Megalosaurs in GURPS

A group of large theropod carnivores, closely related to the spinosaurs. They emerged during the early Jurassic, diversified in the middle Jurassic, and died off around the start of the Cretaceous. They had large heads, slender bodies, and long tails. Their arms had three claws, while their feet had four, although one of the latter was a small dewclaw. Unlike many of their relatives, their faces usually lacked horns or ridges. Their size combined with the warm Jurassic climate suggests that they would have little need for insulation as adults, and they have traditionally been portrayed with bare, scaly skin, but simple hair‐like proto‐feathers are also plausible, especially for juveniles.

Megalosaurus bucklandii was a fairly typical member of the family which lived in central Laurasia (in what is now Britain) during the middle Jurassic. It was the first dinosaur to be given a binomial scientific name. Poekilopleuron bucklandii may be a closely related genus, another species of Megalosaurus, or a somewhat larger individual of the same species. Duriavenator and the larger Wiehenvenator were also closely related and come from around the same time and place. Torvosaurus was another close relative, from later in the Jurassic and further west (in what is now the United States), which reached a similar size to Wiehenvenator

The relationships between other megalosaurids are less clear. Eustreptospondylus lived close to Megalosaurus around the same time, but was only distantly related. Afrovenator was a large predator which lived in the jungles of northern Gondwana (now Niger) from the middle to late Jurassic. It seems to have been closely related to Dubreuillosaurus and Magnosaurus which lived in Laurasia (now France and Britain, respectively) during the middle Jurassic. The huge Piveteausaurus from central Laurasia (now France) during the late Jurassic may be related to the smaller Leshansaurus from eastern Laurasia (now China) during the middle Jurassic, but it isn't clear if they are even megalosaurids.

Megalosaurus

ST 23; DX 11; IQ 3; HT 11.
HP 23; Will 10; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 5.50; Dodge 8; Move 5.
SM +2 (3 hexes), 1,600 lbs.

Bite (13): 2d+2 cutting. Reach C.
Fore‐claw (13): 1d−1 cutting. Reach C.
Kick (11): 2d+3 cutting. Reach C.
Tail (11): 2d+3 crushing. Reach 1–3. Limited arc (rear).

Traits: Born Biter 2; Discriminatory Smell; DR 2 (Tough Skin); Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 10; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/Second); Night Vision 1; No Fine Manipulators; Weak Arms 2 (½ ST); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling–13; Stealth–11; Survival (Island/Beach)–12; Swimming–12.

For Poekilopleuron or Duriavenator(2,200 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 26, SM to +3 (4 hexes), and damage to 2d+3 with a bite, 1d with fore‐claw, and 2d+4 with kick or tail.

For Wiehenvenator (4,400 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 33, SM to +3 (5 hexes), DR to 3, damage to 3d+4 with a bite, 1d+2 with fore‐claw, and 3d+5 with kick or tail, and tail reach to 1–4.

For Torvosaurus (4,400 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 33, SM to +3 (5 hexes), DR to 3, damage to 3d+4 with a bite, 1d+2 with fore‐claw, and 3d+5 with kick or tail, and tail reach to 1–4. Change Survival specialty to (Plains).

For Eustreptospondylus (1,100 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 21, and damage to 2d+1 with a bite, 1d−1 with fore‐claw, and 2d+2 with kick or tail.

For Afrovenator (3,300 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 30, SM to +3 (4 hexes), DR to 3, and damage to 2d+3 with a bite, 1d+1 with fore‐claw, and 2d+4 with kick or tail. Change Survival specialty to (Jungle).

For Dubreuillosaurus (750 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 18, DR to 1, and damage to 1d+2 with a bite, 1d−2 with fore‐claw, and 1d+3 with kick or tail. Change Survival specialty to (Swampland).

For Magnosaurus (500 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 16, DR to 1, and damage to 1d+1 with a bite, 1d−3 with fore‐claw, and 1d+2 with kick or tail.

For Piveteausaurus (8,000 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 40, SM to +4 (6 hexes), DR to 4, damage to 4d+4 with a bite, 2d−1 with fore‐claw, and 4d+5 with kick or tail, and tail reach to 1–5.

For Leshansaurus (1,600 lbs.) change Survival specialty to (Woodlands).

Alternative Interpretations

Megalosaurus fossils were first understood as the remains of elephants or giants. When some reptilian features were recognized, it was described as a huge, amphibious, lizard‐like quadruped, 40 feet long, 8 feet at the shoulder, and weighing as much as an elephant. Later estimates gave sizes from 30 up to 70 feet in length. A sculpture by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins based on this description can be found among the Crystal Park Dinosaurs.

Megalosaurus (Quadrupedal Reptile)

ST 43; DX 8; IQ 2; HT 12.
HP 43; Will 10; Per 10; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 5.
SM +5 (21 hexes), 10,000 lbs.

Bite or Claw (10): 5d+3 cutting. Reach C.
Tail (8): 5d+4 crushing. Reach 1–4 Limited arc (rear).

Traits: Amphibious; Bad Sight (Low Resolution); Born Biter 1; Cold‐Blooded (65°F); Discriminatory Smell; DR 4 (Tough Skin); Night Vision 1; Quadruped; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling–10; Survival (Island/Beach)–12; Swimming–15.

This represents the 40 foot version. For a 70 foot colossus (26 tons), increase ST and HP to 75, SM to +7 (36 hexes), DR to 7, damage to 8d+9 with a bite or claw and 8d+10 with the tail, and tail reach to 1–7. A 30 foot beast (2 tons) would have ST and HP 32, SM +4, DR 3, do 3d+3 damage with a bite or claw, and 3d+4 with its tail, which would have a reach of 1–3.

Eudromaeosaurs in GURPS

A group of bipedal carnivores, famed for the scythe-like talons on the second toe of each foot. Their short S-shaped necks were flexible to allow precision bites, while their long, stiff tails provided balance. Evidence suggests that they were fully feathered, including long feathers on the arms. While not capable of true flight, they may have used their wing-like arms for stabilisation while subduing prey or to control jumps. Although they had hands, their fingers were not well suited to manipulating objects.

Dromaeosaurinae

This group had broad, powerful jaws and reached the largest body sizes among the family. There is some evidence that they hunted in packs.

Deinonychus and Utahraptor lived in Laramidia, now western North America, during the early Cretaceous. Dakotaraptor and Dromaeosaurus occupied the same landmass in the late Cretaceous, while Achillobator was found in East Asia.

Deinonychus

ST 11; DX 13; IQ 4; HT 11.
HP 11; Will 11; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 6.
SM +2 (3 hexes), 150 lbs.

Bite (15): 1d cutting. Reach C.
Kick (15): 1d impaling. Reach C, 1.

Traits: Born Biter 1; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1 (Flexible); Catfall; Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 12; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/Second); Ham-Fisted 2; Striking ST 2 (Bite Only); Night Vision 1; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-15; Stealth-13; Survival (Woodlands)-12; Wrestling-14.
Techniques: Kicking-15.

Utahraptor (900 lbs.) increases ST and HP to 19 (damage 2d+1 with bite or kick), Move to 5 (Ground Speed 10 with Enhanced Move), and SM to +3 (5 hexes). Kick reach becomes C-2.

Dakotaraptor (700 lbs.) increases ST and HP to 18 (damage 2d with bite, 1d+3 with kick) and SM to +3 (5 hexes). Kick reach becomes C-2.

Dromaeosaurus (30 lbs.) reduces ST and HP to 6, SM to 0 (2 hexes), and Striking ST to 1 (damage 1d−3 with bite or kick).

Achillobator (550 lbs.) increases ST and HP to 16 (damage 1d+2 with bite or kick) and SM to +3 (4 hexes). Kick reach becomes C-2.

Saurornitholestinae

A group of small dinosaurs with relatively deep, short snouts and long arms. They lived in Laramidia during the late Cretaceous. Their limbs seem well suited to climbing and they may have had some ability to glide short distances.

Saurornitholestes

ST 6; DX 14; IQ 4; HT 10.
HP 6; Will 11; Per 12; FP 10; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 6.
SM −1, 30 lbs.

Bite (16): 1d−4 cutting. Reach C.
Kick (16): 1d−3 impaling. Reach C.

Traits: Born Biter 1; Discriminatory Smell; Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 12; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/Second); Flight (Gliding; Winged); Ham-Fisted 2; Night Vision 1; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-16; Climbing-16; Survival (Woodlands)-12.
Techniques: Kicking-16.

This profile is also suitable for Atrociraptor.

Bambiraptor (15 lbs.) reduces ST and HP to 5.

Velociraptorinae

Fast, dog-sized predators from East and Central Asia during the late Cretaceous. They had narrow snouts and long legs. There is no evidence of them pack hunting, and they seem to have specialised in smaller prey.

Velociraptor

ST 8; DX 13; IQ 4; HT 11.
HP 8; Will 11; Per 12; FP 11; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 7.
SM 0 (2 hexes), 60 lbs.

Bite (15): 1d−3 cutting. Reach C.
Kick (15): 1d−2 impaling. Reach C.

Traits: Born Biter 1; Discriminatory Smell; Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 14; Costs Fatigue, 1 FP/Second); Ham-Fisted 2; Night Vision 2; Super Jump 1; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-15; Jumping-15; Survival (Desert)-13.
Techniques: Kicking-15.

This profile is also suitable for related genera like Kansaignathus and Linheraptor.

Allosaurus in GURPS

Allosaurus by Charles R. Knight

Anatomy

Although not as heavy as the massive tyrannosaurs, Allosaurus was big for a carnosaur. Its long legs and stiff tail made it a swift straight-line pursuit predator.

It’s head was long, narrow, tapered, and mounted on a sinuous but muscular neck. Relatively weak jaw muscles, a wide gape, and small serrated teeth suggest that it carved pieces off big prey by dragging its upper teeth through their flesh. The fore-limbs were small but still strong enough to drive their three hooked claws into a victim and hang on as it struggled. The feet, each with three clawed toes and a dewclaw, also seem to have been used to restrain prey.

Two bony crests ran along the top of the skull, with a horn-like projection before the eyes. Lizard-like lips would have sealed the mouth to prevent the teeth from being damaged by dry air. Only a few skin samples have been identified, which all show small scales. Although it is possible that some parts had proto-feathers, they would not have been necessary for insulation, so it is likely that the overall appearance would have been that of a lizard with bird-like legs.

Behavior and Habitat

The favorite prey of Allosaurs seems to have been large sauropods, which they hunted in the warm fern prairies and floodplains of the late Jurassic. They had a wide range, often living in environments which would have varied seasonally from wetland to almost desert-like conditions.

Their brains weren’t especially large and there is little evidence of social behavior, so it is likely they were solitary hunters who used a simple stalk-and-dash strategy to take slower prey.

Allosaurus fragilis

ST 34; DX 10; IQ 2; HT 11.

HP 34; Will 10; Per 11; FP 11; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 6.

SM +4 (9 hexes), 5,000 lbs.

Bite (12): 3d+4 cutting. Reach C. Effective ST 36 for grappling.

Fore-Claw (12): 1d+2 cutting. Reach C-3. Effective ST 19 for grappling.

Hind-Claw (10): 3d+5 cutting. Reach C-4. Effective ST 38 for grappling.

Traits: Born Biter 3; Discriminatory Smell; DR 2; Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 12); Limited Camouflage; Reduced Consumption 1 (Water only); Weak Arms (½ ST); Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-12; Running-12; Stealth-12; Survival (Plains)-12; Wrestling-12.

The largest specimens of A. fragilis (10,000 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 43 (damage becomes 5d+3 with a bite, 2d+1 with a fore-claw, and 5d+4 with a hind-claw) but drop Move to 4 (reducing ground speed with Enhanced Move to 8). For A. europaeus (3,300 lbs.) and A. jimmadseni (3,500 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 30 (damage becomes 3d+2 with a bite, 1d+1 with a fore-claw, and 3d+3 with a hind-claw).

Note: the reach for the limbs is excessive if you measure it from the front hex of the figure, since they shouldn't even be able to reach the front hex! Measure reach from the central hex for more realistic results, or just treat them all as Reach C.

Tyrannosaurus rex in GURPS

Tyrannosaurus rex ‘the king of the tyrant-lizards’ is the most iconic of all dinosaurs, the largest land predator that ever walked the Earth.

Anatomy

A heavily-built beast, with a broad snout, which flared out into even broader cheeks, a short thick neck, a stout body, relatively tiny arms, long legs, and a thick tail. The diminutive forelimbs had two claws each, while the hind feet had three which came into contact with the ground and one which didn’t. Its teeth were long, sharp, and set into a massive skull which could deliver intense bite forces. Lizard-like lips concealed the teeth, protecting them from the elements. Ridges of heavy scales covered the snout and curved back around the eyes. The skin of adults seems to have been entirely featherless and covered with small, round, non-overlapping scales. 

Movement

Although its long legs enabled long, energy-efficient strides, a fully grown tyrannosaur could not take advantage of this to achieve high speeds without risking injury. The colossal impact of each step was only somewhat managed by the thick cushioning on each foot.

Senses

Although its eyes are almost lost in the massive face, they were actually some of the largest of any animal. They seem to have been optimised for daylight and tyrannosaurs may have had vision better than birds of prey. Their hearing and sense of smell would also have been very good, with brain regions relating to them being enlarged.

Intelligence

Despite being stereotyped as crude and stupid, tyrannosaurs had relatively large brains, and would probably have been smarter than most reptiles, and possibly many birds and mammals. However, with large amounts of brain dedicated to processing sensory information and precise control over movement, it is doubtful there was much to spare for more abstract thinking.

Social Behaviour and Hunting Strategies

There is some evidence that tyrannosaurs lived in groups, although it is impossible to say how big they were or what social structures they formed. One hypothesis is that adults and young worked as a ‘combined arms’ team where the juveniles herded prey into the path of mature predators. If this wasn’t the case, they would have hunted different prey, occupying different ecological niches at different stages of development. While younger individuals could run their prey down quickly, older ones may have had to rely on ambush, or wearing down their target with lengthy pursuit. Few other large or medium sized predators seem to have been able to compete with them.

Habitat

T. rex lived across a huge area with multiple different types of terrain, from forests to semi-arid plains, but it was most common in the wetlands bordering the Western Interior Seaway (where the Great Plains are now). These would have been similar to the modern bayous of the Gulf Coast.

Tyrannosaurus rex

ST 46; DX 11; IQ 3; HT 12.
HP 46; Will 11; Per 13; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 5.
SM +4 (20 hexes), 12,000 lbs.

Bite (13): 6d+4 impaling. Reach C. If a bite hits, can grapple with effective ST 48.
Claw, Slash (13): 1d−1 cutting. Reach C.
Claw, Grapple (11): Reach C. Effective ST 14.
Stamp (10): 5d+6 crushing. Reach C.
Tail-Swipe (13): 5d+10 crushing. Reach 3. Rear only.
Trample (13): 5d+5 crushing. Against SM +2 (+3 if prone) or less.

Traits: Acute Vision 2; Born Biter 2; Discriminatory Smell; DR 3 (Tough Skin); DR 3 (Face Only); Ham-Fisted 2; Limited Camouflage; 2 Short Arms; Silence 1; Striker (Tail; Cannot Parry; Limited Arc, Rear); Striking ST 5 (Bite only); Subsonic Hearing; Weak Arms (¼ ST); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Hiking-16; Intimidation-12; Stealth-12; Survival (Swampland)-13; Swimming-14; Tracking-17; Wrestling-13.

This profile represents a typical adult T. rex. The very largest (18,000 lbs.) get ST and HP 52, giving effective ST 54 with a biting grapple and 15 with a claw grapple. Damage increases to 6d+7 with a bite, 1d with a claw, 6d+6 with a stamp, 6d+12 with the tail, and 6d+5 when trampling. For a small adult or nearly-mature sub-adult (7,000 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 38, SM to +3 (16 hexes), DR (both) to 2, and Striking ST to 3. This changes effective ST to 40 with a bite grapple, 12 with a claw grapple. Tail reach becomes 2 and maximum SM for trampling victims becomes +1. Damage changes to 4d+5 with a bite, 1d−2 with a claw, 4d+5 with a stamp, 4d+8 with the tail, and 4d+4 when trampling.

Juveniles

Young tyrannosaurs looked quite different to the adults. They were small, lightly-built, very long-legged, and probably covered in fluffy proto-feathers for insulation. Smaller body mass allowed them to run faster than their parents.

ST 25; DX 11; IQ 2; HT 12.
HP 25; Will 10; Per 12; FP 12; Speed 5.00; Dodge 8; Move 5.
SM +2 (9 hexes), 2,000 lbs.

Bite (12): 2d+1 cutting. Reach C. If a bite hits, can grapple with effective ST 26.
Claw, Slash (12): 1d−5 cutting. Reach C.
Claw, Grapple (10): Reach C. Effective ST 7.
Kick (10): 2d+2 cutting. Reach C-2.
Tail-Swipe (12): 2d+4 crushing. Reach 2. Rear only.

Traits: Acute Vision 1; Born Biter 2; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1 (Tough Skin); DR 1 (Face Only); Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed 10); Ham-Fisted 2; Limited Camouflage; 2 Short Arms; Silence 1; Striker (Tail; Cannot Parry; Limited Arc, Rear); Subsonic Hearing; Weak Arms (¼ ST); Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-12; Stealth-12; Survival (Swampland)-12; Swimming-13; Tracking-15; Wrestling-12.

For an even younger juvenile (200 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 12. This changes damage to 1d−2 with a bite, 1d−6 with a claw, 1d−1 with a kick, and 1d with a tail-swipe.

Alternative Takes

Early interpretations of T. rex were essentially similar to the current scientific consensus: it was a slow-moving predator with many lizard-like features, about 40 feet long and weighing around six tons. The main differences were that it was often portrayed in a somewhat upright tail-dragging posture, and that it was believed, like most dinosaurs, to be profoundly stupid. Reduce adult IQ to 2 and remove Enhanced Move on the juvenile to represent such creatures.

Tyrannosaurus rex, by Charles R. Knight (1940)

Some have suggested that tyrannosaurs were more scavengers than hunters. Large terrestrial scavengers are rather rare, and it seems unlikely that a warm-blooded animal of such size would be able to find enough carrion to sustain it. However, if you want to create a giant land vulture, add Reduced Consumption (Cast-Iron Stomach) or Resistant to Disease, remove the Stealth skill, and increase Survival. Either hunting or scavenging could have been combined with kleptoparasitism, stealing the kills of smaller predators. Given their dominance of all ecological roles for large predators, this could mean mostly stealing from their own species! Improve Intimidation if this is a major source of food.

A more recent trend was to assume that they could sprint quite fast. The latest computer modelling suggests that the leg bones of a full-sized adult would crack under the strain of moving more than about 11 miles per hour. Add up to 2 levels of Enhanced Move to the adult if you wish to ignore that.

Many skeletons which are generally accepted as belonging to T. rex have been classed as different species at some point. Any of the alternative profiles could be used for one of these species. For example, a fully grown T. imperator would use the largest adult profile.

The Limited Camouflage perk reflects the fact that pack hunting or ambush require significant stealth, so some form of camouflage seems likely. Scavengers and long-distance pursuit predators may not need concealment, and so adult tyrannosaurs who use such tactics may lack effective camouflage.

Aesthetic details like whether they had lips (and, if so, how large) and the possible presence of some proto-feathers on adults make no difference in the rules but has long been the subject of passionate debate.