Homebrew Bullywug Species Details

Life as a bullywug can be is nasty, brutish, and wet. These frog-headed amphibious humanoids must stay constantly moist, dwelling in damp environments like rainy forests, marshes, and caves.

Bullywugs have green, gray, or mottled yellow skin that shifts through shades of gray, green, and brown, allowing them to blend in with their surroundings. They commonly wear crude armor and usually wield simple weapons, and can deliver a powerful bite to foes that press too close.

Foul Aristocracy. Bullywugs consider themselves the right and proper rulers of the swamps. They follow an etiquette of sorts when dealing with outsiders and each other, subject to the whims and fancies of their leader — a self-styled lord of the muck. Bullywugs introduce themselves with grand-sounding titles, make great shows of bowing and debasing themselves before their superiors, and endlessly vie to win their superiors’ favor.

A bullywug has two ways to advance among its kind. It can either murder its rivals, though it must take pains to keep its criminal deeds secret, or it can find a treasure or magic item and present it as tribute or a token of obeisance to its liege. A bullywug that murders its rivals without cunning is likely to be executed, so it’s more common for bullywugs to stage raids against caravans and settlements, with the goal of securing precious baubles to impress their lords and win their good graces. Invariably, such fine goods are reduced to filthy tatters through abuse and neglect. Once a gift loses its sheen, a bullywug lord invariably demands that its subjects bring it more treasure as tribute.

Unruly Diplomacy. Bullywugs love nothing more than lording over those who trespass on their territories. Their warriors attempt to capture intruders rather than simply slaying them.

Captives are dragged before the king or queen — a bullywug of unusually large size — and forced to beg for mercy. Bribes, treasure, and flattery can trick the bullywug ruler into letting its captives go, but not before it tries to impress its “guests” with the majesty of its treasure and its realm. Struck with a deep inferiority complex, bullywug lords fancy themselves as kings and queens, but desperately crave the fear and respect of outsiders.

Amphibian Allies. Bullywugs speak a language that allows them to communicate over large areas by croaking like frogs. News of intruders or other events in the swamp spread within minutes across this crude communication system.

Simple concepts in the language are understandable to frogs and toads. Bullywugs use this capability to form strong bonds with giant frogs, which they train as guardians and hunters. Larger specimens are sometimes used as mounts as well. The frogs’ ability to swallow creatures whole provides a bullywug hunting band an easy means of carrying prey back to their villages.

Bullywug Traits

Your bullywug character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of bullywug nature.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water.

Size

You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.

Speed

Your walking speed is 25 feet and you also have a swim speed of 25 feet.

Natural Camouflage

The bullywug has advantage on Dexterity Stealth checks made to hide in natural terrain.

Arborial Alertness

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Water Dependency

If you aren't in a damp environment and fail to immerse yourself in water for at least 1 hour during a day, you suffer one level of exhaustion at the end of that day. You can only recover from this exhaustion through magic or by immersing yourself in water for at least 1 hour.

Standing Leap

As a bonus action, you can jump a number of feet equal to five times your proficiency bonus, without provoking opportunity attacks. You can use this trait only if your speed is greater than 0. You can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Bite

You have a hard-boned maw that you can use to make unarmed strikes. When you hit with it, the strike deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage.

Hungry Maw

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.