And while Merfolk, and Aarakocra are a stretch I can see it, but Lizardfolk are called that by Humans who arrived on Toril and saw the primitive sentient amphibians in a swamp and called them Lizardfolk, that is not their name for themselves. Although I can't remember if one was ever given, they have a Deity a swampy afterlife, and a long history as basically one of the first and oldest species on Toril, they were there long before Humans, Elves, Dwarves, or any of the remaining humanoid species.
While you could make an argument they could be Dragonkin, or monstrosities, they are not able to survive as a species on the plane of Earth, their lore has them needing water for child baring. They still have gills for bhaals sake.
ugh....does anyone still read the books? Do they even care about the last 50 years of lore?
It's not all Lizardfolk that are Elementals. The description from the Monster manual 2025 says, in its first paragraph:
Lizardfolk dwell in wildernesses suffused with primal magic. While many lizardfolk are Humanoids with varied skills, some forge powerful bonds with the Elemental Plane of Earth, granting them magical connections to the cycle of growth and rebirth.
There is not, however, a generic "Lizardfolk" statblock, those would probably be using one of the Humanoid statblocks, "Scout," according to the conversion table.
The provided statblocks under the Lizardfolk entry are for "Lizardfolk Geomancer" and "Lizardfolk Sovreign" which are conversions of Lizardfolk Shaman and Lizardfolk King/Queen from the '14 Monster Manual.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
It's not all Lizardfolk that are Elementals. The description from the Monster manual 2025 says, in its first paragraph:
Lizardfolk dwell in wildernesses suffused with primal magic. While many lizardfolk are Humanoids with varied skills, some forge powerful bonds with the Elemental Plane of Earth, granting them magical connections to the cycle of growth and rebirth.
There is not, however, a generic "Lizardfolk" statblock, those would probably be using one of the Humanoid statblocks, "Scout," according to the conversion table.
The provided statblocks under the Lizardfolk entry are for "Lizardfolk Geomancer" and "Lizardfolk Sovreign" which are conversions of Lizardfolk Shaman and Lizardfolk King/Queen from the '14 Monster Manual.
You clearly didn't watch the video then:
Give it a watch.
It's not that here are some elemental earth lizard folk, it's they wanted the origins of some humanoid elemental folk to be from the elemental plains, like the Azer are to fire, so Merfolk are from water now, Aarakocra from air, and .... Lizardfolk are now as a species from Earth.
I did watch the video when It was live, specifically intending to see what they'd say about Lizardfolk, and rewatched it to be certain. what they say is that the Lizardfolk are "deeply connected to the Elemental Plane of Earth" and not "originating from the Elemental Plane of Earth."
And there's absolutely nothing in the MM25 Lizardfolk entry about making them creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth. That's lore you've assumed from the interview that isn't actually in the book.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
It's not that here are some elemental earth lizard folk, it's they wanted the origins of some humanoid elemental folk to be from the elemental plains, like the Azer are to fire, so Merfolk are from water now, Aarakocra from air, and .... Lizardfolk are now as a species from Earth.
Have you tried looking at and reading the Monster Manual entry?
But ... that's just wrong. I mean. Because they're swamp dwellers. So, yea, sorry but that won't fly. I'm totally down with lizardfolk having some sort of elemental religion - but it's the wrong element. Redo from start.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I am not a fan of there not being a base lizardfolk stat block. Telling me to go use something else is a cop out and lazy. A generic lizardfolk is STILL going to have some unique traits like a swimming move speed.
I am not a fan of there not being a base lizardfolk stat block. Telling me to go use something else is a cop out and lazy. A generic lizardfolk is STILL going to have some unique traits like a swimming move speed.
Applly this to any of the NPC stat blocks
Lizardfolk Traits
As a lizardfolk, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Bite
You have a fanged maw that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Hold Breath
You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.
Hungry Jaws
You can throw yourself into a feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your Bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Natural Armor
You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your base AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
I have to ask because maybe I have been doing this wrong forever. How did you do Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and other Species NPCs without specific stat blocks for them? I was taught that if you wanted and Elf NPC, that you just take the desired NPC stat block and added the traits of the Species in question and POOF! Elf NPC!!!
I have to ask because maybe I have been doing this wrong forever. How did you do Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and other Species NPCs without specific stat blocks for them? I was taught that if you wanted and Elf NPC, that you just take the desired NPC stat block and added the traits of the Species in question and POOF! Elf NPC!!!
I've not been replying since people seemed to miss the point, that they are retconning a classic DnD creature into something it is not. But whatever, yes I read the MM entry early access and all. But when you read the entry you see what I assumed were off cases, ie Lizardfolk who choose an elemental life. The retcon was in the video itself. But looking back at other stat blocks you see it's been a retcon that is building in 5e all along. So whatever, once again the current D&D team has chosen to forget the past and write new lore over the existing lore.
As a DM responding to the quoted text:
As to NPCs. Depends, are they talking heads or combat encounters. These are different.
For me a Talking head is a level 0 8's in all stat block, but given the old 3rd edition "Racial Bonuses" as long as they are positive stats. They know what they know and do no independent thought. That is for the PCs to do.
Now if they are combat ready NPCs, ie escort missions, combat encounters, sidekicks, etc. I make Player Character sheets for them if they are friendly to the party, otherwise I make them using the monster builder in 2014.
Facing 20 bandits, with a 4 player level 5 party. My 20 bandits will be CR 1 Monsters based on humanoid Stats. Using weapons and gear from the player handbook. I wont bother making them distinct past "humanoid Bandit" unless specifically asked. I will however pick a random Species for the Bandit Leader, who is usually the same CR as the players. They count as the Boss of the Bandit fight, and if defeated the other bandits Surrender on their turn, and will only defend themselves past that point.
And while Merfolk, and Aarakocra are a stretch I can see it, but Lizardfolk are called that by Humans who arrived on Toril and saw the primitive sentient amphibians in a swamp and called them Lizardfolk, that is not their name for themselves. Although I can't remember if one was ever given, they have a Deity a swampy afterlife, and a long history as basically one of the first and oldest species on Toril, they were there long before Humans, Elves, Dwarves, or any of the remaining humanoid species.
While you could make an argument they could be Dragonkin, or monstrosities, they are not able to survive as a species on the plane of Earth, their lore has them needing water for child baring. They still have gills for bhaals sake.
ugh....does anyone still read the books? Do they even care about the last 50 years of lore?
I just watched the video and I agree with some of this and strongly disagree with other parts so here goes. 1) I don’t really have a problem with merefolk being reclassified as elementals . As the video points out they don’t have legs they have tails so they aren’t really humanoid. 2) I green that aarakocra as air elementals is a bit of a stretch but ok I guess. 3) lizard folk is a loooooooooong stretch and would really require a different sort of retcon or the addition of of less crocodilian and more monitor lizard versions that are found in forests and deserts. They are reptiles, not amphibians, don require water to breath (in both 2014 & 2024 they hold their breath not breath water - earlier editions too I believe but haven’t checked) or breed (they, like all reptiles, lay leathery eggs on dry land not in the water) and as reptiles were the first group of chordates to fully conquer the (dry) land. So it’s a possible stretch but one that is pushing even my credulity done this way. I can’t see them as monstrosities but as possible kin to dragons and ( in FR at least) to the Sarrukh and Yaun ti. 4) the lack of a basic stat block is annoying to say the least. While I can reuse the 2014 stat block for the basic lizardman it’s more than a little annoying to have to do so.
I have to ask because maybe I have been doing this wrong forever. How did you do Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and other Species NPCs without specific stat blocks for them? I was taught that if you wanted and Elf NPC, that you just take the desired NPC stat block and added the traits of the Species in question and POOF! Elf NPC!!!
It's the obvious thing to do, I just wish this was given as a skeleton of guidance somewhere in the Monstrous Manual 2024. Especially when considering species with level-gated features such as High Elves, Dragonborn, or Tieflings.
That said, looking at the simultaneously-released official "Hold Back the Dead" adventure, it contains
a Halfling NPC that uses the Knight statblock with no listed Halfling Features,
so I guess the currently-intended default is to use the named substitute statblock unmodified for almost all purposes.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
... 3) lizard folk is a loooooooooong stretch and would really require a different sort of retcon or the addition of of less crocodilian and more monitor lizard versions that are found in forests and deserts. They are reptiles, not amphibians, don require water to breath (in both 2014 & 2024 they hold their breath not breath water - earlier editions too I believe but haven’t checked) or breed (they, like all reptiles, lay leathery eggs on dry land not in the water) and as reptiles were the first group of chordates to fully conquer the (dry) land. So it’s a possible stretch but one that is pushing even my credulity done this way. I can’t see them as monstrosities but as possible kin to dragons and ( in FR at least) to the Sarrukh and Yaun ti.
They were considered Reptiles by TSR, but then TSR in 2nd ed gave them Water breathing, and one of the novels had them doing the deed underwater, and basically made them into amphibians by description. As someone who has studied biology for medical school, I was laughing as they basically turned them into a text book amphibian . Sure that was 30 years ago, and I don't expect the new team to read all the old material. But seriously they have forgotten way more than expected in 5th edition.
Hells just ask Ed Greenwood what's up, he'll give a full story and how he and so and so came up with such an idea....he's a gold mine for deep lore, and what they were thinking when writing the old books.
I think he originally wanted Lizard me to be Crocodilian People, but they made them lizardfolk as it was easier to say.
And while Merfolk, and Aarakocra are a stretch I can see it, but Lizardfolk are called that by Humans who arrived on Toril and saw the primitive sentient amphibians in a swamp and called them Lizardfolk, that is not their name for themselves. Although I can't remember if one was ever given, they have a Deity a swampy afterlife, and a long history as basically one of the first and oldest species on Toril, they were there long before Humans, Elves, Dwarves, or any of the remaining humanoid species.
While you could make an argument they could be Dragonkin, or monstrosities, they are not able to survive as a species on the plane of Earth, their lore has them needing water for child baring. They still have gills for bhaals sake.
ugh....does anyone still read the books? Do they even care about the last 50 years of lore?
I just watched the video and I agree with some of this and strongly disagree with other parts so here goes. 1) I don’t really have a problem with merefolk being reclassified as elementals . As the video points out they don’t have legs they have tails so they aren’t really humanoid. 2) I green that aarakocra as air elementals is a bit of a stretch but ok I guess. 3) lizard folk is a loooooooooong stretch and would really require a different sort of retcon or the addition of of less crocodilian and more monitor lizard versions that are found in forests and deserts. They are reptiles, not amphibians, don require water to breath (in both 2014 & 2024 they hold their breath not breath water - earlier editions too I believe but haven’t checked) or breed (they, like all reptiles, lay leathery eggs on dry land not in the water) and as reptiles were the first group of chordates to fully conquer the (dry) land. So it’s a possible stretch but one that is pushing even my credulity done this way. I can’t see them as monstrosities but as possible kin to dragons and ( in FR at least) to the Sarrukh and Yaun ti. 4) the lack of a basic stat block is annoying to say the least. While I can reuse the 2014 stat block for the basic lizardman it’s more than a little annoying to have to do so.
1&2e had Lizard men, Reptilian based monsters that where primarily found in tropical and high temperature environments, swamps and tropical forests more likely than other locations, and semi-aquatic. Had something like 2d8+2hp and a ThAC0 of 5 I think? Always thought of them as walking gators or crocs, or Large Water Monitors with an higher level intelligence considering: “ some lairs consist of water entry caves and holes, while some make simple huts and shelters.”
So whatever, once again the current D&D team has chosen to forget the past and write new lore over the existing lore.
What makes "existing lore" so sacrosanct? It was all made up by somebody at some point, there's nothing inherently special about that point being 40 years ago or 4 months ago. All that matters to me is whether the change is plausible. And some Lizardfolk getting adept enough with earth magic to infuse themselves with it is fine, it's not like they're cloud people.
Really don’t see the problem here. Making them amphibious creatures when Lizards are reptiles was just dumb - the new block works equally well in the desert, the marsh, the jungle, etc., and thus better represents what a Lizard is.
Something being old does not always make it good - and, let’s be honest, the early founders of D&D might have made a pretty fun, lasting game, but there’s lots of stupid things they did we do not need to preserve. Lizards being amphibians instead of reptiles, bigotry, “longsword” being used when “arming sword” is more accurate, etc. all kinds of stupid choices we could happily leave behind.
What makes "existing lore" so sacrosanct? It was all made up by somebody at some point, there's nothing inherently special about that point being 40 years ago or 4 months ago. All that matters to me is whether the change is plausible. And some Lizardfolk getting adept enough with earth magic to infuse themselves with it is fine, it's not like they're cloud people.
Who says it's 'sacrosanct'? But is there any reason to change it? Lizardfolk have been part of the game since .. well I imagine essentially from the beginning. They are swamp people, amphibians, jungle guys with stone weapons and a swim speed. They have no connection to the plane of earth, really, and there's no reason to change them to have one - because if you want a race with a connection to the plane of earth, you can make another. There's a quadrillion bad and pointless races in D&D, but lizardfolk is one of the better ones. Why ruin a good race to create a crappy one that doesn't fit it's own lore? It's just stupid. They can do it, sure. I just can't imagine why they'd decide to do so.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Ok, where are folk getting the idea that lizardfolk are amphibians? It’s not in the 2014 or 2024 MM, I just checked. 2024 also doesn’t make them from the plane of earth, it says some make a connection to it and then gives 2 stat locks for particular types that have that connection. To me, that means that the 2014 description and general stat block is still valid. In that description they are called reptilian. In earlier editions they were also (appropriately) reptilian. For those that have forgotten their middle school bio classes amphibians and reptiles are not the same thing - even if they do sometimes live in similar environments. Amphibians have a moist, pours (to water and air) skin so they have to live where it’s always moist or their skin ( and themselves) dries out. They have to lay their eggs in water as the eggs are also pours. Further they undergo a metamorphosis between the juvenile and adult forms. Reptiles have a dry water and air proof skin so they retain the moisture they take in. This means they don’t need a watery environment. Further their eggs have an amniotic membrane missing in amphibians that also acts to keep the water inside the egg while letting gasses ( like oxygen and CO2) pass thru. This means they don’t need to stay close to water even to breed. Amphibians are tied to swamps and wetlands, reptiles are not and can be found even in the harshest deserts. Lizards are one type of reptile, lizardfolk are, in D&D, another. Some reptiles do live in wet areas and open waters (sea snakes, turtles, marine iguanas, crocs, a few other snakes, etc) while others live in deserts (snakes, tortoises, lizards) and everything in between except artic environments. Is lore sacrosanct? No, but - before changing it you should have a compelling reason. Back in the day there was no lore so the 1e lore was required. Updates to that to accommodate version changes make sense. Even this dumb link to elemental earth can be seen in that light - it’s not all lizardfolk just those that take on the two described roles. Even the old shaman and leader statblocks are actually still viable (although I might nudge them just a bit).
So, just watched todays video on Elementals.
And while Merfolk, and Aarakocra are a stretch I can see it, but Lizardfolk are called that by Humans who arrived on Toril and saw the primitive sentient amphibians in a swamp and called them Lizardfolk, that is not their name for themselves. Although I can't remember if one was ever given, they have a Deity a swampy afterlife, and a long history as basically one of the first and oldest species on Toril, they were there long before Humans, Elves, Dwarves, or any of the remaining humanoid species.
While you could make an argument they could be Dragonkin, or monstrosities, they are not able to survive as a species on the plane of Earth, their lore has them needing water for child baring. They still have gills for bhaals sake.
ugh....does anyone still read the books? Do they even care about the last 50 years of lore?
It's not all Lizardfolk that are Elementals. The description from the Monster manual 2025 says, in its first paragraph:
There is not, however, a generic "Lizardfolk" statblock, those would probably be using one of the Humanoid statblocks, "Scout," according to the conversion table.
The provided statblocks under the Lizardfolk entry are for "Lizardfolk Geomancer" and "Lizardfolk Sovreign" which are conversions of Lizardfolk Shaman and Lizardfolk King/Queen from the '14 Monster Manual.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
You clearly didn't watch the video then:
Give it a watch.
It's not that here are some elemental earth lizard folk, it's they wanted the origins of some humanoid elemental folk to be from the elemental plains, like the Azer are to fire, so Merfolk are from water now, Aarakocra from air, and .... Lizardfolk are now as a species from Earth.
I did watch the video when It was live, specifically intending to see what they'd say about Lizardfolk, and rewatched it to be certain. what they say is that the Lizardfolk are "deeply connected to the Elemental Plane of Earth" and not "originating from the Elemental Plane of Earth."
And there's absolutely nothing in the MM25 Lizardfolk entry about making them creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth. That's lore you've assumed from the interview that isn't actually in the book.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
Have you tried looking at and reading the Monster Manual entry?
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
Try reading the actual book before complaining.
But ... that's just wrong. I mean. Because they're swamp dwellers. So, yea, sorry but that won't fly. I'm totally down with lizardfolk having some sort of elemental religion - but it's the wrong element. Redo from start.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
I am not a fan of there not being a base lizardfolk stat block. Telling me to go use something else is a cop out and lazy. A generic lizardfolk is STILL going to have some unique traits like a swimming move speed.
Applly this to any of the NPC stat blocks
Lizardfolk Traits
As a lizardfolk, you have the following racial traits.
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Bite
You have a fanged maw that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Hold Breath
You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.
Hungry Jaws
You can throw yourself into a feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your Bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Natural Armor
You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren’t wearing armor, your base AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use your natural armor to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.
Nature’s Intuition
Thanks to your mystical connection to nature, you gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
I have to ask because maybe I have been doing this wrong forever. How did you do Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and other Species NPCs without specific stat blocks for them? I was taught that if you wanted and Elf NPC, that you just take the desired NPC stat block and added the traits of the Species in question and POOF! Elf NPC!!!
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
I've not been replying since people seemed to miss the point, that they are retconning a classic DnD creature into something it is not. But whatever, yes I read the MM entry early access and all. But when you read the entry you see what I assumed were off cases, ie Lizardfolk who choose an elemental life. The retcon was in the video itself. But looking back at other stat blocks you see it's been a retcon that is building in 5e all along. So whatever, once again the current D&D team has chosen to forget the past and write new lore over the existing lore.
As a DM responding to the quoted text:
As to NPCs. Depends, are they talking heads or combat encounters. These are different.
For me a Talking head is a level 0 8's in all stat block, but given the old 3rd edition "Racial Bonuses" as long as they are positive stats. They know what they know and do no independent thought. That is for the PCs to do.
Now if they are combat ready NPCs, ie escort missions, combat encounters, sidekicks, etc. I make Player Character sheets for them if they are friendly to the party, otherwise I make them using the monster builder in 2014.
Facing 20 bandits, with a 4 player level 5 party. My 20 bandits will be CR 1 Monsters based on humanoid Stats. Using weapons and gear from the player handbook. I wont bother making them distinct past "humanoid Bandit" unless specifically asked. I will however pick a random Species for the Bandit Leader, who is usually the same CR as the players. They count as the Boss of the Bandit fight, and if defeated the other bandits Surrender on their turn, and will only defend themselves past that point.
I kinda like it
I just watched the video and I agree with some of this and strongly disagree with other parts so here goes.
1) I don’t really have a problem with merefolk being reclassified as elementals . As the video points out they don’t have legs they have tails so they aren’t really humanoid.
2) I green that aarakocra as air elementals is a bit of a stretch but ok I guess.
3) lizard folk is a loooooooooong stretch and would really require a different sort of retcon or the addition of of less crocodilian and more monitor lizard versions that are found in forests and deserts. They are reptiles, not amphibians, don require water to breath (in both 2014 & 2024 they hold their breath not breath water - earlier editions too I believe but haven’t checked) or breed (they, like all reptiles, lay leathery eggs on dry land not in the water) and as reptiles were the first group of chordates to fully conquer the (dry) land. So it’s a possible stretch but one that is pushing even my credulity done this way. I can’t see them as monstrosities but as possible kin to dragons and ( in FR at least) to the Sarrukh and Yaun ti.
4) the lack of a basic stat block is annoying to say the least. While I can reuse the 2014 stat block for the basic lizardman it’s more than a little annoying to have to do so.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
It's the obvious thing to do, I just wish this was given as a skeleton of guidance somewhere in the Monstrous Manual 2024. Especially when considering species with level-gated features such as High Elves, Dragonborn, or Tieflings.
That said, looking at the simultaneously-released official "Hold Back the Dead" adventure, it contains
a Halfling NPC that uses the Knight statblock with no listed Halfling Features,
so I guess the currently-intended default is to use the named substitute statblock unmodified for almost all purposes.
🎵I'm on top of the world, looking down on creation, wreaking death and devastation with my mind.
As the power that I've found erupts freely from the ground, I will cackle from the top of the world.🎵
Charisma Saving Throw: DC 18, Failure: 20d6 Psychic Damage, Success: Half damage
They were considered Reptiles by TSR, but then TSR in 2nd ed gave them Water breathing, and one of the novels had them doing the deed underwater, and basically made them into amphibians by description. As someone who has studied biology for medical school, I was laughing as they basically turned them into a text book amphibian . Sure that was 30 years ago, and I don't expect the new team to read all the old material. But seriously they have forgotten way more than expected in 5th edition.
Hells just ask Ed Greenwood what's up, he'll give a full story and how he and so and so came up with such an idea....he's a gold mine for deep lore, and what they were thinking when writing the old books.
I think he originally wanted Lizard me to be Crocodilian People, but they made them lizardfolk as it was easier to say.
1&2e had Lizard men, Reptilian based monsters that where primarily found in tropical and high temperature environments, swamps and tropical forests more likely than other locations, and semi-aquatic. Had something like 2d8+2hp and a ThAC0 of 5 I think?
Always thought of them as walking gators or crocs, or Large Water Monitors with an higher level intelligence considering: “ some lairs consist of water entry caves and holes, while some make simple huts and shelters.”
What makes "existing lore" so sacrosanct? It was all made up by somebody at some point, there's nothing inherently special about that point being 40 years ago or 4 months ago. All that matters to me is whether the change is plausible. And some Lizardfolk getting adept enough with earth magic to infuse themselves with it is fine, it's not like they're cloud people.
Really don’t see the problem here. Making them amphibious creatures when Lizards are reptiles was just dumb - the new block works equally well in the desert, the marsh, the jungle, etc., and thus better represents what a Lizard is.
Something being old does not always make it good - and, let’s be honest, the early founders of D&D might have made a pretty fun, lasting game, but there’s lots of stupid things they did we do not need to preserve. Lizards being amphibians instead of reptiles, bigotry, “longsword” being used when “arming sword” is more accurate, etc. all kinds of stupid choices we could happily leave behind.
Who says it's 'sacrosanct'? But is there any reason to change it? Lizardfolk have been part of the game since .. well I imagine essentially from the beginning. They are swamp people, amphibians, jungle guys with stone weapons and a swim speed. They have no connection to the plane of earth, really, and there's no reason to change them to have one - because if you want a race with a connection to the plane of earth, you can make another. There's a quadrillion bad and pointless races in D&D, but lizardfolk is one of the better ones. Why ruin a good race to create a crappy one that doesn't fit it's own lore? It's just stupid. They can do it, sure. I just can't imagine why they'd decide to do so.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Ok, where are folk getting the idea that lizardfolk are amphibians? It’s not in the 2014 or 2024 MM, I just checked. 2024 also doesn’t make them from the plane of earth, it says some make a connection to it and then gives 2 stat locks for particular types that have that connection. To me, that means that the 2014 description and general stat block is still valid. In that description they are called reptilian. In earlier editions they were also (appropriately) reptilian. For those that have forgotten their middle school bio classes amphibians and reptiles are not the same thing - even if they do sometimes live in similar environments. Amphibians have a moist, pours (to water and air) skin so they have to live where it’s always moist or their skin ( and themselves) dries out. They have to lay their eggs in water as the eggs are also pours. Further they undergo a metamorphosis between the juvenile and adult forms. Reptiles have a dry water and air proof skin so they retain the moisture they take in. This means they don’t need a watery environment. Further their eggs have an amniotic membrane missing in amphibians that also acts to keep the water inside the egg while letting gasses ( like oxygen and CO2) pass thru. This means they don’t need to stay close to water even to breed. Amphibians are tied to swamps and wetlands, reptiles are not and can be found even in the harshest deserts. Lizards are one type of reptile, lizardfolk are, in D&D, another. Some reptiles do live in wet areas and open waters (sea snakes, turtles, marine iguanas, crocs, a few other snakes, etc) while others live in deserts (snakes, tortoises, lizards) and everything in between except artic environments.
Is lore sacrosanct? No, but - before changing it you should have a compelling reason. Back in the day there was no lore so the 1e lore was required. Updates to that to accommodate version changes make sense. Even this dumb link to elemental earth can be seen in that light - it’s not all lizardfolk just those that take on the two described roles. Even the old shaman and leader statblocks are actually still viable (although I might nudge them just a bit).
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.