment in which it thrives. Like a fragrant orchid of
culture surrounded by an arid desert of plebieanism, the city is a
marked contrast to the hardships that surround its strong stone
walls. While ranchers and farmers fend off the natural world they
so carefully tend, the inhabitants of New Savannah relish the new
life they have made for themselves on Cretasus. For the majority,
it has been a struggle, but some arrive with the money and background of privilege. However, most of New Savannahs good citizens have endured their own hardships to get this far, and none
intend to return to the trials of the life theyve striven to escape.
New Savannah is one of the few centers of habitation that has
a formal government. Few of those that decide the citys future are
not first generation, and real authority lies with the Porter family and their close friends. Hepsediah Porter is still the overall
ruler of New Savannah, acting as the head of the community as
something crossed between a president and a mayor. There is no
serious political opposition to the Porter patriarch, and it almost

seems that he is without critics, but this is not the case. Taxation
is always a sore point, but most arguments are nipped in the bud
by admitting only those willing to pay such taxes to live in New
Savannah. The taxes pay for the infrastructure needed to keep
New Savannah working: roads, street lighting, the fire service,
hospitals, waterworks, militia guard, and other public utilities
controlled by Porters government. Each department of the local
government is responsible for keeping its part of the city in working order, and the Porter family oversees this conglomeration,
meshing it into one unified whole. Individuals are elected by the
citizens of New Savannah to run these utilities for terms of four
years. The role of public servant is not a light one; the grave
responsibility that comes with the office is not often reflected in
the pay, and one needs a certain philanthropic bent to stand for one
term, never mind run for a second. There is a great sense of
achievement amongst those who have held office, as each and
every one of the holders recognizes the significance of what they
are building on Cretasus. Being part of the New Savannah success
story is a great honor.
There are six main offices: the Sheriffs Office, the Office of
Public Works, the Office of Agriculture, the Office of Civil
Defense, the Office of Trade and Industry, and the Office of Public
Welfare.

The Sheriffs Office

The current holder of the Sheriffs Office is Nathanial Kelly,
a devout Protestant whose Earthly ancestors lived in Virginia. A
former Security Officer on one of the Confederacys largest
space-craft, the CSS Shiloh, he is now in his fiftieth year and has
kept crime in New Savannah so low that visitors may be unaware
that there are any misdemeanors committed in the city.
Every officer in the police force wears his badge of office on
the left breast: a circle with the Lone Star in the center. The rest of
the uniform resembles the grey worn at West Point before the
Civil War, making these guardians of the public good instantly
recognizable. They are trained to keep the public peace, but also
to shoot; the new challenges that the dinosaur planet brings are
also not lost on them.
Their special division of Bronco Riders handles any threats
posed by the herds, and often patrols outside the city to make sure
that there are no external threats passing unnoticed. The police
also keep a stable of horses and a crack posse that has been known
to pursue criminals deep into the swamps and mountains, usually
to return days later with their quarry in hand. Zeke Wylde, now a
little older than when he fought the albertosaurs at the settlements
birth, is the head of these Rough Riders. His knowledge of the
mountains is second only to that of the criminals who make it their
permanent home, and even they have been caught out several
times by his tenacious raids into their territory.
The city is split into separate precincts, each answerable to
Kellys office, and is manned by between twenty to forty officers
at one time. The Rough Riders are a city-wide elite, the result of

pooled resources from each precinct. All in all, Kelly does a good
job in keeping the citizens safe from the potential dangers that surround them and strives to ensure that crime does not pay.
The Sheriffs Office is also responsible for the upkeep of the
New Savannah prison, a large concrete structure often mistaken
for a fort by those approaching the city from outside. Fifteen
inhospitable miles separate the prison from the city, and if governor Jackson Wright has anything to do with it, its inhabitant wont
be making that journey until theyve paid their debt to society in
full and then some. There is no death penalty on Cretasus, but
doubtless your players will give cause for some to call for its
introduction!
Peterson Precinct: A typical precinct station located in the
east of the city, Peterson Precinct is home to sixty officers and
support personnel. Run by Evan Peterson (the citys longest serving precinct officer) it has approximately forty police officers
ready for action at any one time. At least half of these will be
patrolling the streets, as Kelly strongly believes that a powerful
police presence deters criminals. Peterson remains at the precinct
throughout the day, meeting with Kelly weekly in the city hall to
report on some of the initiatives that affect his precinct. The most
serious problem in Peterson Precinct is public disorder, as its
hotels and bars are popular with visitors from outside, who often
bring their cash with every intention of spending it on either the
finest wines available to humanity or cheap rot-gut whisky that
still does the job. Ranch-hands frequent this part of the city
when they are delivering to the market and they always bring
drunken violence. The officers give short shrift to aggressive
drunks; many ranch hands have awakened to find themselves
slightly bruised and sore in the stations cells.
Here are the statistics for the average police officer on the
New Savannah force should your players force their intervention
at any time.
New Savannah Police, Confederate War1: CR 1/2;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d8+3 (includes
Toughness feat); Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 leather
armor); Atk +2 melee (1d4+1/crit 19-20, knife), or +1 ranged
(1d10/crit x3, Colt .45); AL LN; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0;
Str 12, Con 11, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills: Intimidate +4 (4), Handle Animal +2 (1), Jump (1),
Listen +2 (0), Ride +2 (2), Spot +2 (0). Feats: Toughness,
Alertness.
Possessions: Knife, Colt .45 with 4d10 bullets, leather
armor, flashlight, manacles, cash $1d6. Police may be
equipped with Winchester rifles or shotguns for special missions.
The Rough Riders: A posse of forty trained horsemen, the
Rough Riders are chosen from the elite from each precinct. Led
by Zeke Wylde, the Riders often go out into the wilderness to get
their man, so all the Riders are expert horsemen and scouts. They
wear no uniform as such but all carry photographic identification
and a badge of office, though they rarely get called on to serve
inside the city. They are a cut above the average officer, and their
statistics reflect their specialist training.

13

Rough Rider, Confederate War1/Bro1: CR 2;

Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 2d8+3; Init +1 (Dex); Spd
40 ft. (light horse); AC 13 (+1 Dex, +2 leather armor); Atk +1
melee (1d8/crit 19-20, longsword), or +2 ranged (1d10/crit
x3, Colt .45)*; AL LN; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0; Str 11,
Con 11, Dex 12, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 12.
* Does not include penalties for firing while riding, which
are reduced due to Mounted Archery feat: -2 if mount makes
double move, -4 if mount runs.
Skills: Animal Empathy +6 (4), Balance +3 (2), Handle
Animal +8 (5), Intimidate +5 (4), Intuit Direction +4 (4),
Knowledge (nature) +2 (2), Jump +2 (2), Ride +7 (5),
Wilderness Lore +4 (4). Feats: Mounted Combat, Mounted
Archery, Toughness.
Possessions: Light horse, longsword, Colt .45 with 4d10
bullets, Winchester rifle with 3d10 bullets, leather armor,
cash $2d6. May be equipped with lances or other weapons
for special missions.
Scenario Hooks: The most likely point of involvement the
characters will have with the police force is if they get a little
rowdy or forget that New Savannah is a civilized city, not a place
where you can kill without facing the consequences. However, if
the characters are responsible citizens, they can volunteer as
Special Officers or even be deputized to assist the Rough Riders
if their reputation warrants it.

movie Alligator to you, but watch it; now imagine its a dinosaur
down there.

The Office of Public Works

Porters eldest daughter, Catherine, is the head of this Office,

which also deals with other sources of food vital to existence in
New Savannah. The fishing ships fall under the control of this
large department, as do the farms and ranches of the Main Valley.
It is only recently that the office has started regulating the fishing
ships, not because of fears of over fishing but because many
unsuitable boats wound up at the bottom of the inland ocean after
attacks by the larger sea dinosaurs. Small rowing boats look like
perfect prey to some of the true leviathans that hunt in the same
shoals as the fishermen, and more than one family has lost its
founder through such misadventure.
All land ownership is registered here, as are the individual
farms and ranches that lie in the surrounding territory. While the
Office covers most of the land within five days ride of New
Savannah, it doesnt stretch to the true frontier ranches, as most of
those were founded by independent endeavor and dont come
under the jurisdiction of the city. All ranchers register their brand
here to help settle cattle disputes, and the Office even has veterinarians who specialize in the fauna of Cretasus (as much as one
can be skilled in something so new) who train some of the less
transient ranch hands the skills needed to birth the young of their
peculiar herds.
The most arduous form of employment offered by the Office
is the post of Ranch Inspector, which involves extensive and
somewhat dangerous travel through the Main Valley to ensure that
ranches are being kept on the land the rancher actually owns and
that no one is collecting stray beasts from land that isnt theirs.

Probably the least glamorous of all the public offices, the

Office of Public Works is run by Winston Porter, the second-eldest son of the city patriarch. He is responsible for the smooth dayto-day running of the Office, which is the largest of the six. His
department covers a lot of different ground; the fire service, health
care, sewerage and waterworks, fuel supplies, land registration,
power, communications, and many other amenities taken for
granted by many citizens in New Savannah all fall under his jurisdiction. From clearing the sewers of rats and dinosaurs to providing the facilities for delicate surgery, the Office of Public Works is
a multi-faceted machine that runs smoothly due only to the dedication of the people who work within it. Private medicine is
unheard of, and all doctors must be registered with the Office
before they can practice. Of course private doctors do exist, but
they tend to serve those who dont want their medical needs coming to the attention of the police.
Scenario Hooks: As stated earlier, there usually isnt much in
the way of adventure to be found at the Office of Public Works,
but without it and the services it supplies, the characters wouldnt
be able to live in the city or receive medical aid. Union or bandit
sabotage of the public works is sometimes an issue, and dinosaurs
mucking up the generators has caused problems in the past. There
is always work for sewer cleaners; this can be a very dangerous
job, and despite the generous pay offered by the Office, very few
pursue this as a career. Not many people will recommend the

14

The Office of Public Welfare

Once again, this Office doesnt provide a great opportunity
for adventure; it handles social security and benefits for the sick,
the elderly and the disabled. If you cant work, then you should be
able to find help here. Isaiah Mason heads the Office of Public
Welfare and quietly gets on with it. There is an investigation
department that deals with fraud, but other than catching cheats,
theres not much in the way of excitement at the Office of Public
Welfare.
The one source of controversy is usually the immigration system. The Office has to examine people who have arrived at New
Savannahs massive spaceport for viruses and also has to detain
those who are on the planet illegally. The growing population of
aliens on Cretasus has raised fears of exotic disease, and with the
exception of the well-known Scray, most aliens are temporarily
quarantined upon their arrival at the spaceport.
Scenario Hooks: Unless you really want to go on a crusade
to better the lot of the down at heel, theres not much room for
adventure here.

The Office of Agriculture

This is an unpopular job, as its other responsibilities include collecting the taxes due to the Office. If a farmer or rancher has had
a bad year or disastrous month, theres sometimes nothing left for
the Inspector to take. Things can turn nasty, especially if the individual concerned feels that the department is at fault for not supporting him during his hour of need. The Inspector usually travels
with at least one Rough Rider and several other paid representatives to both protect him from angry farmers and enforce his
authority when necessary.
Scenario Hooks: The Office usually hires outsiders to
enforce its dictates, as the potential for corruption is quite high.
This somewhat mercenary approach is regulated by a small force
of professional officers, all of whom have been extensively vetted
before being appointed. They oversee the hirelings and make sure
the operation runs smoothly. Characters becoming involved with
the Office can usually expect to have at least one NPC accompany them, no matter what task they are paid to undertake.
Here are some typical missions:
1. Tax collection: This is a great opportunity to ride with the
Rough Riders, but it can also be a harrowing experience for the
more sensitive players. Many people struggle in the Main Valley,
and a dinosaur attack can wipe out a great deal of hard work.
Characters could find themselves in a situation where they support
the farmer who cant pay and refuses to abandon his farm, instead
holing up with his rifle and enough ammunition and food to keep
the officers off his familys back. Grudges can develop if the players carry out their duty; if the same farmer, now ruined, catches up
with them when the bandit gang he runs ambushes the characters,
what will he do?
2. Rustling: Players can find themselves involved in antirustling investigations. The Butlers and Dukes, two families that
you will meet later, are a common source of friction that the
Office has to smooth over and this would be a perfect way to
involve the players in their age-old feud. There are also the bandits who hide out in the hills, mountains and swamps; they still
need to eat, and what easier way than stealing cattle (or other edible life-forms). Theres potential for an awful lot of scenarios
here: What if they discover that the rustlers arent even human,
but aliens or fierce dinosaur predators?
3. Hunting a deadly sea predator. While the Offices ships are
sturdier than most, no one really knows the true size of the monsters that dwell within the inland ocean. What terror may come
from the deep? Jaws will seem like childs play compared to some
of the specimens chomping their way through the unlucky fishermen of New Savannah.

The Office of Civil Defense

Under the leadership of Nathanial P. Hood, the Office of Civil
Defense covers all military activity in New Savannah, including
the patrols that man some of the smaller waypoint forts outside the
city walls. Remarkably, there isnt that much in the way of excitement for the military forces and the New Savannah Militia simply

because theres no one to fight; the regular Confederate Army

watches for any Union challenge and the force stationed at New
Savannah is more or less a garrison to protect the city from the
larger predators and the unlikely but possible prospect of an
Union attack.
The Militia is purely a Civil Defense Force, but they do train
with the military, and could be a useful occupation for player characters who want to be soldiers but also to have the freedom with
which to adventure on Cretasus.
Militiaman, Confederate Sol1: CR 1; Medium-size
Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d8+3 (includes Toughness feat); Init
+1 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (+5 flak jacket, +1 Dex); Atk +1
melee (1d4+1/crit 19-20, knife), +2 ranged (1d10/crit x3,
automatic pistol), or +2 ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester
rifle); AL LN; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 12, Con 11,
Dex 12, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10.
Skills: Drive +5 (4), Intimidate +4 (4), Knowledge (strategy & tactics) +5 (4), Listen +4 (2), Pilot +3 (2), Spot +2 (0),
Use Technical Equipment +5 (4). Feat: Toughness,
Alertness.
Possessions: Knife, automatic pistol with 1d4 cartridges
(20 bullets each), Winchester rifle with 1d4 cartridges (20
bullets each), flak jacket, cash $1d4.

The Office of Trade and Industry

Run by Jeremiah Othelthwaite, this Office is responsible for
taxation of the local population and New Savannah businesses, as
well as ensuring that there is fair play amongst the companies
mining the rich ore from the mountains and the surrounding area.
It is a very busy office, as new businesses are opening all the time,
particularly in New Savannah and the industrial district around
Mount Crowe. The Office covers such diverse functions as the
transport infrastructure, and its main project now is the railway
from Mount Crowe to the industrial district of New Savannah. It
is also responsible for traffic coming in and out of the spaceport,
and if the characters start the game by arriving from another planet, they will see representatives of both the Office of Public
Welfare and the Office of Trade and Industry. After all, Porter is
keen to limit the number of people wanting to live in New
Savannah as hes all too aware of the problems that overpopulation bring.
The Office also deals with the thriving business community
that has developed over the last few decades. Business leaders
typically try to get taxes lowered; if there is ever to be a concerted challenge to the Porter patriarchy, more than likely it will come
from the business sector. However, unless your players want to get
involved in a political game, you dont really need to worry about
this, since Porter policies are popular with the vast majority of citizens, and businesses are strictly forbidden to sponsor candidates
for election to any of the offices of government. The influence of
business on policy is widely regarded as the beginning of the end
for the Unions once-democratic government, as those who had

15

bankrolled candidates soon made it clear that they hadnt done so

for philanthropic reasons.
Scenario Hooks: There are several ways that the characters
could find themselves working for the Office of Trade and
Industry. Here are just a few:
1. The Office employs a team of industrial investigators who
ensure that businesses are playing by the rules. With the rise of
competition among firms vying for Confederate contracts to mine
ore, the investigators are kept extremely busy and there is always
an opportunity for players to find employment with the Office in
that capacity. A few gunslingers are always welcome, simply
because if a business is acting in an underhanded manner, its
owner would rather silence the investigator than give up a lucrative contract. After all, anything can happen en route between
New Savannah and Mount Crowe. Many recent investigations
have surrounded two large families, the Butlers and the Dukes,
more of whom youll hear later.
2. Bandits have stolen a transport ship from the Spaceport and
the characters are hired to retrieve it. This can bring them into
conflict with pirates who are trading off-world and could be the
start of a long campaign assuming the players actually want to
work with the authorities and not become outlaws themselves!
3. Supplies are disappearing en route to the railway, with
whole shipments and their drivers leaving New Savannah, never
to be seen again. The Office wants to know what is going on: is it
the work of the Union, bandits, dinosaurs or something more sinister? Some ranch hands believe that theyve seen the ghosts of
the drivers begging for help but have been too spooked to take any
action. Others claim to have seen strange lights in the sky; could
it be aliens? It is up to the characters to get to the truth.

Life in New Savannah

For the majority of citizens, life is very comfortable. The difficulties of early settlement have been overcome; new arrivals
dont realize how good theyve got it. As discussed before, the
city is arranged in an array of squares, which radiate out from the
inland ocean like a vast checkerboard. The older squares contain
both residential and commercial buildings, but as the city has
grown, squares have tended to be separated more along lines of
function. There are whole squares that contain shops and others
that contain only residences, giving the city a more district-like
feel. For example, around the huge market are many other business squares, drawn by the vast crowds that frequent the marketplace. The Chatham Theatre is surrounded by hotels, saloons, and
other places of entertainment, all providing somewhere to have a
drink before (and after) whatever show is currently in production.
Even the residential areas have convenience stores that provide
most of their needs.

16

A Typical Residential District

Houses make up the majority of buildings in the residential
squares, with the occasional shop or bar breaking up the near perfect (or monotonous) symmetry of Porters architectural model.
Most houses are two-story and hold between four and seven people, typically a single family. The district well look at is called
Stuart District, which consists of eight squares, and is of fairly
recent construction. It is based near the southern wall of the city,
far away from the inland ocean.
The brief outline here leaves enough room for you to inhabit
the district with anyone you like. Broadly speaking, it falls under
the jurisdiction of the Stuart Precinct police station, and is fairly
quiet. It has two bars, three diners, and myriad small coffee shops
and convenience stores.
Jerrys (Residential Bar): Stuart Districts largest bar is a
popular meeting place for after work drinks as it is based near the
coach house, the point at which all the locals disembark after a
hard days work in the city center. Popular attractions include live
bands playing country music every weekday evening and dancing
on the weekends. The bar takes its name from owner Gerald
Dwight, a resident of three years who brought enough money with
him to have first dibs on the bar when it was built. He used to
work on the docks and has good knowledge of the ocean, even
though he now lives at the opposite end of New Savannah from
his former place of employment. His old buddies still drink here
most evenings, bringing with them fishy tales: who has caught
what, and in some cases what has caught whom.
Uncle Moes (Family Restaurant): William Greenburg runs
this family-oriented diner. The establishments second owner,
Greenburg took over from Moe Williams when the latter died (of
natural causes, not food poisoning). The diner holds places for
about sixty people and youre not allowed to bring firearms onto
the premises or use foul language in front of the children.
Greenburg is more than capable of throwing rebarbative customers out if they refuse his polite requests to leave, an offer only
given once. Meals are good, the portions are fair, and the staff
friendly if you play by their rules.
Jackson the Grocer: Typical of many convenience stores in
New Savannah, this one, run by fifty-year-old manager Andrew
Jackson, sells everything from ironmongery to boiled sweets.
Prices tend to be a little high, but the store is right on the doorstep
of those who live nearby, and a long haul through the city is the
last thing residents want if they just need a cup of sugar. Jackson
keeps a shotgun under the counter and is ably assisted by his wife
Megan, a forty-three-year-old redhead with a tongue sharper than
bitter lemon candy. These stores should be the first port of call for
characters wanting to get a good idea of the lay of the land.
Everyone in the neighborhood pops into the shop for those lastminute items, and anyone not recognized by the Jackson family
either plans their shopping like a military campaign or is hiding
from humanity for some possibly sinister reason.

Dinosaurs in New Savannah

Dinosaurs are quite difficult to domesticate, but people make
pets out of them anyway. Small dinos in particular are kept in
cages, in yards, on chains, or loose in peoples houses. Its rare to
find someone who doesnt keep two or three small dinosaurs
(squirrel- to dog-sized) around the house. Brightly-colored dinos
are particularly popular; many of the domesticated versions are
actually poisonous creatures with their venom sacs removed.
Dinos smaller than dog-sized generally do not speak and range in
cleverness from the level of a monkey to the level of a rabbit.
They vary widely in temperament and habits.
Its also important to note that some of these dinos will bite,
scratch, and attack their owners (who are not at all their masters).
Most are not fully domesticated and do not toilet train. People
keep them around at their own risk, but it seems to satisfy some
deep psychological urge, or perhaps allay fears of the unconquered hordes of dinosaurs outside the settled areas.
A few types of dino have been fully gentled for use in the
house and are tame enough to be kept around small children.
Butterfly lizards have a delicate pair of gliding wings and brightly colored scales; they are greedy and eager eaters which skitter
around walls and ceilings like geckos on speed. White Jagers are

tiny pale nocturnal bipeds that keep the house clear of vermin by
patient, quiet stalking of their prey. They imprint like ducks: once
bonded to a particular person, they will respect, obey, and protect
that person forever. Both of these species breed well in captivity,
although butterfly lizards are notoriously frail and temperaturesensitive, requiring a warm, moist atmosphere or their wings dry
out and they perish.
It is illegal for dinosaurs to walk loose down the streets of
New Savannah. Riding them or walking them on a leash is
allowed, but otherwise they need to stay indoors. New arrivals are
sometimes surprised to see compsognathus, clipped pterosaurs,
and edaphosaurs wandering up and down the street on leashes.
Raptors and protoceratops, being of human-level intelligence, are
an exception to this rule, although raptors are rarely seen in the
streets without a military escort.
The larger dinosaurs are often under the tenuous control of an
injection harness, but most civilians still give them a wide berth,
remembering the rare (but infamous) lapses when they have
mauled a passer-by or attacked each other or even turned on their
owners. Even at their best, they leave enormous piles of dino dung
in the middle of the roads.
Dinosaur leashes are constructed of thin but sturdy links of
metal, with a thick metal collar. Owners are required to wrap their

17

dinosaurs leashes, not around their arm or hand, but around their
torso: a mere handhold is not enough to restrain the larger ones
and the authorities figure that people will try their hardest to avoid
exciting their pets if failure means being dragged through the
dusty streets! Electrified leashes are also available for especially
wary owners.
(Breaking a standard dinosaur leash is a DC 25 Strength
check; slipping a chain is a DC 30 Escape Artist check.
Attempting to restrain a dinosaur using a standard chain is a
straight Strength contest, holder vs. dino; using a choke chain
gives the human a +5 bonus to the roll, although it may antagonize the dinosaur!)
Very large dinosaurs need not be chained to a person, but they
do need to be linked in a chain that eventually leads to a dino ridden by a human, or to a vehicle. Strings of chained brachies are a
common sight on the outskirts of New Savannah.

qrfel and Zagmo, Dinosaur Researchers

qrfel is a representative of Underglen, a little-known protoceratops city to the north. He is the emissary to New Savannah.
(qrfel comes from a group of protoceratops who do not capitalize
their names; they feel its a sign of arrogance and too much attachment to the self.) There are two emissaries, actually: qrban, qrfels
elder brother, handles negotiations with the Confederates, while
qrfel aims to learn as much as he can from these strange outsiders.
qrfel has somehow acquired the services of Zagmo, an ornitholestes. Zagmo obeys qrfels orders, and in general serves as his
hands.
qrfel is a common sight, walking around town with Zagmo in
his special harness. At least, thats the story thats heard on the
streets. In reality, qrfel and Zagmo are saboteurs. They represent
the aggressive pacifism faction of the protoceratops, and work
as best they can to prevent development in the Main Valley and
the expansion of the Confederate military presence. They have
contacts with various factions of smugglers, and work to facilitate
weapons deals that put guns in the hands of raptors. Zagmo is an
accomplished thief, and often enters houses in the dead of night to
steal important documents. They also gather information which
might be useful to various resistance groups (Dinozonians, wild
ones, raptor tribes, and any other opponents of progress). qrfel
and Zagmo finance their activities with sales of native artifacts
through a fence named Anders.
qrfel is soft-spoken and often buys rounds of drinks for newcomers at some of New Savannahs many bars. If drawn out, he
praises human science and human accomplishments and plays the
role of humble student very well.
Zagmo never speaks. In fact, his tongue was cut out by scientists interested in ornitholestes speech patterns, which led him
to hate humankind. After they were finished with him, the scientists sold him to smugglers, who taught him to rob. He often swallowed stolen items in order to prevent them from being found. He
was quite accomplished by the time he managed to slaughter his

18

owners and escape, wounded, to the alleys, a feat which brought

him to qrfels attention. qrfel nursed him back to health, for which
he feels grateful, and he shares qrfels goal of sweeping the valley
clean of humans.
Zagmo often dresses in a fools motley, complete with jesters
cap, because it makes humans think hes not a threat. He is.
qrfel, Proteceratops Spy5: CR 7; Small Animal; HD
7d10+14; hp 52; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 18 front (+7 natural,
+1 size)*, 14 sides and back (+2 natural, +1 size)*; Atk +7
melee (1d8+2, bite); SA Spy class abilities; AL LG (zealot);
SV Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +10; Str 16, Con 18, Dex 10, Int
14, Wis 16, Cha 18.
Skills: Bluff +15 (11), Ciphers +7 (5), Diplomacy +15
(11), Gather Information +10 (6), Intuit Direction +4 (1),
Knowledge (nature) +8 (6), Knowledge (dinosaurs) +8 (6),
Knowledge (geography) +8 (6), Knowledge (history) +11
(9), Knowledge (local) +11 (9), Knowledge (human society)
+11 (9), Listen +13 (10), Sense Motive +15 (11), Speak
Language (Common, Latin, Anglit, Protoceratops, Raptor),
Search +5 (3), Spot +7 (4), Wilderness Lore +5 (2). Feats:
Dodge, Mobility.
Possessions: qrfel wears modified saddlebags to store
his finds.
* SA Spy class: As with all fifth level spies, qrfel can
use Slip of the Tongue fives times per day, receives a +1
dodge to AC vs. ranged weapons, and can use Nick of Time
and Intriguing once per day. His dodge feat can also add +1
AC against a designated opponent.
Zagmo, Ornitholestes Ftr1/Rog2: CR 4; Medium
Animal (6 ft.); HD 5d10+20; hp 54; Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4
improved initiative); Spd 60 ft.; AC 16 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, 1 size); Atk +11 melee (2d8+7/crit 19-20, laser sword), +11
melee (1d4+7, bite), or +8 melee (1d3+5, 2 claws); AL NE;
SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 24, Con 19, Dex 16, Int 6,
Wis 10, Cha 4.
Skills: Hide +8 (5), Climb +8 (1), Move Silently +8 (5),
Listen +4 (4), Spot +6 (6), Pick Pockets +8 (5). Feats:
Weapon Proficiency: Laser Sword, Improved Initiative.
Possessions: Cloak, laser sword.
Zagmos archaic and specialized training gives him two
levels of rogue and one of fighter. Like any second-level
rogue, he can use the abilities evasion and sneak attack
+1d6.

The Confederate Planets Center for Knowledge

(C.P.C.K.)
While New Savannah is famed for its hospitality, excitement,
and picturesque way of life, it is also the last point of contact for
many explorers before they venture into the unknown. There are
many forests, mountains, and valleys far beyond the frontier of the
inland ocean. Not only does New Savannah serve as the nerve
center for all the farms, ranches, and industries on the plain, but

its also the origin point for many expeditions of discovery.

Several offices offer contracts to brave souls willing to risk
themselves in the wilderness to further the Confederacys knowledge. Whether the expeditions are to make maps of the area,
search for resources, or simply to discover the fate of the last company that never returned, there is usually an opening for a determined and adventurous sort.
Despite its rather official-sounding title, the C.P.C.K. is run
by a private citizen by the name of Richard Montague. Montague
is of old Louisiana stock and funds expeditions into the unknown
on behalf of the Confederacy. He takes a keen interest in all the
rumors brought in by other explorers and even the frontier. His
people were the first to begin the task of cataloguing the dinosaurs
that live in the swamplands, and this led to the discovery of several species previously unknown to the inhabitants of Cretasus.
Montague is always looking for people to escort his scientists into
the Bayou; characters can always find work here if they are handy
with a gun or know something about dinosaurs. Frequented by
survivalists (some of them deeply disturbing), the C.P.C.K. offices
are also a good place for the characters to hire a scout.
Montague used to lead some of the exploratory trips into the
swamp, so he knows it well. He too can be hired. His familiarity
with the swamps ensures that any party he accompanies has a better than even chance of survival. His brother James runs the center in Richards absence.
The center has the best maps of the area available to outsiders; there are some locals out on the frontier who know a little
more than these maps show (like common dinosaur haunts and
trails), but the information at the center should be good enough for
most journeys. Montague will always be interested in hearing any
stories about travel on Cretasus, and he sometimes pays for maps,
so players looking to make money from a routine journey would
do well to proffer plans to the C.P.C.K.
Richard Montague, Offworlder Male Twf3: CR 3;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 3d8+6; hp 21; Init +0;
Spd 20 ft.; AC 13 (+3 crocodile hide armor see stats on
page 80); Atk +4 melee (1d4+2/crit 19-20, raptor claw dagger), +4 melee (1d6+2, unarmed), or +2 ranged (1d10/crit
x3, Colt .45); AL N; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 15, Con
15, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 9.
Skills: Gather Information +4 (4), Wilderness Lore +4
(2). Feats: Track, Weapon Proficiency Ballistic.
Possessions: Raptor claw dagger, Colt .45 with 20 bullets, crocodile hide armor, cash $2d6. If on expedition,
Montague will be well equipped with all the supplies he
needs.
Typical Survivalist, Offworlder Twf1: CR 1; Mediumsize Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d8+1; Init +4 (Improved
Initiative); Spd 20 ft.; AC 13 (+3 hide armor); Atk +1 melee
(1d4+1/crit 19-20, knife) or +1 melee (1d6+1, unarmed); AL
CN; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +0; Str 13, Con 13, Dex 10, Int
10, Wis 11, Cha 9.
Skills: Gather Information +3 (4), Wilderness Lore +2
(0). Feat: Improved Initiative.

Possessions: Knife, hide armor, 1d4+1 days worth of

hardtack, 1-gallon canteen with water, cash $1d4.
Whenever they leave the house, survivalists carry enough
supplies for several days even if theyre only going out for
a short while just in case.

Mount Crowe: New Savannahs

Mining Town
As mentioned earlier, the average citizen in Mount Crowe has
a tougher life than one in New Savannah. With the discovery of
the rich veins of ore in the mountains, the Confederacy called for
volunteers to come and work the mines. Overriding Porters initial plea for families only, the Confederacy shipped in huge
numbers of workers to exploit the wealth they had discovered.
The character of the town is now like that of any frontier mining
town in the early West: a massively disproportionate ration of men
to women, stacks of drinking holes and gambling dens to relieve
the workers pockets of their hard-earned cash, and enough houses of ill repute to surprise even the most liberal visitor.
While some of the men might be mean and dirty, the law is
just as rough. Primarily under the control of the military (and local
commander Colonel Paul Decker), justice tends to be swift and
final. Decker runs a three strikes and youre out policy for what
he considers lesser offenses like brawling and petty theft. In this
case, out means that the offender is shipped off-planet. Usually,
the presence of his soldiers is enough to quell a fist-fight over
cards or women, with both parties denying anything happened
after the event. For murder and other such crimes, wrongdoers
typically have their possessions confiscated, followed by banishment or imprisonment until they can be shipped off-planet.
Several have blamed Deckers system for the growing number of bandits that hide in the mountains and the forests, men
forced to go on the run to avoid the law. Some attribute him with
the existence of the criminal colonies in both Plesiosaur Bay and
the Hideout Hills. Whatever ones opinion of Decker, his soldiers
enforce the law in Mount Crowe, and youd better not cross them.
Colonel Paul Decker, Commander of Confederate
Military Forces, Mount Crowe Mining Town: Descended from
South Carolina stock, Colonel Paul Decker has served in the
Confederate military for most of his life. Like his father before
him, he served in the 2nd South Carolina Rifles and soon became
the regiments Colonel. He has fought against all enemies the
Confederacy has ever faced and is noted for his own personal
bravery, not expecting anything more of his men than he himself
would be willing to give.
Decker runs a tight ship, very rarely taking time off from his
duties as lawgiver and peacekeeper in Mount Crowe and the surrounding mining villages. He is now focused on the notorious
Gaines Gang, who have been stealing shipments of processed
materials (typically gold) and rustling livestock from the ranchers
in the outlying district. He believes that they operate from caves

19

in the mountainside, but expeditions have yet to uncover any evidence. His men have found the nests of several pteranadons, however, which usually ensure that the number of men that return with
each expedition is substantially less than that which embarked.
He is an impressive figure of a man; 6 4 tall, a champion
athlete and a would-be Dino Warrior if the post appealed to him,
he has thick dark hair and a beard that would be regarded as
extremely long even by nineteenth-century Confederate commanders. He speaks with the classic southern drawl, always has a
polite word for the ladies and spends his spare time fishing on the
banks of the great river for all kinds of water life.
Colonel Paul Decker, Confederate Male War3/Sol3:
CR 6; Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 3d8+3d10+18; hp
49; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC
17 (+2 Dex, +5 flak jacket); Atk +5 melee (2d8+2/crit 19-20,
laser sword), +9 ranged (1d10/crit x3, heirloom Colt .45), +8
ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester rifle), or +8 ranged (special, shotgun); AL LN; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +5; Str 15,
Con 16, Dex 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 13.
Skills: Drive +5 (5), Handle Animal +6 (5), Intimidate +9
(9), Jump +4 (6), Knowledge (strategy & tactics) +6 (6),
Listen +5 (5), Pilot +2 (2), Ride +6 (5), Use Technical
Equipment +5 (5). Feats: Sense of Vulnerability, Combat
Reflexes, Iron Will, Endurance, Improved Initiative.
Possessions: Knife, lasso, laser sword, heirloom Colt
.45 with 1d4+2 cartridges (20 bullets each), Winchester rifle
with 1d4+2 cartridges (20 bullets each), shotgun (20 shells),
cash $4d6. Colonel Decker is always armed with all the
weapons listed above. At night, he sleeps with them!
Rifleman, the 2nd South Carolina Rifles: These are the statistics for a typical recruit; they are all experienced in the art of
war, and have adapted well to their new policing role. Always on
the lookout for Union infiltrators, most of Deckers Riflemen
expect that the Union would strike the industrial wealth of Mount
Crowe before they would assault New Savannah itself.
Rifleman, the 2nd South Carolina Rifles,
Confederate Sol1: CR 1; Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.);
HD 1d8; Init +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.;
AC 16 (+5 flak jacket, +1 Dex); Atk +1 melee (1d4+1/crit 1920, knife), +2 ranged (1d10/crit x3, automatic pistol), or +2
ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester rifle); AL LN; SV Fort +2,
Ref +1, Will +0; Str 12, Con 11, Dex 12, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha
10.
Skills: Drive +5 (4), Intimidate +4 (4), Knowledge (strategy & tactics) +4 (4), Listen +6 (4), Spot +2 (0), Use
Technical Equipment +4 (4). Feats: Improved Initiative,
Alertness.
Possessions: Knife, automatic pistol with 1d4 cartridges
(20 bullets each), Winchester rifle with 1d4 cartridges (20
bullets each), flak jacket, cash $1d6.

20

Mining Operations
Mount Crowe is the largest of several communities that have
sprung up around the main centers of industry on the New
Savannah plain. Owned by the Confederacy, the outstanding
resources available to new settlers are now professionally exploited. The mines are run by dedicated mining firms who believe in
the cause of the Confederate planets, as are the quarries, smelting
and processing plants and all the other industries and processes
considered critical to a country at times of war. These companies
are, of course, well paid by the Confederacy for their support.
Even though the Confederacy technically owns the mines,
there is some competition for the tenders between firms to actually carry out the work. Less patriotic members of the business community wouldnt worry about carrying out a little sabotage if it
meant the crippling of a rival firm and a revocation of the contract
to be passed on to a company that could carry out the work, i.e.
theirs. Confederacy officials frown upon such behavior, but it
does go on.
All kinds of mines can be found dotted around the mountains
of the New Savannah plains: iron, lead, sulfur, gold, copper, tin,
silver, and coal, to name the most prominent. Mount Crowe supports the huge iron ore mines of Frederick P. Anderson, who
employs over one thousand men and women to work his highly
mechanized plant, turning iron ore into steel. Theres usually work

available for anyone on Cretasus who wants it at the steel mills

and the iron mines, ranging from laborers to highly trained technicians who ensure that the machines run smoothly. Research
teams are often sent into the mountains to search likely spots and
to take samples; Anderson is always looking for volunteers for
these dangerous assignments. As the first settlers discovered,
there are creatures living in the mountains, and many huge caverns and tunnels already thread through their slopes. The real danger posed by the dinosaurs and the Gaines Gang ensure that player characters with the right skills (and guns and guts to back them
up) will find work as a research team if they wish to explore the
mountains or are looking to earn some good money.

Entertainment
Bowling, billiards, cinema, and baseball games provide the
more wholesome entertainment within Mount Crowe. Most of the
factories have baseball teams that compete in a league once a
week; there are no professional players, so all games have to take
place on the weekend or during special sporting holidays held
every month. There are sometimes competitions in New Savannah
during holiday season, when the top four teams from the Mount
Crowe league compete with the top four teams in New Savannah
for trophies.
There are many bars and their ilk in Mount Crowe. Several
are sports bars where one can play pool or go bowling, while others are less salubrious establishments, many serving as both
watering holes and brothels. There are no laws against drinking or
gambling in Mount Crowe, and while prostitution isnt strictly
legal in Mount Crowe, it isnt strictly illegal either, with the vast
majority of the population (of single men) turning a blind or keenly interested eye to it.
Other popular attractions include the Bronco Trials, where
competitors ride younger triceratops like the bulls of the west: the
rider that stays on his mount the longest is the winner. There are
often scouts from the Dino Warriors or the richer ranchers in the
audience eyeing potential recruits, so Bronco Trials are an excellent opportunity for someone with the right skills to get noticed.

The Frog & Spanner

Typical of the smaller bars in Mount Crowe, the Frog &
Spanner has perhaps the most unusual name. Its proprietor,
William T. Levers, a fifty-two year old former soldier, refuses to
go into detail as to why he saddled the fruits of his pension fund
with such a ridiculous moniker, but hes willing to go into great
detail about pretty much anything else. The bar has ten guest bedrooms, usually taken by men who travel with the convoys, with a
generous discount for soldiers and ex-servicemen.
Levers is a somewhat forgetful man; if he could establish a
link between the facts lurking in his fair-haired head, hed quickly realize that he knows too much. He knows many rumors about
the activities of the Gaines Gang, ranging from the solid fact that

they operate from somewhere in the mountains to the rather more

unlikely conjecture that Steve Gaines, the Gangs leader, is actually a hyper-intelligent velociraptor. Even the drunkest listeners
have disregarded this hypothesis, and Levers has no recollection
of its source.
Levers carries an automatic pistol at all times and is skilled in
its use. He can also handle himself in a pub brawl, even with the
soldiers, because while theyre usually drunk as skunks, Levers is
stone cold sober. This is one publican who never dips into his
stock.
William T. Levers, Confederate Male War1: CR 1/2;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d8; 6 hp; Init +0; Spd 30
ft.; AC 11 (+1 padded smock); Atk +2 melee (1d3+1,
unarmed), or +1 ranged (1d10/crit x3, automatic pistol); AL
LN; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 13, Con 10, Dex 10, Int
8, Wis 10, Cha 11.
Skills: Intimidate +2 (2), Listen +2 (0), Profession
(Barkeep) +2 (2), Spot +2 (0). Feats: Alertness, Quick Draw.
Possessions: Automatic pistol with 1 cartridge (20 bullets), padded smock, 3 flasks of various kinds of liquor, cash
$1d4.
Scenario Hooks: The William T. Levers Rumor Mill: Here
are some of the rumors that surface regularly when speaking with
Levers.
The Gaines Gang operate from a cave high up in the mountains. They use the gold they steal to buy weapons from gunrunners.
The Gang need these weapons as they plan to take Mount
Crowe for themselves and ransom it to the Confederacy.
The Gang has about seventy members in its ranks, most exminers or renegade soldiers; the actual figure Levers gives
varies between thirty and one hundred, as he cant remember
how many are in the gang at all.
There are several abandoned mines in the mountains. Work
ceased at them due to pteranadon attacks, which were pretty
ferocious as if they were defending something sacred.
The mountains are haunted by the ghosts of a failed mining
expedition; late at night, you can hear them crying out to be
rescued.
Chesterton Winterfield, owner of the Virginian (a rival bar),
is a Union spy. He gives the soldiers cheap liquor to get them
drunk and asks them questions when theyre out of their
minds on whisky.
Silvia Jameson, a local madam, is a Union spy, and uses her
girls to elicit secrets from the soldiers.
Matthew Kelly, a local timber-merchant, is a Union spy. He
supplies the army with most of its timber, and knows exactly
what they intend to do with the lumber.
Someone else is a Union spy. This is his favorite rumor, and
hes heard so many names that those he cant associate with
their real story anymore fall under the umbrella suspicion of
Union spy.
An intelligent velociraptor leads the Gaines Gang. It intends
to use the gang to destroy humanity on Cretasus when the

21

moons are in a specific phase.

There is a secret passage between Colonel Deckers personal quarters and The Cathouse, a high-class brothel, which
Decker uses often. (This is probably the one rumor that he
doesnt tell that often, as firstly it isnt true, and secondly,
Decker would beat him to a pulp if he discovered the originator of such slanderous gossip.)
Its up to you to decide which of these rumors have some element of truth. Due to the unreliable nature of Levers memory,
many of these rumors are actually parts of different rumors amalgamated into one. For example, take the pteranadon attacks and
the abandoned mines rumor. Levers has heard that there are pteranadon attacks in the mountains, and also knows that there are
several empty mines there. He also knows that fishermen who use
the great river once found something that interested Crowes scientific team since it resembled artifacts sacred to tribes of primitive humans. All these bits of information slowly merge into the
one story, which may sound plausible enough to get player characters interested, but isnt exactly what happened at all.
Making up your own Levers gossip is fairly simple. Take
three or four rumors you wish the player characters to explore.
Use the start of the first rumor, the middle of the second and the
end of the third, and youve got the gospel truth according to
William T. Levers. Repeat until confused. Your players will be.

Kittys
Owned by Silvia Jameson (who youll remember is a Union
spy, if Levers is correct), Kittys is a dance club, with a large number of the staff dancers being available for more private sessions
in the many upstairs rooms. This is the only one of her establishments that so openly displays its ulterior purpose; while most of
the brothels tend to hide behind the faade of a simple bar, Kittys
is far more frank about its operations.
Silvia was born and raised in the outer reaches, but left to try
to make it as an actress when she was seventeen. One of the fortunate few to find work, she was a minor cult figure in shocker
films, her curvaceous figure proving popular with the genres
male fans. She married a wealthy businessman named Carl Marks,
who owned several clubs where she launched an unsuccessful
singing career. She then turned her hand to business and found
that she had a natural aptitude for getting what she wanted and for
anticipating what others would demand. After Carls sudden death
from a heart attack, she took over his clubs. As the calls for
women to come to Cretasus became louder, she saw an opportunity to start her own little monopoly and a new mini-empire.
Only in her early forties, Silvia is still an extremely attractive
and curvaceous brunette. She regularly turns the heads of the
wealthier and more influential men in Mount Crowe. She is
believed to already have a lover, however, and spurns the attentions of all who try their luck.
Silvia Jameson, Offworlder Female Com1: CR 1/2;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d4; 3 hp; Init +0; Spd 30

22

ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d3, unarmed); AL CN; SV Fort +0,

Ref +0, Will +1; Str 10, Con 11, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha
15 (17 with men).
Skills: Profession (Entertainer) +4 (4). Feats: Great
Lover.
Possessions: 2 flasks of liquor, cash $2d20.
Scenario Hooks: There are plenty of scenario possibilities
that could involve a place like Kittys. Perhaps one of the Gaines
Gang has decided to take some of the gold hes captured into town
and spend it a little too freely? Perhaps Levers is correct; that
Jameson works for the Union? What if one of the girls is kidnapped or attracts the unwanted attention of a brutal admirer?
Think of westerns like The Unforgiven and virtually all others
based in a small frontier town; theres always plenty going on at
the cathouse.

Big Als Bronco Rodeo

Als is the place in Mount Crowe to see Bronco Rodeos, and
he has a small team of professional riders that take on all comers
in monthly competitions. Formerly a rancher, Al J. Booth left
for Cretasus as soon as he heard about the herds of triceratops
roaming the plains around New Savannah.
In his youth, Al had been one of the most enduring and skilled
riders on the rodeo circuit, winning enough money and attracting
enough sponsorship to eventually retire and buy his own land.
Booth started a very successful ranch with his wife Sarah and his
three sons, Isaac, Stephen, and Jason. He had mastered even the
craziest steer in his lifetime of riding, so when the opportunity
arose to try his hand at something new, he and his family decided
to make the journey to Cretasus and a new life.
Buying a small amount of land, Al had soon tamed a herd of
triceratops indeed, he was the first man to do so. His three sons
quickly learned to ride the younger creatures, while Al mastered
the art of staying atop one of the large males, which are often easily angered by the presence of something sitting on their back and
prodding them to move on while all they want to do is graze. The
military took an instant interest in Als technique, and he trained
some of the early Dino Warriors before the military made it a
secret.
Al attracted the attention of other ranchers in the area, who
also saw the advantages of being able to ride the larger triceratops
(namely, that you dont get squashed by the very creatures youre
trying to herd). He soon found himself riding the beasts out on the
range, which quickly became his training school. He could charge
big bucks to train riders, and soon made the decision to host competitions to promote what had once been his sport of choice.
Riders that he had trained flocked to the venue. It soon became a
popular way for ranch hands to spend their day off, competing for
prizes and the chance to join the Dino Warriors.
As warrants the name Big Al, Booth is a giant of a man.
Rumors abound that he actually punched a steer out cold in his
ranching days. Some even believe that given good reason and a

foul temper, some of the smaller dinosaurs would find him a

struggle in a fist-fight. Wearing his hair close-cropped, he boasts
a beard that gives him the look a thousand Harley riders would
love to have.
Big Al, Confederate Male Bro6: CR 6; Medium-size
Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 6d8+21 (includes Toughness feat); 41
hp; Init +3 (Dex); Spd 30 ft. (run 5x); AC 13 (+3 Dex); Atk +7
melee (1d3+4, unarmed), +6 ranged touch (special, lasso),
or +6 ranged (1d10/crit x3, automatic pistol); AL N; SV Fort
+7, Ref +8, Will +2; Str 18, Con 16, Dex 16, Int 9, Wis 10,
Cha 14.
Skills: Animal Empathy +12 (9), Balance +5 (2), Handle
Animal +18 (9), Intuit Direction +3 (3), Knowledge (nature)
+5 (6), Ride +13 (9), Wilderness Lore +5 (5). Feats:
Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack, Trample, Spirited
Charge, Toughness, Great Fortitude, Endurance, Run.
Possessions: Lasso, automatic pistol with 10 bullets,
cash $1d4.

The Dukes and Butlers

If ever two families should never have met, the Dukes and
Butlers are they. While the majority of settlers on Cretasus come
to bury their past or to seek new horizons, one could be forgiven
for thinking that the Butlers and Dukes had only come to the
plains of New Savannah to continue their generations-old feud.
Both families can trace their lineage back to the prominent
farmers who founded the original city of Savannah, Georgia. As
time passed, the Dukes invested more and more of the familys
money into farming, while the Butlers favored the growth that
new industries offered, and this was the source of the initial quarrel that escalated into the now long-running feud.
Both families ran for office during local elections to represent
Chatham County, one advocating the potential growth that industry would bring, the other warning against the unemployment and
low wages of automated factories. As both families had a lot of
money invested in the future direction of Savannah, they had a
great deal to lose if the election went the wrong way. As the contest progressed, the sometimes slanderous accusations and malicious gossip propagated by both parties became far more interesting to the general public than their actual policies, and soon the

23

debate became nothing more than a slating match. Rumors of the

elder Butlers infidelity with a local saloon girl were countered by
the more interesting revelation that Duke had first met his wife in
a house of vice and that at least one of their sons was not the fruit
of Dukes loins. When Jesse Duke, the patriarch of the farming
family, heard these rumors, he demanded satisfaction from
Bernard Butler and declared that such malicious insults could only
be buried if their originator was likewise laid to rest. Both men
were bound over to keep the peace by the magistrate, but the law
failed to take the fierce family loyalty of both sides into account;
while Bernard and Jesse were stating their cases to the magistrate,
William Duke, the youngest of Jesses sons, challenged Daniel
Butler (Bernards eldest son) to a duel unless he formally apologized to the Dukes. Such demands agitated Daniel the fact that
they came from the mouth of a mere sixteen-year-old boy served
only to anger him further. He agreed to the duel, and both sons
were seriously wounded. William died of his wounds two days
later.
The race to represent Chatham County was quickly forgotten.
Both families poured their energy into thwarting each others
plans, each making ridiculous bids for land they knew the other
wanted. These financial machinations began to take a heavy toll
on the wealth of both the Butlers and the Dukes, who found themselves having to borrow heavily from the banks to maintain their
land war. Other businessmen and landowners exploited the situation once the pattern of buying land the other desired had become
clear. Simply informing a Butler that the Dukes were after your
land guaranteed one a good price from Butler, irrespective of the
truth to such a claim. As weeks became months, the two families
destroyed each other, until they both had nothing and were forced
back to the humble farming roots from which they had come. It
was almost as if their fortunes had turned full circle, except that
the two rings of life were now inextricably linked by blood.
Whether rich or poor, the Dukes and Butlers wished nothing more
than the complete destruction of the rival family, yet they would
never see this through to the end. There always had to be one survivor, one to tell future generations of the power and prowess of
the rival bloodline. The seeds of a bitter feud found fertile ground
in the minds of both Butlers and Dukes, and they became destined
to hate one another until both families existed no more.
Both families learned valuable lessons from their downfall:
first, that their demise was the fault of their rival, and second, that
they should keep their intentions closer to their chest. The open
feuding had made them easy prey for their competitors. If they
were to build their empires again, they must resort to more covert
dealings. Both families slowly acquired wealth, contacts, suppliers, and land, sometimes in different states and even in the Far
East and Europe to conceal their improving fortunes from the
other.
As the decades passed, the Dukes and Butlers gradually
regained the power they had both once held. By the time of the
Civil War, each family had invested most of its wealth abroad to
hide it from the others prying eyes. As the war progressed, the
feuding lines accused one another of betraying the cause of the

24

South, linking the other with Union industrialists and saboteurs

undermining the Confederate infrastructure. Isaiah Butler was
hanged by a lynch mob only hours after Ethen Duke published
documents proving that the Butlers were involved in businesses
manufacturing weaponry for the Federalist invaders. Anyone who
had checked Dukes source would have seen that these papers
were outdated; the Butlers, staunchly loyal to the Confederacy,
had severed all ties with the North as soon as war seemed
inevitable. While the Butlers cried foul, they too were making
disingenuous claims about the Dukes involvement with the
North. Noting that one of the Duke girls had married a prominent
agriculturist in Pennsylvania, Israel Butler claimed that the Dukes
were passing freely through the Federal blockade to supply enemy
soldiers at Gettysburg with provisions originally intended for
Southern troops. Townspeople reacted badly to this news, burning
down the Dukes family home and killing the youngest Duke in
the fire. Regardless of the realities of war, the Butlers and Dukes
continued their feud, seeing the conflict as nothing more than a
way to damage the reputation of the other.
The year 2136 marked a new era for thousands of
Southerners. The Great Exodus threatened to bring a halt to the
feud. There was no guarantee that the Butlers and Dukes would
end up on the same planet, a fact that upset the elders of each family. As the ships carrying them on to their new futures apart left
Earth, each secretly hoped that they would meet again. Fate was
not about to disappoint them.
Despite the fact they had both volunteered to travel through
the same warp gate, their eventual destinations were as far separated as could (and perhaps should) have been. Years passed as
they searched for each other through the known galaxy, convinced
that the other had survived, driven by the peculiar determination
engendered only by true loathing. As fresh generations were born,
the feud looked like it would die a natural death, defeated by time
and relegated to painful memory. Then came Cretasus.

Duke Meets Butler: The Cretasus Years

Samuel Butler first heard of Cretasus in 2189 when New
Savannah started to acquire its reputation as the first city of the
Confederacy. Learning of the vast mineral resources allegedly
located in the mountains of the Main Valley, he decided to make
his way to Cretasus in search of a new fortune. He wasnt the only
one whose curiosity had been piqued by Cretasus: Ned Duke,
patriarch of the opposing line, was also travelling to the rich planet. Cretasus sounded like a fanciful agrarian utopia to the farming
leader an unparalleled vista of unsullied land to nurture and tend
for the benefit of mankind. The opposing ideals that had driven
the two families apart over four hundred years ago were about to
reunite them. And this was going to be no garden party.
The initial meeting between the youngest male members of
each family erupted with that blend of hot-headedness and pride
that youth bestows, which only further emphasized the latent
hatred they felt for one another. (See sidebar to right for the full

story.) When the Butlers commercial brachiosaur train set foot on

the Dukes hallowed turf, a new war began. Cretasus was to be
their new battleground.
Several incidents developed out of this initial meeting. The
Dukes had been tending the land and keeping herds since they
arrived on Cretasus, so they probably knew the local fauna better
than most. A particularly ferocious tyrannosaur matriarch had
been creating some trouble for the Dukes, attacking their herds
and trampling their crops. The Dukes had taken some risky measures to draw the creature away from the main herd, with Ned and
Jake riding their broncos close by the monster in order to distract
it. They had tried to catch the beast on several occasions, but had
failed each time. Finally, theyd taken to isolating the older triceratops, staking them and leaving hunks of meat nearby in order to
attract the attention of the tyrannosaur. The smell brought her
near, and the sick or old triceratops became her next meal. This
method succeeded in keeping the huge predator away from the
main herd. Over time the family noticed that the tyrannosaur
(affectionately dubbed Big Momma by Jake) returned to the
stake sites looking for food on a regular basis. Discovering that
the Butlers ran their brachy train only a few miles from one of the
staking points, the Dukes started staking sick animals closer and
closer to the route that the train used. The tyrannosaur soon
worked out where all the food was to be found.
Big Momma returned to the stake point one evening to find
more than she had expected. The careless train drivers had failed
to post guards, and their laughter and shouting attracted Big
Mommas keenly carnivorous interest. Drunk on cheap whisky
and bloated on beans, the drivers proved to be an interesting variation to Big Mommas diet. The Dukes found the caravan scattered and the crushed bodies of partly consumed Butler workers
not far from their camp fire.
Getting dinosaurs to do your dirty work is quite a tempting
proposition for many of Cretasus more mischievous inhabitants,
but its not always the best option. Although the Dukes succeeded in destroying the caravan, they had forgotten that eight brachiosaurs wandering about your land without handlers is not an
ideal situation for people who grow crops. The first strike of the
new war hurt both sides: it wasnt long before the brachiosaurs
had caused an incredible amount of damage, for which the Dukes
blamed the Butlers. This came as no surprise; however, when the
Butlers threatened to involve the Sheriff of New Savannah in the
dispute, the Dukes fell strangely silent.
As the year passed, the two families both caught wind of the
developments in the swamps. Both sponsored parties from the
C.P.C.K. to delve into the Bayou. In fact, this became the focal
point for their new feud: who would claim the wealth that both
suspected lay in the marshes? Whether it be minerals or something as yet unknown, each family was driven by one desire: to
prevent the other from dominating the explorations. Whatever
secrets existed to be discovered, only one line would know them.
In addition to this new arena, both the Dukes and the Butlers
have ventured into business and ranching respectively, figuring
that if their rival can do it well, then they can do it better. It has to

As a warm Sunday afternoon slowly melded into a balmy

night, Jake Duke was riding his young parasaurolophus mount
through the rich foliage sprouting from the ploughed fields of his
fathers farm, on the lookout for marauders. He could see and
hear the distant approach of a brachiosaurus train, carrying
supplies from the mountain towards New Savannah. They didnt
usually travel by night unless there were some emergency, and
judging by the dust cloud thrown up by the huge dinosaurs, they
must be heading this way. On occasion, riders and guards visited the ranch, needing supplies or food, but always providing
news, materials or money in exchange. Indeed, such was the
rewarding nature of good hospitality that Jakes father had been
talking about building a halfway house for roving supply caravans. Deciding that his father would look upon him favorably
if he managed to secure more interested visitors, Jake gently
spurred Yelper in the direction of the train.
The massive dinosaurs soon came into full view, their
triceratops-mounted guards ever vigilant and keenly aware of
their visitor. Jake hollered, his greeting immediately matched by
a raised hand and a wave from atop one of the brachiosaurs.
The huge dinosaur halted, and a tall, dark-haired stranger
descended a rope ladder hurriedly slung over the side of the
howdah mounted upon the massive creatures back. Yelper wriggled awkwardly beneath Jake, as if he could sense danger, but
Jake ignored him; this train bore the mark of the Confederacy,
and runners wouldnt be out this far unless theyd gotten lost.
The dark-haired man walked towards Jake, a large smile
running the rather acne-ridden gauntlet of his face. As the
stranger came closer, Jake realized that he was no more than a
boy; fourteen or fifteen at most. With him came two armed men,
one of whom Jake knew from the rodeo in Mount Crowe. These
were tough customers, not nannies, and though he was presently the youngest of the Dukes, Jake considered himself a veritable
elder compared to the whipper-snapper striding towards him.
Dismounting as good manners and Southern hospitality
demanded, Jake walked forwards, arm outstretched in greeting.
It was grasped weakly but enthusiastically by the boy, who shook
it with the excessive vigor of one unsure of himself. Jake noted
this with surprise; surely anyone who represented a train of this
size would be confident enough to meet a humble farmer?
Additionally, there was something not right about this kid; even
his fingers felt cold and clammy. Jake pulled his hand away, and
the boy did likewise, eyeing Jake with new-found suspicion.
There are those that claim love can last forever, but even
they would be shocked by the irrepressibility of true enmity. If
ever there were another meeting between two strangers on the
great plains of the Main Valley that was to escalate so quickly
into open hostility, it would have to be between the two armies
of the North and South. Though the feud had seemed dead for
over half a century, something in the heads of both boys flicked
a switch from peace to war; memories flooded back that ones so
young should not be able to recall. Jake Duke knew this boy was

25

his sworn enemy, and the boy none other than Matthew Butler
realized that he had met an old enemy hed never seen before.
Lost? asked Jake, hands placed firmly on hips, just
above the butt of his pistols.
Are you? responded the child with a phrase only one so
young would think the height of wit.
Youre way off here, kid. This is Duke land. You need to
head back. Those brachies should be about ten miles north if
youre heading for New Savannah.
Dont tell me where I should be, retorted the youth, my
father said there was a good hostelry round here, and that wed
be welcome. I never expected to bump into a bumpkin.
The two guards looked at each other in surprise and alarm.
Bill Yates, the taller and broader of the two men, interrupted.
Look, Matty, your father wants us to get to Savvy A.S.A.P.
to make the Butler drop in time. This guys just tryin to
My father pays you, and for the purposes of this conversation, I am my father. Do as I say and dont butt in, ordered
the boy.
Thats quite an achievement, kid, being your own father.
You from the swamps? I hear anything goes there, quipped
Jake. Youve certainly got the look.
How dare you! My father is Samuel Butler, the richest
industrialist in these parts, and youll respect me, or Ill have
him buy up your miserable farm and send you into the back
country.
Butler, eh? Ive heard of you. My name is Jake Duke, son of
Ned Duke. Now get off my land, before I take my belt to you, kid.
Duke? Wait a minute pondered Matt. Yes, I know who
you are. Your lot spread lies about us back in 1862, saying we
worked with the Yankees.
Only because Butlers murdered Will Duke back in 1798!
Fairs fair! spat Jake.
He was put down, like the sick pig he was. Youd better get
out of my way, Duke, or my menll kill you! Weve got work to
do! yelled the boy, frothing with hatred for someone hed only
met a few minutes ago.
Make me, kid. Make me get out of your way.
Ha! Youre not getting me on a murder charge like you did
with cousin Obidiah back in 1970! We work within the law,
Duke, and youre gonna feel its full weight round your scrawny
neck soon enough! Why, Im gonna
Lets go, Matt. Well do as the man says and head north
cause weve got to make the deadline. You dont want to upset
your pa now, do you? reasoned Yates.
Hmm, breathed Matt, okay. Lets go. Id better tell pa
that theres vermin on this here land.
Yeah, you do that, and Ill whip your sorry behind, kid.
NowGIT!
And so the two companies parted but they were to meet
again. It had taken just two minutes to rekindle the fierce flames
of feud, and now, they were a-burnin bright.

26

be noted that the Dukes small business ventures seek only to

undermine those of the Butlers, and tend to run at a loss, which is
currently absorbed by the success of their farms. Likewise the
Butlers ranch is something of a failure, as they are neither interested nor enthusiastic about herding a bunch of dinosaurs or
growing wheat. However, their triceratops are the cheapest at auction, and are popular with new arrivals to Cretasus as newcomers
can always find a good head or two to begin their own ranch at
these prices.
For now, and possibly forever, the two families remain at
each others throats, their hands wrapped tightly around one
anothers necks; but not squeezing so hard as to kill their rival.
The Butlers cannot exist without the Dukes, nor vice versa. The
drive and determination radiated by each family comes only from
a desire to best its opponent, and one without the other would
surely lapse into lethargy.

Scenario Hooks
There are almost limitless possibilities for scenarios involving the feuding families. Not many people on Cretasus are aware
of the age-old dispute or its history, and unwitting adventurers
may find themselves tools of the Dukes or Butlers in the bitter
battle. Sabotage is the most common weapon in the arsenal of
both broods, whether against a Butler business or a Duke farm. If
theres something that could go wrong with any venture, the devious minds of the pernicious patriarchs will find it and try to turn
the potential problem into a demonstrable disaster for their rival.
Typical plots involve the following:
1. Dukes hire the players to arrest the contraband runners
operating near their ranch. A large caravan carrying stolen steel to
the pirates drop ship passes within a few miles of the main holding (Neds house in fact), and this is where the caravan will be
heading. There is a reward of $20,000 (Dead or Alive) for the handlers and drivers of the runners (said to be involved with the notorious Gaines Gang from the mountains), and given their ready to
rumble reputation, Ned Duke recommends that they ignore the
Alive bit of the wanted poster.
Naturally, this isnt a gang of runners; another brachy caravan is on the move, carrying steel to New Savannah. Since the
tyrannosaur incident, the guards are ever vigilant and will shoot
anyone who refuses to identify themselves, especially anyone riding dinosaurs. Incidentally, the Dukes can provide the characters
with mounts should they need them. Any player wise enough to
check with any proper authority figure (from New Savannah or
Mount Crowe) will discover that their targets are in fact innocent
drivers who work for the Butlers. The Dukes will deny all knowledge of the characters, and claim that the triceratops mounts were
stolen from the Duke ranch. If the players try the job and die, the
Dukes will claim that the Butlers have killed innocent ranch
hands. This is dirty work.
2. Industry produces a great deal of waste, and some of this
can be horribly poisonous. And what better way to test the toxic-

ity of any residue than on unsuspecting triceratops? Especially

when they are the pride of your most hated rival, Ned Duke. The
Butlers could involve characters in this mess with any number of
lies: one might be that a ruined rancher wants to get revenge on
the evil monopoly that destroyed him and his family by attacking
the mutant creatures being genetically modified by the Duke
farms (nonsense, by the way, but believable). A swift tug on the
heartstrings followed by a sense of righteousness should be
enough to con the characters into carrying out this Butler scheme
to poison the Duke herd with industrial waste.
3. Rustlers have stolen the cattle belonging to a new arrival
and he is desperate for help. Local ranchers resent the new mans
attempts to found a new ranch in the area and they have stolen his
future. Can the players get the cattle back?
Probably, but the cattle actually belong to the Dukes, so the
players would be the real rustlers. Of course, the rancher would be
grateful if the characters could escort the herd to New Savannahs
market and get a fair price, of which they may keep a certain percentage. This should fan the fires of greed for those players who
relish the ker-ching of the cash register. However, it will more
than likely find them in jail, claiming that a non-existent rancher
hired them to do the job a likely story!
4. The characters could be approached by either family to
explore the swamps or to investigate the fate of a previous exploration. Unfortunately for the players, neither family is above murdering an entire expedition in cold blood and framing their rival
for the crime, so it is possible that the characters may become targets for professional killers. Another possibility is that the characters themselves will discover the murdered explorers and bring
back the planted evidence, which would naturally make them very
unpopular with the perpetrators of the trick.
As you should be able to gather by these examples, the feud
is not a light-hearted family spat; this is a serious battle of nerves
and minds, utilizing innocents to play the fall guy. Providing
someone else does their dirty work, neither family cares how
filthy the job may be if it means that their rival is inconvenienced.

The McQuarry Brothers

Few men have eluded the Rough Riders for as long as the
twins Kane and Abel McQuarry. Both men arrived in Mount
Crowe four years ago to work in Israel Putnams coal mine and
successfully stayed on the right side of the law for about three
months before a drunken brawl turned into a murder. Reluctant to
face justice, both men fled the mining town and hid in the mountains. Meeting up with the Gaines Gang, they got their first taste
of an outlaws life when they held up their former employers pay
wagons en route from the banks of New Savannah. The pay was
good, but there were so few centers of civilization in the Main
Valley that there was never anything to do with your new-found
wealth. Living in caves with the ever-present threat of hostile pteranadons seemed to suit the desperadoes under Gaines, but the
McQuarry brothers wanted something a little more luxurious.

Leaving the Gaines Gang to their own devices, the brothers

blazed a trail across the Main Valley, committing random acts of
violence against people clearly unprepared for their visitation.
Passing themselves off as survivors of a wagon train attacked by
T-rexes, the two were warmly welcomed by the good folk of the
Main Valley, who offered food and shelter. Small farms were commonly targeted: the householders killed, their food stolen and
their homestead burned after the twins had stayed the night.
Their first mistake came after they had been on the run for
two months. Settling at one of the small towns that dot the landscape between New Savannah and the mountains, the two had
gone to celebrate their freedom at the saloon. Tax collectors had
reported the deaths of two families on their route, and during a
discussion over a beer too many a bartender overhead Kane laughing about the gawkin face of that old farmer as he killed him.
Sending his son to fetch the local sheriff, the bartender plied the
McQuarries with free alcohol to ensure that their wits were absent
when the law arrived.
Even though they were as drunk as skunks, the varmints realized that there was something afoot. They left the saloon just two
minutes before the sheriff arrived. It was time to head for the hills
again, but now the law knew who they were and what theyd
done. Theyd have to be far more careful in the future if they were
to survive.
By the time they reached the area known locally as the
Hideout Hills, the two had lost the posse that had amassed since
the incident at the saloon. The involuntary relocation of a small
dinosaur family gave them a rather dank dwelling place, a small
cave complex similar to many others burrowed beneath the
Hideout Hills. Priority one was to ensure that potential intruders
were discouraged, so they set an elaborate series of traps at the
mouth of the cave, with far deadlier ones in its interior. Providing
you kept to the left and knew when to jump, you were safe, but the
to the uninitiated, it was a death trap.
With their underground base now secure, they planned their
first raid. Given that theyd left the Gaines Gang to escape a cavebound life in the first place, it had to be something that would
quickly elevate them up the property ladder. Payroll wagons
seemed an obvious target. They watched the well-ridden tracks
between New Savannah and the expanse of the Main Valley with
great trepidation. The brothers had been part of a large gang on
their last payroll job but now they were but two. Even the small
group of six outriders that accompanied the coach was enough to
make any robbery attempt nearly suicidal. They would have to
find another source of illegal income and find it quick. After the
final piece of dinosaur meat theyd carved from the former inhabitants of the cave went rotten, the two realized that if the law didnt kill them, then hunger would. They decided to take a big risk:
theyd have to go to New Savannah.
Travelling into the city with a group of cattle hands, the pair
managed to go unnoticed by the guards. Looking for targets, they
noticed the hive of activity around the market and decided that
some of the ranchers would provide an excellent source of
income. The large amounts of money passing between the ranch-

27

ers would take time to deposit in the banks, and some of the ranchers made it clear during casual conversation that they intended to
spend some of their earnings first.
Befriending two of the cattle ranchers was an easy task for the
brothers, who could have easily found work as a comic double-act
if theyd ever chosen to live on the right side of the law. Drinks
and a few games of cards soon revealed that the two men worked
for the Pollock ranch, one of the biggest in the Main Valley, and
had traveled for ten days to reach New Savannah with a large
group of broncos. Theyd sold one hundred head of triceratops
and were entrusted with bringing the money to the bank while
their travelling companions (the other ranch hands and bronco
drivers whod helped them get the shipment through) enjoyed
themselves. Boasting that theyd made the journey ten times without incident, the two luckless leaders had decided that it was their
turn to have some fun too. Encouraged by Abel and Kane, the two
went to the casino, hoping to have some fun. Inebriated almost to
the point of unconsciousness, the two were the first victims of the
McQuarries new crime spree. Dumping the bodies in the sewer,
the brothers left for the other side of the city to enjoy themselves.
Daring to stay overnight, they had a royal time and left the following day with provisions to last them three weeks and a small
fortune in cash.
They tried the same trick on three other ranchers before
someone discovered the decomposed bodies of the original victims. Fortunately for the twins, no one had seen them with the two
ranchers; people knew the two dead men, but couldnt recollect
any of their actions. The brothers had avoided the law so far, and
there was nothing to link them with the killings. However, both
realized that they couldnt really keep the same modus operandi
(although they didnt call it that) or the law would be onto them
straight away. So instead of robbing ranchers when they were in
town, they decided to revert to their killing spree across the plains.
The McQuarry seed must have been defective to make these criminals believe that they could commit such horrible crimes without
attracting attention, and their previous offenses had attracted the
keen interest of Zeke Wylde and his Rough Riders. Following the
bloody trail the terrible twosome had left, Wylde had quickly concluded that theyd headed for the hills. Some of the farmsteads
had been taken over by undercover Riders, who were to lie in wait
and look for signs of the murderers.
As luck would have it, Fate didnt favor the twisted sons of
mayhem: their first port of call resulted in a gun battle that left
Abel less capable than his name would suggest. Nearly losing the
use of his right arm, he fled off into the night covered by his brothers more accurate gunfire. Hotly pursued by the Riders who had
ambushed them, the twins made for the hills again and by some
miracle lost their pursuers. It was as if they knew where the Riders
would look almost as if some outside force was guiding them to
safety. Whether it was their skill, sheer luck or the hand of some
malevolent god, the end result was the same; the McQuarry brothers made it back to their headquarters unnoticed.
All planning was abandoned in the face of persistent good

28

luck. Every raid, whether on a farmstead or in New Savannah,

proved to be a resounding success. The McQuarries knew when
trouble was coming and could foresee the path their futures would
take if they followed a particular course of action.
They dont realize it, but the McQuarry brothers are a team
that possesses a special gift. When they are together, they form a
psychic link that gives them the ability to glimpse their futures.
They are unaware of this ability, which only kicks in when they
are thinking about a course of action. While some of us might
imagine the results, they see what would actually happen, and
trust this inner instinct to keep them alive. So far, they have
escaped four attempts to capture them with traps that students of
criminal history would realize have proved successful in similar
circumstances. This gift separates the outlaws from the rest of
their ilk. It will take a clever man to stop their career of evil.
Abel McQuarry, Confederate Male Twf3: CR 3;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 3d8+9; 27 hp; Init +6 (+2
SA, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2 SA, +2
leather armor); Atk +5 melee (1d6+2, unarmed), or +5
melee (1d4+2/crit 19-20, knife); SA Premonition; AL NE; SV
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +4; Str 14, Con 16, Dex 11, Int 10, Wis
17, Cha 11.
Skills: Gather Information +7 (4), Hide +4 (4), Listen +5
(0), Spot +5 (0). Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes,
Improved Initiative.
Possessions: Knife, leather armor, liquor flask, cash
$4d10, various stolen goods.
SA Premonition (Su): As long as Abel and Kane are
within 100 feet of each other, they each have an unerring
instinct regarding imminent danger. When exposed to a situation or decision that might endanger them, both Abel and
Kane may make a Will save against DC 5. If either passes
the check, he feels a pang of instinct that guides him in
avoiding the situation or resolving the decision favorably.
For example, when picking farms to raid, Abel and Kane
always seem to avoid the well-guarded ones; when traversing the mountain trails, they never fall prey to an ambush;
and so on. They may make the Will save to avoid being
caught flat-footed at the start of a combat. As a result of this
ability, they also receive a +2 insight bonus to AC, initiative,
and Reflex saves.
Kane McQuarry, Confederate Male Twf2: CR 2;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 2d8+6; 20 hp; Init +3 (+1
Dex, +2 SA); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+2 SA, +1 Dex, +2 leather
armor); Atk +3 melee (1d6+1, unarmed), +3 melee
(1d4+1/crit 19-20, knife); SA Premonition (see above); AL
NE; SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +4; Str 13, Con 14, Dex 12, Int
10, Wis 18, Cha 10.
Skills: Gather Information +4 (2), Hide +5 (4), Listen +6
(0), Spot +6 (0). Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes.
Possessions: Knife, leather armor, liquor flask, cash
$4d10, various stolen goods.

Hideout Hills
This is one of the most dangerous places to be if you live a
lawful life, because although to the untrained eye it appears uninhabited, it is actually teeming with life: low-life, that is. In addition to the McQuarry brothers, there are other gangs using its difficult terrain as the perfect hideout. The well-trodden paths suggest that although nothing should live here, a great many things
do, and you wouldnt want to meet any of them on a dark night
or, for that matter, on a clear day. This bracken-cloaked cave-riddled hillscape has become such a haven for rustlers, fraudsters,
killers and other undesirables that it has been dubbed the Hideout
Hills, and boy, theres a lot hiding out here.
Whether the caves are natural or the burrows of some longforgotten race of creatures, the end result is the same: myriad
hidey-holes that ensure any pursuit turn into a long game of hideand-seek through some incredibly dangerous terrain. Rustlers are
the most common gangs to hide out here; some are well known to
the Rough Riders, and several have been in the Main Valley Jail
on a couple of occasions. In fact the very existence of the Hideout
Hills have increased the likelihood of criminals being deported off
the planet, because once theyre out of prison they head straight
for the hills to continue their life of crime.
Rustlers tend to use the Hideout Hills as a base from which to
strike at the incoming caravans of meat, typically knocking out or
killing the drivers and taking the herd to New Savannah themselves. They rotate the salesmen in the gang so that no one gets
too suspicious, because the law regards rustling as one of the most
heinous crimes. The opportunities for people to have their own
ranches are limitless on the vast surface of Cretasus, so the industrious residents of the Main Valley despise thieves all the more.
No one will offer the bandits sanctuary at any price.
You can travel six or seven miles into the hills before seeing
the first signs of habitation. The most common sign is a rotting
corpse, usually a fugitive killed during a gang war between two
groups of rustlers after the same prey. As farmers hang crows on
their fences to deter other birds, the rustlers mark out their territory with the rotting carcasses of previous trespassers. Decaying
flesh attracts the attention of predators and scavengers alike, making any journey into the Hideout Hills dangerous even without the
threat of bandits.
A typical rustler gang consists of between ten and twenty
men, and many of the caves are too small to house all of them in
one place. As a result of this, the rustlers live spread out over several caves, some of which are over a mile apart. Gang members
dont live in any one place permanently; they tend to rotate
through the different caves so that all know the nearest hiding
place should an emergency arise. Most gangs also know of a
dummy cave, actually a tunnel that opens somewhere higher in
the hills and is used to shake off pursuers. Several lawmen have
been embarrassed by these networks of passageways; some have
even made the mistake of standing guard outside the tunnel
mouth, reckoning that sooner or later, their quarry will have to

come out. These tunnels are the perfect place for an ambush. Not
even the Rough Riders will venture too far into them, as it would
mean almost certain death.
An average cave can hold up to five rustlers; roll 1D4+1 to
see how many are there if the characters are unlucky enough to
walk in on them by accident. The rustlers always set alarm traps
at the mouth of the cave, so by the time the characters get inside,
their enemies will be expecting them.
Depending upon how long it was since the last raid, rustler
gangs can have quite a lot of money on their person. Those fresh
from a job can have hundreds of dollars in their pockets, but if
pickings have been lean, the characters will just find a few cents.
Typical Rustler, Offworlder Twf1: CR 1; Medium-size
Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d8+1; Init +0; Spd 20 ft.; AC 13 (+3
hide armor); Atk +1 melee (1d4+1/crit 19-20, knife), +1
melee (1d6+1, unarmed), or +0 ranged (1d8, musket); AL
CE; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +0; Str 14, Con 13, Dex 10, Int
10, Wis 11, Cha 9.
Skills: Hide +1 (4), Wilderness Lore +2 (0). Feat:
Weapon Proficiency Ballistic.
Possessions: Knife, musket with 2d6-3 bullets, hide
armor, cash 85% chance of $1d4-2, 15% chance of $5d10.

The Great Library of Logos

Logos is an ancient protoceratops city that was destroyed five
hundred years ago. At its height, it was the center of protoceratops
civilization on Cretasus. It housed the legendary great library, a
central repository of knowledge so vast it was said that no protoceratops had ever seen all of it. Its endless tunnels were polished
and ornate, decorated with columns and flourishes more beautiful
than anyone now could imagine. The rest of the city, built with the
library at its center, boasted exquisite architecture constructed at
the zenith of protoceratopsian artistry.
Or so the protoceratops say. Now, Logos is only a story. A
combination of flood and warfare decimated the city. The remains
were lost over time, and completely forgotten for many generations.
But the arrival of man has renewed interest in Logos. Many
believe the city holds secrets about the origin of the planet.
According to legend, the great library of Logos contained all the
knowledge known to the protoceratops. Their present reputation
for erudition, they say, is but a pale reflection on what they once
knew. If true, Logos could unlock both scientific and commercial
secrets about the planet and its resources. And, of course, it could
return a vital bit of history to the protoceratops.

History
Logos sat atop one of many low plateaus that flanked the
Danjow river south of where New Savannah now is, not far from
where the river ended in the scorching Crystal Desert. The foundations of the city were carved directly into the plateau. Typical

29

low-lying protoceratops buildings were built onto those foundations out of adobe. The entire plateau was honeycombed with the
tunnels of the great library, whose main entrance was in the center of the city. The ascent to the plateau, a gradually rising path
along one face, was lined with buildings sheltering tunnels that
led into the rock, most of which connected with the library at
some point.
The soil at the base of the plateau was irrigated by the
Danjow and extremely fertile. It provided the protoceratops with
a steady supply of food. The Danjow was (and still is) an unpredictable river, flooding irregularly every few years, and in times
of flood the protoceratops could easily retreat to the top of the
plateau and wait for it to pass.
The small, cramped tunnels of the library were designed with
protoceratops in mind. Most were four to five feet high and about
as wide. Every surface of every tunnel floor, ceiling, and wall
was inscribed with the protoceratops language. All together, the
collected knowledge carved into the librarys tunnels spanned
more than ten thousand years of protoceratops history.
The great library was an architectural marvel. Its tunnels were
arranged according to a protoceratops classification system. In the
forty miles of narrow tunnels on the first level was general introductory information about every subject in the system. Dozens of
staircases led to the next level, which contained more detailed
information, with each subject area on level two directly below
the area devoted to the same subject on level one. Level three, in
turn, contained more detail, and so on. As new knowledge was
added, new levels were excavated to record it. By the time one
reached the twentieth level, there were moisture droplets visible
on the ceilings, as the tunnels extended even below the basin of
the adjacent river.
On the first few levels, all the horizontal tunnels were connected. But in order to maintain the vertical organizational structure, new levels were sometimes added to a single subject area
without taking the time to build tunnels connecting all areas on
that level. Thus, the layout of each level became more and more
fragmented as one descended. If one decided to look up the details
of moon moss after researching astronomy on the fortieth level,
for example, one might have to climb to the thirty-sixth floor to
find a passage to the moon moss section, from which to descend
to that part of the fortieth level.
The only map of the library was a guide to the cataloguing
system, which explained where to find information on the first
level. From there, one simply had to descend to learn more.
Researchers rarely descended all the way to the bottom, and even
the few abstruse protoceratops who went that deep never did so
for more than one or two subjects. Thus, though it was said there
were at least one hundred levels, no one had ever plumbed the true
depth of more than a few subjects, much less all of them.

The Zuleps
Not far from Logos, in the Crystal Desert, lived a large tribe

30

of barbaric leptoceratops who called themselves the zuleps.

Barbaric relatives of the protoceratops, the leptoceratops inhabited a miserable part of the world. They survived on tough ground
vegetation and very little water. Even though they were herbivores, they had a savage warrior culture and practiced piercing,
tattoos, and scarification as rites of passage. They could walk on
four legs or two, and their front claws could be used to grasp items
including the simple spears, shields, and knives they designed.
The protoceratops looked down upon the zuleps as uneducated savages. For thousands of years, the zuleps had roamed the
desert, their tribes too small to merit attention. The protoceratops
ignored them which proved to be a terrible mistake. Two consecutive years of good rains ignited a population explosion among
the zuleps, and an ambitious warlord managed to organize the
scattered tribes. The zuleps had for many years coveted the lush
vegetation at the base of Logos, and now they had the strength to
do something about it. The erudite protoceratops of Logos, noncombative to begin with, were happy to share but the warlike
zuleps had a different attitude. To them, there was room for only
one tribe on the plateau.
The zuleps launched an invasion of Logos. They fought with
barbaric fervor. The hardy protoceratops tried to defend themselves, but were routed. All the defenses of Logos had been
designed to defend against large theropods; the pits, gates, and
small-aperture tunnels were of little use against opponents the
same size as the defenders. Logos was soon occupied by chanting
zuleps.
The protoceratops launched several attempts to retake Logos,
but they failed. Unfortunately for the protoceratops, inscribed
stone tunnels are not portable. When they lost the city, they lost
their great library.

The Great Flood

Once the zuleps began feeding in the fertile river valley of the
Danjow, their numbers grew rapidly. Although they initially
ignored Logos itself in favor of the riverside areas, they soon had
to expand upward into the city. They dug trenches from the river
to the librarys lowest depths, which filled high enough to serve as
wells for the plateau. They had flooded the great library.
Logos was once a cosmopolitan city, thousands of years in
the making, where the knowledge of the ages was culled and
recorded. Now, occupied by the zuleps, the library became a well,
offices became stables, observatories became hatcheries, and
studies became gladiatorial rings.
Then the Danjow flooded. Flooding was not unusual, but this
time, the waters rose for weeks. The several years of good rains
seemed to have reached their peak. The zuleps in the river valley
were forced onto the plateau for protection. The protoceratops,
now living in dispersed camps upriver, were forced into the hills.
And the waters continued to rise.
It was a thousand-year flood. After yet another evening of torrential rain, the overcrowded zuleps awoke to find their plateau

city completely surrounded by water. They were stranded.

Before food could begin to be an issue, a massive storm
moved in. The skies darkened far across the horizon, and the deep
thunder could be heard for hours before the clouds descended on
what was left of Logos. The storm arrived just as the sun set, and
the ensuing hours of darkness were terror for the zuleps. The wet
air was thick with lightning, every bolt of which seemed to hit the
plateau. The lightning ignited sporadic fires which expired quickly under the fierce rain, but nonetheless lit again with each new
strike. The zuleps could feel the point-blank thunder in their
hearts.
Around midnight, an even deeper noise rumbled below the
thunder. It grew steadily louder, terrifying the zuleps all the more,
until it revealed itself to be a forty-foot-tall wall of water cascading down the Danjow.
The wave crested the plateau and washed through Logos,
sweeping the zuleps over the edge. But there was something
worse: the library, which honeycombed the very structure of the
plateau, had been connected to the Danjow. The great wave swept
below the plateau as well as above it. Moments after the crest
washed across Logos, the water pressure inside the tunnels
reached its limits. Rapidly growing fissures radiated forth from
the staircases leading down to the library. The ground exploded as
geysers erupted from the librarys entrances. Weak earth between
the surface and lower levels fractured as a liquid earthquake
forced the water to the surface.
This proved to be the Danjows final flood. In the morning,
the golden sunlight rose over a wide, sedate river. Drowned zulep
corpses floated placidly downstream. Water drained slowly from
the tops of several low plateaus, all flattened by the flood. Now all
signs of Logos rested on the river bottom. The entrances to the
great library were but nondescript lumps of mud atop one the
many low plateaus that flanked the Danjow.

The Protoceratops Amnesia

The protoceratops were devastated by the loss of Logos. It
was the symbol of their civilization, and not only had it been
sacked by barbarians, but now it was completely destroyed by
flood. Even worse was the loss of the great library. For a culture
based on knowledge, losing ten millennia of accumulated scholarship was crippling. The protoceratops came to refer to this as
their amnesia the enormous vacuum where once there was a
shared memory, a memory that had been committed to written
words now long gone. They have since tried to alleviate this sense
of amnesia by creating new libraries, and many protoceratops
cities include small libraries. But the species still suffers from a
collective sense of lost knowledge and desperately desires to
recover the vast erudition lost with the flood of Logos.
The arrival of humans renewed interest in recovering the lost
library. Since then, protoceratops explorers have begun scouring
the Danjow where legends say Logos once was. They have found
many artifacts along the length of the Danjow, including shards of
pottery, statuettes, inscribed tablets, and ancient beak sheaths (the

stone dentures that protoceratops wear when they use their

beaks to write in stone). But they have not yet found Logos.
The most significant discovery to date is a series of tunnels
embedded in the bank of the Danjow, near where it evaporates in
the Crystal Desert. The tunnels, about a mile long over the course
of all of their twists and turns, are a section of the library which
broke loose as a single chunk and was apparently swept downriver. The cave made by the tunnels was occupied by various riverdwellers until explorers cleared them out a few years ago.
Most of the wall inscriptions were worn off by the time they
were found, but enough was legible to learn the tunnels were once
a section of the library devoted to astronomy. Since then, the tunnels have been extensively explored and converted into an explorers outpost. Now called Sesquiped, it is the last point before the
desert where one can find some modicum of civilization. A few
wizened old protoceratops astronomers and a wild one live there,
studying the wall inscriptions, and you can sometimes find an
explorer or two passing through.

Scenario Hooks
The area around the Danjow River provides fertile ground for
adventure. It has been five hundred years since the loss of Logos.
The protoceratops have rebuilt their civilization. Now they want
to recover their great library. Human explorers want to uncover
the secrets of Cretasus and its inhabitants. Military researchers
want to understand the worlds mineral and resource distribution.
And adventurers want to find the forgotten city.
The Danjow is a very long river, flanked by several levels of
terraces and plateaus. No one knows which might house the great
library. Over time, the lay of the land has surely changed, and the
plateau housing the library may now be at ground level or perhaps the river has migrated away from it.

31

The search for the great library makes for an epic campaign.
The library is a major site, and it should not be found quickly. Its
discovery will be an important event. Knowledge of its location
can be sold to many parties (both protoceratops and human) for a
princely sum. When it is found, explorers of all kinds from protoceratops to zuleps to humans will swarm there, and the knowledge it contains may create just as many mysteries as it unlocks.

The Crystal Desert

Environmental Dangers
The Crystal Desert is extremely hot. Beginning about half a
mile from its edges, it is considered very hot for purposes of heat
danger. The desert interior, centered on the crater and including
the area within a two mile radius, is considered extreme heat.
There are no strong winds or sand storms in the Crystal
Desert. Except for the occasional hot breeze, the air is still.

Crystal Formations
The Crystal Desert is an arid region south of the mountains
around New Savannah. It is where Hepsediah Porters ship crashlanded. Somewhere in the sandy plains, his ship still lies, perhaps
littered with the skeletons of his son Daniel and the rest of his
party who decided to wait by the ship for help. (That is, if they
really did die there...)
The desert begins quite abruptly at an obvious line of
demarcation, the grass browns and dies, plants wither and cease to
grow, and the grounds moisture content drops to nearly zero. The
dirt soon turns into sand, heated to scalding temperatures by the
clear sky above. Soon you see almost no living things, only hot
dunes and rising heat waves. The mighty Danjow River strangely
dissipates and finally evaporates into nothing. This swath of barrenness is the Crystal Desert.
The area is so named because of the crystal formations
throughout the desert. Careful examination of the sand reveals
that its grains are much larger than usual and much more obviously crystalline. There are rough, irregular crystal formations
throughout the desert, often in the lee of a sand dune or growing
from the side of a crumbling rock wall. Sometimes tall quartz-like
crystals project straight up from the sand, with no other terrain
feature in sight.
At the very center of the Crystal Desert is a great crater. This
crater has no name, as the zuleps and protoceratops are the only
civilizations to have seen it, and both regard it with a sacred,
unnamable awe. As one approaches the crater, the sandy ground
becomes more rocky, and soon is a bed of thick, shattered crystals.
The crater is more than 200 feet deep and almost two miles across.
At the very bottom one can see sun-scorched rubble of some kind.

Residents
Few creatures live in the Crystal Desert, but those that do are
tough. The zuleps are the most common inhabitants, and there are
a variety of hardy reptiles and insects. The plant life is mostly cactus, some short, tough trees, a variety of cane, and a few other
hardy shrubs and roots. There are some medium-sized dinosaurs
and a few larger ones (most from families that have lived in the
desert long enough to adapt). You may occasionally encounter
other animals around the fringes of the desert, but non-native
creatures quickly feel the heat and retreat.

32

Hundreds of varieties of crystals can be found in the desert.

In fact, it almost seems as if no two crystals are the same. There
are pink, red, green, blue, yellow, brown, clear, and smoky gray
crystals. Some are spotted, striated, translucent, opaque, or transparent. Some produce musical notes when struck, and some hum
when even the slightest breeze passes them by. Some are soft and
salty-tasting, while others are hard and glassy.
There is no rhyme or reason to the placement of the crystals.
Some patches of the desert are dotted with a crystal growth nearly every hundred feet, including some massive structures that are
several stories tall, while other areas are bare sand for miles. The
process by which the crystals form is also mysterious, for their
growth rates vary from a few millimeters to more than a foot each
year. Without pattern, new formations will grow out of barren
sand. But once a crystal point is removed from its formation, it
ceases to grow.
The crystals are valued by machinists for their use in optics,
lasers, and other items of high technology. Many machinists
searching for the perfect material have journeyed to the desert to
test crystal properties.
Here is a list of several of the more useful crystals. They can
be located on successful Spot or Wilderness Lore checks. One
check can be made for every day of travel through the desert.
Glass Blood: This is the name given to a blood-red crystal
that grows in broad, short slabs. It is extremely rare, and also quite
difficult to find due to its low profile. One formation provides 3d6
uses. If ground into a fine powder, mixed with liquid, and ingested, glass blood fortifies the body. It provides a +1d4 resistance
bonus to Fortitude saves. The bonus lasts for one day. There is a
great danger in ingesting glass blood, however: you are basically
drinking glass shards. If the crystal is not ground properly into an
extremely fine powder, it does 1d4 points of damage and gives no
bonus whatsoever. Locating glass blood requires a Wilderness
Lore check (DC 16), or a Spot check (DC 19). Grinding it properly requires an Alchemy/Chemistry check (DC 15).
Lantern Crystal: This wide gray crystal appears completely
opaque. In reality, it is very sensitive to light, and while its surface
is solid, its interior is pellucid and finely faceted with an intricate
interior structure. If broken off in sections which are then carefully sawed flat at each end to expose the clear interior, it becomes
an incredible light magnifier. A light shown in one end of the
resulting crystal wand is multiplied tenfold by the brilliant facets

within and emerges from the other end that much brighter. Lantern
crystal is relatively easy to find (about one formation every square
mile), and each formation provides 5d12 crystal wands. Locating
lantern crystal requires a Wilderness Lore check (DC 14), or a
Spot check (DC 16).
Song Crystal: Song crystal is a faint, translucent blue color.
It grows in thin reed-like prisms an inch wide and several feet
long. It can only be found in the southernmost reaches of the
desert. It is extraordinarily sensitive to touch, and produces a faint
whispering noise when wind passes over it. Merely rubbing the
crystal with a finger produces a melodious sound. It is valued by
musicians as well as by many dinosaurs who find the sounds
pleasing. Song crystal can be located with Wilderness Lore check
(DC 16), or a Spot check (DC 18).

Secrets of the Desert

The Crystal Desert is a geographic anomaly for a number of
reasons. Its sudden beginning and obvious perimeter are strange.
The crystals are inexplicable. Its location in the midst of an otherwise moist region is unusual. And the fact that the Danjow dries
up and disappears as it enters the desert is simply unnatural.
The secret of the desert lies in the crater. Resting beneath the
shards of glass and clumped sand is the battered shell of a crashed
alien spaceship. Its crash landing and the resulting reactor meltdown long ago changed the deserts very nature. The rubble at the
crater bottom is the only clue to the hull buried beneath. It has
been empty for at least 10,000 years, for even the protoceratops
great library, which contained 10,000 years of accumulated
knowledge, described it as an aging, empty wreck.
Traces of the wrecked ship can be found throughout the
desert. These otherwise unidentified metal scraps originated at the
crash site long ago. They are twisted and sun-baked, with nothing
so intact that its original purpose can be discerned. Many scraps
show signs of twisting or shredding, as the leptoceratops use the
scraps to build weapons and tools.
Staying in the crater is quite perilous. Aside from being

extremely hot, it is also very difficult to navigate. The loose crystal shards are crumbly and practically impossible to get a good
footing on. Moving down the crater and around its bottom counts
as a bad terrain surface (1/2 movement); climbing back up the
crater wall counts as a very bad surface (1/4 movement).
Moreover, characters moving uphill must constantly try to keep
their footing, so they count as being flat-footed at all times.
The ship itself is completely buried and is hard to see from
the crater rim (Spot check at DC 22 to recognize that something is
buried beneath the sand). But if characters descend into the crater
and search the area, they will find numerous hatches, pits, and
pipes leading into the buried craft (Spot check at DC 12 to notice).
The ship is a mile wide and many levels deep. Although it was
damaged in the crash, many of its passageways, cargo holds,
launch bays, and other structures are intact.
The first level of the ship has been stripped bare, thanks to
thousands of years of decay and occupation. But as one descends
further and further into the wreck, one will find ancient technology, some of it still working. Rumors of the technological windfall
at the crash site have sent several machinists adventuring, but
none has yet found it. Navigating the desert, discovering the site,
and exploring the crashed ship could be a substantial adventure
for characters.
The ship has been the home of many zulep tribes over the
years; two tribes live in it now. They occupy the first buried level
of the ship, with one tribe being a recent arrival which has begun
contesting the other tribes occupation.
One notable feature of the zulep occupiers is their strange
anatomical characteristics. All young born within the ship have
mutations. Some are slight, such as crooked beaks or missing or
extra fingers, while others are extreme, such as third eyes, feathers, horned frills, or no tails. Such is the peril of living in to the
crater.
(We have intentionally left the interior layout of the ship
unspecified for now. Develop it as you see appropriate, adapting
the ship to fit your campaign. Or await future developments in
other supplements!)

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The Tecumseh Trail

The Tecumseh Trail is the passage to the west. Gouged out of
the soil by the parallel wagon ruts of a steady stream of pioneers,
it is now the most traveled frontier route on Cretasus. Thousands
of frontiersmen have lived and died along its path, and the graves
that mark its miles remind observers of the pioneers determination.
The trail leads to several major areas of Cretasus. The verdant
southwestern plains are the most common destination. The Bayou,
a gray swamp that borders the plains to the north, is a less common goal. The Black Jungle and Lake Hope lie to the west of the
plains, while the Hampshire Mountains stand to the south.
The trail is named for Fort Tecumseh, its original destination.
Fort Tecumseh is now the last bastion of civilization before the
trail enters the back country. Beyond the fort, settlements are
sparse. Garsville, along the banks of Lake Hope, is the only population center large enough to be called a town. Tiny Millers
Crossroads lies where the trail bifurcates at the beginning of the
plains and is an important place for western frontiersmen to sell
their wares to eastern merchants. Gilmore Homestead and Vicente
Pass both serve as backwoods gathering points, but they are hard
to reach. Pioneers with Union sympathies occasionally head for
Fort Lincoln, the Unions largest outpost, which lies below the
plains in the Hampshire Mountains.

The Trail
There is no sign proclaiming the Tecumseh Trail. The trail is
marked only by the evidence of those who came before. Wagon
marks, litter, the corpses of livestock, graves, scenes of battle, discarded belongings, extinguished fires, and trampled camp sites
lead the pioneers in the steps of those who preceded them.
A journey along the Tecumseh Trail is filled with hardship.
Pioneers must contend with hunger, disease, robbery, and
dinosaurs. They must time their departure with the seasons, lest
they freeze on the plains while still mid-journey. They must
choose carefully what to bring, balancing their desires with the
risk of overloading their wagons or overburdening their livestock.
All pioneers must contend with faulty information, that perpetual gnawing doubt at the back of every travelers mind. Few
are the guides who have taken the Tecumseh Trail both west and
back east again. Travelers receive tips and directions from the settlers or occasional hunters they encounter, as well as the marks of
those before them but there is no way to confirm the route. Was
the best river passage to the north or south? Does this cut-off pro-

34

vide a shortcut, like that miner said? After seeing four graves in
five miles, should we have taken the other fork back at the bend?
These questions are important, because the trail diverges in
many places. Just past Fort Tecumseh, a traveler can head northwest along the inland sea, or cut west through the jungle. Most
choose the former, but the latter is said to shave six days off the
trip. These choices confront pioneers every step of the way.
Two forks in the trail are especially important. The first is at
Millers Crossroads. There, the north fork runs below the Bayou
until it eventually crosses the Fur River into the northwestern
plains. Those plains are the least settled and, if rumors are to be
believed, the most prosperous. But reaching them requires great
stamina and a stomach for danger, as the Bayou is infested with
velociraptors and spinosauruses.
The southern route from Millers Crossroads is the route
more often traveled. It cuts directly across the plains. Most pioneers leave the trail in the plains to make their home. The land is
still so vast as to be largely unsettled, but by now a traveler can
expect to find a homesteader within several days journey of
almost any point along this stretch.
The second important fork is where this southern trail veers
toward the Black Jungle. Here, the south branch of the trail heads
into the jungle. Loggers, hunters, trappers, and bachelor farmers
often choose this route. The other fork veers west into Lake Hope
and Garsville. This stretch goes through light forest and is dotted
with larger farms more inviting to less adventurous travelers.

Fort Tecumseh
Fort Tecumseh is the Confederacys western stronghold. It
was founded by General Bowie in 2189, just four years after New
Savannahs founding, as an important link in the Confederacys
plans for the planet. General Bowie is a likable man who is
nonetheless universally feared by his men, for he has never been
in a fight that didnt end with his opponents death. His first
encounter on Cretasus only reinforced this reputation. He was
attending the first wedding in New Savannah. It was a grand affair
to join the children of two of the new societys most prominent
families. After the ceremony, the reception was held on a gorgeous wooded bluff overlooking the sea. As the bride and groom
cut the cake, three velociraptors burst out of the underbrush. The
guests panicked, but not General Bowie. He grabbed the cake
knife and immediately impaled one of the raptors, killing it with a
single stroke. With a second stroke he sliced the forearm off the

next raptor. At that, they retreated, and General Bowie wiped off
the knife and served the rest of the cake. Most of the guests, however, had lost their appetite.
When someone was needed to establish a fort to the west,
General Bowie was the natural choice. He had earlier begun
organizing the Army of Solaris, a loose-knit force of independent
units from the dozens (later hundreds) of planets that had representatives on Cretasus. The Army of Solaris was a true frontier
army, composed of whoever was willing to fight, and General
Bowie took it west to build a fort.
Bowie established his fort much farther west than anyone
imagined. He eventually built Fort Tecumseh nearly 400 miles
from New Savannah. Although this decision was unpopular at the
time (Whom is General Bowie protecting, the humans or the
dinosaurs? asked many New Savannah citizens), General Bowie
realized that traffic on the frontier would grow. His decision was
proven correct within a decade, as the Tecumseh Trail was traveled more and more. Fort Tecumseh became the first hub of frontier civilization.
Fort Tecumseh is now the home of the Army of Solaris and
several regiments of Dino Warriors. Its total population, both military and civilian, is about 10,000 people, give or take however
many pioneers are currently passing through. There are 2,000 soldiers. The soldiers and about 500 civilians live in the fort, and the
rest of the population is scattered among the farms and ranches
that line its perimeter.

Layout
The fort is arranged in three concentric squares. The innermost square is defined by a high palisade of thick, pointed logs
beside a dry moat sixty feet wide and twenty feet deep. This
square is a quarter-mile wide and houses the officers barracks,
ammunition depot, and artillery. It is the most secure area and the
center of the fighting fort in a war, the population would
retreat to this area.
The middle square is surrounded by a fence made up variously of split logs, mud bricks, and piled stones. This square is
about a mile wide at most points. Its sprawling interior includes
the soldiers barracks, stables, mess halls, parade grounds, guard
houses, and storage facilities.
The area outside the fence is a mix of military and civilian
domain. The military farms, practice ranges, and livestock herds
are there. Most residential and commercial institutions are there,
too: a dozen saloons, three general stores, a grain dealer, a leather
dealer, a mill, a buying agency, two blacksmiths, a bank, two commercial stables, six hotels, and a theater which everyone knows is
actually a front for a brothel.
Civilians realize the safety inherent in staying close to the
fort, so the lands around it are clustered with ranches and farms.
There are constant encampments of pioneers at the forts edges.
There is no large river near the fort, but several small streams
flow near or through town and into the great sea. Timber is an
expensive commodity, as it must be floated or hauled into town.

35

The soldiers have a lot of time on their hands and have gone to the
trouble to bring in lumber for the fort, but most civilian houses are
made of sod.

The Dino Warriors

Missions

The Dino Warriors are the elite dinosaur cavalry of the

Confederate army. They are the Confederacys newest military
branch and the most visible of its soldiers on Cretasus. Their
mission is threefold: first, to protect Confederate settlements and
trade routes; second, to maintain relations with the dinosaur
tribes and nations; and third, to establish hatcheries and grow
their ranks to the point where they can fight against the Union on
other planets.
The Confederacy knows the Union is testing its ironclads
on Cretasus. Officially there are no hostilities. Unofficially, there
are regular encounters and even casualties as the two sides dispute borders and attempt sabotage. The Confederacy realizes the
power of a trained T-rex and ultimately wants to train cadres of
troops to be deployed on other planets as defenses against Union
armor. Even on Cretasus, the Dino Warriors sometimes plan
covert ops where they attack Union tanks or experimental
ironclads, completely unprovoked, as a test or for a specific military purpose. Since most of the damage to the Union in these
raids is in the form of bite marks, its easy to deny responsibility and blame it on a wild dinosaur (at least in diplomatic and
public relations channels the military on both sides knows
whats going on).
The Dino Warriors also serve as dinosaur diplomats for the
Confederacy. Because of their affinity with animals, they are the
best equipped to communicate with the intelligent dinosaurs. On
a number of occasions, the Dino Warriors have transformed hostile velociraptor tribes into willing allies, through a combination
of gifts, trade, diplomacy, and display of force. Most Dino
Warrior encampments include a combination of domesticated
dinosaurs and wild but friendly dinosaurs acting as liaisons,
advisors, diplomats, or even hired mercenaries (a common role
for silverclaw raptors).
There is no shortage of farmhands, hunters, pioneers, and
other back country dwellers eager to become Dino Warriors. But
becoming a Dino Warrior is not easy. Only bronco riders of high
level, as well as normal civilians and regular soldiers who show
exceptional aptitude with dinosaur handling, are admitted to the
first stage of training.
This first stage consists of one year training and raising
dinosaurs in the hatcheries. During this time, the Dino Warriors
closely observe the candidates interaction with dinosaurs.
Depending on performance and the recommendations of their
superiors, a select few are invited to take the Dino Warriors initiation tests.
Successfully passing the initiation tests requires more than
mere dinosaur empathy. Physical and strategic ability are very
important. The tests vary by time of year and whats available,
but some common tests include surviving five days in the
wilderness equipped with only a hunting knife, riding a wild

The Fort monitors the Union presence at Fort Lincoln,

defends New Savannah from the great herds on the southwestern
plains, and maintains law and order on the Tecumseh Trail. Its
influence on the trail extends east almost as far as New Savannah,
but settlers heading west leave its protection very quickly.
The fort has lately been involved in an increasingly hostile
war with a nearby velociraptor nation. The Lettoko raptors occupy the hill country south of the fort. They oppose human
encroachment, as the humans are gradually chasing away the
Lettokos traditional prey. In the past year, the Lettoko have
become more aggressive, ambushing pioneers along the trail and
occasionally even making forays into the farms and ranches
around the fort.
The fort has responded with increased patrols and raids on
the Lettoko. The Lettoko are made up of at least six tribes, all situated in fairly close proximity, and are very dangerous opponents.
They exploit the hill terrain masterfully, launching ambushes and
hit-and-run attacks from out of nowhere. So far, five soldiers have
been lost for every raptor killed.

36

The Military
The life of a soldier in Fort Tecumseh is actually fairly exciting. While at post, he (or she) must endure the usual chores of
post life: mess duty, guard duty, drills, building and repairing
facilities, cleaning, and so on. But if youre going to be at post,
Fort Tecumseh is a great post to be at, as there is a large civilian
population nearby and its always ready to serve the soldiers.
While not at post, soldiers go on patrol. Patrol around Fort
Tecumseh is usually dangerous, which makes it rather exciting.
The missions vary, but there is always trouble brewing somewhere. There are marauding dinosaurs, trail bandits, and dishonest traders; green pioneers to tend to; and the gradually escalating
war against the Lettoko raptors. Whether its the great herds of the
plains straying too close for comfort, or a vicious ceratosaurus
stalking the trail, the soldiers of Fort Tecumseh always have
something to worry about.

Sites of Interest
Josies Review is the most happening place in town. It is a
nightclub/theater famous for its singing showgirls, who are
known for hundreds of miles around their songs are the only
entertainment for many back country farmers! Travelers returning
from the back country relax there for a few days before resuming
their trips, as do pioneers passing in the other direction. Miners

and hunters stop by when they are in town, and there is always a
contingent of soldiers on leave from the fort. Many of the local
farmers and ranchers are regulars. Josies is the best place to get
a drink and learn the news from hundreds of miles in any direction.
The four largest saloons in town are The Spur, Buds Brews,
The Red Raptor, and the Three Horn Saloon. The Spur is a dirty
hole in the wall known for its fistfights and all-night poker games.
Buds Brews is a large, relaxed saloon frequented by local farmers the closest thing Fort Tecumseh has to a family bar (if there
is such a thing). The Red Raptor is known for its mascot, a stuffed
raptor with unusually red skin; the bar attracts a mix of outdoorsmen and soldiers. The Three Horn Saloon is home to the stuffed
head of a colossal bull triceratops, one of the largest ever seen; the
saloon is decorated with other natural artifacts, including a T-rex
skull, a beer keg made of a pachycephalosaurus skull, and tables
with clawed feet from all manner of creatures. The Three Horn
Saloon is a great place to meet dino hunters, safari guides, and
Dino Warriors.
The buying agency occupies a three-story wood-plank building labeled Buying Agency. For many frontiersmen, it is the
most important building in town. Each of its twelve offices houses a buyer representing one or more merchants back in New
Savannah. The buyers procure raw materials, which they then
ship back to their employers. The buildings occupants vary
depending on who is in town at any given time, but there are usually two mineral buyers (dealing in everything from aluminum to
gold), two timber buyers, one leather and skins agent, three produce and crops buyers, one dealer in live dinosaurs, two mundane
livestock dealers, and one exotic goods buyer (specializing in
taxidermied dinosaurs, exotic skins, dinosaur artifacts, and the
like). The buyers deal with farmers, hunters, and miners who
dont want to trek all the way to New Savannah to sell their
goods. The buyers employ their own agents in Millers
Crossroads to deal with prospects even deeper in the back country, and those agents in turn have their own agents as far west as
Garsville.
The First Bank of Fort Tecumseh is the biggest bank west of
New Savannah. It is one of the very few secure places on the frontier to convert notes to gold, borrow money, and deposit savings.
The bank holds the combined wealth of most of the areas big
farmers and ranchers, as well as the savings of General Bowie
himself. At any given time, the banks vault holds 2d4 x1,000 dollars in cash and valuable metals. The bank is always guarded by
three private guards and 1d4+1 soldiers.

Prominent Locals
General Bowie: General Bowie is the most important man in
town. He still runs the fort and the Army of Solaris. He also acts
as the de facto mayor of the town, since all the important town
positions (sheriff, treasurer, etc.) are filled by military men he
appoints. He is a short, stocky, balding man who always wears

triceratops for a full minute, rounding up an escaped herd, and

fighting a velociraptor in one-on-one combat.
Dino Warrior duties are generally more exciting than those
in the regular army. If a particularly dangerous dinosaur has
been ambushing merchants along a trade route from New
Savannah, its usually the Dino Warriors who get called to fix
the problem. This is why the trails between Fort Tecumseh, New
Savannah, and Fort Apache are fairly safe. Of course, there are
never enough Dino Warriors to chase every carnivore, but they
certainly make the areas they patrol safer than anywhere else on
the planet.
While not on patrol, a Dino Warrior is tending to his animals. He feeds them, cleans them, and trains them. Breaking and
training newly acquired wild dinosaurs is an ever-present chore.
So is raising young into domesticity.
Some high-level Dino Warriors are promoted out of active
duty. They have diplomatic or political jobs that take an officer
away from the front lines. These are the Dino Warriors youll
find as prominent citizens in New Savannah, the forts, and a few
other large towns. They are revered as heroes. After all, they represent pretty much everything the Confederacy adores
strength, heroism, military prowess, and rural lifestyle. These
are the men and women who sit on boards, organize charity
balls, court the mayors children, and invest on the side in expeditions to faraway jungles reputed to have valuable sugar cane
brakes.
A Typical Dino Warrior: Dino Warriors usually begin
their careers as soldiers or bronco riders. They are recruited into
the Dino Warriors when they demonstrate unusual aptitude with
handling animals. For more information, see the Dino Warrior
prestige class elsewhere in this volume. Here is the profile of a
typical Dino Warrior private.
Dino Warrior Private, Confederate Bro3/Dnw2: CR
5; Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 3d8+2d10; Init +2 (+2
Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (+2 Dex, +5 flak jacket); Atk +4
ranged (1d10/crit x3, automatic pistol), +4 ranged touch
(special, lasso), +4 melee (2d8+1/crit x3, laser lance), or
+4 melee (1d6+1, laser prod); AL LN; SV Fort +4, Ref +4,
Will +1; Str 12, Con 11, Dex 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 12.
Skills: Animal Empathy +11 (8), Balance +5 (6),
Handle Animal +16/+14* (8), Intimidate +6 (5), Intuit
Direction +6 (6), Knowledge (nature) +7 (6), Knowledge
(strategy & tactics) +4 (3), Ride +11/+9* (8), Wilderness
Lore +6 (6). Feats: Dinopathy, Dinosaur Presence,
Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery, Point Blank Shot.
* Higher bonus applies when working with mount in
which he specializes.
Possessions: Automatic pistol, lasso, laser lance,
laser prod, flak jacket, handheld communicator, cash
$2d6.

37

grey fatigues. He speaks in brief sentences and is very bossy he

forces all situations into a commander-soldier relationship.
General Bowie, Confederate Sol8: CR 8; Mediumsize Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 8d10+16; hp 57; Init +1 (+1 Dex);
Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Atk +9/+4 ranged (2d10, laser
pistol) or +2 melee (1d4+2/crit 19-20, heirloom dagger); AL
LN; SV Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +6; Str 13, Con 14, Dex 12, Int
16, Wis 15, Cha 16.
Skills: Bluff +8 (5), Drive +8 (7), Intimidate +14 (11),
Knowledge (strategy and tactics) +14 (11), Listen +9 (7),
Operate Ironclad +4 (3), Pilot +10 (7), Sense Motive +7 (5),
Use Technical Equipment +14 (11). Feats: Combat
Placement, Combat Tactician, Endurance, Iron Will,
Leadership, Sense of Vulnerability, Weapon Proficiency
High Tech (Laser Pistol).
Possessions: General Bowie carries a holstered laser
pistol and a +1 heirloom dagger. His assistants carry everything else (usually papers and documents). He does not
normally wear armor, as he is rarely near combat. If forced
into battle, however, he has first pick from the forts arsenal.
Honest Eddy: Honest Eddy (otherwise known as Edward
Anderson) owns Honest Eddys Stables. He is a relaxed, congenial back-slapper who is friends with everyone in town. He is well
known for his total honesty, and equally well known for his amazing salesmanship. His ability to close a sale at a good price, even

38

after disclosing an animals faults, is legendary. Rumor has it that

he once sold a lame, half-blind triceratops to a professional bronco rider for the same price his competitor was selling perfectly
healthy ones. And the buyer was completely satisfied with the
deal!
Honest Eddy, Confederate Exp1: CR 1; Medium-size
Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d4-1; hp 2; Init +0 (+0 Dex); Spd 30
ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d3, unarmed); AL N; SV Fort +0,
Ref +0, Will +4; Str 10, Con 8, Dex 10, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha
18.
Skills: Appraise +5 (4), Bluff +8 (4), Diplomacy +8 (4),
Profession (Animal Husbandry, Sales) +5 (4), Ride +4 (4),
Sense Motive +8 (4). Feats: Lucky Cuss.
Possessions: Lucky rabbits foot, cash $3d10
Buckskin Steiner: Buckskin Steiner is one of the best
known wilderness guides at Fort Tecumseh. He spends most of his
time on solitary trips into the hills south of the fort, where he hunts
everything except raptors, as he is one of the few humans to be on
good terms with the Lettoko raptors. Buckskin makes a good
living selling his kills, though he occasionally moonlights as a
guide. He is a wide-shouldered, broad, hairy bear of a man who
wears a fringed dino-leather buckskin jacket and rarely speaks.
When hes in town, he spends his time at the Red Raptor, although
lately he has been spending very little time in town.
Buckskin Steiner, Offworlder Male Wil2: CR 3;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 2d8+2; hp 15; Init +0;
Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+3 studded leather armor); Atk +2 melee
(1d4+1/crit 19-20, raptor claw dagger), or +1 ranged
(1d12/crit x3, Winchester rifle); SA Dinosaur Ally, Motivating
Cause; AL CN; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +4; Str 12, Con 12,
Dex 11, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 10/8*.
* Base of 10 reduced to 8 when around humans.
Skills: Animal Empathy +5 (5), Animal Peer +3 (2),
Climb +3 (3), Heal +3 (2), Intuit Direction +6 (5), Wilderness
Lore +6 (5). Feats: Weapon Proficiency Ballistic.
Possessions: Raptor claw dagger, Winchester rifle with
40 bullets, studded leather armor, cash $1d6.
SA Dinosaur Ally (Ex): Buckskin is allied with the
Lettoko raptors.
SA Motivating Cause (Ex): Buckskin is spending so
much time in the woods that he is starting to see the world
from the eyes of the Lettoko raptors. He opposes human
incursion into their territory, and receives a +1 bonus
against enemies of the Lettoko.

Scenario Hooks
Most of the citys excitement comes from its status as the
frontiers biggest establishment and the center of law and order
for many miles. Almost every dishonest man on the frontier has a
reason to hate General Bowie or his men. There is always lots of
excitement on the trail, whether its due to dinosaurs, stranded
pioneers, or bandits. Missions against the Lettoko feed a constant

opportunity for adventure, as do the many trade links between the

buying agency and its suppliers.
Here are some rumors that characters might hear while in
Fort Tecumseh. Remember, not all of these have to be true! You
decide which are false leads and which point to real adventure.
1. General Bowies son went on patrol and still isnt back.
2. A trail bandit recently released from the Fort Tecumseh
prison is rounding up a new gang.
3. An ornery old miner must have found a deep vein of gold,
because he comes in from the south hills with at least ten pounds
of gold every few weeks.
4. A wealthy pioneer is offering top dollar to soldiers who
desert and act as his trail guards, but General Bowie says hell
hang any man that deserts.
5. Two Lettoko tribal chieftains are feuding. General Bowie
needs someone to encourage their feud to help divide the Lettoko
nation.
6. Union agents are buying up all the good mounts in an effort
to slow down western migration.
7. Old Smiley Smith, a rancher on the edge of town, is
organizing a posse to go get that ceratosaurus that keeps eating his
broncos.
8. A protoceratops wanderer is offering a fortune to anyone
who will escort him safely to the heart of Lettoko territory.

Long Ridge Hatchery

About ten miles south of Fort Tecumseh is Long Ridge
Hatchery, which the locals refer to as simply the hatchery. The
hatchery is where the Dino Warriors train wild mounts, raise baby
dinosaurs into domesticity, and refine the relatively new combat
strategies for dinosaur warfare. It is the base of operations for
about 60 Dino Warriors and their mounts, as well as support staff
of double that number.
The Dino Warriors most intelligent and most loyal mounts
are allowed to roam free. The rest live in ten large barns arranged
in an open rectangle. At the center of rectangle lie three wide rings
in a row, like the rings of a circus. A spiked palisade three logs
thick, anchored to the ground with heavy chains, surrounds each
ring. Ten feet inside each palisade are a number of large iron
cages. These are where wild-caught dinosaurs are kept until they
are domesticated.
A gate leading into what looks like a mound of earth is the
entrance to the hatchery proper, which is built into a hill. Within
the hill is a maze of tunnels that connect dozens of warm, cozy
rooms in which dinosaur eggs are cared for. The earth mound
helps insulate the eggs, some of which must be kept warm to hatch
properly. Newborn dinosaurs are kept in the hatchery until they
reach a certain size, whereupon they are removed to the barns.
The hatchery is ostensibly a secret, although everyone at Fort
Tecumseh knows about it. The important part is that the Union not
learn about it. The Union is well aware of the Dino Warriors stationed there, but has no direct knowledge of the hatchery. The

hatcherys underground architecture makes its full extent difficult

to ascertain, an intentional reason for its construction thus.
The hatchery is always buying dinosaur eggs, as well as
young, untrained dinosaurs. Several grizzled ex-hunters now
make a living snatching dino eggs to sell to the Dino Warriors.
The hatchery also offers a bounty for the heads of oviraptors,
since oviraptors directly compete with the hatcherys needs and
several have even been caught skulking around the hatchery
entrance!

Fort Lincoln
Fort Lincoln is the Unions largest settlement on New
Savannah. It is an official outpost of the Federal Union of Planets
and is considered by the Union to be the formal base for its
colonists on Cretasus. But because the Union arrived on Cretasus
after Confederate sympathies had already been well established,
many of its colonization attempts around New Savannah and the
southwestern plains have ended with its government-sponsored
pioneers being run out of town. Now Fort Lincoln serves as a
refuge for Union colonists and a base from which to launch colonization efforts at the northwestern plains, an unsettled region
where even the Confederacy lacks a toehold.

39

Layout
Federal Marshals
The Federal Police Agency is one of the least centralized
organizations in the Union. Its mission is to police Union
colonies in the outer reaches, where formal governments are
rare and the law is whoever has the biggest stick. The
Agency consists of several dozen federal marshals, each of
whom patrols one or more solar systems. Reporting to the
marshals are federal sheriffs, who, with the aid of three or
four deputies, patrol one or more planets. Due to their distant
assignments, the marshals often go for months or sometimes
years without contact with their superiors, making them nearly autonomous.
Typically, there is a sheriff for every 100,000 people and
a marshal for every 1,000,000 people. These populations are
even more impressive when you consider that the usual
Union colony consists of only a few thousand miners and
their families.
Marshals and sheriffs maintain law and order over vast
distances, acting as the law for dozens or even hundreds of
planets. To cope with this nearly impossible task, they are
well equipped, well financed, and extremely well trained.
Unlike the sheriffs of the old west, they are not just some
tough local with a badge. Instead, they are always top-notch
veterans of the army, navy, or civilian police forces who have
decided to pursue a solitary life in the outer territories.
Only the most experienced, highly decorated individuals
are accepted into the Federal Police Agency. There they
undergo a rigorous basic training program where at least 70%
of them wash out. The survivors are trained in the special tactics often required of federal marshals. Then they are sent
into the field to act as sheriffs deputies. The deputies are
given nearly impossible tasks (stop planet-wide rioting, for
example) and basically treated like cannon fodder. If an
applicant survives his three-year deputy period (only 25%
do), he is then eligible to become a sheriff when and if a
position becomes open. From there, he may someday be promoted to a marshal.
The tactics required of marshals and sheriffs are very
different from those of the regular military and police.
Marshals and sheriffs spend much of their time acting as
organizers, motivators, and disciplinarians. They must understand bureaucracy and politics as well as combat. They must
organize police agencies on each of the colonies, see that
they are competent and well supplied, support them in a crisis, and, often as not, keep them in check if they become corrupt or too authoritarian. The marshals worst fear is open
conflict, for their available manpower is never sufficient to
put down a full-fledged rebellion. It is by their ability to lead

40

Fort Lincoln is situated at the top of a hill in the foothills of

the Hampshire Mountains. The inner garrison (the fort proper) is
at the crest of the hill. The rest of the fort stretches down the hill
away from the garrison. Most of the northern face of the hill is
covered in residences and temporary housing for colonists, while
the other faces have military buildings. At the base of the south
slope is a landing pad where the occasional spaceship brings supplies and fresh colonists.
Structurally, Fort Lincoln is far superior to any Confederate
fort on Cretasus. It is constructed of imported high-grade steel,
prefabricated to fit a standard design template that the Union
employs on all of its frontier planets. The fort proper is a quarter
mile square, built of double walls of twenty-foot-tall steel plates.
The prefab walls include watch towers in each corner, two gates,
and three levels of ramparts with hundreds of firing ports. Local
improvements help improve the standard design: the walls are
reinforced by an inner stone wall quarried from local rock and an
outer dry moat.

Population
The forts population is fluid. Only 2,000 soldiers are stationed there, although they are supported by more heavy armor
and artillery than the entire Confederate force on all of Cretasus.
About 4,000 civilians live around the fort permanently, some of
them relatives of the soldiers. The rest of the population from
zero to as many as 2,000 additional civilians consists of
colonists either leaving for or returning from the back country.
Union freighters deliver a steady stream of colonists, who
spend their first few weeks at Fort Lincoln before setting out.
Because the colonists are government-sponsored, they are well
equipped from the beginning. Unlike Confederate pioneers,
Union colonists often have motorized vehicles to carry them
across the plains. They have ample provisions and new weapons.
And Fort Lincoln sends small detachments of soldiers to accompany them on the first stretch of the journey. When starting out, at
least, Union colonists have a significant lead over the
Confederates.
But the lead is rapidly narrowed by the Union colonists
inexperience with rural living. Most come from the sprawling
Union super-cities and have no idea how to farm, ranch, fish, or
hunt. Thats why Fort Lincoln is often filled with colonists returning from the back country their farms failed or their livestock
died, and now they need more training or more supplies. Because
of this, Union colonists make up a disproportionate number of the
loggers and miners on Cretasus, as both those vocations are easy
to learn and they produce profits fast.

Missions
The fort has three missions: establish a base of operations for
Union military and civilian forces on Cretasus; protect the ironclad research facilities nearby; and impede Confederate settlement of the planet. The forts commander, Colonel Brisbane, has
spent most of his energy on the first two missions since discovering just how much of a head start the Confederacy has.

Visiting
Fort Lincoln is a surprisingly friendly place. Despite hostilities with the Confederacy, the Union commanders at Fort Lincoln
realize the need for good public relations. After all, visitors are a
good source of intelligence and poor relations with outsiders will
only hurt the Unions own colonists.
The fort welcomes visitors in a variety of ways. A lodge at
the base of the hill provides cheap housing for passing hunters.
One of towns saloons is intentionally off limits to Union soldiers,
so that visitors from rebel lands will feel comfortable there. And
a trading post at the edge of the fort offers Union manufactured
goods for sale at prices cheaper than anywhere else on Cretasus.
Despite Fort Lincolns hospitality, it has very few visitors
from the east. It is still a Union fort. Confederate loyalists wouldnt be caught dead there. Most of its visitors are from the plains
and frontiers to the west, where loyalties are less stringent and the
shared labors of frontier living form a stronger bond than loyalties imported from other worlds.
Because of this contact, many products end up for sale in
New Savannah without anyone realizing they are newly manufactured Union goods. The circuitous route begins at Fort
Lincoln, where hunters or traders from the west buy weapons or
technology off of Union colonists. They in turn sell the goods at
Garsville or Millers Crossroads, by which route they are sold into
Fort Tecumseh. There, buying agents send them on to New
Savannah for sale in the big city. There are so many links in the
chain that Fort Lincolns largest customer base doesnt even know
they are Union customers.

Sites of Interest
Fort Lincoln has four saloons. The customer bases for The
Limping Lizard, The Evening Drill, and The Off Duty are 90%
soldiers, which discourages visitors and even most local civilians
from stopping by. The fourth, called The Fat Chew Tavern, is offlimits to soldiers. It is where you will find the civilians, colonists,
and passers-through chewing the fat.
The Post, a store at the very edge of town, is a great source
of supplies for anyone setting out into the frontier. Unlike most
Confederate stores, it is well equipped with high-tech items, and
on occasion will even have motorized vehicles for sale.
The Hampshire mines are located a few miles south of Fort

and motivate civilians that they maintain order.

When not dealing with local police forces, the marshals
and sheriffs hunt down criminals and bandits, fend off warp
pirates, ferret out Confederate sympathizers, and generally
solve problems. Marshals act as roving judges: they settle
disputes, mete out punishments, and confine criminals. For
Union colonists in the outer reaches, the marshals are the law.

Ironclads
Ironclads are the weapon that may tip the galaxys balance
of power. Developed with alien assistance, they are the ultimate
evolution of powered armor. Each of these one-man battle suits
can match a Confederate tank gun-for-gun, yet has the mobility
of an infantryman. Moreover, they are better armed and armored
than anything else in the Confederate or Union military. About
the only thing that can go head-to-head with a fully-armed ironclad is an enraged tyrannosaurus rex and, in the eyes of many
militaristic Union pilots, it is only the Confederacys retreat to
Cretasus that has staved off their final victory.
The basic ironclad hull is of Union design, but the propulsion, augmentation, gyroscope, and adaptive intelligence systems require the services of certain alien races to build and
repair. This has produced a curious blend of enigmatic alien
technology and cumbersome Union industrial machinery.
Advanced artificial intelligence targeting systems are sometimes
used on ancient cannons. The ironclads high-tech innards are
protected by thick armored plates welded onto the superstructure. The Unions alien vendors keep it supplied with powerful
laser and plasma weapons, which are clumsily riveted and soldered onto the hull by the Union.
Ironclads are generally divided into three classes. The
Monitor class ironclads are the lightest, usually no more than
twelve feet tall and used mostly for scouting and reconnaissance.
The Ulysses class ironclads are of medium weight and height.
The Sherman class ironclads are the heaviest: blundering mammoths up to twenty feet tall and bristling with weapons.
Within these classes, each ironclad is unique. They are custom modified by their pilots, who are constantly tinkering with
them. Some ironclads are hermetically sealed; others are open.
Most opt for firepower, but some lighter models are built for
speed. Almost all have been souped up in one way or another.
In game terms, ironclads are treated as creature templates
applied to their pilots. See the ironclad entry in chapter 5 for full
details. Getting experience as an ironclad pilot requires joining
the Union military. Barring that, no character will ever pilot one
unless he steals it or captures it in battle which is enough to
provoke a major Union offensive aimed at getting it back!

41

Lincoln. They are an example of Union industrialism at its best

and worst. While most Confederate mines use human and animal
labor to mine the earth stone by stone, the Hampshire Mines use
heavy equipment to raze the ground, dig deep pits, and send up
massive amounts of earth which are sifted above ground. The
miners spend less time swinging picks and more time operating
machinery. Unfortunately, this process utterly destroys the natural
landscape, and the mine operator, Ford Windham, is merciless.
The wasted terrain at the Hampshire mines has incited the wrath
of every intelligent dinosaur in the land, as well as numerous wild
ones, and the mines must deal with regular attempts at sabotage
by human and dinosaur alike.
The officers club, situated in an ornate three-story stone
building just outside the fort proper, is accessible only to Union
officers and very prominent citizens. The interior is decorated
with dark wood paneling, deep leather couches, stuffed dinosaur
heads, blackjack tables, and cigar lounges. Why does an outer
reaches backwater like Cretasus have such a fancy officers club?
Because thats not really what it is. The third floor of the building
is off limits to just about everybody. If you ask around, youll find
that most of the clubs members dont even know who is allowed
up there. In fact, the third floor is the secret meeting place for the
Cretasus contingent of the Cabal (see the Broncosaurus Rex Core
Rulebook, page 89).
Only three locals Colonel Brisbane, Marshal McCauley,
and Ford Windham have keys to the third floor. Their knowledge of the Cabal outside of Cretasus is murky, as their superiors
like to keep things discreet. What they do know is that they will
be well rewarded if they can carve out a foothold in the dinosaur
trade and eventually control it. To this end, they covertly employ
or control (through a variety of middlemen) dinosaur traders and
ranchers throughout the planet, and are always looking to increase
their influence. As they are already unscrupulous men, they also
engage in a number of personal projects that directly profit themselves: luring failed colonists to distant areas of the hills to trap
them in oppressive mining operations, illegally selling militaryissue weapons to bandits that prey on the Tecumseh Trail, and so
on.
The ironclad research facility lies a few miles south of the
fort. It is a single large building that looks like an airplane hangar.
It houses several fully operational ironclad suits, as well as high
tech facilities for further developing the technologies that let ironclads walk, run, and jump. The researchers live in its spartan living quarters, along with a small military detachment that is always
on hand. The Unions ironclad designs are nearing completion,
and their most important task is now testing the suits and training
the pilots a task for which Cretasus is ideal.

Prominent Locals
Marshal McCauley: The best known Union official on
Cretasus is Marshal McCauley, the Federal Marshal for the area of
space that includes Cretasus. Cretasus has become so important to

42

the local balance of power that McCauley spends much of his time
on the planet overseeing Sheriff Wilder, the federal sheriff
assigned to Cretasus. Marshal McCauley travels a regular circuit
through the Union colonies. He has no love for Confederate sympathizers, but recognizes that the political balance on Cretasus
makes it impossible for him to punish them for now.
Nonetheless, most Confederate settlers head the other way when
they see him coming. Everyone else does, too.
If anyone ever personified the law, it is Marshal McCauley.
Tall and imposing, he never smiles. He always wears his uniform
and badge, and is never without weapons. He is authoritative,
commanding, and judgmental. If you break his laws, he makes
you pay on the spot. Yet he long ago lost the idealism that led him
here in the first place, and he has been slowly twisting the law to
his benefit ever since.
Federal Marshal McCauley, Union Sol6/Fdm7: CR
11; Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 13d10; hp 105; Init +2
(+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 21 physical, 19 energy (+2 Dex, +7
reactive armor, +2/+0 kinetic field); Atk +14/+9/+4 ranged
(3d6/crit 19-20/x3, ROGUE rifle), +14/+9/+4 ranged
(1d10/crit x3, automatic pistol), or +7/+2 melee (2d6/crit x3,
screamer knife); SA Raise Posse, Issue Law (see Federal
Marshal description); AL LE; SV Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +7;
Str 12, Con 11, Dex 15, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 22/20*.
* Base of 18 modified by +4 when dealing with Union
sympathizers or +2 when dealing with anyone else familiar
with federal marshals. All Cha-related skill bonuses are listed below in this Union/others format.
Skills: Bluff +19/+18 (10), Diplomacy +17/+16 (11),
Drive +8 (6), Gather Information +10/+9 (4), Intimidate +15
(11), Knowledge (strategy and tactics) +8 (7), Listen +6 (6),
Pilot +7 (6), Search +11 (10), Sense Motive +10 (10), Spot
+10 (10), Use Technical Equipment +9 (7). Feats: Combat
Tactician, Leadership, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot,
Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Sense of Vulnerability.
Possessions: ROGUE rifle with laser sight, automatic
pistol, screamer knife, reactive armor, kinetic field, binoculars, flashlight, compass, scanner, cash $10d10.

Scenario Hooks
Most of Fort Lincolns rumors are spread by the soldiers, who
arent always entirely enthusiastic about being there. While they
are loyal to the Union, they cant help but notice that many of the
colonists are becoming landowners while they toil away on guard
duty. Desertion and low morale are a problem at the fort, and a lot
of the rumors center on the fables of disenchanted soldiers.
Here are some of the rumors characters may hear. Again, you
decide whether they are true or not.
1. If you get guard duty at the mines, its easy to ride out one
night with the trail bandits and never come back.
2. A wild one over the mountain is brokering deals between
an intelligent allosaurus and some of the soldiers. The allosaurus

will eat you if you leave a fresh bronco carcass for him. He
doesnt really eat you, of course; he shows up at the tight time,
picks you up in his mouth like a cat carries its kittens, and carries
you off. Since everybody thinks youre dead then youre free to
go!
3. If you send Colonel Brisbane $500 in gold, hell make sure
the guard duty is light when the next shipment of ROGUE rifles
comes in.
4. Ford Windham is using ornitholestes as forced labor in the
mines.
5. The ironclads are just a cover-up. The real reason were
here is to build cyborg dinosaurs.
6. I heard that Geof Wilkins would pay an arm and a leg for
someone to kidnap him while hes on patrol.

Old Ned the Allosaur

Notorious among locals for his grumpiness and reclusiveness, Old Ned is an escapee from an early top-secret Union cyborg
program. He was given low-light vision and a radio implant, and
scientists were planning to give him some drug glands which
would have responded to the radio signals and given him bursts of
super-allosaur strength. However, Ned managed to figure out how
to manipulate his radio, cracking into secure Union codes and
learning their plans: to drug him into a mindless automaton and
turn him loose in Confederate territory. He didnt fancy that, so he
escaped, using his radio to eavesdrop on Union communications
and dodge patrols. He managed to reach an old cave complex and
hide out, and hes evaded the Union for eight years now. He
loathes the Union and uses his knowledge of Union communications to snoop on any Union expeditions within his domain, doing
his best to foil their plans.
He doesnt trust the Confederacy, either, but he occasionally
alerts them to Union plots. So far they have yet to betray him, and
hes grudgingly coming to think that humans might not be all bad.
Neds implants have gone bad on him over the years. One of
his eyes, which originally gave him the low-light vision, is now
useless, and although he still picks up radio signals in his left ear,
the ear has gone deaf. He refuses to seek medical attention, letting
the wounds fester. Hes having trouble hunting these days, and
eventually hell either starve or just launch a suicide attack on the
Union.
Old Ned the Allosaur: CR 8; Gargantuan Animal (40 ft.
with tail); HD 21d12+126; hp 279; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13
(-6 size, +9 natural); Atk +21 melee (3d8+19, bite), +6
melee (1d4, 2 claws); Face/Reach 20 ft. by 20 ft./20 ft; SA
Eavesdrop; AL CG; SV Fort +19, Ref +17, Will +14; Str 33,
Con 22, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 14.
Skills: Listen +12 (8), Spot +12 (8), Wilderness Lore +5
(1), Knowledge (Union) +4 (4), Ciphers (radio codes) +4 (4),
Hide +4 (20). Feats: Improved Grab, Scent.
SA Eavesdrop: Old Ned can eavesdrop on Union
radio transmissions with a successful Ciphers skill check vs.
the Ciphers skill of the transmitter.

The Southwestern Plains

The gently rolling southwestern plains are the most settled of
Cretasus frontier regions. They are only a few months away from
New Savannah along the well-traveled Tecumseh Trail. The soil is
hard and wild, but with some work it can be turned into good
cropland. The generally flat landscape makes herds easy to control and farms easy to defend. But given the rapid influx of settlers, it wont be too long before every pioneer will have a neighbor within 70 miles the boundary which Daniel Boone long ago
declared too close for comfort!
The population of the southwestern plains now averages one
person every twenty square miles. Most settlements consist of single families with a small farm. A few larger family groups operate
ranches or larger farms. There are also groups of single men who
have banded together to manage a herd of dinosaurs. They often
wander with their herd, driving it into civilized territory once a
year to sell livestock and buy supplies.
The plains are where one can find the most spectacular
panoramas of Cretasus dinosaurs. Herd after herd of triceratops
and brachiosaurus stride across the grasslands, their imposing profiles silhouetted on the horizon from miles away. Smaller groups
of stegosaurus and ankylosaurus surround them, with ceratosaurus
and albertosaurus always lurking at the herds edges.
A flattened farm, the house ground to dust and the crops eaten
to the roots, is a common warning to those who would settle the
plains. These are the farmers who couldnt keep away the herds.
The sight is terrifying and prompts many pioneers to carefully
choose where they establish themselves. The smart ones read the
terrain and settle away from the main migration routes. Others use
ditches, barricades and fire to keep the dinosaurs away. Some are
forced to shoot dinosaurs that wander too close, which is of mixed
effectiveness you can scare away a few herbivores with wellplaced shots, but if one bronco is within shooting range, there are
usually more than you can possibly kill following close behind.
The safest settlements are those composed of several families,
who have the manpower and firepower to discourage most herbivores from getting too close. The intelligent carnivores, however,
are another story entirely!

Towns
In the past decade, the population in the southwestern plains
has grown enough to support two small freetowns. One is
Garsville, settled between the prosperous fishing areas along Lake
Hope and the timber-rich forests surrounding it. Garsville is home
to a lumber mill, forty wooden plank homes, two hundred sod or
log homes, a general store, and a tannery, all enclosed in a spiked
palisade built by the pioneers.
The other town is Millers Crossroads, located at the fork in
the Tecumseh Trail. Millers Crossroads is a town of transients. At
any given time, at least 80% of the people in town will only be

43

Life on the Frontier

The Importance of Neighbors
While many city-dwellers learn to hate their neighbors for
their noise or unpleasant habits, most frontier families deeply
appreciate of their neighbors. In fact, out on the frontier, the
neighbor is the most important social relationship after family.
People are scarce, so settlers depend on each other heavily.
Many fundamental frontier tasks cannot be completed by a single family.
Pioneers are quick to ask for help when they need it and
their neighbors for miles around are quick to respond, out of
good nature, a sense of responsibility, and the knowledge that
someday the help will be reciprocated. Cabin-raisings and barnraisings are the most common cause for neighbors to get together, though sickness, birth, and drought are also good reasons.

The Association for Mutual Protection

The Association for Mutual Protection is a group of ranchers and farmers near Garsville who have joined together for protection from the dinosaurs nearby. The forests are still very dangerous, but members of the Association receive some protection.
Anyone can join the Association by paying regular dues.
The dues pay for weapons and supplies but are primarily used as
insurance for members whom the Association fails to protect.
The dues are waived if the member volunteers to fight for the
Association when needed.
The Association mobilizes whenever there is a common
threat. Whether its a carnivore or a stampeding herd, the
Association is there. Runners race through the night alerting
members, who gather at an appointed spot. When enough members have shown up, they go out to face the threat. Since the
Association can mobilize nearly 30 members in a half hour, and
almost 100 given several hours notice, it is usually successful at
frightening off predators, steering stampeding herds away, protecting property from bandits, and dissuading herbivores from
eating fresh crops.
The Association has drawn criticism for one of its lesserknown policies: it only protects its members, even when a threat
is common to the community at large. Its critics call it an extortionist protection racket. In a decision that still provokes storms
of protest, the Association recently used fires to steer a stampeding herd clear of a members ranch right into the ranch of
a neighbor who was not a member of the Association! Members
defend this behavior by pointing out that only enough resources
exist to protect members, and that non-members choose to
exclude themselves. Even if the motives of the Association are
not purely philanthropic, it has done so well at fending off trouble that it has inspired similar organizations elsewhere.

44

stopping over as they pass along the trail. Thats fine by Jed
Miller, founder and self-appointed mayor of the town, for thats
how he has become rich: by catering to the needs of the pioneers.
He long ago realized that traffic on the trail would steadily grow,
and Millers Crossroads has evolved from his two-room storefront home to eight buildings where passersby can trade skins,
leather, teeth and claws, gems, gold, silver, other ores, hard goods,
livestock, timber, dried fish, salted meat, weapons, cotton, rice,
wheat, sugar, tobacco, coffee, and just about anything else a pioneer might want to buy or sell.
Millers Crossroads is now the primary link between the distant frontier and Fort Tecumseh. Pioneers on their way west pick
up supplies, and settled frontiersmen bring their crops and livestock to sell. All the major New Savannah merchants have agents
in Millers Crossroads, most via their intermediaries in Fort
Tecumseh. Included among them is Jed Miller himself, who represents New Savannahs largest dealers in leather, timber, and
dinosaur ivory. Guides who accompany settlers from New
Savannah to the southwestern plains stop by Millers Crossroads
on their return trip, where they can hire on to transport goods back
to the spaceport of New Savannah. Westward traffic on the
Tecumseh Trail outnumbers eastward traffic by more than fifty to
one which tells Jed Miller half his business still stands to grow
by at least fifty times!
Gilmore Homestead is a hamlet in the center of the southwestern plains that is the closest thing to civilization for many
miles around. The Homestead is occupied by the extensive
Gilmore family, which comprises sixteen adults and almost as
many children. Although essentially a family compound, the
Homestead has become a social and commercial hub of sorts.
Once a month, the Gilmores host a dance and market which
attracts pioneers for nearly a hundred miles in every direction.
Vicente Pass is a combative settlement on the south side of a
narrow stretch of the Fur River. Its population, a dozen grizzled
hunters, survives by hunting, fishing, and limited farming. To all
appearances, they picked a terrible place to settle: the dangerous
Bayou is not far to the east, the Fur River itself is home to all sorts
of dangers (both mammalian and saurian), and the fertile northwestern plains (a much safer place to be) are not far away.
However, the residents of Vicente Pass are firm believers in an
incipient Cretasus philosophy similar to Manifest Destiny of old
Earth, and they feel a self-imposed responsibility to help pioneers
reach the still-unspoiled northwestern plains. Passersby can
always expect assistance from the residents of Vicente Pass as
long as it lasts, that is. The raptors of the Bayou do not look kindly on their mission...

The Black Jungle

There are extensive jungles in the southwest of the Main
Valley, but one region stands out. The Black Jungle is the tangled
jungle south of Lake Hope and Garsville. Its canopy stands more
than two hundred feet high. Somehow the trees reached such an

enormous height that even the largest sauropods cannot reach

their top-most limbs. As a result, the ground of the Black Jungle
is covered by perpetual shadow.
Most of the jungles of Cretasus hum with life, but the Black
Jungle is different. Very little vegetation grows in its darkened
glens. Herbivores shun its barren floor. Compared to the rest of
the planet, the Black Jungle is preternaturally silent.
There are three logging camps set up along the northern
fringes of the Black Jungle. Each is home to around two dozen
loggers, though the populations are constantly coming and going.
They are unshaven, smelly, hard-working men who labor for
months without seeing a bath or a woman. When they have a good
stock of lumber, they haul it to Garsville, where it is sold for local
use or exported to homesteaders on the plains.
The loggers are loath to travel too far into the jungle, however. No dinosaur native will voluntarily enter the area; persuading
brachiosaurs to haul felled trees out of the Black Jungle is nearly
impossible. The loggers tell stories of strange lights and eerie
noises coming from the Jungle; the one expedition sent in to
explore never came back. No one knows whats going on, and no
one wants to venture in to find out.

The Bayou
The Bayou is the name given to the enormous swamp that
runs alongside the southern edge of the Fur River. Only the settlers know it as the Bayou, of course; the many dinosaur species
have their own names for this area. Iguanodontids, hadrosaurs,
compsognathus, pelycosaurs, and their cousins are common in the
Bayou, as are several other marsh dwellers and their predators.
There are millions of primitive amphibians, and no shortage of
monstrous fish lurking in the murky water.
The Bayou blocks access to the Fur River for several hundred
miles, which prevents direct passage from the southwest plains to
the northwest plains. Settlers must travel west until the swamp
ends, at which point they can attempt a crossing of the Fur River.
After crossing, they must then loop back eastward along the
swamps northern edge until they reach the plains.
A direct route through the swamp would shave at least a
month off travel time to the northwest plains. Unfortunately, no
human has found a way to cross the swamp. For hundreds of
miles, it is nothing but muck, water, muddy marsh, and malformed water-dwelling trees, punctuated by the occasional mound
of swamp grass. Most of the swamp is no deeper than six feet, but
changes in depth are sudden and erratic. There are some islands,
but they are unstable and drift over time. Even a large dinosaur
passing through is enough to transform the soft, wet landscape.
Areas that arent solid water are instead solid mud, and cant be
crossed by wagons or other human vehicles.
The terrain is not the only hazard, however. The Bayous
inhabitants arent exactly friendly. One group of settlers tried traversing the swamp by harnessing river skiffs to iguanodons,
which are native to the terrain. But they never emerged from the

other side of the swamp.

Boat travel is a possibility, but there are very few reliable
channels. Those that do exist wind relentlessly, such that it may
take as many as fifty miles of coiling river to advance ten straight
land miles. And there are no humans who know the area well
enough to guide a boat.

Dinosaur Inhabitants
There are plenty of dinosaurs who know the area well, however. The native dinosaurs know the trails, river channels, and
bedrock formations that provide reliable transportation through
the Bayou. They also know where the quicksand is, where to lay
an ambush, and where the water depth changes suddenly.
Three velociraptor nations inhabit the Bayou. The best known
are the vicious and feared Cree. The Cree never retreat from battle they prefer to die a warriors death. They have four tribes
which occupy the southeastern tip of the swamp and the adjacent
jungle, hunting regularly in both areas. Their rivals, the Kerosaw,
number three tribes and occupy the northeastern area, where the
Fur River spills into the inland sea. The Kerosaw have been trying to uproot the Cree for generations, as the Cree block Kerosaw
access to the jungle. A third nation is the Inaka, who are loosely
allied with the Kerosaw. The Inaka once occupied the southwestern edge of the swamp, but they recently suffered heavy losses
when the Cree decided to widen their hunting grounds into Inaka
territory, which is more valuable now that supply-laden pioneers
pass so close so often. The scattered remnants of the Inaka are
now living on the opposite side of the Fur River, out of the way of
the marauding Cree.
Iguanodon herds are plentiful in the Bayou, and there are a
seemingly endless number of duckbill herds. Edaphosaurus and
smaller swamp-dwelling amphibians are also common. They are
hunted by crocodilians, as well as by many ornitholestes tribes.
Five tyrannosaurus families are known to inhabit the Bayou.
There are four pairs, and a scarred, aging solitary male who has
been seen on both sides of the Fur River. The nomadic old male
has been nicknamed Old Spike Eye by settlers, for one of his eyes
was long ago gouged out by an iguanodon thumb spike; the skeletal remains of the spike still protrude from his eye socket.
The Bayou is also inhabited by the cunning spinosaurus, a
large theropod which hunts exclusively in swampy areas. At least
eight prides are known to live south of the river, and more on the
north side.
A number of carnivorous fish lurk in the swamps waterways.
Some can also be found in the lakes and Fur River, while others
are endemic to the brackish, slow-moving channels of the Bayou.

Flora
The Bayou is important to dinosaurs across the valley for the
medicinal plants that grow within its waters. Many of these plants
grow nowhere else. The more intelligent dinosaurs pass on oral

45

knowledge of specific properties, while others possess an

instinctive urge to graze the
swamp when they are ill.
Velociraptor
shamans
undertake regular pilgrimages
to the swamp to collect ingredients, which they sell or trade
to other tribes on their return
trip. The Cree, Kerosaw, and
Inaka challenge any shamans
they encounter, but a single
raptor can usually avoid detection. The potential rewards
include several healing roots
and herbs unavailable anywhere else on the planet, as
well as certain fungi useful in
potions, great quantities of
poisonous plants, and even a
few obscure reptilians whose
body parts can be used to mix
acids.
Some of the medicinal
plants known to humans
include the following. The DC
to locate the plant via
Wilderness Lore or a Spot
check is also given; the check
can be attempted once per day
of travel through the swamp.
Bubble Berry: Bubble
berries grow on vines that
twine around water-dwelling trees. The berries are translucent
white in color, resembling little bubbles on the vine. They are
potent pain relievers and also help fight off fevers, flu, and the
common cold. Consuming an entire plants worth of bubble
berries will heal a character of 1d3 points of damage over the next
12 hours. (It will also leave his stomach quite full!) Bubble berries
can be located with a Wilderness Lore check (DC 12) or Spot
check (DC 16).
Duckbill Moss: This is a greenish moss that floats in vast
quantities upon the most brackish waters of the swamp.
Duckbilled dinosaurs munch it daily. It boosts the gastrointestinal
system and is helpful against ingested poisons. A character who
drinks a full pint of the slimy moss receives a +2 bonus to all
saves against poison for the next 1d4 days. If any ingested poison
is currently in the characters system, he may re-take a save
against it, though with no bonus. The difficult part is skimming off
a full pint (which takes about 15 minutes) while in the presence of
the large duckbilled dinosaurs that eat the moss! Duckbill moss is
extremely common. It can be located with a Wilderness Lore or

46

Spot check (DC 5 for both).

Frog Gut: This uncommon
plant sports broad, cupped leaves
that are gray with light green
spots. If ground and mixed with
the innards of the common
swamp frog, it immediately
erupts into a hissing, steaming
acid. Desperate characters in
search of a weapon can mush
frog gut leaves into a gutted frog,
then throw the resulting chemical reaction to deal 1d2 points of
damage. The most concentrated
form of the acid requires a mixture of a dozen frogs and four
leaves, which produces enough
acid to cause 1d6 points of damage. Frog gut is uncommon, and
requires a Wilderness Lore check
(DC 16) or a Spot check (DC 19)
to locate it.
Sparkle Root: This hallucinogenic root causes one to see
sparkling, dancing lights. When
distilled and ingested, it causes
visions. It is highly valued by
velociraptor shamans. It can also
be sold in the streets of Mount
Crowe as a cheap stimulant.
Sparkle root grows underground.
It can be located with a
Wilderness Lore check (DC 15),
or spotted with a Spot check (DC 25).

Human Inhabitants
Some early settlers had the not-so-bright idea of trying to
farm rice at the swamps edges. The incessant iguanodon traffic
and regular velociraptor raids quickly put an end to such thinking.
The only humans now in the Bayou are adventurers, hunters,
pirates, and a few wild ones.
Adventurers can be found in the Bayou because there is
money to be made in harvesting its plants. They can be sold to
humans and dinosaurs (both velociraptors and protoceratops
actively trade in medicinal herbs), or used to heal wounds. In
addition to those listed above, there are many other useful plants,
and there is a market for trading previously unknown plants to
researchers, physicians, and wild ones.
Human hunters come to the Bayou because of its dense duckbill population. Duckbilled dinosaurs are easy to kill and provide
a lot of meat.

The Bay Trail

The Bay Trail traces the inland sea from New Savannah past
Fort Apache all the way north until it reaches Plesiosaur Bay. For
most of its length, it winds between sandy beaches on one side and
dark jungle on the other. While the Tecumseh Trail is the route for
farmers and ranchers, the Bay Trail is the route for fishermen and
loggers and outlaws, for the lawless town of Plesiosaur Bay sits
at the end of the trail.
Unlike other trails carved by the wheels of innumerable wagons, the Bay Trail is hardly visible as a trail. In fact, much of the
trail traffic actually travels by water the fishermen who sail
close to the shore until they find a good place to stop. The land
traffic is usually loggers, small farmers, aspiring fishermen (who
build their boats with wood from the jungle), and outlaws and
explorers.
There are many hamlets along the Bay Trail and even a few
small towns. Most are fishing villages, some of which can be
reached only by sea. They are united by the growing fleet of the
Bay Side Company, an enterprise that ships dried fish, lumber,
skins, and almost anything else thats salable from the small towns
of the Bay Trail to the merchants of New Savannah.

The Inland Sea

The inland sea has had many names, but the only one to ever
stick is the simplest the inland sea. After all, when theres only
one sea, why does it need a proper noun? It is a vast freshwater
ocean, home to as many sea creatures as the rest of the Main
Valley is to land animals. Fishing is good, for the schools are large
and seemingly endless. But they are also dangerous. Gigantic sea
monsters swim below the surface. Some are large enough to consume a boat. Even the smaller ones can extend their long necks
onto a deck to pluck off an unwary sailor.
Almost all the traffic on the sea is related to either fishing or
freight. Most of the freight is timber, dried fish, livestock, liquor,
or crops destined for the markets of New Savannah. The boats
were built on Cretasus, and are a mix of styles: some captains built
antique galleons, others Mississippi Queens. The lack of advanced
manufacturing facilities means most are made of wood. There are
a few Confederate military vessels, used to police the trade lanes
and combat the pirates that raid from their bases in Plesiosaur Bay.
The inland sea has been a boon to settlement along the Bay
Trail, as ocean travel is swifter and generally safer than land travel. But it has not helped settle the southwestern plains. Sea travel

can only get one as far as Fort Tecumseh. Shortly thereafter, the
deadly Bayou juts out to meet the sea, and landing becomes dangerous. Moreover, most of the fishing vessels that would ferry
passengers from New Savannah choose to head north or east,
where the fishing is best, and there are not yet enough paying pioneers to persuade them to head west.

The Bay Side Company

The Bay Side Company is the oldest organized business on
Cretasus. It was founded to consolidate and wholesale the wares
of the small farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and hunters who settled
along the shores near New Savannah. It is now the most important
trade link between New Savannah and the many small enterprises
along the Bay Trail.
The Bay Side Company buys raw materials (timber, dried
fish, livestock, skins, meat, and some crops) and sells them in
New Savannah. It pays much less than market price in the city,
which is a source of some resentment. But the small farmers, fisherman, loggers, hunters, and ranchers who supply it could just as
easily go to New Savannah themselves, and they choose not to.
Moreover, the ships of the Bay Side Company will stop to trade at
any farm, house, or ranch along the shore no matter how small
which is the sort of respectful service the small enterprises definitely dont get from the big New Savannah merchants.
Since its founding in 2191, the Bay Side Company is now the
largest commercial organization on Cretasus. It controls almost all
trade along the Bay Trail. The Tecumseh Trail is outside its reach,
as is most of the land traffic to New Savannah, but the Bay Side
Company has made no secret of its ambitions to compete on every
trade route on the planet.
The interesting thing about the Company is that it is not
owned by any one person. Each ship in the fleet has an individual
owner-captain who chooses to sail under the Company banner.
The captains meet once every three months, or more often if necessary, to discuss business. They also contribute dues, managed by
an elected group of captains, which acts as an insurance fund for
pirated ships. The Company has grown immensely under this laissez-faire system because there has always been enough trade to go
around. Of course, sooner or later there will be no more trade
routes to grow into, and some of the captains will have to start
competing on the same routes. But for now, Cretasus is large and
unsettled, and the Bay Side Company can keep growing.

47

Underglen
To the east of the Bay Trail, as it heads north beside the inland
sea, is a large, tangled jungle. A number of pioneers have settled
in its fringes as loggers or farmers, and some hunters have even
penetrated its inner perimeter. A few of them have brought back
stories of a protoceratops city they call Underglen.
Underglens exact location is unknown to most humans. No
protoceratops will reveal it. The gradual expansion of human territory means that perhaps a half-dozen hunters have accidentally
blundered upon it. But even they have a difficult time retracing
their steps, as there are no landmarks in the jungle to indicate
where the city lies beneath the underbrush.
Thus, Underglen is known to lie in a natural ravine that runs
for several miles through the center of the forest, but the exact
position of the ravine is a mystery. An observer at ground level
does not know the ravine is there. There is no break in the tree
cover the ravine reaches no wider than ten feet, and the trees surrounding it lean as they reach upward to fight for sunlight. The
rocky bottom of the ravine, one hundred feet below ground level,
can barely be seen from the narrow mouth.
The few seemingly natural slopes down the ravines sheer
face soon change into narrow, winding passages that descend
along its the rocky ledges. Medium-sized creatures can fit on the
tiny ledges, but larger creatures cannot. After a long descent, the
ravines narrow mouth suddenly widens into a deep bowl. The
bottom of the ravine is only a wide ledge at the top of a massive
subterranean cave with a city carved into its walls. Rope bridges
and natural arches connect the square, stuccoed buildings embedded in all sides of the cave. The underground area is brightly lit by
lanterns and fires, and the few people to have seen it estimate
there must be at least two thousand protoceratops living there.
Humans who do discover Underglen are treated hospitably, as
protoceratops treat most guests. They are ushered out of the city,
then given food and drink in a pleasant forest glen. A few protoceratops join them for dinner, have a nice chat, and then bid them
on their way. The protoceratops do not issue warnings or threats,
but it is clear that they do not want anyone delving into the city.

Dr. Ezekial P. Price

Ranches, farms, and fishing villages are far from the madding
crowds of New Savannah, and it is among these out of the way
places that youll find men like Dr. Ezekial P. Price, a fast-talking
quick-thinking bright-eyed blubbery ball of a man who plies his
trade with unparalleled enthusiasm. After a minute of his flattering patter, even the hardest rancher might find himself considering the purchase of a lace doily to place atop an as yet unadorned
tabletop. A Fair Price All The Time is what the good Doctor

48

claims to offer, and while this is true at first glance, one cant help
but notice that Price seems reluctant to return to previous stomping grounds for a second run. Indeed, the few dollars that most
customers hand over to Price seem less than fair considering the
incredible performance he will put on in order to secure a sale,
whether it be for a cure-all ointment or a battery-powered battery
re-charger.
Price approaches settlements in two stages. The first wave
consists of leaflets distributed by his two sons, who ride ahead of
the show to let everyone know that their father and his marvelous
mobile warehouse are on the way. With the potential customers
primed for his arrival, the portly Price finds it easy to attract
locals. His driven approach seems to captivate his audience, and
trade is always enough to make it worth his while.
Inspired by the actions of one Dr. Henry Meadows, Price is
trying to earn enough money to settle down with his own shop
while his sons carry on the mobile end of the operation. Not realizing that he adopted the title of Doctor only to copy his idol and
not through any accredited process, many ask why he has never
started his own medical practice, a question he always answers
with an offering of his own remedy for all ailments, Dr. Prices
Pick-Me-Up.
His wife Mary still lives off-world, waiting for her husband
to get a foothold on Cretasus. If he keeps up the good work, his
lady wife will join him soon. However, both his sons believe that
Ezekial will never give up the open road.
Dr. Ezekial Price, Confederate Exp2: CR 1; Mediumsize Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 2d6-2; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC
10 (no armor); Atk +0 melee (1d3-1, unarmed); AL CN; SV
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +4; Str 8, Con 8, Dex 10, Int 11, Wis
13, Cha 14.
Skills: Appraise +5 (5), Bluff +11 (5), Gather Information
+7 (5), Listen +6 (5), Perform +7 (5), Sense Motive +6 (5).
Feats: Lucky Cuss, Fast Talker (see new feat on page 78).
Possessions: Dr. Prices wagon carries every kind of
common merchandise. There is a 25% chance he will have
any given uncommon item up to a value of $100, provided
it is useful enough that he thinks he can sell it, and a slight
chance (GMs call, from 0% to 5%) that he will have any
other item of greater value. Dr. Price always has $5d10
stashed in several places on his person.
Samuel and Andrew, Dr. Prices Sons, Confederate
Exp1: CR 1/2; Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 1d6; hp 2;
Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10 (no armor); Atk +0 melee (1d8,
musket) or +0 melee (1d3, unarmed); AL CN; SV Fort +0,
Ref +0, Will +3; Str 9, Con 9, Dex 10, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha
13.
Skills: Appraise +4 (4), Bluff +9 (4), Gather Information
+5 (4), Listen +5 (4), Perform +5 (4), Sense Motive +5 (4).
Feats: Lucky Cuss, Fast Talker (see new feat on page 78).

Fort Apache
Fort Apache was the first Confederate fort on Cretasus. It was
built to guard New Savannahs eastern approach, expand the citys
area of influence, and open more land for settlement. In the early
days, the fort was a refuge for ranchers and farmers leaving the
relatively safe areas around New Savannah. Nowadays, most of
the natural predators that once forced the pioneers to seek shelter
behind the forts walls have been driven off or placated.
Unlike Fort Tecumseh, which is hundreds of miles from
another town, Fort Apache is close to the big city. It doesnt have
to house many civilians; instead, it is surrounded by an established network of farms and ranches (some quite large) and a few
small towns as well.

the nearby back country, protecting settlers as necessary. They

also battle bandits along the Bay Trail and pirates in the inland
sea, although they now spend a lot less time monitoring Plesiosaur
Bay than they used to. Overall, their mission now is one of monitoring, rather than actively battling the wilderness.

Population
From 500 to 1,000 soldiers will be in the fort, depending on
patrols and other circumstances. There will always be from 100 to
300 civilians staying in or near the fort, mostly trappers, pioneers,
and other transients.

Sites of Interest

Fort Apache is a simple quarter-mile-wide square of sharpened logs reinforced by

thick sod walls. It is surrounded by a moat sixty
feet wide and twenty
feet deep. The first soldiers to occupy the fort
found that a moat doesnt always stop charging
dinosaurs they will
often run right into the
moat (especially when
stampeding), and then
you have to figure out
how to get them out! On
a number of occasions,
the fort ended up with a
moat full of writhing,
angry triceratops. To
solve this, they rigged
up an irrigation system
so the bottom of the
moat is now mud.
Dinosaurs that enter the
moat are quickly bogged down and easy to kill, and the moat can
be flooded and the carcasses floated away on rafts.

About a mile from the fort are five teepee-like structures that
house the five velociraptors who work with the forts soldiers.
Originally from the White Branch raptor tribe, these raptors decided to side with the Confederates when they saw the futility of battling the humans
advance. The raptors deal exclusively with two officers
from the fort who
are good with animals and speak the
raptor language,
albeit
poorly.
Although the raptors arent aggressively
hostile
toward humans,
they arent exactly
friendly (even to
soldiers in uniform) and defend
themselves
if
threatened. They
go on regular
scouting missions
and provide a great
deal of information
to the Confederate military about whats happening with local
dinosaur populations.

Missions

Prominent Locals

These days, Fort Apache is a base of operations for

Confederate troops operating east of New Savannah and along the
Bay Trail. Wild dinosaurs are only a minor problem in the forts
immediate area, but they are still common as one gets further from
New Savannah. The soldiers spend a lot of time in patrols through

Attacus Barnaby: Not many civilians live at Fort Apache.

There are a few sutlers, but to buy anything but the most basic
supplies, a visitor must know where to go in the surrounding area.
Thus enters Attacus Barnaby. He makes a point of meeting newcomers before they meet anyone else. Barnaby is one part tourist

Layout

49

Life on the Frontier

Sports
Life in the wilderness can be interminably boring, especially if your only neighbors are reptiles. Bored farmers, ranchers,
and hunters have invented a variety of wilderness sports to
amuse themselves. Many are now practiced even in more civilized areas, and some sports are popular enough to have regional champions whose periodic competitions are major country
events. Bronco rodeos (a la Big Als) are the most frequently
organized events.
The most common wilderness sports are hunting and fishing, although these are sometimes modified to increase the challenge. Arrow fishing and knife hunting are particularly popular,
as are challenge hunts, where the hunters try to bring back a
very difficult-to-acquire trophy using only a rope and knife. A
parasaurolophus crest is a common trophy parasaurolophuses
arent carnivores but they are quite large, and getting their crest
with only a rope and a knife isnt easy!
Another popular sport is dino rubbing. Like many reptiles
on Earth, some dinosaurs are susceptible to hypnosis when their
bellies are rubbed. Of course, it takes an awful lot of rubbing to
calm down a stegosaurus. Such large dinosaurs are rarely the target of a dino rubbing expedition, but gangs of adventurous farm
hands will often try dino rubbing against smaller targets, such as
edaphosaurus, protosuchus, and compsognathus.
Dino Rubbing: To attempt to hypnotize a dinosaur by
belly-rubbing, the attacker must grapple and successfully pin the
dinosaur. Only when the dinosaur is pinned can the rubbing
begin. The attacker himself can rub while still maintaining the
pin if he is larger than the dinosaur. Otherwise, someone else
must do the rubbing. It takes one person to rub a Medium-sized
dinosaur and two for a Large, with the number doubling at each
size increment thereafter.
Once rubbing begins, make a Handle Animal check (using
the lowest modifier among the rubbers) against the dinosaurs
opposed Will save. On the first round of rubbing, when the
dinosaur is still resisting, a 20 penalty applies to the Handle
Animal check. This drops to 15 in the second round as the
dinosaur becomes soothed, then 10 and 5 before the check
becomes unmodified from the fifth round on. After the first successful check, the dinosaur lapses into hypnosis.
Once hypnotized, the dinosaur dozes peacefully. As long as
the rubbing continues, the pin can then be abandoned and no
additional check is necessary. If the dinosaur is wounded, jostled, or otherwise disturbed, a new opposed check must be made
and the modifier to the Handle Animal check reverts to 20. If
the check fails, the dinosaur awakens.
If at any point the rubbing stops, the dinosaur automatically awakens. When more than one rubber is required, consider the
rubbing to have ceased if even one of them breaks contact for a
round.

50

guide and one part hustler. He has arrangements with store keepers,
peddlers, trail guides, farmers, and ranchers for miles around.
Whatever a pioneer needs, Barnaby will find it for him, though it
might be from a shop a few miles off the beaten path. Barnaby will
insist that its the best shop around its worth the extra hike but
he will never mention the kickback he gets from the shop keeper.
As far as the pioneer knows, Barnaby is helping him because he
seems like such a nice guy: hes loquacious, energetic, and outgoing. He knows practically everything about the local geography,
wilderness, and social scene. When the pioneers are fully equipped,
of course, he expects a tip fifty cents, two dollars, or even more,
depending on how much they bought and how wealthy they look.
(PCs can expect to be asked for at least $5.) A pioneer who rebuffs
Barnabys assistance will simply have a hard time finding what he
needs among the sprawling lands around the fort. A pioneer who
refuses to tip Barnaby after accepting his aid will find afterward
that most shops mysteriously close when he approaches.
Attacus Barnaby, Confederate Male Com1: CR 1/2;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD d4; hp 4; Init +0; Spd 30
ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d3/fists), or +0 ranged (1d8, musket); AL CN; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 10, Con 10,
Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 15.
Skills: Gather Information +6/+10* (4), Listen +2 (0),
Spot +2 (0). Feats: Alertness, Bargain Hunter.
* Higher bonus applies when looking for bargains.
Possessions: Musket with 1d6 bullets, flask, handkerchief, little black book full of scribbled notes about prices
and shop inventories.
Drunk Abner: Another prominent local is Drunk Abner.
Drunk Abner is prominent not because of special ability or social
standing, but because he is always splayed out drunk in a prominent place in the fort. The military police used to arrest him for
public drunkenness, but after more than two years of locking him
up every night, they decided he was a waste of public funds. Now
he is left to drink on the streets, although no one thinks twice
about kicking or dragging him aside if he gets in the way. Drunk
Abner is most lucid in the morning and practically incomprehensible after a day of drinking. He shares his life story with everyone: he found a gold mine deep in the forest, hauled out one load,
sold it for thousands of dollars, got drunk for six months, and then
couldnt find his way back to the mine so he decided to keep
drinking. Most locals dont believe a word of it, but one fact is
incontrovertible: he has funded three years of hard drinking without ever appearing to work. And he only drinks good whiskey.
Drunk Abner, Confederate Male Com1: CR 1/2;
Medium-size Humanoid (6 ft.); HD d4; hp 1; Init +0; Spd 30
ft.; AC 8 (-2 Dex); Atk -1 melee (1d3-1/fists); AL NG; SV Fort
+0, Ref +0, Will +0; Str 8, Con 9, Dex 7, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha
11.
Skills: Listen +2/+0* (0), Profession (Miner) +4/+2* (4),
Spot +5/+3* (4). Feats: Alertness, Lucky Cuss.
* Higher bonus applies in the morning, when hes relatively sober; lower bonus applies in the evening or when
otherwise inebriated.

Possessions: Several bottles of whiskey, several pages

of indecipherable notes.

Scenario Hooks
There arent a lot of politics in Fort Apache. The news and
rumors come from passing pioneers and soldiers returning from
patrol. Since patrols cover a wide swath to the north and east,
rumors reach Fort Apache from miles around. Much of it is mundane social gossip. Some might include these:
1. Old man Hodges brachy got sick again. Hes looking for
a new one.
2. A ceratosaurus moved in over near Bransenville. The sheriff wants some troops to help kill it before it eats somebody.
3. Young George Erickson is looking for work he wants to
get engaged to Suzy Wilkins, but Mr. Wilkins wont hear of it
until George can afford to buy a good ring.
4. Nobody knows what to do about them ornitholestes down
south. They keep stealing supplies but the fort says getting rid of
them isnt a priority!

Plesiosaur Bay
Plesiosaur Bay is a turbulent town on a turbulent bay at the
northern tip of the inland sea. The town and the bay share the
same name, derived from the schools of plesiosaurs and other
dangerous creatures that swim in the bay. They are attracted by
the bays unusually warm waters, a phenomenon believed to be
caused by underwater hot springs. The warm water, coupled with
the areas periodic tremors, suggests an active volcano somewhere in the area. This natural danger and heated violence are a
perfect metaphor for the town.
Plesiosaur Bay is an outlaws refuge. Six hundred criminals,
malingerers, lay-abouts, and neer-do-wells live there with no
mayor, no sheriff, and no law. Several gangs protecting their individual territories constitute the only form of government. Of all
the places on Cretasus, it is the one that most settlers try to avoid.

History
The town originally formed as an outpost for hunters and
trappers, who followed on the heels of unsuccessful fishermen.
(The powerful sea creatures put an end to most fishing nets, as
well as quite a few fishermen.) They were followed in turn by outlaws escaping the law of New Savannah.
In the early days, fleeing criminals took refuge in the Hideout
Hills. But as the population of the hills grew, living there became
an exercise in survival of the fittest, with the fit usually being
the most homicidal outlaws. The lesser felons started heading
north along the Bay Trail, which is less populated than the
Tecumseh Trail and a better place to lie low.
Through an inexplicable natural process, Plesiosaur Bay

Life on the Frontier

Duels
Settling disputes in New Savannah and other civilized
areas is facilitated by the presence of organized authority. But
what do you do when youre on the trail and there isnt a lawman for 100 miles in any direction? If youre a low-down
skunk, you ambush your enemy; but if youre remotely honorable (as most pioneers are), you resort to the code of the
duel.
The code of the duel is as old as civilization. As practiced in the wild west and subsequently on Cretasus, it provides a structured forum for resolving disputes. Of course,
the results of the duel occasionally perpetuate the dispute if
one side decides to seek revenge, but at the very least, the
system prevents a complete breakdown into ambush, backstabbing, and open assault.
Characters may become involved in duels as the instigator or recipient of a challenge. Its vital that they know how
to proceed. The rules of the duel are universally known on
Cretasus as these:
1. The challenge is always delivered by a third party.
Once the challenge is issued, the two participants are not to
meet until the appointed day.
2. The challenged party chooses the weapon for the duel.
3. The location of the duel is mutually determined
through intermediaries.
4. Each participant appoints a second. The second is
obliged to go through with the duel if the participant cannot
fight on the appointed day (whether due to sickness, traveling difficulty, or any other reason). If a challenged party is
too old or feeble to fight, his second automatically takes his
place.
5. The duel is not necessarily to the death. Sometimes
duels are fought to first blood. If pistols are chosen as
weapons, a common practice is to issue each participant only
two or three bullets. If neither party is killed in the duel, it is
considered a tie and the antagonists may attempt to find a
compromise solution to their dispute.

51

edges the utility of this outpost, where its unredeemables might

occupy themselves productively, and has let Plesiosaur Bay on a
longer leash. There are still regular clashes between the military
and the brazen pirates who operate out of the area, but the expansion of hard law to the town is no longer a New Savannah priority.
Even without the liquor industry, Plesiosaur Bay has
reformed many hardened criminals. After all, there are only so
many crimes you can commit against other criminals. Many outlaws arriving in Plesiosaur Bay are disappointed to find there are
no banks to rob, no meek citizens to burgle, and no mines to plunder. One new arrival made the fatal mistake of robbing a saloon
the heavily armed customers didnt appreciate the interruption of
their drinking! Residents are forced to support themselves with an
honest trade. Some become professional gamblers, extortionists,
or pirates, but most end up as hunters, trappers, or laborers in the
breweries.

Visiting

evolved into a stopping point for these people, the kind of visitors
who are usually asked to keep moving. At Plesiosaur Bay, these
men of ill repute had a chance to spend their ill-gained dollars,
earn a living as a hunter or trapper, and even join a pirate raid to
exact revenge on the town that had expelled them. The few honest residents soon left, and now Plesiosaur Bay is a roughnecks
retreat.
New Savannah made multiple attempts to break up the young
town, but was unsuccessful. The forces it deployed there were too
far from New Savannah to resupply easily. The journey by land is
long and slow, and the creatures in the bay make sea travel deadly. The only way to break up the town would be to establish a permanent garrison at Plesiosaur Bay. This option was seriously considered until the town evinced its one redeeming quality: liquor.
Despite the character of its inhabitants (or perhaps because of
it), Plesiosaur Bay produces the best alcoholic beverages in all of
Cretasus. A pint of Plesiosaur is a common expression in New
Savannah, and every bartender knows what it means. Some attribute the distinctive taste to the volcanic waters of the bay. Others
claim there are mysterious secret ingredients dinosaur byproducts, perhaps even plesiosaur blood. Only the brewers know for
sure.
Nine local breweries ship beer, whiskey, and other beverages
from Plesiosaur Bay to New Savannah and beyond. The burgeoning industry employs many tough men whom polite society once
considered unemployable. New Savannah grudgingly acknowl-

52

Life in Plesiosaur Bay is not easy. A man there has to stand

up for himself on a regular basis. Knife fights, fist fights, and
gun fights are the preferred methods of settling disputes (generally in that order). Murder doesnt get the locals riled up unless the
murdered party was popular or in debt in which case, the murderer may be forced to repay the debt. The worst offense a man
can commit in Plesiosaur Bay is to cheat at cards. Nobody objects
to shooting a card shark, even in the back. The only reason cheating isnt more common is that most of the towns residents are
hardened cheats who can spot their own tricks immediately.
Visiting adventurers will find the town to be overwhelmingly
male, lazy, and dishonest. Most residents only work when theyre
hungry, thirsty, or broke. They have no compunctions about bullying someone else to do their work for them; this is the basic
principle on which many of the gangs operate. The towns buildings are ramshackle and poorly maintained, with the notable
exceptions of those of the local gang leaders. Unwary characters
are bound to be pick-pocketed, cheated, and perhaps even robbed
or they may be able to carve out a niche for their own gang.
The nine major breweries (and dozens of private stills) are
managed haphazardly. After all, they were founded by career
drinkers as hobby ventures, not formal businesses. Shipments to
New Savannah are erratic, and occasionally bizarre: a vessel may
legally ferry liquor on its way south, then plunder other vessels on
its way back north.

Sites of Interest
Plesiosaur Bay has more saloons per capita than anywhere
else on Cretasus. It ranks in the top 10% in the entire universe.
None of the saloons are particularly distinctive, however.
The best known local beverages are Rex Whiskey (Strong
Enough For A T-Rex), Saurus Spirits (So Natural The Dinosaurs

Drink It), and Plesiosaurus Ale (The Original Plesiosaur Pint).

If the town had tourists, they might visit the breweries responsible
for these legends. But the town doesnt have tourists and the breweries themselves are squalid.
The bay itself is the most interesting wilderness locale. It is
absolutely teeming with life. From shore, you can see the heads of
plesiosaurs and elasmosaurs peeking through the waves; ancient
sharks churn the water around them. Venturing into the waters is
positively dangerous, no matter how large your vessel. Small
boats will be destroyed or overturned immediately. Larger boats
are safer, but their crews must still know the waters well.
Otherwise, they will soon find themselves out of the safe shallows
and in monster territory. Even in the shallows, they have to scan
constantly for the silhouettes of kronosauruses, the tyrannosauruses of the sea, which hunt in the shallows despite their
size. Except for the pirates and a few sea hunters (when you fish
for plesiosaurs, youre no longer called a fisherman!), the waters
of the bay are practically deserted by humans.

Prominent Locals
Captain Lefitte: The most powerful pirate gang is led by the
fierce Captain Lefitte. The gang has made many an unlawful dollar at the expense of New Savannah merchants and fisherman.
Captain Lefitte is well known to every lawman on Cretasus, and
various victimized merchants have offered rewards of up to $300
for his head. A self-appointed French aristocrat (hence the name,
which is surely a pseudonym), he lives in an elegant mansion by
the sea. He is tall, lean, and an excellent swordsman and not bad
with a pistol, either. He always dresses in fancy Renaissance outfits (like a proper pirate) and speaks with an assumed French
accent. His gang primarily targets the Bay Side Company ships as
they leave New Savannah to trade on the Bay Trail, for they
always carry cash and goods to exchange for the timber, fish, and
livestock they will buy on the trail.
Captain Lefitte, Confederate War4: CR 3; Mediumsize Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 4d8; hp 19; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd
30 ft.; AC 17 (+2 Dex, +4 chain shirt, +1 small steel shield);
Atk +6 melee (1d6/crit 18-20, rapier), or +6 ranged (2d10,
laser pistol); AL NE; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1; Str 11, Con
11, Dex 15, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 13.
Skills: Climb +7 (7), Handle Animal +8 (7), Intimidate +8
(7), Jump +7 (7), Swim +7 (7). Feats: Combat Reflexes,
Weapon Finesse (Rapier), Weapon Proficiency (Laser
Pistol).
Possessions: Rapier, laser pistol with 3 energy packs,
custom-made chain shirt fashioned to look like dinosaur
scales, ornately engraved small steel shield, ivory cameo
necklace (worth $60), 3 gold rings (worth $100, $130, and
one with a diamond worth $1,200), cash $5d10.
There are many other gangs in Plesiosaur Bay, but none quite
so well organized as Captain Lefittes. Although violence is part
of life in the town, the gangs rarely quarrel violently above and

beyond the usual state of affairs that is, there are few gang wars
per se. They realize that fighting turf battles over such a ramshackle town is a waste of energy. There is more than enough land
to go around and no shortage of innocent vessels to plunder as
they sail up the Bay Trail.

Scenario Hooks
Conversation in Plesiosaur Bay always revolves around one
of five things: the criminal background of someone in town, especially a famous townsman or an unknown newcomer; the latest
raid by Captain Lefitte or another pirate; or the universally
approved subjects of beer, women, and gambling. Considering the
concentration of liars, cheats, and men who want to hide their
past, any rumor heard in Plesiosaur Bay has a base 60% chance of
being untrue (although it may be based on or derived from the
truth). Here is a sampling of some of the rumors one may hear:
1. I heard Captain Lefitte ended up here after he killed a sheriff out in the back country.
2. No, I heard he robbed a wagon train on the Tecumseh Trail.
3. Did you hear that Reds gang took in four iguanodons and
20 bushels of corn from a raid last week?

53

4. I hear that Jim Butlers gang picked up some real interesting trinkets on their last raid they got some sort of dinosaur artifacts from a ship carrying explorers.
5. I could make a better beer than this Plesiosaurus Ale. It
would taste better if they added the plesiosaur blood fresh and hot
rather than letting it cool first.

6. Theres a pretty gal from New Savannah looking for a

place to stay around here they say she killed her husband. Shes
welcome to stay with me!
7. Mort got all four aces twice yesterday. That just doesnt
happen. He must be up to something, but I cant figure it out!

The Northwestern Plains

The northwestern plains are still terra incognito to the citizens
of New Savannah. They are difficult to reach, whether by land
(where one must trace the Bayou and cross the Fur River) or by
sea (where the northwestern shores of the inland sea are ringed by
thick jungle). Few humans live there, and there are no towns.
Little is known of the plains except for a variety of persistent
rumors that they are the most fertile area in the Main Valley, that
unknown dinosaurs and even some ice age mammals roam there,
that warp pirates have a base there, that a fabulous house stands
unoccupied there. Who knows what fabulous mysteries await the
characters to first chart this unexplored area?

Then Barrister was heard from no more.

No one discovered what happened to Barrister. But, then
again, no one has yet surveyed the northwestern plains. To this
day, old-timers in New Savannah talk about the legendary
grandeur of Barrister House. Is it now in ruins? Is it now occupied
by velociraptors? Or did Barrister simply become a recluse? If the
house still stands and stands unoccupied, whoever finds it will
surely find a fortune in silver.

Barrister House

The wilds of Cretasus are the perfect place to hide out, as a

contingent of warp pirates knows well. Warp pirates are spacefaring brigands who use the warp to escape capture. They know the
warp gates inside and out, using the complex network to appear,
raid a vessel, and then disappear to distant space in mere
moments. Warp pirates come from all areas of space, all nations,
and even all species they are motley crews of outlaws whose primary allegiance is to plunder and outrunning authority.
Since the discovery of Cretasus friendly atmosphere, a band
of warp pirates has begun using Alacion Portal as a regular jumping-off point. They now have a base somewhere in the northwestern plains. They retreat there for a few weeks at a time between
raids, which last for days or weeks.
Confederate authorities in New Savannah know of the warp
pirate base, and Union authorities must know of them as well.
Neither side has done anything because the pirates make a point
of not threatening anyone or anything near their base. They have
never raided a vessel on, near, or around Cretasus or Alacion
Portal. Because Cretasus is so far from the main power centers in
galactic politics, and because the lawmen on Cretasus have far
more pressing matters to concern themselves with, the warp
pirates are safe for now.

One of Cretasus early settlers was William Barrister, a

haughty Confederate land owner and adventurer. He arrived shortly after the construction of New Savannah had begun. While
Hepsediah Porter and his followers carved New Savannah out of
the wilderness, Barrister and his retainers traveled in overlanders
(heavy-duty trucks) on a mission to survey the Main Valley. They
returned one year later with their overlanders overflowing in silver ingots.
Barrister claimed to have found a silver mine of enormous
depth. The mine was somewhere in the northwestern plains. He
sold his load of silver, and used the money to purchase supplies:
some picks and shovels, but mostly luxury household goods.
Barrister intended to build an enormous mansion next to his silver
mine in the middle of nowhere.
Each year for eight years, Barrister returned to New Savannah
laden in silver, trading it for supplies to carry back to his mansion.
The employees who accompanied him on the New Savannah
excursions told tales of his magnificent wealth, his generous
salaries, and the opulent house he had built next to his silver mine.

54

The Warp Pirates

Chapter II: Dinosaurs

Cretasus is full of life, lush and boundless. Almost all of the
valleys that have been surveyed are covered in endless fields of
vegetation and teem with life. One desert valley, with a sparse population, does exist, but in all the others the ecology is bursting at the
seams with energy. It needs to be. Plant-eating dinosaurs require
massive supplies of vegetable life to keep up their active metabolisms. Since hundreds of plant-eaters are necessary to support just
one large carnivore, the presence of countless titanic meat-eating
dreadnoughts like the tyrannosaurs means that the total number of
large creatures on Cretasus beggars the imagination.
The valleys are incredibly noisy. Dinosaurs crash, stamp, and
shuffle throughout the vegetation. The raucous cry of the
pterosaurs echoes through the skies, and booming parasaurolophus yells rebound in the marshy areas. Brachiosaurs trample
trees and crush rocks underfoot, but even their mighty stampings
are sometimes drowned out by the thick ground cover.*
Dinosaurs themselves span every color in the rainbow. Color
variation within a species seems to be the rule: for example, individual ankylosaurs are identifiable by particular patterns in their
mosaics of scales. Scholars publish such reports as Sexual
Selection for Color Divergences, while trophy hunters gather
rainbows of heads and awed photographers brave the wilds for a
rare vermilion pachycephalosaur. Jaded locals just refer to the
grits-colored devil lizard what ate my broncos. On a practical
level, this makes it difficult for outsiders to instantly identify
species of dinosaur one must know body shapes, not just colors
although it makes it easy to tell individuals of the same species
apart. An important exception to this general rule is raptor tribes;
all raptors of a single tribe have the same general coloration
scheme, although between tribes color varies widely.

Dinosaur Intelligence
Professor Calhoun Carey of the University of New Houston
is the leading scholar of Cretasus dinosaurs. His critics call him a
near-savage whos gotten a little too close to his subjects.
Nevertheless, his works, Lectures on Dinosaur Life, are best-sellers across the inhabited worlds.
Dinosaurs do not thrive in captivity; even those illegally captured and released in the wilds on other worlds often fail to display the unique behavior and intelligence that make Cretasus such
an interesting place. So while dinosaur anatomy is well-under* Outside settled areas, characters without at least one rank of
Wilderness Lore have a -2 circumstance penalty to Listen checks.

stood, with the standard textbooks published on Earth, outside

experts are often clueless about the most basic dinosaur behaviors and make embarrassing gaffes.
Scholars are a wimpy lot. Many expeditions to the jungles
have just vanished whether devoured, caught in the battles
between Union and Confederacy, or gone native, its impossible to
say. Institutions have grown wary of sending more researchers
into the wilds until the situation becomes calmer. About the only
group still sending out expeditions is Grant University on Luna;
Grants well-organized teams often work with the Union military,
which gives them the protection they need to accomplish their
tasks, and most of their research has military implications. That
means most non-military research is done by amateurs: enthusiastic folks without much equipment but with a lot of guts. Or rich
fools with a pet theory, lots of money, and no chance in hell of surviving the wilds of Cretasus without some expert help!
The first important scholarly conclusion about Cretasus
dinosaurs is that theyre not quite the ones that we had on Earth.
The most obvious difference is dinosaur language, no evidence of
which exists in Earths historical record. The other important difference is intelligence and all that it entails. Protoceratops build
structures, raptors use tools as far as naturalists can determine,
none of this ever happened on Earth.
The dinosaurs on Cretasus represent various Earthly historical periods, some hundreds of millions of years apart. Dinosaurs
that were common on Earth (well-represented in the fossil record)
also seem to be common on Cretasus (wandering around in great
numbers). One suggestion, first posed by Grant Universitys
William Ackerley, as to how dinosaurs ended up on Cretasus and
Earth is the presence of a dimensional portal somewhere on Earth,
not unlike a warp gate, where occasionally Earth dinosaurs would
migrate and find themselves on Cretasus. However, biologists
point out that the first of such settlers on Cretasus would likely
branch out to fill all the available ecological niches, not unlike the
finches of the Galapagos Islands, so if the dimetrodons had
emerged, we would see giant sauropod dimetrodons, tiny geckosized dimetrodons, and so on. Such an effect has not been demonstrated, much to the chagrin of collectors, who would love to own
a brachiosaur-sized sail.
Moreover, many of the dinosaur species of Cretasus are physically different from those of Earth. The best-documented evidence is on protoceratops. Union naturalists have discovered a lot
of Earthly protoceratops remains, primarily in the Gobi desert,
and they were among the best-studied species before the exploration of Cretasus. Nowadays, naturalists have had many chances

55

to study the living versions. Scholars agree that that Cretasus protoceratops have a larger cranial cavity, and almost certainly a larger brain, than the Earth variety. They point particularly to the language centers of the protoceratops brain, which have been identified in Cretasus specimens, and whose odd growth has caused
some skull deformations not present in Earth protoceratops.
Naturalists battle over whether this means that Cretasus protoceratops should be considered a separate species. However, since in
all other respects Cretasus protoceratops exactly resemble Earth
protoceratops, the larger implication is that an outside force may
have enhanced the intelligence of these dinosaurs!
All known alien races have denied intervention on Cretasus.
Still, there are many rumors of alien ruins in faraway valleys and
alien treasure maps are frequently sold to gullible new arrivals.
Various oral myths of the brachiosaurs mention sky-gods landing
in golden chariots, and some tantalizing pictures of the protoceratops knowledge cave at the Hollow Hills seemed to show images
of humanlike creatures in hermetic suits, traveling in a flying
vehicle of some sort. Some claimed these creatures resemble the
alien Scray, but the Hollow Hills complex was destroyed in an
unexplained explosion not long afterwards, and the dinosaurs
have become notably silent on the subject.
Cretasus fossil record has proven difficult to interpret. Digs
around the main forts have established the presence of dinosaur
species for at least 100 million years. However, one hotly-contested finding shows a layer of mammal strata suggesting that for
a period of a million years, the Main Valley was inhabited solely
by mammals, like Mammoth Valley to the west. Calhoun Carey
suggests that all of Cretasus is a giant alien preserve, whose ecology is managed (and occasionally altered) and whose inhabitants
are experimental subjects hence the title of his autobiography,
Poacher in the Lizard Park.
Many locals also believe that dinosaurs have telepathic abilities to communicate, divine the weather, and predict fires, floods,
and other natural disasters. While some of this no doubt relates to
the long-range subsonic sounds that dinosaurs can emit, and their
extensive knowledge of Cretasus (reflected in game terms by high
Wilderness Lore ranks), both the Confederacy and the Union are
taking seriously the idea of psychic dinosaurs, especially since
several alien races are known to have developed psychic communications. Human scientists are particularly interested in studying
the legendary tyrannosaur Tyrant Kings, which are rumored to
possess the power to kill with a single thought! But no one has
located one of these elusive creatures; for now, speculations on the
psychic powers of dinosaurs must remain simply that, speculations.

Dinosaur Languages
All dinosaurs, even the imbecile stegosaurs, can understand
the language of Dinosaur Common, which is conveyed by postures and movements as well as by sound. Big dinos may not even
notice tiny creatures performing Dinosaur Common. However,

56

the primary element to dinosaur speech is sonic, or rather subsonic. Like those of elephants, most dino communications are below
the frequencies which the human ear can hear. These sounds can
carry for miles; the bellowing of brachiosaurs sometimes carries
across mountains! All dinosaurs can hear the subsonic noises, but
only the larger ones can actually produce sounds in that range.
This means that big dinos are better at getting their meanings
across than lesser ones. Most of the time, their communications
consist of get out of my way! but this also means that the larger dinosaurs can call the others together more effectively. They
can Thrum more persuasively, as will be described later. Large
dinosaurs serve as the natural leaders for united dinosaur action.
Because of this subsonic component of dinosaur speech,
humans need help to fully communicate with dinosaurs. Devices
called resonators can be attached to the ears, allowing the listener
to hear the subsonic rumblings. These resonators are slightly distracting and can make it difficult to hear other noises. Similarly,
humans can use so-called shouters to project into the subsonic
range. These devices are necessary to speak some dinosaur languages properly, and the deeper tone, like a soothing bass, makes
dinosaurs react more favorably to the speaker.

Tool Use
Even before the arrival of humans, dinosaurs were already
using technological devices. Raptors with their tools, herbs, and
chemicals; protoceratops with their written language; and ornitholestes with their clubs were the most obvious examples of dino
tech that early explorers encountered.
More subtle uses of technology were also at work.
Protoceratops understand agriculture, fertilizer, and irrigation;
even without hands they dredge furrows and canals to produce
vast fields of low-lying plants, their preferred diet. They use their
knowledge of weather patterns and ecology to control the development of a region, including minimizing floods and erosion.
Most of the time their mastery is used only to protect their way of
life, but sometimes theyll take more aggressive action, like
diverting the course of rivers to flood humans who anger them or
deprive them of water so theyre forced to leave.
The big predators know how to preserve food. In colder
areas, they keep frozen prey in their caves for lean times. In
warmer climates, they leave portions of their kills to dry in the
sun. Foolhardy humans will sometimes raid these stashes for food,
but the furious owners will exact revenge if their prizes are taken.
Humans often puzzle over why raptors, with their advanced
technology, havent exterminated the other, larger species, like the
early humans did to the mammoths. Grant University scholars
point to the ecological consciousness of the raptors and their
slow breeding, while Calhoun Corey thinks that raptors did wipe
out all other life in one valley, but the valley was simply re-seeded by aliens. Both Corey and the Grant scholars think that the
prey species would eventually Thrum if they were being exterminated by an expansionistic raptor tribe. The raptors themselves,

when asked, dismiss it as a stupid mammal question.

Neither the Confederacy nor the Union is eager to see raptors
get their hands on modern technology, particularly guns. Their
claws are clumsy when it comes to using triggers, and theyre not
able to rapidly and accurately maneuver long arms. However, they
can aim rifles for ambushes, and they handle low-recoil pistols
pretty well. Special weapons have even been designed for raptors
by unscrupulous machinists. Luckily for humans, in the few cases
where raptors have obtained serious firepower they could use,
they rapidly ran out of ammunition, which taught them to distrust
firearms.
Most dinosaurs are also limited by their lack of an opposable
thumb to grasp objects. Those not so limited, like ornitholestes
and the raptors, often collect manufactured goods, and such items
have become a currency. Knives, for example, are traded for territory and prey. In general, the tool-using dinosaurs prefer simple
weapons like knives (which they know how to sharpen themselves) to charged tools or weapons with ammunition.
Raptors love to get their claws on binoculars and scramblers,
although they rarely can. Finally, most species of dinosaur are
endlessly amused by holospheres of any sort, and value them far
more highly than people do.

The Dinosaur Singers

Some dinosaurs take it upon themselves to Sing an art form
more sacred than mere music as humans know it. Dinosaurs of all
size and temperaments Sing, except for stegosaurs, who are tonedeaf. There is one Song in particular that has been passed down
since time immemorial; its meaning is unknown, but the words
hauntingly familiar to any saurian speaker. Both the Confederacy
and the Union have clamped down tight on the Song; it has yet to
be broadcast off-planet, and they censor the press to remove
notice of it. Its considered a military secret.
Besides that one Song, Singers pick up a bewildering variety
of tunes in a variety of languages; Allosaur is considered the most
appropriate tongue for epics, while Raptor is quick and lively.
Few Singers have the vocal range to speak all the tongues, but
each strives to learn as many as he can.
A Singer arriving in the area is a big event; the Singer
announces his presence by screaming about it at the top of his
lungs for the greater part of a day. That evening, dinosaurs gather.
By tradition, a Singing is a safe time, when predators and prey can
gather together to hear the Singer perform. The Singer sings
through the night, beginning with the Song and continuing with
his repertoire. If the Singer performs well, the crowd of dinosaurs
slowly disperses until when the sun rises all are gone. If the Singer
performs badly, the dinosaurs linger, and at sunup the Singer is
messily killed by a few self-appointed critics while all present
watch silently.
Even meat-eating dinosaurs will not harm a successful
Singer. After the Singers performance, the community of
dinosaurs keeps the Singer fed for the next week predators pro-

vide flesh, herbivores allow him to graze unmolested after

which he moves on.
Singing is a Perform skill; Singing the Song is only DC 5
because dinosaurs are always pleased to hear it. Keeping the
crowd of dinos entertained with other songs is not easy; only
someone trained in Perform can do it, and the DC ranges from 10
to 20 if the dinosaurs are particularly surly for some reason! Most
Singers have at least 5 ranks in Perform, or else theyre eaten
before too long.
Humans have been known to accompany Singers along their
routes. This is an easy way to meet many varieties of dinosaur in
a peaceful setting. Younger dinosaurs appreciate instrumental
backup, but the old guard views instruments as an abomination,
destroying the essence of the art form. Still, Jeremiah Fogart and
his electric guitar are well-remembered in dinosaur society. No
human singer has sufficiently mastered the Song to perform on his
own; those who have tried have met a gruesome fate.
However, above and beyond Singing, dinosaurs have a rich
appreciation for human music. Country and western music is the
favorite. Scientists speculate that the twanging of the guitar
reminds the dinos of pterosaur cries; indeed, some modified guitars approximate the range of different pterosaur sounds. The
smarter dinosaurs are often wary of the music, since clever
hunters will sometimes pipe out some old-timey country and
western to lure prey into ambushes. However, an obviously
innocuous traveler can often break the ice with a dino by performing a classic Johnny Cash or Tennessee Ernie Ford song.
Some humans have been known to tour dinosaur lands with a
group of dinosaur accompanists. Pterosaurs imitate guitars pretty
well, compsognathids produce a solid percussive clatter, but the
best backer is a parasaurolophus. A veritable organic music synthesizer, these walking pipe organs are able to replicate just about
any sound and project it at great volume!
Other humans make a lot of money performing among other
humans. Jeremiah Fogart is getting rich right now playing his guitar with the backing of two parasaurolophuses he doesnt need
to worry about a sound system; he just picks a meadow and lets
loose with some lonesome lyrics. His envious competitors suggest
that the dinosaurs should be getting most of his gate receipts and
his royalties. Fogart has publicly challenged his own rivals to try
raising twin parasaurolophuses from eggs in order to train them to
produce the perfect sound at the perfect moment. So far, no one
else has been able to, so theres a steady stream of composers and
musicians to the Fogart household.

The Thunder and the Dark

The Thunder and the Dark is the epic poem of the tyrannosaurs. They sing it at mournful times and at the birth of a particularly promising child when the stars are right. Its been translated into most of Cretasus dinosaur languages by the protoceratops poet vrthu. Hearing the Thunder and the Dark intoned by a
tyrannosaur, all dinos feel a chill.

57

It speaks of the time of the great dying, of the Thunder that

came and roared and the Dark that followed.
Mythopaleontologists consider this to be a record of a massive
meteor impact upon the planet, although humans have found no
sign of such an impact. Grant University scholars use this evidence to prove their dimensional gate concept, arguing that
some tyrannosaurs came through the gate from Earth just after a
great asteroid struck the Yucatan peninsula with a great roar and
created a year-long time of darkness.
It is said that a tyrannosaur will spare any prey dinosaur who
can give a proper rendering of the Thunder and the Dark. Of
course, no dinosaur without a deep set of lungs (and the ability to
project into the subsonic) can speak Tyrannosaur, so its a moot
point for most smaller creatures, and the really big dinos are rarely
preyed on by T-rexes, anyway.

The Thrum
Another aspect of dinosaur culture is the Thrum. The language of Dinosaur Common is limited in what it can convey,
although the Song also crosses species boundaries. But the terrible Thrum has a compelling force for all dinosaurs that hear it. It
is a deep warbling noise that can be produced by a dinosaur of size
Large or greater, or any four dinosaurs of Medium size. Small or
Tiny dinos cant Thrum. Marine dinosaurs Thrum underwater,
where other marine creatures can hear them. Only a Singer, a
dinosaur with five or more ranks of Perform, can Thrum effectively.
A Singer begins to Thrum whenever he feels that the natural
order of things has been destroyed. Ordinarily, a Thrum is a
response to deliberate malice, an atrocity of some kind: when a
tribe of raptors begins to kill every dinosaur in their hunting area;
when protoceratops set an entire valley ablaze to avenge the death
of one of their children; when explosives destroy a clutch of
hatchlings; when machine guns are trained on a herd of iguanodons; when poison gas settles into protoceratops warrens... A
Thrum represents the moral outrage of a planet, put into song.
Many dinosaur noises carry for miles, but not a Thrum. The
high-pitched primal urgency in a Thrum does not travel far. The
effective distance equals the Thrumming Singers Perform check
multiplied by 50 feet. Dinosaurs able to hear the Thrum need to
make a Will save (against a DC of 10 + singers Perform check)
or immediately break off their activities and carefully approach
the dinosaur who makes the noise. If they too witness something
outside of the natural, they will begin to stamp, bellow, and beat
their paws to the music. Otherwise, they attempt to kill the
Thrumming dinosaur. (Crying wolf is unpopular!) After ten minutes of stamping along to the Thrum, the dinosaurs enter a berserk
fury (+4 strength and constitution, -4 intelligence and wisdom)
against the offending creature.
Not all dinosaurs are susceptible to the Thrum. Velociraptors
seem completely immune. Protoceratops are usually unaffected
(in game terms, they receive a +10 bonus to their Will save).

58

Humans have been unable to replicate the Thrum. Dinosaurs

recognize a sham Thrum immediately and take violent offense.
Grant University scientists are convinced that certain pheromones
released into the air during a Thrum are the key to controlling this
aspect of saurian behavior, so they periodically send out research
teams armed with a new perfume to spray into the air along with
a Thrum recording. Nowadays, they also include some sort of
speedy transportation for the team in case the natives get restless.
Thrumming dinosaurs once besieged Fort Tecumseh but
failed to break in; after a day of slaughter, the Thrum abruptly
stopped and the dinosaurs melted back into the jungles.
Ordinarily, however, a Thrum continues until all the dinosaurs
who can hear it are dead or the targets have been destroyed, after
which the dinosaur who began to Thrum stops, and slowly the
fury of the Thrum dies down.
The Thrum has proven very inconvenient to both the Union
and the Confederacy as they attempt to tame Cretasus for human
habitation. The Union once tried to clear an area of dinosaurs by
lobbing poison gas in artillery shells. A Thrum and carnage ensued
once the gas cleared. Dinosaurs rarely Thrum when struck by
rifles; they consider ordinary firearms a part of nature, a sporting
part of life like claws or teeth. They dont object to airplanes or
vehicles unless they are attack dinosaurs, who consider these
machines unnatural.
Once New Savannahs spaceport was complete, some early
settlers attempted to destroy dinosaurs from planes. The dangerous large beasts show up on ground radar and make admirable targets for strafing. Unfortunately, this induces a Thrum if a Singer
is present, and pterosaurs inspired by a Thrum will throw themselves at planes. A pilot whose vehicle hits an angry swarm of
pterosaurs needs to make a Piloting check, whose difficulty
depends on how many pterosaurs manage to get in his way: for 15 pterosaurs, the DC is 10; for 6-10 pterosaurs, it is DC 15; and
for more than 10 pterosaurs, it is DC 20. If the pilot fails his
check, the plane is damaged: it stalls and the pilot will need to
make a crash landing.
However, the fact that a Thrum can be performed only by
Singers makes things simpler for humans kill the local Singers
(or befriend them) and the job of civilization gets much easier.
The Union often hires assassins to take out Singers who enter
Union territories. Even raptor tribes occasionally kill unwanted
Singers who enter their territory, lest they foil the tribes plans.

Dinopathy and Animal Empathy

Its unclear why some people relate so well to dinosaurs.
Neither the Dinopathy feat nor the Animal Empathy skill is a
product of practice or education; children seem to be born with
them, or sometimes they manifest instantly in the field. Calhoun
Carey is of the opinion that theyre psychic powers, just like a
wild ones Animal Peer ability, reflecting a deep inborn affinity
with dinosaurs. He calls Dinopathy reaching back to the reptile
brain. The folks at Grant University are working hard to quanti-

Cultural Habits
Thunder Moon
When the moons are right, early in the lunar year, the ankylosaurs hold their mating ceremony. They gather in the mud pits,
hundreds and hundreds of them. Then they search for mates. Their
mating ritual is long and slow but not stately. First the male and
then the female take mud in their long tongues and smear it all
over the mate, producing spirals, squares, and wavy lines in many
colors of mud. Recently, some ankylosaurs have been seen to imitate writing, though its not clear that they understand the purpose
of writing, perhaps viewing it as a more permanent symbol of the
mating ritual.
After daubing one another with mud, the ankylosaurs begin
the Thundering. One by one, they stamp their feet in some primordial rhythm. (Recordings of Thundering have become popular
dance tracks throughout known space.) Then they lay waste to the
surrounding lands in an orgy of destruction similar to a Thrum,
but not directed at living targets. Starting at moonrise, they rampage until the following moonrise, when their mating begins and
continues for a full 12 hours! Finally, exhausted, they lick the mud
off one another and resume normal life.
During the rampage, they smash anything larger than about 8
feet tall with their mighty tails, or sometimes by simply ramming
into it head-first. They ignore anything that moves, although they
will respond to attacks. In this state, they are berserk, getting a +4
rage bonus to strength and constitution and fighting on until they
reach -20 hit points. Ecologists theorize that this rampage helps to
clear large trees and promotes the growth of smaller trees and
shrubs, the mainstay of ankylos diet. Most ordinary folks just

enjoy the spectacle (preferably from an airplane or at the very

least from a safe distance).
Cretasus natives have learned not to build their houses near
ankylosaur mud flats.

Dancing with Oviraptors

The oviraptor mating ritual is a long, protracted process
where the male and the female dance around each other for hours
before the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. It
includes both a ritual aspect and an improvisational aspect, as
each dinosaur performs original steps to convince the other of
their worthiness as a partner. At any time, either the male or the
female can break off the courtship if they dont like the others
moves, sometimes even attacking a particularly ungraceful companion.
Human dance club owners have discovered that oviraptors
are natural showboats who will perform their dance steps with
very little provocation, so they use oviraptors to enhance their
music parlors. In the more sedate clubs, oviraptors are kept in
cages in the middle of the dance floor or around the edges of the
floor. In some of the wilder clubs, the oviraptors are unleashed
into the middle of the dance floor, and the patrons are encouraged
to dance with them! Many humans find it exhilarating to attempt
to imitate the moves of the oviraptor, and others attempt to work
its movements into their own dance moves, an even more challenging feat.
Untamed oviraptors tend to go wild when confronted with the
flashing lights and the pulsing
music of a modern dance
club. However, they can be
trained (Handle Animal, DC
15) to display their mating
moves when the music starts.
The oviraptors usually
pay no attention to the
humans who dance around
them, even if they mimic its
moves. They are wild creatures, however, and will bite if they are attacked or
feel threatened. They also are potentially dangerous to the knowledgeable human who attempts a
female dance in front of a male
oviraptor or vice versa. That will
immediately get the oviraptors
attention and it will perform a
lengthy duet with the other person.
However, if the human fails to
properly execute the dance steps,
the oviraptor will attack in anger.
Otherwise, the oviraptor dances a
few more minutes before realizing that
Brianna Garcia

fy Dinopathy and reduce Dinosaur Common to a language that a

machine can translate and perform. So far, they havent had much
luck.
Its important to note a couple things about Dinopathy. First,
it doesnt work on offworld reptiles, like Earth alligators and crocodiles. Second, it makes characters vulnerable to a Thrum! A character with Dinopathy must make a Will saving throw (against a
DC equal to the Singers Perform check, with a max DC of 20) or
be drawn into a Thrum, thus becoming hostile towards the target
of the Thrum. At some level, the character has become a dinosaur
(in sensibility, at least), and so is affected by the heartrending cry.
Wild ones are always affected by a Thrum, even if they do not
have Dinopathy.
Characters with Dinopathy, therefore, tend toward good and
neutral alignments. So deep is their connection to the natural order
of Cretasus that they may (uncontrollably) fight to the death any
evil against the ecosystem. Players should choose Dinopathy for
their characters carefully and non-Dinopathic characters should
mind how they interact with dinosaurs, lest a Dinopathic comrade
become enraged!

59

the other dancer is a human not a potential mate and returning

to its solitary dance step in peace. Humans who can dance with
the dinos are very popular with the opposite sex.
Clubs have their patrons sign release forms before entering
the dance floor with a oviraptor. Treat oviraptors as having
Perform (Dance) of at least 5 ranks (giving a total bonus of +7
with the oviraptors Dex). In order to attract an oviraptors attention on the dance floor, a human needs to make a Perform check
at DC 15. In order to continue the duet without being attacked, the
human needs to make another Perform check at DC 20!

Raptor Kidnappings
Frontier families tell their children: be good, or the raptors
will come and get you in your sleep!
Its not an idle tale.
Raptor tribes have been known to abduct human children. In
fact, its often a badge of honor: if a raptor tribe kills a particularly brave and worthy human foe, then the raptor tribe will sometimes adopt the warriors child, whether son or daughter. This will
only happen if the child is small (five years old at most); otherwise, the raptors will treat the child as a small warrior and kill it.
Its an extension of a custom that raptors usually apply to other
raptor clans.
Raptor children grow up to be wild ones. They are taught
English and thereafter speak it with an atrocious lizardy accent
although most people will think that theyre just offworlders. In
most ways, they are considered to be full members of their adoptive tribe. They are not expected to take a mate within the tribe,
but they might bond with a raptor widow or another non-breeding
raptor.
Of the four raptor-raised children known to have been recaptured by humans, none has ever been successfully reintroduced to
human society. They take any possible opportunity to escape into
the wilds, and kill themselves if confined for too long period.
They howl miserably when kept in confinement and hurl terrible
curses at their jailers. Some of those curses have come true, which
has also kept down the number of attempted captures.
A raptor-raised human, Laila Iron, leads the Dark Heart tribe
of raptors. Her wealthy uncles, meat merchants who have bought
a Union senatorship, have tried to recapture her, but so far she has
eluded them. Her underground autobiography is very popular it
describes her romance with the poet and country singer Elroy
Jones, who took the dinosaur name of Mire Break while with the
Dark Heart tribe, but Irons powerful relatives have prevented any
large-scale printing of Heart of Iron.
Laila Iron, Offworlder Female Wil4: CR 4; Mediumsize Humanoid (6 ft.); HD 4d8+12; hp 29; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 13 (+3 Studded Leather); Atk +4 melee (1d6+2, reaper
claw see page 124); SA Dinosaur Ally, Motivating Cause;
AL NE; SV Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +6; Str 15, Con 16, Dex 11,
Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10/8*.
* Base of 10 reduced to 8 around humans.

60

Skills: Animal Empathy +7 (7), Animal Peer +6 (4), Heal

+9 (7), Hide +6 (7), Intuit Direction +4 (2), Wilderness Lore
+9 (5). Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reflexes.
Possessions: Knife, leather armor, liquor flask, cash
$4d10, various stolen goods.
SA Dinosaur Ally (Ex): Laila Iron is allied with the Dark
Heart raptors.
SA Motivating Cause (Ex): Having been raised from a
very young age by the Dark Heart raptors, Lailas motivations are very similar to theirs. Her motivating cause is the
expansion of her tribal hunting grounds. She receives a +1
attack bonus against other carnivores who compete with
their territory, as well as humans who would restrict their
hunting area.

Ornitholestes in the Ring

Ornitholestes are naturally vicious dinosaurs who show little
sympathy for their own race. They also have opposable thumbs,
show a deftness with manual weapons, and are easily trained.
Even more so than most dinosaurs, this makes them perfect for
gladiatorial combat!
Gladiatorial combat is officially banned in both Union and
Confederate space. However, the Free Fleet sponsors numerous
arenas, and clandestine operations exist wherever the local admin-

istrators are corrupt and willing to be bribed, which is a lot of

places. Male ornitholestes are often eager to display their fighting
prowess and become the heroes of millions, and give their assistance to smuggling themselves offplanet. Most training is done
offplanet, but its proven difficult to get the creatures to breed
away from Cretasus, and the steep casualties in the arenas means
that theres a desperate demand for more ornitholestes fighters.
For years there have been rumors of a massive breeding operation
on Cretasus raising and training ornitholestes for the ring but
neither the Union nor the Confederacy can spare the manpower to
track the rumor down.
Ornitholestes that fight in the ring are usually covered with a
garish shade of body paint, marking them with their owners colors. Because they are so valuable, they often fight not to the death
(-10 hit points) but merely until one fighter is unconscious (0 hit
points), and the damaged fighter is tended until he recovers. Some
unscrupulous arena owners train their ornitholestes to fake a
killing move on an unconscious opponent. The owner claims the
apparent corpse, nurses it back to health, and gives it a second
career with new paint and a new name!
Ring dinosaurs are trained in a variety of manual weapons
and armor similar to those of the historical gladiators: sword-andshield and trident-and-net are the most common weapon combinations. Others are trained in more exotic and amusing weapons
like chainsaws, burning torches, and scythes. Some gladiators
wear full armor while others wear pieces only over their arms or
legs or torsos. Treat Ring Fighters as having at least one level of
Fighter, although they start out proficient with only one specific
manual weapon and one type of armor.

Protoceratops and the Conclave

The protoceratops are the only dinosaurs on Cretasus to
develop a written language. Deep in their caves of knowledge,
they preserve the history of the planet, as well as wondrous stories
and the Songs of the great singers. At first, they were eager to
share their information. But several human-induced accidents
destroyed or closed off protoceratops cave complexes, and a Grant
University team despoiled an ancient protoceratops bone yard.
They are now wary of sharing their wisdom with humans. While
an individual protoceratops will often bond with a group of
humans and share her knowledge with them, the clans have decided not to allow humans into their caves of knowledge without a
conclave.
Every year, the protoceratops gather for their conclave, where
each member, from the eldest to the youngest, in turn raises its
concerns and requests for the upcoming year. Only the most
important requests, requiring the assent of the entire tribe, ever go
before a conclave. Poetic and musical presentations are viewed
with great favor by the dinosaurs, while naked threats are usually
ignored. Only at a conclave would outsiders be allowed to view
the caves of learning. Human communities who wish the protoceratops to take action on one of their proposals take their place at

the end of the line. Depending on how large the tribe is, this can
take days, and the protoceratops will refuse to listen to those who
do not patiently wait their turn.
Rumors persist that the Union has nerve-gassed a network of
protoceratops caves and is closely guarding the area as its
researchers attempt to decipher the ancient writings. Several of
the Unions archaeological expeditions have indeed found exquisite, abandoned protoceratops cities, but they attribute their success to superior mapping techniques that reveal past settlement
patterns.
Protoceratops are frequently found in the major human settlements as interpreters and research assistants. Its rare to find a
library without at least one protoceratops shuffling around the
stacks, carrying books carefully in his mouth. While they cant
manipulate things like card catalogs, they do have a phenomenal
memory and can remember the exact location of thousands of
individual items. They prefer the large library of New Savannah
with its childrens wing, as they particularly enjoy small children
and will let kids climb all over them. Most urban protoceratops
cover the sharp surfaces of their beaks with a sheath so that they
do not accidentally maim someone. This effectively renders them
defenseless, but attacking a protoceratops is a cowardly and
unpopular act that will often spur nearby two-fisters to tell you to
pick on something your own size!

Dinosaurs in the Wild

Dinosaurs are smart, but theyre also creatures of instinct. In
general, wild dinosaurs react to people as they would react to
other unfamiliar dinosaurs: predators stalk them if theyre of a
proper size, prey dinosaurs watch them alertly and flee if theyre
approached. However, dinosaurs also talk amongst themselves, so
even the dimmest stegosaur in the Main Valley knows about the
flesh-lumps that have powerful weapons.
Nevertheless, the residents of different valleys do not communicate with each other. Even the pterosaurs dont fly from one
valley to another. Only the marine dinosaurs bridge the gaps, and
land dinosaurs dont listen to them. This means that in some
remote valleys, the inhabitants havent heard of people and will
react to them naively. However, its always best to expect a certain amount of savvy on the part of the dinosaurs.

Herbivore Herds
Its a dangerous world out there. Most herbivorous dinosaurs
travel in herds for safety. The fiercest (like ankylosaurs) and the
smallest (like edaphosaurs) often travel in smaller groups, but
teeming hordes of grass-munching saurs are a common sight on
the great plains of Cretasus.
Its important to note that herds are only useful where
increased eyes bring increased vigilance and where food is relatively plentiful. Thus, herd behavior is rare in forests or mountains

61

or deserts, but prevalent in lush grasslands and savanna.

Herds will react initially to a single human or a pair of
humans only by watching carefully. The only exception would be
if theyre carrying swords or wearing raptor-claws; the herd might
mistake them for raptors, and will either attack or flee. Otherwise,
the herd will consider a few humans not dangerous because
theyre too small. A group of humans half as big as the herd or
bigger will be considered a threat, and the herd will shift away
from it.
A herd of dinosaurs is simple (DC 5) to track, and also simple (DC 5) to spot and hear. Getting surprised by a herd of
dinosaurs is possible, although it will make you the laughingstock
of the valley.
A herd typically posts several adult scouts on its periphery.
This means, essentially, that anyone attempting to sneak up on a
herd makes their opposed Move Silently and Hide checks against
at least two creatures, with one more for every twenty animals in
the herd. If any of these scouts spots or hears the creeper, it will
immediately alert the herd. This rule reflects the general watchfulness and wariness of the group.
Herd dinosaurs have two basic strategies: run and circle the
wagons. Most herbivores of size Large or smaller will flee a dangerous predator at their running speed (x3). An entire herd of
dinosaurs fleeing raises enough dust and confusion that the herd
gets a +2 dodge bonus to AC against all attacks. The herd will
constantly shift position as it flees; this means that its almost
impossible to attack the same target twice without cutting a member out of the herd. After one target is wounded, it moves back
into the mass, where it has at least one-half cover (+4 AC).
The way to hunt herd animals is to cut an animal out of the
pack. First, you have to close to melee range (possibly incurring
attacks of opportunity) and make a successful Grapple, Bluff, or
Intimidate roll on a dinosaur. (Remember the penalties to Bluff
checks against non-humanoid opponents.) If you succeed, you
drive the dinosaur away from the herd and it loses its herd bonuses. If you fail, the dinosaur attacks you and continues on as part of
the herd. In addition, you will be charged by 1d2 other dinosaurs
the round you attempt your attack, whether or not you succeed.
A dinosaur who is stunned, dazed, or entangled also falls out
of the herd. It tries to sprint (run x4) to return to the group if it is
not immediately killed.
Theres a lot that ecologists dont understand about Cretasus
dinosaur herds. Some herds (like triceratops) seem to have set
domains, which they travel across over the course of several
years. The domains of different types of herd dinosaurs often
overlap, but somehow the herds avoid being in the same place at
the same time. Sometimes herd animals attack humans invading
their migration paths, attempting to destroy the settlements, but at
other times they simply alter their movements to avoid the new
developments. Both the Union and the Confederacy are eagerly
seeking techniques to guide dinosaur herds into the oppositions
settlements and forts, but so far, no luck.

62

Large Carnivores
Tyrannosaurs and other enormous predators are not always a
great threat to humans. These beasts need a tremendous amount of
food, about the equivalent of a Large creature each day.
Tyrannosaurs gain much of their food just by scavenging. The
powerful stench given off by a rotting brachiosaur travels for
miles, attracting all tyrannosaurs. They get first dibs on any
corpses; nothing is stupid enough to mess with them (except
humans!).
Allosaurs, ceratosaurs, and other big carnivores must rely on
constant hunting. Many types of prey dinosaurs stay near watering holes, taking to deeper water for protection against the
carnosaurs. Other types of prey (like the triceratops) can slaughter
a carnosaur in a fair fight. So most large dinosaurs rely on a charging ambush to carry out their attacks.
These large dinosaurs will rarely bother with human prey
unless theyre quite hungry. However, the mounts that humans use
often invite attacks from big beasts. Naive dinosaurs will also
consider vehicles to be prey; manys the jeep overturned by a hungry allosaur, whose usual good nature turns to rage as he realizes
his prize is a foul-tasting tooth-breaking machine!
Freetowners and those living in forts are often deathly afraid
of T-rexes, allosaurs, and other monstrous carnivores. Whenever
they spot one approaching their settlement, theyll hire hunters to
deal with it. A family of T-rexes is often enough to convince a
group of settlers to stay away from a particular site. To a large
extent, their fears are unfounded, since small settlements usually
contain few prey creatures of interest to a large predator.
Ranchers are the ones who suffer the depredations of the big
meat-eaters the most. The same characteristics that make
dinosaurs good animals to herd for their meat (large size and
docile nature) make them perfect targets for hungry T-rexes.
Ranchers carefully plot the hunting domains of T-rexes and
allosaurs on their maps as they plan the routes they hope to take
to bring their herds to market. While they hope to avoid conflict,
they usually also instruct their riders to shoot without mercy any
carnosaurs they see.
Conflicts escalate as civilization encroaches on dinosaur terrain. Those giants who live near people are more likely to be hostile towards them than are dinosaurs living in the wilds. Less contact with humans means fewer opportunities to get shot at.
Wild raptors, however, are a different story. Although they
hunt single creatures extensively, they also use their intelligence
to capture herds. Raptors have been known to chase smaller herds
into fire pits or off of cliffs. Wild raptors located away from civilization are likely to view passing humans as food, not as equals.
Unless a treaty is in effect, tribes will eagerly attack groups of
humans who enter their territory.

Raptors at War
Raptors are the only dinosaurs sufficiently civilization to be
declared warlike. Other dinosaurs may go berserk when they
hear the Thrum, or be combative and aggressive (such as the leptoceratops), but raptors arent affected by the Thrum; theyre the
only known dinosaurs who completely ignore its effects. Raptors
plan their violence carefully. Their intentionality makes them
much more dangerous.
Raptors with a grievance against another dinosaur tribe or,
more recently, against humans prepare extensively. They store
preserved meat in the wild for provisions, gather knives and
sharpening stones for their claws, and, most importantly, have
their shamans create sufficient supplies of deadly chemicals and
healing draughts.
Shamans are considered too important to go to war, but they
perform the Rites of Separation upon the warband. The Rites of
Separation are performed near a body of water under total darkness. Those raptors about to go to war emerge from an underground area, cast off their tribal insignias, bathe in the water, and
have mystic symbols painted on their chests. They then go out to
destroy their enemies.
Raptors at war hunt nothing but their enemies; they say nothing but to scream victory; they do not sleep, except after a successful battle; they do not flee, except to gather the others of their
warband. Even when at war, they still use cunning guerilla tactics
and they will not attack a superior force. Warbands are led by a
tactician if one is available.
Raptors are growing more adept at destroying buildings.
Theyve been known to tunnel under forts with their
claws. Some tribes, understanding explosives,
try to mine structures. Other strategies
include infiltrating bases under the
cover of night or in the cargo bay of
large vehicles, or rushing through
open gates when a caravan or large
group of vehicles passes.
Raptors have occasionally
run into armored vehicles and
ironclads. They recognize that
they cannot penetrate such
armor, so they retreat. But they
also recognize that there are
soft, vulnerable humans hiding
inside those hard metal shells,
so they wait until the humans
emerge, striking quickly and
brutally before fading away
into the night. Theyre masters
of lightning raids on camps
and settlements, their preferred
mode of attack on a superior
opponent.

Against humans who face them on even terms, without air

support or heavy armor, raptors can be persuaded into a battle of
honor both sides approach each other in an open field, with no
ambushes or surprises planned, and fight until one side is utterly
defeated, after which that side admits its loss and returns home.
Such battles need to be negotiated beforehand, and raptors will
only undertake them against other raptor tribes or against humans
who have proven to be honorable and trustworthy in the past.
Those who violate a battle of honor will nevermore be trusted by
raptors if word gets out, as various forts have discovered to their
chagrin.

Wild Ones and Dinosaurs

Wild ones often exist in the role of solitary hunter and hermit.
Other meat-eating dinosaurs are wary of the solitary wild ones and
will usually not bother them as long as they respect the dinosaurs
kills; not much meat on those human bones! However, wild ones
who maintain their connections with human society are often mistrusted and disliked, particularly if they lead hunting parties into
the wilds or if they serve as guides for military expeditions.
Wild ones who join tribes of dinosaurs are treated very differently. Much as they might like it to be otherwise, wild ones are
bound by certain limits of human physiology and cannot eat the
same food as herbivorous dinosaurs, nor can they live on carrion
alone, which means theyre most comfortable with fellow omnivores. In addition, they often find it difficult to communicate with
very large or very small dinos, so they most commonly join

63

groups of Medium or Large dinosaurs, often a tightly-knit family

unit.
Wild ones also often find themselves running with raptors.
The authorities, both Union and Confederate, consider raptor
tribes with attendant wild ones a great threat, because of the wild
ones knowledge of human culture and human military techniques. However, most wild ones who adopt dinosaur ways try to
forget their past, expunging their knowledge of corrupt human
society from memory; thus, a wild one living amongst a group of
dinos has a -4 to all Knowledge checks relating to humanity.
Among a group of dinosaurs, wild ones rarely take the role of
leaders, preferring to merely exist with as little thinking as possible. However, they often serve a role analogous to that of the raptor shaman, creating healing potions and advising the tribe
through a superior knowledge of the natural world.
Other wild ones, like the Dinozonians, live with a group of
humans in the wild, hunting and behaving like a pack of
dinosaurs. Usually renouncing technological devices, but not
human language, these tribes of wild ones bewilder the
Confederate and Union authorities, who arent sure what to make
of them. Ranchers view them as a nuisance to be wiped out, since
they sometimes prey on their herds. Raptor tribes treat them as
other raptors, as do other dinos, calling them soft raptors or
blunt raptors.
Sometimes these tribes pitch camp just outside freetowns in
order to carry out trading. Youths from the freetowns might even
sneak outside to join them once the trading is done. No one ever
goes after such children; they are considered lost to the wild, even
if they return, many years later, silent about their experiences.

Dinosaurs in the Economy

Dinosaur Ranching and Range Wars
The open plains of the central Main Valley are the territory of
the ranch barons: an aristocracy of meat, where hard-bitten men
on enormous, scarred dinosaurs protect fat, succulent herds of
dinosaurs from raptor tribes and rival ranches, then lead them
every year hundreds or even thousands of miles to a slaughterhouse, where they are shipped to a hundred worlds. The ranchers
own vast tracts of land, and their bronco riders often know that
land better than the official maps; arrogant and touchy, the riders
view themselves as the natural rulers of the terrain, beyond mere
governments, an elemental force.
Dinosaur ranching is most feasible in areas that are within
reach of a settlement, or with allied tribes of raptors or wild ones.
With hostile natives, its almost impossible to ranch. Ranching
works best with Medium dinos, like camptosaurs. Most of the
free-range dino meat shipped offplanet is camptosaur meat. Their
big advantages are that they congregate in herds, they obey
authority, theyre even-tempered, theyre small enough to be manageable while being large enough to put a lot of meat on the table

64

and they taste great. The biggest problem is that they dont breed
in captivity. So ranchers every year release half their herd into the
wild and capture half to bring to the slaughterhouse. Luckily for
the ranchers, the herd sticks together, so they can locate them easily next year come slaughterin season. Most camptosaur herds in
the Main Valley are branded, meaning (in theory, at least) they
belong to one particular rancher.
Camptosaurs thumb spikes are cut off before theyre driven
to the slaughterhouse; otherwise, the risk of a stampede or an
attack is too great. Thumb-clipped camptosaurs have no natural
weapons except for their bulk and their tails. In the wild, these
defenseless herds attract lots of predators, which seek out the aged
and infirm camptosaurs and attempt to separate them from the
protection of the mass. Bronco riders ride point, defending against
dangerous predators. Its a hazardous job, especially in hostile territory. Often ranchers have to call in airstrikes against threatening
packs of dinos, which can sometimes trigger a Thrum if a Singer
is present. Other times they literally have to rely on the cavalry
dinosaur riders in remote outposts who are called in to deal with
native incursions, Union attacks, or other emergencies. Other
times, ranchers strike deals with the larger local predators, using
protoceratops to speed the negotiations.
Herding iguanodons and pachycephalosaurs is pretty similar
to herding camptosaurs. Both types of dinos are even-tempered
and require protection from outside threats. Stegosaurs are even
easier, since all thats required to bring them in to market is
patience and a good set of laser prods. (Few predators will bother
a healthy adult stegosaur, so the drovers dont even need to worry
about protecting the herd, merely guiding it.) However, the big
money isnt in iguanodonts or stegosaurs, its in horn-head broncos: triceratops and their kin.
Triceratops are an enormous amount of meat on the hoof, and
their meat is highly prized across human space. Connoisseurs
agree that triceratops meat is the most tender and tasty of all
dinosaur meats. It is sold in supermarkets on hundreds of worlds
as Filet Big, Cretasus Own Horn Cuts, Thunder Roasters
and other beloved brand names.
The biggest problem with bringing in triceratops is simply
preventing the herd from stampeding and attacking the drovers!
Triceratops herds follow patterns from year to year, and theyre
extremely resistant to being led out of their way (to a slaughterhouse, say). To do this, the drovers have to establish their authority by thoroughly cowing the larger male triceratops into obeying
their orders! Most bronco riders who herd triceratops have their
own triceratops mounts: hardened veterans of numerous fights for
dominance. They use their mounts to batter some of the larger
males into submission; the rest of the herd quickly obeys.
The other time-honored technique to herd triceratops is to use
mounts that they fear: allosaurs and tyrannosaurs. Preferably, several allosaurs and tyrannosaurs at once. A herd of triceratops will
attack a single giant carnivore if it stays too close, so it takes two
or three acting in concert to drive a herd.
Ranchers dont cut off a triceratops horns to render him less
dangerous; it doesnt make business sense. Triceratops who lose

their horns often seem to despair of their life, lie down, and die.
So bronco herders are forced to spend all their waking hours
around powerful, easily-angered dinosaurs who could skewer
them in a heartbeat. Its not a job for the faint-hearted. Bronco
herders display an admirable sangfroid in the face of danger; some
often take a stint in the cavalry after theyre done herding, finding
mounted combat a little more relaxing than the constant stress of
keeping a hundred six-ton dynamos in order. If triceratops are
spooked by something a tribe of raptors, heavy explosives, several large meat-eating dinosaurs and their leaders attempt to
guide them in any direction except away from the threat, they will
often try to crush the leaders and flee as quickly as possible. This
means that herders have to keep a constant lookout for danger,
including rival ranchers who might attempt to disrupt the bronco
drive.
Ranchers operate in two different areas: their estates and their
herds grazing areas. First, they clear extensive estates in defensible areas to live in. This is where the wealthy ranch owner himself
may live, along with his family and a few prized breeding bulls.
However, to maintain their herds, the ranchers require a vast foraging territory, so they let their massive herds roam across thousands of acres of public lands. They dont own the spaces where
they feed and water their herds; no one does. Ranchers often spar
with one another over prime turf, and theft of herd dinos is also
common.
Ranchers keep the time-honored technique of branding to differentiate their herds during the fall and winter, as they graze on
the common lands. Nowadays, its easy to apply a brand: branding guns painlessly apply the mark to the dinosaurs. But technology has also made it easier to steal branded dinos. Modern medical technology means that branding scars, in prior years indelible,
can be repaired: a DC 20 Heal check with a tech level 5 healing
kit allows one to eliminate burn scars. To counteract this, most
ranchers maintain two sets of marks: a public brand, known to all
and marked on the dinos hide with a branding gun; and a private
chemical mixture, secretly added to the dinosaurs food, which
enters the dinos bones and stays in their system for years.
Ranchers keep this chemical cocktail to themselves, and reveal it
only to the authorities, when they think someones rustled their
broncos and changed their brands. A blood test then reveals the
inner brand of the contested dinos.
Unfortunately for legitimate ranchers, most slaughterhouses
dont check whether all dinos in a herd have the same brand; they
just buy the dinos at a fixed amount per head and process them
quickly. They certainly wont perform a blood test on their meat.
This means that bold thieves often prosper. There are few police
in the wilds, and freeholders are usually too intimidated by the
ranchers to interfere in a range war. Occasionally, the military will
intervene if things get particularly messy, but for the most part
such low-intensity warfare is quietly encouraged by the
Confederacy as a way to develop skilled cavalry!
The fertile territory near the forts and freetowns is quickly
being fenced off for agriculture, to the chagrin of ranchers. The
Confederacy has already developed vast experimental farms in

order to test new agricultural techniques, and independent farmers

have staked numerous claims. More importantly, many of the
available rivers are being diverted to irrigate croplands. This is
already causing strife between ranchers (who need open space)
and farmers (who need organized, fenced territories). Soldiers are
often called in to restore order between the two warring bands.
Around the freetowns, however, the large ranchers are effectively
the law, with their own private armies of bronco riders protecting
their herds and intimidating the local population.
Dinosaur ranching has not been successful on other planets.
While individual dinosaurs have been able to survive, herds tend
to go insane on other worlds, losing their high intelligence, degenerating into mere beasts, and finally entering a self-destructive
rampage, smashing everything around them before gnawing each
other to death. The reasons for this gruesome behavior are
unknown. The practical effect has been to drive up the prices for
dinosaur meat, as more people get to taste it and the supply lags
behind demand.
Regulation of ranches varies between Union and Confederate
lands. The Union attempts to regulate its ranchers closely, with
licenses, regular veterinary visits, and supervision by the Union
military machine. The Confederates allow their ranchers to appeal
to nearby Confederate outposts in time of danger, and they also
allow meatpackers to operate within their forts, but they make no
other attempts to control or regulate ranchers. As a result, thousands of ranches have popped up on Confederate-controlled areas,
many of them vanishing quickly as a result of hostile dinosaur
activity or attacks from other ranchers. Union ranches also suffer
such attacks, but they dont take the hint; their owners are businessmen with political connections who grow fat and soft while
depending on Union military assistance to save their herds.
Meanwhile Confederate ranchers are the cutting edge of the
Confederate war machine, often able to repel attacks on their own,
providing an ever-increasing number of recruits for the Dino
Warriors.

65

Dinosaur Labor
Cretasus couldnt survive without the workhorse sauropods
brachiosaurs, apatosaurs, vulcanodons, and diplodocus that lift
and carry enormous weights all around the planet. While Cretasus
is rich in oil and metals, it doesnt have the facilities to refine
enormous amounts of oil and it doesnt have factories to create
highly complex machines. (Every time one faction sets up a factory to create machine parts, the other side works hard to sabotage
it.) In addition, the moist climate of the Main Valley plays hell on
the internal combustion engine, still humanitys primary mode of
propulsion.
The results of these interconnected processes are visible
every day to Cretasus dwellers. Jungle paths are dotted with rusting-out hulks of enormous trucks and cranes brought in from offworld. From time to time, a fort launches a reclamation campaign
to recover the metals and parts from those vehicles, using brachiosaurs to haul the wreckage back to civilization. The irony of
a beast of burden lifting and carrying a precise machine, the product of five hundred years of technological refinement, has not
been lost on machinists. Both the Union and Confederacy have
come to realize that its silly to build an industrial base when all
you really need to do is feed the natives.
Brachiosaurs and their smaller cousins are the most valuable
dinosaurs anyone can own. They require an enormous capital
investment, which is the only start of extensive operating costs
fueled by their gargantuan appetites. Brachiosaur families strip
entire hillsides and small forests of their vegetation in order to survive. Diplodocus pods will clear an entire lake of seaweed over
the course of a couple weeks. Most freetowns designate a large
portion of their land to be Giants Grazing Zones, preserves for
their enormous laborers. These dinosaurs are unable to digest
most grains, and they derive no more nutritional value from tree
bark than from protein shakes: its quantity, not quality, that
counts with these enormous creatures.
The Confederates use brachiosaurs as construction aids, to
haul goods between towns, and to dredge new irrigation canals.
Typically brachies belong to the freetown or the government,
since their feeding is a public expense. However, almost every
large farm owns its own workosaur, as do many itinerant
traders. These folks are eager to protect their investments, so brachiosaurs are among the most pampered creatures in known
space. More veterinarians on Cretasus specialize in treating brachiosaurs than any other species, and freetowns will spend exorbitant amounts of money preparing gigantic medications when
their enormous laborers fall ill. Killing a farmers brachiosaur is
the simplest way to ruin her farm, and in the backcountry such an
act is considered almost as despicable as murdering the farmer in
her sleep.
Union forces use brachies heavily around mining areas, both
to clear rubble away from the mines and to build roads into mountainous areas. Sustaining a brachiosaur in such a barren area
requires a supply chain focused entirely on importing food for the

66

brachiosaur. Big believers in the power of vehicles, the Union

doesnt use the dinosaurs much to transport valuable goods,
although they assign one or two to every loyal Union freetown.
Its traditional for farmers to purchase a brachiosaur hatchling
whenever a child is born into their family. The farmer then lets the
child and the brachiosaur grow together until both are ready to
strike off on their own. A brachiosaur is ready to begin working
full-time on a farm at about age 25 (even though its not fully
mature) and thats about the age when most farmers want to see
their kids settled with farms of their own.
Another common sight on the roads is the brachy-peddler. A
brachiosaur holds an awful lot of cargo, and its not going to be
attacked by anything smaller than a family of T-rexes or a tribe of
raptors, so an enterprising individual will simply purchase hundreds of tons of varied goods at New Savannah and strike out into
the wilderness to do some trading.
When a brachy-peddler arrives at a new town, it usually takes
her two whole days to unpack her goods for trading, although she
might allow quick peeks to some of the
towns children. Her appearance is a festive event in town, marked by celebrations and corn liquor, since most locals
dont get much chance to trade their
goods. Oftentimes the brachy-peddler
has new offworld fabrics, spices, or
technology things which would never
show up in the freetowns general store
so the peddler usually ends up with
most of the freetowns liquid capital.
Brachy-peddlers travel from
freetown to freetown,
spending a week or
more in each town,
buying anything

thats not nailed down for future trades, picking up gossip, and
remembering whats popular in each town. Peddlers usually take
a year or two to complete their circuit of small freeholds. After
they return to New Savannah, they bank their profits and buy a
new set of goods for another run through the towns.
Mugging a brachy-peddler is a bad idea, even when the
dinosaur isnt around. Most brachies have spent decades forming
friendships with their riders, and they can get a mite ornery when
their masters fail to appear. Freetowns have been nearly flattened
just because a peddler was sleeping off a hangover.

Cooking Dinosaurs
People on Cretasus eat dinosaur meat and dinosaur eggs all
the time. Dino meat is a delicacy offplanet. Its legal to ship meat,
and its a major export: folks all over the universe enjoy a good
hunk of iguanodont.
Munchasaurus is the premier offworld restaurant specializing
in dinosaur meat. Their Brontoburgers, BrachLTs, and
Igunanochomps (little bite-sized nuggets for the kiddies) are popular quick eats in every human city. Munchasaurus has seen meteoric growth in the last five years. Contrary to popular opinion,
they do use 100% dinosaur meat in their meals, which means a lot
of shipping.
Munchasaurus is the primary exporter from Cretasus.
Munchasaurus transports, featuring their distinctive logo (a dinner
table with a tyrannosaurus bite taken out of it), are a common
sight at New Savannah and Fort Lincoln, loading up flash-frozen
dinosaur corpses for the long haul back to dinner tables on hundreds of worlds. Munchasaurus contracts with both the Union and
the Confederacy to get its meat products, but its success has also
interested the Cabal, which is working to take control of the corporation for its own nefarious purposes.
Munchasaurus often hires groups of bronco riders to herd
wild dinos into a slaughterhouse area; it charges a figurative arm
and leg for the resulting Guaranteed: Wild! chops.
Other restaurants are pickier about their meat. Gourmet
restaurants want wild dinosaurs, since the meat is gamier and their
knowledgeable customers can tell the difference. In addition, they
seek dinosaurs that were unafraid when they were killed the
presence of certain fear-related hormones in the body at the time
of death subtly alters the taste. A dino which is killed while asleep,
or while flatfooted, is considered pristine for their purposes, and
theyll pay top dollar, up to five times the market price, for a pristine corpse of the desired species. They dont mind messy kills,
but they do insist on a swift death. Agents for these restaurants
often hang around spaceports looking for a group willing to hunt
down a dinosaur according to their specifications, but they find
few takers its very difficult to kill a ceratosaur in one shot, no
matter what weapon youre using, and most dinosaurs are notoriously light sleepers.
Dinosaur meat has a distinctive, exciting flavor but is often
tough. It is best simmered or boiled for a long period of time in

order to soften the meat. Its strong taste can put off many diners,
so non-Cretasus natives add a lot of spices. Munchasaurus, for
example, uses garlic and basil in most of their products.
Confederates who preserve their Louisiana Cajun heritage have
brought Cajun cuisine to Cretasus, dusting off their great-greatgreat-great-grandpappys alligator recipes for use with the new
meat. It works great, and dino gumbo can be found acookin all
over Confederate-held territory.
Among the Union settlements , the preferred cooking style is
slow-roasting on a spit over a fire pit. True dino warriors just chop
up their kill, give it a quick burst with a flamer to sear it, and chow
down. Raw dino is stomach-churning; characters need to make a
Fortitude save (DC 10) to keep it down. Dried dinosaur meat, or
lizard jerky, is best kept for emergencies.
All sides agree on one thing mincing a dinosaur is like eating quiche. Real men just dont do it.

Dinosaur Smuggling
To humans, dinosaurs are among the most valuable living
things, anywhere. Cloning technology is highly regulated by the
Union government; the technology necessary to clone and breed
dinos is exorbitantly expensive, rarely found in public hands. Its
cheaper to send raiding ships to swoop down on Cretasus and
escape quickly with a hold full of dinosaurs, trying to establish a
breeding colony in a hidden locale. Passenger liners which tour
Cretasus sometimes leave with more passengers than when they
began.
Both the Union and the Confederacy object to third parties
attempting to smuggle dinos offplanet: the Union because it
believes that dinosaurs in private hands are dangerous, and the
Confederates because selling dinosaurs is a lucrative source of
funds for the government, and theyre not about to give that up to
some damn Yankee traders! Taking live dinosaurs offplanet is illegal, punishable by life imprisonment by the Confederacy and the
annihilation chamber by the Union. So far, all the offplanet breeding projects have either been dismal failures or have been located
by the authorities, but the smugglers keep trying.
The most valuable dinosaurs are the meat-eaters, who are
brought into fighting pits and gladiatorial arenas all over known
space. As described above, ornitholestes are valued for their manlike stance, martial tendencies, quickness in learning to use
weapons, and willingness to battle one another to the death. Trexes also command top dollar and deep respect for their legendary size; brutal arena masters pit them against elephants, rhinos, lions and tigers.
Small, brightly-colored dinos are prized as pets. Theres little
demand for the big herbivores, and the costs of transporting them
are astronomical, so compsognathus and other smaller dinosaurs
also make valuable quarry.
Simply landing on Cretasus and grabbing all the dinos nearby is a viable strategy, although it means the raiders will only get
whatever dinos are in the area, not necessarily the smallest and

67

most valuable. Instead, most smugglers operate with the help of

planetside accomplices. These accomplices catch an assortment of
small dinosaurs, then hide in a cave or isolated area to await a rendezvous with their ship, which lands, loads, and runs. Authorities
have broken up several such smuggling rings based in the Hideout
Hills.
Smugglers use expensive alien technology that can cloak a
ship from most human sensors, and smugglers rely on this shimmer field to mask their presence. However, the shimmer field frequently causes fluctuations with ships engines, which means constant repairs and an uncertain approach time. Many a smuggling
team has to wait for weeks as their ship limps toward Cretasus
from the warp gate after an unexpected engine sputter! The shimmer field also does not completely eliminate a radar image, nor
does it prevent visual sightings, and so the Union or the
Confederacy may dispatch a patrol to investigate a possible sighting. Some smugglers will just brazen it out, sweeping through the
Alacion Portal with a false flight plan and having their illegal
cargo secretly brought to the spaceport.
Well-established smuggling networks exist in all the major
settlements. New Savannah has its share of corruption and theft.
While the smugglers do bring wealth into these cities, they also
commit crimes from assassination to sabotage as they try to protect their lucrative profession. Despite all this, the smugglers are
folk heroes with the population, especially among some of the
backwoods freetowners, and their deeds are common gossip. In
the forts and in New Savannah, they are quite unpopular, but
every smuggler has a friendly hometown where he can lie low and
relax after a tough days work, which makes them very hard to
track down.
The most feared smugglers are the Red Claws, who use raptor-claw weapons as their assassination tools. The Red Claws are
currently trying to eliminate the richer and older Dons, a group
based on the legendary Earth mafia, whose secret leaders take
pseudonyms like Don Iguana and Don Tracho. These battles
occasionally spill into the streets, and the authorities are desperate
to crack down on both groups. The Red Claws are known to run
guns to raptors. The Dons view this as a betrayal of the human
race, and are quick to point out the moral failings of their rivals,
even as they work hard to assassinate every Red Claw man they
can find.
Its common knowledge that any piece of mail addressed to
Red and sent through the postal service will eventually find its
way to the Red Claws, while the Dons operate Cretasus only winery.

Dinosaur Hunting
Dinosaur hunting is a big deal on Cretasus. The rich from
hundreds of worlds dream of testing their mettle against a tyrannosaur. Farmers make reprisal raids against raptor tribes.
Confederate and Union troops try to capture entire herds of riding
dinosaurs for cavalry mounts. Trophy hunting, since it doesnt

68

involve shipping live dinos offworld, is allowed, indeed encouraged by the Confederates as a test of strength and honor.
Expeditions into the deep jungle do not rely on powered vehicles, which are likely to break down or draw unwelcome attention.
Instead, hunters use dinosaur mounts both to travel and to carry
the kills. Dinosaur mounts are expensive and hunting is very dangerous, so most hunters build money and skill either working on
ranches or with the military forces of one or the other government.
Others prove themselves by arriving in town with a ceratosaur
carcass.
Hunters face many threats: first, theres the prey itself, difficult to kill even with modern, high-powered weaponry. Its a mark
of pride among true hunters not to use alien weaponry to take
down their kills, which makes it even more challenging. Next,
theres the necessity of avoiding the competition: raptor tribes and
other carnivores, who are an unwelcome sight for any hunting
group thats planning to go after big herbivores. Some expeditions
outfit themselves to take on raptors or T-rex, but its an entirely
different set of weaponry thats appropriate, and those hoping to
bag raptor also make sure to have a very fast escape route planned,
in case the whole tribe makes an appearance.
Professional hunters often use triceratops or allosaur mounts
for solo expeditions. These combat-ready mounts can carry enormous amounts of trophies and meat. Alternatively, hunters may
make deals with a raptor tribe, travelling on foot or on a lighter
mount, giving the meat to the tribe and bringing home only valuable portions of the skeleton.
However, most hunters make their money leading wealthy
offplanet tourists into the jungles. Although exporting live
dinosaurs is illegal, bringing dead dinos offplanet is perfectly fine.
Dino hunters usually come bearing high-powered weapons and
high-powered egos, eager to bring home a trophy for the corporate
boardroom or the manor house. Taking a dino-hunting trip to
Cretasus is an expensive proposition, so only the rich can afford
to make the trip.
A typical hunting package has the tourists starting out from
one of the major forts, where they are met by a native hunter/guide
who checks their gear, makes necessary purchases in town, then
leads them to a stable to pick up their mounts. Part of the whole
experience is riding a dinosaur, so the tourists spend a few days
getting used to their mounts typically camptosaurs, since theyre
docile and easily led, although the native hunter will point to their
thumb spikes as a sign of their dangerous nature. Guides also
check that the tourists have at least a minimum degree of competence with the basic dino-hunting weapons. Once the guide is sure
that they wont embarrass themselves, they head into the jungles.
Most hunting parties hire a raptor guide or a wild one to
advise the group leader, tell the group where the dinos lairs are,
and keep them apprised of raptor and T-rex movements. Wellequipped but foolish hunting parties launch reconnaissance
probes to lead the way, but these drones dont last long;
pterosaurs, the climate, the Union, and the Confederates all work
together to take them down.
Dinosaur hunters typically want unblemished souvenirs of

their accomplishments, trophies which often include the three Hs:

heads, hides, horns. Screamer rifles are the ideal tools for taking
down dinosaurs and leaving the trophy parts untouched, but most
hunters and hunt aficionados consider them a cowards weapon
because of their area effect. Besides the screamers, the following
weapons do no damage to a dinos corpse: amp bomb, laser pistol, laser rifle, and monofilament blade. The wealthy often come
bearing masterwork laser rifles, considered the gun of choice for
the sportsman. Responding to customer demand, Winchester
Pyrotechnics has released a special laser rifle with an inertiadampening mount, meant to be fired from the back of a moving
dino, which is what most Cretasus hunters now carry.
Other weapons are classified as messy, very messy, or
unsuitable for dinosaur hunting. Messy weapons have a 1%
chance per point of damage inflicted of ruining the pelt, and prey
killed with messy weapons has a 10% chance of having its head
or horns damaged. A good shot will preserve the value of a pelt:
prey killed with a critical hit always has its valuable parts undamaged. Very messy weapons have a 3% chance per point of damage
inflicted of ruining the pelt, and prey killed with a very messy
weapon has a 40% chance of having its head or horns damaged.
Prey killed with a critical hit from a very messy weapon still has
a 20% chance of having its valuable parts ruined. Unsuitable
weapons always render the pelt unusable, and have an 80%
chance of ruining the head or the horns, even with a critical hit.
Messy weapons: All manual and melee weapons except
monofilament blade, Colt .45, Absentee Voter, Automatic Pistol,
Musket, ROGUE rifle, Whisper Gun, Shotgun, Winchester Rifle,
Laser Lance, Laser Sword
Very Messy Weapons: Monofilament Blade, Bronto Gun,
Heavy Machine Gun, Frag Grenade, Pulse Rifle, Wide Beam
Laser
Unsuitable Weapons: Flamer, Howzer, Piledriver, Cryon Ray,
Plasma Sling, Plasma Bomb, Chimera Fiend, Annihilator, Dust
Gun

Dinosaur Tourism
Dinosaurs are the most exciting thing on dozens of worlds.
Researchers and rich folks alike are eager to see them in person!
The tight military control that both sides put on Cretasus means
that only the rich have a realistic chance of coming to Cretasus
just to see dinosaurs. However, every grunt in the Union army and
every Confederate colonel dreams of being reassigned to
Cretasus, to see the dinosaurs. Frequent expeditions leave the
bases with rather questionable objectives really, theyre just to
see the saurs.
Expeditions into the wilds are dangerous, of course, even if
youre planning to watch and not hunt. One of the few companies
that has managed to establish a reputation as a safe and reliable
service is Blue Pygmy Expeditions. Blue Pygmies are offworlders
from a particularly hostile planet where some of the insects get as
big as the dinos on Cretasus. Fifty years ago, the Blue Pygmy

president-for-life had a brainstorm, and his worlds economy

shifted almost entirely from subsistence farming to tourism. He
retrained his army to lead the curious and the wealthy through
their terrain. Now, theyve branched out into Cretasus, where they
give their clients the full Cretasus experience: touring forts and
breeding pens, and moving through protoceratops caves, raptor
villages, and triceratops herds.
Blue Pygmy routes often seem very dangerous to travelers,
but it is all an illusion. The Blue Pygmies present themselves as
super-tough super-strong battle dynamos, ready to take on any
dinosaur that dares challenge them. The truth is that theyre
extremely shrewd businessmen who plan every second of every
expedition and pay dinosaurs very well in order to produce a false
sense of danger. Blue Pygmies somehow drive off the ravening Trex just before it reaches the lumbering brachiosaur carrying the
supplies; they always persuade the raptor tribe to reject its xenophobic warrior-chief and free its human captives; they head off the
herd of triceratops at the last minute with a loud explosion. Never
a dull moment, but never a truly dangerous one either.
Most Blue Pygmies are Two-Fisters, and some are full-blown
Bronco Riders, but they realize they arent totally well-adapted to
Cretasus yet. For security, the Blue Pygmies hire mercenaries to
travel with large groups, concealing them as fellow tourists. They
also use outside help to scout new routes and begin negotiations
with fierce-looking but greedy dinosaurs. There are persistent
rumors that the Blue Pygmies are connected with the Dons smuggling operations.

Dinosaur Picture Shows

Communications satellites do not last long in Cretasus orbit;
one side or the other shoots them down as soon as they reveal
themselves by transmitting. So television is broadcast at the
ground level by powerful transmitters. Places outside of the Main
Valley lack reception. Television sets themselves are rare, even in
New Savannah and the few settlements that have electricity. That
hasnt stopped dinosaur television and dinosaur movies from
becoming an important part of popular culture.
The most popular television show in the world is White
Branch Raptors Hour. The White Branch Raptors got their
broadcasting equipment after they ate a particularly annoying
paleoanthropologist who had some surprisingly good gear for a
researcher. Their shaman learned how to use it after a lot of trial
and error, eventually making contact with human television companies though a protoceratops intermediary. The humans were
blown away by the sheer stark power of what they saw, and the
Hour was born.
The Hour usually involves a hunt, a meal scene, some philosophical expostulation (in Raptor, untranslated), and possibly an
attack on a rival group that has entered White Branch lands. The
raptors bring their raw footage to a heavily-guarded freetown studio where it is carefully but lightly edited (the White Branch
group has eaten producers who made unwanted changes to their

69

show). The show is broadcast around Cretasus, generally picking

up 60% or more of the available audience.
The White Branch clan is large and prosperous beyond the
dreams of most raptors. Its success has led to recent intertribal
friction over what to do with its newfound wealth, which makes
even better television as its members challenge each other to
fights to prove the worth of their arguments!
So far no one has managed to replicate the success of the
White Branchers. One well-funded attempt to copy this show, the
Thunder Hills Raptors Hour, led to the extermination of the
Thunder Hills Raptors by forces unknown. The smoking crater of
the recording studio has helped to discourage others from bringing copycat shows to air.
Sometimes raptors will adopt the mannerisms of the White
Branch group in order to interact well with people. Some raptors
go so far as to impersonate the White Branch crew, hoping for
gifts from star-struck humans. Most people cant tell raptors apart,
so they frequently fall for these shams.
Even outside the White Branch Raptors Hour, dinosaurs are
the most popular subject of entertainment in the galaxy. Directors
and creative artists are eager to record dinosaurs and use them in
their shows. Holographic techniques can perfectly replicate reality, but some snobs claim to be able to tell the difference. A study
of dinosaur life also leads to better, more realistic action. This
means that entertainers are occasionally found wandering the
wilds of Cretasus, negotiating with protoceratops or wild ones to
get the perfect image for their work.
The tools of the modern entertainment industry are microsensors. These fist-sized devices, developed from alien technology,
are liberally deployed around an area and provide 360 degree coverage of that area, picking up several different kinds of input and
storing them. In addition, conscientious entertainers will use
handheld scopes with inertial dampers to capture the perfect
image.

Dinosaurs as Weapons
Both sides are eager to use dinosaurs as weapons in their military campaigns. Developing an industrial base on a newly conquered world is extremely difficult; raising and training a bunch
of triceratops is a lot easier and cheaper than importing ironclads
and trained pilots. Both sides view dinosaurs as a means to developing superb and inexpensive colonial troops.

Cavalry Mounts
The simplest and most obvious military use for dinosaurs is
in the cavalry. Its important to note that technology in
Broncosaurus Rex has taken a different track than modern technology has. Our Earth has supertanks that would run roughshod
over triceratops cavalry. Its true that Confederate dinosaur cavalry would have little chance attacking New York or any other

70

Union cities on Earth. However, powered vehicles are not in common use on Cretasus, or most other colony worlds, because they
tend to break down, because its difficult to repair them on a preindustrial world, and because theyre not designed for local
weather, atmospheric, and gravity conditions. It takes time for a
local economy to gear up to produce its own vehicles, and it takes
time for technicians to discover which modifications are most
appropriate for a particular vehicle for a particular planet.
Dinosaurs, however, reproduce themselves, are hardy and adaptable, and mend quickly, so theyre ideal bioweapons.
Triceratops: Much current cavalry research is on the horned
dinosaurs (ceratopsians). They travel in large herds, so theyre
used to close contact with one another. As plant-eaters, they can
live off the land, and their upkeep is much less expensive than
meat-eaters. They are easy to breed and relatively easy to train
when a hatchling. Furthermore, their thundering charge is terrifying.
In combat, their bony frills protect their riders as they charge.
A rider on a charging triceratops gains one-half cover (+4 AC).
Laser lances are the preferred weapon of the triceratops rider,
because the mounts instinctual attack mode also sets up the rider
for a similar attack.
Iguanodon: A lot of research has also gone into training
iguanodons. Iguanodon mounts have become less popular as the
market for their sumptuous meat has grown. Even so, many bronco riders who have tamed their iguanodons swear by their usefulness as mounts and refuse to eat them. While not nearly as effective as the triceratops in combat, theyre faster, lighter, and able to
assume a more agile two-footed stance to navigate tricky terrain.
They have many of the same advantages of triceratops:
theyre herd beasts, able to accept human authority; theyre plant
eaters, so theyre less of a logistical burden. Their great handicap
right now is their unwillingness to breed in captivity. Scientists
are scratching their heads in confusion over how to get these creatures into mass production the group that figures out the mysteries of iguanodon breeding will be richly rewarded.
Allosaurs: If you have to have a carnivorous mount,
allosaurs are clearly the way to go, with their affability and eagerness to please. Wild allosaurs dont really serve as mounts; they
agree to take a position as a mount. Theyre not sophisticated
enough to want a salary, but they do expect frequent gifts, and will
just walk away from a rude rider (theyre too polite to eat their riders... usually!). Allosaurs raised from the egg to be mounts are
more docile and respectful than their wild cousins.
Allosaurs are not used to traveling in large groups and are
uncomfortable in formations. They are ideal for lone scouts, but
not so useful for a mass charge. They spook most animals and
even most dinosaurs smaller than a triceratops.
Allosaurs are extremely expensive to maintain, another drawback. They cant forage for themselves as they travel, as the herbivores can. After two days of travel, they need to spend one day
hunting in order to maintain their fighting trim, or be provided
with a Large carcass every three days.
Besides their obvious combat prowess, the other advantage to

keeping an allosaur mount is that it is a knowledgeable and wise

companion, willing to chat and provide companionship for lonely
days. Allosaur riders have very high morale and are tightly bound
to their mounts, and the camaraderie means that both rider and
mount are willing to fight to protect one another, something missing with other types of dinosaurs.
The Union views the high intelligence of the allosaur as a
potential drawback, fearing a revolt of its vehicles. Union scientists have developed an operation to limit allosaur intelligence,
which is often performed on allosaurs bred in captivity. This operation results in a stunted, withered allosaur, two-thirds normal
size, with an Int of 6. These beasts are noticeably easier to train
than standard allosaurs (DC 20 as a youth), while still retaining
their good nature. So far Union scientists have been able to pass
off these creatures as a heretofore unknown species, but if the
allosaurs ever learn the truth about their lobotomized brethren,
they will be out for blood.

Armored Dinosaurs
Even during the early years of the Civil War, it was clear that
horses were on their way out as cavalry mounts, mostly due to
their vulnerability to modern weaponry. Dinosaurs are more
robust than horses, but sometimes they also need help.
The ideal dinosaur armor would be light, rugged, and would
not affect mobility. Dinosaur mounts usually need to be able to
pack their armor, since they spend a lot of time traveling across
country, and they cant wear armor for extended periods without
an agony of chafing. For most circumstances, flak armor is good
it doesnt weigh much and its only moderately expensive (especially compared to the cost of the dinosaur). Flak armor does
require advanced technology to create, however, so its not logistically appropriate for colonial worlds; even on Cretasus its hard
to get outside of the major forts. Most bronco riders use hide
armor, because dinosaur hides are easy to get and prepare. It does
slow down the dinos, but its perfect for an emerging colony since
its grown, not manufactured.
Of course, the well-equipped warrior surrounds her dino and
herself with an absorption field. Any field big enough to surround
a dino is also capable of surrounding its rider. Again, this is an
expensive option, but with a flak vest and absorption field, the
front AC of a triceratops rises to 25 against bullets, comparing
very favorably with that of an armored vehicle.

Cyborged Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are not just animals. They are much smarter than
the average creature and can learn to utilize high technology.
Dinosaurs that can be used as mounts are unable to properly utilize machines, since they lack an opposable thumb. So machinists
have been working to implant various devices into their dinosaurs
to strengthen them. Most devices enhance the senses: low-light
vision, enhanced hearing (+2 to listen rolls), and implanted radio

receivers are common enhancements (costing a mere $500 at a lab

with an experienced machinist).
However, some experiments consist of enhancing the natural
powers of the dinosaur. Besides the silverclaw raptors, one experiment removed the horns of a triceratops and replaced them with
laser lances (increasing gore damage to 4d8+7, doubled on a
charge!), which unfortunately requires the dinosaur to be calmed
and have the laser power packs recharged daily. Triceratops have
also had armor plates surgically implanted (extra +4 natural armor
bonus), although that cuts their speed to 20 feet.
Scientists have also implanted poison glands into various
dinos. The glands can be added to either the bite or the claw attack
of a dinosaur; a gland stores enough poison for 10 attacks, and
many varieties of poisons exist, including knockout (DC 15, 1
Con/unconsciousness), red agony (DC 18, 1d2 Dex/1d6 Dex), and
screaming skull (DC 12, 1d6 Int/1d6 Int). If the poison gland bearer suffers any damage, theres a 5% chance of the gland rupturing,
with subsequent spillage of poison into the bearers system, with
a penalty to the Fort save of -1 per remaining dose.
In at least one case, the stress of these secret experiments
caused a machinist to crack. After slipping out of a top secret
research base, Canada Louie Wilhelm became legendary for his
attempts to transplant human brains into ceratosaur bodies. When
Union troops finally tracked him down, they found his base completely abandoned but surprisingly well-stocked. A few cryptic
notes claimed success in the experiments. They also found the
headless corpses of several wealthy elderly men. Union spies still
keep a watchful eye for Canada Louie, who knows far too many
secrets, although they scoff at his extravagant claims in public.
In private, theyre worried.

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Flying and Aquatic Dinosaurs

Most strategists, quartermasters, and meatpackers view
aquatic dinosaurs as less useful than the land creatures, but
weapons masters are still trying to domesticate them and develop
their capabilities for combat. Most training is similar to that of
dolphins in the old Union Navy: plesiosaurs are used as
minesweepers and to carry high explosives on suicide missions. In
addition, unleashing a few elasmosaurs into swimming areas is a
terror tactic not beyond the Cabal.
Flying dinosaurs are an entirely different kettle of fish.
Pteranodons can carry 200 pounds enough for a slender rider
and his gear. Saboteurs, snipers, and spies favor pteranodon
mounts for their silence, their speed, and their ability to go where
land creatures cannot. Pteranodons spend much of their time gliding, making them very quiet fliers, and they are difficult to pick
out in the night sky. They dont show up particularly well on radar
screens since theyre not made of reflective metal. Theyre perfect
for infiltrating men into faraway places. They have a high metabolism rate for dinos it takes 30 pounds of fish to feed a pterosaur
for one day. But they can go several days without food in a pinch,
and the seas are swarming with fish, so its easy to maintain their
ravenous appetites.
Both sides are engaged in crash breeding programs to create
more tractable and easygoing pteranodon mounts, as well as
slightly larger and heavier creatures that can carry more weight.
Theyre also looking for slim or short folks to serve as an elite
pteranodon corps! The Blue Pygmies have already politely turned
down a request by the Confederacy to serve as their elite flying
corps, and the Union is actively recruiting the petite inhabitants of
several distant offworld locations. Especially on Cretasus, where
powered air vehicles are constantly swarmed by the native
pterosaurs, an air force composed of pteranodon riders is very
attractive to the military commanders.
Pterosaurs are the most reliable communications medium on
Cretasus. Since electronic communicators are limited to line-ofsight range and can be jammed with a scrambler, important or
secret messages are usually consigned to couriers on pteranadons.
They keep irregular schedules and are often difficult to distinguish
from routine training flights, which makes it difficult to target the
couriers and intercept the documents. However, it does mean that
sometimes a dead man, a dead lizard, and some extremely valuable information comes falling from the sky into the middle of
nowhere victims of a lightning storm, another pterosaur, or a
lucky shot from enemy troops. Locating and retrieving those documents from the middle of the Cretasus wilderness can be quite a
challenge.
Some of the freetowns have established an airborne express
to deliver letters pteranodon riders who carry mail and small
packages between isolated settlements. These riders paint their
pteranadons white, declaring themselves neutrals in the struggles
between the Union and the Confederacy, and theyre usually welcome at any settlement or fort. Spies from both sides often pose as

72

airborne express men to gather information; it gives them the perfect cover and a legitimate reason to be flying a pterosaur across
the countryside.

Union vs. Confederate Strategies For

Dinosaurs
The Union has little respect for dinosaur life. Merely clever
animals, theyre tools to be used in order to crush resistance and
destroy the enemy. Raptors, allosaurs, and other intelligent
dinosaurs are to be treated just like other less-developed aliens: as
means to an end, as drones and cannon fodder. Union courts have
ruled that dinosaurs are chattel with no rights: they cant own
property, cant testify in court, cant even travel in Union-controlled territories without government permission. (This last rule
is rather hard to enforce, however.)
The Union pours money and time into research on the military uses of dinosaurs. The Union is extremely interested in developing the Thrum to send hordes of berserk dinos against its foes.
It also seeks to induce triceratops rampages and breed savage raptors to unleash upon foes. The Union views dinosaurs as the perfect bio-weapons, a sort of giant plague ready to be unleashed
upon its opponents.
Time and time again, Union expeditions into the wilderness
are ambushed and destroyed because they underestimate the cleverness and abilities of the Cretasus dinosaurs. While natives of
Cretasus know the dinosaurs better, Union tactical and strategic
doctrine is set by generals and senators on Earth, whose policies
in turn come from the Cabal, which has its own motives for keeping the Union from forming closer ties with the intelligent
dinosaurs.
Still, the Union does possess a powerful machine base and
frequently sends out devastating expeditions to punish a dinosaur
ambush. The dinosaurs often retaliate, and the cycle of violence
escalates until one side or the other concedes after too many casualties usually the dinosaurs.
The Confederates view dinosaurs as allies, not tools.
Confederates sign and respect treaties with raptor tribes. They
value and treasure their relationships with lesser dinosaurs, even
as they attempt to understand the sentience of the brighter species.
The Confederacy has a deep respect for the capabilities and powers of the dinosaurs; even when they find themselves fighting a
particular group of dinos, theyre always careful to treat their
opponents with caution. Of course, the greed intrinsic in individual humans is still a limiting factor on the attitude of any particular Confederate citizen.
Confederate research into dinosaurs has focused primarily on
their abilities when combined with people, such as in a cavalry
role. Theyre less interested in using dinosaurs as terror weapons
or bio-tools, and more interested in developing teamwork between
men and dinosaurs. Dino Warriors are their ultimate goal, a fusion
of man and dinosaur into a skilled and deadly juggernaut.

Dinosaur Combat Rules

Unarmed Combat with Dinosaurs

Fighting with Dinosaurs

Individual characters engaged in unarmed combat with dinos

are at a huge disadvantage. Nevertheless, two-fisters will sometimes try it, especially when drunk, so here are some guidelines.
Dinosaurs cannot be disarmed. Two-footed dinosaurs can be
bull rushed; it is impractical to attempt this with a four-footed
dinosaur and merely extremely unwise for a tyrannosaur.
Characters can grab opponents which are very large, but they
cant hold anything two or more size classes larger than they are.
Even if you grapple a smaller dinosaur, unless you pin him hell
still be able to cut you up with his natural weapons. This rule
doesnt allow for certain crazy cinematic actions, like a horde of
small dinos pulling down a tank, or for the running of the triceratops. Those sorts of swarming tactics are totally in keeping with
our conception of the game, so heres a rules change: if there are
eight or more creatures colluding in a grapple, one of them may
make a grapple attack on a creature three sizes larger. If sixty-four
collude, then one of them may make a grapple attack on a creature
four sizes larger.
Allosaurs and ceratosaurs are quite fond of grappling, not
really to hurt their opponents, but to keep them in one place so
they can kill them easier! Tyrannosaur forelimbs are too tiny for
an effective grapple.
Overrun attacks dont work on dinosaurs if theyre more than
one size class larger than the character attempting it. Neither does
the trip action. Most dinosaurs will overrun PCs blocking a
path to food or if they feel trapped. Many of the larger
herbivores trample instead of overrunning; read the
description of the dinosaur to find out if its capable of trampling its opponents.

Fighting with dinosaurs requires a quick review of the rules

for combat with large creatures.
The rules about facing can make it complicated to determine
exactly how many creatures can attack a large creature at once.
The rules allow many, many creatures to attack dinosaurs at once.
For example, fourteen humans (5 ft. x 5 ft.) can attack one
stegosaurus (5 ft. by 20 ft.): one at each end, four along each side,
and four on the corners. To make things simple when dealing with
large creatures, remember that the rule of thumb is that eight creatures that have the same face (if square) can attack one another. So
up to eight 10 ft. x 10 ft. dinosaurs (e.g., ceratosaurs) can attack
one 10 ft. x 10 ft. camptosaurus.
The more interesting rule, and one that will frequently arise
when humans attack dinosaurs, is reach. A defender with longer
reach than its attacker gets an attack of opportunity when the
attacker moves within its threat zone. This includes most characters attacking dinosaurs. Most dinosaurs have at least a 10 ft.
reach, and some have more; the tyrannosaur, for instance, has a 15
ft. reach. This also means that a tyrannosaur, with its 15 ft. reach,
gets an attack of opportunity on a charging triceratops with a 10
ft. reach.
Characters 5 ft. from a creature with 10 ft. reach, or 10 ft.
from a creature with 15 ft. reach, are also unable to retreat
without provoking an attack of opportunity. You get it
coming and going.

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Chapter III: Player Reference

Character Classes
Prestige Class: Dino Warrior
Dino Warriors are the Confederacys elite dinosaur cavalry.
PCs who become Dino Warriors put themselves in the service of
the Confederate military. They receive specialized training in raising and training dinosaurs, access to the Dino Warrior domesticated dinosaur herds, and the admiration of virtually all the settlers on Cretasus. But they are limited by their military role.
Characters become Dino Warriors for many reasons. Bronco
riders find that the rigorous training and experience in the hatcheries develops their animal handling skills beyond the limits of
life on the ranch. Soldiers become Dino Warriors because they can
apply their disciplined strategy and tactics to a kind of cavalry
warfare that is unique in the galaxy. Some two-fisters become
Dino Warriors because their adventurous, rough-and-tumble frontier life is appealing. Machinists and spies rarely become Dino
Warriors, and wild ones cannot multiclass.
Not all of the Confederacys dinosaur-mounted soldiers are
members of the Dino Warriors prestige class. Multi-classed bronco riders/soldiers have a place in the Dino Warriors chain of command usually quite low. These are simply the riders a term
the Dino Warriors use to describe soldiers who can ride dinosaurs
but arent skilled enough to train or raise them.
Hit Die: d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Dino Warrior, a character must fulfill
the following criteria.
Place of Origin: Confederate or Offworlder.
Loyalty: Loyal to the Confederacy.
Animal Empathy: 8 ranks (bonuses from Dinopathy feat
count as ranks).
Handle Animal: 8 ranks (bonuses from Dinosaur Presence
feat and a bronco riders levels count as ranks).
Ride: 6 ranks.
Feats: Mounted Combat, Dinopathy.
Special: After applying for membership, a character must
spend a year working in the hatcheries. The first three months are
pure drudgery shoveling triceratops dung, hauling dinosaur

74

feed, turning eggs under heat lamps at precise intervals, and so on.
The next six months are more interesting: training wild dinosaurs,
tending to injured animals, catching wild dinosaurs intact, and
raising the young from the hatchery. The final three months are a
taste of Dino Warrior life: accompanying patrols and basically living like a full-fledged Dino Warrior.
At the end of the year, the characters performance is evaluated. The training period should be role-played although the first
few months are pretty bland, the last portion involves some real
adventure. If you as the GM want to speed past the bland parts,
award some experience (500 XP is appropriate) to the Dino
Warrior-in-training for nine months of service. The course of the
training will test all of the requirements for being a Dino Warrior
(loyalty, Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, Ride and mounted
combat ability). In general, unless the character failed his checks
repeatedly or did something very stupid, he will proceed on to the
initiation rites.
The initiation rites are a number of solo tasks similar to those
described on pages 36-37. There should be at least three encounters of CR 4 or higher. If the character survives, he is inducted into
the Dino Warriors.
Adventures: The thing to remember about Dino Warriors is
that they are part of the Confederate military. Their adventuring is
limited by the call of duty. A GM can arrange his campaign to suit
this fact, since there is no shortage of missions for Dino Warriors.
But being part of the Confederate military places some fairly
stringent obligations on a characters behavior consorting with
Union sympathizers is obviously no longer acceptable!
One benefit of military service is a wage: Dino Warriors are
paid $10 a month per character level, and all of their room, board,
and equipment is paid for. But even though theyre the cream of
the crop, the Confederacy itself is quite poor and not always able
to provide the best weapons. The Dino Warriors are supposed to
give up loot captured on duty for military disposal. But nobody
minds if they take a little weaponry or ammunition for themselves...
Class Skills
The Dino Warriors class skills (and the key abilities for each
skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str),
Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis),
Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature, strategy and tactics, Int), Ride
(Dex), Use Rope (Dex), Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the
Dino Warrior.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Dino
Warrior is proficient with weapons suited to fighting
with dinosaurs. This includes the lasso, bronto gun,
laser lance, and laser prod, as well as one-handed
weapons that can be used while riding: Colt .45,
automatic pistol, laser sword, and laser pistol. They
are also proficient with all ballistic weapons, all
swords, daggers, knives, and lances, and light and
medium armor.
Special Weapons and Equipment: The Dino
Warriors have the facilities and knowledge to produce weapons and equipment for dinosaurs not
available anywhere else. Injection harnesses
(Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook, page 58) are one
such item. Others include resonators, shouters, and
thud sensors. Furthermore, Dino Warriors often surgically modify their mounts. Silverclaw raptors
came about in this way. One common modification
is coating teeth with steel sheaths, which adds to the
creatures bite damage (+1d4 for large, +1d6 for
his own rank in the skill. (If you wont listen to me, listen to
huge). The availability of these and other such improvements HIM!)
depends on the militarys needs at the time, as well as seniority
Visual Speech: At sixth level, the rider and mount can comwithin the Dino Warriors, as adjudicated by the GM.
municate silently through subtle motions. As long as they can see
Specialized Training: Dino Warriors train extensively with a each other, they can communicate just as well as if they were
single kind of mount for example, tyrannosaurus, allosaurus, or speaking.
triceratops. The character can pick which mount is his specialty.
One Claw: At eighth level, the rider and mount are so perWhen working with that kind of mount, the character receives a fectly attuned that no communication is needed. The mount senscompetency bonus equal to his Dino Warrior class level to all Ride es the slightest twitch from his rider and always knows the right
and Handle Animal checks. This stacks with bonuses for being a thing to do. The rider automatically passes all Ride checks related
bronco rider.
to riding this mount, as long as the rider and mount are lucid and
Dinospeak: At second level, the character has spent so much not influenced by anything that would break their bond (mindtime with his specialized breed that he picks up its language.
altering substances, insanity, loss of touch sensation, and other
One Mind: Once he is intimately familiar with one breed, a such things will interfere with this ability). When making a Ride
Dino Warrior raises a specimen from birth to become his mount. check for purpose of the Mounted Combat feat, the Dino Warrior
This forges a powerful parent-child bond between the rider and gets a bonus equal to half his mounts CR (rounded down).
mount. Only one such bond can
exist at a time. When fighting
with the mount that he raised, a
Table 3-1: The Dino Warrior
Dino Warrior has the following
Base
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
abilities:
Level Attack Bonus
Save
Save
Save
Intimidate: At third level,
1
+1
+2
+0
+0
Specialized Training
the character is proficient
2
+2
+3
+0
+0
Dinospeak
enough to use his mount to
3
+3
+3
+1
+1
One Mind Intimidate
intimidate both other humans
4
+4
+4
+1
+1
Herd Tactics -1
and dinosaurs, although this
5
+5
+4
+1
+1
ability is limited by his class
6
+6/+1
+5
+2
+2
One Mind Visual Speech
level. Any time the character
7
+7/+2
+5
+2
+2
Herd Tactics -2
makes an Intimidate check
8
+8/+3
+6
+2
+2
One Mind One Claw
while riding his mount, he adds
9
+9/+4
+6
+3
+3
the smaller of his Dino Warrior
10
+10/+5
+7
+3
+3
Herd Tactics -3
class level or the mounts CR to

75

Herd Tactics: Beginning at fourth level, the character is able

to control herds with amazing precision. Creatures he herds count
as being one size smaller for purposes of determining how many
he can control at once (see Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook,
page 37), with +10 creatures herded for each negative size difference (e.g., a human herding small creatures). At seventh level,
creatures count as being two sizes smaller, and at tenth level, they
count as being three sizes smaller.

Prestige Class: Federal Marshal

The federal marshals are the Unions intergalactic frontier
police. They maintain law and order in the Unions distant
colonies. Union citizens from the major metropolises will never
meet a marshal, but those who live in the outer reaches learn to
fear them. Yet even those who fear them are thankful for their
presence they may be terrifying, but at least theyre terrifying in
the name of the law.
Only Union sympathizers can become federal marshals.
Union soldiers covet the post for the autonomy and adventure it
provides. Even most regular citizens would love to be a marshal,
if only they had the ability.
Hit Die: d10.
Requirements
To qualify to become a federal marshal,
a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Place of Origin: Union.
Loyalty: Loyal to the Union.
Alignment: Lawful good, lawful neutral, lawful evil, neutral good, or chaotic
good.
Diplomacy: 4 ranks.
Gather Information: 4 ranks.
Intimidate: 4 ranks.
Knowledge (Strategy & Tactics): 4
ranks
Feats: Combat Tactician, Leadership.
Special: After applying for membership, a character must spend six months
training. Training sessions happen only once
a year. At that time, all prospective recruits
are sent to the nearest Marshal Academy.
The training is absolutely brutal. The first
phase involves tests of strength, stamina,
coordination, reflexes, and leadership. It
requires combat expertise, familiarity with a
wide variety of weapons, and the ability to
quickly organize combat units of ordinary
people. Most candidates wash out by this
point. Even those candidates who get
through must then survive in a variety of
extreme environments, where most of the

76

rest either wash out or die. Those who survive must then endure
the earlier tests again for the balance of the six months.
You can resolve this training in two ways. You can role play it,
or resolve it quickly with a series of checks. Either way you have to
make the checks, but if you role play it, it can make a good extended single-player adventure. The training is filled with ordeals and
trials suitable to the occasion. In order to pass, the character must
make six separate saves, one for each month of training. They are:
Month 1: Ref (DC 5)
Month 2: Will (DC 6)
Month 3: Fort (DC 7)
Month 4: Ref (DC 8)
Month 5: Will (DC 10)
Month 6: Fort (DC 12)
If the character passes the saves, he emerges from the training sessions alive and successful, though in need of quite a bit of
rest! If he fails the saves, he fails the training. Characters who fail
may apply for membership again in the following year. Either
way, the training is worth 100 XP for every month endured.
Adventures: Remember that federal marshals are in the service of the Union. They are highly autonomous, but still must fulfill their duties. The benefit is that a marshal has access to
advanced equipment and a great deal of
Union support. They receive a monthly
salary of $20 per level, and the Union pays
for all of their on-duty expenses (travel,
housing, food, repairs, etc.).
Class Skills
The federal marshals class skills (and
the key abilities for each skill) are Balance
(Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy
(Cha), Drive (Dex), Gather Information
(Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit
Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge
(strategy & tactics, technology) (Int), Listen
(Wis), Operate Ironclad (Dex), Pilot (Dex),
Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot
(Wis), and Use Technical Equipment (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int
modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features
of the Federal Marshal.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A
federal marshal is proficient with all manual
and ballistic weapons, as well as all kinds of
armor.
Special Weapons and Equipment:
Federal marshals are provided with the best
equipment the Union has to offer. At each

new character level (including first), a federal marshal may requi- patrol. He is now in charge of enforcing the law in that territory.
sition equipment from the Union. The value of the equipment at A sheriff who displays his badge receives a +3 circumstance
each level is shown on the accompanying table. The equipment bonus to Charisma when dealing with Union citizens and sympamust have a tech level equal to or less than the characters total thizers. Even when dealing with humans not sympathetic to the
character level. (The character must be able to use the tech level Union, he receives a +1 bonus to Charisma when displaying his
as well, of course; this rule reflects that the Union parcels out the badge everybody knows how tough sheriffs are supposed to be!
best high-tech equipment to the higher-level marshals, and the
Issue Law: At sixth level, a marshal can issue law. He can
lower-level ones have to take what they can get.) Requisitioned declare on the spot that something is or is not legal, and the locals
equipment takes 1d4 months to arrive.
will obey his edict or so he expects. In order to issue law, the
Deputy: A first level federal marshal is a called a deputy. He marshal simply makes a pronouncement in an appropriate cirwears a small silver deputys star. Deputies work closely with cumstance during a trial, after a riot, or whenever the full force
sheriffs, although they are occasionally sent out to take care of of his law will be felt. If necessary, he may have to call a special
things on their own. A deputy who displays his star receives a +2 town meeting to issue his law. All those who hear his law first
circumstance bonus to Charisma when dealing with Union citi- hand will obey it if the marshal passes a Diplomacy check. Add
zens or sympathizers.
the marshals class level as a bonus to the roll. The DC is 10 if the
Raise Posse: At second level, a marshal can raise a posse. law doesnt require behavioral change for most people (i.e., a law
Marshals raise posses to assist them in hunting down criminals, against public drunkenness), 14 if it requires minor behavioral
enforcing laws, and keeping people safe. Posses cant be raised change (i.e., a law against drinking on Sundays), and 18 if it
during calm times they
are spontaneous organizations that only form to
Table 3-2: The Federal Marshal
address a pressing issue.
Base
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Req. Equipment
In order to raise a posse,
Level Attack Bonus
Save
Save
Save
the marshal must address
1
+1
+2
+0
+2
Deputy
$100
a crowd. He makes a
2
+2
+3
+0
+3
Raise Posse $200
speech to motivate the cit3
+3
+3
+1
+3
$500
izens to help him enforce
4
+4
+4
+1
+4
Sheriff
$1,000
the law. He isnt just ask5
+5
+4
+1
+4
Issue Law
$2,000
ing them to follow him;
6
+6/+1
+5
+2
+5
$3,000
hes asking them to take
7
+7/+2
+5
+2
+5
Marshal
$5,000
the law into their hands
8
+8/+3
+6
+2
+6
$7,000
and possibly risk their
9
+9/+4
+6
+3
+6
$9,000
own injury or death. The
10
+10/+5
+7
+3
+7
$12,000
trick is swaying the crowd
as a whole; no one citizen
will risk his life alone, but if enough of them believe that the rest requires major behavioral change (i.e., a prohibition on drinking).
of them will go along with it, then they will form a posse.
As with a posse, a +2 or 2 modifier applies if the community is
Make a Diplomacy skill check to determine if the speech is lawful or chaotic. Failure means his law is ignored. If the marshal
successful. Add the marshals class level as a bonus to the check. persuades at least 60% of a colony first hand, the rest will autoThe DC is 10 if the task is fairly safe (chasing down unarmed matically obey. If less than 60% hear his initial proclamation, then
criminals), DC 14 if it is somewhat dangerous (raiding a gangs he must make a second Diplomacy check a day after the first,
well-defended hideout), and DC 18 if it is positively life-threaten- against the same DC, to determine if his message is successfully
ing (defending the town against a rampaging T-rex). The crowds carried through the community. PCs subjected to a marshals sucalignment modifies the DC: if the crowd is lawful, reduce the DC cessful law may make a Will save to resist (using the marshals
by 2; if the crowd is chaotic, increase the DC by 2. If the check Diplomacy roll as the DC).
succeeds, the crowd rallies, grabs their weapons, and marches out
Marshal: At seventh level, a sheriff is promoted to a marshal.
behind the marshal.
He is assigned a navy blue uniform with a gold marshals badge,
A posse only lasts as long as its members are motivated. In and put in charge of ten or more sheriffs. A marshal in his uniform
general, a posse will last for 1d4 hours per level of the marshal. and displaying his badge receives a +4 circumstance bonus to
After that, members start to desert and the posse unravels.
Charisma when dealing with Union citizens and sympathizers,
Sheriff: At fourth level, a deputy is promoted to a sheriff. He and a +2 circumstance bonus when dealing with anyone else who
is assigned a gold sheriffs badge and a territory that is his to is familiar with federal marshals.

77

Machinists
Machinists have the ability to create custom weapons, armor,
and equipment. Although most of their creations are inoperable
outside their tender care, powerful machinists can create items
with permanent bonuses. Many of the universes most powerful
weapons were custom built by such machinists. This requires a
special feat and significant expenditure in both money and XP.
The feat Permanent Enhancement is required for these permanent creations. See the description for Permanent Enhancement
in the New Feats section.

Skill Evolution
The pioneers who travel to Cretasus frontiers are jacks of all
trades. They know the basics of farming, hunting, fishing, mining
and logging. When they find a place to settle, they learn a trade
appropriate to the terrain. If a pioneer becomes a farmer, for
example, he gradually learns more and more about farming. In the
process, he may his skills in logging and fishing, or simply let
them atrophy through lack of use.
The ability to learn new skills at the expense of others, without advancing in character level, is called skill evolution. This
new rule explains NPC career changes in a way that the existing rules cannot. It allows a pioneer to begin a journey with the
skills Profession (Farming) +2, Profession (Fishing) +2,
Profession (Mining) +2, and Profession (Logging) +2, and end up
as a farmer several years later with the skill Profession (Farming)
+8.
Skill evolution allows a character to transfer skill points
between different skills over time. The newly learned skill must
be accessible, both in terms of class and place of origin availability (e.g., only Union characters can learn Operate Ironclad) and
game world situation (e.g., a Union character in the middle of the
desert with no military experience cannot teach himself Operate
Ironclad). Given those restrictions, the skill point transfer takes
place with these restrictions:
1. Ranks in the new skill cost the same skill points as they
would normally, depending upon whether it is a class or crossclass skill.
2. The time required to learn a new skill is three to twelve
months per skill point. The GM decides depending upon the complexity of the skill. As a rule of thumb, you can assume six
months. For example, assume the pioneer in the above example
wants to trade Profession (Fishing) +2 and Profession (Mining)
+2 for four ranks in Profession (Farming). This will take roughly
two years.
3. During each period of transition, the character may not use
the skill point which is presumably atrophying from lack of use.
If the character is losing a rank in an existing skill, he must use it
at the lower rank. During this transition period, the character
effectively has fewer skills than he did before he cant use the

78

old one, but he hasnt advanced in the new one yet. His skill point
is in limbo.
4. At the end of transition period, the character has learned the
new skill. He may now apply his skill point to the new skill.
This rule is meant to explain real-life changes in skill sets that
result from practice, active learning, and career changes. PCs
should not be allowed to change skills every six months unless
there is a very good game world reason!

New Feats
BARGAIN HUNTER (General)
Bargain hunting is not just the ability to recall prices. It also
encompasses a talent for remembering inventory levels, understanding distribution systems, and knowing wholesalers who will
cut under-the-table deals with end users in other words, everything necessary to get goods for cheap.
Prerequisites: Wis 13+.
Benefits: The bargain hunter can use his Gather Information
skill to find the cheapest source of an item. He receives a +4 bonus
to all such checks. In general, the DC for finding a cheap item is
determined by the items tech level and the size of the local population. Multiply the tech level by 4 to find the DC; if searching
in New Savannah, the DC is reduced by 4 to account for the
greater availability of goods. If the bargain hunter fails to find a
cheap item, he must buy it at face value. If he succeeds, he finds
it for cheaper than usual. Exactly how cheap is determined by
rolling 1d4 for every point by which he exceeded his Gather
Information check; the result is the percent discount off the normal price.
For example, Attacus Barnaby is searching for a ROGUE
rifle (tech level 5) around Fort Apache. The DC is 20 (5 times 4).
His Gather Information skill has a +10 modifier. He rolls a 13,
which with his +10 bonus yields a result of 23. He exceeds the DC
by 3, so he finds the ROGUE rifle for 3d4% cheaper than usual.
The source of a cheap item may not be the same from one
visit to another inventory and suppliers do change, after all, and
prices that were cheap when business was good may go up when
business gets bad. Your GM will let you know whether you have
to find a new supplier.
Special: This feat can also be used in reverse, to find buyers
who will pay more for a good.
FAST TALKER (General)
Dr. Ezekial Price isnt the only fast talker on Cretasus; any character may take this feat. A fast talker can connive, convince, and
confuse his interlocutors, provided he closes the deal before they
get a chance to think.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+.
Benefits: You receive a +4 bonus to Bluff skill checks. The
bonus to Bluff applies only in conversational settings you cannot use it to help feint in combat.

PERMANENT ENHANCEMENT (General)

With Permanent Enhancement, a machinist may make the bonuses on his custom weapons permanent, as well as create devices
that operate outside his maintenance.
Prerequisites: Permanent Enhancement is only available to
Machinists of 5th level or higher.
Benefits: Permanent Enhancement allows a machinist to permanently modify his weapons. Modifying a weapon for permanent usage has significant costs associated with it, as follows. A
permanently customized weapon has a base dollar cost of $100
per tech level of the weapon, plus the weapons bonus squared
times $1,000. For example, a weapon of tech level 2 with a +1
bonus would cost $200 plus $1,000, while a similar weapon with
a +2 bonus would cost $200 plus $4,000. This is the cost of the
materials and specialized technology required for the bonus. In
addition, the character must expend XP at one eighth of the dollar
expense. Thus a +2 weapon would also require 500 XP. The time
required to modify the weapon is roughly one month per bonus
point.
The permanently modified weapons tech level is increased.
For each bonus past +1, a +1 applies to the tech level.
For example, +2 Colt .45, which is normally tech level 3,
would be tech level 4. A machinist may attempt to simplify the
technology. Each point of reduced tech level has a bonus equivalent of +2 (per the tables on pages 22-23 of the Broncosaurus Rex
Core Rulebook).
Once a character has made a weapons bonuses permanent, it
no longer counts toward the maximum customization bonus his
level allows.
There may be other secondary effects of the permanent
bonus. The weapon may require a new power source or may be
much heavier due to additional parts. These are at the discretion
of GM.

Hollow-point Ammo: This special kind of ammunition is

extremely deadly. Any cartridge or clip for a pistol or rifle can be
hollow-point ammo at ten times the normal cost. Hollow-point
ammunition causes an extra d6 damage (e.g., a Colt .45 with hollow-point ammo would cause 1d10+1d6 damage). However, hollow-point rounds crush easily, and suffer a 2 circumstance penalty to hit against any sort of medium or heavy armor. Animal hides
of +3 or better armor count as medium armor. Hollow-point
ammo is only manufactured in areas with advanced facilities, and
is available in very limited quantities on Cretasus.
Laser Sniper Rifle: This Winchester Pyrotechnics device,
with a telescopic sight and an inertial tripod as standard equipment, is designed to be fired from the back of a dinosaur. It gives
a +2 circumstance bonus to all attack rolls. Firing this gun is a
full-round action, and it requires the shooters full concentration,
meaning that the shooter gets no Dex bonus to armor class for that
round. The Sniper Rifle gets no penalty due to a mounts movement. It projects a tiny but extremely intense laser beam and is
particularly deadly when hitting a vital area.
Reactive Truncheon: The preferred weapon of federal marshals and sheriffs is the reactive truncheon. This high-tech baton
is coated in a material very similar to reactive armor. The reactive
truncheon bounces in response to impact. This magnifies the force
of the blow almost tenfold. Even a slight jab from a reactive truncheon can knock a man out; a full-force swing can decapitate. The
wide range of force possible with a reactive truncheon makes
them useful for everything from crowd control to battlefield combat.
A reactive truncheon has three settings: subdual (causes 2d4
subdual damage), riot (causes 1d4 regular damage plus 1d4 subdual damage), and military (causes 1d8 regular damage).
Reactive truncheons are not considered energy weapons.

Dinosaur Hide Armor

New Equipment
New Weapons
Table 3-3 shows the stats for the new weapons discussed elsewhere in this book.

Table 3-4 (on the next page) summarizes the armor values of
various dinosaur hides. The table here is scaled for human-sized
armor; youll need to multiply by the values on page 54 of the
Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook to get the proper weight and
cost for mounts.

Table 3-3: New Weapons

Size

Weapon

Cost Dam

Crit

Range
Increment

Targeting
Range

Weight

Tech
Level

Type

BALLISTIC WEPAPONS - AMMUNITION

Tiny
Hollow-point Ammo
x10

+1d6

x1

HIGH TECH WEAPONS MELEE

Medium
Reactive Truncheon

30

Special

x2

3 lb.

Bludgeoning

HIGH TECH WEAPONS - RANGED

Large
Laser Sniper Rifle

500

3d8

19-20/x3

500

250

10 lb.

Special

79

Table 3-4: Dinosaur Hide Armor

Armor

Cost

Armor
Bonus

Max Dex
Bonus

Armor
Check
Penalty

Speed
(30 ft.)

Tech
Level

Wt.

Medium Armor
Albertosaur or allosaur
Ceratosaur
Croc
Tyrannosaur

600
600
150
2,500

+4
+4
+3
+5

+3
+4
+5
+4

-2
-3
-2
-2

20
20
20
20

1
1
1
1

20
30
15
30

Heavy Armor
Stegosaur
Ankylosaur

600
900

+5
+7

+2
+0

-4
-7

20 ft.*
20 ft.*

1
1

100 lb.**
300 lb.**

ft.
ft.
ft.
ft.

lb.
lb.
lb.
lb.

* When running in heavy armor, you only move triple your speed, not quadruple.
** These armors are generally used only for mounts.

New Equipment and Devices

Table 3-5: Equipment and Devices
Name
Egg Warmer
Microsensor
Resonator
Shouter
Thud sensor
Tyro Musk (1 use)

Cost
25
75
50
100
25
250

Weight
30
1
1
5
4
1

Tech Level
4
7
4
4
4
1

Egg Warmer: This is a padded cubical incubator, two feet to

a side, whose flexible interior walls can be shaped around any
dinosaur egg in order to keep it warm and stable. An Egg Warmer
can also be used to keep a hatchling dinosaur warm and secure.
Microsensor: These miniature recording devices record and
store three-dimensional images. Hand-sized, they record for twenty-four hours on a microcrystal. They use special miniature energy packs which hold ten charges, and drain one charge per day of
use; these energy packs cost $20 each.
Resonator: This earpiece allows a character to hear the subsonic noises that dinosaurs make. A resonator gives a +4 enhancement bonus to Listen rolls against Large or bigger dinosaurs.
Wearing a resonator gives a -1 enhancement penalty to all other
Listen checks. For now, resonators are individually built and are
not common equipment; they should be considered devices.
Shouter: This handheld megaphone converts certain human
sounds to subsonic noises. It gives a character a +2 enhancement
bonus to Diplomacy rolls with dinosaurs. It also allows a character to communicate only at the subsonic level, so that other
humans cant hear whats being said. To do this, make an

80

Innuendo roll to communicate with dinosaurs or humans equipped

with a Resonator. Provided there is a common language, the listener can make an untrained Innuendo check to understand the
character. A Shouter can also be used as a simple megaphone,
doubling the volume of a characters voice. For now, shouters are
individually built and are not common equipment; they should be
considered devices.
Thud Sensor: Thud sensors track terrestrial dinosaurs by
monitoring vibrations. A good thud sensor can detect a Huge
dinosaur at 400 yards, a Gargantuan dinosaur at 800 yards, and a
Colossal dinosaur at 1600 yards. It only works if the creature is
moving. On soft ground, the range is cut in half. A thud sensor
requires a Use Technical Equipment check (DC 10).
Tyro Musk: This is an extremely foul-smelling secretion that
a tyrannosaur uses to mark its territory. Small amounts can be
recovered by scraping a T-rexs markings (which requires entering
its territory!), or larger quantities can be procured by carving the
appropriate glands out of a T-rex. Both methods are quite dangerous, so tyro musk is very expensive. The price is steep, but it is
worth it. Dinosaurs will instinctively avoid a character covered
with tyro musk. In order to attack a character who has not already
attacked, a dinosaur must make a Will save, with a DC of 25
minus 1 per hour passed since the musk was applied. (For example, if the character applied the musk three hours ago, the DC
would be 22.). If the save is failed but the character initiates an
attack, the dinosaur is allowed to make a second save, this time at
DC 15 minus 1 per hour passed since the musk was applied. If the
second save is passed, the dinosaur can attack; if failed, the
dinosaur will attempt to flee even after seeing that the character is
not a tyrannosaur. (It is an instinctive response, remember.) Tyro
musk will keep prey as well as predators away, and can be detected at a range of 200 yards minus 10 yards per hour of wear. When
the range is reduced to 0, it has worn off.

Chapter IV: Gamemaster Reference

ment, as most occupations require the presence of certain natural
resources. For example, you cant have a community of loggers
without a forest nearby! Table 4-2 lets you generate the primary
This section lets you quickly generate profiles of settlements industry randomly based on environment. A roll of 01-05 means
in the Main Valley. You can use this for random generation, or as the town has a more complex economy with two or more primary
guidelines for distributing settlements within an area of your own industries.
The trading post requires a little explanation. These are the
design.
settlements
that crop up alongside well-traveled trails, between
You should use the standard town design tables for determinmajor
cities,
or halfway between a commoditys demand and its
ing alignment and other characteristics not specific to Cretasus,
supply.
They
serve as a point of exchange for buyers and sellers.
then use the tables below for aspects unique to Cretasus.
A good example is Millers Crossroads, which provides pioneers
with a final dose of civilized merchandise before they head into
the frontier, and also gives frontiersmen a place to sell their raw
goods to New Savannah merchants.
Cretasus is a sparsely settled world. While the area around
The Other result applies to settlements that support themNew Savannah is home to many settlements, the faraway frontiers selves in unusual ways. In frontier areas still heavily populated by
are virtually uninhabited. Most settlements on Cretasus are thus dinosaurs, this could indicate a town of wilderness guides who
quite small.
cater to wealthy safari hunters. In areas near swampy trails, it
Table 4-1 lets you randomly determine the size of a settle- could be a town of strong men who act as porters. A river commument based on its location: N.S. (around New Savannah), Fron. nity could make its living ferrying travelers from shore to shore.
(in the settled frontier areas, such as along the Tecumseh Trail or Make up a result that suits the terrain and your own campaign.
Support businesses (sawmills, grain silos, etc.) and other
Bay Trail), and Wild (in the wild, unsettled frontiers far from the
local establishments (stores, saloons, blacksmiths, banks, etc.)
trails).
appear as a settlement
grows. These support
Table 4-1: Random Settlement Generation
businesses depend
more on the settled% by Location
Size
Population
Tech
Wealth
NPC
ments size than its
N.S.
Fron.
Wild
Level
Limit
Mod.
primary industry, as
01-10
Individual
1
2
$5
-1
indicated on table 401-20
11-50
Family/Gang
2-7
3
$10
-3
3.
01-20
21-40
51-90
Neighbors
8-20
3
$30
-2
Stores: Between
21-40
41-70
91-100
Hamlet
21-60
4
$100
-1
50% and 100% will
41-60
71-80
Village
61-300
4
$500
0
be general stores,
61-80
81-95
Small town
301-1,000
4
$1,000
+1
with the rest special81-95
96-99
Large town
1,001-5,000
5
$10,000
+2
ized in a specific kind
96-100 100
Small city
5,001+
5+
$20,000+ +3
of merchandise
clothing,
leather
goods, feed and seed,
hardware/tools, etc.
Support: These are the businesses that directly support the
settlements primary industry, such as sawmills and lumberyards
Most Cretasus settlements are centered around one (or some- for logging-based communities.
times two) primary industry farming, logging, fishing, and so
Smiths: Depending on the towns tech level, this could be a
on. The primary industry depends on the neighboring environ- blacksmith or low-level machinist.

Generating Settlements

General Guidelines

Economy

81

Table 4-2: Primary Industry

d% based on environment
Plains
Forest Swamp
01-05
01-05
01-05
06-30
06-15
06-20
31-45
16-30
21-30
46-75
31-35
31-40
76-95
36-45
41-65
46-95
66-95
96-97
98-99
100

96-97
98-99
100

96-97
98-99
100

Primary Industry
River
01-05
06-15
16-25
26-35
36-45

Hills
01-05
06-15
16-20
21-30
31-40

46-95
96-97
98-99
100

41-85
86-97
98-99
100

Roll again twice

Farming foodstuffs
Farming cash crops
Livestock/ranching
Hunting/trapping
Logging
Fishing
Mining
Oil drilling
Trading Post
Other

Table 4-3: Number of Local Establishments by Town Size

Town Size:
Saloons
Stores
Support
Stables
Smiths
Specialists
Professionals
Banks

Neighbors
0-1
0-1
0
0
0
0
0
0

Hamlet
1d2
0-1
0-1
0-1
0-1
0
0
0

Village
1d4
1d2
1d2
1d2
0-1
0-1
0-1
0

Town
3d4
2d4
2d4
2d4
1d4
2d6
1d4
0-1

Specialists: Specialized tradesmen who operate their own

shops, such as silversmiths, cobblers, carpenters, bridle makers,
locksmiths, wheelwrights, and stonemasons.
Professionals: Primarily lawyers and doctors, this category
could also include accountants, notary publics, and others
white-collar professions.

Power Centers
In the wilds of Cretasus, lawlessness is a more common
problem than despotism. Most small settlements have no formal government. Disputes are settled by the parties involved,
often with fists or guns. If things get out of hand, the rest of the
community may break up the fight or even take sides. Where
there is a leader, it is a well-respected local hero, the towns
founder, or simply the bravest soul in town.
Only in larger settlements with some semblance of a town
center do formal governments exist. In the free lands of the
frontiers, these are invariably democracies, although unless
there is an unusually wide pool of prospective leaders, the same
candidates (usually the town founders) win every election. The

82

City
4d6
3d6
3d6
2d6
2d4
3d6
2d4
1d4

first post to be put to the vote is always

mayor (sometimes as part of a town
council), followed by sheriffs and
judges. Large or complex governments
are rare.
In a few settlements, particularly
those in the wildest frontiers, the power
center may not be a rightful one. There
are some towns run by bandits, rustlers,
or even dinosaurs.
The alignment of power centers
can be determined using the table given
in the core d20 rules.
Wild one: A local wild one is
obeyed because the townspeople either
revere or fear his connections to nearby
dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs: A group of intelligent
dinosaurs has taken over town affairs
with or without the humans consent.
The townspeople may be forced to pay
tribute in the form of food or technology, or help the dinosaurs build their own
cave system. The townspeople cant
seek help because the dinosaurs eat anyone caught leaving the town limits.
Alternatively, the townspeople may
have sought out an alliance with the
dinosaurs, for protection or survival or
out of some bizarre appreciation.
None: The town is either so small,
so new, or so friendly that it genuinely

Table 4-4: Power Centers

d% by Population
1-20
21-300
01
01
02-05
02
06-55
03-12
56-80
13-27
81-95
28-52
96-100
53-57
58-62
63-72
73-82
83-92
93-96
97-98
99
100

Power Center(s)
301+

01-05
06-15
16-17
18-20
21-30
31-60
61-85
86-92
93-94
95-96
97-100

Wild one
Dinosaurs
None
Local hero
Town founder
Maverick
Wealthy rancher,
farmer, or merchant
Sheriff
Mayor
Town council
Guild
Outlaw gang
Military post
Roll again twice

has no power center. People get along as equals. If anything gets

out of hand, the community rises up and makes sure affairs are
settled.
Local hero: This is a well-liked citizen whose advice is heeded by the townspeople. He isnt necessarily a warrior (although he
could be), but he is charismatic enough to arbitrate disputes. In
very small settlements, he could simply be the family patriarch (or
matriarch).
Town founder: He may be respected for leading the townspeople to their new home or he may be considered a tyrant.
Regardless, he owns most of the local land and has the strongest
connections, so hes in charge.
Maverick: A loner who settles things whether people like it or
not. He may be a natural lawman, instilled with a strong sense of
personal ethics, or he could be a troublemaker who likes getting
into a fight. Either way, he shows up whenever theres trouble and
he always settles it.
Wealthy rancher, farmer, or merchant: Whether or not there is
an official government in place, the richest man in town maintains
power through a combination of bribes, connections, reputation,
and threats.
Sheriff: Even though theres a mayor, everybody knows the
sheriff really runs things. He may be elected by the people or
appointed by the mayor.
Mayor: The town has organized democratic voting in order to
elect a mayor. In most frontier towns, election day is either a day
of revelry or a day to stay indoors with your shotgun at the ready.
Town council: A council of several people, each representing
a different part of town. One of the elected council members may
be the nominal mayor for all or part of his term.
Guild: This could be a merchants association, group of ranchers, or bankers club. Regardless of the towns official structure,
the guild keeps the wheels greased to make things easy for its
members.
Outlaw gang: A gang of bank robbers, dino rustlers, smugglers, or claim jumpers controls the town. They may do it through
fear or they may be so generous with their spoils that the town
loves them.
Military post: A Confederate or Union military post keeps
things under control. The post may be secret, so the townspeople
believe that another government runs things.

Table 4-5: Settlement Loyalty

d% by Location
N.S.
Fron.
01-65
01-40
66-85
41-70
86-99
71-99
100
100

Loyalty
Wild
01-25
26-96
97-98
99-100

Confederate
Freetown (no loyalty)
Union
Other

Population Composition
Most of the towns population works in the primary industry
or its supporting businesses. But there are still a few NPCs of a
higher level than average. Apply the NPC modifier from table 41 to the results on table 4-6 to determine the highest-level locals
in each class. The NPC modifier for a community of a single individual is only -1 because individuals brave enough to venture out
on their own are often of high levels.
A result of 0 or lower means no characters of that type are in
the community.

Table 4-6: Highest Level NPCs

PC Classes
Bronco rider
Machinist
Soldier
Spy
Two-fister
Wild one ***

Character Level
1d6 + NPC modifier *
1d2 + NPC modifier
1d3 + NPC modifier **
1d3 + NPC modifier
1d6 + NPC modifier
1d4 - NPC modifier

NPC Classes
Commoner
Expert
Warrior

Character Level
3d4 + NPC modifier
2d4 + NPC modifier
1d4 + NPC modifier

* If a bronco rider of level 6 or above is present, there

is a 5% chance that he is a Dino Warrior.

Loyalties

** If a soldier of level 7 or above is present, there is a

5% chance that he is a federal marshal.

Table 4-5 lets you determine a settlements loyalties. If you

want to make things interesting, roll twice: once for the power
center, and once for the townspeople themselves. This can generate towns ready to rise up in rebellion at the slightest provocation.
The other result indicates loyalty to the Free Fleet, a
dinosaur tribe, aliens, a religious cult, or some nascent local government. Make up a result that fits your campaign.

*** This includes wild ones in the general area, since

they probably wont be living in town. Note that the NPC
modifier is subtracted from the roll, not added as with
other classes, so you get higher-level wild ones around
smaller settlements, further away from civilization.

The vast majority of settlements are entirely human. But not

all are! Use table 4-7 to determine if dinosaurs or aliens live in a

83

settlement. Dinosaurs and aliens that live in a settlement are

assumed to be friendly (or at least non-hostile). They live on the
edge of town, or, occasionally, in a barn or shed or other space
provided by an ally or employer. (Note that this table has no bearing on dinosaurs that kept as mounts or for other uses. It only indicates how many intelligent dinosaurs live locally and interact with
resident humans as equals.)
How to read table 4-7: The table shows the percent chance
that a particular dinosaur will be present in a settlement according
to the settlements location (using the abbreviations from table 41 for N.A., Fron., and Wild). If the dinosaur is present, it will
make up a percentage of the town population equal to the d% roll.
For example, in towns in the New Savannah area, there is a 15%
chance that protoceratops will be present. If you roll 08, indicating that some protoceratops are present, they will compose 8% of
the local population.
If aliens are present, determine the type on your own (Scray
or something else of your own design).
As can be seen from the table, protoceratops that do live with
humans prefer the more civilized areas near New Savannah. The
other dinosaur species, however, become common only as the
human population becomes more sparse.

Table 4-7: d% Chance and Population of

Dinosaurs and Aliens
Protoceratops
Velociraptor
Ornitholestes
Aliens

N.S.
15%
2%
1%
10%

Fron.
10%
4%
3%
3%

Wild
5%
8%
6%
1%

Typical NPCs
Here are some stats for typical NPCs from the frontier. No
place of origin is listed except when it is relevant, as most NPCs
can be Confederate, Union, or offworlders if born on Cretasus.
Certain information is omitted from the profiles: all these
NPCs are Medium-size Humanoids (6 ft.), and unless noted otherwise, all ability scores are average (10).

A Note on NPC Abbreviations

The skill bonuses and combat statistics for all NPC profiles in
this volume include modifiers for ability scores, armor check
penalties, racial characteristics, and special abilities. The skill
rank is indicated in parenthesis after the skill bonus for example, Handle Animal +6 (4) means the NPC has four ranks in
Handle Animal, with the other +2 coming from another source

84

(such as an ability score or class ability). Please note that modifiers due to skill synergies are not incorporated into the bonus.
Remember that Confederate characters receive an extra feat
at first level, which is why some low-level NPCs have two feats.
However, this feat is only given to named NPCs; the typical NPC
profiles (everyday people) do not receive the free feat. The free
heirloom weapon for Confederate characters only applies to player characters and notable NPCs not every low-level Confederate
citizen carries around an heirloom!
One final note about NPCs: The commoner of Cretasus has a
different skill set than the commoner of other worlds. We have
occasionally assumed that certain skills are class skills for commoners.
The following class abbreviations are used in NPC profiles:
Bro: Bronco Rider
Com: Commoner
Dnw: Dino Warrior
Fdm: Federal Marshal
Mac: Machinist
Sol: Soldier
Spy: Spy (I guess that one is obvious)
Twf: Two-fister
Wil: Wild One

Typical NPC Stats

Bank Manager, Exp1: CR 1/2; HD 1d6; Init +0; Spd. 30
ft.; AC 15 (+5 flak jacket); Atk +0 ranged (1d10/crit x3, automatic pistol) or +0 melee (1d3, unarmed); AL LE; SV Fort
+0, Ref +0, Will +2; Int 12.
Skills: Appraise +5 (4), Bluff +4 (4), Diplomacy +4 (4),
Knowledge (Mathematics) +5 (4), Profession (Finance) +4
(4), Sense Motive +4 (4), Spot +4 (4). Feat: Iron Will.
Possessions: Pen, pencil, calculator, 1d4 leather-bound
ledgers, automatic pistol and 1d6 bullets, flak jacket, welltailored suit (which conceals the pistol and flak jacket),
leather satchel containing $2d20 x10, personal cash $3d20.
In public, the bank manager is always accompanied by
a bodyguard with the profile of a sheriffs deputy.
Bartender, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d3, unarmed); AL LG; SV Fort +0,
Ref +0, Will +1; Cha 12, Wis 12.
Skills: Bluff +3 (2), Gather Information +3 (2), Listen +3
(0), Profession (Bartender) +3 (2), Sense Motive +3 (2),
Spot +3 (0). Feat: Alertness.
Possessions: 1d4 flasks of liquor, hunk of cheese,
bread, cash $1d6-1.
Blacksmith, Exp1: CR 1/2; HD 1d6; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 11 (+1 leather apron); Atk +1 melee (1d4+1, knife); AL
N; SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Wil +2; Str 12.
Skills: Appraise +4 (4), Chemistry/Alchemy +4 (4),
Climb +5 (4), Concentration +4 (4), Craft (Blacksmithing) +4

(4), Listen +2 (2), Spot +2 (2). Feat: Great Fortitude.

Possessions: Knife, hammer, tongs, leather apron, 2d4
metal ingots, cash $1d6.
There is a 35% chance that a blacksmith who achieves
2nd level will decide to multi-class as a machinist. See
Machinist NPC details for more information.
Claim Jumper, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30
ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 (1d10/crit x3, Colt .45); AL CE; SV Fort +0,
Ref +0, Wil +0.
Skills: Forgery +2 (2), Profession (Miner) +2 (2), Spot
+2 (2), Wilderness Lore +2 (2). Feat: Track.
Possessions: Knife, Colt .45 with 2d4 bullets, shovel,
pick, chalk, bucket, blanket, bedroll, 1d4 empty sacks, 2d6
days of hardtack.
Dino Rustler, Bro1: CR 1; HD 1d8; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 11 (+1 padded armor); Atk +0 ranged (1d10/crit x3, Colt
.45), +0 ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester rifle), +0 ranged
(special, lasso), or +1 melee (1d4+1, knife); AL CN; SV Fort
+0, Ref +2, Wil +0; Str 12, Cha 12.
Skills: Animal Empathy +5 (4), Balance +2 (2), Handle
Animal +8 (4), Intimidate +3 (2), Intuit Direction +2 (2), Ride
+4 (4), Wilderness Lore +4 (4). Feats: Mounted Combat,
Dinosaur Presence.
Possessions: Knife, lasso, Colt .45 and 3d10 bullets,
Winchester rifle with 3d10 bullets, padded armor, bit and bridle, saddlebags, backpack, bedroll, blanket, clay jug, 3d20
pounds of animal feed, 4d6 days worth of hardtack, cash
$1d10.
Mount: Depends on region, employer, and character
level; to randomize, roll d%: 01-25 parasaurolophus, 26-50
camptosaurus, 51-65 iguanodon, 66-75 pachycephalosaurus, 76-85 triceratops, 86-90 pteranodon. 91-97
allosaurus, 98-100 T-rex.
Doctor/Veterinarian, Exp1: CR 1/2; HD 1d6; Init +0;
Spd 30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d4, knife); AL LG; SV Fort
+0, Ref +0, Wil +2; Int 12.
Skills: Chemistry +3 (2), Concentration +4 (4), Handle
Animal +4 (4), Heal +4 (4), Knowledge (medicine/healing)
+5 (4), Profession (Doctor) +4 (4), Ride +3 (3), Spot +2 (2),
Wilderness Lore (1). Feat: Endurance.
Possessions: Knife, medical kit, blanket, sack, 30 rope,
flask of liquor.
Farmer, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC
10; Atk +0 melee (1d3, shovel); AL LN; SV Fort +0, Ref +0,
Wil +1; Wis 12.
Skills: Craft (Carpentry or Leatherworking) (1), Handle
Animal +3 (3), Profession (Farming) +5 (4). Feat:
Endurance.
Possessions: Spade, hoe, shovel, bucket, 1d4 small
pouches filled with seeds (d%: 01-75 worth $1d4, 76-95
worth $2d6, 96-100 rare local plants worth $2d20 in New
Savannah), cash $1d4-2.
Fisherman, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d4, knife); AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +2,

Wil +1; Wis 12.

Skills: Profession (Fishing) +4 (3), Spot +2 (2), Swim +2
(2), Use Rope (1). Feat: Lightning Reflexes.
Possessions: Knife, fishing net, 2d6 fish hooks, 100 ft.
fishing line, 20 ft. rope, 10 ft. pole, sack of bait, bucket, 2d4
fish, cash $1d6-2.
Hunter/Trapper, War1: CR 1/2; HD 1d8+1; Init +0; Spd
20 ft.; AC 13 (+3 hide armor); Atk. +2 melee (1d4+1, knife),
+1 ranged (1d10/crit x3, Colt .45), or +1 ranged (1d12/crit
x3, Winchester rifle); AL CN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Wil +0; Str
12, Con 12.
Skills: Climb -1 (1), Handle Animal (1), Intuit Direction
+2 (2), Ride (1), Swim +2 (1), Wilderness Lore +2 (2). Feat:
Track.
Possessions: Knife, Colt .45 and 2d20 bullets,
Winchester rifle and 1d20 bullets, hide armor, 20 ft. rope,
canteen, bedroll, 1d4 leather sacks each filled with 5
pounds of salted meat, 1d4 uncured animal skins, 1d4-2
unbutchered recent kills, cash $2d6.
Land Speculator, Exp1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd
30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d4, knife); AL CN; SV Fort +0,
Ref +0, Wil +5; Wis 13.
Skills: Appraise +4 (4), Bluff +6 (4), Diplomacy +6 (4),
Disguise +4 (4), Forgery +4 (4), Gather Information +6 (4),
Perform +2 (0), Sense Motive +2 (0). Feat: Turncoat (see
Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook, page 43).
Possessions: Knife, pen, paper, land deeds, officiallooking seal, cash $6d10 in small bills suitable for bribes.
Logger, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC
10; Atk +1 melee (1d6+1/crit x3, handaxe); AL N; SV Fort
+0, Ref +0, Wil +0; Str 12.
Skills: Climb +3 (2), Handle Animal (1), Jump +2 (1),
Profession (Logging) +2 (2), Use Rope +2 (2). Feat:
Endurance.
Possessions: Handaxe, 100 ft. rope, 20 ft. chain, saw,
cash $1d6-2.

85

Machinist, Mac1: CR 1; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC

10; Atk. +2 ranged (1d10/crit x3, custom +2 automatic pistol), or possibly another ranged weapon (see below); AL N;
SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Wil +2; Int 13.
Skills: Chemistry +3 (2), Craft (Blacksmith) +4 (3), Craft
(Gunsmith) +4 (3), Disable Device +7 (4), Drive +2 (2),
Knowledge (Science) +4 (3), Knowledge (Technology) +6
(3), Repair Device +7 (4), Use Technical Equipment +7 (4).
Feat: Gearhead.
Possessions: Custom +2 automatic pistol with 1d4 20bullet cartridges, binoculars, handheld communicator, compass, engineering tools, flashlight, scanner, cash $2d10,
25% chance of an exotic weapon (d%: 01-15 screamer
knife, 16-30 laser sword, 31-50 flamer, 51-80 whisper gun,
81-95 laser pistol, 96-100 amp bomb).
Mayor, Exp2: CR 1; HD 2d6; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10;
Atk. +1 melee (1d4, knife); AL LN; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Wil
+6; Cha 14, Int 12, Wis 12.
Skills: Appraise +6 (5), Bluff +7 (5), Diplomacy +7 (5),
Gather Information +7 (5), Intimidate +7 (5), Sense Motive
+6 (5), Spot +6 (5). Feat: Iron Will.
Possessions: Knife, pen, paper, seal of office, 1d4 local

86

maps, book of tax records, 1d4 flasks of liquor, well tailored

suit, cash $3d20.
Miner/Prospector, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd
30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d4, hammer) or +0 melee
(1d4, pick); AL CN; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Wil +0.
Skills: Profession (Mining) +3 (3), Listen +2 (0), Spot +7
(5). Feat: Alertness.
Possessions: Hammer, pick, shovel, spade, hooded
lantern (50% chance of having a flashlight as well), sieve,
tin pan, chalk, flask, 4d6 days of hardtack, bedroll, blanket,
backpack, 1d6-2 quarter-pound ingots (d%: 01-80 worth
$2d6 each, 81-98 worth $4d6 each, 99-100 worth $2d10
x10 each), cash $2d6, 25% chance of a treasure map (d%:
01-25 fake, 26-50 real but leads to a mine long ago stripped
bare, 51-80 real but the mine is nonvaluable metals, 81-100
real and the mine is valuable).
Outlaw/Bandit/Bank Robber, War1: CR 1/2; HD 1d8;
Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 leather armor); Atk +1 ranged
(1d10/crit x3, Colt .45), +1 ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester
rifle), or +1 melee (1d4, knife); AL CE; SV Fort +2, Ref +0,
Wil +0.
Skills: Climb (1), Intimidate +3 (3), Jump (1), Ride +3
(3). Feat: Run.
Possessions: Knife, Colt .45 and 2d10 bullets,
Winchester rifle and 2d10 bullets, leather armor, bedroll,
blanket, 2d4 sacks, 3d6 days worth of hardtack, cash
$1d10-2, 25% chance of stolen loot worth $2d10 x10.
Peddler/Trader, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd
30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 melee (1d4, knife); AL N; SV Fort +0,
Ref +0, Wil +0; Cha 12.
Skills: Appraise +4 (4), Bluff +7 (2), Gather Information
+3 (2). Feat: Fast Talker.
Possessions: Knife, cart, cash $2d10, 25% chance of a
common mount.
Goods for trade: d8-2 of any common item, 1d4 common weapons (tech level 3 or lower), 1d6-2 uncommon
weapons (tech level 4), as well as seeds, clothes, ore, and
other items picked up along his route.
Pioneer, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC
10; Atk +0 melee (1d4, knife), or 25% chance of +0 ranged
(1d10/crit x3, Colt .45); AL LN; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Wil +0.
Skills: Handle Animal +2 (2), Profession (any 2 of
Farming, Fishing, Mining, Logging) (each +2), Wilderness
Lore +2 (2). Feat: Endurance.
Possessions: Knife, 25% chance of Colt .45 with 1d10
bullets, shovel, hammer, pick, bucket, 20 rope, canteen,
bedroll, blanket, d4 sacks, 6d6 days worth of hardtack,
hooded lantern, 10 ft. pole, fishing net, 1d4 fishing hooks,
1d4 small pouches filled with seeds (d%: 01-75 worth $1d4,
76-95 worth $2d6, 96-100 rare local plants worth $2d20 in
New Savannah), cash $1d4-2.
In addition to the equipment listed, a typical pioneers
load could include a full wagons worth of equipment. Some
of the more common items might be feather beds, ground

cloths, pillows, a tent, poles, stakes, a hatchet, bullet molds,

lead, a keg of gunpowder, flour, bacon, coffee, baking soda,
corn meal, dried beans, dried beef, dried fruit, molasses,
vinegar, pepper, eggs, salt, sugar, rice, tea, a kettle, a skillet, a coffee grinder, a teapot, a butcher knife, a ladle, tin
plates and silverware, a water keg, matches, a hoe, a plow,
a spade, a whetstone, an extra axle and bolts, chains,
trousers, boots, hats, bonnets, shirts, coats, bandages,
campstool, chamber pot, washbowl, candles, candle molds,
scissors, needle and thread, and perhaps even some of the
trappings of home: books, family albums, china, silverware,
and furniture.
Ranch Hand, Bro1: CR 1; HD 1d8; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.;
AC 11 (+1 padded armor); Atk +0 ranged (1d10/crit x3, Colt
.45), +0 ranged (special, lasso), or +1 melee (1d4+1, knife);
AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Wil +0; Str 12, Cha 12.
Skills: Animal Empathy +5 (4), Balance +2 (2), Craft
(Leatherworking) +2 (2), Handle Animal +7 (4), Intuit
Direction +4 (4), Ride +4 (4), Wilderness Lore +4 (4). Feat:
Mounted Combat, Dinosaur Presence.
Possessions: Knife, lasso, Colt .45 and 2d20 bullets,
padded armor, bit and bridle, saddlebags, backpack,
bedroll, blanket, clay jug, 3d10 pounds of animal feed, 2d4
days of hardtack, cash $d10.
Mount: Depends on region, employer, and character
level, but in general (d%): 01-25 parasaurolophus, 26-50
camptosaurus, 51-65 iguanodon, 66-75 pachycephalosaurus, 76-85 triceratops, 86-90 pteranodon, 91-97
allosaurus, 98-100 T-rex.
Sheriff, War2: CR 1; HD 2d8+5; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 30
ft.; AC 16 (+1 Dex, +5 flak jacket); Atk +3 ranged (1d10/crit
x3, automatic pistol), +3 ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester
rifle), +3 ranged (special, shotgun), +3 ranged (special,
bronto gun), or +3 melee (1d4+1, knife); AL LG; SV Fort +4,
Ref +1, Wil +0; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12.
Skills: Climb +1 (2), Intimidate +6 (5), Jump +1 (2), Ride
+4 (3). Feat: Toughness.
Possessions: Automatic pistol with 1d4+1 20-bullet cartridges, Winchester rifle with 1d4 30-bullet cartridges, shotgun with 3d10 shells, bronto gun with 2d4 shells, knife, flak
jacket, binoculars, flashlight, medical kit, manacles, cash
$5d6.
Sheriffs Deputy, War1: CR 1/2; HD 1d8+3; Init +0;
Spd 30 ft.; AC 12 (+2 studded leather armor); Atk +1 ranged
(1d10/crit x3, Colt .45), +1 ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester

rifle), or +2 melee (1d4+1, knife); AL LG; SV Fort +2, Ref +0,

Wil +0; Str 12.
Skills: Climb +1 (1), Intimidate +4 (4), Jump +2 (2), Ride
(1). Feat: Toughness.
Possessions: Knife, Colt .45 with 4d10 bullets,
Winchester rifle with 3d10 bullets, studded leather armor,
flashlight, manacles, cash $2d6.
Shopkeeper, Com1: CR 1/2; HD 1d4; Init +0; Spd 30
ft.; AC 10; Atk +0 ranged (1d10/crit x3, Colt .45); AL LN; SV
Fort +0, Ref +0, Wil +0.
Skills: Appraise +4 (4), Listen +2 (0), Profession
(Merchant) +4 (4), Spot +2 (0). Feat: Alertness.
Possessions: Colt .45 with 1d6 bullets, pen, paper,
ledger, coin purse, cash $2d10 mostly in small coins.
Soldier, Confederate Sol1: CR 1; HD 1d10+1; Init +0;
Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+5 flak jacket); Atk +1 ranged (1d10/crit
x3, automatic pistol), +1 ranged (1d12/crit x3, Winchester
rifle), or +0 melee (1d4, knife); AL LN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0,
Wil +0; Con 12.
Skills: Climb +0 (2), Intimidate +4 (4), Jump +0 (2),
Knowledge (strategy and tactics) +4 (4), Listen +2 (2), Use
Technical Equipment +2 (2). Feat: Point Blank Shot.
Possessions: Knife, automatic pistol with 3d6 20-bullet
cartridges, Winchester rifle with 3d6 20-bullet cartridges,
flashlight, binoculars, compass, flak jacket.
Soldier, Union Sol1: CR 1; HD 1d10+1; Init +0; Spd 20
ft.; AC 16 (+6 riot gear); Atk +1 ranged (1d10/crit x3, automatic pistol), +1 ranged (1d12/crit x3, Marionette), or +0
melee (1d4, knife); AL LN; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Wil +0; Con
12.
Skills: Drive +2 (2), Intimidate +4 (4), Jump -2 (2),
Knowledge (strategy and tactics) +4 (4), Listen +2 (2), Use
Technical Equipment +2 (2). Feat: Point Blank Shot.
Possessions: Knife, automatic pistol with 3d6 20-bullet
cartridges, Marionette (a.k.a. Absentee Voter) with 3d6 20bullet cartridges, flashlight, binoculars, compass, riot gear.
Wealthy Merchant, Exp2: CR 1; HD 2d6; Init +0; Spd
30 ft.; AC 10; Atk +1 melee (1d4, knife); AL N; SV Fort +0,
Ref +0, Wil +3; Cha 12, Int 12.
Skills: Appraise +6 (5), Bluff +6 (5), Diplomacy +6 (5),
Gather Information +6 (5), Listen +5 (3), Profession
(Merchant) +6 (5), Ride +2 (2), Sense Motive +6 (5), Spot
+2 (0). Feat: Alertness.
Possessions: Knife, pen, paper, ledger, 1d4 odd trinkets, coin purse, cash $10d10.

87

Getting Around Cretasus

Not everybody on Cretasus has a pet triceratops to cart them
around town. Although livestock provide the most common
means of locomotion, there are still quite a few motorized vehicles in service. The Confederacy is constructing a railroad
between New Savannah and Mount Crowe. Air transport, though
rare for civilians, is not unheard of, and there are even a few
spaceships that have been adapted for atmospheric transport.
This section gives a brief overview of common modes of
transportation on Cretasus. It also provides basic rules for incorporating vehicles into your campaign.

Common Mounts
As you might expect, most people on Cretasus travel by
dinosaur. Within the confines of New Savannah and other civilized towns, you usually see only smaller dinosaurs; larger ones
are common only on the outskirts of towns, or in frontier and
wilderness areas. Several species of smaller herbivores can be
easily trained and safely handled by most civilians. These are used
as individual mounts, or as beasts of burden to haul carts, wagons,
and stagecoaches. Monoclonius, styracosaurus, and bactrosaurus
are sold by most stables and are used virtually everywhere.
Larger herbivores carry larger loads or haul heavier wagons.
Miners use convoys of edmontosaurus, triceratops, vulcanodon,
or even brachiosaurus to transport large loads of ore, as do many
farmers moving huge quantities of grain. Convoys of such huge
creatures snake their way toward and from New Savannah in
every direction.
Theropods and other large carnivores are rarely used except
by adventurers, soldiers, wilderness hunters, and hired hands who
protect ranches and trade caravans. Most regular citizens are
understandably nervous around an allosaurus or T-rex, even if the
rider claims its domesticated. Furthermore, theropods make herbivorous mounts nervous, and at close quarters can even cause
them to panic. As a result, large carnivores (and even most smaller ones) are banned from the city center of New Savannah and
many of the towns around it, although frontier areas are more tolerant.
Another regular sight is imported horses. Horses have been
carried by the Confederacy to every planet it has visited; some traditionalist ranchers on Cretasus still raise them. It is easy to
acquire a horse in New Savannah, though they become scarce
very quickly as one enters the frontier. The problem with horses
on Cretasus is that they spook easily around dinosaurs. This is an
instinctive response, and even those born on the planet are subject
to spooking.
Pteranadons and other pterosaurs are not in common use.

88

They are difficult to ride and they cant carry much weight only
a single human with very little baggage. Most domesticated pteranadons are used by Dino Warrior scouts, by the few private messenger services, or by wild ones who travel light. The enormous
quetzalcoatlus, a pterosaur almost twice the size of pteranodon, is
considered by dino handlers to be a likely target for practical use,
though no specimen has ever been domesticated. Quetzalcoatlus
roost only at very high altitudes and have so far escaped human
captivity.
Recent explorations of the Fur River have revealed its western passage to Mammoth Valley. Prehistoric mammals are often
found in the Main Valley around the mouth and western edges of
the river. Some reckless animal handlers have taken to training
mammoths, mastodons, prehistoric horses, and other mammals
captured there. Such mounts are extremely rare, but are seen more
often as more travelers reach (and return from) the Fur River.
Spooking: Any herbivore within 100 ft. of carnivores of
equal or higher challenge rating becomes nervous. All Ride or
Handle Animal checks have a penalty equal to the difference
between challenge ratings. (This reflects that the animal is more
wary of more dangerous creatures.) Within 25 ft., the herbivore
may actually panic. The rider or handler must make a Handle
Animal check (DC 14) or the herbivore will buck (requiring a
Ride check (DC 5) to stay in saddle) and try to run away.
Horses are particularly afraid of dinosaurs. The penalties
above apply for horses within 100 ft. or 25 ft. of any dinosaur. If
the dinosaur is a carnivore, an additional -2 penalty applies to
Ride and Handle Animal checks.

Getting Around
Many stagecoach services operate between New Savannah
and the neighboring towns. Direct transportation usually costs
$0.03 to $0.50 per mile, depending on traffic, road conditions, and
danger. For that price, you get your own seat inside the coach, and
storage space for a backpack or two. Skinflints can hitch rides
with non-commercial wagons for half or even a quarter of that
price but you may end up sitting on a sack of ore or a pile of
grain, or even in a hammock slung under a dinos belly. None of
these is comfortable, and the last option is rather smelly.
Outside New Savannah, transportation is less regular. Travel
along the trails is possible by hitching a ride with a wagon train.
However, many pioneers dont actually ride in their wagons. They
walk alongside to conserve their mounts energy. (Even a perfectly healthy mount can tire itself to the point of injury or even death
on such a long journey. Moreover, heavier loads increase the risk
of injury.) Hitching a ride in that case may only mean walking
with the pioneers. The pioneers may charge a fee and will certainly require the characters to contribute to chores and common
expenses. Well-armed characters may be able to negotiate their
protection services as the fee for accompanying the caravan.

Transportation Speed
Table 4-8 summarizes tactical and overland speeds for
dinosaur mounts. The overland speeds are for one hour periods,
and are divided into mount speed and load speed. Mount speed is
the animals speed carrying nothing or only a single human as a
mount. (The pteranodon is an exception to this; it slows to load
speed when carrying a human.) Load speed is the animals speed
while pulling more weight, whether carried on its back or towed
in a wagon. (This is simplified but serves as an easy reference
feel free to adapt the more complicated encumbrance rules if you
wish.)
As you can see, dinosaur mounts move slowly. A heavy horse
can outpace most dinosaurs, and a light horse can beat most of the
rest. Dinosaur mounts are generally large, heavy-boned creatures.
They support a lot of weight, but move slowly. There are several
species of so-called ostrich dinosaurs (such as coelophysis and
elaphrosaurus) which are very swift runners but which are useless

as mounts because of their bird-boned structure a lightweight

skeleton that cant support much weight. The dryosaurus of the
northwestern plains will prove to be a very popular mount if it can
be successfully raised in New Savannah but so far it is a rarity
seen only in the hands of returning explorers.

Vehicle Rules

Like all other technologies on Cretasus, the vehicles in use

range from ancient to ultra-tech. However, their use is dwindling.
Because there are no vehicle manufacturing facilities on Cretasus,
they cannot be replaced except through importation from offplanet. Maintaining and fuelling a vehicle costs a lot more than a
domesticated dinosaur that can be grazed on the plains for free.
Nonetheless, some vehicles are still in use. Union colonists use
them on a regular basis, as well as many plains travelers. They are
something of a status symbol in New Savannah, and are still quite
useful in and around the city.
This section gives descriptions of several common
vehicle types, as well as an overview of basic vehicle
Table 4-8: Movement Speed for Dinosaur Mounts
rules. We wont even attempt to go into detail on air or
space vehicles they would fill a whole book. The purMount
Tactical
Mount
Load
pose of the rules herein is to give you simple guidelines
Speed
Speed
Speed
for dealing with the typical overland adventure. Future
Albertosaurus
30 ft.
3 miles
2 miles
supplements will delve into greater detail.
Allosaurus
40 ft.
4 miles
2 1/2 miles
The skills Drive and Pilot (as presented in the
Bactrosaurus
30 ft.
3 miles
2 miles
Broncosaurus
Rex Core Rulebook, pages 36 and 38-39)
Brachiosaurus
80 ft.
8 miles
5 1/2 miles
cover
most
driving
situations. In most respects, the
Camptosaurus
30 ft.
3 miles
2 miles
existing
d20
rules
cover
most tanks, cars, and walkers
Ceratosaurus
30 ft.
3 miles
2 miles *
just
as
well
as
they
do
wagons.
There are only two areas
Dryosaurus
70 ft.
7 miles
4 1/2 miles
where
vehicle
rules
need
special
attention: movement
Edmontosaurus
50 ft.
5 miles
3 1/2 miles
and
maneuverability,
and
resolving
damage.
Iguanodon
40 ft.
4 miles
2 1/2 miles
Monoclonius
30 ft.
3 miles
2 miles
Movement and Maneuverability
Pachycephalosaurus
40 ft.
4 miles
2 1/2 miles
Parasaurolophus
40 ft.
4 miles
2 1/2 miles
Pteranodon
50 ft. (fly) N/A**
3 1/2 miles
A vehicles movement is governed by acceleration
Quetzalcoatlus
80 ft. (fly) 8 miles
5 1/2 miles
and handling ability.
Stegosaurus
30 ft.
3 miles *** 2 miles
The speed listed for a vehicle is its maximum speed
Styracosaurus
20 ft.
2 miles
1 1/2 miles
on a road. This speed is slowed by difficult terrain. In
Therizinosaurus
20 ft.
2 miles
1 1/2 miles
addition, getting to max speed requires acceleration.
Triceratops
30 ft.
3 miles
2 miles
Acceleration takes place at the rate per round indicated
Tyrannosaurus rex
40 ft.
4 miles
2 1/2 miles *
in the vehicle description. Deceleration is generally
Vulcanodon
30 ft.
3 miles
2 miles
three times as fast as acceleration. A vehicle carrying
50% or more of its payload accelerates and decelerates
* Only when carrying a load on its back even the best-trained
at half the normal rate.
ceratosaurus or T-rex would refuse to pull a wagon.
** A pteranodon can only carry 200 pounds. With such a low
capacity, it slows to load speed when carrying even a single
human.
*** A stegosaurus cannot be ridden, of course its plates leave
no room for a rider.

Turns
Turning is a tad more complex. Each vehicle has a
specified turn limit statistic. For every 50 ft. of speed,
the vehicles sharpest turning angle per round is equal to
90 minus its turn limit. The minimum turning angle is

89

15. A turn can be made at any point in the rounds movement.

For example, imagine a lumbering truck with a turn limit of
15. At a speed of 100 ft., this vehicles maximum turn per round
is 60 (90 base turning angle, minus 30 twice the turn limit of
15). At 150 ft., this drops to 45 (50 ft. faster = 15 less), and at
200 ft. it drops to 30.
A character attempting a tighter turn than is normally possible must make a Drive or Pilot check (DC 13). The DC increases
by 2 per increment of turn limit i.e., if a 60 turn is safe and the
vehicle has a turn limit of 10, the DC would be 13 for 70; 15 for
80; and 17 for 90. Failure indicates the vehicle goes out of control.

Collisions

A vehicle that cannot decelerate or turn in time may collide

with something. Collision damage is similar to falling damage in
that distance moved determines the amount of damage. However,
the two big distinctions are the mass of the colliding objects, and
the speed of the collision.
Damage is inflicted based on the size and speed of the objects
involved, as referenced on table 4-10. Collisions of less than 15
mph (tactical speed of 150 ft. or less) do not cause damage it is
assumed a fender prevents serious injury; at worse, a human hit by
a vehicle at that speed gets a bad bruise. Additionally, this rule
prevents normal humans from inflicting collision damage merely
Shooting While Driving
by running into one another!
In a collision with an immobile object (such as a jeep hitting
Attempting to shoot or attack while driving whether with a a wall), determine damage on table 4-10 based on the size of the
hand-held weapon or a built-in weapon requires a Drive check. moving object. For example, if the jeep (a Large object) were
The DC is 5 (drive with one hand) if the shooting is not during moving 500 ft. or 50 mph, it would take 6d6 points of damage.
full-fledged combat (e.g., taking a pot shot at a passing pterosaur),
In a collision between two mobile objects (such as a jeep runbut DC 14 if the shooting is in active battle (e.g., a T-rex is lung- ning over a human), each object takes damage according to the
ing for the car or a tank is firing at you). Failure means loss of other objects size. Use the speed of the fastest-moving object. For
control. Driving while being shot at or otherwise involved in com- example, if the jeep were moving 50 mph and the human were stabat requires a Drive check against DC 9 (as described in the tionary, the human would take 6d6 points of damage, and the jeep
Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook, page 36). Otherwise, the pilot would take 4d6.
loses control.
Note that a jeep running into a canyon wall takes less damage
than if it runs into a stationary T-rex (size Huge). The rationale
behind this is that the T-rex would be moving, and all that mass
Shooting At Vehicles
would wallop the jeep as a force vector opposite its own trajectoSome vehicles move very fast. Fast objects are hard to hit. ry. A wall, on the other hand, just absorbs the blow. In reality, the
damage should take into account the angle of impact, but that is
The following attack penalties apply to any fast-moving object:
beyond the scope of these rules, which are intended to provide
only a simple, fast game mechanic.
If a vehicle is destroyed in the collision, excess damage is applied evenly to
Condition
Penalty
each occupant (e.g., if a vehicle has 12 hit
Defender moved greater than 250 ft. in previous round (25 mph)
-1
points and takes 32 hp of damage, each
Defender moved greater than 500 ft. in previous round (50 mph)
-2
occupant takes 20 hp of damage).
Defender moved greater than 1,000 ft. in previous round (100 mph)
-4
Furthermore, even if the vehicle is not
destroyed, the occupants may take damage
from the jostle of the crash itself. Roll d%; on a result of 35 or
less, apply that percentage of the vehicle damage to each occupant
Going Out of Control
(e.g., if the crash causes 120 damage, a d% roll of 32 means each
An out of control vehicle moves in a random direction each occupant takes 0.32 x 120 = 38 hp damage, whereas a d% roll of
67 indicates the occupants take no damage).
round. Roll 1d8 on table 4-9 to determine the direction.
The angle of an out of control turn is always less
than the vehicles maximum turn angle. It is equal to the
Table 4-9: Out of Control Vehicles (d8)
vehicles current maximum turn radius (based on its
speed and turn limit) minus d4 times its turn limit, with
Roll
Result
a minimum turn of 15. For example, if a vehicles cur1-2
Turns left
rent max turn radius is 70, and its turn radius is 10, a
3
Goes straight ahead and accelerates (if possible)
roll of 3 on 1d4 would indicate the vehicle turned 70
4-5
Goes straight ahead at current speed
(10 x 3) = 40.
6
Goes straight ahead and decelerates maximum amount
7-8
Turns right

90

pants take damage, with the exception of critical hits, collisions, and a few kinds of
weapons. Even when the vehicle is reduced to
Speed
Damage by Objects Size
0 hp, it still provides some protection, as
Tactical
Overland
Small
Medium
Large
Huge
detailed below. Of course, a passenger or
160-200 ft.
16-20 mph
1d6
1d6
2d6
2d6
driver who can be seen through the closed
201-300 ft.
21-30 mph
1d6
2d6
2d6
4d6
vehicle (via a windshield, view slit, etc.) can
301-400 ft.
31-40 mph
2d6
2d6
4d6
6d6
be targeted with the normal cover rules.
401-500 ft.
41-50 mph
2d6
4d6
6d6
8d6
Certain weapons (such as psychic and
501-600 ft.
51-60 mph
4d6
6d6
8d6
12d6
genetic
weapons) can penetrate a closed vehi601-700 ft.
61-70 mph
6d6
8d6
12d6
16d6
cles
hull
and injure the occupants while the
701-800 ft.
71-80 mph
8d6
12d6
16d6
24d6
vehicle
has
full hp. These are an exception to
801-900 ft.
81-90 mph
12d6
16d6
24d6
32d6
the
usual
rules.
901-1000 ft.
91-100 mph
16d6
24d6
32d6
48d6
Finally, note that vehicles are similar to
constructs under the core d20 rules. Although
Running Over Enemies (or Friends!)
they do suffer critical hits, they do not suffer damage from poison
and certain other sources. Use common sense to evaluate this.
Running over an enemy is a great way to kill them. These
sorts of collisions are resolved with a Drive check versus an
Critical Hits
opposed Reflex save.
First, the driver must make a melee touch attack against the
Unlike normal objects, vehicles are susceptible to critical
victim, using his Drive skill bonus as the base attack bonus. The
hits. Vehicles have critical components as well as weak spots
higher the roll, the more accurate his driving. Faster vehicles are
where damage may pass through to the occupants.
harder to dodge, but theyre also much harder to aim accurately,
It is possible for a vehicle to stop running while still at a sigso there are no modifiers for speed.
nificant number of hit points. A single lucky hit might puncture a
If the attack hits, the drivers roll with all bonuses applied is
tire or cause a fuel leak. When a vehicle is reduced to 50% of its
the DC for the victims Reflex save. If successful, the victim
starting hit points, the driver must make a Drive check against DC
jumps out of the way at the last minute and takes no damage. If
8. If the check fails, the vehicle automatically takes a critical hit.
unsuccessful, the target takes full collision damage.
At 25% of its starting hit points, the driver must make another
check against DC 12. This represents chance damage to tires,
Damage
engines, and other components. A good driver can maneuver his
vehicle so the vulnerable parts face away from enemies.
When a weapon causes a critical hit, determine damage with
A vehicle has hit points, armor class, and hardness, like any
the
usual
multipliers for a crit. Half applies to the vehicle and the
other object.
other
half
is applied to a single randomly determined occupant. In
Unlike other objects, however, vehicles can be disabled long
addition,
roll
d% on table 4-11, the Vehicle Critical Hits Table.
before they are destroyed. The conventional rules for damaging
Attackers
can target specific areas of a vehicle, if the targets
objects do not consider complex mechanical systems that can be
are
visible.
Tires
are the most common specific target. Raise the
disabled by puncturing one tiny hose. In game terms, a single
targets
AC
based
on its size for example, a tire is Tiny, which is
point of well-placed damage can immobilize a truck!
a
+2
AC
bonus.
Remember
to remove penalties for the vehicles
Thus, vehicle hit points represent not the amount of damage
overall
size

i.e.,
a
Huge
truck
has a 2 size penalty to AC, so its
necessary to physically destroy the vehicle, but the amount of
tires
would
net
out
+4
above
the
trucks body AC. A normal tire
damage necessary to disable its functional systems and prevent it
has
10
hit
points;
the
number
of
tires that must be destroyed
from operating. It is important to note that a vehicle at zero hit
depends
on
the
vehicle,
but
destroying
enough (such as 1 for a
points is not necessarily destroyed. It still provides cover for occumotorcycle,
or
5
for
a
3-axled,
10-tired
truck)
can cause locomopants, and can still be repaired. It just cannot move or otherwise
tion
system
damage
or
even
destruction.
act as a vehicle.

Table 4-10: Collisions

Vehicles are divided into two classes: open or closed. A

closed vehicle provides protection to its occupants. Open vehicles
provide no protection, and the driver and passengers may be individually targeted. Note that a vehicle may be open for the driver
and closed for passengers, or the reverse, depending on the
design.
A closed vehicles hit points are depleted before any occu-

Destruction
When a vehicles hit points are reduced to 0, it ceases to function. It cannot accelerate, its weapons are damaged and unusable,
and it will decelerate at its maximum rate until stopped. It cannot
be steered and is out of control until it stops (use table 4-9 but do

91

Table 4-11: Vehicle Critical Hits Table (d%)

Roll
01-15

Result
Locomotion system (tires, wheels, jets, etc.)
destroyed: max speed reduced to 0; decelerate at max rate until stopped; Drive check
against DC 12 or lose control
16-25 Locomotion system damaged: acceleration
and max speed are halved; Drive check
against DC 8 or lose control
26-35 Engine damage: engine cuts off; vehicle
decelerates at max rate; Drive check against
DC 12 to restart engine
36-50 Fuel leak: lose 1/4 gallon of fuel each round
until repaired
51-75 Steering damage: turn limit doubled; DC to
drive with one hand increased by +5
76-90 Brake damage: deceleration reduced to same
rate as acceleration
91-100 Acceleration damage: acceleration rate halved
not allow for acceleration). It is now an inert hulk.
But even an inert hulk might still have quite a bit of substance. All damage down to 20 hit points is split evenly between
a randomly determined occupant and the vehicle. (If the occupants disembark, the vehicle itself absorbs full damage.)
Occupants in a vehicle that has 0 to 20 hit points can disembark
safely as a full round action.
A vehicle that reaches 21 hit points is a mangled mess that
provides no cover to occupants. Anyone still in it is automatically
helpless. They can escape only if someone with a blowtorch or
saw cuts them out (which takes 1d6+6 rounds), or by passing an
Escape Artist check (DC 18). (The character may repeat this
check each round.)
If a vehicle reaches 40 hit points, it is liable to explode. Each
time thereafter that it suffers damage, roll d% and deduct its hit
points from the roll. On a result of 0 or less it blows. Anyone still
inside automatically takes 12d6 points of damage (no save). All
other creatures within 30 ft. take 6d6 points of damage, with
Reflex saves (DC 16) for half damage.
Damage may be repaired with the Repair Device skill. Loss
of up to 20% of system hp counts as minor repairs; loss of up to
60% counts as substantial; and loss of more than 60% counts as
heavy damage. In addition to fixing the systems damage as
explained in the Repair Device skill, it takes additional time and
money to restore the vehicle to full hit points. It costs $1d6 and
takes 1d6 minutes per hit point repaired. Note that hit points can
be restored only if the systemic damage is repaired with the
Repair Device skill.

92

Fuel
One final consideration for vehicles is fuel. The vehicle
descriptions indicate how many gallons of petrol each vehicles
tank holds, and how far they can go on that load. Most wilderness
travelers carry along a lot of additional fuel. But petrol is expensive it goes for $3 to $5 a gallon in New Savannah and for as
much as ten times that in the back country. And petrol purchased
in the back country could have who-knows-what mixed in
which could cause the vehicle to sub-perform or even break
down...

Typical Vehicles
On the following page are profiles of eight typical vehicles.
They have damage reduction values based on their armor and the
exposure of their technical innards.
Motorcycle: A motorcycle has two wheels. Destroying one is
enough to destroy the locomotion system. Some motorcycles have
sidecars to hold larger weapons or a passenger.
Jeep: A jeep has four wheels and is designed for 4x4 wilderness transportation. Characters driving jeeps need only check
against DC 9 (not 11 as normal) to drive in the wilderness.
Halftrack: A halftrack has two wheels on its front and two
tracks on its rear. It is designed for moving over difficult terrain.
A halftrack can move on roads and trails in jungle, swamp, hills,
and mountains as if they were highways.
Overlander: An overlander is a heavy truck. It has a large
hood, a rumbling engine, and a ribbed canvas cover for the cargo
bed behind the cab.
Recon Walker: A recon walker is a basic walking vehicle.
The cab stands on two legs about 10 feet from the ground but
crouches for the driver to enter and exit. It moves slowly but is
excellent at traversing difficult terrain.
Light Tank: This is a typical light tank. Each of its passengers acts as a gunner for one weapon.
Hover Car: Hover cars are uncommon on Cretasus, but the
military and some well-to-do citizens do have them. They require
the Pilot skill rather than the Drive skill.
Prop Plane: This is the typical small open-topped propeller
plane used by ranchers to patrol their territories. They have an
unfortunate tendency to attract the attention of pteranadons.

Buying a Mount
On page 94 is a list of prices for vehicles and trained mounts.
The prices listed are New Savannah prices. Some dinosaurs are
cheaper in their native terrain (as there is no need to pay transport
costs to New Savannah), while most manufactured goods are
much cheaper in New Savannah than anywhere else. Therefore,
the multiplier column indicates how much more or less expensive
each item is outside of New Savannah. For example, x2 indi-

Typical Vehicle Statistics

Type:
Size:
Tech Level:
Driver(s):
Passengers:
Payload:
Damage Reduction:
Hp:
Speed (Max):
Acceleration:
Turn Limit:
AC:

Motorcycle
Open wheeled
Medium
3
1
0 or 1
450 lbs.
0
8
500
250
5
13 (+3 natural)

Weapons:
Face:
Fuel Load:
Miles/gallon:
Range:

Type:
Size:
Tech Level:
Driver(s):
Passengers:
Payload:
Damage Reduction:
Hp:
Speed (Max):
Acceleration:
Turn Limit:
AC:
Weapons:
Face:
Fuel Load:
Miles/gallon:
Range:

1 medium
5 by 5
5 gallons
50
250 miles

Jeep
Open wheeled
Large
3
1
3
1,000 lbs.
5
48
400
90
10
13 (-1 size,
+4 natural)
1 medium
10 by 10
10 gallons
40
400 miles

Halftrack
Closed tracked
Large
4
1
7
4,000 lbs.
10
72
300
60
10
15 (-1 size,
+6 natural)
1 large, 1 medium
10 by 15
20 gallons
20
400 miles

Overlander
Closed wheeled
Large
3
1
15
6,000 lbs.
5
64
400
60
15
13 (-1 size,
+4 natural)
1 large, 1 medium
10 by 15
30 gallons
15
450 miles

Recon Walker
Closed walker
Large
5
1
0
400 lbs.
5
36
120
60
5
13 (-1 size,
+4 natural)
1 medium
5 by 5
8 gallons
30
240 miles

Light Tank
Closed tracked
Huge
4
1
3
5,000 lbs.
20
156
400
50
10
16 (-2 size,
+8 natural)
1 huge, 1 large
15 by 15
50 gallons
10
500 miles

Hover Car
Open atmospheric
Large
6
1
3
1,000 lbs.
5
48
800
120
5
11 (-1 size,
+2 natural)
1 medium
5 by 10
10 gallons
10
100 miles

Prop Plane
Open atmospheric
Large
4
1
1
800 lbs.
5
36
1600
80
10
10 (-1 size,
+1 natural)
1 medium
10 by 10
15 gallons
20
300 miles

cates the item may cost up to twice as much outside New

Savannah, although it could be only x1.5 or 1.75 depending on
market fluctuations.
The availability column indicates the chance of finding this
item for sale in and around New Savannah (N.S.) or in any given
frontier settlement (Fron.). If an item is not available, you can
move on to the next town, or wait a month and make another
check in the same town.
Prices for a mount are determined from a variety of factors,
including supply and demand, training difficulty, transportation
costs, availability (through ranchers or wild-caught?), opportunity costs (why sell an iguanodon as a mount for less than you

would sell the meat?), and the mounts speed, fighting ability, and
carrying capacity. Trained mounts arent always easy to come by,
but untrained mounts are. Assume untrained mounts are available
at twice the frequency of trained mounts. Prices for untrained
mounts range from a quarter to half the price for a trained mount,
depending on several factors: how hard it is to train; whether it is
also used as a source of food; and whether the seller raised it,
caught it, or bought it off others for resale.
Vehicle prices are strictly a matter of supply and demand
the supply on Cretasus is limited, and demand is slowly dwindling
as trained dinosaurs become more prevalent.

93

Table 4-12: Vehicle and Trained Mount Costs and Availability

Mount or Vehicle

Price

Multiplier

____Availability____
N.S.
Fron.

Trained Mounts
Albertosaurus
Allosaurus
Bactrosaurus
Brachiosaurus
Camptosaurus
Ceratosaurus
Dryosaurus
Edmontosaurus
Iguanodon
Monoclonius
Pachycephalosaurus
Parasaurolophus
Pteranodon
Quetzalcoatlus
Stegosaurus **
Styracosaurus
Therizinosaurus
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus rex
Vulcanodon

$6,000
$8,000
$250
$19,000
$900
$6,500
$3,000
$2,500
$2,200
$400
$3,500
$900
$1,500
$5,000
$1,000
$350
$850
$2,000
$17,000
$1,700

x1
x1
x2
x1
x2
x3/4
x3/4
x3/4
x3/4
x1
x2
x1
x3
x3
x2
x1
x2
x2
x3
x1

5%
4%
75%
5%
10%
3%
1%
50%
5%
50%
15%
40%
7%
*
60%
50%
10%
80%
2%
40%

10%
8%
60%
5%
5%
6%
1%
60%
10%
50%
10%
40%
3%
*
40%
50%
5%
60%
1%
30%

Vehicles
Motorcycle
Jeep
Halftrack
Overlander
Recon Walker
Light Tank
Hover Car
Prop Plane

$1,000
$2,800
$8,000
$10,000
$5,000
$50,000
$30,000
$20,000

x2
x2
x3
x3
x4
x3
x4
x3

50%
40%
20%
30%
10%
5%
5%
20%

20%
15%
5%
10%
1%
1%
1%
5%

* No trained mounts are available. But if characters

were to bring one back and train it, this is what they
could get for it.
** These are not used as mounts, obviously, but they
can haul goods.

94

Treasure Tables
These treasure tables allow you to customize treasure results
for Cretasus. Use the standard treasure tables first to determine the
value of a treasure horde. Where the GM must depart from the
standard is in determining the coinage and objects which constitute that value.

Coinage and Currency

Standard coinage should be substituted as follows:
Copper pieces: Heavy chunks of rock or earth containing
unprocessed ores (coal, aluminum, sulfur, tin, lead, or copper);
byproducts (skulls, skins, etc.) from common dinosaurs; coinage
from regional Confederate governments (actual coins, not paper).
Silver pieces: Nuggets of semi-valuable ores (iron, nickel, silver); rare dinosaur byproducts; paper money (either Confederate
or Union).
Gold or platinum pieces: Valuable metals (gold or platinum);
paper money; gems; high-denomination bank notes.
There are many other currencies that can be spent on a new
world like Cretasus, including:
Alien currencies: Coins or paper from alien species. Some of
the more common alien currencies may have recognized value on
Cretasus, whereas others may be considered worthless by terrestrial merchants and only have worth when dealing with wide-traveling merchants (such as the Free Fleet).
Regional Confederate currencies: Coins from local
Confederate governments, including those on or off Cretasus. The
spending power of these notes drops off rapidly from their face
value the more distant one gets from the issuing government.
Bank notes: Securities guaranteed by a banks reserves. The
bearer is entitled to exchange the bank note for its face value in
gold bullion at the issuing bank. Bank notes are a good lightweight way to carry a lot of money. They are readily spent as currency, but only in their initial denomination (usually in increments
of $500). Unfortunately, their value rapidly drops to zero if the
issuing bank has financial problems (or even if theyre rumored to
have financial problems) which may a great adventure hook for
characters in possession of a lot of bank notes!
Railroad bonds: A security sold by a railroad to finance its
growth. Although still a rarity on Cretasus, this kind of currency
is growing in popularity since New Savannah began construction
on a railroad to Mount Crowe. The bonds are sold in increments
of $50 and can be redeemed three years after their issuance date
for cash plus a small amount of interest (usually around 5% per
year). An investor with a large position in railroad bonds is eager
to make sure a railroad does get built otherwise his bonds will
be worthless!
Other bonds: Many companies on Cretasus have issued
bonds, including the Bay Side Company, timber companies,
ranchers, and even explorers who promise valuable discoveries.

The value of these bonds always depends on the solvency of their

issuers. For example, an exploration in search of natural sugar
cane fields might issue bonds to pay for their journey. The owners
of the bonds are entitled to partial land rights on any fields discovered; sugar processors might buy the bonds, hoping to reduce
the price of their primary ingredient. When an exploration party
falls out of contact and is not heard from for three months, they
are presumed dead and the value of their bonds falls to nearly
zero. Thats when a high-risk investor steps in, buys up the bonds
for pennies on the dollar, and hires the characters to find the sugar
cane fields and bring the original explorers back alive. If they do,
of course, the investor recoups a huge return on his investment
and has plenty of money to pay his brave troubleshooters.
IOU: In the cash-poor frontiers, local residents may trade
hand-written IOUs for goods and services. The IOU itself can in
turn be used as currency, provided the recipient recognizes whoever wrote it. Eventually, the IOU is presented back to the issuer
for redemption in cash or barter, often by a party far removed
from the original recipient. If issued by someone prominent, the
IOU may be called a letter of credit. The only problem is that the
IOU is only good as long as the issuer is known you cant spend
it very far from where it was issued. IOUs are standard practice on
the frontier, and characters trying to sell goods in distant freetowns may have no alternative but to accept IOUs. This might create an adventure if the person who issued their IOUs is kidnapped
or threatened theyll never get a pay-out if hes killed!

Art Objects
Art objects may be of human, dinosaur, or alien origin. On
average, assume an equal chance of each, but modify this according to circumstances in the unexplored back country, for example, most art objects will be of dinosaur origin.
You can determine the value of the art objects using the standard tables, then come up with the appropriate type of object.
Human art on Cretasus also incorporates dinosaur themes for
example, a necklace with a gold-plated T-rex incisor, an ornate
shield made from a baby triceratops skull plated in silver, and so
on. Alien art objects may be completely indecipherable.
Characters without Appraise or the appropriate Knowledge skill
may not realize they have value!
Most dinosaur art objects are primitive art; their value is not
in their refinement, but in the frenzied fashionability which
dinosaur art has achieved in the art world. Dinosaur art includes
sculptures, bas-relief, statuettes, ornate pillars and architectural
elements, cave paintings, carved horns and skulls, primitive necklaces, helmets, earrings and other pierce-jewelry, and images
scratched into bowls, urns, or simple rock faces. Most of the finer
art objects are fashioned by protoceratops or velociraptors, sometimes utilizing the services of ornitholestes, but even the more
clumsy species will occasionally feel the urge to scratch an image
into a rock face, which, no matter how primitive, is of great value
to art collectors and paleoanthropologists.

95

Dinosaur art objects are also great adventure hooks. You

should make up art objects that relate to whatever adventure the
characters are on, or whatever adventure you want to steer them
toward. For example, here are six art objects that might be discovered in the search for the Great Library of Logos:
1. A stone tablet detailing T-rex genealogy for thousands of
years. It ends five hundred years ago, when the library was
destroyed. Such an authoritative history would be incredibly valuable to any T-rex descended from those listed on the tablet. The
characters might be able to wring some treasure or favors from the
right T-rexes. Of course, they will also need someone to translate
the Ceratopsian inscription into Tyrannosaurus...
2. A stone tablet describing the medicinal uses of the leptoceratops anatomy. See the leptoceratops description on page 115
for the benefits of using leptoceratops parts in Heal checks.
3. A Rosetta stone inscribed with a protoceratops fable
written in Ceratopsian and 1d4+2 other languages. One of the languages is not a known language. A character can use the stone to
learn the other languages. The stone can also be sold to
researchers or collectors.
4. A map of the area that now contains New Savannah, with
strange symbols dotting the area along the shoreline and the
mountains. If the characters explore the areas, they will find that
the symbols indicate areas rich in gold deposits. Some of them
have already been discovered, but some of which havent. And
who knows what may be guarding those that havent yet been
found...
5. A tablet with a diagram explaining the cataloguing system
and layout of the great library. This essentially serves as a map of
the first level of the library.
6. Ancient protoceratops artifacts. These range from inscribed
tablets to rough-hewn statuettes of local animals and long-gone
heroes.

Items
There is no magic in Broncosaurus Rex. But there is ultratech. The creations of aliens and advanced machinists make valuable rewards for characters.
Item rewards can be weapons, armor, exotic equipment, and
alien devices. The following tables allow you to randomly generate weapons and armor. Other item rewards should be determined
by the GM as appropriate to an adventure or setting.

Weapons
Special weapons come in three categories: heirloom
weapons, which are well-constructed masterwork weapons providing a simple +1 enhancement bonus to attack rolls; custom
weapons, which are refined by machinists (and sometimes aliens)
to exceptional quality, sometimes incorporating a special ability
of some sort; and alien weapons, some commonly known, but others rare or poorly understood.

96

Table 4-13: Weapons

Minor
01-50
51-70
71-85

Medium
01-05
06-10
11-20
21-58
59-62

Major

86-95

63-68
69-85

01-20
21-38
39-49
50-63
64-85

96-100

86-100

86-100

Weapon Bonus
Heirloom weapon
+1 custom weapon
+2 custom weapon
+3 custom weapon
+4 custom weapon
+5 custom weapon
Alien weapon
Custom weapon with
special ability
Roll again twice

Table 4-14: Heirloom Weapons

d%
01-20
21-40
41-50
51-60
61-75
76-100

Weapon
Longsword
Greatsword
Dagger
Longbow
Winchester rifle
Colt .45

Table 4-15: Custom Weapons

d%
01-10
11-12
13-15
16
17-19
20-25
26-27
28-29
30-37
38-41
42-44
45-53
54-56
57-70
71-74
75-76
77-78
79-84
85-87
88-90
91-94
95-96
97-99
100

Weapon
Absentee Voter
Ammunition only*
Bronto Gun
Cryon Ray
Flamer
Gauntlet, Energy
Howzer
Laser Lance
Laser Pistol
Laser Rifle
Laser Sniper Rifle
Laser Sword
Piledriver
Pistol, automatic
Plasma Sling
Pulse Rifle
Reactive Truncheon
ROGUE Rifle
Screamer Knife
Screamer Rifle
Trank Gun
Whisper Gun
Wide Beam Laser
Roll on alien weapons table

* Roll again to determine the weapon that the ammunition

fits.

Table 4-16: Alien Weapons

d%
01-30
31-45
46-60
61-80
81-90
91-100

Weapon
Annihilator
Chimera Fiend
Dust Gun
Monofilament Blade
Warp Render
New alien weapon (see below)

Table 4-17: Special Abilities*

d%
01-08
09-12
13-25
26-29
30-36
37-45
46-53
54-65
66-73
74-81
82-86
87-91
92-95
96-97
98-100

Ability
Armor piercing
Defuser
Duo
Electric
Explosion
Extra penetration
Flame
Improved range
Increased crit multiplier
Increased threat range
Lightweight
Low-tech
Plasma
Rapid fire
Trank

* Some special abilities may not apply to some weapons.

Re-roll if the result doesnt make sense.
Armor piercing: The weapon is extremely effective against
physical armor. It ignores up to 3 points of armor bonus from
physical armor. For example, a flak jacket (normally +5) would
only provide a +2 bonus against an armor piercing weapon.
Padded armor (normally +1) would provide no bonus, but the user
would not suffer a penalty to his AC. In addition, armor piercing
weapons bypass object hardness up to a hardness of 10; hardness
above 10 works normally.
Defuser: The weapon is extremely effective against energy
armor. It ignores up to 3 points of armor bonus from energy armor.
Duo: The weapon has been combined with another weapon
such that they can both be fired with the pull of a single trigger.
Both weapons must be aimed at the same target. A single roll is
used to determine whether both guns hit or miss. Roll again on the
custom weapons table to determine which other weapon is
involved.
Electric: The weapon causes an electric shock. This adds 1d4
points of damage on a successful hit, plus another 1d4 if the target is wearing metal armor.
Explosion: The weapon causes an explosion upon impact.
The explosion causes the same damage as the weapon. Its area
effect has a 1d3 x10 feet radius.

Extra penetration: The weapon causes extra damage.

Increase damage by one-half after including all modifiers.
Flame: The weapon causes fire damage. Targets must make
a Reflex save (DC 15) or catch fire.
Improved range: The weapons range increment is multiplied by 2.
Increased crit multiplier: Add 1d2 to the crit multiplier.
Increased threat range: Subtract 1d2 from the weapons
threat range. For example, if the current threat range is 19-20 and
you roll 2, the new threat range would be 17-20.
Lightweight: The weapons weight is reduced by 50%.
Low-tech: The weapons technology has been simplified. Its
tech level is 1d2 points lower than normal. (Does not apply to
weapons of tech level 3 or lower.)
Plasma: The weapon uses plasma blasts. Targets must make
a Reflex save (DC 15) or catch fire. In addition, the area within 5
of the point of impact is embroiled in a fireball which dissipates
in 1d3+6 rounds in still weather and 1d3+1 rounds in windy
weather.
Rapid fire: The user may make an extra attack per turn with
the weapon. The attack is at the wielders highest base attack
bonus, but each attack (the extra one and the normal one) suffers
a 2 penalty. You must use the full attack action to use this special
ability.
Trank: The weapon carries tranquilizer fluid and inflicts subdual damage as well as normal damage. Targets take 1d6 points of
subdual damage in addition to normal damage. Moreover, they
must take a Fortitude save (DC 15). If the save fails, they take an
additional 1d6 points of subdual damage on the next round, and
must continue making saves each round thereafter until one is
passed.
New alien weapon: There is unlimited potential for introducing powerful alien weapons into your Broncosaurus Rex campaigns. They were transported to Cretasus by the Free Fleet, offworld adventurers, or even the aliens themselves (perhaps thousands of years ago, perhaps quite recently), and were in use until
the untimely demise of their owners.
You can create alien weapons as you deem appropriate, or
you can use the following method to randomly determine them.
Future Broncosaurus Rex supplements will have even more alien
weapons.
Here are the steps to generate a new alien weapon:
1. Roll 1d6 on the table on the next page to determine the tech
type and tech level. This also determines how you will determine
damage. (This method stops at tech level 16. To determine higher
tech levels, roll 1d8 or 1d10 and add 10 to the result.)
All weapons of tech level 12 and higher are modified touch
weapons (only energy fields provide an armor bonus against modified touch weapons). All weapons of tech level 16 and above are
touch weapons (even energy fields dont give an armor bonus).

97

Roll
1
2
3
4
5
6

Tech Type
Monofilament
Genetic
Antimatter
Disintegrator
Beam
Psychic

Tech Level
11
12
13
14
15
16

2. Determine damage by rolling d%

according to the weapons tech level on the
table to the right. For weapons with a die
roll for damage, determine the crit modifier
by rolling 1d3+1, and determine the threat
range by subtracting 1d4 from 21. For
weapons with a save against damage, the
DC of the save is determined by adding 2d64 to the weapons tech level.
Mutation: The weapon causes a physical mutation of some kind. Some weapons
target specific organs (always mutating the

98

d% by
11
01-20
21-50
51-70
71-85
86-90
91-95
96-97
98
99
100

Tech Level
12
13

01-20
21-40
41-50
51-60

01-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-70
71-80
81-85

61-85
86-100

Damage
14

01-20
21-40
41-60

61-100
86-100

15

16

3d10
3d12
4d10
4d12
01-15 4d20 subdual
16-40 6d20 subdual
41-50 5d10
01-10
6d10
11-25
4d20
26-35
Death (Ref save negates)
Mutation (Fort save negates)
Death (Fort save negates)
36-55
Blink
56-100 51-70 Energy drain (-1 level) (Will
save negates)
71-80 Ability drain (-1 Int) (Will save
negates)
81-100 Death (Will save negates)

arms or eyes, for example), while others are more general in their
effects. Regardless, the mutations are never pleasant and usually
harmful. Each mutation causes a permanent loss of 1d4-1 points
of Cha. In addition to changes in physical appearance, the mutation causes damage roll 3d20 as if on tech level 11 to determine
how much.
Blink: The target blinks into the warp. The effect is just like
the warp render (see Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook, page 61).
3. Determine range increment by rolling d% according to tech
level (see table below).
d% by Tech Level
11
12
13
01-25 01-15
26-40 16-30 01-20
41-55 31-45 21-50
56-80 46-47 51-65
81-95 48-59 66-75
96-100 50-53 76-95
54-60 96-100
61-85
86-98
99-100

Table 4-18: Random Armor Type

Range Increment
14

15

16

01-20
21-40
41-50
51-70
71-90
91-95 01-25 01-10
96-98 26-50 11-25
99-100 51-85 26-50
86-95 51-75
96-100 76-100

None (Melee)
Grenade 10 ft./20 ft.
Grenade 10 ft./40 ft.
10 ft.
25 ft.
50 ft.
100 ft.
250 ft.
400 ft.
1 mile
None limited only
by sight range

4. To determine the weapons weight, roll 1d20. On 1-10,

record the result as the weapons weight in pounds. On 11-20,
record the result and then roll 1d20 again. If the second roll is 110, the weight is the sum of the two rolls. If the second roll is 1120, record the two rolls and repeat the process until you roll 1-10.

Armor
Armor and shield bonuses can be randomly determined
according to the standard rules. The type of armor or shield can be
determined according to the tables that follow. Many of the standard special abilities make sense in Broncosaurus Rex fire
resistance, energy resistance, and so on. If the resulting special
ability does not make sense in your campaign, re-roll or pick.
There is a 10% chance that armor will not be built for a medium-size creature, but instead be designed for a mount. If so, it will
be designed for Large (01-50), Huge (51-90), or Gargantuan (91100) creatures.

d%
01-07
08-12
13-20
21-24
25-27
28-40
41-55
56-60
61-65
66-68
69-70
71-74
76-78
79-85
86
87-89
90-92
93
94
95
96-97
98
99
100

Armor Type
Hermetic suit
Padded
Leather
Studded leather
Chain shirt
Flak jacket
Hide
Chainmail
Reflective armor
Riot gear
Vacuum suit
Reactive armor
Bomb suit
Powered armor
Bioceramic armor *
Kinetic field
Absorption field
Vibrofield
Allosaur hide
Ceratosaur hide
Croc hide
Tyrannosaur hide
Stegosaur hide
Ankylosaur hide

* As given in the Scray creature description on page 119.

Bioceramic armor discovered as treasure has a 75%
chance of having been already fitted to its original wearer,
and is thus useless to anyone else. A machinist might still
buy fitted bioceramic armor to study its composition and
see if he can duplicate it; these suits are rare and even fitted ones can fetch $500 or more. If not fitted, it conforms
to the shape of the first person to don it. Roll 1d6 for type:
1-2 light, 3-4 medium, 5-6 heavy.

Table 4-19: Random Shield Type

d%
01-50
51-65
66-80
81-90
91-100

Shield Type
Small steel
Large steel
Riot
Energy
Reinforced dinosaur skull

99

Encounter Tables
The following tables allow you to create random encounters by challenge rating and terrain. For encounters in ruins, caves, or other
underground areas, use the column corresponding to the terrain that surrounds the encounter area (because creatures from the surrounding terrain will seek shelter there). You can then use the standard CR rules to determine the number of creatures encountered.
These encounter tables lump CRs in increments of two. That should work for most encounters just remember to increase the
number of creatures if the CR is below the partys level, and decrease the number of creatures if above the partys level.

Table 4-20: Encounters of CR 1/10 through 1

CR

Creature

1/10
1/8
1/8
1/6
1/6
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/4
1/3
1/3
1/3
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

100

Toad
Mon. Centipede, Tiny
Trilobite, Common
Lizard
Small Game, Tiny
Cheirolepis
Mon. Centipede, Small
Mon. Scorpion., Tiny
Mon. Spider, Tiny
Giant Beetle, Fire
Small Game, Small
Snake, Tiny Viper
Claim Jumper (NPC)
Compsognathus
Giant Bee
Mon. Centipede, Med.
Mon. Scorpion, Small
Mon. Spider, Small
Pterodactylus
Snake, Small Viper
Tanystropheus
Dino Rustler (NPC)
Dryosaurus
Edaphosaurus
Eurypterid
Giant Ant, Worker
Mon. Centipede, Large
Mon. Scorpion, Med.
Mon. Spider, Med.
Octopus
Ornitholestes
Outlaws/Bandits (NPCs)
Oviraptor
Protosuchus
Shark, Medium
Snake, Medium Viper
Soldier (NPC)
Squid
Stenonychosaurus
Trilobite, Giant

d% by Terrain
Forest
Plains
01-02
03-04

01

05-07
08-12

02-03
04-09

13-14
15
16
17-18
19-26
27

10-11
12
13
14-15
16-23
24

28-31
32-33
34-35
36-38
39-40

25-28
29-30
31-32
33-35
36-37
38-43
44-45

41-42
43-47
48-49

Riverine/
Swamp
01-04
05-14
15-17
18-25

26-35
36-40
41-50

51-55

46-49
50-54

50-57

Hills/
Desert
Mountain
01-04

01-09

05-06
07-11

10-12
13-20

12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-25
26-29
30-33
34-45
46-47
48-49
50-51
52-53
54-65
66-67

21-25
26-30
31-33
34-35
36-40
41-43

Aquatic
(Any)

01-15
16-25
26-35

36-45
46-50

44
45-49
50-54
55-60
61-65

51-55

68-69
56-65
56-65

58-60
61-63
64-65
66-67

55-56
57-58
59-60
61-62

70-71
72-73
74-75
76-77

66-67
68-72
73-77
78-80

68-77
78-80
81-86
87-95

63-72
73-75
76-85
86-92

66-70
71-73

78-83
84-90

74-80

91-95

81-84
85-90
91-92

96-97
98-99

93-95
96-99

81-83
84-86

96-97
98-99

93-96
97-99

100

100

87
88-100

100

100

66-75
76-80

81-85
86-88
89-95
96-100

Table 4-21: Encounters of CR 2 and 3

CR

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3

Creature

Bactrosaurus
Camptosaurus
Crocodile
Dimetrodon
Dunkleosteus
Giant Ant, Soldier
Giant Ant, Queen
Giant Beetle, Bombardier
Giant Dragonfly
Giant Lizard
Giant Praying Mantis
Leptoceratops
Mon. Centipede, Huge
Mon. Scorpion, Large
Mon. Spider, Large
Plesiosaurus
Protoceratops
Scray
Shark, Large
Snake, Constrictor
Snake, Large Viper
Giant Wasp
Parasaurolophus
Snake, Huge Viper
Stegoceras
Velociraptor

d% by Terrain
Forest
Plains

01-05
06-12

Riverine/
Swamp
01-10
11-20
21-30
31-40

Hills/
Desert
Mountain

Aquatic
(Any)

01-20
21-40

13-17
18-19
20-25

01-10
11-13
14-18

26-35
36-40

19-28

41-45
46-50
51-55

29-34
35-39
40-44

56-65
66-67

45-56
57-58

41-60
61-65

01-10
11-13
14-18

01-15
16-19
20-25

19-28

26-35

29-38
39-44
45-49
50-54

36-45
46-50
51-55
56-60

55-70
71-72

61-79
81-85

41-70

68-71
72-73
74-75

59-62

76
77-79
89-100

71-74
75-85
86-100

66-70
71-72
73-82

73-75

86-95
96-98

83-87
88-90

76-77

99-100

91-100

90-100

Riverine/
Swamp

Hills/
Desert
Mountain

71-90
91-95
96-98

99-100

Table 4-22: Encounters of CR 4 and 5

CR

4
4
4
4
4
4
3
5
5
5
5
5
5
5

Creature

Giant Beetle, Stag

Giant Crocodile
Monoclonius
Mon. Spider, Huge
Pteranodon
Shark, Huge
Styracosaurus
Edmontosaurus
Elasmosaurus
Iguanodon
Pachycephalosaurus
Quetzalcoatlus
Snake, Giant Constrictor
Therizinosaurus

d% by Terrain
Forest
Plains

Aquatic
(Any)

01-05
01-20
06-10

01-20
21-35
36-50

01-30
01-15
16-45

01-100
31-60

11-30

46-75
21-50
61-90

31-60
61-75
76-85
86-100

51-85
51-70
71-80

76-85
86-100

81-100

91-100
86-100

101

Table 4-23: Encounters of CR 6 and 7

CR

Creature

6
6
6
6
6
6
7
7
7
7
7
7
7

Ceratosaurus
Deinosuchus
Megaraptor
Mon. Centipede, Garg.
Mon. Scorpion, Huge
Vulcanodon
Albertosaurus
Allosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Mon. Spider, Gargantuan
Spinosaurus
Stegosaurus
Triceratops

d% by Terrain
Forest
Plains
01-05
06-15
16-25
26-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70

01-13
04-09
10-16
17-18
19-20

71-80

21-35
36-45
46-60
61-65

81-90
91-100

66-75
76-100

Riverine/
Swamp
01-10
11-35
36-45

46-60
61-70

Hills/
Desert
Mountain
01-20
21-35
36-45
46-55

Aquatic
(Any)

01-20
21-50

56-65
66-70

51-85
86-100

71-100
71-85
86-100

Table 4-24: Encounters of CR 8 and 9

CR

Creature

8
8
8
8
9
9

Kronosaurus
Mon. Centipede, Col.
Octopus, Giant
Tyrannosaurus
Mon. Scorpion, Garg.
Squid, Giant

d% by Terrain
Forest
Plains

01-35

01-25

36-85
86-100

26-75
76-100

Riverine/
Swamp

Hills/
Desert
Mountain
01-25

Aquatic
(Any)
01-60

01-40
61-85

01-100

26-75
76-100

41-100
86-100

Table 4-25: Encounters of CR 10 and 11

CR

Creature

10
11
11

Mon. Spider, Colossal

Brachiosaurus
Mon. Scorpion, Colossal

d% by Terrain
Forest
Plains
01-25
26-75
76-100

01-30
31-70
71-100

Riverine/
Swamp

Hills/
Desert
Mountain
01-20
01-40
21-70
76-100
41-100

In addition to the random encounter tables such as those above, there are tables for encounters
that are specific to certain areas of Cretasus. These encounters need not be creatures on trails, for
example, they could be simple travel hazards. Here are two tables to generate encounters relating
to travel along the Tecumseh or Bay Trails, and the lost library of Logos. The Logos encounters are
more detailed and can be fleshed out into mini-adventures. You can create similar tables for other
areas that your characters will frequent.

102

Aquatic
(Any)

Table 4-26: Trail Encounters

d%
01-05

Result
Steep rocky hill. Going around takes two full days. Wagons hauled uphill may break loose (5% chance) or flip
over (5% chance).
06-10 Steep downhill slope. Going around takes three full days. Wagons must be carefully skidded downhill, but there
is a chance they may go out of control (10%).
11-15 River or stream which must be crossed. If the party camps overnight before crossing, there is a 15% chance
that a nighttime thunderstorm will raise the water level to impassable levels for 2d6 days.
16-20 Marauding dinosaurs (determine randomly).
21-25 2d4 outlaws on horses.
26-27 1d4 outlaws on triceratops.
28-35 1d6 graves alongside the trail. Disturbing them yields $1d6 in salable goods (boots, belt buckles, hats, etc.).
36-37 1d6+3 graves clustered in one spot alongside the trail. Characters who examine them closely must make a Fort.
save against DC 7 or contract a disease (incubation 1d4 days, damage 1d4 Con).
38-50 Unusual rock formations, which are interesting to look at but impede movement (reduce speed by half).
51-60 Deep wagon ruts filled with mud. Movement speeds reduced by half.
61-65 A crying child, whose caravan accidentally left her behind.
66-75 A natural spring an oasis of sorts. Food and water are plentiful.
76-85 Various belongings dumped by earlier pioneers to lighten their load: a chest of clothes, kitchen table, anvil,
stove, window glass, bureau, etc.
86-90 A dry riverbed.
91-100 Natural springs; use d%: with (01-15) geysers, (16-30) high salt content, (31-50) natural carbonation, (51-85)
pure, delicious water, (86-95) slight intoxicating effect, (96-100) harmful bacteria (Fort save DC 12 vs. disease;
incubation 3d6 days; damage 1d3 Str).

Table 4-27: Encounters in the Search for Logos

d6
1

Result
The characters discover a small boat wrecked on the shores of the Danjow. The crew has been killed and
scalped. It is the work of an adolescent zulep who needs just one more scalp to complete his coming-of-age ritual. He returned to his tribe to tell them about the boat he has captured.
As they are traveling along the Danjow, the characters hear a human cry for help. After a difficult search, they
find the person at the bottom of a pit, less than four feet square and more than thirty feet deep. The pit is at the
crest of a bluff along the river. It leads into a section of the library which broke loose in the great flood and now
makes a medium-sized cave. The person is an explorer in search of the great library; he climbed down but his
rope broke and now he cant make his way back up.
A section of the library tunnels that broke loose during the great flood has washed up on the shore of the
Danjow. A zulep band has moved in, using it as shelter. This enrages some protoceratops who live nearby, so
they are preparing a raid to chase out the zuleps and reclaim the library section for their study.
Logos was well known for the series of grand gates that guarded its entrance. While the opening on the first
gate was enormous, the aperture on each successive gate grew progressively smaller until the final gate was a
wall forty feet tall with a door less than four feet high. The gates provided protection from large theropods, and a
system for trapping predators foolish enough to pursue their prey to the citys edge. Now one of the gates
nearly intact is discovered being used as a wall in a settlers barn. He found it in the Danjow, hauled it to his
plot of land, and is only interested in its practical uses. It is covered in Ceratopsian script. Despite its value, he
wont sell it for any price unless the buyer also helps him build a new barn.
The characters encounter a tribe of ornitholestes carrying ancient gold-leafed tablets inscribed in Ceratopsian.
The ornitholestes decorate their nesting areas with the sparkly, pretty tablets. They wont divulge where they
found them, but if the characters observe them for several days they will find that the ornitholestes frequent an
unremarkable group of caves along the Danjow.
A well-known protoceratops explorer sent news back to his relatives that he had found a stone tablet with a map
to Logos. He was on his way home when he was eaten by a ceratosaurus known to the local protoceratops.
They now want to kill and gut the ceratosaurus in the hope that it ate but cannot digest the tablet.

103

Chapter V: Creature Statistics

Coloration
Each dinosaur species has a characteristic coloration, but the
colors of individuals vary depending on local conditions. Some
wide-ranging dinosaurs have evolved different skin colors and
patterns for camouflage in the regions they inhabit. Others have
bright colors to frighten off competitors. Genetic anomalies may
produce unusual coloration unrelated to the environment.
Giving your dinosaurs unusual skin tones can add adventure to
the game. Big game hunters may want to capture a specimen of the
elusive tiger-striped tyrannosauruses of the northwestern plains.
Characters about to face a dinosaur in combat may be thrown off by
the bright red spots on its skin is it diseased? is it a mutant with
unusual abilities? or is it simply an unusual but natural marking?
The following tables summarize standard color schemes for
dinosaurs, and provide a random generation method for producing
variants. (Start with table 5-1, which is on the following page...
layout of tables is harder than you might think!) The variants are
divided into habitat-based color schemes and unusual color
schemes. Habitat-based schemes usually evolve to suit a particular environment; they are rarely found outside that environment.
Aquatic dinosaurs have no habitat-based variants listed because
their habitat is always the water (although you could allow for
albino deep-sea inhabitants).
You can pick from this table if characters are in the appropriate region. Unusual color schemes can evolve from cross-breeding or from intimidation advantages, or by random genetic mutation. For unusual schemes, roll once on table 5-3 to determine the
colors, then roll on table 5-4 to determine the pattern.

Table 5-2: Habitat-Based Color Schemes

d%
01-10
11-20
21-25
26-30
31-40
41-45
46-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-95
96-97
98-100

104

Color Scheme
Desert: Brown and tan
Desert: Black and brown
Forest: Green and black
Forest: Dark green and light green
Forest: Gray and green
Plains: Black and tan
Plains: Green and tan
Plains: Green and brown
Hills/mountains: Black and brown
Hills/mountains: Gray, green, and black
Marsh/river: Gray and blue
Marsh/river: Gray and dark green
Nocturnal: Gray and black
Nocturnal: Dark gray and navy

Table 5-3: Unusual Colors

d%
01-03
04-05
06-10
01-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
31-40
41-50
51-55
56-60
61-65
66-70
71-75
76-100

Colors
Albino
Black (melanistic)
Black and blue
Black and red
Red and blue
Red and yellow
Yellow and blue
White and red
Black and white
Black and yellow
Green and red
Orange and white
Blue and white
Purple and orange
Roll again twice and combine the colors

Table 5-4: Unusual Patterns

d%
01-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-100

Pattern
Tiger stripes
Zebra stripes
Polka dots
Leopard spots
Giraffe spots
Alternating bands
Random smudges
Camouflage pattern
Long dorsal stripes (parallel to the spine)
Different-sized splotches

Subspecies and Mutations

Cretasus is a large planet, and its parallel evolution with Earth
remains a mystery. Unlike on Earth, however, the evolution of
dinosaurs continues on Cretasus. There are dinosaur subspecies
with special abilities, and some unusual mutations whose origins
(natural or artificial) are unknown.
Many zoologists, biologists, paleoanthropologists, and explorers are interested in tracking down subspecies for their own uses
research, taxidermy, or trophies. Some safari hunters want to bag a
rare creature. A few machinists with an interest in genetic research
want to trace the origins of the dinosaurs or duplicate unusual abilities. Finding and capturing subspecies can be a profitable vocation.
It can also be dangerous. Subspecies and mutations can be a

Table 5-1: Color Schemes and Chance of Variant

Creature

Common Colors

Albertosaurus
Allosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Bactrosaurus
Brachiosaurus
Camptosaurus
Ceratosaurus
Compsognathus
Deinosuchus
Dimetrodon
Dryosaurus
Edaphosaurus
Edmonotosaurus
Elasmosaurus
Iguanodon
Kronosaurus
Leptoceratops
Monoclonius
Ornitholestes
Oviraptor
Pachycephalosaurus
Parasaurolophus
Plesiosaurus
Protoceratops
Protosuchus
Pteranodon
Pterodactylus
Quetzalcoatlus
Spinosaurus
Stegoceras
Stegosaurus
Stenonychosaurus
Styracosaurus
Tanystropheus
Therizinosaurus
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Velociraptor
Vulcanodon

Red
Yellow, red, blue
Yellow, brown
Gray, green
Brown, gray, olive
Green, gray
Olive, brown
Blue-gray
Dark green
Red, blue
Pale green, tan
Brown, green
Gray, green, brown
Brown w/ gray spots
Green, gray
Brown w/ tan stripes
Brown, tan
Tan, green
Pale red
Black, gray, white
Brown, gray
Gray, brown
Grayish-red
Green, brown, blue
Brown, tan, dark gray
Gray
Gray
Gray
Dark gray, black
Brown, gray
Brown, blue, gray
Pale gray-blue
Green, olive
Green, olive
Green, brown
Brown, olive, black
Brown, olive, black
Brown, black, green
Red and yellow

way to throw your characters for a loop. Just when they think its
yet another stegosaurus...
These unusual specimens never associate with normal animals of their kind. If the creature is geographically isolated from
the rest of its kind, call it a subspecies. It is possible to encounter
entire herds of subspecies dinosaurs. If the animal is not isolated,
however, it is a mutation of some sort, and no more than one family will ever be encountered.

% Chance of Variant
Habitat
Unusual
01-03
04-06
01-05
06-10
01-05
06-07
01
02-04
01
02-03
01-06
07-12
01-02
03-05
01
02
01-02
03-05
01-03
06-15
01
02-03
01-03
06-15
01
02-04
N/A
01-03
01-06
07-12
N/A
01
01
02
01
02-03
01-05
06-10
01-05
06-10
01-02
03-04
01
02-04
N/A
01-05
01-10
11-20
01-05
06-08
01
02
01
02
01
02
01
02-10
01-02
03-04
01-05
06-15
01
02
01
02-03
01-03
04-06
01-02
03-05
01-10
11-25
01-15
16-30
01-15
16-30
01-05
06-10

None
07-100
11-100
08-100
05-100
04-100
13-100
06-100
03-100
06-100
16-100
04-100
16-100
05-100
04-100
13-100
02-100
03-100
04-100
11-100
11-100
05-100
05-100
06-100
21-100
09-100
03-100
03-100
03-100
11-100
05-100
16-100
03-100
04-100
07-100
06-100
26-100
31-100
31-100
11-100

Table 5-5 provides a guide for randomly determining subspecies and mutations. Roll again if you get a result that is redundant or doesnt make sense (like a kronosaurus that can breathe
underwater or a sneaky brachiosaurus).
Avoid the temptation to overpopulate your world with anomalies. No more than 1 out every 1,000 creatures will be a subspecies
or mutation and even then, the mutation may be insignificant.
Side note: One of the more interesting evolutionary routes is

105

that followed by the cetaceans. The modern cetaceans are known

as whales... but their ancestors were land-dwellers. This means
they evolved from primitive sea-dwelling amphibious mammals
to land-dwelling ungulates, then back to the sea as the whales we
know. If you really want to throw a monkey-wrench into your
campaign, the cetaceans provide empirical precedent for an evolutionary process that could result in plesiosauruses with legs or
allosauruses with fins...

A Note on Stats
As noted in the Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook, we treat
dinosaurs as type animal, not beast as in the core d20 rules.
Nevertheless, we have given our dinosaurs the hit dice of beasts
(d10), not animals (d8), to conform to previously published d20
stats for dinosaurs. A T-rex on Cretasus shouldnt be any less

tough than a T-rex in another d20 game just because one is an animal and the other is a beast!
You may notice one other inconsistency in our stat blocks: we
do not always apply Str bonuses evenly across all of an animals
attacks. Str bonuses are applied based on how the creatures muscular system works. Many large herbivores are have strong legs
and bodies, but their jaws are quite weak. In game terms, the creatures Str bonus should not apply to its bite. Or, for a more dramatic example, consider the T-rex. The muscles in a T-rexs jaw
and neck are much more powerful than the muscles in its arms.
Some paleontologists conjecture that T-rexs arms could only lift
50 pounds! The legendary crushing power of the T-rexs jaws
makes it obvious that there are two Str stats at work here: one for
the jaws, and one for the arms. This relevant muscular group
approach to Str bonuses is why some Broncosaurus Rex dinosaurs
do not have Str bonuses applied evenly to all of their attacks.

Table 5-5: Subspecies and Mutations

106

d%
01-02

Mutation
Fur or feathers

03-10
11-15
16-20
21-30
31-35

Unusual color
Short legs
Long legs
Long neck or tail
Poisoned bite

36-40

Spits poison

41-45
46-50

High intelligence
Opposable thumbs/claws

51-55

Very strong

56-65
66-70

Very fast
Chameleon

71-75
76-80
81-85
86-90
91-95
96-100

Breathe underwater
Swim/walk
Good eyesight
Good hearing
Canny
Sneaky

Effect
Extremely rare specimen on cusp of major physiological evolution of great value to biologists
Roll on tables 5-3 and 5-4
Speed half normal
Speed twice normal
Double range of bite or tail attack
Injury causes poison DC 1d10+10, initial and
secondary damage of 1d3 to (roll 1d4) Dex (1),
Str, (2), Con (3), or Int (4)
Range 1d6 x 10 feet poisoned touch attack
determine type as above
+2d4 Int
Depending on Int, may have advanced tools and
weapons
+2d4 Str; this increases attack bonus and damage
Increase speed by 50%, +1d4 Dex
Can change color to suit environment: one-half
concealment at all times (20% miss chance) due
to ability to blend in to background, +15 to Hide
checks
Can breathe underwater indefinitely
Swimming (walking) speed equal to normal speed
+6 to Spot checks
+6 to Listen checks
+6 to Bluff checks
+6 to Hide and Move Silently checks

Statistics For Dinosaurs And Other Creatures

ALBERTOSAURUS (PACKMOUTHS)

Skills:

Albertosaurus
Huge Animal
14d10+42 (119 hp)
+2 (Dex)
30 ft.
14 (-2 size, +2 Dex, +4 natural)
Bite +15 melee, kick +6 melee
Bite 3d8+9, kick 1d6+3
10 ft. by 10 ft./15 ft. bite, 10 ft. kick
None
Scent
Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +8
Str 24, Dex 14, Con 17,
Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 10
Listen +8, Spot +8, Wilderness Lore +5

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Warm forest, plains

Pack (7-12 adults and 1-6 young)
7
Standard
Usually neutral
15-21 HD (Huge)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Albertosauruses are highly social carnosaurs, slightly smaller

than allosaurus. They reach 30 feet in length. Unlike allosauruses,
ceratosauruses, and tyrannosauruses, they are pack animals, and
as many as a dozen will hunt together. A keen observer will quickly distinguish an albertosaurus from other theropods by the way it
moves: it is quite agile and light on its feet for a creature its size.

SOCIETY
Albertosaurus live in packs of up to a dozen adults. During
mating season, the pack may have as many as half that number of
additional young. Albertosaurus packs are ruled by the largest animal, who may be male or female, as both genders grow to similar
proportions.
Albertosaurus packs spend their time much as lions do.
Almost all of their day is spent lounging in the shade. When an
opportunity presents itself, they will rise groggily, shake themselves awake, and stalk a potential meal. Albertosaurus packs are
not against attacking large herds of herbivores, which they will try
to splinter into smaller groups that can be safely attacked.

All large theropods compete for hunting grounds. Because of

their pack nature, albertosaurus are a particular threat to their
competitors. Although an allosaurus or tyrannosaurus would easily win a one-on-one fight, they are almost always outnumbered
because albertosaurus travel in packs. Enemies of albertosauruses
focus on ambushes and hit-and-run tactics when fighting them.
They also make a concerted effort to kill albertosaurus youth
whenever they get the chance.
Albertosauruses speak their own language, Albertosaur,
which has no dialects.

COMBAT
Albertosauruses are enthusiastic hunters. They enjoy stalking, chasing, and fighting prey. They attack with their jaws. When

107

fighting at close range, they

also employ short, powerful
strikes with their wellclawed hind legs. They are
the only large theropods to
employ kick attacks.

BYPRODUCTS

CERATOPSIANS (HORN LIZARDS, BRONCOS)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:

Styracosaurus (Thrasher)
Large Animal
6d10+30 (63 hp)
-1 (Dex)
20 ft.
14 front (-1 size, -1 Dex, +6 natural),

Monoclonius (Longhorn)
Large Animal
6d10+30 (63 hp)
-1 (Dex)
30 ft.
14 front (-1 size, -1 Dex, +6
natural),
10 sides (-1 size, -1 Dex, +2
natural)
Gore +7 melee
Gore 1d10+4
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Charge for double damage
Scent
Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +3
Str 19, Dex 9, Con 21,
Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 6
Listen +2, Spot +2

Ranchers hate albertosauruses. Because of their

10 sides (-1 size, -1 Dex, +2 natural)
pack habits, they can do
more damage in a shorter Attacks:
3 gores +7 melee
time than any other large Damage:
Gore 1d4+4
theropod. Many ranchers Face/Reach:
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
offer a standing bounty for Special Attacks:
None
any albertosaurus killed on Special Qualities:
Scent
their land.
Saves:
Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +3
Albertosaurus skins can Abilities:
Str 18, Dex 9, Con 20,
be used to make one suit of
Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 6
human-sized masterwork Skills:
Listen +2, Spot +2
hide armor, and their claws
Warm forest and hills
Warm plains
and teeth can be used to Climate/Terrain:
Pair or herd (9-16)
Herd (21-40)
make daggers. An intact hide Organization:
4
4
can be sold for $400. A full Challenge Rating:
None
None
set of claws and teeth can be Treasure:
Alignment:
Always neutral
Always neutral
sold for $200.
7-9 HD (Large)
7-9 HD (Large)
Albertosauruses are no Advancement:
easier to train than most
There are many kinds of ceratopsians on Cretasus, with
other large theropods, so their eggs are not in especially high
demand. The Dino Warriors will occasionally purchase them, triceratops being the best known. But several smaller varieties
though they prefer allosaurus and T-rex eggs. A single alber- also inhabit the planet, and their small size makes them preferred
for many domestic uses. All share the same basic build, similar to
tosaurus egg can fetch $200.
a triceratops, with the arrangement of their horns being their
defining characteristic.
TRAINING
Styracosaurus has a crown of horns emerging from its neck
Young albertosaurus can be trained as mounts at DC 27,
crest.
Unlike the horns of a triceratops, these horns point to the
while adults can be trained at DC 34. An adult albertosaurus can
side,
not
the front. Three long horns protrude from each side of the
carry 2,000 pounds.
crest, as well as many smaller horns along the crests edge and a
shorter spike on the creatures nose.
Monoclonius has only a single horn coming from its snout,
but it is long and deadly.
Styracosaurus can grow as long as 18 feet, but most specimens are shorter. Monoclonius is slightly larger, with some known
to have reached 20 feet. These lengths include their tails and their
rather long skulls; their bodies are only about half as long.

SOCIETY
These ceratopsians share similar societal traits. Like triceratops, they wander in herds without fixed leaders. Males compete
for mating rights in non-lethal contests, but are otherwise not
combative. The various herds ignore each other except in cases of
territorial infringement.
Styracosaurus and monoclonius follow migration patterns,
much like triceratops. They travel the same circuit year after year.

108

COMBAT
Ceratopsians are herbivores. They dont attack unless threatened. Predators are obviously a threat, as are any creatures that
can endanger their nesting grounds. Since the arrival of man, ceratopsians have learned to fear humans, who hunt them and rope
them. Most herds will go on alert at the sight of a human.
The AC of a ceratopsian depends on the angle of attack. Any
attack coming from the forward 90 arc hits the neck crest, which
has a much higher AC than the creatures fleshy sides.
If forced to fight, all ceratopsians fight with their horns.
Styracosaurus is the least graceful its sideways-facing horns
make it hard to directly gore an enemy, so it comes in close and
thrashes its head around wildly. The sheer number of horns being
flailed about makes this attack quite dangerous. The damage
inflicted by this counts as slashing, not piercing.
Monoclonius makes powerful stabbing motions with the long
horn that extends from its snout. The horn inflicts double damage
on a charge.

BYPRODUCTS
Both monoclonius and styracosaurus are valued as mounts.
They are small and easily handled (compared to their larger
cousins, at least). However, their eggs are not particularly valuable, as they have been heavily domesticated and are easy to
acquire from tame creatures. Eggs can be sold for $10 each to
ranchers for breeding, or for much less to farmers for dinner!

TRAINING
Adult monoclonius and
styracosaurus are the size of
very large oxen (not counting
their tails, of course!) and are
now in common use as mounts
and beasts of burden. Both can
be trained as adults at DC 22,
or as youth at DC 18. Fully
grown styracosaurus can carry
1,200 pounds, and monoclonius can carry 1,400 pounds.

CHEIROLEPIS (NEEDLE-BITER)

Skills:
Feats:

Cheirolepis
Tiny Animal (Aquatic)
1/2 d8 (2 hp)
+2 (Dex)
Swim 10 ft.
15 (+2 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
Bite +4 melee
Bite 1d6-3
2 1/2 ft. by 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
None
None
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Str 4, Dex 14, Con 10,
Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 1
Spot +3
Weapon Finesse (bite)

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Temperate aquatic
School (4-40)
1/4
Standard
Always neutral
-

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Cheirolepis is a primitive predatory fish that lives in slowmoving water, such as swamps. It grows up to 22 inches long, has
thick, heavy scales, and has large eyes at the front of its armored
head. Its most unusual feature is
its mouth, which is filled with
irregular rows of sharp, angled
teeth. Although its jaw is only
four inches long, cheirolepis can
open its mouth wide enough to
engulf prey up to two-thirds of
its length. A single cheirolepis is
no danger to a human, but a
school of them can tear apart
prey much larger than themselves.

COMBAT
Cheirolepis will attack just
about anything when they are
hungry. Characters moving
through swampy areas are
bound to encounter them.

109

DRYOSAURUS (GRASS-RUNNER,
DINOSAUR GAZELLE)

Skills:

Dryosaurus
Large Animal
4d10 (22 hp)
+3 (Dex)
70 ft.
13 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural)
Bite +0 melee
Bite 1d4
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
None
None
Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +2
Str 11, Dex 17, Con 10,
Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 10
Spot +10, Listen +8, Jump +10

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Warm plains
Herd (41-60+)
1
None
Always neutral
6-8 HD (Huge)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Dryosaurus is a recently discovered dinosaur native to the

northwestern plains. It has been nicknamed the dinosaur gazelle
for its constant sprinting, playful antics, alert herds, and jumping
behavior.
Dryosaurus speed makes it valuable as a mount, and the few
that have been brought back from the northwestern plains have
been sold for high prices to New Savannah residents. There is a
great demand for faster dinosaur mounts, and the first person to
raise a herd of trained dryosauruses will be very successful. So far,
however, their natural habitat is so distant that no one has managed this.
Although dryosaurus reaches a length of 13 feet, it is very
lightweight. Half of its length is its straight, counter-balancing
tail. Its hips are only a foot or so taller than a humans hips. Its
skeletal structure is much more substantial than many of the other
fleet-footed dinosaurs, so it can carry a human mount.

SOCIETY
Dryosauruses dart across the northwestern plains in enormous herds. At watering holes or good grazing areas, several
herds sometimes coalesce into even larger uber-herds, which then
dissipate as the constituent herds move on separately.
A herd of dryosauruses is marked by the fact that at least half
the animals are always alert. The herd is always scouting for
potential danger. At the slightest sign of trouble, they jump up and

110

prance off. Their alertness combined with their great speed makes
them difficult prey.
Dryosaurus herds do not have a single leader or an organized
social system. They are social creatures but they lack a complex
language.
During mating season, the entire herd stops for five weeks to
tend to the eggs. As soon as the eggs hatch, the herd immediately
moves on and the young learn very quickly how to walk, run, and
jump. The herd is most vulnerable during mating season, when it
loses the mobility that protects it from predators; dryosauruses
carefully conceal their nests during this time.

COMBAT
Dryosauruses do not like to fight. Given the choice, they
retreat from combat. Their speed, agility, and jumping ability give
them the ability to outrun or outmaneuver most opponents. If cornered, they use their bite until they get an opening to retreat.

BYPRODUCTS
Dryosaurus are playful and cute a difficult standard for
most dinosaurs to meet. Humans enjoy their presence. A trained
adult dryosaurus currently fetches $3,000 in the New Savannah
livestock markets. Eggs would probably fetch $350 each or more,
but none have been brought back. Prices are high, because
demand exceeds supply. As more dryosauruses are caught, these
prices will fall. But there will always be a demand for them, as
they are very fast mounts.

TRAINING
Dryosauruses can carry up to 250 pounds. An adult can be
trained at DC 20, and a youth at DC 16.

DUNKLEOSTEUS (HELMET-FISH)

Skills:

Dunkleosteus
Large Animal (Aquatic)
6d8+6 (33 hp)
+0
Swim 60 ft.
15 (-1 size, +6 natural)
Bite +6 melee
Bite 1d8+3
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Improved Grab, Grind
None
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +2
Str 16, Dex 11, Con 13,
Int 1, Wis 10, Cha 1
Spot +3

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Any aquatic
Solitary or school (2-5)
2
Standard
Always neutral
7-12 HD (Huge), possibly larger

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

The dunkleosteus is a barrel-shaped primitive fish with massive

armored plates covering its head. This bony shield extends as far as
its pectoral fins, giving its scale-less body and eel-like tail a moderate degree of maneuverability. The most frightening feature of dunkleosteus is its jaws. It does not have teeth; rather, it has two large
dental plates with varied edges. The fronts are edged with powerful
fangs, while the back are flat, molar-like surfaces for grinding.
Most dunkleosteus are 12 to 15 feet in length. However, a few
survive to reach a size of near-invulnerability, at which point they
continue growing almost indefinitely. The largest dunkleosteus
known was 35 feet long, but there are doubtless even larger ones
swimming the seas.

COMBAT
Dunkleosteus lurks below the surface of the water waiting for
prey. It has been found in water as shallow as four feet; in such
circumstances, characters who pass Spot checks may see the dunkleosteus silhouette under the water before it attacks (DC 8 to 12
depending on the waters clarity). Because they patrol fixed territories, the remains of former kills may be found in the area. This
means treasure but it might be underwater!
Improved Grab (Ex): Dunkleosteus attack with a ferocious
bite. Once they land a successful bite, they lock their jaws and
begin grinding with the rear section of their dental plates. This
quickly dissolves most victims. A dunkleosteus may use its
improved grab ability if it lands a bite attack.
Grind (Ex): A target grabbed by a dunkleosteus will be subjected to a gruesome grinding by its rear dental plates. The grinding does 2d8+6 damage on a successful grapple check. The dunkleosteus cannot use its bite attack while it is grinding an enemy.

EURYPTERID (SEA SCORPION)

Skills:
Feats:

Eurypterid
Medium-Size Vermin (Aquatic)
3d8 (13 hp)
+2 (Dex)
10 ft., swim 30 ft.
14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
Claws +4 melee
Claws 1d6
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
None
Vermin
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +0
Str 11, Dex 14, Con 10,
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Spot +6
Weapon Finesse (claws)

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Any aquatic
Solitary or pack (2-5)
1
None
Always neutral
4-6 HD (Medium), 7-9 HD (Large)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Eurypterids are ancient arthropods that resemble aquatic

scorpions. They have two long pincers extending from their head,
which they use to catch their prey. Their tail has small barbs but is
used to swim, not fight, and it does not have poison glands. The
common eurypterid is eight feet long.

COMBAT
Eurypterids swim through the water, always on the lookout
for prey. They are not a threat to boats but are a real danger for
swimmers.

111

HADROSAURS (DUCKBILLED DINOSAURS)

Skills:

Bactrosaurus
Large Animal
4d10 (22 hp)
+0
30 ft., swim 30 ft.
10 (-1 size, +1 natural)
Bite +1 melee
Bite 1d4
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Trample
Scent
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2
Str 12, Dex 11, Con 11,
Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 11
Listen +6, Spot +6

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Warm marsh, lakeshore, riverbank

Herd (10-40)
2
None
Always neutral
5-8 HD (Large)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Many species of hadrosaurs, or duckbilled dinosaurs, graze

along the lakes and rivers of Cretasus. Superficially, they are very
different, sporting a wide variety of colors, crests, and skin textures. Structurally, however, they are very similar, with their unifying characteristic being the broad, flat snout with a toothless
beak. For game purposes, the primary distinction is their size.
Parasaurolophus, described in the Broncosaurus Rex Core
Rulebook (p. 75), is an example of a Huge hadrosaur. Here we
describe typical examples of Large and Gargantuan hadrosaurs:
bactrosaurus (13 feet long) and edmontosaurus (45 feet long).

112

SOCIETY

Hadrosaurs graze in
large
herds. The herds will
Edmontosaurus
congregate
where the grass
Gargantuan Animal
is
greenest
(so to speak),
16d10+16 (104 hp)
forming
enormous
popula-1 (Dex)
tions
in
rather
small
areas.
50 ft., swim 40 ft.
These
roving
hadrosaur
8 (-1 Dex, -4 size, +3 natural)
cities graze as a single
Bite +9 melee
mass, with herds of many
Bite 1d8+6
different species intermin40 ft. by 15 ft./10 ft.
gling. Following close
Trample
behind are the many predaScent
tors that survive by picking
Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +6
off the old, young, and sick.
Str 22, Dex 8, Con 13,
When not grazing alongInt 4, Wis 13, Cha 12
side
a river or lake, hadrosaurs
Listen +10, Spot +10
spend their time wading in the
Warm marsh, lakeshore, riverbank shallow waters near the bank.
Herd (10-40)
It is very rare to encounter a
5
herd of hadrosaurs far from
None
other hadrosaurs. They are
Always neutral
weak herbivores and they
17-24 (Gargantuan)
know their greatest strength is
in numbers.
Each species of hadrosaur has its own language
(Parasaurolophus, Bactrosaurus, Edmonotosaurus, etc.), but they
are derived from a single source. A person who speaks one can
communicate in another hadrosaur language, much as if it were a

different dialect, but with a 25% chance of misunderstanding

rather than the usual 10%.

KRONOSAURUS (OCEANIUS REX)

COMBAT
Hadrosaurs are timid plant-eaters that do not enjoy combat. If
attacked, they attempt to flee. If they must fight, they use their
duckbilled bite in defense.
Trample (Ex): Small groups of predators will rarely cause a
hadrosaur herd to panic. But if many enemies attack, the herd will
move in unison in a giant stampede. Although no hadrosaur voluntarily approaches a predator, the panic and crazed trampling of
animals in the rear of a herd may cause the entire herd to move
directly toward predators. The ensuing trampling can be deadly.
Hadrosaur tramples cause 1d8 (bactrosaurus) or 2d10 (edmontosaurus) points of damage. Opponents who dont make attacks of
opportunity may make a Reflex save (DC 13) to take half damage.

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:

BYPRODUCTS

Skills:

Hadrosaurs are most valued for their meat. They are basically the dinosaur equivalent of cattle. A bactrosaurus carcass can be
sold for $200, and an edmontosaurus carcass for $800.

Climate/Terrain:

TRAINING
Bactrosauruses are common civilian mounts. They can be
trained as a mount at DC 23 for an adult, and DC 19 for a youth.
Edmontosauruses are less common as mounts, as their bulk makes
them unwieldy; there are smaller creatures that are almost as
strong. An edmontosaurus can be trained at DC 35 for an adult,
and DC 31 for a youth. Bactrosaurus can carry 500 pounds;
edmontosaurus can carry 16,000 pounds.

Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Kronosaurus
Huge Animal (Aquatic)
16d10+64 (152 hp)
+1 (Dex)
10 ft., swim 60 ft.
13 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural)
Bite +26 melee
Bite 6d8+16
15 ft. by 40 ft./10 ft.
Hurdle, improved grab, swallow
whole
Scent
Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +6
Str 32, Dex 12, Con 18,
Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 10
Listen +3, Spot +5
Any aquatic deep sea or shallow
shorelines
Solitary
8
None
Usually neutral evil
17-32 HD (Gargantuan)

Kronosaurus is the tyrannosaurus rex of the seas. Although

not the longest marine reptile, it is the deadliest. Its short-necked
45-foot long body is thick and muscular, giving it far more
strength and mass than its long-necked
competitors. Fully grown kronosauruses
have been known to weigh 20 tons or
more.
Fortunately, kronosaurus is extremely
rare. Encounters with kronosauruses are
notable enough to quickly become gossip
for miles around.

SOCIETY
Kronosauruses are solitary hunters.
They cruise the ocean devouring anything
large enough to merit their attention. They
are feared by all sea dwellers.
Kronosaurus have a compact, highly
maneuverable body which is surprisingly
agile for their size. They are adroit swimmers in both deep and shallow water, and
have been encountered in water as shallow
as 10 feet deep.
No one knows their mating or social
habits. Kronosaurus encounters are usually
singular events only a dozen or so

113

encounters are reported each year, rarely in the same places. It is

unknown whether this is because the kronosauruses are few but
far-ranging, or many but reclusive.

LEPTOCERATOPS (ZULEPS)

COMBAT

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:

Kronosauruses take massive gulps out of whatever stands in

their way. Their jaws are longer than a T-rexs and their bites are
justifiably feared.
Hurdle (Ex): Kronosauruses are so strong that they can hurl
their entire body out of the water. They use this ability to attack
ships and even low-flying pterosaurs. As a move-equivalent
action, the kronosaurus can hurdle itself out of the water. A hurdle
can only take place if the kronosaurus ran its full distance in the
previous round. The hurdle covers a distance of 100 and reaches
30 above sea level at the arcs apex.
One of the most famous kronosaurus attacks concerned the
merchant vessel Plentiful. While bearing liquor from Plesiosaur
Bay to New Savannah, Plentiful encountered a kronosaurus. The
beast hurled itself into the masts, shattering both of them in two
leaps. It completely cleared the decks with each jump. After
destroying the masts, it bit several large holes in the hull. It then
followed lazily behind until the boat sank, whereupon it picked off
the sailors one by one.
Other captains learned from the Plentiful encounter. When a
kronosaurus was spotted approaching the vessel New World in
shallows near Plesiosaur Bay, the captain steered the boat parallel
to the shore in very shallow water. The kronosaurus hurdled over
the boat, grabbing several crewmen. But the water on the other
side of the boat was too shallow and the creature ran aground! By
the time the kronosaurus waddled off the beach, New World had
sped safely away.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the kronosaurus
must hit a Medium-size or smaller creature with its bite attack. If
it gets a hold, it can try to swallow the foe.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A kronosaurus can swallow a
Medium-size or smaller foe with a successful grapple check. The
swallowed creature takes 2d8+8 points of damage plus 8 points of
acid damage each round. A swallowed creature can cut its way out
with claws or a small or tiny slashing weapon. It must cause 25
points of damage to the gizzard (AC 20) to escape.

BYPRODUCTS
So few kronosaurus have been sighted that it is not known
whether they have any useful byproducts. Many hunters would
crown their collections with a kronosaurus skull trophy, but the
beasts are so difficult to locate that no one has yet killed one.

TRAINING
The well-known dino handler Jaws Giovanni, famed for
having trained four T-rexes with his own hands, met his death
while trying to capture and train a kronosaurus. They are hard to
locate and nearly impossible to capture. No one has ever trained
one. If characters do manage to locate and isolate one, they can
attempt to train it at DC 36.

114

Skills:

Leptoceratops
Medium-Size Animal
2d10+6 (17 hp)
+0 (Dex)
25 ft.
13 (+3 natural)
Bite +4 melee
Bite 1d8+3
5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
None
Scent, fire resistance 10, cold vulnerability, barbarian rage
Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +2
Str 17, Dex 11, Con 17,
Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 9
Listen +8, Spot +8

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Warm desert, hills, and mountains

Solitary, pack (4-5), or entire tribe (9-16)
2
Standard
Usually chaotic neutral
By character class

Saves:
Abilities:

The leptoceratops are primitive relatives of the protoceratops.

Although more lightly built and not as hardy, they are much more
ferocious. They are unusually bloodthirsty for herbivorous creatures, a development that can be traced to their proud warrior culture forged by the harsh environment of the Crystal Desert. It is
this warrior culture that allowed them to survive where their weaker cousins, such as the psittacosaurus or bagaceratops, did not.
An adult leptoceratops can be as long as seven feet. They
have five toes and strong grasping ability with their front arms,
though they lack a true opposable thumb. They walk on their rear
legs, but sometimes drop to all fours to run.

SOCIETY
The desert-dwelling zuleps have always had to battle for limited supplies of food and water, against both other animals and
neighboring tribes. Long ago, they developed a martial code
which has since evolved into a strong warrior culture. Although
herbivores, they eat flesh for ceremonial purposes.
All zuleps, both male and female, must undergo a coming-ofage ritual that involves leaving the tribe and not returning until
they have scalped a certain number of enemies. They must return
with one scalp for every year of their own age, and the scalped
enemies must be no smaller than their own size.
Zulep adolescents can choose to undergo this ritual at any
time from the age of 7 to 12 years. Obviously, the ritual is more
difficult for older creatures even though they are older and
stronger, they must capture more scalps from larger creatures. But
the most militant zuleps intentionally delay their coming-of-age

COMBAT
Zuleps value strength and power. They are aggressive especially so for herbivores. Their violent culture produces great warriors, and a horde of screaming, charging zuleps is a terrifying
sight. But they are barbarian warriors individual heroes with
very little coordination, strategy, or formation to tie them together. They are vulnerable to organized, regimented opponents.
Although they have a powerful natural bite, zuleps prefer to
use spears, clubs, and shields in battle. They produce their own
stone, metal, and crystal spear heads, which they attach to cane
shafts; they also wield other weapons acquired through trade or
plunder. Individual zuleps are armed as follows. Zuleps should be
considered proficient in whatever weapons they bear:
d%
1-40
41-60
61-80
81-95
95-100

as a sign of strength. Those that succeed in the ritual at the latest

ages often become leaders in their tribes.
Throughout their lives, zuleps practice tattooing, scarification, and piercing. Some tattoos and scars commemorate passages
or successes, while others are purely aesthetic. Many zuleps
exhibit unusual mutations, including malformed limbs, extra or
missing fingers, strangely shaped beaks, or extra eyes. This is due
to the radiation immanent in the Crystal Desert they inhabit.
Leptoceratops live in nomadic tribes. They wander in search
of food, living off of the rugged shrubs that grow in the Crystal
Desert and the foothills of the Danjow. They stay in one place for
a few weeks or months, until they have exhausted nearby supplies,
then move on to somewhere else in the same general region. They
are intimately familiar with the desert and know the uses of its
more common crystals.
Zulep tribes are frequently at war, both with neighboring
tribes of zuleps and with other species of dinosaurs. When a predator approaches, they usually face it head on. War is their usual
state of affairs.
Each zulep tribe speaks a different dialect of their own language, a corrupted version of Ceratopsian which is no longer recognizable as such.

Armament
Club
Longspear
Halfspear and large wooden shield
Battleaxe and large wooden shield
Other (GMs choice acquired through trade or
plunder)

Zulep weapons often have straps so they can be slung over

the creatures back when it runs on all fours.
Zuleps often carry trophies from previous battles. These trophies range from mundane (a velociraptor claw or human scalp)
to exotic (a laser pistol which they dont know how to use).
Fire Resistance 10 (Ex): Zuleps are raised in extreme temperatures and are accustomed to great heat. They ignore the first
10 points of fire damage dealt to them each round.
Cold Vulnerability (Ex): Zuleps suffer double damage from
all cold attacks except on a successful save (as if of the fire subtype).
Barbarian Rage (Ex): Once per day, a zulep can rage exactly as a first-level barbarian. This stacks with rages gained by
zuleps who have barbarian class levels.

BYPRODUCTS
Zuleps have unusual anatomies. They can endure extreme
heat and frequent dehydration. Many of their organs have medicinal uses. Any character with the Heal skill can learn how to use
leptoceratops parts in healing. This takes two months with instruction (whether teacher or text), or six months if self-taught. The
character must also be able to gather the leptoceratops parts,
which requires the Wilderness Lore skill (see Dinosaur
Byproducts, Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook p. 63). One leptoceratops corpse will yield 1d3 uses of healing agents. After studying the leptoceratops anatomy, the character receives a +1 competence bonus to Heal when he uses leptoceratops healing agents.

TRAINING
Due to their antagonistic nature, zuleps are practically impossible to train.

115

PLESIOSAURUS (SEA WOLF)

Skills:

Plesiosaurus
Medium-Size Animal (Aquatic)
3d10+6 (23 hp)
+3 (Dex)
20 ft., swim 40 ft.
15 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
Bite +5 melee
Bite 1d6+3
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
None
Scent
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +0
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14,
Int 3, Wis 9, Cha 6
Listen +2, Spot +3

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Ocean
School (3-10)
2
None
Always neutral
4-6 HD (Large), 7-9 HD (Huge)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

down, and move on to the next target. Plesiosaurs often follow

right behind fishing expeditions, grabbing fish out of the nets as
fast as the fishermen can haul them in. They are the bane of fishermen throughout the inland sea, but especially in the northern
waters of Plesiosaur Bay, where they are so numerous as to make
fishing expeditions pointless.

COMBAT
Plesiosaurs do not actively threaten humans, but their daring
attempts to steal fish from under fishermens noses inevitably get
them into trouble. They will defend themselves if attacked, as
many a fisherman has learned when clubbing one with an oar.
Nevertheless, plesiosaurs will not initiate attacks against humans
except against injured swimmers or children, as their mouths are
too small to easily eat humans.

BYPRODUCTS
Plesiosaurs are considered pests with no usable byproducts.

TRAINING
It is rumored that some wild ones have taught plesiosaurs to
fish for them. Characters can attempt this at DC 23.

QUETZALCOATLUS (GRAYWING)

Skills:

Quetzalcoatlus
Gargantuan Animal
13d8+26 (85 hp)
+2 (Dex)
20 ft., fly 80 ft. (good)
10 (-4 size, +2 Dex, +2 natural)
Bite +9 melee
Bite 3d8+4
20 ft. by 40 ft./15 ft.
Improved grab
Scent
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +5
Str 19, Dex 14, Con 14,
Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 6
Listen +5, Spot +6*

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Any mountains
Solitary or pair
5
None
Always neutral
-

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Plesiosaurus is the most common of the sea predators. It

reaches a length of 8 feet, with a neck as long as 3 feet just long
enough to threaten fisherman in small boats. Plesiosaurus is built
for maneuverability, not speed, and is extremely skilled at snatching fish out of nets without being captured itself. When they are
caught in nets, plesiosaurs are usually able to gnaw their way out.

SOCIETY
Plesiosaurus schools are constantly on the move. They dart
among the fish, snatch them in their jaws, quickly gulp them

116

Quetzalcoatlus is the largest flying creature of all time. Its

forty-foot wingspan and seven-foot-long beak frighten humans
and dinosaurs alike, although it feeds primarily on carrion and
shellfish. Quetzalcoatlus has incredible eyesight and can spot food
from several miles away.

SOCIETY

TRAINING

Quetzalcoatluses live in lofty, inaccessible rooks far from

human settlements. They are sometimes seen cruising over human
settlements at high altitudes, but it is very rare for a human to
encounter one close-up. High in their cliff-side dwellings, they
seem to live a life of their own, unconcerned with what the rest of
the world is doing. They speak pterosaur.

Many dino trainers covet the chance to train a quetzalcoatlus,

as they make strong, fast mounts. An adult can be trained at DC
32. A youth can be trained at DC 26, although the youth grow up
at such high altitudes that they are extremely rare. An adult can
carry up to 900 pounds.

COMBAT
Quetzalcoatluses are not predators, so they generally will not
attack unless provoked. However, they will swoop down from
above to feed on the body of a recent kill which may be a problem for humans intent on recovering some trophy from the carcass.
Quetzalcoatluses have claws, but they only use their bite in
combat. They first try to intimidate opponents by snapping their
huge beaks. If that doesnt work, they will take a few bites. If the
enemy is still not cowed, the quetzalcoatlus will resort to picking
them up and dropping them from very high up.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the quetzalcoatlus
must hit a Large or smaller sized creature with its bite attack. It
can then carry the target to a great height and drop it (often for the
maximum of 20d6 points of falling damage). It can continue to
bite whatever it is carrying, automatically inflicting 3d8+4 damage until the creature escapes or is dropped. If it tries to bite something else, the carried creature is automatically dropped.
Skills: *Quetzalcoatlus gain a +8 racial bonus to Spot checks
in daylight.

SCRAY

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:
Skills:

BYPRODUCTS
Quetzalcoatluses are valued as mounts. Their eggs would
surely go for a good price if any could be found! The creatures
roost at such high altitudes that none of their eggs has ever
hatched in captivity.

Feats:
Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Scray
Medium-Size Humanoid (Alien)
1d8 (4 hp)
+0 (Dex)
30 ft.
21 (+6 vibrofield, +5 light bioceramic
armor)
Laser pistol +1 ranged or monofilament blade +1 melee
Laser pistol 2d10 or monofilament
blade 3d12
5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Fast healing 4
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Str 13, Dex 10, Con 11,
Int 18, Wis 11, Cha 13
Chemistry +5, Disable Device +10,
Drive +2, Knowledge (nature) +5,
Knowledge (science) +5, Knowledge
(technology) +5, Listen +1, Operate
Ironclad +2, Pilot +2, Repair Device
+10, Use Technical Equipment +10
Weapon proficiency (all alien
weapons), Gearhead
Any
Any; on Cretasus, usually found in
pairs or small groups (3-6)
2
Standard plus technology (see below)
Usually chaotic neutral
By character class

The Scray were the first aliens that humanity encountered.

They are native to the Scray system, though they can now be
found across the universe.
All Scray look menacing to humans. They are thin, bipedal
humanoids who stand about seven feet tall, with arms that are
noticeably longer than human proportions. They are always
sheathed in fringed black cloaks. The occasional glimpse beneath
the cloak reveals complex Giger-like ridged body armor. In
human atmospheres, they must wear coiled, bio-organic gas
masks to breathe. Examining a Scray corpse reveals a thin, dusky,
gray-skinned creature with near-human proportions (except for

117

the skinny arms that reach almost to their calves), a small head
with two pinprick eyes, and a small mouth with omnivorous teeth.
The Scray are much more technologically advanced than
humans. Although they speak their own languages (at least twenty-six have been identified by human scholars), they are always
equipped with translator devices which make them understood by
almost any creature.

SOCIETY
Scray civilization predates humanity by at least four hundred
thousand years. But the Scray are an introverted race whose galactic ambitions fall far short of humanitys. Had we not found them,
they would have avoided us.
Like humans, the Scray have their own varied nations and
allegiances. Most humans are familiar with only a small portion of
their society. The Scray that humans encounter are invariably
researchers, adventurers, explorers, or traders, and it is by these
acquaintances that most humans form their perceptions.
At the simplest level, the Scray are aloof, stand-offish, and
silent. They seem eerily quiet even when not around humans, with
the rasping of their gas masks providing a noisy contrast to their
own silence.

118

The Scray are uninterested in human politics. They seem

interested only in technology. Much of their interaction with
humans comes about because of their many gadgets they invariably have a miniaturized handheld machine for doing whatever a
human needs to do. Except for meeting their basic needs, they are
not interested in human wealth, and prefer to trade their technology for interesting machines, artifacts, or chemicals. There are very
few human technologies unknown to them, but our raw materials
sometimes mystify them. Even the most basic human chemicals
may be exotic to the Scray who first encounters them. Savvy
traders sometimes walk away with amazing deals it is rumored
that the first dust gun to fall into human hands was traded for a
pack of cigarettes!
Communication with a Scray is not easy. They are naturally
reticent, and easily annoyed by humans who are loquacious, overbearing, or noisy. At the same time, Scray have been known to
offend humans by refusing to accept normal wealth for their
goods. Fortunes have been offered for Scray technology, only to
be refused. Of course, the failed buyer is none too happy to learn
the Scray later traded their gadgets for the equivalent of cigarettes.
Scray interests are eclectic and inscrutable to humans, and
attempts to acquire their technology with human riches rarely succeed. The Scray may demand an obscure chemical or strange
device in trade for their goods or, as they once did, they may
trade powerful technology only if the purchaser arranges an introduction with a well-known human biochemist. No human has yet
to understand, much less predict, what a Scray will want.
Scray come to Cretasus for three primary reasons. First, it is
the Scray who provide the technology that the Union uses to build
ironclads, so they are most common in Union areas in and around
the ironclad research center near Fort Lincoln. (Only the highest
Union officers know what they have offered the Scray in return
for their assistance.) Second, much as they explore all new planets, the Scray are exploring Cretasus in search of interesting raw
materials and native life forms they can use in their bio-tech
research. Finally, some Scray are there simply for adventure.

COMBAT
Scray do not enjoy bloodshed. They prefer to resolve disputes
peacefully. But when forced to fight, Scray fight viciously with
their advanced technology. A typical Scray has a tech level of 15;
more intelligent ones may be even higher. They have human-like
hands and most of their inventions can be used by humans. A typical Scray carries a laser pistol and monofilament blade, but they
may be encountered with almost any combination of weapons.
Fast Healing 4 (Ex): The Scray have self-repairing medical
systems built into their armor. This allows them to heal quickly.
The medical systems only work with their physiology, although it
is rumored that they have designed similar systems for humans.

BYPRODUCTS
Scray wear a lightweight bioceramic armor that is custommolded to their body shape. The armor is literally grown to match

their build,; one Scrays bioceramic armor cannot be worn by any

other creature, even another Scray. Bioceramic armor is tech level
12, and can be grown in varying thickness, as follows. Growing
bioceramic armor requires advanced facilities, which a Scray
might be persuaded to provide.
Bioceramic Armor

Armor
Bonus

Max Dex
Bonus

Light
Medium
Heavy

+5
+6
+7

+4
+3
+2

Armor
Check
Penalty
-2
-3
-4

SCRAY NPCS
Many Scray adventurers have character levels. The stats provided are for a Scray commoner. 60% of all Scray encountered on
Cretasus have character levels. Of those
with character levels, 75% are machinists, 20% soldiers, and 5% spies. Scray
Speed
Wt.
wild ones and bronco riders are unheard
(30 ft.)
of, and although they do have two-fisters, theyre not encountered on alien
30 ft.
8 lb.
planets like Cretasus. Roll 1d6 to deter20 ft.
16 lb.
mine a Scrays character level. If you
20 ft.
24 lb.
roll a 6, re-roll and add 5 to the result,
rolling again and adding 10 if you roll
another 6, and so on.

Scray carry a variety of technological doodads. Assume each

Scray has 1d4 randomly determined tech items (2d4 if the Scray
is a machinist). Some will be in use; others will be carried for
trade or examination. You can use this table to determine what the
Scray has, or you can pick or create an item. Remember that they
often carry minor items that humans find immensely useful for
example, a handheld metal detector that lets miners find minute
veins up to 100 ft. underground.
d%
01-05
06-07
08-10
11
12-13
14-16
17
18-20
21-22
23-26
27-31
32-37
38-43
44-46
47-56
57-58
59-68
69-70
71-76
77-82
83-85
86-88
89-91
92-93
94-96
97-98
99
100

Tech Item
Ankle jets
Annihilator
Bionic arm
Bionic ear
Bionic eye
Bionic leg
Chimera fiend
Cryon ray
Dust Gun
Dyno-mites
Electron field
Energy gauntlet
Energy packs (2d6)
Energy shield
Engineering tools
Grav field
Holosphere
Jet pack
Laser rifle
Medical kit
Plasma charges (1d6)
Plasma sling
Powered armor
Pulse rifle
Scanner
Spibot
Tractor beam
Warp render

SMALL GAME
Small Game, Tiny
Tiny Animal
1/2 d8 (2 hp)
+2 (Dex)
20 ft.
14 (+2 size, +2 Dex)

Small Game, Small

Small Animal
1d8+2 (6 hp)
+3 (Dex)
40 ft.
15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natu-

Skills:

Bite or claw +1 melee

Bite or claw 1d3-4
2 1/2 ft. by 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
None
Scent
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10,
Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 5
Listen +2, Spot +3, see below

Bite or claw +3 melee

Bite or claw 1d4
5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
None
Scent
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1
Str 11, Dex 17, Con 15,
Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Listen +4, Spot +5, see below

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Various
Solitary, pair, or pack
1/6
None
Always neutral
-

Various
Solitary, pair, or pack
1/3
None
Always neutral
-

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
ral)
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

The hunters of Cretasus do not spend all their time tracking T-rexes. An endless variety of
small game skitters across the landscape. Small-time hunters, independent farmers, and trappers devote a lot of their energy to capturing these smaller creatures, which are less dangerous,
more common, and easier to transport than large dinosaurs.

119

Labidosaurus (Gizzard Lizard) (Tiny 2 ft. long; skills:

Balance +10, Climb +10; climate: warm forest, plains, desert):
Labidosaurus is a fat, squat lizard that eats insects, snails, and vegetation.
Coelurosauravus (Glider) (Tiny 1 1/2 ft. long; glide 40
ft.; skills: Balance +13, Climb +16, Move Silently +8; climate:
warm forest): Coelurosauravus is an unusual early reptile that is
adapted for gliding. It looks like a thin lizard, but its ribs are greatly elongated to form two rigid wings emerging from either side
of the body. Flaps of skin between the ribs allow it to glide. It falls
5 ft. downward for every full 20 ft. that it glides. Some forest
clearings on Cretasus are practically alive with the constant gliding of coelurosauravuses. Sharp-shooting them in mid-air is a
favorite sport of bored farm hands.

SPINOSAURUS (SWAMP LURKER)

The small game profiles can be applied to a variety of small
amphibians and reptilians living on Cretasus. They are the prehistoric equivalent of rabbits, beavers, weasels, pheasants, raccoons,
dogs, and other such creatures. Since small game will likely play
a small part in most campaigns, we have not described it here in
great detail; the entries below give specific details for some of the
many creatures that fit the profiles above. They can be used to
flesh out wilderness encounters, give results to hunting expeditions, and explain whats for dinner when the characters stop by
Farmer Browns house.
Platyhystrix (Spinyback) (Small 3 ft. long; swim 20
ft.; climate/terrain: warm swamp, forest, river and lake
shore): Platyhystrix is a sail-backed, semi-aquatic creature. Its
brightly colored skin is red with green and yellow sails. It bites if
attacked.
Peltrobatrachus (Fatball) (Tiny 2 ft. long; speed 10 ft.,
swim 10 ft.; AC 14 when moving, 15 when balled up (no Dex
bonus, +3 bonus to natural armor); climate: warm swamp,
forest, plains): Peltrobatrachus looks like a cross between a salamander and an armadillo. Hunters value this slow-moving
armored amphibian because it is extremely easy to kill rather
than running, it rolls up into an armored ball. Unfortunately for
the peltrobatrachus, its armadillo armor is easily penetrated by
modern weapons (especially when it loses its Dex bonus after
rolling up), and the ball defense is nearly useless against humans.
If it actually survives an attack, it unrolls and bites.
Gerrothorax (Flathead) (Small 3 ft. long; swim 30 ft.;
AC 12 until hit (no Dex bonus), then AC 15; skills: Hide +9;
climate: warm swamp, shallow water): Gerrothorax is a flat
amphibian that looks sort of like a fat lizard that has been run over.
Its eyes are on the top of its flattened head. It hunts by digging into
a shallow river bottom, covering itself with sand or rocks, and biting the first thing to come by. It is difficult to spot, but once spotted extremely easy to kill because it wont move until attacked.
Gerrothorax always counts as flat-footed until it has been hit.

120

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:
Skills:
Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Spinosaurus
Huge Animal
14d10+56 (133 hp)
+1 (Dex)
40 ft., swim 20 ft.
13 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural)
Bite +15 melee, claws +2 melee
Bite 3d8+7, claws 1d4
10 ft. by 10 ft./15 ft.
None
Scent
Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +6
Str 24, Dex 13, Con 18,
Int 5, Wis 15, Cha 11
Listen +12, Spot +12, Wilderness Lore
+5, Hide +0*, Move Silently +0*
Swamp or marsh
Solitary or pride (3-5 adults and 0-4
young)
7
Standard
Usually neutral evil
15-30 HD (Gargantuan)

Spinosauruses are large theropods distinguished by the sixfoot-tall spine that runs down the length of their backs, much like
that of the dimetrodon. They are huge carnivores, growing to 40
feet in length (as long as an allosaurus) and six tons in weight.
They dwell exclusively in swamps and are the most feared
denizens of the Bayou. No survivor ever forgets the sight of a
dripping, moss-laden spine slicing menacingly through the water
as the spinosaurus pursues its victim.
Spinosauruses spend a great deal of time lurking just below
the waters surface, much like crocodiles. Spinosaurus seek out
water that is about ten feet deep just the right depth for their
lurking. If water of the right depth cant be found, they dig pits in

hunt alone or in pairs, bringing their

kills back to the rest of the pride to eat.
They alternate on hunting duty. When
not hunting, the other spinosauruses
laze about in the water.
Each pride has its own territory.
They aggressively contest any other
large carnivore within their territory.
They dont attack velociraptors or
other smaller predators because they
dont consider them competition.
Spinosauruses speak their own
language.

COMBAT
Spinosauruses fight with their
jaws and front claws. Their jaws are
noticeably slimmer than those of the
other large theropods. They are no
match in a head-on fight with an
allosaurus or T-rex, but their ambushing abilities make them just as feared
among prey. They consider humans to
be eligible meals.
Skills: * Spinosauruses receive a
racial bonus of +9 to Hide checks in
water or swamp. They have an uncanny ability to move silently through
water and muck, and receive a +6
racial bonus to Move Silently in water
or swamp terrain. They can move
silently while swimming or while
walking.

BYPRODUCTS

shallow water so they can hide, waiting for prey to pass.

The spine serves several purposes. It helps regulate body temperature, absorbing heat while the rest of the spinosaurus is submerged. A submerged spinosaurus often hides among reeds or
swamp grass to conceal its spine which extends above the water line.
The spine can also be inflated slightly to help the spinosaurus float.

SOCIETY
Spinosauruses live in prides of three to five adults: one an
adult male, and the rest adult females. The pride may have as
many one child per female.
Spinosauruses generally hunt large hadrosaurs. The adults

At close range, spinosaurus have

an unbearable stench. This usually
doesnt affect their ambushing ability,
as they will have attacked by the time
their prey could have smelled them,
but it reduces their resale value.
Nobody wants spinosaurus leather!
The only part of the spinosaurus that has value is its sail, and then
only as a trophy for the dino hunter who bagged it himself.

TRAINING
Nobody in their right mind would try to train a spinosaurus,
since they stink, they have a huge spine right where youd want to
sit, and their native environment is the swamp. But if you really
want to try, go for it. The DC is 34 for an adult and 27 for a youth.
An adult can carry 3,500 pounds, though it is impossible to find
saddle bags that accommodate their spine.

121

STENONYCHOSAURUS (MOON
LIZARD, GHOST DINO)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:
Skills:

Feats:
Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Stenonychosaurus
Small Animal
1d10 (6 hp)
+4 (Dex)
40 ft.
16 (+1 size, +4 Dex, +1 natural)
Kick +1 melee, bite +0 melee
Kick 1d6, bite 1d4
5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
None
Scent
Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +5
Str 11, Dex 18, Con 11,
Int 17, Wis 20, Cha 13
Balance +4, Climb +3, Hide +8*,
Jump +5, Knowledge (nature) +8,
Knowledge (dinosaurs) +8,
Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge
(geography) +8, Knowledge (history)
+8, Knowledge (local) +8, Move
Silently +8, Listen +5, Spot +5,
Wilderness Lore +12
Blind-fight
Any Nocturnal
Solitary or flock (20-40 adults and 515 young)
1
None
Usually neutral
By character class

Stenonychosauruses are light, nimble dinosaurs of exceptional intelligence. They are similar in structure to a velociraptor,
although smaller and weaker. Relative to their body size, they
have the largest brain of any dinosaur. They are extremely rare
due to their small size, stealthy habits, and nocturnal lifestyle.
Most settlers on Cretasus will never see one, even though they are
native to every terrain.

SOCIETY
Very little is known about the reclusive stenonychosauruses.
They are active only at night, though no one has ever found their
daytime hiding places. Given that the three fingers on their hand
are very useful for grasping, it is possible that stenonychosaurus
build hidden dwellings. Their large, round eyes reflect light like
an owls, and their pale gray-blue skin is haunting in moonlight.
These two traits have earned them the nicknames moon lizards
and ghost dinos.
Stenonychosauruses try to remain hidden; they always flee if

122

discovered. Their hiding ability makes encountering them very

different from discovering them, however. Many a nighttime traveler has been startled to realize he is only a few feet from one of
the creatures, which promptly sprints away. Groups of stenonychosaurus are almost never seen. When encountered, though, they
are surreal: an oblivious passer-by will witness a seemingly still
forest come to sudden life as twenty or more previously hidden
ghost dinos suddenly flee.
Stenonychosauruses have limited relations with other intelligent dinosaurs. They are known to engage in trade with velociraptors and protoceratops. Dinosaur legends hold that they are the
guardians of long-hidden secrets. Protoceratops claim they are the
servants of a mysterious race of humanoid dinosaurids.
The only humans to have initiated communication with a live
stenonychosaurus are wild ones, and they have not divulged what
theyve heard. On the other hand, stenonychosaurus have initiated communication with humans, albeit rarely. Their enormous
intelligence has let some learn to read and write human languages,
and this is their method of communication (as they lack the vocal
abilities to speak properly).
They are enigmatic and their messages do not always make
sense. Moreover, the communication process is terrifying: a human
who thinks himself alone will suddenly find ten stenonychosaurus

TANYSTROPHEUS (LONG BITER)

Skills:
Feats:

Tanystropheus
Medium-Size Animal
1d10 (6 hp)
+1 (Dex)
30 ft.
13 (+2 natural, +1 Dex)
Bite +0 melee
Bite 1d4
5 ft. by 5 ft./10 ft. (see below)
Poison
None
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +0
Str 10, Dex 13, Con 11,
Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 5
Spot +6, Listen +1, Hide +4
Combat reflexes

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Warm Forest
Solitary
1/2
Standard
Always neutral
2-4 HD (Large)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

materialize out of the darkness around him, drop off a rock or log
with a message scratched on it, then disappear just as suddenly.
But the communication is often useful, at least in retrospect.
There is no pattern to their decisions to communicate; the messages passed have ranged from fruit red good (which apparently thanked a farmer for the apples he had imported to grow in his
orchard) to danger hole mouth (a warning to a Confederate sergeant about a ceratosaurus lurking in a ravine near his unit).

COMBAT
It is highly unlikely that a stenonychosaurus will ever be
pinned down in combat. They always try to flee. If forced to fight,
they bite and kick and look for any opportunity to escape.
Skills: *Stenonychosaurus receive a racial bonus of +8 to
Hide checks at night.

BYPRODUCTS
Stenonychosaurus have no known useful byproducts, but
when killed they are often stuffed and displayed as rarities.

TRAINING
No one has ever captured a live stenonychosaurus to train.
However, given their intelligence, training isnt an issue. They
will probably be smarter than their trainer. The issue would be
persuading them to cooperate.

Tanystropheus is a bizarre ancient reptile of ridiculous proportions. It resembles a modern lizard, with one gigantic exception: its neck is three times as long as its body. Its body is about
two feet long with a tail of equal size, while its neck extends a full
six feet in front of the body before terminating in a small lizardlike head. Strangely, the neck is not particularly flexible, as it only
has ten vertebrae!

SOCIETY
Tanystropheus are always found alone, although they are usually alone in the same general area that is, if you find one by
itself, youll probably find others nearby.

COMBAT
Tanystropheus lurk in tangled jungles. They especially like
areas with vines and thick underbrush. They position their body in
a protected area, then snake their head around to observe the area
around them. When an enemy approaches, they thrust out a series
of quick bites. Their bite range is aided by their long neck, but the
necks inflexibility also prevents them from striking enemies at
close range. Their bite attack should be treated as a reach weapon.
Tanystropheus hiding ability is due to their skill at blending
into areas of dense underbrush, where their projecting neck will
be mistaken for a vine.
Poison (Ex): Tanystropheus has a poisonous bite. The poison
is transmitted via injury, and requires a Fort save (DC 16) to counter. Initial and secondary damage are each 1d4 temporary Dex.

123

BYPRODUCTS

COMBAT

Tanystropheus poison is released from a pair of glands at the

base of its neck. These glands can be harvested and sold for the
poison they contain. Each gland provides 1d4 uses. A gland can be
sold for $50, though harvesting it is dangerous it requires a
Wilderness Lore check (DC 6), and failure has a 50% chance of
subjecting the character to the poison.

Compared to the other large theropods, therizinosaurus is

slow, fat, and weak. It does not need strength or power to survive,
so it does not have such strength or power. It is considered potential prey by many carnivores, although its claws are intimidating
and most predators would prefer a defenseless duckbill.
Therizinosaurs spend most of their time gazing at the ground
as they root around for insects. They count on their hearing to alert
them to danger.

THERIZINOSAURUS (REAPER)

Skills:

Therizinosaurus
Huge Animal
12d10+36 (102 hp)
+0
20 ft.
11 (-2 size, +3 natural)
2 claws +13 melee
Claw 2d6+6
10 ft. by 10 ft./10 ft.
None
Scent
Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +4
Str 22, Dex 11, Con 17,
Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 7
Listen +8, Spot +2

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Warm plains, forest, hills

Solitary or herd (3-5 adults)
5
None
Always neutral
13-18 HD (Gargantuan)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Therizinosauruses are eccentric theropods. Unlike T-rex and

the other theropods, their 35-foot long bodies are rather plump
(almost like the sauropods), with a long neck, small head, and
weak jaws. Their front legs are eight feet long and fully functional, and they sometimes saunter about on all fours. Most notably,
they have three-foot long scythe-like claws on their front feet.

SOCIETY
Therizinosauruses are highly specialized carnivores. They
feed only on insects. They use their enormous claws to dig up dirt,
river bottoms, and even tree trunks in search of prey. They have a
voracious appetite and eat constantly, as creatures their size must
eat a lot of bugs to stay full!
Some farmers on the plains have used therizinosauruses to
help till and plow their fields. Simply letting one of the beasts
loose on a field will ensure it is well plowed, though a bit erratically. Some farmers have had limited success training them to
plow in a straight line.
Therizinosauruses speak a dialect of sauropod.

124

BYPRODUCTS
Humans use therizinosaur claws as weapons. They can be
shaped into swords, scimitars, and other weapons of various
lengths. Many wild ones fight with a reaper claw, a simple,
unhewn therizinosaur claw. A reaper claw has the stats of a
longsword.

TRAINING
Therizinosaurs can be trained at DC 27 for an adult and DC
20 for a youth. They can carry 1,000 pounds.

TRILOBITE (SEA BUGS, SCURRIES)

Skills:

Trilobite, Common
Tiny Vermin (Aquatic)
1/2 1d8 (2 hp)
+1 (Dex)
20 ft., swim 20 ft.
13 (+2 size, +1 Dex)
Bite +1 melee
Bite 1d4-4
2 1/2 ft. by 2 1/2 ft./0 ft.
None
Vermin
Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0
Str 2, Dex 13, Con 10,
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Hide +5, Spot +2

Trilobite, Giant
Medium-Size Vermin (Aquatic)
3d8+3 (17 hp)
-1 (Dex)
20 ft., swim 20 ft.
10 (+1 natural, -1 Dex)
Bite +2 melee
Bite 1d4-1
5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
None
Vermin
Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +1
Str 10, Dex 9, Con 12,
Int -, Wis 10, Cha 5
Hide +2, Spot +4

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Any aquatic, shorelines

Colony (5-10) or swarm (30-100)
1/8
None
Always neutral
1-2 HD (Small)

Any aquatic, shorelines

Colony (5-10) or swarm (30-100)
1
None
Always neutral
4-6 HD (Large)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Trilobites are the primordial arthropods of the sea. They can

still be found in many of the waterways of Cretasus. They swim
along river bottoms and scurry in the rocks beside shore, scavenging for tidbits of plant and animal matter. Many seaside villages must deal with swarms of trilobites attracted by the leftovers
of fishing expeditions. Trilobites are not good for eating (theyre
more shell than meat) and are considered pests at best and predators at worst.
Although most are only a few inches in length, some common
species reach two feet long. The six-foot-long giant trilobites are

mostly found deep at sea,

although they have been seen
near shore in Plesiosaur Bay.

COMBAT
Although individual trilobites
are mere vermin, swarms are
sometimes dangerous. Humans
who have fallen asleep near a
swarm have awakened to the
rasping bites of feeding trilobites.
A misstep on a rocky shore could
accidentally disturb a hidden
trilobite colony, prompting them
to file out from beneath the rocks
and defend themselves.

VULCANODON (FLAMER, STOMPER)

Skills:

Vulcanodon
Huge Animal
14d10+98 (175 hp)
-2 (Dex)
30 ft.
8 (-2 size, -2 Dex, +2 natural)
Bite +9 melee
Bite 1d6+6
20 ft. by 10 ft./10 ft.
Trample
Scent
Fort +16, Ref +7, Will +7
Str 22, Dex 7, Con 25,
Int 5, Wis 16, Cha 6
Spot +6, Listen +4

Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Challenge Rating:
Treasure:
Alignment:
Advancement:

Warm forest
Herd (5-20)
6
Standard
Always neutral
2-4 HD (Large)

Hit Dice:
Initiative:
Speed:
AC:
Attacks:
Damage:
Face/Reach:
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities:
Saves:
Abilities:

Vulcanodons are ponderous, slow sauropods. They grow to

20 feet long, which is small for a sauropod. Their powerful build
but (relatively) small size makes them useful as mounts and beasts
of burden, for they are much more easily trained than their larger

125

Templates
IRONCLAD (Template)
Ironclads are the bipedal walking tanks developed by the
Union with alien assistance. They require a human pilot. In game
terms, an ironclad is treated as a template applied to the pilot when
he activates the armor. Ironclad armor without a pilot is simply an
inert hulk like a vehicle, it needs someone to drive it!
There are three classes of ironclads. The Monitor is the smallest, the Ulysses is larger, and the Sherman is the largest.

CREATING AN IRONCLAD

sauropod relatives. They are named after their brilliant flame-like

red and yellow coloration.

SOCIETY
Vulcanodons prefer forests to open areas. They push their
way through the underbrush, munching as they go. They are quite
easy to find, as they are brightly colored and leave a trail of flattened vegetation. As mounts, they grudgingly travel in open areas
mildly agoraphobic, they get nervous on the plains. They do
make good city mounts, being quite comfortable with lots of
close-range distractions.
Vulcanodons speak a dialect of Sauropod.

COMBAT
The bit of a vulcanodon is designed for plants and thus not
particularly dangerous, but sometimes enough to convince a predator to go fight something else.
Trample (Ex): Vulcanodons can trample creatures of
Medium size or smaller. The trample causes 2d12+6 points of
damage. Opponents who do not make attacks of opportunity may
make a Reflex save (DC 23) to take half damage.

BYPRODUCTS
Vulcanodons eggs are prized as the hatchlings are relatively
easy to train. A single egg can go for $200.

TRAINING
Vulcanodons are highly valued as beasts of burden and, to a
lesser degree, as mounts. It takes less effort to train a herd of vulcanodons than a single brachiosaurus, and the herd of vulcanodons can carry more. More and more caravans are coming to rely
on vulcanodons.
A vulcanodon adult can be trained at DC 29, and a youth at
DC 22. An adult vulcanodon can carry 13,000 pounds.

126

Ironclad is a template that can be added to any pilot who

boards an ironclad and who has the Operate Ironclad skill (see
Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook, page 38). Pilots without the
Operate Ironclad skill are unable to activate the ironclad.
An ironclad uses the pilots statistics and special abilities
except as noted here.
Size: Monitor class ironclads are Large (12 ft. tall). Ulysses
(16 ft.) and Sherman (20 ft.) class ironclads are Huge.
Hit Dice: The ironclad is fundamentally an armored vehicle.
It does not replace the pilots hit dice, but it does add hit points,
which represent the superstructure of the ironclad itself. These hit
points are depleted before the pilot takes damage but critical hits
and a few kinds of weapons may damage the pilot before the
superstructure is destroyed. If the pilot is killed, the ironclad ceases to function.
An ironclads hit dice depend on its class. Monitor class ironclads have 8d10+24 HD (68 hp). Ulysses class ironclads have
12d10+36 HD (102 hp), and Sherman class have 18d10+72 HD
(171 hp). You dont have to roll for hit points for standard military-issue ironclads; they have 68, 102, or 171 hit points depending on class. The HD entry provides limits on the hit points of customized (souped-up) ironclads.
A critical hit against an ironclad indicates a lucky shot that
has penetrated the hull. Determine the crit damage as usual. Half
of it applies to the ironclad itself, and the other half is applied to
the pilot.
Ironclads are treated as vehicles for purposes of critical hits
and negative hit points.
Initiative: The ironclad uses the pilots initiative modifier.
No Operate Ironclad check is required a quick pilot (even if
unskilled) makes for a quick ironclad.
Speed: 50 ft. for Monitor; 40 ft. for Ulysses and Sherman.
Monitor-class ironclads are usually equipped with jump jets
which allow the ironclad to move up to 300 feet in a single jump.
This distance is limited by the jets power and cannot be increased
by running. As stated in the Jump skill description, the height of a
jump for maximum distance is one-quarter its length. The jets cannot be fired in two successive rounds and they carry enough fuel
for 12 uses. The pilot must make an Operate Ironclad check (DC

10) to land the suit safely after jumping.

AC: Ironclads are fundamentally oversized suits of
powered armor. They have a base AC which indicates the
strength of their armor. This is modified by the ironclads
size. In addition, a skilled pilot can maneuver the ironclad well enough to add his Dex bonus. The pilots Dex
bonus only applies if he succeeds at an Operate Ironclad
check (DC 10) (see Broncosaurus Rex Core Rulebook,
page 38). The max Dex modifier of an ironclad suit is +2.
It is added to these base ACs: Monitor AC 22/20 (-1 size,
+9 armor, +4/+2 absorption field), Ulysses AC 22/20 (-2
size, +10 armor, +4/+2 absorption field), Sherman AC 25
(-2 size, +11 armor, +6 vibrofield).
Attacks: An ironclad has two weapon mounts, one
on each shoulder. In Monitor and Ulysses ironclads,
these can hold any weapon up to Large size; in
Shermans; they can hold weapons up to Huge size. Some
custom suits have a third mount in the chest or on the
back, though this is not standard Union issue. All ironclads also feature a grenade dispenser at the waist. Since
the primary and secondary weapon depends only on
where the pilot is focusing his attention, the pilot can
declare each round which weapon is primary and which
is secondary. The standard ironclad armament is as follows, though this is modified for special missions. Attack
modifiers are not listed; they vary according to ability
score modifiers and the usual rules for fighting with multiple weapons.
Monitor: Two oversized hydraulic claws; grenade
launcher, 10 smoke and 10 frag grenades
Ulysses: Oversized hydraulic claw, heavy machine
gun; grenade launcher, 10 smoke and 10 frag grenades
Sherman: Heavy machine gun, howzer; grenade
launcher, 10 smoke and 10 frag grenades
Damage: Damage by weapon plus the appropriate
ability modifier. A hydraulic claw does 3d8 points of damage plus
the ironclads Str modifier.
Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Trample (Ex): An ironclad can trample
creatures smaller than itself, although only a good pilot can
remain standing after a trample! The pilot must succeed at an
Operate Ironclad check (DC 15) or the ironclad falls over. Even if
it falls over, there is a 25% chance that it will trample an opponent
in the process. Trampled opponents take damage according to the
ironclads size: 1d8+5 for Monitors, 2d8+7 for Ulysses, and
3d8+10 for Shermans. Trampled opponents who do not make
attacks of opportunity can attempt Reflex saves for half damage.
The save is DC 18 for Monitors, 21 for Ulysses, and 25 for
Shermans.
Special Defenses: Damage Reduction 20; Construct. An
ironclad is a machine. As such, it is not affected by poisons. The
ironclad suit itself is not vulnerable to genetic or psychic
weapons, though powerful examples of those weapons may penetrate the suit and damage the pilot.

Saves: Ref and Will saves use the pilots save. Fort saves
depend on the ironclads construction, as follows: Monitor +8,
Ulysses +12, Sherman +18. Use the pilots Fort save if it is better.
Abilities: The ironclad uses the Dex, Int, Wis, and Cha scores
of its pilot. Its Str and Con depend on its class as follows:
Str
Con
Monitor
20 (+5)
16 (+3)
Ulysses
24 (+7)
17 (+3)
Sherman
30 (+10)
18 (+4)
Skills: All ironclads have the Jump skill: 16 ranks for
Monitors, 12 for Ulysses, and 8 for Sherman. Including Str and
armor check modifiers, this nets out to Jump +13 for Monitors,
Jump +11 for Ulysses, and Jump +10 for Shermans. You should
use the pilots Jump skill if better. All other skills are as the pilot,
though the ironclads ability scores are used if applicable. An ironclad suit has a -8 armor check penalty.
Feats: Same as the pilot.
Challenge Rating: As pilot, plus 6 (Monitor), 7 (Ulysses), or
8 (Sherman).

127

Index
Albertosaurus . . . . . . . . . .9-10, 107
Alien Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . .97-99
Aliens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .See Scray
Allosaur, Old Ned the . . . . . . . . . .43
Animal Empathy . . . . . . . . . . .58-59
Armor
As Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
Bioceramic . . . . . .99, 118-119
Dino Hide . . . . . . . . . . . .79-80
Dinosaurs and . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Army of Solaris . . . . . . . . . . .35, 37
Art Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95-96
Assoc. for Mutual Protection . . . .44
Bargain Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Barrister House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Bay Side Company . . . . . .47-48, 95
Bay Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47-54
Bayou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45-46
Big Als Bronco Rodeo . . . . . .22-23
Black Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44-45
Bowie, General . . . . . .34-35, 37-39
Brisbane, Colonel . . . . . . . . . .41-43
Bubble Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Butlers, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23-26
C.P.C.K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18-19
Cabal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42, 67, 72
Carey, Calhoun . . . . . . . . .55, 56, 58
Ceratopsians . . . . . . . . . . . . .70, 108
Chatham Theatre . . . . . . . . . .12, 16
Cheirolepis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
City Hall (of New Savannah) . . . .12
Coelurosauravus . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Crowe, Jonas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Crystal Desert . . . . . .30-33, 114-115
Danjow River . . . . . . . . .29-32, 103
Decker, Col. Paul . . . . . . .19-20, 22
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79, 80
Dino Warriors . . . .21-22, 35-37, 65
Dinosaur Cavalry . . . . . .70-71
Hatcheries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Prestige Class . . . . . . . . .74-76
Dinopathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58-59
Dinosaurs . . . . .55-73, 88-94, 104-126
Aquatic . . . . . . . . .72, 113, 116
Belly Rubbing . . . . . . . . . . .50
Coloration . . . . . . . . . .104-105
Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Cooking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Cyborged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Flying . . . . . . .72, 88, 116-117
Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68-69
Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . .55-58
Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66-67
Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Mounts . . . . . . . . .88-89, 92-94
Movement Speed . . . . . . . . .89
Mutations . . . . . . . . . .104-106
New Savannah, In . . . . . .17-18
Picture Shows . . . . . . . . .69-70
Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

128

Ranching . . . . . . . . . . . . .64-65
Singers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57, 58
Smuggling . . . . . . . . .61, 67-68
Subspecies . . . . . . . . . .104-106
Thrum . . . . . . . . .58, 59, 63, 72
Tool Use . . . . . . . . . . . . .56-57
See also individual species
Dons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Dryosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89, 108
Duckbill Moss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Duckbilled Dinosaurs . . . . . . . . .112
Duels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Dukes, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23-26
Dunkleosteus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Egg Warmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Encounter Tables . . . . . . . . .100-103
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79-80
Eurypterid . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111-112
Fast Talker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Federal Marshals . . . . .40-42, 76-77
Fort Apache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49-51
Fort Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39-43
Fort Tecumseh . . . . . . . . . . . . .34-39
Frog & Spanner . . . . . . . . . . . .21-22
Frot Gut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Fur River . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44, 45, 88
Gaines Gang . . . . .19, 20, 21, 22, 26
Garsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Gerrothorax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Gilmore Homestead . . . . . . . . . . .44
Glass Blood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Grand Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Great Library . . . . . . . . . .see Logos
Hadrosaurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Hampshire Mines . . . . . . . . . .41-42
Hideout Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Hollow Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Hollow-point Ammo . . . . . . . .10, 79
Hood, Nathanial . . . . . . . .10-11, 15
Inland Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Iron, Laila . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Ironclads . . . .7, 41-42, 63, 126-127
See also Scray
Kelly, Nathanial . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Kittys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Kronosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . .113-114
Labidosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Lake Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . .34, 43-44
Lantern Crystal . . . . . . . . . . . .32-33
Laser Sniper Rifle . . . . . . . . . .69, 79
Lefitte, Captain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Leptoceratops . . . . . . . . . .see Zuleps
Levers, William T. . . . . . . . . . .21-22
Listen checks and Cretasus . . . . . .55
Logos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29-32
Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
See also Crystal Desert
Long Ridge Hatchery . . . . . . . . . .39
Machinists . . . . . . . . .32, 71, 78, 79
Main Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-54

Mammoth Valley . . . . . . . .5, 56, 58

McCauley, Marshal . . . . . . . . . . . .42
McQuarry Brothers . . . . . . . . .27-28
Microsensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70, 80
Millers Crossroads . . .37, 41, 43-44
Monoclonius . . . . . . . . .88, 108-109
Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . .See Ironclad
Montague, Richard . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Mount Crowe . . . . . . . . . . . . .19-23
New Savannah . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-19
Northwestern Plains . . . . . . . . . . .54
NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84-87
See also individual NPCs
Office of Agriculture . . . . . . . .14-15
Office of Civil Defense . . . . . . . .15
Office of Public Welfare . . . . . . . .14
Office of Public Works . . . . . . . . .14
Office of Trade and Industry . . .15-16
Old Ned the Allosaur . . . . . . . . . .43
Ornitholestes . . . . . . . .60-61, 67, 95
See also Zagmo
Othelthwaite, Jeremiah . . . . . .15-16
Oviraptors . . . . . . . . . . . . .39, 59-60
Permanent Enhancement . . . . . . .79
Peltrobatrachus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Peterson Precinct . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Platyhystrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Plesiosaur Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . .51-54
Plesiosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Police, New Savannah . . . . . . . . .13
Porter, Hepsediah . . . . . . . .5-19, 32
Price, Dr. Ezekial P. . . . . . . . . . . .48
Protoceratops
Amnesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Art Objects . . . . . . . . . . .95-96
Conclave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Hollow Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . .55-56
New Savannah, In . . . . .17, 84
Thrum and . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Underglen . . . . . . . . . . . .18,48
See also Logos, qrfel, vrthu
qrfel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Quetzalcoatlus . . . . . . . .88, 116-117
Raptors . . . . . . . . .See Velociraptors
Reactive Truncheon . . . . . . . . . . .79
Reaper Claw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Red Claws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Resonator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56, 80
Rifleman, 2nd South Carolina . . . .20
Rough Riders . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-14
Scray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56, 117-118
New Savannah, In . . . . .14, 84
See also Ironclads
Sea Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . .111-112
Sesquiped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Settlements, Generating . . . . .81-84
Sheriffs Office . . . . . . . . . . . .13-14
Sherman . . . . . . . . . . . . .see Ironclad
Shouter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56, 80

Silvia Jameson . . . . . . . . . . . .21, 22

Singers, Dinosaur . . . . . . . . . .57, 58
Skill Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Small Game . . . . . . . . . . . .119, 120
Song Crystal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Southwestern Plains . . . . . . . .43-45
Spaceport . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12, 14-15
Sparkle Root . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Spinosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . .120-121
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21, 50
Stenonychosaurus . . . . . . . .122-123
Styracosaurus . . . . . . . . . . .108-109
Tanystropheus . . . . . . . . . . .123-124
Tax Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Tecumseh Trail . . . . . . . . . . . .34-46
Therizinosaurus . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Thrum . . . . . . . . . . . . .58, 59, 63, 72
Thud Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Thunder Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Towns, Generating . . . . . . . . .81-84
Trail Encounters . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95-100
Trilobite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125
Tyro Musk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Ulysses . . . . . . . . . . . . .See Ironclad
Underglen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18, 48
Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89-94
Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89-92
Typical Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Velociraptors
Coloration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Cree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Dark Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Inaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Kerosaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Kidnappings . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Lettoko . . . . . . . . . . .36, 38-39
New Savannah, In . . . . . . . .17
Thunder Hills . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Thrum and . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Tool use and . . . . . . . . . .56-57
War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
White Branch . . . . . .49. 69-70
Wild Ones and . . . . . . . . . . .64
Vicente Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
vrthu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Vulcanodon . . . . . . . . . . . . .125-126
Warp Pirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Dinosaur hunting and . . . . . .69
Wild Ones . . . . . . . . . .59, 63-64, 82
Wilderness Lore and Listen . . . . .55
Windham, Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Winthorpe, Edgar . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Wylde, Zeke . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10, 13
Zagmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Zuleps . . . . . . . .30-33, 103, 114-115