Grippli

Created by GabeGrimoire

At first glance or from a distance, a grippli looks like a large frog. Its head and body are indeed those of a frog, but its front extremities end in hands with fingers that enable it to manipulate weapons and other objects, and its rear legs have similar digits that it can use for grasping and climbing. A grippli can move as quickly on all fours as it can on two legs.

Beastfolk Origins

There are many species that call themselves Beastfolk, all of whom share the same origin that dates back to a single event: the Curse of Chimeron. Save for the beast-turned, scaledfolk, and fey people, nearly every being that is a mix of man and animal is a beastfolk. While some have successfully integrated themselves into the world, others live in secluded colonies, hidden from persecution.

Although modern day beastfolk are no longer cursed by Chimeron, they are born of the same ancestors that were. For long ago, some of humanity did not respect nature. They plundered lands for resources, slaughtered animals for sport, and burned its fields for simple enjoyment, all to an absurd degree. Among all the deities, Chimeron was by far the most outraged of this. Eventually pushed to the brink, Chimeron—with the assistance of Malinoth—cursed all these humans; as Chimeron put it, "they will learn to respect nature by becoming a part of it". They were cursed to transform into beastfolk, to be of simple minds, and to be unable to reproduce any offspring not of their own kind. As generations passed, Chimeron believed the beastfolk had finally learned from their past crimes, and lifted the curse. By then though, the beastfolk were already an entirely new species (the ones we know today).

Tribal Creatures

Grippli are generally peaceful, shy, and primitive. They are known to live off fruits and insects, and are typically fearful of snakes and spiders. It is uncommon for a grippli to not come from a tribe, as otherwise, their survival would be slim in the wilderness. Another thing a tribe provides a grippli outside of safety, is knowledge of their culture and allegiances with others. Grippli almost never feel the need to manufacture anything themselves. Metal tools and weapons are treated as prized heirlooms, and they tend to have an infatuation with worthless, but brightly colored baubles. When it comes to trading with people outside their tribe, a grippli only does so if they are convinced the other party is not a threat. Grippli are often preyed upon by the locals living near them, which is nearly always in a jungle or swamp. For the grippli living in Jund, nearly anyone could be an enemy to them. For those near a swamp, there's always the threat of lizardfolk—one of their natural enemies, jumping them. As such, it is important for grippli to keep their alliances with others in check. Most notably, grippli are known to befriend aarakocras.

Importance of the Written Word

In each tribe, there is usually at least one (such as the tribe mother/leader) who can speak more languages than just Common and Auran. Writing is inherently taboo to the grippli; only the tribe leader is permitted to make written records. This stems back to the ancestors of the grippli, who upon transformation into frog-like beastfolk, were forced to constantly run and hide from their new predators. Only one grippli kept records, and they were treated as one of the most important in the tribe. That soon became an integral part of grippli culture, years after being able to build their own settlements. Nowadays, a grippli within a tribe typically views the written word as taboo to learn, as it would disrespect their tribe mother as well as their culture. Those who leave their tribe however, may choose to learn the written word as a means of becoming a new tribe leader. They may also do so as a means of keeping grippli history alive, should their old tribe perish in their absence. Regardless, a grippli who knows linguistics is often respected by other grippli.

Grippli Names

Grippli have no surnames, and place little importance on names in general, identifying each other as much by sight as by words. They often pick up nicknames when among other races, usually of a sound a grippli might enjoy making when speaking. Grippli Names: Bellum, Brillup, Bullgup, Chirk, Kaillum, Quartle, Quon, Squawk, Streep, Tiki, Zoob

Grippli Traits

Your character has the following traits.

Grippli

Ability Score Increase Dex +2; Con +1 or Wis +1

Size Small

Speed

Alignment. Choose one of the alignments approved by your GM. Typical grippli care more about survival than anything else, inclining them towards Neutral alignments. Creature Type. You are a Humanoid. Size. You are Small (about 2-4 feet tall), and weigh about 30-60 pounds. Speed. Your land Speed is 30 feet. Additionally, you have a Climb Speed equal to your land Speed. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Auran. Life Span. Grippli mature at around the age of 30, and live on average about 300 years.

Darkvision. You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for up to 20 minutes. Poison Resilience. You have Resistance to Poison Damage. You also have Advantage on Saving Throws you make to avoid or end the Poisoned condition on yourself. Standing Leap. Your long jump is up to 30 feet and your high jump is up to 20 feet, with or without a running start. Toadally Surviving. You have Proficiency with one of the following Skills of your choice: Nature, Stealth, or Survival. Powerful Tongue. You have a long and powerful tongue, which can lift a number of pounds equal to twice your Strength score. You can use it to do any of the following:

Grapple. Your tongue is a natural weapon, which you can use to make Unarmed Strikes. If you hit a creature with it, you can Grapple the target, provided the target is no more than one Size larger than you. While Grappling a creature this way, your hands are considered free, and you can’t use your tongue to make Unarmed Strikes or to manipulate simple objects.
Manipulate Simple Objects. You can use your tongue to pick up an adjacent object or to open or close an unlocked door or container.