Dire animal

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, dire animals are larger, tougher, meaner versions of regular animals. They fairly closely resemble their normal counterparts, only are slightly larger and more powerful, and with a feral, prehistoric and even demonic countenance. Sharp, ugly, bony ridges protrude from their spines, limbs and head. Some say they are creatures that have been exposed to demonic energy or cursed by the gods, while others say they are regular creatures who have been experimented on by mad wizards. Dire animals cannot speak, are of animal intelligence and carry no equipment.

Publication history

The third edition Monster Manual introduces twelve dire animals, specific descriptions of which are listed below: dire ape, dire badger, dire bat, dire bear, dire boar, dire lion, dire rat, dire shark, dire tiger, dire weasel, dire wolf, and dire wolverine. The same dire animals are presented again in the version 3.5 Monster Manual. Each of these twelve creatures is described in its own section below.