Homebrew Bullywug Species Details

Bullywugs are the frog kings and queens of the world’s many marshlands. Squat humanoid frog-people, they live in monarchical societies ruled by whomever is the biggest bullywug in the area. They share many qualities with the frogs from which they descend, including their love of mud and murky water, their diet of insects and other small swamp-dwelling creatures, and their loud, often obnoxious croaking.

Literal Frogmen

As one would imagine, bullywugs spend the majority of their time in the water. They particularly inhabit the shallow, murky waters of the world’s marshes and swamps, where they feel most at home. They are numerous enough that any wetlands of sufficient acreage are most likely home to one or more bullywug kingdoms. Bullywugs are adept at fighting on their home terrain, and so they tend to do so whenever possible. Marsh roads are sure-fire ambush spots, as bullywugs are keen to use their amphibious physiology to their advantage to lie in wait, camouflaged nearly perfectly in the muck and mire. While bullywugs do spend most of their time in the water, when they do emerge, it is most likely for similarly nefarious reasons, such as setting up ambushes on the mainland roads, conducting raids on adventurer camps, or even just harassing the neighboring settlements for its own sake. What’s more, bullywugs are quick to pick a 1 fight, and are even quicker to abandon one when things aren’t going their way. This makes them some of the most infuriating opponents to face in battle. At the first sign of trouble, bullywugs tend to scatter into the swamp, where they know they have the speed and stealth advantage over their would-be pursuers, making it nearly impossible to finish them off.

Bandits and Kidnappers

A bullywug is a representation of its habitat. Much like the filth and muck in which they live, their society is also muddy and disgusting. Bullywugs revel in lies, double-dealings, and other general backstabbery. What’s more, they are also nearly as disloyal and treacherous to their peers as they are to their enemies. To succeed in bullywug society, it is prudent to feign the most fervent allegiance to the king or queen, to worship at their feet in person, while working to your own ends in private. The only thing that matters to a bullywug is raising their own standing in the kingdom. One of the most surefire ways to earn a high standing in a bullywug kingdom is to present your monarch with gifts. Usually these are mere baubles found through scavenging, but occasionally a successful raid will provide some lucky few bullywugs with treasure, or even better, captives. There is nothing so favored by a bullywug king or queen as a captive to lord over. Bullywugs as a race have somewhat of a Napoleon complex, so any example they can point to of any remote superiority over another race is most enjoyable to them.

Bizarre Monarchies

Bullywug society is ruled by the largest of their kind in the region, which is most likely an abnormally large, or even simply obese bullywug, or even some other strange frog-like creature. These monarchies reign over some region of swamp, and their borders are enforced fiercely, though the penalty for trespassing is usually just a raid on your traveling party, and the (attempted) theft of any valuables you might be carrying. Though, all the better if a bullywug raid can capture live survivors, since the raiders then have both a gift to present to their monarch, and a subject to lord over and to make to beg for their lives. Such is a favorite pastime of many bullywug monarchs, and can often lead to trouble, if the prisoner is, in fact, of sufficient importance.

Bullywug Traits

Your bullywug possesses the following characteristics, reflecting their frog-like physiology.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Bullywugs mature at about age 3, and the oldest live to be about 60 years old.

Alignment

Most bullywugs are evil, but a slim few reject the foul ways of their people and can 2 be of neutral or even good alignment.

Size

Bullywugs are small and squat, adults rarely standing more than 5 feet tall and averaging 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Bullywugs’ frog-like legs make them excellent swimmers, but make walking difficult. Your base movement speed is 25 feet, and your base swimming speed is 35 feet.

Amphibious

 You can breathe air and water.

Swamp Camouflage

You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in thick undergrowth, mud, or murky water.

Standing Leap

Your long jump is 20 feet, and your high jump is 10 feet, with or without a running start.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, and you understand and can speak Bullywug.

Speak with Frogs and Toads

When speaking in Bullywug, you can communicate simple ideas and concepts to frogs and toads.