As the title suggests, this is just a simple mod I've been putting together off and on for the past two-ish years. It's probably not the most original or mind blowing, but I've had a lot of fun with it, and I wanted to share it. Before that, though, I do want to make note of a few things: I'm not the most experienced modder, and there are quite a few errors that pop up in the error log with this mod. None of them seem to actually effect anything, but I'm also not sure what to do about them. The mod works fine as is, but if anyone wants to look into it, you're welcome to. Secondly, I don't use any other mods but this one, so I have no idea how compatible this is going to be with anything else. If I had to guess, I would say it's probably not compatible with anything else, but I honestly have no idea. Again, I'm new at this, and any advice or pointers would be appreciated. Lastly, I have not extensively tested everything in the mod. It runs fine, and I haven't encountered any crashes, but I'm also not sure if everything works as intended, so I would greatly appreciate any feedback and/or opinions on the mod :) .
In a nutshell, this mod just adds a variety of new animals and creatures to the game. As the name implies, Nature+ is mostly centered around adding real-world animals not already found in Dwarf Fortress into the game, as well as animals that are based on/related to real-world animals. There are also a few other changes to make things a bit more realistic, but these are relatively few. In general, I tried to keep things realistic, but I was also interested in making the game more "fun"; as such, I fudged quite a few things to achieve certain effects, or just because I thought it was funny. So while the mod is meant to emulate nature, don't be surprised to see some unusual things in it ;D .
To install, simply replace the raw folder in your version of DF with the raw folder found in the Nature+ Raw download, which you can download here (http://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=14976).
Features:
Improved Giant Bugs/Arthropods: I've always been a bit disappointed with the giant insects, spiders, crabs, etc in Vanilla Dwarf Fortress. It just didn't seem right that a giant beetle would only live for a year and could be punched out by a child lol. So, I made it so that giant bugs live for one to five years instead of just one year. This is mostly for the sake of realism, because larger animals usually have fewer predators and benefit more from longer life spans. I also made chitin tougher, simply by averaging it's material values against shell (which is itself just a modified form of chitin), resulting in a much more durable tissue. Now, regular sized bugs are still effortlessly squashed by a dwarf, but giant ones can easily resist punching, biting, etc, and require actual weapons to deal with. This also applies to Giant Cave Spiders, as well as other chitin based critters such as crabs.
Usable Scale/Chitin/Feathers: In the real world, people have been using scales and feathers in clothing for thousands of years, and I for one think they'd probably use chitin if there was a feasible way to harvest it. As such, I modded scales, chitin and feathers to be treated like leather for the purposes of making cloths, armor, etc. Anything you can make out of normal leather, you can now make out of animal scales, chitin and feathers, and you can trade for these things to. Scale armor seems to be slightly better than regular leather, and chitin armor is probably the best animal based armor you can get, though still seems inferior to metal armor. I haven't actually tested it yet, but I assume feather armor would be pretty useless; still it gives you something to do with all those feathers beside atom smashing them lol. While you can theoretically get chitin from any creature that produces it, most normal bugs can't be butchered so you'll have to harvest it from giant bugs; most other arthropods such as crabs can be harvested in both their giant and normal variants, as long as the base form is butcherable. You even get chitin from things like squid, who have realistic chitinous beaks.
New Creatures: Of course, the star attraction of this mod are the various new creatures I added in. I'll briefly describe them below. Note that while Animal Man variants of most of these animals do exist, I'm not going to talk about them because I haven't really tested them much. They're in there, and they work, I just haven't really seen them up close yet.
Moa: Large flightless birds found individually in tropically forests and shrublands. Moa feature sexual dimorphism, with males being the size of gorilla,s and the larger females being the size of tigers. Moa are benign meanderers who will normally ignore your dwarves, but if pressed they can kick and bite with enough force to injure or even kill an unarmed civilian. Giant Moa are quite large, with males being larger than giant tigers, and females almost as big as a male elephant seal. Moa lay 5-15 eggs at a time, making them useful farm animals if you manage to get a breeding pair.
Secretarybird: A wide ranging, crane-like bird found in all shrublands, grasslands, savannas and deserts in groups of 1-2, Secretarybirds are a bit bigger than jackals, and are famous for kicking prey animals to death before eating them. In order to emulate this, I made Secretarybirds flightless (though they can fly in real life) and made them legendary strikers. They aren't benign and will defend themselves if they feel threatened, kicking your civilian dwarves hard enough to injure them. Giant Secretarybirds, on the other hand, are taller than giraffes and can kick a dwarf's limbs off, or kick them so hard their torso explodes through armor. They are large predators, meaning giant ones can be quite problematic; still, their large size and aggressive disposition means they are useful as military animals.
Junglefowl: Essentially wild chickens, jungle fowl are found in groups of 10-20 in tropical forests and swamps. They are identical to chickens in every way except for the color of their feathers, making them useful if you can catch some. Giant Junglefowl are as big as gorillas, and while they are benign they can do a number on civilians if pressed.
Dodo: Dodos are fat, stupid flightless birds that appear individually in any forest and meander around slowly. They're a bit larger than a jackal, and while they do have a powerful bit thanks to they're disproportionately large beaks, they are benign and typically harmless. Giant Dodos are very nearly the size of hippos, and can be useful farm animals if you happen to catch a breeding pair.
Sea Eagle: Based on the Stellar's Sea Eagle, Sea Eagles are larger versions of regular eagles, spawning in wetlands, oceans and tundras. Giant Sea Eagles are slightly larger than giant dingoes, making them potentially useful military animals (though, like other flying animals, they are bugged and won't fly once domesticated).
Goliath Bird Eater: Large, predatory spiders as big as hares that are found in tropical forests. Goliath Bird Eaters are not vermin, and are not benign, meaning they will defend themselves if threatened with a potent venomous bite causing severe pain. They can easily be dispatched by a civilian,but can be a hazard to smaller domestic animals, even giving cats a run for their money. Giant Goliath Bird Eaters, on the other hand, are larger than other giant bugs at the size of a bull moose, and require the attention of well equipped military dwarves if you don't want to see your population picked off one by one. That being said, their large size and eight legs make them handy farm animals, and their tough exoskeletons and powerful bite make them effective guard animals. Goliath Bird Eaters and their giant cousins live for 15 to 25 years, making them more reliable than other insects.
Centipede: About the size of a raven Centipedes are fairly large bugs that can be found in any non-freezing biome, and in the first cavern layer, as well. They have 40 legs and a unique mouth with which they can deliver a venomous bite, causing severe pain. They aren't benign, and so will defend themselves if provoke, though they should't be more than a nuance to your dwarves; to the contrary, they hunt and eat vermin, and so they might be useful to keep around if you can tolerate their short life spans. Giant Centipedes are a bit bigger than polar bears, and as large predators can be quite dangerous to civilians; on the other hand, those 40 legs mean they should leave you with an embarrassment of meat and chitin if butchered, and they make effective guard animals.
Assassin Bug: Essentially a flightless mosquito, Assassin Bugs are vermin that appear infrequently in temperate forests and all grasslands in groups of up to ten. Unlike mosquitoes, Assassin Bugs do not swarm and will instead move about the map individually. Both males and females can bite, and they have a far larger proboscis than normal. Despite this, they are basically harmless, unlike their giant variant, which is the same size as other giant bugs and can easily kill a civilian with their blood draining attack.
Tiger Beetle: Tiger Beetles are like regular beetles in most respects, but move very quickly. Like, as fast as things can move in the game. They appear in all non-freeing biomes, but are completely harmless to your dwarves. Giant ones, on the other hand, have a potent bite attack, and can easily run down a civilian dwarf for a quick snack.
Birdwing Butterfly: As the name suggests, Birdwing Butterflies are butterflies the size of a small bird. They are otherwise unremarkable, being found in all tropical forests and completely harmless to dwarves. Giant Birdwing Butterflies are as big as cave crocodiles, but only have the default push attack and should generally leave your dwarves alone. They will defend themselves if pressed, so you might want to keep an eye on them, lest they scare your dwarves and potentially push them to death. With wings and six legs, Giant Birdwing Butterflies can provide a considerable amount of meat and chitin if butchered.
Komodo Dragon: Around the size of a giant kingsnake, Komodo Dragons are powerful lizards that can be found in tropical grasslands, savannas, shrublands and forests. They are solitary creatures, amphibious and fully capable of killing an unarmored civilian with their powerful claws and venomous bite. If you can catch a breeding pair, they make for useful farm animals; large enough to provide decent amounts of meat, bones and scales, laying 15-25 eggs at a time and powerful enough to take on most smaller creatures, including poorly equipped goblins and elves with decent success, Komodo Dragons can do a little bit of everything. Giant Komodo Dragons are bigger than giant tigers and can easily take on trolls one-on-one, making them very threatening to civilians, but very enticing as guard animals.
Coconut Crab: A fully terrestrial crab the size of a siamang (and a wagon, apparently), coconut crabs appear infrequently in tropical forests and wetlands, were they will happily wander into unguarded forts to steal food. They will defend themselves if threatened, snapping at dwarves with their large pincers, making them a general nuisance not unlike kea. Giant Coconut Crabs are not quite as big as giant tigers, and may enter your fortress looking for food to steal only to decide they'd rather snack on your dwarves instead. They are meanderers, however, and quite slow to begin with, so civilians shouldn't have a problem outrunning them. Coconut Crabs live to be up to 60 years old, making them appealing pets, farm animals and (if giant) fortress guards.
Sea Turtle: Based specifically on Leatherback Sea Turtles, Sea Turtles are as big as camels and will defend themselves if threatened, though they are substantially slower on land then they are in the water. They lay 5 to 10 eggs at a time and provide decent returns when butchered, making them useful farm animals if you can catch a breeding pair. Giant Sea Turtles are like Sea Turtles, only more so; just a bit bigger than a jabberer, they provide a substantial amount of meat, bones and, crucially, shell, when butchered, and can be a formidable defense against invaders. Sea Turtles appear in groups of 5 to 10 in any ocean.
Sea Jelly: Large jellyfish, specifically based on the roughly 400 pound Nomura's Jellyfish. At about the size of a lion and with 18 stinging tentacles, Sea Jellies will make short work out of any dwarves unfortunate enough to fall into the ocean near one. Appearing in any ocean in groups of up to 100, Sea Jellies can potentially complicate fishing operations if you have careless (or luckless) dwarves, though they are immobile on land and shouldn't be to much of a threat. In fact, given their size and numbers, air drowning them can prove to be a profitable venture, as they give large amounts of meat and leather. Giant Sea Jellies are truly enormous, being slightly larger than whale sharks, and provide spectacular amounts of meat and leather if butchered.
Spider Crab: based on the freakishly large Japanese Spider Crab, Spider Crabs are large, solitary crustaceans that appear in arctic oceans. They're deceptively large creatures, the size of an elk man but with almost all of that mass taken up by their very long legs and pincers. Unlike real Japanese Spider Crabs, DF Spider Crabs are amphibious and will sometimes wander into unguarded fortresses to steal food, and probably behead any dwarves they meet along the way. A combination of the game's AI and the Spider Crab's disproportionate limbs makes them difficult for dwarves to hit, while also making them experts at lopping off extremities, so they should not be taken lightly. Giant Spider Crabs are bigger than blind cave ogres, and can effortless dispatch well trained and equipped military dwarves. On the other hand, they make formidable fortress guards, and offer up a wealth of meat and chitin once butchered.
Humpback Whale: Like sperm whales, but even bigger. If a dwarf does somehow manage to sufficiently threaten one into fighting, they can deliver tremendous slaps with their flippers and tails, but this is unlikely as they are completely aquatic. Giant Humpback whales are absurdly large (size 240,000,000), and if can butcher one you'll probably have food for a decade or more.
Triton: Large predatory snail that appears in groups of one to three in tropical oceans. They're the size of wagons, and have a unique rasping attack using their radula (basically a serrated tongue all mollusks have), as well as paralytic saliva. Slow but durable, they will eat just about anything they can catch, sawing off extremities until they can get to the head or their victim suffocates or bleeds out. They're amphibious (for "fun"), and can provide a decent amount of meat and shell if butchered. Giant Tritons are remarkably tanky, able to take sword strikes to the head without breaking stride, and at a bit larger than a female gigantic tortoise are large enough to kill and eat any luckless dwarf, including soldiers, that it can catch.
Starfish: Small, five-armed creatures about the size of a small bird, Starfish can appear in swarms of up to 100 in any ocean biome. Unlike their real life counterparts, starfish are amphibious, but are so small that they're not worth paying attention to in most situations. Giant Starfish, on the other hand, are as big as gigantic squid, and will happily use their five arms to break every single bone in a dwarf's body before finally eating his/her head, making them alarming to face in large numbers.
Crown-of-Thorns: Starfish, but more so. The size of a crundle and with 23 thorn covered arms, Crown-of-Thorns are able injure civilian dwarves if provoked, especially by administering a potent venom through their thorns. Fortunately, they come in much smaller numbers, just 3 to 10, a fact which is especially comforting considering Giant Crown-of-Thorns are almost as big as giant black bears.
Mantis Shrimp: Small crustaceans that appear in groups of 1 to 3 in any tropical ocean. In real life, Mantis Shrimp fall into two categories: those that impale things with their modified pincers, and those that punch things with their modified pincers. I was lazy, so I rolled them both into one package. Mantis Shrimp are born legendary strikers and observers, and have a boosted Strength attribute as well, meaning their punches can be quite dangerous to anything smaller than themselves. Fortunately, they're only the size of a cave lobster. Unfortunately, Giant Mantis Shrimp are the size of gorillas, and are easily capable of exploding a dwarf's entire torso in a single hit. Just for extra "fun", Mantis Shrimp are amphibious, and can trained for hunting and war. Why? So you can read about your armies of War Giant Mantis Shrimps punching elves into paste, of course.
Abalone: A relatively large snail the size of a chinchilla, Abalone are unremarkable creatures that spawn individually in temperate oceans. Unremarkable except for the fact their parts are worth 15 times that of other animals, in reference to the great value placed on Abalone meat and shells in real life. Using Abalone shell in crafts, or better yet artifacts, can easily lead to a spike in your profits, and Giant Abalone are even more useful, as they're the size of camels, providing plentiful meat and shell for your fortress.
Woolly Rhinoceros: Basically just a larger Rhinoceros that's covered in wool. They appear in groups of 3 to 7 in mountains, tundras and glaciers, and are about 25% bigger than standard rhinoceroses (Size 3,750,000 compared to 3,000,000). If you can catch a breeding pair, they can be sheared for their wool, and trained for both hunting and war, making them useful animals for anyone that embarks in these difficult biomes. Of course Giant Woolly Rhinoceros are just bigger, woollier versions of giant rhinoceros; they're bigger than sperm whales, making them extraordinarily useful, if you can feed them.
Cave Jelly: Sea Jellies, but in caves. More accurately, Cave Jellies are the size of lions and crawl around on the cave floor of the 1st and second cavern layers. They have a shell, and 18 stinging tentacles, making them a threat to unarmed civilians.
Giant Cave Lobster: Substantially larger than a normal cave lobster, Giant Cave Lobsters are large predators that live in subterranean pools in the 1st and 2nd cavern layers. Unlike their smaller cousins, they have pincers which they can use to brutal effect to rip dwarves apart, something they are easily capable of at the size of an elk bird. Giant Cave Lobsters are blind, but have Extravision, cannot be stunned, cannot feel pain or fear and are amphibious, making them difficult to avoid or dispatch without a trained military.
Cave Lion: Inspired by real-life (but sadly not subterranean) prehistoric cave lions, the Cave Lion is a bigger lion that lives on the 1st and 2nd cavern layers. The size of an elk, cave lions are blind but have Extravision, and can be trained for war and hunting. They make for useful war animals and guards, but are also exotic mounts, meaning Goblins might bring them along on a siege. They appear infrequently in groups of one to three, and their parts are worth 3 times the normal amount.
Blind Cave Viper: As big as an elephant and with extremely potent venom, Blind Cave Vipers are apex predators that can even put Cave Crocodiles and Giant Cave Spiders in their place. They appear very rarely in the 1st and 2nd cavern layers, and stalk through the caves individually. As the name suggests, they are blind, but they have Extravision, and are remarkably dangerous, being able to bite through iron chain mail with little difficulty. Only two will ever spawn before they are considered extinct in your biome, so if you do have them, you'll have to carefully consider your options before you proceed. Their parts are worth five times the normal amount.
All dinosaurs spawn in Savage biomes, and do not have Animal Man or Giant variants.
Brachiosaur: Larger than giant elephants, Brachiosaurs are absurdly large benign grazers that appear in groups of 3 to 7 in Savage wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests. Though they normally flee from danger, if provoked they can stomp a dwarf flat in no time, and their sheer size allows them to absorb prodigious amounts of damage. Aside from the wealth of meat they produce when butchered, they also lay up to 30 eggs at a time, making them potentially viable farm animals, if you can keep them fed.
Dreadnoughtus: Based on one of the largest sauropods, and largest land animals, ever known to science, Dreadnoughtus appear in groups of 1 to 3 in savage wetlands, grasslands and tropical forests. At almost half the size of a giant sperm whale, Dreadnoughtus are basically invincible. Still, they are benign, and tend to flee from danger; when provoked, Dreadnoughtus can trample giant elephants to death. I don't actually think it's possible to make pastures big enough to feed one, let alone a herd, but if you can manage it, you shouldn't ever have food problems again.
Glacialisaur: A smaller sauropod that appears in groups of 3 to 7 in Savage taigas tundra and temperate forests. While it's smaller than other sauropods, it's still massive, being almost as large as a giant elephant. They're still benign, however, and prefer fleeing from danger over fighting.
Tyrannosaur: The classic T-Rex, though the name was abbreviated to keep a more "magical" vibe. Tyrannosaurs appear in groups of 1 to 3 in Savage deserts, temperate biomes and tropical forests, and are incredibly dangerous. They're larger than Forgotten Beasts, and while they don't have any of the bizarre abilities of a Forgotten Beast, they do have a massive mouth and massive teeth that they can use to bite through iron plate armor. They're also war and hunting trainable, meaning it's possible to bring armies of war Tyrannosaurs to attack Goblins and Elves with.
Allosaur: Basically a smaller, more streamlined Tyrannosaur, Allosaurs are "only" larger than rhinoceroses, but make up for it by having usable arms that they can scratch and grab with. I've seen them pry armor and weapons off of dwarves in the arena, though they can't actually wield them. What Allosaurs can do, however, is be trained for war and hunting. The appear in groups of 1 to 3 in Savage deserts, temperate biomes and tropical forests
Carnotaur: Another relative of the Tyrannosaur, Carnotaurs are the same size as Allosaurs, but live in Savage taigas, tundras and glaciers. Their arms are, somehow, even more useless than a Tyrannosaurs, but they do have some intimidatingly large horns to compensate. All of the skeletons known today just have little horn nubs over the eyes, but some paleontologists speculate these might have just been the cores of much larger, more impressive structures. That was good enough for me, so now Carnotaurs can gore things to death as well as bite limbs off. They can also be war and hunting trained.
Giganotosaur: Tyrannosaurs amped up on steroids and crack. In real life, they were relatives of T-Rex that filled a similar niche in South America, as opposed to the North American Rex. In DF, Giganotosaurs are ravenous murder machines that are Crazed, have a 100% chance to go berserk the instant they see something, cannot be stunned, cannot feel pain and cannot feel fear. Why? Because it's "fun". Giganotosaurs can appear in any non-freezing Savage biome, and have a tendency to murder and eat hundreds of random animals and scores of notable figures in Legends mode before finally dying of old age, scarred but undefeated. Nations go to war against Giganotosaurs and lose. You are, if my experience is anything to go by, guaranteed to see one at some point if you embark in a non-freezing Savage biome. It will usually rampage around the map killing everything it sees before finally leaving...only to come back the next year...and the year after that...and the year after that...
Spinosaur: Slightly larger than a Tyrannosaur, Spinosaurs appear in groups of 1 to 3 in Savage mangrove swamps, tropical rivers and all wetlands. With a more streamlined build and usable hands, Spinosaurs are slightly more dangerous than Tyrannosaurs, but they're also ambush predators, and so don't usually chase things very war. Normally they just parade around the map scaring the living daylights out of your dwarves, farm animals and anything else that happens to be in the vicinity, though if they do catch something, it's toast. They can be war and hunting trained, and are amphibious.
Archaeopteryx: A small proto-bird, about the size of a raven and found in the same, albeit Savage, biomes. Archaeopteryx are generally harmless, and will fly around the map in small flocks of 2 to 10 individuals, mostly eating any vermin they come across. They can scratch the hell out of a dwarf if provoked, but this is pretty rare. What's more interesting is their behavior if you manage to catch one: They have Vermin Hunter token, meaning they behave like cats, adopt dwarves, and bring remains back to their owners. Why? I thought it would be cool.
Velociraptor: Unlike in Jurassic Park, Velociraptors were small dinosaurs, more akin to scaly chickens than man-sized murder machines. DF Velociraptors are much the same, being the size of chickens and appearing in groups of 3 to 7 in Savage temperate swamps and temperate/tropical forests. As in real life, they have feathers, and mostly hunt for vermin. While they can seriously injure an unarmed dwarf, they usually aren't to much of a threat as long as you're vigilant. Can be war and hunting trained.
Deinonychus: When Micheal Crichton first wrote Jurassic park, these were what he envisioned chasing people; he only changed the name to Velociraptor because a friend convinced him it sounded cooler. Deinonychus are about the size of a human, like to sneak into your fortress to steal food, and can, in honor of the movies, open unlocked doors, making them a considerable danger to developing fortresses. They are feathered, and have wickedly large claws on their feet with which they can gut a dwarf in short order. Can be war and hunting trained.
Utahraptor: I had debated including them just because the name references a real-world location, but in the end I decided to add them in because they are, in a word, cool. They occupy the same biomes as Deinonychus, but are solitary predators the size of lions. Like the Deinonychus, they can open doors, though they aren't interested in stealing food; it's the lives of your dwarves their after. Can be war and hunting trained.
Dilophosaur: In Jurassic Park Dilophosaurs are smallish dinosaurs that spit venom. It's the one that kills Dennis Nedry after he steals the frozen dino embryos. In real life, they were about the size of black bears and did not spit venom. There's no evidence they had a venomous bite, but there's also no evidence they didn't have a venomous bite, so in DF Dilophosaurs have a venomous bit along with their powerful hands and general size going for them. I've seen them pluck the iron helmet right off a dwarf's head, then bite said head off, in the arena, so they shouldn't be under estimated. They appear in tropical grasslands, forests and savannas in groups of 1 to 3. Can be war and hunting trained.
Cryolophosaur: A larger relative of the Dilophosaur, Cryolophosaurs can be found in groups of 1 to 3 in temperate forests, taigas, tundras and glaciers. As big as a polar bear and with an even more venomous bite, Cryolophosaurs are a major danger in freezing Savage biomes. Can be war and hunting trained.
Therizinosaur: Although part of a long line of ferocious carnivores, Therizinosaurs are benign meanderers that usually flee from danger. They appear in groups of 3 to 7 in Savage taigas, temperate forests and grasslands, and while they are benign, they are also the size of ogres and have massive claws with which to rend any dwarf stupid enough to provoke them into tiny pieces. They are war and hunting trainable, and while their meandering makes them slow, they are still formidable in combat.
Hadrosaur: Herbivorous dinosaurs that appear in Savage wetlands, temperate grasslands and temperate/tropical forests in herds of up to 50 individuals. These are the "duck billed" dinosaurs frequently seen on TV and in movies. They're benign grazers a bit bigger than a walrus, and normally flee when threatened. Still, their large size can make them dangerous if provoked, and they can be trained as a war or hunting animal. Unlike many other grazing dinosaurs, they're small enough to reasonably farm, and lay up to 30 eggs at a time, making them a potentially lucrative farm animal.
Charonosaur: Slightly larger relatives of Hadrosaurs that live in Savage taigas, tundras, glaciers and temperate forests. They're identical to Hadorsaurs, except for being a bit bigger.
Ankylosaur: A solitary grazer that inhabits Savage temperate forests, temperate grass lands, tropical grasslands and deserts. They are slightly larger than elephants, but are not benign and are not to be trifled with. Instead of normal scales or skin, Ankylosaurs are protected by bony scutes, basically knobs of bone protruding through their flesh. These scutes make Ankylosaurs very durable, and they can reliably take sword strikes without slowing down. When threatened, they will defend themselves with an absurdly powerful tail smash attack; the combination of bony scutes and a larger than average tail means the attack will reliably send dwarves flying considerable distances, if they don't simply explode outright. They can be war and hunting trained, making them brutally effective shock troopers if you can get a herd of them going.
Triceratops: Another classic, Triceratops are wide ranging grazers that appear in Savage wetlands, any temperate biome, tropical grasslands and tropical shrublands in herds of up to 15. They are benign meanderers the size of a giant who will typically flee from threats, but they can deal a lot of damage if provoked with their three horns and powerful bite. Since I wasn't sure how to give them that distinctive head frill, I just gave them big heads. It actually works rather well, as they're able tank hits with their face while also attacking with their face. They can be war and hunting trained, and make for good farm animals if you keep them around.
Pterosaur: A large flying reptile, Pterosaurs appear in groups of 2 to 5 in Savage wetlands and forests (except Taiga). The males are more than twice the size of the females, but both are rather large compared to other flying animals; female Pterosaurs are the size of a dog, while the males are the size of humans. Male Pterosaurs might decide to fly down and harass your dwarves, but they seem to prefer just flying around minding their own business. If you manage to catch a breeding pair, they can be war and hunting trained, though like all flying creatures they are bugged and don't fly once their tamed.
Quetzacoatlus: A flying reptile the size of a giraffe, Quetzacoatlus are solitary predators that appear in any non-freezing Savage biome to introduce smaller creatures blow them to the phrase "death from above". Their huge wings and mouth, combined with the fact that they can fly, make them difficult to hit without skilled marksdwarves; at the same time, that huge mouth makes head shots a breeze for the Quetzacoatlus, and they can often decapitate dwarves, and just about anything else they like, with minimal difficulty. Still, they lack the embarrassment of buffs the Giganotosaur has, and can be driven off or killed with a skilled military. They can be war and hunting trained, but they may be fore useful as farm animals, providing decent meat returns, a few eggs, and a large guard animal with a powerful bite attack (though they are bugged like other flying animals).
Bicorn: Basically an evil version of the unicorn, Bicorns are identical to unicorns except that: they are found in Evil biomes instead of Good; they have two horns instead of one; they are large predators instead of benign grazers. As such, they are prone to hunting and killing any dwarves that might get to close.
Pegasus: A horse, but with wings. Pegasus are found in the same biomes as unicorns and Bicorns, but only in Savage areas. Naturally, they are fliers, and like all fliers lose the gift of flight when they are domesticated.
Greathorse: Inspired by the Giant Horse of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Greathorse is, well, great. As big as a giraffe, Greathorses have maxed out stats in all of their physical attributes, and have the fastest gait possible in DF. Although they are benign and will flee from danger, if provoked into defending themselves a Greathorse can be an absolute force of nature, shrugging off sword blows by the sheer virtue of their incredible musculature and easily kicking giant elephants to death. They appear in groups of 3 to 7 in Savage temperate grasslands and temperate savanna, and can be trained for war and hunting. They can also be milked like a normal horse, and their products are worth five times the normal amount.
Kirin: Also known as a Qilin in China, the Kirin is a mythical horse like creature from many Asian cultures that is said to bring luck to who ever sees one. Kirin appear very rarely on Savage mountains, and always alone. They have a horse body, scales, antlers and a fish-like tail. Most Kirin have a rainbow colored scales, but 1 in every 100 have gold scales instead. While seeing one in good luck, catching one is even better. Their parts are worth 100 times more than a normal creature's and the can live for 1000 to 2000 years. If you can catch a breeding pair, you can farm Kirin and sell crafts made of their bones and antlers at a ludicrous price. But, you'll probably get cursed for it...
Every oceanic non-vermin fish in the game now has a Fish Person variant. unlike normal Animal Men, Fish people are distinct creatures with traits derived from their base creature. As there are 39 Fish People, I will not be describing them all here lol. You'll just have to go out into the world and meet them. Fish People speak the Divine Language, and form civilizations near rivers, coastal areas and in the oceans. I'm not sure how, exactly, but they do build lots of towns, hamlets and castles out in the middle of the ocean, some of which have populations of over 2,000 individuals. Fish people can be broadly separated into two sub-categories: Those based on sharks, and those based on bony fish. Shark people tend to emphasize brute strength and durability, while bony fish people emphasize agility and intellectual ability. still, both are represented by a single entity, and have a single dominant culture. Fish People ethics and values are inspired by a mix of Maori and Samurai traditions; they value martial prowess, loyalty and duty, and dislike leisure time and abstract thinking. Still, they appreciate art and beauty, and many Fish People seem to become warrior poets, writing books and taking lives with equal skill. Looking through Legends Mode, Fish people seem to spend the overwhelming bulk of their time either fighting or training to fight, and are often incredibly badass warriors. They are biologically immortal, and typically end up spending centuries honing their skills. On the other hand, larger Fish People grow more slowly, and in worlds with shorter histories, there may not be any fully grown Fish People of certain species. Fish mostly work with copper, bronze, iron and silver for their weapons, and have randomized positions like humans do. While they lack a distinct pack animal or wagons they can still trade with your fortress, and will usually arrive in the winter, with the King's Tide. They arrive with armed guards, and like elves often bring animals from their surrounding wilderness with them. In particular, their ability to settle in the oceans means they often domesticate animals never seen on land, including sea serpents and giant sperm whales. On the other hand, they are amphibious, and can just as easily tame terrestrial animals, including dinosaurs. If you do anger them, be warned that their favored tactic seems to be "disproportionate retribution"; the one time I sent a squad of ten recruits to poke a Fish Person town, they responded by sending 100 seasoned soldiers and a mob of war animals to butcher my people. Of course, what kind of Fish People you're fighting is a major consideration, to. Fighting 100 Milkfish People isn't quite the same as fighting 100 Great White Shark People, so your mileage may vary.
I think that about wraps it up. I plan on adding more things to this mod and tweaking it here and there, so I'll probably update this post if people seem interested. As I said before, it's not terribly unique, but I enjoy it, and hopefully y'all do to.
Version 1.1 Update:
Common Orb Weaver: Very similar to other vermin spiders, but it can spit web. Normal ones are harmless, Giant ones are the size of a lion (like most other giant bugs), and should be treated like a smaller Giant Cave Spider. They can be found in any temperate forest, but the giant ones aren't large predators, so they shouldn't cause to many problems. They make for decent farm animals, and can be useful for fortress defense.
Silk Worm: I wanted to make an easier way to farm silk than trying to fill a room with spiders, then sending some poor sap into that room so they can bite by spiders forever. Silk Worms are smallish creatures that, as you might expect, make webs. They aren't vermin, meaning they can be caught in cage traps and can be trained. The idea is that you can "harvest silk from silk worms" at the farmer's workshop using a Spinner. The process would kill the silk worm (as it does in real life), so you would want to pay attention and make sure you don't accidentally kill all your worms, but it would let you produce silk more efficiently. Unfortunately, the reaction is bugged, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. You can still collect the webs they leave in their pasture, though, so it's not a total loss. I'll fix the reaction in the next release.
Harvest Spider: Vermin spiders that travel in swarms (like mosquitoes) and appear in forest biomes in groups of 250 to 500. They have the CRAZED token, meaning they will likely bite anything they come across. Giant Harvest Spiders are the size of lions, but still appear in groups of 250 to 500, and will relentlessly attack everything. Good luck.
Golden Orb Weaver: Like the Common Orb Weaver, but a bit smaller than Goliath Bird Eater. They can incapacitate and kill cats and other similar sized creatures, but shouldn't be to dangerous for Dwarfs. Giant Golden Orb Weavers are a bit bigger than other giant bugs, and can be quite dangerous to deal with. Lives in tropical forests.
Emperor Scorpion: Very much like bark scorpions, but they're the size of hedgehogs and live for 6-8 years. They live in tropical forests and savannas, and can be a nuisance, but that's about it. Giant Emperor Scorpions are the size of polar bears, and just as likely to dismember a dwarf as they are to sting him to death. Excellent for fortress defense.
Ironclad Beetle: Although they greatly resemble a normal beetle, Ironclad Beetles have a unique "Hard Chitin" which is substantially tougher than normal chitin. Giant Ironclad Beetles are remarkably durable, and have a powerful bite that can injure and kill an unarmored dwarf. Fortunately, Ironclad Beetles are benign, and will usually not attack your dwarfs.
Locusts: Hangry grasshoppers. Locusts appear in swarms (like mosquitoes) in numbers ranging from 250 to 500. What's worse, the overall population in your biome will range from 5000-10000, meaning you're unlikely to win a battle of attrition against them. They will eat any food they can find, and can even gnaw their way into containers, meaning your stockpiles aren't safe. They also have a GRASS_TRAMPLE of 100, causing them to basically destroy grass, and are CRAZED, so they will bite the hell out of anything they find. Giant locusts are the size of a lion, and can gnaw their way out of cage traps. They appear very rarely in any non-freezing biome. Good luck.
Bombardier Beetle: Like a normal beetle, but with the ability to spray boiling acid at things if it feels threatened. Yeah. In real life, Bombardier Beetles spray out of glands in their abdomen, but for simplicity's sake I made them spit it from their mouth instead. I originally had them spray streams of acid, but found making them spit gobs of globs of acid very quickly was both more effective and absolutely hilarious lol. Giant ones are lion sized beasts that will absolutely destroy just about anything that bothers it. They appear in any non-freezing biome.
Terror Bird: Imagine an ostrich. Now imagine one the size of an elk with a massive head, equally huge beak, and a bad attitude. Terror Birds spawn in tropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands in groups of one to two, and will happily run down and kill an unarmed dwarf if given the chance. They're also considered exotic mounts, meaning the elves might ride them into battle. Giant Terror Birds are as dangerous as they sound, being almost the size of a rhinoceros. They are hunting and war trainable, and both the normal sized and giant versions make for excellent guard and war animals.
Sabertooth Tiger: A tiger, but the size of a polar bear, and with absolutely huge fangs. Sabertooth Tigers live in temperate grasslands, savannas and shrubland, and travel in small prides of two to five. They're exotic mounts, meaning the elves might bring a few along with their sieges. Giant ones are solitary predators bigger than giant polar bears, and will gleeful eviscerate any luckless dwarf it encounters. Both are hunting and war trainable, making them useful for defense and raiding enemy settlements.
Snow Leopard: Basically just a leopard, but it lives in tundra, taiga and tundra. They're otherwise identical to normal leopards.
Dragon Turtle: A massive reptile bred and trained by the Fish People as a beast of burden and war, Dragon Turtles are far and away superior to their counterparts in terms of raw power. Larger than a forgotten beast, a Dragon Turtle can absorb a ludicrous amount of punishment while marching through waves of enemies, often killing them with just a few bites from it's massive, crushing jaws. The Fish People use these amphibious monsters to pull their wagons and as heavy cavalry, adding a massive amount of firepower to any Fish Person siege. Unfortunately, it takes 800 years for a Dragon Turtle to reach full size, and they only lay two to three eggs at a time, making them rare and poorly suited for almost anything but fighting. Can tear down doors.
Wyvern: A large flying reptile, related to but weaker than dragons. Wyverns are the size of elk, and are trained by the Elves as flying cavalry. Wyverns have two legs, wings and a tail, but their defining feature is their venomous bite, causing mild but permanent pain and necrosis tot he effected body part. Wyverns are formidable in combat, but aren't terribly durable, and generally rely on outnumbering foes to get anything done. They lay up to thirty eggs at a time, making them useful outside of battle, as well. Can tear down doors.
Razorback: A huge pig the size of a cow, Razorbacks are appropriately "dwarfy" animals: Stout, ill-tempered not terribly bright, a Razorback will flip out and attack just abut anything that gets to close to it. The Dwarfs use Razorbacks as mounts and beasts of burden, and value them for their versatility and utility. Razorbacks provide a large amount of bone and meat when butchered, have large tusks that provide considerable amounts of ivory for crafting, can be milked like a cow, and are very aggressive in combat often goring enemies larger than themselves to death with their tusks. On the embark screen, they cost the same as cows, but are quite a bit more useful, making it worthwhile to pick up a breeding pair. They also pull wagons, meaning there's a good chance you'll get one for free anyway. Can tear down doors.
Great Hound: A ferocious and intelligent dog the size of a lion, only the wise kings of the humans retain the knowledge to breed and train these noble beasts. Great Hounds have boosted physical attributes and make for splendid military animals, able to run down and kill most enemies with little trouble. They do ave difficulty against some larger, more formidable creatures, however, and don't have any particular use outside of fighting. Can tear down doors.
I have to admit, the more I work on this mod, the less "simple" it feels lol. Look out for quality of life improvements, more advanced technology and alchemy in the future! As always, I appreciate any feedback!