These lobe-finned fishes were the apex predators of many freshwater ecosystems during the Devonian and Carboniferous. They were closely related to amphibians and probably able to survive out of water for some time. It is speculated that in addition to eating other fish, they took prey from the land by lunging out of the water like a crocodile.
Their small fins were mostly clustered by the tail, with only the pectoral fins near their heads. Their jaws were wide, powerful, and sported long fangs at the front. Rhizodus was the largest of them, the size of a great white shark, and lived in western Pangaea (its fossils were found in America, Britain, and Russia) during the early Carboniferous. Strepsodus was only the size of a tiger shark, and shared Rhizodus’ territory, but seems to have been more widely distributed, with fossils known from Australia, Columbia, Iran, and Turkey. During the late Devonian, the islands which would one day become northern China hosted the moderately sized Hongyu. Gooloogongia was a much smaller creature from eastern Gondwana (Australia) around the same time. During the early Cretaceous eastern Gondwana was home to two species of Barameda. B. mitchelli was even smaller than Gooloogongia, but B. decipens was ten times its size.
Rhizodus
ST 28;
DX 10;
IQ 2
HT 12.
HP 28;
Will 11;
Per 11;
FP 12;
Speed 5.50;
Dodge 8;
Move 5.
SM +3 (6 hexes), 2,800 lbs.
Bite (12): 3d+3 impaling. Reach C.
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Doesn't Breathe (Gills); DR 3 (Tough Skin); Injury Tolerance (No Neck); No Legs (Semi-Aquatic; Ground Speed 1); No Manipulators; Peripheral Vision; Striking ST 3 (Bite Only); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-12; Swimming-15; Survival (Fresh-Water Lake)-12.
For Strepsodus or Barameda decipiens (700 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 18, SM to +2 (4 hexes), DR and Striking ST to 2, and bite damage to 2d.
For Barameda mitchelli (1 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 2, SM to −4, and remove DR and Striking ST. Bite damage becomes 1d−6.
For Gooloogongia (9 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 4, SM to −2, DR and Striking ST to 1, and bite damage to 1d−4.
For Hongyu (60 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 8, SM to 0 (2 hexes), DR and Striking ST to 1, and bite damage to 1d−2.
