Lizardfolk

1. Crafting +5%
2. Fashion tools and Weapons +5%
3. Leatherworking +5%

Culture:

Lizardfolk were semi-aquatic warm bloodes reptilian humanoids. Their skin is covered in scales and varies in color from dark green through to shades of brown and gray. Taller than humans and powerfully built. Lizardfolk have non-prehensile muscular tails that grew to three or four feet in length, and these are used for balance. They also have sharp claws and teeth.

Although non-reptilians struggle to tell the difference between males and females, lizardfolk can easily distinguish themselves. Lizardfolk have to keep their skin relatively moist and need to wet their bodies regularly if they are in dry climates. For this reason they are particularly fearful of desert landscapes. Lizardfolk are strong and hardy beings, and their thick scaly hides protect against attack. They can hold their breaths far longer than humans can, up to twice as long as an equivalent human. This ability enables them to operate underwater in their marshy homes. The lizardfolk's tails aided them in keeping their balance and in leaping, and made them particularly gifted swimmers.

When a member of the tribe passes away, they are eaten by the others in a ceremonial wake. In this way, they become part of the tribe again, not just figuratively but literally.

Language

Lizardfolk speak Draconic and smarter individuals sometimes learned bits of Common. Depending on where they lived, lizardfolk might learn other languages like Dwarven, Elven, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc, or other languages used in their area. Most ordinary lizardfolk were illiterate.

Religion

Most lizardfolk worship Semuanya, who focuses solely on the survival and propagation of the lizardfolk species. This religion is maintained by clerics who serve as tribal shamans; they bestow Semuanya's blessings on the lizardfolk people whenever required. Although they have no shrines or temples, nor even regular ceremonies, lizardfolk are very proud of their religious traditions and their deity. Thanks to Semuanya's close links to nature, and because lizardfolk are naturally close to the land, ready to take what it gives them, many lizardfolk have no problem shifting to worshiping nature itself. This leads to a high number of lizardfolk druids.

The lizardfolk have other gods. Their original god is Essylliss, who focuses on the lizardfolk themselves. But as Semuanya's influence grew, Essylliss's worship declined until he was almost forgotten. He was followed by a bare few lizardfolk.

There was also the cult of Sess'innek, a demon lord who representes dominion and his version of civilization. He seeks to corrupt the lizardfolk, and created the demonic lizard kings to this end; they operate as tribal leaders or shamans. Sess'innek's followers were hostile, territorial, and greedy. They try to convert all other lizardfolk to their cult, or else kill them off, and they attacked Semuanya's shamans on sight.

Homelands

Lizardfolk generally inhabited marshes and swamps in the temperate and warm regions of Otara. The majority dwell in swamps in well-hidden lairs, but around a third of the lizardfolk population actually lair in underwater caves that are filled with air.

Relations

Neighboring lizardfolk tribes will often ally against formidable enemies, even against other hostile lizardfolk tribes.

The relationship of lizardfolk to other races is considered to be mostly that of hunter to prey. Lizardfolk of somewhat more civilized nature understood that other races might know something worth learning, and are ready to parley. Lizardfolk are most likely to negotiate with halflings. Nevertheless, lizardfolk considerthemselves stronger and thus better than most other races and therefore think of themselves as "real people". Lizardfolk referred to most of the civilized races as "softskins".

Lizardfolk rarely interact with other races as their swampy homelands are home to few other sentient creatures. Their main competitors in the swamps are bullywugs, whom lizardfolk tend to despise. They sometimes ally with locathahs, or choose to serve highly dominant creatures like dragons or nagas.

In places where lizardfolk raiding parties threaten civilization, interracial relations can be particularly bad, In the coastal village of Lathtarl's Lantern the hunting of lizard folk became a sport.

In rare events when lizardfolk are aided by members of other humanoid races and become respected among a tribe, robed lizardfolk shamans created large enchanted amulets of bronze. These items were universally recognized by all lizardfolk and proclaimed that the wearer was a trusted friend. The amulet protected the wearer from any and all lizardmen attacks unless forced to defend themselves. The magics weaved by the lizardfolk were complex dweomers that made it instantly apparent if the medallion was copied. Additionally, these amulets were attuned to a specific wearer, making them useless when sold, gifted, or stolen.

The eggs and skin of lizardfolk are bitter and inedible but the skin of lizardfolk can be fashioned into armor.

The lizardfolk themselves have no written history. Lizardfolk themselves believe they were one of the first humanoid races on Otara. In their story, lizardfolk have dwelled in the swamps since the beginning and that all the civilized races outside have evolved from weak lizardfolk who could not endure their harsh life and left the swamps. Thus, the lizardfolk look down upon the civilized races as weaklings. Scholars think it more likely that lizardfolk are an offshoot of the ancient minion race, subservient to the Old Ones, known as the Sar`Rukh. Either that or Lizardfolk are one of thier evil experiments that failed to meet their expectations. Their other thought is that Lizardfolk appeared long before any of the other races came to Otara. Some Dragon and Elven Scholars believe that Lizardfolk may be yet another fae race like their Kobold and Trolodyte Kin and that they are either created by the Fae out of Dragons. The case in fact is that each of these theories holds a piece of the puzzle.

It is well known that the Old Ones created the Dragons as a warrior race to protect them. They also many other races for various purposes. The very first race was the Sar`Rukh. They were created as a servent race but more so as a race to help master and herd other races created, and as such were the right hand of the Old Ones. Every bit as wicked and nearly as powerful. The Sar'Rukh were greedy and powerful but not content to serve as others were. They had however inherited some of their creators traits as well and were evil and devious to their core, as well as paranoid and jealous. They lusted for power and and hungered for more and more knowledge. For countless Millenia the hoarded thier power and knowledge and little by little rebelled more and more against their Master's rule thinking they did this in secret. The Old Ones noticed.

When the Dragons were created, the Sar`Rukh saw not a slave and weapon of destruction in thrall of the Old Ones, they saw a replacement. This sparked new rebellion and outright sabotage and soon they grew into disfavour in the Old Ones eyes. However at this time the Old Ones had other worries. Wide spread rebellion, much of it sparked by the sabotage of the Sar`Rukh, turned to war. The Sar`Rukh used this distraction to flee and they abandoned their cousins and their allies, leaving them to fight the war, and fled into the faewyld to hide away. Having not learned anything from this, a Sar`Rukh Mage, named Dahakkan, created the first Troglodytes as a servent race. They were flawed and imperfect but they served their purpose. Others, jealous of his success, worked on creating other races of thier own. Dahakkan, continued to build and improve his experiments and soon followed up with first the Kobold and then the Lizardfolk. Meanwhile, the war against the Old Ones had ended. Millenia past and other wars began. During one of these the Dragons, specifically the Evil Dragons, Styphon and his mate Tiamat, created the Draconians as shock troops to fight the was against the Good Dragons and the Elves.

The Dragons and Eandroth were created using Sar`Rukh DNA. The Troglodytes, Kobolds and Lizardfolk were created using Dahakkan's DNA at first and then the DNA of each subsequent race. The Draconians were created using magic the corrupt unborn Dragons in their eggs. 7 races using a common DNA strain each tied to the other yet each different. Needless to say, the lizardfolk have an unimaginably ancient culture, virtually unchanged over the eons.

Personality

Lizardfolk have no interest in money or jewels. They also do not much value accumulating knowledge if it is not practically useful. They largely value things based on whether or not it is good to eat. If it is, it quickly gets their attention; if not, it is ignored. Lizardfolk can often become distracted at the appearance of food, even if they are in combat. They are easier to parley with after a meal, and a hungry lizardfolk is completely obstreperous. Lizardfolk can be highly dangerous when provoked. However, they are not inherently evil; they are simply savage and have a hard time fitting in with the civilized world. Those that venture into towns or cities are often alarmed, frightened, or offended by the environment. Few try to adapt, let alone assimilate into societies. Instead, they fell their part is to learn about "softskin" ways and in turn show them how "real people" live.

Lizardfolk are quite diverse in their diet. They are omnivorous, but strongly favor meat when they can get it. According to stories, to the lizardfolk, the most delicious meat is humanoid flesh, especially human, but this claim is more-or-less unfounded. However, some tribes do consume captives and enemies slain in battle, but more civilized tribes often resist this craving. Meanwhile, ritual cannibalism of deceased tribe-members is customary. Lizardfolk are quick to consume anything that is edible. For this reason, lizardfolk never keep pets. When hunters bring back prey, adult lizardfolk eat first, taking what they wish. The young are usually left with the scraps, and more often than not subsist on edible plants foraged from around the tribe's lair.

Lizardfolk gather into tribes. A typical tribe might have 150 lizardfolk, with around 50 male, 50 female, and 50 hatchlings, Another might have only 30–60 adults, with half as many hatchlings and one tenth that number in unhatched eggs.

Lizardfolk society is patriarchal and leaders hold their positions for their strength and power alone. Although challenges for leadership are rarely made, anyone in the tribe can try and seize power from the leader. This will leave the tribe unorganized and vulnerable until a new leader takes charge or the old leader had reasserts their position. Lizardfolk leaders are most often barbarians or even druids. In a tribe, they will be assisted by two lieutenants. Many skilled warriors are fighters and barbarians. Tribal shamans, meanwhile, are usually clerics who worship Semuanya. Shamans rarely serve as leaders, and by-and-large only offer advice.

Females in the tribes are responsible for hatching eggs, raising young, and maintaining the camp. All the females in the tribe will work together to raise the young. They monitor their hatchlings closely, as the young are difficult to handle and tend to wander off, away from camp and into the wilderness.

Lizardfolk fashion primitive weaponry and tools from wood, stones, and plants they find in the wetlands. Lizardfolk prefer weapons they can fashion themselves from what is available, and so they tend to be simple and limited in variety. More advanced tribes make use of a wider range of weaponry and shields. Moreover, they will sometimes utilize weapons they find or steal; tribal leaders typically get to use items that have been stolen or bartered from other races. The barbed dart is a weapon unique to the lizardfolk. However, their claws and teeth are often sufficient.

Camps vary in style from tribe to tribe. The simplest are just damp leaves used for bedding, but more developed lizardfolk tribes build crude dwellings. They do not keep animals as pets or mounts, but rarely a lizardfolk druid might employ their magic to charm a large creature and ride it into battle to awesome effect.

A species of giant gourds is staple of the Lizard Marsh. These enormous edible fruits are hollowed and dried out by the lizardfolk of the Marsh, making them into oversized containers, often bigger than an adult human in size. These gourds are painted, decorated, and used to store various liquids, such as fresh water, fermented alcohol, and small swimming snacks.

The lizardfolk have no traditions of farming, cultivation, or animal raising, so food is acquired through fishing, hunting, scavenging, or stealing. Those that dwell near other humanoids raid their neighbors for food, supplies, and even slaves. The tribe's survival is its primary, or indeed, only concern. When they fell threatened, or when food shortages will lead to starvation, a tribe will do absolutely anything to guarantee its survival, even committing acts others see as despicable.

Most lizardfolk are content to live their lives out in the swamps and marshes where they are born but, on occasion, some will venture outside their swampy homes to hunt bigger and more dangerous prey. Sometimes a lizardfolk even desires to know more about the outside world, but mostly to bring knowledge back to their leader. When they did so, lizardfolk rarely travel alone. If they leave the swamp, they will do so in pairs or groups of three. Lizardfolk fear that, without others of their own kind with them to remind them of who and what they were, they will lose their identity and be seduced by the ways of civilization and never come home again.

When a member of the tribe passed away, they were eaten by the others in a ceremonial wake. In this way, they became part of the tribe again, not just figuratively but literally.

Description:

Only a fool looks at the lizardfolk and sees nothing more than scaly humanoids. Their physical shape not with-standing, lizardfolk have more in common with iguanas or dragons than they do with humans, dwarves, or elves. Lizardfolk possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of basic principles than those of warm-blooded creatures. Their dismal swamp homes might lie hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement, but the gap between their way of thinking and that of the smooth-skins is far greater. Despite their alien outlook, some lizardfolk try to understand and, in their own manner, befriend people of other races. Such lizardfolk make faithful and skilled allies.

Lizard men are savage, semi-aquatic, reptilian humanoids that live through scavenging, raiding, and, in less hostile areas, by fishing and gathering. Adult lizard men stand 6 to 7 feet tall, weighing 200 to 250 pounds. Skin tones range from dark green to gray to brown, and their scales give them a flecked appearance. Their tails average 3 to 4 feet long and are not prehensile. Males are nearly impossible to distinguish from females without close inspection. Lizard man garb is limited to strings of bones and other barbaric ornament. Lizard men speak their own language.

Aside from the common type of Lizard folk there are 4 other types. Three of the subtypes, the Subchief and the Kingare born different from their common parents but the Render and Scaleshield are created through Shamanistic rituals to fulfil specific functions

• RENDER Filled with the primal magic of Semuanya (the Lizardfolk word for the gods), the lizard-folk render undergoes terrifying changes during a days-long ritual performed by a shaman. The render's claws grow long and hard as steel, its frame enlarges, and its temperament becomes even more ferocious.
• SCALESHIELD Serving as the elite warriors and officers of a lizardfolk clan, the Scaleshield is filled with the primal magic of Semuanya, which transforms them into robust creatures with hides as hard as metal. Trained in martial weapons and advanced combat tactics, they are found protecting lizardfolk lairs.
• SUBCHIEF: Chosen of Semuanya, this subtype generally shows an innate magical ability and are often become druids or shaman to the tribe. They wield a dagger crafted of a massive crocodile tooth blessed by Semuanya, representing the sub chief’s prowess in both battle and piety.
• LIZARD KING/CHIEF: Another of the chosen of Semuanya, the King or Chief is a lizard man of above average height and intelligence, leading one or more loosely organized tribes of lizard men. The lizard king is most often armed with a great trident, which it wields with great skill and ferocity. In the hands of the lizard king, the weapon inflicts 5-20 (3D6+2) points of damage.

The lizardfolk's reptilian nature comes through not only in their appearance, but also in how they think and act. Lizardfolk experience a more limited emotional life than other humanoids. Like most reptiles, their feelings largely revolve around fear, aggression, and pleasure. Lizardfolk experience most feelings as detached descriptions of creatures and situations. For example, humans confronted by an angry troll experience fear on a basic level. Their limbs shake, their thinking becomes panicked and jumbled, and they react by instinct. The emotion of fear takes hold and controls their actions. In contrast, lizardfolk see emotions as traits assigned to other creatures, objects, and situations. A lizardfolk doesn't think, "I'm scared." Instead, aggressive, stronger creatures register to the lizardfolk as fearsome beings to be avoided if possible. If such creatures attack, lizardfolk flee, fighting only if cornered. Lizardfolk aren't scared of a troll; instead, they understand that a troll is a fearsome, dangerous creature and react accordingly. Lizardfolk never become angry in the way others do, but they act with aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can't be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and so on. Pleasurable people and things make life easier for lizardfolk. Pleasurable things should be preserved and protected, sometimes at the cost of the lizardfolk's own safety. The most pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow lizardfolk to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome.

COLD AND CALCULATING

Most humanoids describe cold-blooded people as lacking in emotion and empathy. The same label serves as an apt depiction of lizardfolk. Lacking any internal emotional reactions, lizardfolk behave in a distant manner. They don't mourn fallen comrades or rage against their enemies. They simply observe and react as a situation warrants. Lizardfolk lack meaningful emotional ties to the past. They assess situations based on their current and future utility and importance. Nowhere does this come through as strongly as when lizardfolk deal with the dead. To a lizardfolk, a comrade who dies becomes a po-tertial source of food. That companion might have once been a warrior or hunter, but now the body is just freshly killed meat. A lizard folk who lives among other humanoids can, over time, learn to respect other creatures' emotions. The lizardfolk doesn't share those feelings, but instead assesses them in the same clinical manner. Yes, the fallen dwarf might be most useful as a meal but hacking the body into steaks provokes aggression in the other humanoids and makes them less helpful in battle.

The lizardfolk mindset might seem unnecessarily cruel, but it helps them survive in a hostile environment. The swamps they inhabit are filled with a staggering variety of threats. Lizardfolk focus on survival above all, with-out sentiment. Lizardfolk assess everyone and everything in terms of utility. Art and beauty have little meaning for them. A sharp sword serves a useful and good purpose, while a dull sword is a dead weight without a whetstone. Lizardfolk see little need to plan more than a season or so into the future. This approach allows them to maintain their current level of influence in the world, but it limits their growth. Lizardfolk have no interest in developing writing, making long-term plans, or cultivating other methods to progress beyond their simple existence as hunters and gatherers.

At their core, lizardfolk view other humanoids with an indifference verging on pity. Born into the world lacking stout scales and sharp teeth, it's a wonder they have managed to survive for so long. The typical human would barely make it through a day in the swamps. Still, if other creatures prove useful to lizardfolk, those creatures can trigger a protective response made all the stronger by their apparent weakness. The lizardfolk assess such beings as hatchlings, young one’s incapable of protecting themselves but who might prove useful in the future if they receive care.

You can use the Lizardfolk Quirks table to determine a personality quirk for a lizardfolk character or to inspire a unique mannerism. LIZARDFOLK QUIRKS

d8	Quirk
1	You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Fingers are tasty and portable!
2	You sleep best while mostly submerged in water.
3	Money is meaningless to you.
4	You think there are only two species of humanoid: lizardfolk and meat.
5	You have learned to laugh. You use this talent in response to all emotional situations, to better fit in with your comrades.
6	You still don't understand how metaphors work. That doesn't stop you from using them at every opportunity.
7	You appreciate the soft humanoids who realize they need chain mail and swords to match the gifts you were born with.
8	You enjoy eating your food while it's still wriggling.

Combat:

Most lizardfolk had little interest in battle tactics or strategy, and they fought as a disorganized mass of individuals. Despite their impressive hunting skills, lizardfolk often relied on strength and weight of numbers in battle, and simply charged their foes head-on. At the most, they would try to push foes into water, where lizardfolk often enjoyed an advantage.

However, if lizardfolk were being attacked or pursued, or their camps were in danger or their territory invaded, their hunting skills came to the fore and they laid traps, snares, and pitfalls. They organized ambushes and raided enemy supplies. The more advanced tribes attempted cleverer strategies and traps. A great many lizardfolk lairs were defended by traps. If they have equality or an advantage over their opponents, they tend toward frontal assaults and massed rushes. When outnumbered, overmatched, or on their home ground, however, they become wily and ferocious opponents. Snares, sudden ambushes, and spoiling raids are favored tactics in these situations. While individually savage in melee, lizard men tend to be distracted by food (such as slain opponents) and by simple treasures, which may allow some of their quarry to escape. They occasionally take prisoners as slaves, for food, or to sacrifice in obscure tribal rites.

For every 10 lizard men encountered, there will be one patrol leader with maximum hit points (17 hp) and a 50% chance for a shaman with 3 Hit Dice and the abilities of a 3rd-level priest. If one or more tribes are encountered, each tribe will also have a war leader of 6 Hit Dice, two subleaders with 4 Hit Dice, and a shaman of either 4 or 5 Hit Dice (50% chance of each). Any group of two or more tribes has a 50% chance for an additional shaman of 7 Hit Dice.

Furthermore, each such group has a cumulative 10% chance per tribe to be led by a lizard king. If a lizard king is present, a shaman of 7th level will also be present, and all patrol leaders from each tribe (i.e., 10% of the male warriors) will be combined into a single fanatical bodyguard for the lizard king.

Habitat/Society:

Lizard men are typically found living in swamps and marshes, and similar places, often (35%) dwelling totally underwater in air-filled caves. Liz¬ard men build cities consisting of buildings raised on poles directly over the water. In days past, these cities contained up to 1000 people, but as these prolific creatures increase in number, smaller villages of 100 to 400 members are appearing along the smaller tributaries, shallow waters and even the occasional swamp. Despite their aggressive colonization, most lizard men will not at¬tack anyone without a reason. They are content to let land dwellers live in peace, so long as they are left alone. Even boat travelers will not be bothered unless they antagonize or threaten the lizard men. If even a single lizard man is injured, the entire community will be mobilized to war. They hunt in packs and frequently group together to better defend themselves. They are vicious hunters, and able to stomach much tougher foods than most other creatures. They are fierce warriors and will fight to their last breath. A tribe rarely numbers more than 150 individuals, including females and hatchlings. It is not uncommon for several tribes in an area to forge an informal alliance against outsiders, including other lizard man tribes.

Lizard men are omnivorous but are likely to prefer human flesh to other foods. In this regard they have been known to ambush humans, gather up the corpses and capture the survivors, and take the lot back to their lair for a rude and horrid feast.

Lizardfolk take their names from the Draconic language. They use simple descriptives granted by the tribe based on an individual's notable deeds or actions. For example, Garurt translates as "axe," a name given to a lizardfolk warrior who defeated an orc and claimed his foe's weapon. A lizardfolk who likes to hide in a stand of reeds before ambushing an animal might be called Ach-uak, which means "green" to describe how she blends into the foliage. Lizardfolk make no distinction between male and female in their naming conventions. Each example name includes its translation in parenthesis. Lizardfolk Names: Achuak (green), Aryte (war), Bae-shra (animal), Darastrix (dragon), Garurt (axe), Irhtos (secret), Jhank (hammer), Kepesk (storm), Kethend (gem), Korth (danger), Kosj (small), Kothar (demon), Li-trix (armor), Mirik (song), Othokent (smart), Sauriv (eye), Throden (many), Thurkear (night), Usk (iron), Valignat (burn), Vargach (battle), Verthica (mountain), Vutha (black), Vyth (steel)

Ecology:

You can find clans of Lizardfolk gathering in many large swamp and marshlands. These hunters fight in packs and work together in tight-knit packs. Many lizardfolk clans’ worship dragons and will often offer tribute when their clans encounter a Dragon, even going so far as to offer servitude. Cunning Artisans, they harvest bone and hide from a slain beasts, constructs, dragons, monstrosities, or plant creatures of size Small or larger to create the following items: shields, clubs, javelins, darts or blowgun needles as well as tools and other useful items. Lizardfolk are powerful creatures that will fight ceaseless for their clan. Slavers, bandits and aggressors of all kind are struck down without mercy. The lizard men who inhabit the smaller jungle rivers and swamps are more aggressive and less tolerant of others. This is due to the constant conflicts with other tribes and humans who consider lizard men to be rivals and enemies. They have powerful jaws and are adroit swimmers. Lizard men have few natural enemies. They prey on human, demi human, or humanoid settlements if these are nearby.Lizardfolk females laid clutches of eggs, from which their young hatched. The eggs were kept well protected in the tribe's lair. The life of a hatchling was especially hard. Lizardfolk reached maturity within five years of hatching. Eggs are laid in nests of mud and sticks underwater, hatching within five months. A single female lays 4D6 eggs, but only 10% survive. Their principal diet consists of aquatic creatures like fish, frogs, snails, alligators, oysters, and others. Lizard man eggs are bitter and inedible, as is their flesh, but their skin is sometimes worked as scale armor. As lizardfolk age, their bodies slow down. Most lizardfolk over the age of 60 spent their days laying on warm rocks in the sun. Although lizardfolk age much the same and have a similar lifespan to humans—the oldest reaching 80 years of age—it is rare for lizardfolk males to grow old as they usually die in combat long before.