Geography & Nations
Geography & Nations — Jurassic Park (Books & Films)
Sovereign “Nations” (real jurisdictions that matter)
• Costa Rica (core setting):
Controls the maritime zone around the islands. Ports/airfields on the Pacific coast funnel staff and supplies. CR authorities show up whenever things go boom (or bite).
• United States (corporate/legal gravity):
InGen’s corporate base (book: Palo Alto), investor/board drama, courtrooms, and PR. Key mainland sites: San Diego (film: ill-fated amphitheater & the 1997 incident), Montana Badlands (Grant’s digs), and Northern California (film: Lockwood Estate).
• Dominican Republic (books & film):
Amber mines supplying the mosquitos that start it all.
• Later films add:
Italy (Dolomites) — Biosyn Valley; Malta (Valletta) — dino black market hub; U.S. Sierra Nevada — off-grid homestead/sanctuary pockets.
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Island Realms (“Kingdoms” of the Setting)
Isla Nublar — Site A (books & films)
• Role: Showcase park (Jurassic Park → Jurassic World).
• Signature features:
• Visitor/Control Complex: (book: lodge/center; film: iconic Visitor Center; later, JW’s Innovation Center and resort “Main Street”.)
• Paddocks & Sectors: T. rex paddock, raptor enclosure, sauropod/herbivore plains, maintenance roads, river crossings.
• Transit & Utilities: Dock (the infamous East Dock), maintenance harbor, power plant, monorail (JW era).
• Water & Spectacle: Mosasaurus Lagoon (films).
• Geology (films): Mount Sibo, an active volcano that redefines the map in 2018.
• Canon split:
• Book: Nublar is napalmed by Costa Rican forces at the end of Jurassic Park (island effectively lost).
• Films: Nublar survives the ’93 incident, is rebuilt as Jurassic World (2015), then is devastated by Mount Sibo (2018).
Isla Sorna — Site B (books & films)
• Role: Industrial cradle and ecological wild card. Breeding, rearing, and field-testing before transfer to Nublar.
• Signature features:
• Worker Village/Operations Center: Ghost-town labs, embryo cold storage, generator rooms.
• Game Trails & Long Grass Plains: Big-herd set pieces; raptor ambush country.
• Harbor/Airstrip Remnants: Abandoned but exploitable by poachers and “rescue” crews.
• Aviary & River Gorges: (films, esp. JP3) sheer cliffs, fog, and pterosaurs.
• Canon split:
• Book (The Lost World): Sorna is the main stage after Nublar’s destruction.
• Films: Sorna hosts the 1997 expedition and later suffers population crashes/poaching; many animals were moved (or stolen) over time.
Las Cinco Muertes — “The Five Deaths” (films)
• Role: The wider archipelago around Sorna.
• Note: Only Sorna is thoroughly depicted on-screen; the rest are mostly cartographic whispers—use them as blank-map canvases for side stories, poacher camps, or feral populations.
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Mainland Anchors (Cities & Sites that shape the plot)
• San José, Costa Rica: Administrative hub; medevac, permits, and government control centers.
• Pacific Coast Ports (CR): Staging for supply ships and hush-hush cargo.
• San Diego, California (film): Planned Jurassic Park arena; site of the T. rex waterfront fiasco.
• Palo Alto/Silicon Valley (book): InGen HQ, boardrooms, and lawsuits.
• Northern California (film): Lockwood Estate—museum-like manor, secret labs, auction venue.
• Valletta, Malta (film): Black market nexus; raptor alleys and chase set pieces.
• Dolomites, Italy (film): Biosyn Valley—a vast, mountainous reserve/lab complex with its own micro-biomes and containment network.
• Montana Badlands (both): Academic gravity well for paleontologists (Grant/Sattler), a moral counterweight to InGen.
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Biomes & Landmarks (how the land itself “plays”)
• Volcanic Tropics (Nublar, films):
Jungle ridges, ash fall, sudden lava flows—great for time-pressure scenarios and habitat upheaval.
• Wet Forest & River Systems (Nublar/Sorna):
Fordable rivers, dilapidated bridges, and dense canopy; perfect for ambush predators and lost convoys.
• Open Grass Game Trails (Sorna):
Herd migrations, stampedes, helicopter drops—line-of-sight drama and pack tactics.
• Cliffs & Gorges (Sorna):
Deadly verticality; aviary nets, cable cars, and broken catwalks.
• Coastal & Lagoon Zones (Nublar):
Docks, mangroves, and deep-water access—Mosasaurus hazards and smuggler routes.
• Alpine Reserve (Biosyn Valley, film):
Switchbacks, conifer forests, karst caves; containment rings that can fail in domino fashion.
• Urban/Industrial Pockets (San Diego, Valletta, Lockwood):
Tight streets, crowds, and hardware (cranes, trucks) that become improvised tools or traps.
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Who “owns” what (useful for borders & conflict)
• Costa Rican Government: Territorial waters, emergency authority, quarantines, air/naval enforcement.
• InGen / Masrani Global (films): Leases, corporate security, NDAs; glossy infrastructure with fragile dependencies.
• Biosyn (films): A near-sovereign corporate enclave (Biosyn Valley) with international cover and big-tech opacity.
• Poachers/Black-Market Syndicates (films): Shadow “micro-states” that control docks, safe houses, and airstrips.
• Wild Populations: Post-2018, animals establish de facto territories across North America, Europe, and island chains—unofficial “kingdoms” that ignore human borders.
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Quick canon notes for GMs/writers
• Books: Nublar destroyed; Sorna = sequel sandbox; CR military presence is decisive.
• Films: Nublar rebuilt then lost to Mount Sibo; Sorna ebbs as animals are moved/poached; late era expands to San Diego → Lockwood (NorCal) → Malta → Biosyn (Dolomites) with global spillover.
Races & Cultures
Races & Cultures — Jurassic Park (Books & Movies)
1) Humans (the only sapient “race”)
A. Corporate Biotech Blocks
• InGen / Masrani (books+films):
Culture: glossy optimism, safety theater, NDAs, control dashboards.
Territory: Isla Nublar (Site A), Isla Sorna (Site B), mainland HQs (Palo Alto—book; San Diego & Jurassic World resort—films).
Relationships: Constant tug-of-war with regulators; internal schisms between showmen (Hammond/Masrani) and risk-minded staff.
• Biosyn (mostly films, hinted rivalry in books):
Culture: secrecy, IP raids, “disruptor” rhetoric. Later becomes a near-sovereign enclave (Biosyn Valley, Dolomites).
Territory: European mountain reserve + global influence.
Relationships: Corporate predator vs. InGen; uneasy with governments; uses black-market intermediaries.
B. Scientists & Field Teams
• Paleontologists, veterinarians, behaviorists, engineers (Grant, Sattler, Wu, Harding, etc.)
Culture: evidence-driven, argumentative, weirdly brave.
Territory: Digs (Montana), labs, hatcheries, on-island clinics.
Relationships: Ping-pong between curiosity and ethics; often end up rescuing everyone when systems fail.
C. Governments & Law
• Costa Rica (coast guard, army, civil aviation), U.S. agencies, international regulators.
Culture: public safety first, liability next, PR always.
Territory: CR mainland ports/airfields; jurisdiction over Nublar/Sorna waters.
Relationships: Clamp down after incidents; in the book, Costa Rica decisively napalms Nublar. In films, slower, political responses.
D. Black-Market Networks & Poachers (films)
• Culture: opportunistic, mobile, paramilitary edges.
Territory: Malta (Valletta market), clandestine docks, airstrips; later, poaching corridors worldwide.
Relationships: Feed off corporate leaks and biosurplus; hunted by authorities, courted by villains.
E. Public: Tourists, Media, Activists
• Culture: awe, outrage, sensationalism—pick two.
Territory: Resorts, ferry routes, courtrooms, social feeds.
Relationships: Kingmakers by optics; can trigger shutdowns or reopenings.
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2) Engineered Animals (species “races” with distinct social patterns)
Note: They’re bio-engineered (gaps filled, traits tweaked). Expect surprises.
Books: Nublar destroyed; Sorna becomes the wild cradle.
Films: Nublar rebuilt then lost to Mount Sibo; Sorna ebbs; later, global spillover + Biosyn Valley.
Apex Theropods
• Tyrannosaurus rex
Culture: solitary adults, strong parental behavior in some portrayals; visual-motion attention, territorial at kill sites.
Territory: Nublar T. rex paddock & central routes; Sorna lowland ranges; mainland cameos (San Diego).
Relations: Displaces mid-tier predators; humans = occasional snacks/obstacles.
• Giganotosaurus (films, late)
Culture: dominant apex; confrontational.
Territory: Biosyn Valley highlands.
Relations: Apex vs. apex drama (rexes/therizinosaurus).
Pack Hunters
• Velociraptor lineages (several morphs)
Culture: hierarchical packs, problem-solving, vocal coordination; cultural “learning” across cohorts (films strongly).
Territory: Nublar raptor pens; Sorna long-grass plains & worker village; later, smuggler compounds and mainland enclaves.
Relations: Frequent primary antagonists; can fixate on human tools/habits.
• Indominus rex / Indoraptor (films)
Culture: hybridized intelligence, heightened aggression, tool-like forelimbs, thermal/camouflage tricks (Indominus).
Territory: Nublar restricted paddock (I. rex); Lockwood Estate/auction chaos (Indoraptor).
Relations: Break the food web; outcompete natives; existential threat to containment.
Herd & Grazer Clades
• Sauropods (Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, etc.)
Culture: loose herds, sentinel behaviors; high awe-factor.
Territory: Open plains, migration corridors; Nublar’s Gyrosphere Valley (films).
Relations: Trample fences, reshape paths; attract/anchor ecosystems.
• Ornithopods (Gallimimus, Parasaurolophus, etc.)
Culture: flocking/herding; stampede dynamics.
Territory: Game trails, river flats.
Relations: Prey base; panic cascades endanger humans.
• Ceratopsians / Stegosaurs / Ankylosaurs
Culture: defensive herds, strong maternal instincts; can mob predators.
Territory: Edge habitats between forest and grass.
Relations: Territorial; roadblocks with horns, clubs, and plates.
Small Predators & Scavengers
• Compsognathus (Compys), Dilophosaurus (films spit variant)
Culture: swarm or ambush behaviors; curiosity → danger.
Territory: Docks, worker villages, dense understory.
Relations: Death by a thousand nips; dilos add visibility/venom risk (film-only trait).
Aerial & Aquatic
• Pterosaurs (Pteranodon, Dimorphodon)
Culture: rookery flocks; opportunistic coastal raiders.
Territory: Aviaries, sea cliffs, resort skies post-breach.
Relations: Airspace denial; evacuations turn chaotic.
• Mosasaurus (films)
Culture: ambush giant; follows stimuli (crowds, lighting).
Territory: Lagoon → open ocean after breaches.
Relations: Apex at sea; ports and beaches suddenly unsafe.
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3) Territories at a Glance
Isla Nublar (Site A)
• Corporate Core: Visitor/Innovation Centers, hotels (films), control rooms.
• Paddock Bands: Large, fenced biomes—sauropod plains, gyrosphere valley, raptor pens, T. rex sector.
• Coastal Edge: East Dock, service harbors, mangroves; compys/dilos common.
• Volcanic Highs (films): Mount Sibo reshuffles ranges, drives mass movements.
• Status:
• Book: Destroyed by CR military strike.
• Films: Operated as Jurassic World (2015), then devastated in 2018 eruption.
Isla Sorna (Site B)
• Industrial Ghost Zone: Worker Village, labs, hatcheries—raptor and compy hotspots.
• Game Trails & Long Grass: Herds + raptor ambushes.
• River Gorges & Aviary: Vertical danger; pterosaur control loss.
• Status: Main wild meta-population (book sequel); in films, later depleted/poached with animals moved elsewhere.
Wider World (films, late era)
• Biosyn Valley (Dolomites): Corporate reserve with micro-biomes; apex clashes.
• Malta (Valletta): Trafficking hub; “urban biome” for raptors/atrociraptors.
• Mainland Pockets: Sierra Nevada forests, quarries, quays—ad hoc territories as animals disperse post-2018.
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4) Relationships (Who tolerates whom)
• InGen/Masrani ↔ Governments: Partnership until incidents; then blame games and shutdowns.
• InGen/Masrani ↔ Biosyn: Industrial cold war; espionage, poaching, talent grabs.
• Corporates ↔ Black-Market: Denied but frequent back-channels; leaks → auctions.
• Scientists ↔ Corporates: Uneasy marriage—funding vs. caution.
• Public ↔ Everyone: Spectacle when safe, outrage when not; drives policy swings.
Ecological Rivalries
• Raptors vs. Everything Smaller: Pack pressure on mid-tiers and humans.
• Apex vs. Apex (rex, giga, hybrids): Territorial showdowns shape entire zones.
• Herbivore Herds vs. Infrastructure: Fences, roads, and monorails lose.
• Aerial/Aquatic vs. Evacuation: Boats and helos become prey/opportunities.
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5) Culture Notes by Faction (for roleplay/worldbuilding)
• Park Staff Culture: Procedures, radio codes, “this is fine” energy—until it isn’t.
• Handler/Wrangler Culture: Respect for animals, superstitions, practical ethics.
• Boardroom Culture: Metrics, sponsorships, “innovation” pressers; liability roulette.
• Regulator Culture: Checklists, containment corridors, quarantine doctrine.
• Poacher Culture: Fast camps, bolt-holes, drone scouts, crypto auctions.
• Conservationist Culture (late films): Sanctuary talk vs. rewilding risks; triage politics.
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6) Book vs. Film Quick Diffs
• Books: Nublar eliminated; Sorna = prime wild zone; CR military heavy-handed but effective.
• Films: Nublar rebirth and fall; Sorna fades; modern phase = global diaspora + Biosyn Valley micro-state.
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7) Plug-and-Play Hooks
• Jurisdiction Clash: Costa Rican navy vs. InGen security over a straying herd.
• Pack Diplomacy: Raptor sub-group learns to raid power nodes—field team must unlearn their assumptions.
• Sanctuary Politics: NGOs vs. Biosyn over exporting a breeding pair.
• Smuggler Skirmish: Malta sting goes sideways when pterosaurs panic the crowd.
Magic & Religion
Magic & Religion — Jurassic Park (Books & Movies)
Baseline
• Magic: None. Only genetics, engineering, and systems… that fail in spectacular, fate-tempting ways.
• Religion: Not a driver of plot. Individual characters may have private faith, but the story’s “gods” are metaphorical: Nature, Chance (chaos), Law, and the Market.
Your “Magic System” (tech-as-magic)
Treat the de-extinction pipeline like schools of magic with rules, costs, and miscasts.
Sources of Power
• Ancient DNA (amber mosquitoes, etc.) → gap-filled with modern DNA (e.g., amphibian splices).
• Embryology & cloning → accelerated growth, engineered traits.
• Control tech → fences, tracking, behavioral conditioning, “lysine dependency,” sex control.
Who Can “Cast”
• InGen/Masrani (books+films), Biosyn (films), and a black market of poachers, brokers, and off-books labs.
• Field teams “cast” operational tech: tranquilizers, telemetry, collars, drones, lures.
Core Spells (procedures)
• Resurrection: sequence → edit → incubate → imprint.
• Ward: fence grids, locks, drones, patrol patterns.
• Sleep/Bind: sedatives, muzzles, transport rigs.
• Scry: tags, cameras, acoustic/lure arrays.
• Geas/Fail-safe: lysine contingency, “all-female” design, remote kill-switches (varied success).
Laws & Limits (the “physics”)
• Incomplete data = emergent traits. Gaps + substitutions produce surprises (behavior, physiology).
• Chaos bites. Complex systems fail in cascading ways (storms, human error, sabotage).
• Control illusions break.
• Sex control (films): amphibian DNA enables sex change in single-sex populations.
• Lysine dependency (books/films): animals source lysine from diet or human stores; dependency is leaky.
• Costs: rare samples, time, capital, legal heat, and ecological blowback.
Miscasts & Corruption
• Hybrids (films): Indominus/Indoraptor = template for “too much power in one body.”
• Biosecurity bleed-through: aviary escapes, marine predators reaching open water, agri-ecosystem side effects.
Religions & “Deities” (secular, but gameable)
• Nature (Life finds a way): The implacable, self-correcting force. “Worshippers”: ecologists, handlers. Boons: resilience, animal empathy. Wrath: ecosystem pushback.
• Chance/Chaos (Malcolm’s gospel): Probabilities, sensitivity to initial conditions. Boons: foresight of failure modes. Wrath: perfect storms.
• Law/State (Costa Rica, courts, treaties): Jurisdiction, quarantine, national interest. Boons: access, protection. Wrath: seizures, scorched-earth responses (book Nublar).
• The Market (boards, shareholders, auctions): Funding, PR, expansion. Boons: resources. Wrath: corners cut, weaponization.
(Canon note: no organized cults or miracle-working clergy—this is thematic framing for play.)
Cultures of Practice (your “orders”)
• Geneticists (Creationists): Lab sanctums, cryo-relics, design dogma.
• Engineers (Wardens): Power plants, fences, redundancy schematics.
• Behaviorists/Vets (Keepers): Conditioning protocols, non-lethal doctrine.
• Regulators (Inquisitors): Quarantine rites, evidence chains.
• Poachers/Traffickers (Heretics): Crates, airstrips, auctions.
Sacred Sites (secular temples)
• Isla Nublar: Visitor/Innovation Centers, paddock rings, power hub (films; destroyed by CR military in book, by volcano in films).
• Isla Sorna: Worker Village, hatcheries, aviary canyons.
• Biosyn Valley (films): micro-biomes ringed by containment tech.
• Lockwood Estate / Malta market (films): “cathedral” of auctions / den of reliquaries.
Table: Dials for Your Campaign
• Hard Canon (default): No magic, strict biotech limits.
• Techno-Mystic Flavor: Use the “deities” above as narrative forces influencing rolls/scenes.
• Alt Mode (if you want actual magic): Keep canon intact, add rare “anomalies” as myths—omens, impossible recoveries—never reliable, always costly.
Adventure Seeds (magic–religion flavored, still canon)
• Geas Broken: A lineage ignores the lysine leash; track the dietary workaround before quarantine orders drop.
• Wrath of Nature: A storm plus a poacher raid create a perfect failure cascade—choose which “ward” to save.
• Trial by Law: Prove a humane containment protocol in court while a rival “Market priest” spins a lethal alternative.
Economy & Trade
Economy & Trade — Jurassic Park (Books & Movies)
Currencies in play
• USD: corporate financing, payroll for expats, equipment, insurance, lawsuits (InGen/Masrani; San Diego; U.S. vendors).
• CRC (Costa Rican colón): local wages, permits, fuel, docking/airfield fees.
• DOP (Dominican peso): amber procurement & mine logistics.
• EUR/GBP (films, later era): Biosyn (Italy), Malta auctions, EU contractors.
• Hard-to-trace instruments (esp. films): cash, bearer shares, shell-company wires; black-market players flirt with crypto and prepaid cards.
What’s actually traded
Legal
• Construction steel, cement, electrical gear, generators, diesel, aviation fuel.
• Lab inputs: liquid nitrogen, CO₂, culture media, anesthetics, antibiotics.
• Livestock feed, veterinary supplies, telemetry collars, drones.
• Tourism stack (films): resort food/alcohol, merch, ride parts, monorail spares, PR services.
Illicit / gray
• Amber cores, tissue samples, embryos/eggs, juvenile animals.
• Access: badge dumps, network keys, shipment manifests.
• Training data/modules for conditioned animals (films).
• Contracted muscle: poacher teams, smugglers, deniable “security.”
Trade routes & logistics
Core (pre-’93 both canons)
• Dominican Republic → InGen labs (U.S.) / Isla Sorna (Site B): amber & genomic materials by secure cargo.
• Costa Rican mainland ↔ Isla Nublar (Site A): ferries and company freighters to the East Dock; helicopters for personnel.
• Mainland ↔ Isla Sorna (Site B): small freighters to a service harbor; light cargo planes to an airstrip; night runs keep attention low.
Film path expansions
• San Diego (U.S.): staging for the aborted amphitheater; corporate shipping/PR hub.
• Jurassic World (Nublar): high-volume resort logistics (containerized food, merch, chlorine, spare parts); continuous waste backhaul.
• Malta (Valletta): freeport + auction hub; short-hop flights and disguised fishing vessels.
• Dolomites (Italy): Biosyn Valley supplied via alpine road/rail tunnels; customs-light “research” corridors.
Book path after ’93
• Quarantine cordon around the islands; CR navy/air patrols. Trade narrows to government-cleared salvage, scientific teams, and hush-hush seizures.
How the money machine works
Corporate economy (InGen/Masrani → Biosyn)
• Capital model: heavy CAPEX (island build-out), financed by equity + debt; secured by IP (genome patents, processes).
• Revenue arcs:
• Books (intended): park admissions + licensing never fully mature before the incident.
• Films (realized): Jurassic World = ticketing, resorts, VIP experiences, sponsorships, naming rights, data licensing.
• Cost centers: bio R&D, containment engineering, hazard pay, PR/legal, private security, bribes “expedited permits.”
Government & local economy
• Costa Rica: port fees, airspace permits, chartered services, medical contracts, emergency response provisioning.
• Local livelihoods: dockhands, pilots, hospitality, small-craft operators—plus price shocks (fuel/fish) from corporate demand.
• Levers: customs holds, environmental fines, shutdown orders (book canon goes hard here).
Insurance, risk, and paper shields
• Towering liability → layers of insurance/reinsurance; exclusions for “acts of God/escape.”
• NDAs & arbitration suppress wage and injury claims; performance bonds tied to uptime and incident metrics.
• After shocks: premiums spike; boards chase cheaper controls or off-books options—fertile ground for sabotage and leaks.
Shadow economy (esp. films)
• Supply chain: field collectors → stash houses → freeport brokers → high-net-worth buyers & defense “evaluators.”
• Price signals: eggs/juveniles priced by rarity, imprintability, and training potential; hybrids command auction-night insanity.
• Logistics tricks: freezer trucks, falsified reefer manifests, ultralights to jungle strips, AIS-dark fishing boats.
Choke points & friction (aka adventure fuel)
• Permits & quarantines: one signature can stall a ship; forged documents move gold.
• Cold chain: embryos need LN₂ and time windows—miss it, lose the lot.
• Fuel & power: islands live and die on diesel, spare parts, and weather windows.
• Data lanes: genome vaults and telemetry backhauls are worth more than a crate of eggs.
• Optics: a single viral clip can implode a sponsor deal or trigger a parliamentary freeze.
Era toggles (use the one you’re running)
• Pre-Incident (both): secretive CAPEX buildout; amber pipeline; Site B breeds → Site A displays; tight legal logistics.
• Book-after (’93+): trade collapses into state-run quarantine, black-budget cleanups, academic poaching for data.
• Film-after (2015–2018): resort mega-economy → hybrid arms race → eruption shock → diaspora management + black-market boom.
• Late films: Biosyn enclave behaves like a quasi-state with vendors, NDAs, and its own procurement law.
Quick plug-ins for your table
• Currency friction: pay locals in CRC, specialists in USD; smugglers want cash or crypto.
• Route clocks: sea (patrols, storms), air (TFRs, fuel), data (audits, leaks).
• Reward types: not just money—permits, manifests, genome hashes, fuel allotments, and two pallets of liquid nitrogen.
Law & Society
Law & Society — Jurassic Park (Books & Movies)
Who’s in charge (jurisdictions)
• Costa Rica (primary): Full sovereignty over Isla Nublar/Sorna waters and airspace. Think coast guard patrols, quarantine authority, and emergency powers.
• United States (corporate/legal gravity): InGen/Masrani HQs, lawsuits, investor pressure, export controls, IP and trade-secret law.
• International layer: Maritime law, customs, and wildlife trade rules (e.g., endangered species/biotech controls).
• Films, later: Biosyn Valley (Italy) behaves like a quasi-sovereign corporate reserve; Malta freeport vibes enable trafficking enforcement stings.
Book tilt: Costa Rica acts decisively post-incident (military/quarantine).
Film tilt: Slower, lawyered responses; public hearings and PR battles.
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How justice is actually administered
On the islands (company turf… until it isn’t)
1. Corporate procedures first: incident reporting, medical triage, internal security, NDAs.
2. Gov’t steps in: once there’s a death, escape, or biohazard, CR authorities assert control; expect cordons, detentions, and gear seizures.
3. Jurisdiction fight: lawyers argue lease terms vs. national law; in practice, the badge on the boat wins.
At sea & in the air
• Patrol stops: manifests checked, cold-chain cargo inspected; AIS-dark vessels = probable cause.
• Airspace: temporary flight restrictions during storms/incidents; unauthorized helo runs get grounded and fined.
On the mainland
• Civil suits: negligence, wrongful death, product liability.
• Criminal charges: smuggling, customs fraud, biosecurity violations, theft of trade secrets, assault/sabotage.
• Arbitration traps: employees and contractors often bound to private arbitration and strict NDAs.
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The rulebook they swing at you
• Biosecurity & quarantine: unlawful import/export of organisms, failure to report exposures.
• Wildlife/animal welfare: harassment, trafficking, cruelty statutes (yes, they apply—messily).
• Safety regs: industrial accidents = fines, shutdowns, and personal liability for willful violations.
• IP/espionage: embryos, genomes, and control software = trade secrets; stealing them triggers heavy charges.
• Customs/shipping: falsified reefer manifests, mislabeled biologicals, and cold-chain tampering.
Book vibe: More boots-and-napalm than press conference.
Film vibe: Hearings, injunctions, and optics wars.
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Society: how people see “adventurers”
• Costa Rican locals: practical. If you respect permits, pay fairly, and don’t bring a storm of teeth to their docks, you’re tolerated; otherwise you’re a curse with boots.
• Park staff/handlers: split—some admire competence under fire; others see you as chaos magnets who break procedure.
• Scientists & vets: ally if you prioritize welfare and data integrity; turn hostile if you endanger animals or falsify findings.
• Corporations: useful deniable assets until you know too much, then liabilities.
• Governments/regulators: skeptical; will deputize you in a pinch, then debrief and sideline you.
• Media/public: pendulum swings between “heroes” and “reckless criminals” based on the latest footage.
• Poachers/black-market: respect skill, distrust ideals; they’ll test your price and your nerve.
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Consequences & typical charges (for PCs/NPCs)
• Trespass & interference: fines, gear confiscation, deportation; repeat offenders get bans and jail time.
• Smuggling/biotech theft: multi-year sentences, asset seizure, conspiracy counts.
• Endangering public safety: shutdown orders, personal liability for managers, possible extradition fights.
• Fatal incidents: manslaughter/culpable homicide investigations; corporate indemnities contested in court.
• Whistleblowing: protected on paper; in practice—retaliation, smear campaigns, settlement gags.
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Evidence & procedure (what bites you later)
• Chain of custody: drones, bodycams, and access logs; if you “borrow” a hard drive, expect digital forensics.
• Medical & exposure logs: blood tests, bite records, sedation inventories—these decide who’s quarantined or sued.
• Manifest math: every crate of liquid nitrogen and every tag ID is tracked; mismatches trigger audits.
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How to operate without getting crushed (diegetic tips)
• Paper first: temporary research permits, flight plans, quarantine declarations = social armor.
• Local buy-in: pay dock fees in CRC, hire local pilots, share safety drills.
• Evidence discipline: timestamped photos, GPS tracks, sealed samples—win the narrative later.
• De-escalation: non-lethal protocols earn handler/regulator trust and reduce charges if things go sideways.
• Know the red lines: hybrids, trained predators, and open-water transports invite the harshest scrutiny.
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Quick “Heat Clock” for play
1. Notice: IDs checked; a friendly lecture.
2. Friction: fines, inspections, escorts assigned to you.
3. Containment: gear seized, movement restricted, interviews.
4. Prosecution: charges filed; travel holds; assets frozen.
Reset one step if you deliver value (rescue, clean data, safe relocation) and don’t grandstand.
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Book vs. Film dials
• Books-heavy table: Strong state action; secrecy and quarantines; swift, decisive crackdowns.
• Films-heavy table: Media optics, hearings, corporate PR, and “pilot programs” that put you in the line of fire.
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Adventure hooks (law-flavored, bite-ready)
• Permit with Teeth: Escort a vet team under a 72-hour quarantine waiver while a rival tries to void it mid-mission.
• Arbiter’s Briefcase: Win an emergency arbitration to stop a lethal “solution”—find the buried safety data in a storm-rattled lab.
• Clean Hands, Dirty Boots: Deliver chain-of-custody proof that a poacher ring used a company airstrip—without getting your evidence tossed on technicalities.
Monsters & Villains
Creatures (the “monsters”)
Apex engineered or revived
• Tyrannosaurus rex
Tactics: territory control, ambush from cover, fixation on movement.
Weak points: distraction lures, line-of-sight tricks, heavy tranquilizers (slow).
Hook: Night roadblock—get fuel past a nesting site without triggering a charge.
• Spinosaurus (films)
Tactics: waterborne ambush, relentless pursuit, fence-splitting power.
Weak points: fire, noise saturation, river bottlenecks.
Hook: Repair a sat-phone tower on a river bend while it patrols below.
• Giganotosaurus (films)
Tactics: apex displacement, intimidates rivals, punishes hesitation.
Weak points: none reliable—use terrain and third-party lures.
Hook: Orchestrate a predator vs. predator standoff to open an escape lane.
• Indominus rex / Indoraptor (films, hybrids)
Tactics: problem-solving, tool-like forelimbs, stealth/camouflage (I. rex), learned behaviors.
Weak points: overconfidence; exploit light/heat signatures and enclosure geometry.
Hook: Cut power to “decloak” an I. rex—but that also drops other fences. Pick your demon.
Smart pack hunters
• Velociraptors (multiple lineages)
Tactics: coordinated flanking, testing patterns (doors, grids, generator hums).
Weak points: break line-of-communication (noise, light), decoy scent, vertical separation.
Hook: Hold a control room while they probe the door cycle you just taught them.
Swarmers & ambushers
• Compsognathus (compys)
Books: mild neurotoxin in bites; cumulative danger.
Films: death-by-nips, scavenger swarms.
Weak points: elevation, light, repellents.
Hook: Recover a keycard in a compy-choked dock at dusk.
• Dilophosaurus (films’ spitting frill variant)
Tactics: distraction display, close-range venom spit to eyes/throat.
Weak points: face shields, wind, distance—never give it the angle.
Hook: Navigate a foggy fern gully to reach a flooded radio mast.
Aerial & aquatic
• Pteranodon / Dimorphodon
Tactics: height + panic; strike crowds, snatch-and-drop.
Weak points: net corridors, strobes, wind shear.
Hook: Evacuate a cliffside village while a rookery swarms the lights.
• Mosasaurus (films)
Tactics: opportunistic ambush at structures (piers, lagoon gates).
Weak points: none up close—treat waterlines as kill zones.
Hook: Close a malfunctioning lagoon gate from a skiff, in chop.
“Gentle giants” that aren’t
• Triceratops / Stegosaurus / Ankylosaurus / Pachycephalosaurus / Sauropods
Tactics: defensive charges, herd crush, maternal aggression, stampedes.
Weak points: corridor design, calm routes, non-lethal barriers.
Hook: Build a temporary migration corridor through a coastal town before dawn.
Non-dinosaur biohazards (films, late)
• Engineered agri-pests (e.g., locust program)
Tactics: ecological collapse by proxy.
Weak points: containment of source genome; heat/smoke plumes disperse briefly.
Hook: Trace a crop failure to a black-box lab before hearings start.
⸻
Human Villains (and delightful disasters)
• Lewis Dodgson (books villain; later films = Biosyn CEO)
Corporate mastermind, deniable ops. Goal: corner the genome & supply chain.
Moves: bribery, data theft, “research corridors,” plausible deniability.
• Dennis Nedry (films)
Greed + sabotage. Moves: code backdoors, power drops, embryo theft.
Counter: offline redundancies, physical keys, dual-control procedures.
• Peter Ludlow (The Lost World film)
Boardroom predator. Moves: spectacle-first capture program, San Diego arena.
Counter: expose cost-cutting and safety fraud in real time.
• Vic Hoskins (films)
Weaponization advocate. Moves: raptor “field trials,” contractor coups.
Counter: chain-of-command traps; force public oversight.
• Eli Mills & Gunnar Eversol (films)
Auction villains. Moves: poacher pipelines, hybrid lots, forged permits.
Counter: chain-of-custody stings; leak lots to regulators before hammer falls.
• Poacher syndicates / smugglers (Malta hub, films)
Moves: airstrip caches, freezer trucks, crate laundering.
Counter: hit cold chains, flip pilots, swap manifests.
• Biosyn executive circle (films, late)
Moves: “sanctuary” sovereignty, black-box science, narrative capture.
Counter: international inspections, whistleblower protection, data warrants.
• Dr. Henry Wu (both; morally gray)
Visionary whose work keeps getting… weaponized. Not a mustache-twirler, but his decisions escalate stakes.
⸻
“Cults” (ideologies that act like secret orders)
• The Growth Cult (shareholders & park PR): revenue as morality; risk externalized.
• The Weaponization Lobby: “trained assets” for defense contracts.
• Sanctuary Zealots: corporate enclaves above national law “for conservation.”
• Bio-Purists: argue for total eradication to protect ecosystems.
• Black-Market True Believers: exotic-pet aristocracy and their fixers.
Use them like factions with oaths, rites (NDA ceremonies, auctions, hearings), and signature gear.
⸻
Ancient Evils (not supernatural—just old & bigger than you)
• Wilderness itself: “Life finds a way” = adaptive systems that outpace your plans.
• Entropy & Weather: the storm that makes every fail-safe fail wrong.
• Market Logic: pressure to reopen, scale, or militarize—no matter yesterday’s body count.
• State Power (when it swings hard): quarantines, seizures, scorched-earth options (book: Nublar).
⸻
Quick Threat Cards (drop-in at the table)
• Velociraptor Pack
• Clock: Learn your route → Test doors → Cut power → Breach.
• Counterplay: Randomize patterns, isolate generators, noise-jam whistles.
• Auction Night
• Clock: VIPs arrive → Lots unveiled → “Demonstration” → Export.
• Counterplay: Swap manifests, trigger biosecurity halt, leak live footage.
• Poacher Airstrip
• Clock: Scouts in long grass → Ultralight warms up → Load crates → Wheels up.
• Counterplay: Sabotage fuel, decoy call, flare-trap the runway.
• Apex in the Corridor
• Clock: Scent picked up → Test barrier → Charge → Collapse.
• Counterplay: Bait to stronger cell, trigger rival call, collapse a bridge behind you.
1. Tyrannosaurus rex — giant tyrannosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, North America.
2. Velociraptor mongoliensis — small dromaeosaurid predator (feathered), Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
3. Deinonychus antirrhopus — mid-sized dromaeosaurid carnivore, Early Cretaceous, N. America.
4. Utahraptor ostrommaysorum — large dromaeosaurid carnivore, Early Cretaceous, N. America.
5. Allosaurus fragilis — big allosauroid predator, Late Jurassic, N. America.
6. Giganotosaurus carolinii — giant carcharodontosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
7. Spinosaurus aegyptiacus — semi-aquatic spinosaurid carnivore, Cretaceous, N. Africa.
8. Baryonyx walkeri — fish-eating spinosaurid, Early Cretaceous, Europe.
9. Suchomimus tenerensis — spinosaurid piscivore, Early Cretaceous, Niger.
10. Carcharodontosaurus saharicus — huge carcharodontosaurid carnivore, Cretaceous, N. Africa.
11. Mapusaurus roseae — large carcharodontosaurid predator, Cretaceous, Argentina.
12. Acrocanthosaurus atokensis — high-spined allosauroid carnivore, Early Cretaceous, N. America.
13. Ceratosaurus nasicornis — horn-nosed theropod carnivore, Late Jurassic, USA/Portugal.
14. Dilophosaurus wetherilli — crested theropod carnivore, Early Jurassic, N. America.
15. Coelophysis bauri — slender early theropod carnivore, Late Triassic, USA.
16. Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis — basal theropod carnivore, Late Triassic, Argentina.
17. Majungasaurus crenatissimus — abelisaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Madagascar.
18. Carnotaurus sastrei — horned abelisaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
19. Abelisaurus comahuensis — abelisaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
20. Rugops primus — abelisaurid carnivore, Cretaceous, Niger.
21. Deltadromeus agilis — long-limbed ceratosaurian theropod, Cretaceous, N. Africa.
22. Albertosaurus sarcophagus — tyrannosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Canada.
23. Daspletosaurus torosus — tyrannosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
24. Tarbosaurus bataar — Asian tyrannosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
25. Alioramus remotus — gracile tyrannosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
26. Eotyrannus lengi — early tyrannosauroid carnivore, Early Cretaceous, England.
27. Ornithomimus edmontonicus — ostrich-mimic omnivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
28. Gallimimus bullatus — fast ornithomimid omnivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
29. Struthiomimus altus — ornithomimid omnivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
30. Therizinosaurus cheloniformis — huge-clawed therizinosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
31. Beipiaosaurus inexpectus — basal therizinosaur omnivore, Early Cretaceous, China.
32. Oviraptor philoceratops — oviraptorid omnivore/brooder, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
33. Citipati osmolskae — oviraptorid omnivore/brooder, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
34. Troodon formosus — small troodontid omnivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
35. Saurornithoides mongoliensis — troodontid omnivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
36. Compsognathus longipes — tiny compsognathid carnivore, Late Jurassic, Europe.
37. Microraptor gui — four-winged dromaeosaurid carnivore, Early Cretaceous, China.
38. Archaeopteryx lithographica — basal avialan (feathered) carnivore/insectivore, Late Jurassic, Germany.
39. Anchiornis huxleyi — small paravian insectivore, Late Jurassic, China.
40. Mononykus olecranus — alvarezsaurid insectivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
41. Shuvuuia deserti — alvarezsaurid insectivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
42. Gigantoraptor erlianensis — giant oviraptorosaur omnivore, Late Cretaceous, China.
43. Sinornithosaurus millenii — small feathered dromaeosaurid, Early Cretaceous, China.
44. Dakotaraptor steini — large dromaeosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
45. Buitreraptor gonzalezorum — unenlagiine dromaeosaurid carnivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
46. Megalosaurus bucklandii — megalosaurid carnivore, Middle Jurassic, England.
47. Torvosaurus tanneri — megalosaurid carnivore, Late Jurassic, N. America/Portugal.
48. Afrovenator abakensis — megalosauroid carnivore, Early Cretaceous, Niger.
49. Eustreptospondylus oxoniensis — megalosauroid carnivore, Middle Jurassic, Europe.
50. Sinraptor dongi — metriacanthosaurid allosauroid carnivore, Late Jurassic, China.
51. Apatosaurus ajax — massive diplodocid herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
52. Diplodocus longus — long-tailed diplodocid herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
53. Brachiosaurus altithorax — tall-shouldered brachiosaurid herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
54. Giraffatitan brancai — brachiosaurid herbivore, Late Jurassic, Tanzania.
55. Supersaurus vivianae — giant diplodocid herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
56. Argentinosaurus huinculensis — colossal titanosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
57. Patagotitan mayorum — huge titanosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
58. Dreadnoughtus schrani — massive titanosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
59. Saltasaurus loricatus — armored titanosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Argentina.
60. Alamosaurus sanjuanensis — large titanosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
61. Camarasaurus lentus — robust macronarian herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
62. Barosaurus lentus — long-necked diplodocid herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
63. Amargasaurus cazaui — spined dicraeosaurid herbivore, Early Cretaceous, Argentina.
64. Nigersaurus taqueti — shovel-mouthed rebbachisaurid herbivore, Early Cretaceous, Niger.
65. Rebbachisaurus garasbae — rebbachisaurid herbivore, Cretaceous, Morocco.
66. Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis — extremely long-necked sauropod herbivore, Late Jurassic, China.
67. Plateosaurus engelhardti — early sauropodomorph herbivore, Late Triassic, Europe.
68. Massospondylus carinatus — basal sauropodomorph herbivore, Early Jurassic, S. Africa.
69. Lufengosaurus huenei — early sauropodomorph herbivore, Early Jurassic, China.
70. Shunosaurus lii — sauropod herbivore with tail club, Middle Jurassic, China.
71. Iguanodon bernissartensis — large ornithopod herbivore, Early Cretaceous, Europe.
72. Parasaurolophus walkeri — crested hadrosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
73. Corythosaurus casuarius — helmet-crested hadrosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
74. Edmontosaurus annectens — broad-billed hadrosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
75. Maiasaura peeblesorum — nest-tending hadrosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Montana.
76. Ouranosaurus nigeriensis — sail-backed ornithopod herbivore, Early Cretaceous, Niger.
77. Shantungosaurus giganteus — giant hadrosaur herbivore, Late Cretaceous, China.
78. Hypsilophodon foxii — small swift ornithopod herbivore, Early Cretaceous, England.
79. Dryosaurus altus — small ornithopod herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
80. Tenontosaurus tilletti — medium ornithopod herbivore, Early Cretaceous, N. America.
81. Triceratops horridus — three-horned ceratopsid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
82. Torosaurus latus — large-frilled ceratopsid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
83. Centrosaurus apertus — hook-horned ceratopsid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Canada.
84. Styracosaurus albertensis — long-spiked ceratopsid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Canada.
85. Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis — boss-nosed ceratopsid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Canada.
86. Chasmosaurus belli — chasmosaurine ceratopsid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Canada.
87. Protoceratops andrewsi — basal ceratopsian herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
88. Psittacosaurus mongoliensis — parrot-beaked basal ceratopsian herbivore, Early Cretaceous, Asia.
89. Diabloceratops eatoni — horned ceratopsid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Utah.
90. Zuniceratops christopheri — early horned ceratopsian herbivore, Late Cretaceous, New Mexico.
91. Stegosaurus stenops — plated stegosaur herbivore, Late Jurassic, N. America.
92. Kentrosaurus aethiopicus — spiky stegosaur herbivore, Late Jurassic, Tanzania.
93. Tuojiangosaurus multispinus — Chinese stegosaur herbivore, Late Jurassic, China.
94. Huayangosaurus taibaii — basal stegosaur herbivore, Middle Jurassic, China.
95. Ankylosaurus magniventris — club-tailed ankylosaurid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
96. Euoplocephalus tutus — armored ankylosaurid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Canada.
97. Saichania chulsanensis — heavily armored ankylosaurid herbivore, Late Cretaceous, Mongolia.
98. Nodosaurus textilis — nodosaurid (no tail club) herbivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.
99. Borealopelta markmitchelli — spiky nodosaurid herbivore, Early Cretaceous, Canada.
100. Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis — dome-headed pachycephalosaur herbivore/omnivore, Late Cretaceous, N. America.