Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Struthiomimus

Post by Jabroniville »

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STRUTHIOMIMUS
Role:
Special Mount, Scouting Mount
Mount For: Nimbus (Llahd Recolour)
PL 5 (35)- Minion Rank 3, Sidekick Rank 7
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 5 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+6)
Close Combat (Kick) 1 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 4 (+1)
Perception 4 (+5)
Stealth 1 (+5)

Advantages:
Move-By Action

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Powerful Kick" Strength-Damage +1 [1]
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 1 (Str & Sta +1, +1 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -0 Dodge/Parry, -1 Stealth) -- (8 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [3]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Kick +5 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +5 (+6 Harness), Fortitude +5, Will +2

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 16 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 0 (35)

STRUTHIOMIMUS HARNESS- 11 Equipment Points
Seats:[/b] One (standard saddle)
Armour: Protection 1 (large saddle harness) (1)
Weaponry: Double-Barrelled Laser on One Side (Blast 5) (10)

-Okay, as far as Dinosaurs go, anyone left riding the Struthiomimus definitely got the short end of the stick for mounts. I mean, come on, the thing is like THE prey species of Dinosaur-related media (basically like a Wildebeest or the Washington Generals or something), since it has no natural defenses other than running, and is skinny and kind of goofy looking. Still, it's so famous that it needed SOMEONE to ride it, so we got a Llahd repaint (I liked Nimbus better than Llahd because of the cooler colouration) as a suitable kid rider. And really, this is one of the most beautiful toy designs of the entire line, MUCH better than the ugly Deinonychi, or even the bigger models like the T-Rex, Triceratops, etc. that all look kind of fat and silly without their armour. This thing was magnificently sculpted (the 2nd generation of toys was, in general, MUCH cooler as far as the dinos themselves went- they just lacked the oomph and size of the first one) and had great colouration. It's still a Struthiomimus, though.

-One of the weaker Dinos as far as War Machines go, it has weaker Blast 5 as Equipment, and few natural weapons, making it a semi-accurate but weak fighter. It is fast, though, and makes for an excellent scout. Totally sucks compared to the Deinonychus, but it's actually QUITE large for one of its species (in both the show and the toy, it looks HUGE)- I had to use my Gallimimus stats instead of those for the Struthiomimus.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (T-Rex! Sauropods! Liopleurodon! Dino-Riders!)

Post by Jabroniville »

So how's everyone handling the update numbers? Thorp made me realize I might be over-doing it, but I've had these done since like December and felt it was finally time to post them, and so much of it was re-posts :).

Though actually, most of the new Dinos came just a week or two ago, but they were pretty easy to do (Megalosaurus is literally the same build as Allosaurus, for example).

I just don't wanna bury everybody in "new" builds and make it impossible to keep up while I'm spamming out the backlog.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (T-Rex! Sauropods! Liopleurodon! Dino-Riders!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Episode reviews, as always:

Episode One: They throw us RIGHT into the thick of things without explanation, as apparently Krulos and his "Rulon Empire" are chasing a Valorian ship and it's "S.T.E.P. Crystal" (the Super-Macguffin of the series with transportational powers), but they end up getting both ships sucked into a timewarp, leaving Krulos with just his mothership. Could they have POSSIBLY ripped off the opening to The Transformers anymore? That's almost EXACTLY what happened in that show!

Both groups figure out they're on Prehistoric Earth and the Valorians just decide that Earth is their new home forever, and begin teaming with dinosaurs by using their little silver necklaces to communicate simple orders with them. This friendly-like partnership contrasts the evil Rulons, who just use "Brain Boxes" to mind control dinosaurs into being their slaves. Well, it's still more humane than Pokemon. Many initial personality types are established immediately, with impetuous Yungstar, idealistic Llahd, wise Mind-Zei, nasty Rasp, and gargling, laughing Krulos. Funny how they could use the term "kill" frequently in the older cartoons- the fact that you can't in most cartoons anymore actually gives it a LOT more impact in older works (sorta like how the Piledriver is always a bigger finisher when it's a banned move in wrestling).

Apparently lasers can blow up rocks just fine, but never so much as leave a dent in a dinosaur- all the dinos basically just get zapped and kind of shrug it off. Though a few Pteranodons fall. All the characters have the same dinosaurs at first, save the Rulons' capturing of a Tyrannosaurus Rex for Krulos' own personal mount, which rapidly turns the tide in the big slugfest. Even the Valorians' unique Diplodocus can't help! An aimed shot on a Brain Box (a recurring trend in the show) saves the day, as Krulos calls the retreat.

Not a BAD first episode, but it leaves out a lot of stuff (nobody's there for exposition to explain why Valorians have telepathy or what they were doing in space). The animation's quite basic (the fight scenes are generic and the actual animation is QUITE chunky), but it can easily handle dozens of dinosaurs on screen at once (generally Monoclonius & Deinonychus are used as the "Generic Mounts", with a few Triceratopses out there as well; bad guys use brown Pteranodons, while the heroes are on purple Quetzalcoatluses, which are not named), which is WAY beyond what a lot of shows were capable of- they basically sacrifice animation quality for art style, which is a pretty good trade in a show based around dinosaurs and cool armour. The characters really don't showcase themselves much, only getting a few things to say each- they'd get more focus later. The "Gerry Conway" fellow who wrote the opener hopefully didn't quit his day job :).

Episode Two: We begin with Serena & Yungstar having a friendly race (though he only hits on her like once- there's very little romantic content in boys' cartoons, cuz boys I guess just don't like that) and coming across the now-wild T-Rex (still with some armaments). They keep it away from a Stegosaurus, because I guess carnivores just have to starve. We meet dozens of the new "toys" at the same time, with the Stego showing up, plus Pachycephalosaurus & Dimetrodon for the Valorians and Saurolophus for the bad guys. Krulos is now bossing around Krok and Skate at first instead of Rasp & Antor. Plus Questar is now talking to some brown-suited generic guy named Tark (Stegosaurus rider in the toys), Commando, Vector (a Van Dyke AND a cool wrist bracelet that gives him instant info? AWESOME), Ikon (an unemotional albino with a staff) & Tagg (the only black dude on Valoria, I guess) also show up.

An earthquake damages the Valorian base and runs off all the dinosaurs, and now they need to get some lava to fix their S.T.E.P. Crystal- Yungstar does this by repeatedly smashing a Pachycephalosaurus into a volcano and then shooting the damaged spot. Well I can't find a flaw in that plan at all. Llahd gets captured and held for ransom for the S.T.E.P. because we need something ELSE to happen in this story. The heroes rescue him thanks to the "Dimetrodon Trick" (hiding their saddles on the other side of the creature's sail), but oddly leave the Ant-Men with their Brain Boxed Triceratops. There's a big fight in the valley, won thanks to smart tactics (ie. Distract & Landslide).

This one's a bit disjointed, but it's actually interesting because such a giant pile of things happen. A few too many characters flying around to be anything other than "that guy who shows up", though- were we supposed to like Tark, Vector & Tagg because of their two lines each? Keep in mind this show has very generic character designs thanks to the dinos being at the forefront.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Deinonychus (Both Versions)

Post by Jabroniville »

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ANTOR
Role:
Ambitious Underling
PL 7 (52)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 0

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+6)
Deception 2 (+2)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Survival) 1 (+2)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 2 (+3)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+6)
Intimidation 5 (+5)
Perception 1 (+2)
Technology 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Equipment 5 (Lasers- Blast 4, Deinonychus Harness), Ranged Attack 3, Sidekick 21

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lasers +7 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Deinonychus Guns +7 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation (Conquering)- The Rulon Empire is devoted to ruling the universe.
Weakness (Brain Boxes)- The Rulons can only control disagreeable dinosaurs by means of Brain Boxes on their heads- if the Boxes are blasted off (a semi-difficult Called Shot, depending on the size of the Box), the creature will go wild, usually shaking off its riders or armaments, and run off the battlefield.

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 24--12 / Advantages: 29 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 5 (88)

---

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DEINONYCHUS
Role:
Background Mount
Mount For: Sky (Valorian Generic), Antor (Rulon General)
PL 8 (106)- Minion Rank 7, Sidekick Rank 21
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+11)
Close Combat (Claws) 1 (+8)
Expertise (Survival) 5 (+7)
Intimidation 14 (+12 Size)
Perception 5 (+7)
Stealth 5 (+9, +6 Size)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical (Claws), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
Protection 1 [1]
Speed 3 (16 mph) [3]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]
"Terrible Claws" Strength-Damage +2 [2]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +7 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Claws +8 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +8

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7 (+8 Harness), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 56 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 15 / Defenses: 10 (106)

DEINONYCHUS HARNESS- 14 Equipment Points
Seats:
One rider
Armour: Protection 1 (light saddle) (1)
Weaponry: Twin Blasters (Blast 6- Split) (13)

-The Deinonychus was really in its infant stages as a pop culture phenomenon in the mid-1980s, in that it frequently appeared in children's books and articles/education about Dinosaurs, but it's complicated name and less-flashy nature compared to the Big Six made it much less well-known to the non-Dino-obsessed audience. It wasn't until Jurassic Park came out with it's altered-size "Velociraptors" (really just this animal with the cooler name) that things EXPLODED, turning our Big Six into a Big Seven. Dino-Riders takes place back when "Deinonychus" was still the accepted name for these critters, and they were still famous enough to be used by BOTH sides of the Dino-War- the only dinosaur species to do so in the cartoon (the toys later add a Quetzalcoatlus to both). Since Jurassic Park was released, this animal would nearly ALWAYS be relegated to the villains' side.

-Its riders are just Valorian gener-o "Sky", and the Rulon Antor, one of the four "Generals". Antor's really just Rasp through-and-through, as the show couldn't be bothered to flesh out its supporting cast much more than that (think of him like Thundercracker or Skywarp compared to Starscream). But he IS one of those few bad guys voiced by Peter "Optimus Prime" Cullen, with a voice very similar to Cindarr in Visionaries. Antor represents well the Rulon Generals- a stronger, better fighter, but still kind of dumb by the standards of a Valorian, and his PL gets an upgrade thanks to his Dinosaur Gear- most Dino-Riders characters are higher than PL 5 by virtue of their creatures' gear.

-Both Deinonychus figures are quite common, though the gear has some small bits that are hard to find. The Valorian version is very smooth, with some TINY seat-guns, while the Rulon one has an exceptionally-delicate Brain Box (prone to snapping at the thinnest portions) and an "engine" on the back connected by a tiny sliver of plastic. You're way, WAY better off just buying "complete" ones, lest you spend a fortune hunting down the "side bits". The Rulon version is rare in that I actually found it at an Antique Store in town- Dino-Riders are almost IMPOSSIBLE to find "in the wild" in Western Canada. That's why I've had to hunt down all the other tiny damn bits- this guy was my first "new" Dino-Rider.

-The Deinonychus is a pretty notorious predator nowadays, and it's reflected in the nastiness of this build. Basically a very accurate predator with sharp natural weapons, it's boosted by the Mounted Rider on it's back. Scale issues kinda persist with the Dino-Riders line, as the really small size of the humanoid figures makes this 8-12 foot Dino look like it has Growth 2, effectively equaling the size of a UTAHRAPTOR, a MUCH nastier monster. Since they're not treated like the pure Death Monsters that Utahraptors would be, and are instead more innocuous mounts (they are usually chased off by anything large in the show).
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Ares
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Re: Jab's Builds! (T-Rex! Sauropods! Liopleurodon! Dino-Riders!)

Post by Ares »

Dino-Riders is an amazing concept that by all rights should have been the next G.I. Joe, Transformers or Masters of the Universe. I mean, it basically combines everything little kids love into one glorious package. Dinosaurs provide an almost infinite number of creatures to draw on, the models were well made, the box art was awesome, etc.

Besides the toys being expensive, I think the biggest problem was the cartoon meant to sell the toys was underwhelming. Every episode was basically the bad guys having a scheme of the weak to try and get the STEP crystal from the good guys so they could get home. Sure, most He-Man episodes were about Skeletor trying to either break into Castle Greyskull or kill He-Man, but the setting was rich enough that he could go about it in an endless number of ways. The Decepticons had a combo of "take over the world" + "obtain Energon" + "kill the Autobots" motivations that allowed for plenty of stories. Cobra had an endless number of James Bond "take over the world" plots that combined everything from teleportation devices to finding Excalibur.

But Dino-Riders? Dino-Riders was more or less the same story every week. They somehow managed to take an awesome premise that should have been guaranteed to make a hit, and made it boring.

What they probably should have done was either A) have the STEP shatter during the crash and have its pieces scatter across the world and become a MacGuffin they need to find or B) set the story on another planet.

In the case of A, the STEP shards become something the good guys and bad guys are constantly searching for, something they both need to be proactive about and can lead the constant need to explore, develop new weapons, etc. The STEP shards could also have some kind of space/time warping or mutegenic properties, so that the places where they land can become radically altered to provide weird landscapes, unique monsters or even allow creatures from different times to wander through portals. It could even explain why so many dinosaurs from different periods are all living in the same place together.

In the case of B, then you have the heroes and villains crash on some unknown world that definitely isn't Earth, but has dinosaurs across the planet along with some strange ruins, lost cities, etc. Have the mystery of the planet be a key factor, the heroes and villains having to explore the world to keep one step ahead of each other, trying to unravel the mysteries while still fighting each other, etc.

Basically anything but what the show actually did.
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Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Dimetrodon

Post by Jabroniville »

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DIMETRODON
Role:
Special Mount, Stealth Monster
Mount For: Shado (Generic Guy)
PL 6 (47)- Minion Rank 3, Sidekick Rank 9
STRENGTH
5 STAMINA 6 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+4)
Intimidation 10 (+8 Size)
Perception 4 (+4)

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Improved Critical, Improved Hold, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Synapsid Bite" Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Growth 2 (Str & Sta +2, +2 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -2 Stealth) -- (10 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [5]
Strength-Damage +1 [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Bite +5 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (DC 15), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +6 (+7 Harness), Fortitude +7, Will +5

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Dimetrodons cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Permian Era was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 4 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 11 (47)

DIMETRODON HARNESS- 14 Equipment Points
Seats:
One (saddle on one side of the sail)
Armour: Protection 1 (large-ish saddle) (1)
Weaponry: Big Gun on saddle, small gun on the side (Blast 6- Split) (13)

-Okay, Dimetrodon is a very well-known ancient creature, but an odd choice nonetheless for a combat-based show. Not really a dinosaur (this show made zero attempt to avoid being Anachronistic- Dimetrodons are as far ahead of Dinosaurs as dinosaurs are ahead of us), it's nonetheless packing that cool, iconic sail. The toy was sculpted just as well as the others in the 2nd Series (ie. AWESOMELY), but there's not a whole lot you can do with the armour (and they can't really pull off the show's "You can't see the guy on the other side of the Dimetrodon, so it's a good way to be stealthy" thing). Sold with a generic recolour dude in "Shado" and given a goofy-ass "Hidden Seat" function (despite the fact that you could always see the "hidden" armature), there was absolutely NO WAY this thing was ever getting really popular.

-Naturally, the toy has a LOT of really tiny bits, making it a giant pain in the ass to find intact- in particular, the little blue "seat connectors" are upwards of 12 bucks each, despite being about as big as my smallest fingernail. I actually constructed one out of a plastic Warhammer sprue and it did the job just fine :). The Seat Guns are also incredibly rare, and are the only ones to fit that particular seat.

-Another fairly weak Dino in real life, I had to use the stats for my Gorgonops (a related therapsid mammal-like creature), because the real-life Dimetrodon is nowhere NEAR as big as the one seen in the show or toyline. The Sail can sort of act as cover for the guy I guess, but that would damage the Dimetrodon. Otherwise it's basically kind of a wussy, smaller Land Crocodile. Shado up top is a pretty generic Valorian, as they weren't really aiming for big sales on this one, I can imagine. His "mold type" was rather barrel-chested- similar to Gunnur's mold- many of the cooler Dino Riders featured the "Shado-type", such as the rarer Hondo (blue & red).
MacynSnow
Posts: 5631
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:56 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (T-Rex! Sauropods! Liopleurodon! Dino-Riders!)

Post by MacynSnow »

Personally,i think Dino-Riders just suffered from a bad case of "Cartoon Wall-throwing":throw everything cool at the time into a show and see what sticks.And while i do admit the toys were "awesome"(at least to little Macyn),their main problem was that all the good part of the line was rather expensive to buy.At least MoTU were all generally the same prices,no matter the size(i think Castle Grayskull was the most expensive of the lot,i'm not sure though)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Styracosaurus

Post by Jabroniville »

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TURRET
Role:
The Tech Guy, Nerdy Scientist
PL 7 (113)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6)
Athletics 2 (+8) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 9 (+14)
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 2 (+7)
Expertise (Soldier) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 6 (+8)
Insight 1 (+3)
Perception 2 (+4)
Stealth 2 (+5)
Technology 9 (+14)
Treatment 2 (+7)

Advantages:
Equipment 7 (Lasers- Blast 4- Styracosaurus Harness), Inventor, Ranged Attack 2, Sidekick 13 (Styracosaurus), Teamwork

Powers:
"AMP Necklace" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Valorians) [10]
Communication (Mental) 2 (Extras: Area, Selective) (12)
Comprehend 1 (Speak To Animals) (2)
-- (14 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Lasers +6 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Styracosaurus Guns +6 (+8 Ranged Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications: 
Enemy (The Rulon Empire)- The Rulons have conquered Valoria, and are chasing after the remnants.
Responsibility (Pacifism)- Valorian culture is highly-pacifistic, and they do not naturally crave war. They also do not wish to harm dinosaurs, even the Rulons' slaves.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 7 (113)

---

STYRACOSAURUS
Role:
Special Mount, Small Ceratopsian Head-Swap
Mount For: Turret
PL 8 (67)- Minion Rank 5, Sidekick Rank 13
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 9 (+8 Size)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Horn) 2, Interpose

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Ceratopsian Horn" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 4) [6]
"Ceratopsian Neck Frill" Enhanced Dodge 1 & Parry 2 [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
"Dinosaur Stampede!" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Movement Path) [8]
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Horn +6 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Stampede +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (+5 Frill, DC 15), Parry +6 (+8 Frill, DC 18), Toughness +8 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 5 (67)

STYRACOSAURUS HARNESS- 25 Equipment Points
Seats:
One rider (seated in side-saddle)
Armour: Protection 1 (light, wide saddle) (1)
Weaponry: Two Double-Barrelled Blasters (Larger on on Top- Blast 8- Multiattack) (24)

-Turret is one of the most important characters in the Dino-Riders series, being the Techno-Guy. I mean, EVERY cartoon in the 1980s had at least one guy who was super-smart- the one who built everything, fixed everything and solved all the smart-guy problems around. They were pretty much indispensible, especially in war-themed shows like this one. He was your typical one, too- wears glasses, kind of shy and a loner, gets to prove himself every now and again, etc. Though at least all of the Valorians were pretty tech-savvy (Vector & Ikon were also generally smart and had lots of info at-hand) so he didn't have to do EVERYTHING. Turret got one episode of focus, as he runs off to prove himself after being embarrassed... because he saved everyone's lives with what he calls a "lucky shot". Twice. It was kinda weird.

-He got a pretty cool mount in the Styracosaurus, a much-more affordable version of the monstrous Triceratops/Torosaurus combo. A VERY generic-looking toy, though- having just a strap wrapping around the body with two big square-looking guns on it. A classic case of the weaker first edition stuff. You won't find it highly-priced on eBay, though finding those guns intact is a hell of a challenge- gun tips are a bitch in general to save for most kids, but this thing had the tiniest, most fragile gun-turrets possible. Turret himself was one of the most well-detailed Valorian heroes, with his "earmuffs" and spiffy outfit. A recolor was made in camo gear for the "2-Pack" figures as well, called Quark.

-Still, I can't help but feel some kinship with Styracosaurus and his MANY repaints/Headswaps (two others in total), because most of them are native to Alberta and their Dinosaur Park origins in different eras. Gotta rock the hometown love, y'all.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Monoclonius

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

MONOCLONIUS
Role:
Special Mount, Small Ceratopsian Head-Swap
Mount For: Mako (Hammerhead Recolour)
PL 8 (67)- Minion Rank 5, Sidekick Rank 13
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 9 (+8 Size)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Horn) 2, Interpose

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Ceratopsian Horn" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 4) [6]
"Ceratopsian Neck Frill" Enhanced Dodge 1 & Parry 2 [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
"Dinosaur Stampede!" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Movement Path) [8]
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Horn +6 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Stampede +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (+5 Frill, DC 15), Parry +6 (+8 Frill, DC 18), Toughness +8 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 5 (67)

MONOCLONIUS HARNESS- 25 Equipment Points
Seats:
One rider (super-elevated seat)
Armour: Protection 1 (large, wide saddle) (1)
Weaponry: Two Double-Barrelled Blasters on sides (Blast 8- Multiattack) (24)

-The Monoclonius is another first-run Dinosaur, a VERY odd choice for the series, since it's such an unknown dinosaur. It shares the body of the Styracosaurus, only with an evil rider, a repainted loser character named Mako, who's just Hammerhead more brightly coloured. They look so identical that it's actually hard to tell them apart without a guide, though Mako did in fact get named as one of the T-Rex Pod-Riders in the cartoon.

-I never had this one as a kid, but it actually looks quite cool in person- very colorful, even if the armor is pretty generic. I discounted it as a kid as one of the "lame" ones (it's even described as such in my 2014 build!), but I actually like it a lot now. Not much originality in just having a saddle with some side-guns, but the head-trap add-on was pretty neat. In the initial "Series Bible", these guys were often called "Clones", and were basically the Mook Horde of the Rulons- in the series you can pretty much see this largely intact, with hordes of orange-ish Monoclonii kicking around in the big war scenes, though by even a few episodes in, they were replaced by numerous Triceratopses. The Monoclonius is actually pretty much ENTIRELY identical to the Styracosaurus in terms of stats, as the hardware is even pretty much the same.

-These guys are probably the easiest dinosaurs in the entire toyline in terms of finding them intact on eBay- the Styracosaurus is as common, but has really fragile, long gun-shafts. This one is much blockier. Though the Brain Box will elude you at times, it's no worse than the others in the line.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sat Jan 27, 2018 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Chasmosaurus

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

CHASMOSAURUS
Role:
Special Mount, Small Ceratopsian Head-Swap
Mount For: Llava (Generic Valorian)
PL 8 (67)- Minion Rank 5, Sidekick Rank 13
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 8 AGILITY 1
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 4 (+5)
Intimidation 9 (+8 Size)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Improved Critical (Horn) 2, Interpose

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Ceratopsian Horn" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 4) [6]
"Ceratopsian Neck Frill" Enhanced Dodge 1 & Parry 2 [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 3 (Str & Sta +3, +3 Mass, +1 Intimidation, -1 Dodge/Parry, -3 Stealth) -- (12 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [7]
"Dinosaur Stampede!" Damage 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Movement Path) [8]
Impervious Toughness 5 [5]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Horn +6 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Stampede +8 Area (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +1

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (+5 Frill, DC 15), Parry +6 (+8 Frill, DC 18), Toughness +8 (+3 Impervious), Fortitude +8, Will +5

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 18 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 3 / Powers: 33 / Defenses: 5 (67)

CHASMOSAURUS HARNESS- 29 Equipment Points
Seats:
One rider (super-elevated seat behind a big glass shield)
Armour: Protection 1 (large, wide saddle) (1)
Weaponry: Long Gun on right side, Missile on left (Blast 9- Area- 30ft. Burst, AE: Blast 9) (28)

-Chasmosaurus is the second of the two third-series Dinos (very, VERY rare figures that were hardly produced once Tyco started dropping the line), and yet ANOTHER repaint of Styracosaurus (the third dino using this mold!), this time with the very cool Chasmosaurus frill. Very colourful and neat, and with a fairly unique Saddle/Armour set-up- it avoids the generic "Seat w/ Two Guns" and instead gives us a huge MISSILE, plus a rounded, see-through plastic windshield at the front. Really, despite their awesomeness, there's only so far you can go with dinosaurs before you start doubling-up. Basically identical to Styracosaurus, it has different Equipment, being a low-range but high-powered Missile Blast that Alts into a more standard cannon.

-This guy is obviously very rare and very pricey on eBay- I didn't realize it at the time, but I COMPLETELY lucked out by scoring one from a French seller who was getting rid of his entire collection of stuff. Though I was a bit annoyed to find some undisclosed damage on the beak (it was a bit flattened at the tip), I realized that the price I got for it was INSANELY cheap compared to what you can expect to get online- it was 85% intact (missing only the windshield, which, being see-through, rounded plastic is gonna be a BITCH to have in good condition after thirty years) and INCLUDED THE RIDER, yet was barely $150 in the bid when all was said and done. I've since seen his rider, Llava (a generic recolor of Shado/Hondo with all earthy-yellow coloring... he actually doesn't look that bad, really- it makes him stand out, as nobody else has that look), go for more than $70 on eBay, so I know I lucked out. It's a bit hard for me to justify paying any more, considering he's no bigger than the Monoclonius/Styraco guys, yet goes for more than four times as much.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jan 28, 2018 4:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Torosaurus

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

GUNNUR
Role:
Gruff Old Warhorse
PL 10 (130)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7)
Athletics 2 (+9) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+6)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 2 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+11)
Expertise (Animal Handling) 4 (+6)
Insight 1 (+4)
Perception 3 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+4)
Technology 3 (+6)
Treatment 2 (+5)

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Equipment 13 (Lasers- Blast 4, Torosaurus Harness), Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blasters), Improved Smash, Ranged Attack 4, Sidekick 18 (Torosaurus), Teamwork

Powers:
"AMP Necklace" (Flaws: Easily Removable) (Feats: Restricted to Valorians) [10]
Communication (Mental) 2 (Extras: Area, Selective) (12)
Comprehend 1 (Speak To Animals) (2)
-- (14 points)

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lasers +8 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Dino-Lasers +8 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Laser Array +8 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Laser Cannons +8 (+12 Ranged Damage, DC 27)
Grappling Hook +8 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Complications: 
Enemy (The Rulon Empire)- The Rulons have conquered Valoria, and are chasing after the remnants.
Responsibility (Pacifism)- Valorian culture is highly-pacifistic, and they do not naturally crave war. They also do not wish to harm dinosaurs, even the Rulons' slaves.
Responsibility (His Men)- As a major General, Gunnur is pretty devoted to his men. While gruff, he's quick to congratulate them for a job well done, and takes it personally when they fail.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 40 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 9 (130)

---

TOROSAURUS
Role:
Special Mount, Super-Ceratopsian
Mount For: Gunnur & Magnus
PL 10 (91)- Minion Rank 7, Sidekick Rank 19
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+4)
Intimidation 13 (+13 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack, Diehard, Improved Critical (Horn) 3, Interpose, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Ceratopsian Horns" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 7) [9]
"Ceratopsian Neck Frill" Enhanced Dodge 1 & Parry 2 [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 6 (Str & Sta +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
"Dinosaur Stampede!" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Movement Path) [10]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]
Impervious Toughness 9 [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Horn +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Stampede +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (+4 Frill, DC 14), Parry +7 (+9 Frill, DC 19), Toughness +10 (+5 Impervious, +12 Harness), Fortitude +12, Will +7

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 11 (91)

TOROSAURUS HARNESS- 55 Equipment Points
Seats:
Two Riders (pair of side pods)
Armour: Protection 2 (enormous multi-pronged armour) (2)
Weaponry: Heavy-Duty Laser Array & Two Cannons (Blast 10- Multiattack, AE: Blast 12), Grappling Hook (AE: Snare 10- Limited to One Target), Lifting Arms (Reach 2, Improved Trip), Pod Blasters (Blast 6- Multiattack) (53)

-Gunnur is the "Ironhide" of the team, so much so that they just used Peter Cullen as his voice actor! He even has the same verbal cues and tendency to bitch openly every time he's given an order he doesn't like! Yeah, Dino-Riders could be very by-the-numbers, and showed its influences a little too strongly. I'm not entirely sure how one becomes the "Gruff Old Warhorse" in a pacifistic society, but the Series Bible says he lost a lot of good men when the Rulons invaded his home planet, and hides his loss behind a gruff exterior.

- In any case, he got the Torosaurus, which is an unusual choice to say the least, because the Triceratops is normally seen as the "good guy" Dinosaur in any medium. So the Rulons got that one, and the Valorians end up with it's much-lesser-known cousin (the real Torosaurus is now believed by some to just be an older Triceratops whose frill grew a little bit), who's basically just a repaint with a new head. A very unique-looking armour, but I thought it was kinda silly (I mean, look at all those spires and crap flying everywhere- he looks like a pine cone!). It's somewhat made up for in the size of the animal, but you can definitely see the lack of craftsmanship compared to the awesome Stegosaurus & Kentrosaurus toys in the 2nd Series. Oddly, despite being pretty spoiled and having a ton of these various toys as a kid, I never saw hide nor hair of the Triceratops cousins.

-The Torosaurus got major use in the cartoon at one point, engaging in a minutes-long fight with Krulos and his Tyrannosaurus Rex, holding its own in a relatively-even scrap that included tripping it with the "Front Flippers", which were obviously selling the toy's equivalent feature.

-The toy will definitely set you back now, though- while it wasn't uncommon in its time, it has about 600 pieces to it (every one of those "spires" is a separate piece that has a Gun-Tip of its very own), including things like a grappling hook, a STRING for the hook, an honest-to-god WINCH for the string, etc.! This thing has so much gear, and in such fragile pieces (those two blue "flippers" hook at very tiny points) that your only hope is to really buy one as intact as you can, and pay upwards of $30-40 more than the comparably-sized Rulon Triceratops. Oh yeah, and it's more expensive if the walking feature and the "light-up" part of the lasers still work. I guess 1986 electronics is sometimes up to snuff.

-Torosaurus is a king-size Dino, and thus stats up accordingly, packing PL 10 offensive capabilities. Gunnur is less-skilled than say, Turret, but he's got a bunch of traits a big, tough military commander would need, plus the usual Valorian stuff (Magnus, also sold with the toy, is just some generic Valorian). The Triceratops armour is among the most powerful, having a ridiculous +10 Multiattack spread, along with a heavy-duty Laser Cannon set, a Grappling Hook, a pair of arms (shown tripping a T-Rex in the cartoon), and even separate guns on the PODS (which are charged separately, since they can be used independently of the main array by at least one user). Altogether, the Torosaurus armaments make Gunnur a PL 10 ranged fighter (which, combined with the PL 10 nature of the mount itself, makes for a deadly combo).
Last edited by Jabroniville on Sun Jan 28, 2018 12:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Davies
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Location: Edmonton, AB

Re: Jab's Builds! (T-Rex! Sauropods! Liopleurodon! Dino-Riders!)

Post by Davies »

Jabroniville wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:10 am
Episode One: They throw us RIGHT into the thick of things without explanation, as apparently Krulos and his "Rulon Empire" are chasing a Valorian ship and it's "S.T.E.P. Crystal" (the Super-Macguffin of the series with transportational powers), but they end up getting both ships sucked into a timewarp, leaving Krulos with just his mothership. Could they have POSSIBLY ripped off the opening to The Transformers anymore? That's almost EXACTLY what happened in that show!
Also Thundercats.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Triceratops

Post by Jabroniville »

Image
Image

HAMMERHEAD
Role:
Ambitious Underling
PL 8 (99)
STRENGTH
2 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 5 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+5)
Athletics 2 (+7) -- Flaws: Limited to Riding
Deception 5 (+6)
Expertise (Science) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Survival) 1 (+3)
Expertise (Space Traveller) 2 (+4)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+7)
Intimidation 3 (+4)
Perception 1 (+3)
Technology 3 (+5)

Advantages:
Equipment 11 (Lasers- Blast 4, Triceratops Harness), Ranged Attack 4, Sidekick 18 (Triceratops), Startle

Offense:
Unarmed +5 (+2 Damage, DC 17)
Lasers +6 (+4 Ranged Damage, DC 19)
Triceratops Guns +6 (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +4

Defenses:
Dodge +7 (DC 17), Parry +5 (DC 15), Toughness +4, Fortitude +4, Will +4

Complications: 
Motivation (Conquering)- The Rulon Empire is devoted to ruling the universe.
Weakness (Brain Boxes)- The Rulons can only control disagreeable dinosaurs by means of Brain Boxes on their heads- if the Boxes are blasted off (a semi-difficult Called Shot, depending on the size of the Box), the creature will go wild, usually shaking off its riders or armaments, and run off the battlefield.

Total: Abilities: 46 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 34 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (99)

---

TRICERATOPS
Role:
Special Mount, Super-Ceratopsian
Mount For: Hammerhead & Sidewinder (Rasp Recolour)
PL 10 (91)- Minion Rank 6, Sidekick Rank 18
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+4)
Intimidation 13 (+13 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack, Diehard, Improved Critical (Horn) 3, Interpose, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Ceratopsian Horns" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 7) [9]
"Ceratopsian Neck Frill" Enhanced Dodge 1 & Parry 2 [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 6 (Str & Sta +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
"Dinosaur Stampede!" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Movement Path) [10]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]
Impervious Toughness 9 [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Horn +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Stampede +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (+4 Frill, DC 14), Parry +7 (+9 Frill, DC 19), Toughness +10 (+5 Impervious, +12 Harness), Fortitude +12, Will +7

Complications: 
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 11 (91)

TRICERATOPS HARNESS- 43 Equipment Points
Seats:
Two Riders (top saddle and tailgunner pod)
Armour: Protection 1 (small-ish saddle & harness) (1)
Weaponry: Pilot Gun Array & Double-Barrelled Cannon (Blast 9- Multiattack), Tailgunner Guns (Blast 7), Radar Dish (Communications) (42)

-Triceratops was the Rulon variant of Torosaurus, and mostly its equal, despite looking lesser-armed (it's guns are bigger, but the Torosaurus has a HUGE spread). A much more simplistic toy than the Torosaurus, is still came with two guys (including Hammerhead, the "General" of the Shark-men, who was pretty much just like Rasp, despite the Series Bible wanting to make him out to be the second-most powerful Rulon in terms of physical strength), and had some pretty big guns. At least it's armour looks less bizarre. I did like the paired saddles (one on top, one on the side), with a superfluous radar dish (good luck finding that one intact!). Side by side with the Torosaurus, it looks MUCH smaller, owing to very light, loosely-fitting gear (it's basically a purple harness with some seats attached) and a head about half as big. I like the coloring, though- in a world without a T-Rex & Diplodocus, this could have easily been a "Centerpiece" for a collection.

-Mako and the "Hammerhead" guys weren't as common as Ants, but were definitely pretty routine- most were the same shade of blue, with forgettable clothing colors. Hammerhead & Mako (the Monoclonius rider) were almost identical. At least Sidewinder looked pretty cool.

-Identical to the Torosaurus, minus the Grappling Hook thingie. It's Radar Dish is presumably for communications, and it has less armour, making it slightly worse- overall, Gunnur in a Torosaurus would wipe the floor with Hammerhead in his Triceratops- Rulon Dinosaurs could even be seen as 100% Minions if not for the fact that the dinos are usually seen shooting away at each other for several minutes before the tide turns, implying they actually don't drop the second they fail a Toughness save.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24695
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Pachyrhinosaurus

Post by Jabroniville »

Image

PACHYRHINOSAURUS
Role:
Special Mount, Small Ceratopsian Head-Swap
Mount For: Atlas (Generic Valorian)
PL 10 (91)- Minion Rank 6, Sidekick Rank 18
STRENGTH
8 STAMINA 10 AGILITY 0
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE -4 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE -3

Skills:
Expertise (Survival) 3 (+4)
Intimidation 13 (+13 Size)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack, Diehard, Improved Critical (Horn) 3, Interpose, Power Attack

Powers:
"Animal Senses" Senses 2 (Low-Light Vision, Acute Scent) [2]
"Ceratopsian Horns" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Penetrating 7) [9]
"Ceratopsian Neck Frill" Enhanced Dodge 1 & Parry 2 [3]
Speed 2 (8 mph) [2]

"Dino-Sized" Growth 6 (Str & Sta +6, +6 Mass, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge/Parry, -6 Stealth) -- (21 feet) (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [13]
"Dinosaur Stampede!" Damage 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Shapeable) (Flaws: Limited to Movement Path) [10]
Strength-Damage +2 [2]
Impervious Toughness 9 [9]

Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Horn +8 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Stampede +10 Area (+10 Damage, DC 25)
Initiative +0

Defenses:
Dodge +3 (+4 Frill, DC 14), Parry +7 (+9 Frill, DC 19), Toughness +10 (+5 Impervious, +12 Harness), Fortitude +12, Will +7

Complications:
Disabled (Animal)- Dinosaurs cannot speak to humans, nor use their limbs to easily manipulate objects.
Weakness (Cold Climates)- The Age of Reptiles was a much hotter time period than our own. Creatures from that era will be more susceptible to Cold and Ice-based attacks.

Total: Abilities: 14 / Skills: 18--9 / Advantages: 7 / Powers: 50 / Defenses: 11 (91)

PACHYRHINOSAURUS HARNESS- 19 Equipment Points
Seats:
One rider (large top saddle)
Armour: Protection 2 (large saddle and harness) (2)
Weaponry: Rotating Laser Blasters (Blast 8- Split) (17)

-This veritable mouthful only made a single, unarmored appearance in the show, being relegated to the little-known or seen THIRD line of the toy line. By that time, it had mostly petered out and died away, so there were only three dinos then; this one, the Chasmosaurus, and the Rulon Quetzalcoatlus. Notably, all three are repaints/headswaps of prior figures. It's an interesting choice, and they went the route of giving it a super-silly GIGANTIC nose horn (fossils have only been discovered so far with a large cylindrical stump there- it MAY have had just that, or featured a giant horn) atop the repainted body of the Triceratops/Torosaurus. Not the best toy in the line to be sure, but it had more interesting armour than the Styracosaurus did, in any case.

-I never mentioned it last time because I didn't know, but this is BY FAR the rarest Dino-Riders toy. In more than two years on eBay, I've only seen one available three times- twice intact. And he is INSANELY expensive- someone offered a "nude" one for $200, while the fully-loaded, ridden ones are easily more than $600- they're so expensive that people tend to contact the sellers (one guy I know, who sold me most of my collection, confirms this) and deal with them outside of eBay, getting better deals and not sharing eBay fees. Despite that, the toy has a simple design and a REALLY weak harness- just a simple seated platform with a pair of big guns (shared by the Brontosaurus figure). The price and the simplicity of the figure all but guarantee I'll probably never be a TRUE Dino-Riders completist- I ain't spending hundreds of dollars on something this plain.

-Stat-wise, it's similar to the Triceratops & Torosaurus (at first I thought it was a Styraco-repaint, but it's actually QUITE sizeable), but I went with my Pentaceratops/Pachyrhinosaurus Build to differentiate them a bit instead of just re-posting the Torosaurus. It's a PL 9 Ceratopsian with a more impressive Horn Strike, fitting a more even PL 9 than the PL 8 smaller ones or the PL 10 super-heavyweights. The guns rotate, giving them Split, but that's about it- it's a pretty weak armature altogether, especially considering how much hardware (and extra Riders) the other two got.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab's Builds! (T-Rex! Sauropods! Liopleurodon! Dino-Riders!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:09 pm Dino-Riders is an amazing concept that by all rights should have been the next G.I. Joe, Transformers or Masters of the Universe. I mean, it basically combines everything little kids love into one glorious package. Dinosaurs provide an almost infinite number of creatures to draw on, the models were well made, the box art was awesome, etc.

Besides the toys being expensive, I think the biggest problem was the cartoon meant to sell the toys was underwhelming. Every episode was basically the bad guys having a scheme of the weak to try and get the STEP crystal from the good guys so they could get home. Sure, most He-Man episodes were about Skeletor trying to either break into Castle Greyskull or kill He-Man, but the setting was rich enough that he could go about it in an endless number of ways. The Decepticons had a combo of "take over the world" + "obtain Energon" + "kill the Autobots" motivations that allowed for plenty of stories. Cobra had an endless number of James Bond "take over the world" plots that combined everything from teleportation devices to finding Excalibur.

But Dino-Riders? Dino-Riders was more or less the same story every week. They somehow managed to take an awesome premise that should have been guaranteed to make a hit, and made it boring.
Yeah, this is a good point. Every episode is basically "Let's get the STEP!", with the Valorians playing defense against the antagonists.

That, plus digging too deep from the Well O' Archetypes, really held the show back. They also do a lot of "fake drama", with guys feeling inadequate for the wrong reasons, or conflicts being resolved too easily. Of the heroes, only Yungstar & Llahd really have any kind of flaws (arguably the SAME flaws, no less), making them pretty dull.
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