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Tried to expand upon the information on this page. If there are other dire animals, please list them by source - I have no idea where the Dire Beaver comes from.
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''"They're like wolves but they're dire" - South Park , Stick of Truth.''
''"They're like wolves but they're dire" - South Park , Stick of Truth.''


Dire animals are normal animals on steroids. They're vaguely based off of animals from the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. They're described as being larger and more aggressive than their mundane cousins, and often have bony protrusions or spikes. They're not magical or anything, though, and apparently came about through natural evolution, though its not well explain if they're a separate species, or just large individuals.
'''Dire Animals''' are a concept introduced in [[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]], and one of the most prolifically-used templates in that edition. The basic idea is that Dire Animals represent an "uber form" of a given animal - an animal that isn't so much magical as just insanely huge and badass beyond the limits of its normal kinsfolk. Like, you remember the wave of giant killer animal movies kickstarted by Jaws? Or the "giant prehistoric animals" common of [[Sword & Sorcery]]? That's basically what Dire Animals are in a nutshell.


They were introduced in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] 3.5, presumably as a way to add some higher level animals to help make the abilities of [[druid|druids]] and [[ranger|rangers]] matter.
Plus it doesn't hurt that they give [[druid]]s and [[ranger]]s the ability to stay relevant at higher levels, when "command a brown bear" just doesn't cut it anymore, because you're fighting things like [[dragonspawn]] on a regular basis.


The following were introduced in the first Monster Manual, but there was a shitton of them added on in virtually every book.
Dire animals in 3e are typically portrayed as bigger and "more primal", which usually tends to boil down "stick lots of bony spikes on it and exaggerate the fangs/claws/teeth/horns". They have sometimes been suggested as a stand-in for primeval megafauna - the beasties of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs - which used to appear alongside [[dinosaur]]s in [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], but other books have explicitly statted various examples of such megafauna as completely separate entities from the Dire Animal template.


*'''[[Yeti|Dire Ape]]'''
For what it's worth, in the Monster Manual #1, the Dire Animal template's entire fluff boils down to this: ''Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of ordinary animals. Each kind tends to have a feral, prehistoric, or even demonic appearance.''


*'''[[Werebadger|Dire Badger]]'''
==List of Dire Animals==
 
===Monster Manual 1===
*'''[[Terrorgheist|Dire Bat]]'''
* Dire Ape
 
* Dire Badger
*'''[[Bear|Dire Bear]]''' - Dire bears are savage hunters that can eat humanoids as readily as game animals.
* Dire Bat
 
* Dire Bear
*'''[[Wereboar|Dire Boar]]'''
* Dire Boar
 
* Dire Lion
*'''[[Wemic|Dire Lion]]'''
* Dire Rat
 
* Dire Shark
*'''[[Giant_Rat|Dire Rat]]'''
* Dire Tiger
 
* Dire Weasel
*'''[[Shark|Dire Shark]]'''
* Dire Wolf
 
* Dire Wolverine
*'''[[Weretiger|Dire Tiger]]'''
===Monster Manual 2===
 
* Dire Toad
*'''Dire Weasel'''
* Dire Hawk
 
* Dire Snake
*'''[[Fenrisian_Wolf|Dire Wolf]]'''
* Dire Horse
 
* Dire Elk
*'''[[Steve_Blum#Wolverine|Dire Wolverine]]'''
* Dire Elephant
===Frostburn===
* Dire Polar Bear
===Sandstorm===
* Dire Hippopootamus
* Dire Jackal
* Dire Puma
* Dire Tortoise
* Dire Vulture
===Stormwrack===
* Dire Barracuda
* Dire Eel
===Fiend Folio===
* Dire Rhinoceros
===Races of Stone===
* Dire Eagle


==Official Art Gallery==
==Official Art Gallery==
 
<gallery>
[[Image:Menagerie of Dire Animals.webp|thumb|A whole Menagerie of Dire Animals]]
Image:Menagerie of Dire Animals.webp|A whole Menagerie of Dire Animals
[[Image:Dire Beaver.jpg|thumb|Basically every animal got a dire version at some point]]
Image:Dire Beaver.jpg|Basically every animal got a dire version at some point
</gallery>


[[Category: Roleplaying]]
[[Category: Roleplaying]]

Revision as of 16:14, 10 October 2020

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This page is needs images. Help plz.

"They're like wolves but they're dire" - South Park , Stick of Truth.

Dire Animals are a concept introduced in Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, and one of the most prolifically-used templates in that edition. The basic idea is that Dire Animals represent an "uber form" of a given animal - an animal that isn't so much magical as just insanely huge and badass beyond the limits of its normal kinsfolk. Like, you remember the wave of giant killer animal movies kickstarted by Jaws? Or the "giant prehistoric animals" common of Sword & Sorcery? That's basically what Dire Animals are in a nutshell.

Plus it doesn't hurt that they give druids and rangers the ability to stay relevant at higher levels, when "command a brown bear" just doesn't cut it anymore, because you're fighting things like dragonspawn on a regular basis.

Dire animals in 3e are typically portrayed as bigger and "more primal", which usually tends to boil down "stick lots of bony spikes on it and exaggerate the fangs/claws/teeth/horns". They have sometimes been suggested as a stand-in for primeval megafauna - the beasties of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs - which used to appear alongside dinosaurs in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but other books have explicitly statted various examples of such megafauna as completely separate entities from the Dire Animal template.

For what it's worth, in the Monster Manual #1, the Dire Animal template's entire fluff boils down to this: Dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of ordinary animals. Each kind tends to have a feral, prehistoric, or even demonic appearance.

List of Dire Animals

Monster Manual 1

  • Dire Ape
  • Dire Badger
  • Dire Bat
  • Dire Bear
  • Dire Boar
  • Dire Lion
  • Dire Rat
  • Dire Shark
  • Dire Tiger
  • Dire Weasel
  • Dire Wolf
  • Dire Wolverine

Monster Manual 2

  • Dire Toad
  • Dire Hawk
  • Dire Snake
  • Dire Horse
  • Dire Elk
  • Dire Elephant

Frostburn

  • Dire Polar Bear

Sandstorm

  • Dire Hippopootamus
  • Dire Jackal
  • Dire Puma
  • Dire Tortoise
  • Dire Vulture

Stormwrack

  • Dire Barracuda
  • Dire Eel

Fiend Folio

  • Dire Rhinoceros

Races of Stone

  • Dire Eagle

Official Art Gallery

  • A whole Menagerie of Dire Animals
    A whole Menagerie of Dire Animals
  • Basically every animal got a dire version at some point
    Basically every animal got a dire version at some point
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