An extremely successful group of dinosaurs. They combined deep beaks with mammal-like chewing teeth, making them very efficient plant-eaters. Their skulls were large and wedge-shaped. At first they were small and bipedal, but later evolved into massive quadrupeds. Although all members of the group were herbivores, their strong, sharp beaks would have made it easy for them to dismember other animals and they may have supplemented their diet with carrion or opportunistic kills.
Auroraceratops
A small biped from early Cretaceous China. It had the same sharp beak and grinding teeth as later ceratopsians, but only a small frill and no horns.
Numerous other small ceratopsians were quite similar. Chaoyangsaurus, Hualianceratops, Xuanhuaceratops, and Yinlong were all from late Jurassic China. Yamaceratops lived in Mongolia during the late Cretaceous.
Auroraceratops
ST 7; DX 12; IQ 3; HT 12.HP 7; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 9; Move 6.
SM −1, 40 lbs.
Beak (12): 1d−4 large piercing. Reach C.
Claw (12): 1d−3 crushing. Reach C.
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Discriminatory Smell; DR 1 (Tough Skin); Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 12); Night Vision 2; No Fine Manipulators; Wild Animal.
Skills: Stealth-12; Survival (Woodlands)-12.
For Chaoyangsaurus, Hualianceratops, Xuanhuaceratops, and Yinlong (12-20 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 5, SM to −2, and damage to 1d−5 with the beak or 1d−4 with a claw. For Yamaceratops (4 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 3, SM to −3, change damage to 1d−6 with the beak or 1d−5 with a claw, and remove DR.
Protoceratops
Combining features of smaller ceratopsians like Auroraceratops with those of the horned giants, Protoceratops was a pig-sized animal with a modest frill and small nasal horn. It spent most of its time on all fours, but could run on two legs if needed. It lived in China and Mongolia during the late Cretaceous.
Nesting Protoceratops, by Charles R. Knight (1927).
Protoceratops shared its habitat with Udanoceratops, a larger, hornless creature with powerful jaws for tearing apart tough plants. It was related to Leptoceratops from late Cretaceous Larimidia (now Western North America), which was about the size of Protoceratops.
Protoceratops
ST 15; DX 11; IQ 3; HT 12.
HP 15; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 5.
SM +1, 400 lbs.
Beak (11): 1d large piercing. Reach C.
Claw (11): 1d+1 crushing. Reach C.
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Discriminatory Smell; DR 3 (Tough Skin); Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 10); Night Vision 1; No Fine Manipulators; Wild Animal.
Skills: Survival (Desert)-14.
For Udanoceratops (1,500 lbs.) raise ST and HP to 23, SM to +2, DR to 4, add Striking ST 4 (Beak Only), changing damage to 2d+2 with either beak or claw, and replace Enhanced Move with Semi-Upright. Leptoceratops (400 lbs.) just adds Striking ST 2 (Beak Only), changing damage with the beak to 1d+1.
Psittacosaurus
The various species of this large genus lived all over Asia during the early Cretaceous. Their overall body plan was similar to Auroraceratops, but they had chisel-shaped teeth and short but powerful beaks, ideal for cracking nuts. Lacking chewing teeth, they relied on gizzard stones to grind their food. They lacked frills, but had spikes on their cheeks. Some of the scales on their upper tails were modified into long bristles or quills. Although their ‘hands’ lacked true opposable thumbs, they did have one digit which was offset and could be used to grasp.
Psittacosaurus
ST 7; DX 11; IQ 3; HT 12.
HP 7; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 5.
SM −1, 40 lbs.
Claw (11): 1d−3 crushing. Reach C.
Traits: Bad Grip 1; Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Discriminatory Smell; DR 1 (Tough Skin); Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 10); Ham-Fisted 2; Night Vision 2; Striking ST 2 (Beak Only); Wild Animal.
Skills: Stealth-12; Survival (Woodlands)-12.
This profile suits the larger species of Psittacosaurus, such as P. amitabha, P. major, P. mongoliensis, and P. sibiricus. For smaller ones such as P. gobiensis or P. sinensis (12-20 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 5 and damage to 1d−3 with the beak or 1d−4 with a claw.
Triceratops
The famous three-horned monster had a huge head with a relatively small and plain frill. The neck and body were short and wide, while the tail turned sharply downward behind the pelvis. Large scales on the body had short spikes and the toes were capped with hooves. Although often portrayed as a herd animal, there is little evidence to suggest that adult triceratops gathered in groups. Juveniles seem to have stayed with their nest-mates (and possibly parents) for protection though. They lived in Larimidia during the late Cretaceous.
Most other large ceratopsians were distinguished only by size, horns, and frill shape. All of them lived during the late Cretaceous and all were found in Larimidia except for the single-horned Sinoceratops from China. Torosaurus had horns very like Triceratops, but a larger frill with two openings in the bone. Some scientists believe that it is the same genus as Triceratops, reflecting how the frill develops in older individuals. Chasmosaurus also had three horns, but the ones above the eyes were very small and the nasal one only moderately sized. Centrosaurus had a similar arrangement, only its nasal horn was long, and its frill had several curved spikes. Large numbers of Centrosaurus fossils found together indicate that they may have gathered in herds. This is also the case for its relative Styracosaurus, which had a single nose horn and many long spikes on its cheeks and the edge of its frill. Diaboloceratops had just the two horns above its eyes and two long spikes on its frill, as did its relative Machairoceratops. Pachyrhinosaurus had blunt slabs instead of pointed of horns and lived in cold Northern regions. Pentaceratops had five horns, with two sprouting from its cheeks.
Triceratops
ST 50; DX 9; IQ 3; HT 12.
HP 50; Will 12; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 4.00; Dodge 7; Move 4.
SM +4, 16,000 lbs.
Horns (11): 5d+12 impaling. Reach 1. Limited arc (front). Can parry (8).
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Discriminatory Smell; DR 10 (Tough Skin); Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 8; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/Second); Night Vision 1; Quadruped; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-11; Intimidation-12; Survival (Woodlands)-12.
For Chasmosaurus, Diabloceratops, and Machairoceratops (4,400 lbs.) lower ST and HP to 33 and DR to 6. Change damage to 3d+4 with the beak and 3d+8 with the horns or trampling.
For Centrosaurus (5,000 lbs.) or Styracosaurus (4,700 lbs.) lower ST and HP to 34 and DR to 6. Add Chummy. Change damage to 3d+4 with the beak and 3d+8 with the horns or trampling.
For Sinoceratops (5,500 lbs.) lower ST and HP to 35 and DR to 7. Change damage to 4d+2 with the beak and 4d+7 with the horns or trampling.
For Pentaceratops (6,200 lbs.) lower ST and HP to 37 and DR to 7. Change damage to 4d+3 with the beak and 4d+8 with the horns or trampling.
For Pachyrhinoceratops (6,600 lbs.) lower ST and HP to 38 and DR to 7. Add Temperature Tolerance 2 (Cold). Change damage 4d+3 with the beak and 4d+8 crushing with the horn or trampling.
For Torosaurus (22,000 lbs.) raise ST and HP to 56 and DR to 11. Change damage to 6d+7 with the beak and 6d+13 with the horns or trampling.
Note: the Reach for the horns has been limited to reflect their actual length. Using the actual rules for strikers they would have Reach C-3.
Zuniceratops
A relatively small dinosaur from Southern Larimidia during the late Cretaceous. It resembled the large ceratopsians in everything but size.
Turanoceratops lived in Mongolia around the same time.
Zuniceratops
ST 15; DX 10; IQ 3; HT 12.
HP 15; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 5.
SM −1, 400 lbs.
Horns (10): 1d+2 impaling. Reach 1. Limited arc (front). Can parry (8).
Traits: Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Discriminatory Smell; DR 10 (Tough Skin); Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 10; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/Second); Night Vision 1; Quadruped; Wild Animal.
Skills: Survival (Swampland)-12.
This profile works as-is for Turanoceratops.