These amphibians looked looked like huge, flattened, scaly newts, or crocodiles with a few amphibian features. Their armored skin limited oxygen absorption, forcing them to use gills and lungs. Unlike frogs, they did not undergo dramatic metamorphosis as they aged so the young were basically smaller versions of the adults. They thrived during the Carboniferous to Triassic periods, but were reduced to a few highly-specialized lineages during the Jurassic and finally went extinct in the Cretaceous.
Eryops
Better adapted to land than most of its relatives, ‘stretched-face’ lived in the North-West of the super-continent of Pangaea (North America) during the Carboniferous period. It had a massive wedge-shaped head, rounded body, sprawling legs, and short tail. Its skin was covered in small oval lumps, probably containing hard osteoderms. The wide mouth had numerous conical teeth, as well as fangs and bony hooks on the palate to hold prey even more securely. It ate mostly fish, but may have been an opportunistic ambush predator too.
Eryops
ST 13; DX 9; IQ 2; HT 11.
HP 13; Will 12; Per 10; FP 11; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 2.
SM +1 (3 hexes), 250 lbs.
Bite (11): 1d cutting.
Traits: Amphibious; Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 3; Cold-Blooded (50°); Discriminatory Smell; Doesn’t Breathe (Gills); DR 2 (Tough Skin); Hard of Hearing; Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 1; Quadruped; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-11; Stealth-10; Survival (Swampland)-10.
A large specimen (450 lbs.) would have ST and HP 15, and do 1d+1 biting damage.
Koolasuchus
The last known temnospondyl lived in Cretaceous Australia. It is believed to have filled the same ecological niche that crocodiles do, and was able to out-compete reptiles due to being better adapted to the relatively cold environment. Once Australia had moved North and warmed up, crocodiles moved into the area and koolasuchus disappeared.
It had a huge semi-circular head, serrated teeth, a wide body, flattened tail, and weak limbs which were inadequate for movement on land.
The oldest temnospondyl, Ichthyostega, was actually rather similar, except for being notably smaller. It lived in East Laurentia (Greenland) during the late Devonian. Others which had a similar body plan and lifestyle include Paracylotosaurus from South Gondwana (Australia, India, and Southern Africa) in the middle Triassic and Metoposaurus from East Laurasia (Europe) during the late Triassic.
Koolasuchus
ST 21; DX 8; IQ 2; HT 12.
HP 21; Will 12; Per 10; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 1.
SM +1 (3 hexes), 1,100 lbs.
Bite (10): 2d+1 cutting.
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 3; Cold-Blooded (50°); Doesn’t Breathe (Gills); DR 2 (Tough Skin); Hard of Hearing; Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 1; No Fine Manipulators; No Legs (Semi-Aquatic; Water Move 4); Temperature Tolerance 1 (Cold); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-10; Survival (River/Stream)-12; Swimming-14.
For Ichthyostega (50 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 7 (bite damage 1d−3), SM to 0 (2 hexes), and remove DR and Temperature Tolerance. For Metoposaurus or Paracyclotosaurus (570-660 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 17 (bite damage 1d+2), DR to 1, and remove Temperature Tolerance.
Note: Although these creatures had legs, they would have functioned more like flippers, so No Legs (Semi-Aquatic) is used as the closest match.
Mastodonsaurus
The colossal ‘teat-toothed lizard’ lived in Northern Pangaea (Central Europe) around the middle of the Triassic period. It lurked in river and lake beds, before propelling itself upwards with its powerful tail to seize prey. Although it fed mainly on fish, it was well equipped to drag land animals to their doom if the opportunity arose.
It had a triangular head, streamlined body, long tail, and limbs reduced to the point where they were useless on land. The upper jaw had two rows of small conical teeth, which interlocked with a single row on the lower. Both jaws also had larger fangs near the front, with two of those on the lower jaw being so long that they slid into holes running through the palate so they projected out in front of the nostrils when the mouth was closed.
Prionosuchus was another large, fully-aquatic, fish-eating temnospondyl which lived in Western Pangaea (Brazil) during the Permian. Trematosaurus was smaller and lived in the seas off the coast of South Laurasia (Central Europe) during the early Triassic. Both had long, narrow snouts.
Mastodonsaurus
ST 33; DX 8; IQ 2; HT 12.
HP 33; Will 12; Per 10; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 5 (Water).
SM +3 (6 hexes), 4,400 lbs.
Bite (10): 3d+4 impaling.
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 3; Cold-Blooded (50°); Doesn’t Breathe (Gills); DR 1 (Tough Skin); Hard of Hearing; Limited Camouflage; Night Vision 1; No Fine Manipulators; No Legs (Aquatic); Vibration Sense (Water); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-10; Survival (Lake)-12.
For Prionosuchus (1,400 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 22 and add Weak Bite (damage 1d−2). For Trematosaurus (180 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 11 and add Weak Bite (damage 1d−4).