#platecarpus

Mosasaur

these are redraws of my old mosasaur arts. originals are lower.

i made jormungandr with that "hainosaurus" (now one of the tylosaurus species) pattern.

Image © Gabriel Ugueto, accessed on his twitter here

[Paizo's record with prehistoric reptiles is, I would say, "enthusiastic but mixed". The dinosaur art in the 1e Bestiary was frankly hideous, but later books and the new edition improved the quality of their art immensely. The art for the mosasaur genus Tylosaurus in 1e, is much better than the 2e art. And as far as accuracy goes, neither version has the streamline shape and lobed tails that we know that mosasaurs have. And in both 1e and 2e, the mosasaur statistics include a land speed, which would be impossible for derived mosasaurs (early members of the group were probably amphibious). So this version of the platecarpus is based on the 2e version, only with more attempts at accuracy. The real Platecarpus was more like a pilot whale and less like a killer whale as far as its diet and behavior, as far as we know. But Pathfinder animals at least have the excuse of Lamashtu for them to be violently disposed towards player characters.]

Platecarpus CR 4 N Animal This creature looks like a cross between a whale and a lizard, with a low triangular head and four broad flippers. Its tail has a vertical fluke, the lower lobe much longer than the upper.

The platecarpus is an example of the group of animals known as mosasaurs. Mosasaurs are lizards that have evolved a fully aquatic lifestyle, and their bodies converge on the shapes of whales. Unlike most other lizards, mosasaurs give birth to live young. Platecarpuses cannot support their own weight on land and tend to live in warm, shallow seas. A platecarpus is mid-sized by the standards of mosasaurs, and fills a niche as a mesocarnivore. They eat primarily fish and squid, and are themselves fed on by large sharks and larger mosasaurs. Platecarpuses occasionally eat larger prey, as their jaws are jointed and can expand to swallow fairly sizable morsels. They do not attack ships or groups of humanoids, but a lone humanoid may be seen as possible prey by a hungry platecarpus.

Platecarpus as Animal Companions A platecarpus companion uses the statistics of a tylosaurus companion (for a more realistic take, remove the land speed of the animal).                                                               

A Day in Niobrara