Can dinosaurs and dragons live together in harmony at your game table? With a little creativity, Ben thinks there’s no bones about it.
Let’s start by unearthing some possible homebrewed plot lines. Maybe dinosaurs actually pre-date elf, dwarf and man…so much so that there has been an outcropping of strange bone discoveries in outlying areas of your character’s home city. A paranoid king then sends your party out to collect them all before more pop up and a panic ensues. Or, how about a crazy old wizard accidentally discovers some prehistoric bones and becomes obsessed with bringing these creatures back to life to do his own bidding?
Look no further than Dark Sun if you want to utilize an existing D&D campaign setting. The Creature Catalog is stuffed with all sorts of monsters that might have dinosaur ties one way or another. Plus, sand dunes and old bones are a natural marriage for any RPG setting.
You can dust off a few mini options too. Who can forget the WotC dinosaur miniature (Fiendish Tyrannosaurus, 68 of 72) from the first huge set, Legend of the Giants? Lords of Madness also had a triceratops-looking mini with its rendition of the Trihorn Behemoth. Lastly, don’t be afraid to search your local dollar store or scour the web for more options. Ben picked up some slick Dinosaur Fossil Skeleton figures which would look great in a Dark Lord’s castle museum.
Your terrain choices are primo. D&D made two different tile sets that scream archeology. Dire Tombs and Desert of Athas have all sorts of applicable landscapes. Ben likes to mix these tiles with Hirst Arts Egyptian molds series. Be sure to check out the experimental video we did on YouTube for a better look. For flock, Oregon Beach Sand from Skullcrafts is still Ben’s top choice – both for terrain and miniature basing.
Finally, for table accessories, Acheson Creations has all sorts of amazing Dinosaur options (painted and unpainted). Make sure you check out their booth at Gen Con this year – always so much fun. Pegasus Hobbies also used to sell some really neat pieces – Ben nabbed these dinosaur bones many moons ago.
If anything, consider your little D&D dino experiment as an homage to Indiana Jones and all those great movies. Did we mention he didn’t like snakes?
Questions to Ponder: Ever played an existing D&D module with dinosaurs as some of the baddies? If so, which one? Do dinosaurs pre-date D&D society? Ever make a custom dinosaur-style monster?
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