Saurian

Saurian is an enemy in Dragon's Dogma.

Saurians are a species of large bipedal lizards. Found mostly around riverbanks, they reach around ten feet in height and feed mostly on fish and animals.

Saurians are moderately intelligent and possess a sort of social structure, tending to operate in groups called basks. Most basks of Saurians will have one of their own act as a lookout, usually while invisible, so exercise great caution around areas that are likely to be home to Saurians.

They surpass humans in terms of brute strength and defense and can expertly use their hunting spears as weapons. They can also spit poison globs from their mouths and quickly slither on the ground for a quick attack, retreating when injured.

A Saurian’s body is covered with tough scales that can easily withstand most frontal attacks. These scales can also render the Saurian near invisible, aiding them in ambushing their prey.

If you manage to cut off a Saurian’s tail, it will almost always lose the will to fight and will usually flee from battle. No one knows exactly why this is, but scholars theorize that a lost tail might demonstrate to others—especially potential mates—poor fitness, thus damaging a Saurian’s social standing. Also, losing a limb is generally a traumatizing event for most.

Attacks
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 * style="width:100px;"|Spear Slash
 * Phys
 * Slashes its spear at a target in front of it.
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Tail Whip
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Phys
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Whacks targets attacking its tail. Causes knock back.
 * Spit
 * Mag/Status
 * Spits a glob of poison at a target. May cause Poison.
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Jumping Attack
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Phys
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Jumps at a target out of the water and lands on them.
 * Jumping Spear
 * Phys
 * Leaps at a target and stabs them with the spear. Knocks the target away and down.
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Hit and Run Bite
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Phys
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|When its tail is removed it will slither up to a target and bite them in the legs and then run away.
 * Invisibility
 * Spec
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Hit and Run Bite
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Phys
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|When its tail is removed it will slither up to a target and bite them in the legs and then run away.
 * Invisibility
 * Spec
 * Invisibility
 * Spec

Saurians are able to turn themselves near invisible for ambush attacks or regular attacks.​​
If guard is not broken when attacking, it will retaliate with a spear attack that knocks you down.
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Guard
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Spec
 * style="background-color: #111111;"|Holds up its spear in a defensive stance and blocks all frontal and side attacks. However, the Tail is not protected, and the guard may be broken by strong attacks.
 * Counter Attack
 * Phys
 * Counter Attack
 * Phys
 * }

Tactics

 * Saurian1.pngners might find it easier to take them down from a distance.
 * Ice damage tends to have a greater chance of inflicting the "Frozen Solid" effect as most are usually wet. They also take at least 2-3 times as much damage from ice attacks.
 * Ice elemental enchanted weapons like Almace are very effective against the Saurians. Even if you don't go for the tail to weaken them first, a few slashes/strikes from ice weapons can freeze them solid, allowing for further attacks.
 * Setting them on fire can interrupt their attacks, causing them to roll around on the ground, trying to extinguish themselves, thus making fire skills an effective strategy. Comestion is extremely effective, as the area effect will remove the tail and highly damage the body, often killing them outright with one spell.
 * Aiming for the tail and removing it weakens the Saurian's will to fight. It also disables their invisibility and severely reduces their defense, making it easier to kill them. They also drop their weapons when their tails are cut, meaning they have less ways to attack you and can no longer defend themselves.
 * Levin or High Levin can be useful for severing the tail, as it is more accurate than other spells and ignores the need for a line of sight.
 * A Dagger wielding class such as Strider can use Biting/Cutting Wind to swiftly get behind a Saurian and sever it with Scarlet/Hundred Kisses.
 * Mystic Knight's Icecounter/Frost Riposte works well against the Saurians, as their attacks are rather slow and easy to read, allowing you to counter and freeze them for further attacks.
 * Magick Archer's Threefold/Sixfold Bolt is an ice based attack, and is therefore very effective against Saurians. Although the attack can only hit one target at a time, it can potentially insta-kill a target.
 * For low-leveled Assassins with the Preemption augment, using Lyncean Sight on the tail from a distance will sever it instantly. Place another Lyncean shot to the head for an easy 2 shot kill. Killing a Saurian like this won't cause the other resting Saurians to stand up or enter their combat stance, so this can be repeated to clear an entire group of Saurians at a distance without taking any damage yourself. At higher levels, one Lyncean Sight to the head will be enough to kill them.
 * Saurians found in the Watergod's Altar can sometimes be found invisible on the walls high above, waiting to jump and stab a unwary passerby. Listen for their tell-tale growling and look for a faint shape on the wall so that you can attack it first or put your shield up to prepare for the attack.
 * Submerged Saurians cannot be targeted with magick and magick bows, you must close in on them to lure them out.
 * If you are equipped with a bow, aim for the tail. If you place your shot correctly (and depending on your level), the tail will immediately be severed. One well-placed shot to the head right after severing the tail will immediately kill the Saurian. If you are a low-leveled Strider or Ranger, sever the tail with your bow and then kick the bejeebus out of it with your Daggers.

Locations

 * At the northern end of the strip of water dividing the Eradication Site from The Ruins of Aernst Castle. While two patrol a little further down towards the middle of this rivlet the rest are sleeping on rocks and can be easily ambushed. Those wishing to complete a quest to slay these monsters would do well to venture here.


 * Further north from this point, as you enter the wooded area of the Vestad Hills, there are yet more Saurians; some of whom are near to a Chimera.
 * Under Cassardis in Dripstone Cave during the quests Deep Trouble and Deeper Trouble.
 * Estan Plains. Follow the river up to its westernmost point.
 * In the river on the eastern side of the bridge linking the Estan Plains with Deos Hills.
 * In the river dividing the Wilted Forest from Cursewood. The path naturally takes you to their position.
 * Behind Man Swallowing Falls in The Watergod's Altar.

Drops

 * Saurian Tail (when removed in battle, thus debilitating the enemy). Cut off tails can be picked up and be used to recover a fair amount of stamina, although they are pretty heavy.
 * Saurian Scale
 * Fisheye Stone
 * Large Rank Fish
 * Rift Fragment
 * Greenwarish
 * Potent Greenwarish

Large Saurian
Within the Quest, Deeper Trouble, upon entering the newly unlocked section of Dripstone Cave, a 'larger than normal' Saurian is encountered. The regular Saurians appear to look up to this large Saurian as their leader, and since it dwells in a cave full of Saurian eggs, it's likely that this is a Saurian queen or matriarchal female of sorts.

The large Saurian looks and fights identically to regular Saurians. Cutting off its tail remains its weakness, and it drops the same loot. It's merely an enlarged version and doesn't respawn when defeated.

Trivia

 * The name "Saurian" is taken from "Sauria" which is a scientific term for a clade of reptiles.
 * The Saurian's invisibility closely resembles the steath cloaking technology where the surface reflects the light and appears invisible to others. It is possible that Saurians are related to Chameleons and thus developed upon its ability to camouflage.
 * Most Lizardmen in other mythologies are highly intelligent and are capable of wielding human weapons and armor. Some are even capable of speech, but Dragon's Dogma's lizardmen are more primitive and behave like cavemen.
 * The Saurians' invisibility is not perfect. if you look carefully, you can see their faint shapes when they are in hiding.
 * The way a Saurian's tail will simply pop off after sustaining enough damage is very similar to many species of lizards that use autotomy. It could also imply that, like these lizards, the tails could grow back.
 * Saurians resemble iguanas with crocodilian textures.
 * The presence of a giant Saurian in Dripstone Cave suggests that, like other reptiles, they keep growing throughout their entire lives.
 * It seems that they can walk on water, although it may be a glitch associated specifically with Saurians of the Watergod's Altar location.

Other Species

 * Sulfur Saurian
 * Geo Saurian
 * Saurian Sage