Dinosaur, Leptoceratops
Leptoceratops
This strange beaked creature has a thick neck and barrel-like body. Its tail is high and broad. Despite its small stature, it is powerfully muscled.
Leptoceratops are strange man-sized relatives of the more famous ceratopsian dinosaurs like triceratops and styracosaurus. In ecosystems dominated by dinosaurs, they fill a niche similar to pigs, eating just about anything that can fit in their mouths and being able to thrive on marginal foods. Their powerful crushing jaws and cast-iron stomachs can process fibrous vegetation and poisonous plants, and they are known to scavenge on bones and crack open turtles and mollusks. They are irascible and peevish creatures, and predators of their size tend to avoid them for fear of their strong bite. For larger predators, leptoceratops typically rely on stealth, or climbing onto rocky ledges or large trees where their enemies cannot follow. They typically walk on all fours, but may rise onto their back legs when fleeing from danger.
In civilized lands, leptoceratops are sometimes called “goblin pigs” due to their huge heads and voracious appetites. Some goblinoid tribes keep leptoceratops as guard animals and garbage disposals, feeding them scraps and trash too nasty for even goblins to stomach. Gnomes are also drawn to leptoceratops for their strange appearance, and gnomish knights-errant can sometimes be found perched atop a leptoceratops steed.
Leptoceratops as Animal Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft..; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d6); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 7; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent, sure footed
4th-Level Advancement: AC +2 natural armor Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2; Special Qualities chomp
A leptoceratops is suitable as a mount for a Small cavalier and can be summoned using a paladin’s divine bond class feature.
Leptoceratops CR 2
XP 600
N Medium animal
Init +0; Senses low-light vision, Perception +7, scent
Defense
AC 13, touch 10, flat-footed 13 (+3 natural)
hp 22 (3d8+9)
Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +1
Defensive Abilities sure footed
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +6 (1d6+6 plus chomp)
Statistics
Str 18, Dex 11, Con 16, Int 2, Wis11, Cha 7
Base Atk +2; CMB +6 (+8 sunder); CMD 16 (18 vs. sunder, 20 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance,Improved Sunder (B), Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Acrobatics +8,Climb +8,Perception +7, Stealth +4; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Climb
Ecology
Environment warm and temperate hills
Organization solitary, pair or clutch (3-6)
Treasure none
Special Abilities
Chomp (Ex) A leptoceratops gains Improved Sunder as a bonus feat. If it successfully hits a creature wearing armor with its bite attack, it can make a combat maneuver to sunder the foe’s armor as a swift action.
Sure Footed (Ex) A leptoceratops is not treated as flat-footed when it uses the Acrobatics or Climb skills.