This immense saurian has a long tooth-filled maw, powerful claws, and colorful spines running the length of its spine. An adult dire spinosaurus is 70 feet long and weighs 35,000 pounds or more, and a young spinosaurus is 20 feet long and weighs 6,000 pounds or more.

Spinosauruses mate each year in the winter. Male spinosauruses bring food and help build an enormous nest of reeds, sticks, and mud. Then the male departs, leaving the female to lay and care for the eggs. Spinosaurus eggs are typically found in nests along riversides or deep in marshes.

A spinosaurus is a land and riverine predator capable of carrying a platoon of lizardfolk long distances on raids. Often called a river king or river dragon, they are worshiped by bullywugs and other primitive humanoids.

Friend to Lizardfolk. The spinosaurus is a special saurian bred for size and loyalty by lizardfolk. Lizardfolk prize them like prime warhorses, and lavish them with food and care.

Swift Predator. A spinosaurus is quick on both land and water.

Spinosauruses As Mounts

They are sometimes stolen and sold, generally to lizardfolk and sometimes to daring humans with a knack for training animals. These eggs are worth as much as 2,000 gp apiece; live young are worth twice that. Characters eager for dire spinosaurus mounts, however, should note that buying or domesticating such an enormous carnivore requires vast amounts of food and vast stores of patience. They do not take easily to domestication.

Before it can be ridden in combat, a spinosaurus must practice bearing the weight of its trainer and passengers.

They rarely master more than a handful of tricks, but they are extremely comfortable in the water and are aware that some of their riders may not breathe water.

An adult spinosaurus can carry up to six tons as cargo.

Riding a spinosaurus requires an exotic saddle, riding platform, or howdah.

Lizardfolk use spinosauruses as a mode of transportation; they are large enough to pull barges or to carry a crew of raiders anywhere on the rivers, and they are reasonably swift overland as well. Lizardfolk scouts are especially fond of these enormous reptiles, as they are powerful combatants and capable of carrying a dozen lizardfolk warriors.

In addition to their role as trained raiders, some spinosauruses live in or along major river systems. There they are also called "river dragons" or sometimes "river walkers". They are kept as sacred animals in several river temples, where they are fed regular meals and have been known to grow to enormous size and strength.

Finally, spinosauruses carry high value spice cargoes when banditry is rife or when a lizardfolk mercenary company is available to guard materials.

These beasts are often especially bred for gaudy coloration: green-and-orange, blue-and-gold, and even red-and-black bloodlines are spotted occasionally.