Lizard Man
Lizard Man Ability Score Range
| Ability | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 8 | 18 |
| Dexterity | 3 | 18 |
| Constitution | 6 | 18 |
| Intelligence | 3 | 17 |
| Wisdom | 3 | 18 |
| Charisma | 3 | 16 |
Ability Score Adjustments: There are no adjustments to the basic ability scores.
Hit Dice: Player character lizard men receive hit dice by class.
Alignment: Lizard men tend toward true neutral alignment. PC lizard men maybe of any alignment.
Natural Armor Class: 5
Allowed Classes: Fighter, Shaman, Thief
Multiclass: Fighter/Shaman, Fighter/Thief
Height & Weight: Humanoid Average Height & Weight table
Age: Humanoid Age Table
Kit Summary: Humanoid Character Kit Summary
Thieving Skill: Humanoid Thieving Skill Racial Adjusment table
Background: Lizard men are the natural rulers of the swamps they inhabit. These savage, semi-aquatic, reptilian humanoids live through scavenging and raiding. The less hostile tribes tend to be fishers and gatherers, though there seem to be more of the violent, war-loving tribes scattered across the land.
Lizard men grow to heights between six and seven feet tall. The average weightof these humanoids is between 200 and 250 pounds. Their coloration ranges from dark green to gray to brown, and scales cover most of their bodies. Lizard men have three- to four-foot long tails, which are not prehensile. Only those very familiar with the race can tell the difference between males and females. They wear only the simplest of ornamentation — strings of bone and other barbaric items.
Lizard men usually dwell in marshes and swamps. They live underwater in air-filled caves, emerging to hunt, forage, and raid nearby communities — including other lizard man camps. Most tribes have about 150 members, including females and hatchlings. The tribes sometimes form loose alliances against common enemies, though these last only as long as the threat is obvious.
These omnivorous humanoids eat almost anything. The foulest, most savage tribes crave human flesh. Tales of these savage lizard men ambushing humans abound, for they seek both living and deadflesh to feast upon.
A small numberof lizard man tribes have evolved to a higher level of civilization, and it is from these tribes that PC lizard men are assumed to come. These lizard men live in crude huts, make and use shields, and have discovered the benefits of ranged weapons. They make and use barbed darts and javelins, use crude clubs in melee, and some have learned to capture and use the weapons of humans and demihumans.
Languages: (non-native languages require a nonweapon proficiency slot be spent) Lizard man, common.
Role-Playing Suggestions: Lizard men are barbarians. Even those from the advanced tribes are considered savages by the civilized world. When a lizard man PC enters a campaign, he faces many of the same problems which confront barbaric humans — the ways he knows are not the ways of culture and civilization. The lizard man character has left the swamps behind, but his savage nature remains. Perhaps, as a memberof an advanced tribe, he has decided to learn more of the wonders of the civilized world. Once he has amassed enough knowledge, he will return to his tribe to teach them. Or, as a memberof a more primitive tribe, the character has been forcefully taken from the swamps and thrust into the outer world. Now he fights beside adventurers until he can find his way home — or just because he likes the violence in which his new companions get involved.
Lizard menare known for their strength, their natural cunning, and their alien ways. They should be played as true outsiders — not only are they from different lands and primitive cultures, but they are reptilian. Lizard men have a much different outlook on the world than mammals. They are born from eggs, they spend much of their life in water, and they are closer to the natural laws of survival than their civilized counterparts. They should be played as alien minds, with alien tastes, and alien perceptions. Often, a lizard man will be at odds with his companions as to the way to proceed. “Eat-or-die” is often the basic instinct running througha lizard man’s mind, and this does not always go along with adventurers’ ideals of honor, chivalry, and fairness.
As a savage, the lizard man PC is in tune with the natural world. This does not mean he is an avid protector of nature (as centaurs, for example, are wont to be), but that he understands nature’s signs and can survive in places others would find inhospitable. Remember also, lizard men PCs do not understand civilization very well. They will often be alarmed, frightened, or offended by many of its most common features.
In combat, lizard man warriors fight as individuals. The civilized concepts of cooperation and strict planning are unknown to him, and he will often find his own course in any battle. Against equal or lesser opponents, a lizard man may charge directly into the fray. When facing superior opponents, a lizard man may turn to wily tactics or sheer ferocity. The savage warrior has a few weaknesses, however. He can be distracted by food and simple treasures, even in the midst of battle.
Special Advantages: Lizard men can move in water at a rate of 12. They have no movement or attack penalties when in water, and receive swimming as a bonus proficiency.
Lizard men can remain under water for long periods of time before they need to draw air. In game terms, a lizard man can hold his breath up to 2/3 his Constitution score in rounds (rounded up).
Special Disadvantages: Lizard men are fairly slow and clumsy on land, having a base movement rate of 6.
Lizard men must wet their entire bodies once a day. If they are unable to find adequate amounts of moisture (a full waterskin is enough), they begin to lose Constitution at a rate of 3 points per day. If their Constitution falls to zero, they die from dehydration.
If food (which could include a fallen friend or foe) or treasure appear during a battle, a lizard man must make a successful Wisdom check to keep his mind on the battle. Failure means he turns away from the fight to feast or gather spoils. This distraction lasts at least one round. Every additional round, the lizard man can attempt to break away from the distraction by making another Wisdom check.
Lizard man warriors start with two weapon proficiencies. Other classes start with one.
Lizard men with a SPELLJAMMER origin cannot be multi-classed; however, these start with the normal numberof proficiencies and access to more advanced weaponry and armor (armor costs are double standard prices).
Monstrous Traits: Monstrous appearance, bestial fear, bestial habits.
Superstitions: Lizard men fear dry heat and locations with dry heat, such as deserts.
Weapon Proficiencies: Battle axe (stone), great club (morning star), Barbed Dart, javelin.
Suggested Nonweapon Proficiencies: Alertness, Danger Sense, Direction Sense, Fishing, Herbalism, Hiding, Hunting, Natural Fighting, Survival (swamps).
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