Monster Monday: Carnotaurus, the Horned Predator

Today's Monster Monday is carnotaurus, a horn-headed giant predatory dinosaur. Carnotaurs was an abelisaurid - a group of bipedal predators from the Late Cretaceous southern hemisphere who had comically small arms - smaller even than a tyrannosaurus rex. I mean, their wimpy little baby arms aren't their defining characteristic, but they are pretty noticeable.

carnotaurus reconstruction by DiBgd, altered by Steveoc 86, via Wikimedia

Little arms aside, carnotaurus was a legitimately terrifying predator. It was one of the fastest of the large theropods, capable of running up to 30 mph. It could also work its toothy mouth very quickly, delivering slashing bites to its prey. There are two main theories about how it hunted - one points to its speed and its almost snake-like jaw to suggest that the carnotaurus chased down and swallowed whole smaller prey. Another theory suggests it would dart into herds of titanosaurs and deliver dozens of quick slashing bites to the giant creature's flanks, letting them bleed out so it could feast on them later. I say: why not both?

Carnotaurus illustration by Lida Xing and Yi Liu, from this article on how carnotaurus was so fast, via Wikimedia

So what about those horns? Most theropods don't have horns like that. In fact, carnotaurus is the only one. They might have used them to ram other carnotauruses in mating displays, like rams do. They might have used them for self-defense against other predators. They might - and this is my favorite theory - have used them to clear a space around a carcass so they could feast, spiking others who tried to horn in on their spot.

In any case, the creature presented below has both bite and gore attacks, it can swallow creatures whole with its bite attack, and deliver a free bull rush attempt with its gore attack. It also has a move speed of 50 ft., the same as a horse, letting easily catch up to a group of adventurers and commence with the biting.

The following text in gold is available as Open Game Content under the OGL. Open Game Content is ©2017 Jonah Bomgaars.

This huge beast pounds forward on two powerful legs, its head sporting a toothy maw and thick horns

Carnotaurus          CR 7

XP 3,200

N Huge animal

Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10

DEFENSE

AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+3 Dex, -2 size, +12 natural)

hp 93 (11d8+44)

Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +5

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft.

Melee bite +14 (2d8+8 plus grab/19-20), gore +14 (2d8+8 plus bull rush)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks forceful horns, swallow whole (Small-sized or smaller creatures only, 4d6 acid damage, AC 16, 9 hp)

STATISTICS

Str 26, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 7

Base Atk +8; CMB +18 (+22 bull rush or grapple); CMD 31

Feats Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Run, Toughness

Skills Perception +10, Stealth +2

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Forceful Horns (Ex)

Upon making a successful gore attack, a carnotaurus can initiate a bull rush combat maneuver against the target as a free action as if it had the Improved Bull Rush feat. It gains a +2 racial bonus to all bull rush attempts.

ECOLOGY

Environment temperate and warm plains

Organization solitary

Treasure none

Carnotaurus is a large predatory dinosaur noted for the pair of thick horns jutting out above either eye. It uses these horns to ram its rivals in mating displays and to clear other predators away from a kill. It is one of the fastest of the large predatory dinosaurs, its powerful legs and muscular tail helping it reach speeds of 30 miles per hour. It uses its incredible speed and fast-snapping jaws to snatch up smaller prey and swallow it whole, or to pursue large sauropods and wear them down with dozens of slashing bites. In contrast to its impressive legs, the arms of the carnotaurus are shrunken and disused, smaller even than those of a tyrannosaurus. Unlike many predatory dinosaurs, carnotaurus has no feathers, but a scaly skin marked by several parallel ridges.

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Plot Hooks and Encounter Ideas

• Carnotauruses have recently begun crossing the mountains, wreaking havoc on the kingdom's valuable elephant herds.
• A necromancer riding a skeletal carnotaurus.
• The party's favorite pub is threatened with closure by a power-hungry duke who wants the land for a private bathhouse. By royal law, the only way they can stop the takeover is if they beat the duke in a dinosaur race, but the duke's prized tyrannosaurus, Blue Betsy, is undefeated. Can the party capture and train a carnotaurus? Can their rag-tag dino-racing team beat the duke and save the tavern?

-your epaxial d20 despot