[If ever a dinosaur needed taxonomic reassessment, it would be Psittacosaurus here. I know that species concepts are tricky things for fossil taxa, but compared to the monotypic genera of most dinosaur taxonomy, having eleven species spanning 25 million years seems pretty weird. The real Psittacosaurus’ bristles show no evidence of being porcupine-like quills, but artistic license took over there.]
Dinosaur, Psittacosaurus This pudgy reptilian creature
stands on two legs, balanced by a long, thick tail covered in thin quills. Its head
bears a parrot-like beak and wide cheekbones.
Gregarious
omnivores able to survive in almost any terrain, psittacosauruses are small
relatives of the larger and more famed triceratops. Like their huge kin,
psittacosauruses are not choosy eaters, feeding on roots and tubers, shrubs,
seeds, nuts and even small animals and eggs. Lacking horns, psittacosauruses
use their powerful beaks and their unusual quilled tails for defense. These
quills are as sharp and as pernicious as those of a porcupine and can lead to
permanent disfigurement for an unwary predator.
Psittacosauruses
prefer the company of others of their own species, living in extended family
groups of cousins and siblings. Although psittacosauruses brood their eggs, the
young are born able to walk and feed themselves and join the herd mere hours
after hatching. Psittacosaurus herds move based on the resources available to
them—those living in forests roam with the seasons, whereas those in plains and
deserts are constantly wandering in the search for food and water. A
psittacosaurus grows to six feet in length at maximum, although half of that is
tail. They weigh about 50 pounds.
Psittacosaurus Animal Companions Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 30 feet; AC +2
natural armor; Attack bite (1d4),
tail (1d3); Ability Scores Str 10,
Dex 13, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 5; Special
Qualities low-light vision, quills 4th-Level Advancement:
Ability Scores Str
+2, Con +2
Psittacosauruses are only known from Cannehr, where they inhabit the deep caves below that island. The troglodytes use them as a food source, considering them too weak to be of use in battle.
Shores of Swords 