Homebrew Histkin Lizardfolk Species Details

Only a fool looks at the lizardfolk , or Histkin as they self identify, and sees nothing more than scaly humanoids. Their physical shape notwithstanding, histkin have more in common with iguanas or dragons than they do with humans, dwarves, or elves. Histkin possess an alien and inscrutable mindset, their desires and thoughts driven by a different set of basic principals than those of warm blooded creatures. Their swamp homes might lie hundreds of miles from the nearest human settlement, but the gap between their way of thinking and that of the  mooth skins is far greater.

ALIEN MINDS

The histkin’s reptilian nature comes through not only in their appearance, but also in how they think and act. Histkin experience a more limited emotional range than other humanoids, with the noticeable exception of the insectare. For example, humans confronted by a beholder experience fear on a basic level. Their limbs shake, their thinking becomes panicked and jumbled, and they react by instinct. The emotions of fear takes hold and controls their actions. In contrast, histkin see emotions as traits assigned to other creatures, objects, and situations. A histkin doesn’t experience fear. Instead, aggressive, more powerful creatures register to the histkin as dangerous beings to be avoided if possible. If such creatures attack,
histkin flee, fighting only if cornered. Histkin aren’t scared of the beholder; instead, they understand that a beholder is a dangerous, powerful adversary and react accordingly. Histkin
never become angry in the way others do, but they act with aggression toward creatures that they could defeat in a fight and that can’t be dealt with in some other manner. They are aggressive toward prey they want to eat, creatures that want to harm them, and so on. Pleasurable people and things make life easier for histkin . Pleasurable things should be preserved and protected, sometimes at the cost of the histkin’s own safety. The most pleasurable creatures and things are ones that allow histkin to assess more situations as benign rather than fearsome.

THE GREAT OLD ONES

Histkin remember a time when they were the most powerful species in Known Space. When their empire stretched across the stars and they seeded each of the worlds with their kind. Thousands of years ago, long before the rise of warm blooded species, the histkin stood without equal or challenge. Perhaps because of their lack of struggle, the empire of the histkin
(whose name is forgotten even amongst themselves) collapsed. The Great Old Ones, whose technology surpassed even the Arcane, were cast down and the histkin scattered across the galaxy. Sadly, many of these settlements, now disconnected from the greater empire, regressed into primitive tribal communities who had forgotten their former glory and preeminence as a species.

What happened to the Great Old Ones remains a mystery and all histkin search for long, lost worlds and a chance to revisit their former might.

HAPLESS SOFT ONES

At their core, histkin view other humanoids with an indifference verging on pity. Born into existence lacking stout scales and sharp teeth, it’s a wonder they have managed to survive for so long. The typical human would barely make it through a day in the swamps of the histkin Still, if other creatures prove useful to the histkin those creatures can trigger a protective response made all the stronger by their apparent weakness. The histkin assess such beings as hatchlings, young ones incapable of protecting themselves but who might prove useful in the future if they receive care.

Histkin Lizardfolk Traits

Your lizardfolk character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Lizardfolk mature at 13 years of age and can live about 60 years.

Alignment

Most lizardfolk are neutral. They see the world as a place of predators and prey, where life and death are natural processes

Size

Your size is Medium. Lizardfolk stand around 6’ tall and tend to weigh about 160 lbs.

Speed

Your walking speed is 30 feet and your swim speed is 30 feet.

Bite

Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Hold Breath

You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.

Scrapper

As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone or hide from a slain creature and create on the following items: a shield, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 darts or blowgun needles. You use this trait, you need a blade or appropriate artisan’s tools.

Natural Armor

You have tough, scaly skin. When you aren't wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your 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.

Hunter’s Lore

Your gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Natural Sciences, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Draconic and Common