#aciedactylus

Some World of Kong sketches. I have this book, but I’ve really been itching to read it again.

Image by Greg Broadmore, © Universal Studios. Accessed at “Creature Adaptations” here

[Since The World of Kong was written by artists, not scientists, there’s a certain taxonomic looseness at play. Some of the creatures are just extant mammals painted over as reptiles. The monstrous vermin from the Spider Pit sequence are often generic creepy crawlies. And there’s a fair amount of just “dinosaurs” that don’t belong to any group in particular. Take Aciedactylus up there. Its clade isn’t specified, but I could see it as a modified allosaur, an early therizinosauroid, a basal tetanuran somewhere around Cryolophosaurus, or even a herrerrasaur of some kind. And needless to say, most of those assignments should give it feathers.

I should really quote the MST3K Mantra here, shouldn’t I? "It's just a show, I should really just relax" ]

Dinosaur, Aciedactylus CR 3 N Animal This bipedal dinosaur has a swollen belly and wide hips. Its feet are broadly splayed and its hands have narrow, curved claws.

The aciedactylus is a specialist predator of shellfish They live in estuaries, tide pools and salt marshes, using their narrow claws to pry mussels, oysters, barnacles and other stubborn morsels from their attachment points. The shells are then cracked open with blunt teeth and the flesh consumed. They are comfortable in the water, walking on the bottom as often as they swim. Their nostrils are elaborately fluted and open high on the head, allowing them to breathe while almost completely submerged.

Aciedactylus are nomadic creatures, roaming from one shellfish bed to another as the seasons change. They are more comfortable in saltwater than freshwater, and rarely spend much time in lakes or rivers. They are social among themselves if the food supply is ample, but the makeup of these prides fluctuates from season to season as some animals leave and others enter. Although their claws can deal with flesh as easily as shells, they are more likely to flee from a dedicated predator than they are to fight back.

Aciedactylus as Animal Companions Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft. AC +3 natural armor; Attack 2 claws (1d4), bite (1d3); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 3; Special Qualities hold breath, leverage, low-light vision, scent, tidepooler

7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack 2 claws (1d6), bite (1d4); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex –2, Con +4