Saurian

Saurian (called Lizardmen in the Japanese version) is an enemy in Dragon's Dogma.

Common Saurians
"Saurians are mostly found around water and have an appearance like bipedal lizards. 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 stand guard, usually while camouflaged, so exercise great caution around areas likely to be home to saurians. They surpass humans in terms of brute strength and explosive power, and they can use their hunting harpoons as weapons. They can also spit poison from their mouths and quickly slither close to take a bite out of their foes.  A saurian’s body is covered with tough scales that cannot be penetrated by many attacks. These scales can also change color in response to the environment and thus saurians can disguise themselves to blend into their surroundings, all the better to ambush their prey. They call this ability “camouflaging.”. If you damage a saurian’s tail, it appears to 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."

- Capcom official description


 * Note - this section describes common (green) Saurians, for other types see Saurians

The common Saurian is the least dangerous of the Saurians, but still a potent foe. Generally green or greenish, they generally inhabit watery areas, either ponds or riverbanks, but as also found in sheltered woods. Common Saurians sometimes cloak themselves, making them nearly invisible, but not as regularly as their cousins the Sulfur Saurian.

They are strong swimmers, immune to poison, vulnerable to torpor, ice and fire, with strong physical attack, poisonous spit, and like all Saurians, a weakness in their tail.

Locations

 * A large bask can be found around the pool and stream leading from Nightcall Crevasse (between the Eradication Site from The Ruins of Aernst Castle)
 * Several more large basks are found directly north of Nighcall Crevasse in the Vestad Hills - one bask appear to be living in association with a Chimera.
 * Several large basks along the river banks near the outfall at Gran Soren between the Estan Plains and Deos Hills.
 * There are basks further upstream in tributaries of the river.
 * Behind Man Swallowing Falls in The Watergod's Altar
 * Under Cassardis in Dripstone Cave during the quests Deep Trouble and Deeper Trouble.

Rewards
If a Saurian's tail is cut off it will almost always yield a Saurian Tail. Eliminating a Saurian commonly gives a Saurian Scale, less commonly a Fisheye Stone, or Large Rank Fish or Rift Fragment. Occassionally a Greenwarish or Potent Greenwarish may be found on defeat.

Saurian King
During the quest Deeper Trouble, 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 may be that this is Saurian "queen" or "king".

Tactics

 * Weak to ice in all its forms.
 * Though quiet resistance to the fire element, causing burning interrupts their attacks, causing them to roll around on the ground, trying to extinguish themselves.
 * Aiming for the tail and removing it weakens the Saurian's will to fight, causing them to drop their weapons, and severely reduces their defense, making it easier to kill them. It also disables their invisibility.
 * Easily torpored, and cursed.
 * Common Saurians (such as those found at the Watergod's Altar) will cling to walls, and assume an invisibility cloak, waiting in ambush - listen for their tell-tale growling and look for a faint shape on the wall so that a first-strike can be made, or defensive measures can be taken.
 * Submerged Saurians cannot be auto-targeted with magick and magick bows, and need to be closed in to lure them out. However, you can always manually aim at them.

Other Species

 * Dragon's Dogma
 * Sulfur Saurian
 * Geo Saurian
 * Saurian Sage

Giant Saurians cannot be Grappled, but can be clung to instead
 * Dark Arisen
 * Pyre Saurian
 * Giant Saurian
 * Giant Sulfur Saurian
 * Giant Geo Saurian
 * Giant Saurian Sage

Pawn Bestiary Knowledge
In addition to witnessing these techniques, it is necessary for Pawns to participate in killing 300 Saurians either with their own Arisen or while travelling with others.
 * Saurian Strategy Vol. 1 - Sever the tail to weaken the beast.
 * Weak against Ice.
 * Set on fire to witness them roll-over
 * Freezing and shattering
 * Let each Saurian type spit on the Arisen, as they all inflict different effects.

Trivia

 * The name "Saurian" is taken from "Sauria" which is a scientific term for a clade of reptiles.
 * 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 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.