D&D Beyond Goes Prehistoric With Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs
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If you’ve ever felt that D&D needs less dragons and more dinosaurs, then you’re definitely in luck. The popular third-party supplement Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs is now available on D&D Beyond.
Originally published by indie TTRPG publisher PalaeoGames in 2023 after a highly successful Kickstarter, the book is written by Dr. Nathan T. Barling and Dr. Michael O’Sullivan, two real world palaeontologists who decided to blend scientifically accurate dinosaurs with the Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E ruleset.
So just what can fans expect in this blend of magic and the Mesozoic? Below, we dig up all the details.
What’s in the original Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs?
The original 2023 version of Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs is a 300-page supplement designed for the 2014 D&D 5E rules (with a later version ported over to Pathfinder Second Edition). The book includes
- 57 new Mesozoic creature stat blocks, plus 55 magical variants
- 20 new Mesozoic plant species with in-game rules
- 20 new palaeontology-themed NPCs
- 6 new playable species
- 3 new subclasses
- 3 new backgrounds
- 4 holistic environments with in-game effects
- 8 new feats
- 30 new items
- Tables for evolutionary mutations, realistic behaviours and dinosaur names
- Rules for taming and riding dinosaurs
What’s included in Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs on D&D Beyond?
The D&D Beyond version of Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs appear to be a slightly cut down version of the original book and includes the following:
- 6 new species: The Pluvenn (raptor-folk with a culture reminiscent of Edwardian England), the Manyhorn (urban ceratops-folk known for their urban guilds), the Jeholrak (small, skulking dino-folk who rely on stealth and subterfuge), the Ankylier (hulking ankylosaur-folk known for their armor and metal work), the Limukin (reclusive dino-folk who use poison and cunning to take down their enemies) and The Children of Seth (flying pterosaur-folk travel the world as traders, explorers and wanderers)
- 3 new prehistoric-themed subclasses: The Big Game Hunter Ranger (inspired by classical pith-helmeted hunters, who use melee weapons, magic and special ammunition to take down their prey), the Bonesmith Fighter (a gory combat blacksmith who can construct armor and weapons from the carcasses of slain foes) and the Circle of Cylces Druid (spellcasters who tap into the impact of time and evolution on nature).
- 57 dinosaur and pterosaur stat blocks: This includes familiar creatures like the Velociraptor, Spinosaurus and Quetzalcoatlus, as well as more obscure dino variants like the Garjainia and Tanystropheus.
- 4 detailed environments: This includes The Yixian Formation (a chilly high-altitude volcanic environment populated by fuzzy dinosaurs, frigid forests and volcanic lakes), The Bahariya Formation (a coastal mangrove environment teeming with life and filled with an abnormally high number of giant predators), Hațeg Island (a remote area populated by miniature dinosaurs that lived in the shadows of giant flying predatory pterosaurs) and The Crato Formation. (an arid scrubland hides along with dark waters inhabited by deadly predadtors)
- 20 real prehistoric plants: Each comes with its own Optional Magical Rules that allow players to interact with them. Notably, all of the plants illustrated by palaeobotanist Julianne Kiely, several of which had never been reconstructed before.
- 30 magic items, including enchanted tools that can be used for scientistic research or to take down dinosaurs in combat.
- 8 Feats: These are all palaeontology and geology-themed, with options such as Behaviourist and Volcanologist
- 3 Backgrounds: This includes the Time-Lost, Palaeontologist and Geologist, each of which also includes personality tables.
It’s important to note the book does in fact use the new D&D 2024 rules (which were recently reclassified as D&D 5.5e by Wizards of the Coast).
How much is Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs on D&D Beyond?
The supplement retails for $29.99 USD on D&D Beyond., which is fairly comparable to other recent D&D third-party products that have been released in recent months.
Notably, the PDF version of the book retails for about $35 USD on the PaleoGames website, while the physical version is going for around $65 USD (not including shipping and handling) with the PDF included, so the price point isn’t too bad as far as D&D Beyond is concerned.
Final Thoughts
Dinosaurs have actually been in Dungeons & Dragons for almost as long as the game has existed. Yet for the most part they’ve been treated as mindless monsters that can be dropped into the occasional jungle setting. With Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs, however, these unique creatures have been given a much more nuanced, creative and scientifically accurate treatment, so it’s great to see the book reach an even wider audience.
You can pick up Dr Dhrolin’s Dictionary of Dinosaurs now on D&D Beyond.
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Jason Volk is the Publisher of Dungeons & Dragons Fanatics and lives in the wilds of Western Canada. He has been playing D&D for over 25 years and is a huge fan of Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms. His favorite character of all time was a Necromancer named Neek who spent most of his adventuring career resurrecting the corpses of slain monsters. When he’s not playing TTRPGs, Jason enjoys video games, Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, watching football and spending time with his wife and adorably nerdy children.
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