Homebrew Bullywug Species Details

Bullywug

Through the swamp, they lurk closely watching from up in the tree's foliage, down in the murky pools of water, or even behind the huge swamp plant life. Keeping a cautious eye on those who enter their swamp home whether it be rewarding prey or potential predator. Even when in the security of their swamp villages a bullywug will keep a sense of precaution about them. Despite all this "fearful worry warting" that the other races have come to call it, a bullywug is not actually that scared in the face of imminent danger and/or death, but will courageously try to fend for themselves as long as possible. If a bullywug ever finds themselves in such a position they will use a loud (hopefully) fearful tactic while fighting a foe.

Froglike Physique

 The bullywug is a froglike race that resides in swamps. They stand between the average height of 4ft-5ft though rarely will a Bullywug reach such a height of 6ft. Despite this shorter stature, the bullywug has well-toned arms and legs from the amount of swimming/agricultural work they perform in their day-to-day life. They have bumpy smooth skin, that gets slightly slick when wet. Their skin colors can consist of yellows, greens, browns, greys, and sometimes dark oranges if residing in more arid environments. Along with this, their skin is mottled with just one or a mix of secondary colors such as blacks, light greys, and light browns. Their hands consist of 3 fingers and 1 thumb with their feet having 4 toes.

Bullywug Ways

 Bullywug seems cautious of everything, although their absurd amount of ego and self-confidence in themselves seems to mask this trait. Bullywugs are always being wary of the biggest and tallest people in the bar, asking a lot of questions about the soldier guard with the shiniest armor, or wondering why there's always that same carriage following behind the party on a busy one-lane town road. A bullywug isn't trying to be irritating when asking all these questions, caution is necessary when you live in the dangerous swamps of the world, and it makes sense to a bullywug to bring that caution with them on adventures.

"Other" Names

Most bullywugs take themselves very seriously and see themselves individually as much more important than they actually are more times than not trying to act as the face/leader of the adventuring party. This is why a bullywug attempts to impress others by giving themselves an impressive name for others to call them by. This is not their birth name...this is their "other" name as they describe it. Their "other" names are long and use names mixed and matched from other cultures. It's believed that they get this practice from their monarch, who has the most impressive "other" name by bullywug standards. Even though most bullywug only use this name with people they meet on their travels outside of their home swamp, legal/birth records regarding a bullywug practically never have their "other" name included in the document. 

Praise to the King 

While the bullywug don't have a set religion, they do revere their monarch (at the time) as much as if they were a god, even if this monarch has shown themselves as negligent, tyrannical, or has truly done nothing for its people, which quite a few of them don't. A bullywug bearing an "other" name that has the same beginning as their monarchs is either an offspring or dedicated royal general to the bullywug monarch. Bullywug monarchs tend to be quite a bit larger (and fatter) than their subjects, which makes sense since once a bullywug takes the throne they will stay on it as much as possible. Most bullywug monarch's day schedules consist of eating, sleeping, with the inclusion of creating raids of enemy villages if the ruler is feeling particularly vile on that day. However, there are some bullywug monarchs that are much more active in their swamp Kingdom, creating trade with other societies selling the herbs growing in the swamps, and sending royal hunters on magic item expeditions.

Herbal Living

You wouldn't guess it at first, but the bullywug are experts in herbs and medicine.While not all bullywug dedicate themselves to the field of medicine, their knowledge of the herbs and roots growing in the swamps have made them revered as healers and medicine makers, not only through their tinctures and ointments but also their teas. These teas made by the bullywug aren't just used to promote well-being but are in fact a very loved pastime for the bullywug. Nothing can please a bullywug more than a big ol' mug of herbal tea, and while a bullywug is fine and willing to try non-traditional bullywug teas, they will be seen adding their own herbal infusions into them. Unlike most races who have their own traditional alcoholic drinks, bullywugs have no such things because the fermentation process is a mystery to most bullywug cultures, and the ones that do know of such fermentation utilize it for antiseptics in their medicine rather than recreation. Bullywug villages have no form of pubs instead they have large open huts called Lilly Pads where they will gather late at night and visit, relaxing from the day's hunt. For bullywugs living outside their swamp villages, you can still find them in pubs, but only because the bartender there knows how to make a very hearty and strong herbal tea to the bullywug's liking.

Childlike Wonder 

A well-known fact is that bullywugs are absolutely struck with awe and wonder when it comes to magic for magically gifted bullywug are rare if not nonexistent, and a bullywug who does have arcane gifts will never cease amazing over the things he/she can do with their gifts no matter how much they use them. This inate interest of magic is also applied to magical items no matter how simple the enchantments not only for the fact that the item is magic in nature, but also for the fact that offering such an item to the bullywug monarch can land them royal favor, payment, and sometimes a royal position.

Bullywug Names

 Bullywug have two names, their birth name given to them by their parents in their Bullywug language, and their "other name" that they give themself for outsiders to call them. The Bullywug language is a slightly high-pitched and guttural language, with plenty of muffled warbling sounds. It has a limited number of light consonants and vowels and the bullywug words spoken in common rarely exceed 2 syllables, but the sounds made by the bullywug language are prolonged by expanding and contracting an air sac found just under the bullywug's chin. Male names usually end with a consonant, while Female names are the only names that have the 'a' vowels in them.

Male names: Priig, Kreep, Pik-priip, Grig, Krig-rik, Geik, Preep, Geriip

Female names: Ragna, Griba, Riibii, Grakii, Greap, Cagpii, Rigraa, Criga

"Other" names: Cairon Joseph Turen the XVI, Breena Mulligan-McPerra Trunrother,  Jun-Aunder Naeris Battlehammer jr.

 

 

Bullywug Traits

Bullywug have a survivalist society that has honed their skills in hunting and gathering although some few tribes have learned to make trade with their neighboring tribes, towns, villages, cites, etc...

Ability score increase

Being raised a Bullywug has exposed you to the life of hunting prey along with the gathering of edible plants and herbs residing in the murky swamps your kind calls home. On top of this depending on your tribe's customs, you may have grown up being taught how to outmaneuver or outlast prey/predators during a long hunt. Or you were possibly taught useful salesmanship tactics on selling your tribe's supply of medicinal herbs if your tribe is more socially integrated with the neighboring settlements around you.

Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Choose to increase your Dexterity, Constitution, or Charisma by 1.

Amphibious

Your kind's amphibious nature means Bullywug children are both born in water and lived in it from infancy to the late toddler stages of childhood making you able to breathe both air and water.

Natural Swimmer

Considering the Bullywug's amphibious physiology, you were literally born swimming. You have a swim speed of 30ft.

Amphibious Vision

Your eyes are incredibly well adapted to the dark so much so that you have Darkvision for 60ft. making you able to see dim light as if it's bright light, and dark light as if it is dim light. Because of how your kind's physiology you can see and discern colors in such light levels.

Leap Frog

On your turn, you can skip your movement in order to jump the distance of your walking speed on your next turn. By doing this you can jump over any size of creature/obstacle (as long as you have space to jump overhead of it) without treating it as difficult terrain. This counts as your movement on the turn it is performed and does provoke opportunity attacks.

Languages

You are able to speak Common and Bullywug

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.

Croaking Communication

When speaking Bullywug you can communicate simple concepts to frogs and toads. However, you cannot understand the frog/toad's response and only get a vague sense of what the creature is trying to convey.