Homebrew Expanded Lizardfolk Species Details

 

Description

Lizardfolk are a highly adaptable and ancient race of reptilian humanoids, known for their remarkable ability to thrive in a variety of environments. These creatures are often misunderstood due to their primal appearance and the harsh reputation they have earned in some regions. Often depicted as fearsome swamp dwellers, Lizardfolk are, in fact, a diverse and highly specialized race capable of thriving in a wide range of environments, from arid deserts to dense forests and tropical islands.

Lizardfolk vary in appearance more than any known people in the world. Height, build, color, patterns, scale density, posture, even the shape of their hands and feet can vary dramatically from one lizardfolk to another. However, there are some common traits. All lizardfolk stand upright and possess scaled skin, snouts, two arms with clawed hands, two legs with clawed feet, and a tail. They are also all oviparous and cold-blooded.

Height and bulk varies greatly. They grow to be 4 to 8 ft tall when they mature. Some remain slender while others nearly rival dwarves in heartiness.

Adaptations

Lizardfolk are known for their ability to adapt to various environments. Some have evolved to produce venomous saliva that can incapacitate prey, while others have developed colorful frills or sharp spines to deter predators. Their adaptability extends to their physical capabilities: some can cling to sheer surfaces like insects, while others possess the ability to blend seamlessly into their surroundings or even run across the water's surface.

Ectothermic

As cold-blooded beings, Lizardfolk rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature. This means that their activity levels can be greatly influenced by the ambient temperature. In cooler environments, Lizardfolk may become sluggish and less effective in combat or other strenuous activities. Conversely, in warmer conditions, they become more active and energized. They often seek out warm environments or bask in sunlight to maintain optimal body temperature. Due to their cold-blooded nature, Lizardfolk can endure long periods without eating or drinking, this ability allows them to survive in environments where food and water are scarce, making them well-suited to harsh climates.

Patience and Opportunity

A Lizardfolk's cold-blooded metabolism can often lead them to appear lazy to humanoids. Rather than actively pursuing opportunities, most Lizardfolk would rather wait for situations to eventually unfold in their favor. For instance, Lizardfolk bandits may stalk trade routes, waiting for unsuspecting travelers instead of launching aggressive raids. In warfare, they might encircle besieged cities, allowing the enemy’s resources to dwindle rather than storming the walls immediately.

To Lizardfolk, this approach is not laziness but a refined understanding of time and opportunity, valuing patience over impulsive action. This perspective can lead to misunderstandings with more energetic races, who may see them as indifferent rather than strategic. However, when an opportunity arises Lizardfolk can strike with astonishing intensity and decisiveness, often catching their opponent's entirely off guard. This ability to transition from extreme patience to rapid action can make them appear unpredictable and dangerous to other races.

Culture and Society

Despite their fearsome appearance, Lizardfolk are deeply cultural beings with a complex social structure. Their societies are often tribal and can vary greatly from one tribe to another. Some Lizardfolk tribes are highly organized, with sophisticated rituals and deep spiritual beliefs, while others are more loosely structured, focusing primarily on survival and the defense of their territory.

Lizardfolk societies are deeply connected to their environment, with traditions and practices that reflect their surroundings. In swampy regions, their cultures may revolve around the worship of water deities and the intricate ecosystems of the marshlands. In arid deserts, they might revere the sun and the ability to endure harsh conditions. Forest-dwelling tribes may have a deep connection to the natural world, emphasizing harmony with their surroundings.

Relationships and Interaction

Lizardfolk have a complex relationship with other races. While their appearance and reputation may cause unease among outsiders, those who take the time to understand them often find a race that values strength, resilience, and adaptability. Their tribal cultures and traditions offer a rich tapestry of stories and customs, contributing to the diverse and vibrant world of the Lizardfolk.

While lizardfolk do possess emotions, they are more rudimentary compared to those of more emotionally complex species. Their emotional responses are typically straightforward and focused on immediate circumstances rather than abstract concepts. They experience basic emotions such as fear, aggression, curiosity, and pleasure, but their understanding and expression of these feelings are less nuanced. This simplicity in emotional experience also affects their social interactions. Lizardfolk often struggle to pick up on subtle social cues and complex emotional expressions from other species. They may interpret interactions through a more literal and pragmatic lens, which can lead to misunderstandings or perceived insensitivity in social contexts. Their interactions are usually direct and straightforward, reflecting their focus on practical outcomes rather than emotional subtleties.

Expanded Lizardfolk Traits

You have the following racial traits

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid.

Size

You are Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Cold-Blooded

As a cold-blooded creature, you require only half the normal amount of food and water to avoid exhaustion and have advantage on saving throws against the effects of disease. However, you are particularly sensitive to cold environments, and it takes more effort for you to maintain your vitality in such conditions. You have disadvantage on Constitution saving throws to avoid exhaustion from extreme cold or freezing temperatures.

Natural Weaponry

You possess a natural weapon that enhances your combat abilities. Choose one of the following natural weapon options when you select this race:

  • Bite: Your fanged maw allows you to make unarmed strikes with a bite. When you hit with this attack, it deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier piercing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normally dealt by unarmed strikes. On a hit, you can grapple the target as a bonus action. While you are grappling a creature in this way, you cannot use your Bite attack against another target.

  • Claws: Your sharp claws enable you to make unarmed strikes with your claws. When you hit with this attack, it deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier slashing damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normally dealt by unarmed strikes. You may add your Dexterity modifier, instead of your Strength modifier, to the attack and damage rolls when you attack with your claws.

  • Tail: Your powerful tail lets you make unarmed strikes with a tail swipe. When you hit with this attack, it deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning damage, instead of the bludgeoning damage normally dealt by unarmed strikes. On a hit, you can shove the target as a bonus action.

Primal Ancestry

 Choose five racial features from of the following options.

  • Amphibious. You have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed and can hold your breath for up to 1 hour at a time.
  • Arboreal. You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. In addition, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free.
  • Blood-Shot. As a reaction, when a creature makes a melee attack against you, you can spray a stream of blood from your eyes to blind your attacker. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw or become Blinded. The target can end the effect on itself by using an action to wipe the blood from its eyes. The DC of the save equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
  • Chameleon Camouflage. As an action, you can change the color of your scales to match the color and texture of your surroundings, giving you advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in those surroundings. In addition, while camouflaged, you can use a bonus action to turn yourself invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack, make a damage roll, or force someone to make a saving throw. 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.
  • Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
  • Dune Runner. You ignore difficult terrain caused by sand, and have advantage on saving throws to resist exhaustion caused by extreme heat.
  • Death Roll. While a creature is grappled by your bite attack, you can use your action to employ the crocodile's infamous death roll. You fall Prone and make a contested Strength (Athletics) check. On a success, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to the result of your roll, and you may choose to cripple a specific part of your foe's anatomy to debilitating effect. Declare a part of your foe’s anatomy to target and apply one of the following effects based on the body part targeted. The GM should use the stated effects as a guideline when attacking creatures with stranger anatomy—for instance, applying the “arms” effect to a creature's tentacles if those are what the creature uses to attack.

    • Arm. The target has disadvantage on Strength-based attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws, and they drop any held objects or weapons.

    • Chest. The target has disadvantage on Constitution based checks, and saving throws, and gains vulnerability to Bludgeoning Damage.

    • Head. The target has disadvantage on Intelligence-based ability checks, and saving throws, and disadvantage on saving throws to maintain concentration.

    • Leg. The target has disadvantage on Dexterity-based attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws, and their movement speed is halved.

    At the end of each of their turns, the target makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect on a success. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short rest.

  • Detachable Tail. As a reaction when you are grappled, or hit by an attack, you can detach your tail to create a brief distraction. This allows you to automatically succeed on a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape a grapple, or impose disadvantage on the triggering attack roll, potentially turning a hit into a miss. While detached, your tail cannot be used for attacks or abilities. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest as your tail regrows.
  • Forked Tongue. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception), Wisdom (Survival), and Intelligence (Investigation) checks that involve smell.
  • Frilled. You gain proficiency in Intimidation, and you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks you make against creatures with an Intelligence of 6 or lower.
  • Glide. You have the ability to glide using flaps of skin attached to your ribs. When you fall and aren’t incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend.
  • Gripping Tongue. You can attempt to grapple a creature or object within 10 ft using your tongue. A creature grappled by your tongue doesn't have its speed reduced as a result of the grapple, but it can't move farther than 10 ft away from you until the grapple ends. When you successfully grapple a creature with your tongue, you can use a bonus action to make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics). If you succeed, you retract your tongue and pull the target up to 5 ft towards you. Only one creature can be grappled by your tongue at a time.
  • Living Weapon. You gain the 2 additional natural weapon options from your Natural Weaponry feature.
  • Lurker. While you are submerged in water, you have advantage on Stealth checks and can attempt to hide even when only lightly obscured. You also gain Tremorsense with a range of 30 ft for the purpose of noticing shifts and movements in liquids. 
  • Powerful Build.  You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
  • Prehensile Tail. You possess a highly dexterous tail that has a reach of 5 feet, and it can lift a number of pounds equal to five times your Strength score. You can use it to do the following simple tasks: lift, drop, hold, push, or pull an object or a creature; open or close a door or a container; anchor yourself to terrain; grapple someone; or make an unarmed strike. Your DM might allow other simple tasks to be added to that list of options. It can't wield weapons or shields or do anything that requires manual precision, such as using tools or magic items or performing the somatic components of a spell.
  • Natural Armor. You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your base AC is 13 + 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 primal connection to nature, you gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival.
  • Nimble. Your base movement speed increases by 10 feet.
  • Regeneration. As a Bonus Action, you can expend a Hit Die to heal yourself for the number rolled + your Constitution Modifier. When spending a Hit Die in this way, you may also end one of the following conditions on yourself: Blinded, Defend, or Poisoned. Additionally, you also have the ability to regrow lost body parts, the time required varies by the part lost, regrowing a finger takes 1d4 days, while a limb takes 1d4 weeks.
  • Reptilian Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against the effects of poison and disease, and you have resistance against poison damage.
  • Sand Swimmer. You have a burrowing speed equal to your walking speed. However, you can only burrow through sand, and cannot burrow through stone, mud, snow, ice or other terrain
  • Skitter. Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.
  • Sunbather. During a short or long rest, you can spend your time basking in the sun or close to another heat source, such as a warm fire, or a warm-blooded creature. When you do so, you gain an amount of temporary Hit Points equal to your level + your Constitution modifier. Temporary Hit Points gained through the use of this feature are lost after 24 hours.
  • Thorny. Your skin is covered in sharp spines. Whenever a creature hits you with an unarmed attack or starts its turn grappling or being grappled by you, it takes 1d6 piercing damage.
  • Venomous Maw. Your body naturally produces venom in glands situated in your mandible. When you attack with your bite and hit a creature that isn’t a Construct or an Undead, you can inject the target with venom. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The DC of the save equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. 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.
  • Waterwalker. While wearing light or no armor, whenever you take the dash action, you may run across the surface of a liquid as if it were solid ground. If your turn ends while you are still on the liquid surface, you immediately begin to sink.

 

 

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