Basically the title. The party adopted a small lizard from a fey, to rescue it from a gambling house, where it was forced to race. How do make this lizard interesting? How do I roleplay a lizard? So many questions. And no, I had no idea they would try to rescue it.
I would also Brainstorm some potential personalities, what would be fun with whatever type of lizard this is. How would life in a fey gambling house psychologically effect a lizard (not well, for sure).
Maybe you don't need to do anything. Pets are already a thing in D&D - you just let the adopting player roleplay the lizard. Not everything needs to be a narrative twist or a game mechanic.
Languages Understands Common, Elvish, and Sylvan, but cannot speak.
Challenge0 (10 XP)
Proficiency Bonus+2
Chameleonic Coloring. The lizard can change the appearance of its skin to match the color and texture of its surroundings. As a result, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to Hide.
Hold Breath. The lizard can hold its breath for up to 15 minutes.
Magic Resistance. The lizard has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spider Climb. The lizard can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Standing Leap. The lizard’s long jump is up to 10 feet and its high jump is up to 5 feet, with or without a running start.
Actions
Multiattack. The lizard makes two bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack:+0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The lizard casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability:
1/day each: cure wounds,* blur *(Whenever the lizard cast Cure Wounds, the target regains a minimum of 1 HP.)
Bonus Actions
Ready, Steady, Go. The lizard can take the Dash, or Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its turns, when it does it’s speed increases by 1d10 until the end of its turn.
Reactions
Racing Reflexes (3/Long Rest). Whenever the lizard is hit with an attack or fails a Dexterity saving throw while it is not surprised, it can spend its reaction to roll 1d4 and add the result to its AC against that attack, or it’s saving throw, possibly changing the result of the attack or save.
Description
This lizard used to belong to a Fey who forced it to race in a gambling house until it was adopted by a group of adventurers. It was selected as a racing lizard because it was already an exceptional specimen of its kind. After having spent much of its life training in the Feywild, it is both exceptionally fast by comparison to other lizards, and the magic of that realm has suffused it, granting it other ppeculiar abilities as well, including some limited Spellcasting.
Peculiar Fey Mark. The lizard has been transformed in some small way by its stay in the Feywild and gained a fey mark, determined by rolling on the Peculiar Fey Mark table.
Peculiar Fey Mark
d8
Peculiar Fey Mark
1
The lizard’s eyes swirl with iridescent colors.
2
The lizard has a sweet scent, like that of nectar or honey.
3
The lizard has long whiskers like those of a cat.
4
The lizard’s earholes are covered with soft tufts of fur.
5
The lizard’s skin sparkles in moonlight.
6
Flowers either bloom or wilt (it’s choice) in the lizard’s presence.
7
The lizard has 3-inch long hair made of vines or brambles that grows back to normal length within 1 hour of being cut.
8
The lizard purrs like a cat or wags it’s tail like a dog when it is happy.
Maybe you don't need to do anything. Pets are already a thing in D&D - you just let the adopting player roleplay the lizard. Not everything needs to be a narrative twist or a game mechanic.
Doing nothing now and just having it be a pet lizard also doesn't prevent you from doing something more elaborate with it later if you think of something that fits the story you're telling
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Maybe you don't need to do anything. Pets are already a thing in D&D - you just let the adopting player roleplay the lizard. Not everything needs to be a narrative twist or a game mechanic.
The lizard is actually a true polymorphed man, his name is Fredderick the 3rd. He comes from a once noble family, but has fallen from grace a few generations back, with Fredderick the 1st and some nonsense of treason or what having you. Nasty business really, these days the family is in all but shambles, and his only living relative is is mother, she runs a small bed and breakfast in a sleepy offbeat town, where the local law is corrupt and the criminal underground runs amuck. Fred, he's not especially important, he never amounted to much, he's got fairly typical commoner stats, if ever un-polymorphed. He's not a particularly good guy, nor bad one, he's just an average joe who made the mistake of pissing off a fey.
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I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The lizard, while in the Feywild, retains the form of a lizard. When the party departs from the Feywild the lizard will retain its current form for 1d20+2 days. At the end of that time the enchantment fades and the lizard begins to grow over the course of 1d6 days. The lizard could be a giant lizard/dragon/some other large sized creature. The care that the lizard received during its time with the party will determine if it wants to be agreeable to the PCs. If it is a dragon, have it "owe" them a favor and give the party a contact device - a whistle, drum, or kazoo that make no sound. Have the dragon say that this is a one time use device.
Have it say "Use it once and I will come in my own time. Use it twice within a minute and I will come ASAP." Then when they use it to call the dragon to rescue the party have a paper bird come in its stead. The paper bird is a note that says "Help I'm being held captive again. I really shouldn't gamble anymore."
Basically the title. The party adopted a small lizard from a fey, to rescue it from a gambling house, where it was forced to race. How do make this lizard interesting? How do I roleplay a lizard? So many questions. And no, I had no idea they would try to rescue it.
Turn it into an Alehouse Drake, Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press. They love to gossip, are barflies, get passed down by family to family. Have the drake gradually develop an interest in various alcoholic beverages. Later have it discuss needing its lair. Or you can just have it refuse to leave a bar and the barkeep telling the party, sorry he wants to stay. Alehouse Drakes are very good for business and can deal with drunks easily. They get passed down through families.
Id say just let the players run with it. They clearly adopted this lizard because they were already interested in doing so, so I wouldn't tamper with a player-driven decision too much. Instead, lean back and watch as they start imbuing this random lizard with personality, take it into account during plans, try and buy it fun outfits, etc. At best, if you feel the players may have forgotten about their new pet, or if you just think it'd be fun, periodically ask them "and how does Lizzy the Lizard respond to that?" Or like "Liz creeps out of X's pocket and glares at the source of the strange noise that woke her up", or even "the barkeep looks at your ragtag group of adventurers after they all order a round of ale, and because they're a consummate professional, asks 'And what's the lizard drinking?'". Remind the players the lizard exists from time to time and they'll have a field day with it.
The monk in the game I DM recently bought an old arthritic goat to use as bait in a fight against a wyvern. The bait plan didn't pan out, so now the monk just has this old goat with her that she's decided to keep. Her player has decided on a whole personality for this goat, he does nothing in combat, but sometimes the player will narrate what's going on from Wilgar the goat's perspective and he gives him a British accent and a Tolkien-like fixation on grasses and trees, meanwhile completely ignoring epic struggles taking place a few paces away.
Long story short, I don't think you necessarily need to gamify this lizard for your players. It's already part of the game for them.
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Basically the title. The party adopted a small lizard from a fey, to rescue it from a gambling house, where it was forced to race. How do make this lizard interesting? How do I roleplay a lizard? So many questions. And no, I had no idea they would try to rescue it.
The lizard is actually a fairy dragon.
I would recommend researching some lizards.
I would also Brainstorm some potential personalities, what would be fun with whatever type of lizard this is. How would life in a fey gambling house psychologically effect a lizard (not well, for sure).
My homebrew content: Monsters, subclasses, Magic items, Feats, spells, races, backgrounds
What does it eat? Does that mean he senses when that sort of critter is around?
How does he sleep and what part of the day? Can he help with the watch at night?
Does he have burrowing skills or something?
How much could he carry?
Does he dislike any particular sounds?
Trained lizard. Use sidekick rules. 🙂
Polymorphed intelligent creature? Awakened Lizard?
Maybe you don't need to do anything. Pets are already a thing in D&D - you just let the adopting player roleplay the lizard. Not everything needs to be a narrative twist or a game mechanic.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Chameleonic Coloring. The lizard can change the appearance of its skin to match the color and texture of its surroundings. As a result, it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to Hide.
Hold Breath. The lizard can hold its breath for up to 15 minutes.
Magic Resistance. The lizard has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spider Climb. The lizard can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Standing Leap. The lizard’s long jump is up to 10 feet and its high jump is up to 5 feet, with or without a running start.
Multiattack. The lizard makes two bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Spellcasting. The lizard casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability:
4/day: dancing lights, druidcraft, false life, spare the dying
1/day each: cure wounds,* blur
*(Whenever the lizard cast Cure Wounds, the target regains a minimum of 1 HP.)
Ready, Steady, Go. The lizard can take the Dash, or Disengage action as a bonus action on each of its turns, when it does it’s speed increases by 1d10 until the end of its turn.
Racing Reflexes (3/Long Rest). Whenever the lizard is hit with an attack or fails a Dexterity saving throw while it is not surprised, it can spend its reaction to roll 1d4 and add the result to its AC against that attack, or it’s saving throw, possibly changing the result of the attack or save.
Description
This lizard used to belong to a Fey who forced it to race in a gambling house until it was adopted by a group of adventurers. It was selected as a racing lizard because it was already an exceptional specimen of its kind. After having spent much of its life training in the Feywild, it is both exceptionally fast by comparison to other lizards, and the magic of that realm has suffused it, granting it other ppeculiar abilities as well, including some limited Spellcasting.
Peculiar Fey Mark. The lizard has been transformed in some small way by its stay in the Feywild and gained a fey mark, determined by rolling on the Peculiar Fey Mark table.
Peculiar Fey Mark
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Doing nothing now and just having it be a pet lizard also doesn't prevent you from doing something more elaborate with it later if you think of something that fits the story you're telling
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I play more than one PC with an Urchin’s mouse in a pouch on their belt, and even one with a lizard in a beltpouch: (https://ddb.ac/characters/60229349/OA3D4Y)
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
The lizard is actually a true polymorphed man, his name is Fredderick the 3rd. He comes from a once noble family, but has fallen from grace a few generations back, with Fredderick the 1st and some nonsense of treason or what having you. Nasty business really, these days the family is in all but shambles, and his only living relative is is mother, she runs a small bed and breakfast in a sleepy offbeat town, where the local law is corrupt and the criminal underground runs amuck. Fred, he's not especially important, he never amounted to much, he's got fairly typical commoner stats, if ever un-polymorphed. He's not a particularly good guy, nor bad one, he's just an average joe who made the mistake of pissing off a fey.
I'm probably laughing.
It is apparently so hard to program Aberrant Mind and Clockwork Soul spell-swapping into dndbeyond they had to remake the game without it rather than implement it.
The lizard, while in the Feywild, retains the form of a lizard. When the party departs from the Feywild the lizard will retain its current form for 1d20+2 days. At the end of that time the enchantment fades and the lizard begins to grow over the course of 1d6 days. The lizard could be a giant lizard/dragon/some other large sized creature. The care that the lizard received during its time with the party will determine if it wants to be agreeable to the PCs. If it is a dragon, have it "owe" them a favor and give the party a contact device - a whistle, drum, or kazoo that make no sound. Have the dragon say that this is a one time use device.
Have it say "Use it once and I will come in my own time. Use it twice within a minute and I will come ASAP." Then when they use it to call the dragon to rescue the party have a paper bird come in its stead. The paper bird is a note that says "Help I'm being held captive again. I really shouldn't gamble anymore."
They have their next quest.
Turn it into an Alehouse Drake, Tome of Beasts by Kobold Press. They love to gossip, are barflies, get passed down by family to family. Have the drake gradually develop an interest in various alcoholic beverages. Later have it discuss needing its lair. Or you can just have it refuse to leave a bar and the barkeep telling the party, sorry he wants to stay. Alehouse Drakes are very good for business and can deal with drunks easily. They get passed down through families.
Id say just let the players run with it. They clearly adopted this lizard because they were already interested in doing so, so I wouldn't tamper with a player-driven decision too much. Instead, lean back and watch as they start imbuing this random lizard with personality, take it into account during plans, try and buy it fun outfits, etc. At best, if you feel the players may have forgotten about their new pet, or if you just think it'd be fun, periodically ask them "and how does Lizzy the Lizard respond to that?" Or like "Liz creeps out of X's pocket and glares at the source of the strange noise that woke her up", or even "the barkeep looks at your ragtag group of adventurers after they all order a round of ale, and because they're a consummate professional, asks 'And what's the lizard drinking?'". Remind the players the lizard exists from time to time and they'll have a field day with it.
The monk in the game I DM recently bought an old arthritic goat to use as bait in a fight against a wyvern. The bait plan didn't pan out, so now the monk just has this old goat with her that she's decided to keep. Her player has decided on a whole personality for this goat, he does nothing in combat, but sometimes the player will narrate what's going on from Wilgar the goat's perspective and he gives him a British accent and a Tolkien-like fixation on grasses and trees, meanwhile completely ignoring epic struggles taking place a few paces away.
Long story short, I don't think you necessarily need to gamify this lizard for your players. It's already part of the game for them.