Relationship with other races

Most lizardfolk are pragmatic, and are seen as cold. There is a saying that when a lizardfolk looks at you funny, that he is likely sizing you up as a potential meal. And while most lizardfolk have a strong sense of cooperation, they will often not hesitate to prevent your body from going to waste should you die.

A lizardfolk who lives among other humanoids can, over time, learn to respect other creatures’ emotions. The lizardfolk doesn’t share those feelings, but instead assesses them in the same clinical manner. Yes, the fallen dwarf might be most useful as a meal, but hacking the body into steaks provokes aggression in the other humanoids and makes them less helpful in battle.

At their core, lizardfolk view other humanoids with an indifference verging on pity. Born into the world 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.

Still, if other creatures prove themselves useful to the lizardfolk, those creatures can trigger a protective response made all the stronger by their apparent weakness. The lizardfolk assess such beings as hatchlings, young ones incapable of protecting themselves but who might prove useful in the future if they receive care.

The more civilized sharptooth lizardfolk are an exception to this rule, as they follow codes of honor and can genuinely understand and feel emotions. These are also the lizardfolk who are most likely to trade with the other races, and go on adventures.

Circle of Savagery

While the more civilized sharptooth lizardfolk are famous for venerating their ancestors, most lizardfolk tribes are more pragmatic and don't see the practical advantage of such a tradition. However, these tribes do possess many powerful druidic spellcasters, many of whom are part of a secretive druidic circle; the Circle of Savagery. These lizardfolk druids carry within their blood, whether by heritage or ceremony, the memories of the ancient "terrible lizards", the dinosaurs. Through this they are able to summon the spirits of these terrifying creatures, or transform into one outright.

These summoned allies of nature look just like their ancient selves, and can also bleed and suffer pain. However, once it dies, or the druid loses its concentration, it vanishes.

Unlike the more civilized sharptooth tribes, they don't gain their divine powers through the veneration of their "dragon" ancestors, nor are they able to take their form. Instead they use their druidic powers to draw upon the memories of their ancestors to summon and transform into prehistoric beasts.

Circle of Savagery (druid circle)

These pragmatic lizardfolk druids are able to summon and turn into the powerful beasts whom their ancestors lived among. Only lizardfolk can choose this druid circle. Your DM can lift this restriction to better suit the campaign.

Lizardfolk druids that choose this druid circle gain the following benefits:

Ancient Wild Forms

At 2nd level, you can use your Wild Shape to take the form of any reptilian beast or dinosaur with a CR as high as 1. You ignore the max CR column of the Beast Shapes table, but must abide by all other limitations.

Dinosaur forms can be found on page 79 of the Monster Manual and on page 139 of Volo's Guide to Monsters. You do not need to have seen the dinosaurs before in order to Wild Shape into them, as their memory flows in your veins.

However, the ability to Wild Shape into these powerful forms is not without cost. Your ability to Wild Shape is now restricted to dinosaurs and their descendants; birds and reptiles. Examples of avian and reptilian beasts from the Monster Manual include crocodiles, snakes and vultures.

Starting at 6th level, you can transform into a dinosaur with a challenge rating as high as your Druid level divided by 3, rounded down.

Summon Nature's Ally

At 2nd level, as an action, you can use a spell slot to conjure a dinosaur with a CR equal to the level of the spell slot used minus 1 (minimum of 1/2) or lower. It appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of you. The dinosaur shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. The only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or to take the Dash, Disengage, Help or Hide action. You don't require any actions to move your Nature's Ally on its own turn. if one of its special traits would require a bonus action, it can use its own.

You must maintain concentration on this, as if you were concentrating on a spell, or the creature disappears. You can use this feature while in your wild shape form if you have shifted into a dinosaur. Your summoned Nature's Ally remains until you lose concentration, until its hit points are reduced to 0, or until you finish a short or long rest. After you summon your Nature's Ally, you cannot summon it again until you finish a short or long rest. It is friendly to you and your allies.

Primal Strikes

At 6th level, your natural weapons and those of your Nature's Ally count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Dreadful Wild Shape

Beginning at 10th level, you can expend two uses of your Wild Shape at once to transform into a dinosaur with a CR equal to your Druid level divided by 2, rounded down.

You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on your Nature's Ally.

Adaptation

At 14th level, after finishing a short or long rest you can grant yourself one of the following effects that lasts until the end of your next rest. Your Nature's Ally also gains this benefit:

• You gain darkvision with a range of 120 feet.
• You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed.
• You gain advantage on Wisdom checks.
• Your speed increases by an additional 10 feet.

Lizards and Dragons

Although the lizardfolk are not a draconic race, their fates are often intertwined with that of dragons. Black and green dragons often share the same habitats, and are known to employ lizardfolk as minions after sufficient intimidation. On the other hand, lizardfolk face far less prejudice from the draconic races, such as dragonborn and half dragons. They respect dragonborn the most as they feel that their natural weapons make them the most self-sufficient, even though they find it odd that the scales of most dragonborn are soft. The Steelscale dragonborn are the exception, as their scales are equally hardened across their body, as opposed to the lizardfolk who have areas on their body that are thicker than others. Because of this, the dragonborn may benefit from their scales as an extra layer of defense, while the lizardfolk's hide is a mere substitute for real armor. However this is adequate for most lizardfolk, as they are able to do just fine by wearing little in very hostile environments. Half dragons are greatly respected for their power and draconic lineage, while kobolds are seen as either an annoyance or a meal.

The more civilized lizardolk however will generally extend their respect to kobolds as well, provided they pose no threat to their tribe.

Lizardfolk Names

Lizardfolk take their names from the Draconic language. They use simple descriptive terms granted by the tribe based on an individual’s notable deeds or actions. Lizardfolk make no distinction between male and female in their naming conventions. Each example name includes its translation in parenthesis.

Lizardfolk Names: Achuak (green), Aryte (war), Baeshra (animal), Darastrix (dragon), Garurt (axe), Irhtos (secret), Jhank (hammer), Kepesk (storm), Kethend (gem), Korth (danger), Kosj (small), Kothar (demon), Litrix (armor), Mirik (song), Othokent (smart), Sauriv (eye), Throden (many), Thurkear (night), Usk (iron), Valignat (burn), Vargach (battle), Verthica (mountain), Vutha (black), Vyth (steel)

Lizardfolk Traits

Lizardfolk have many innate abilities derived from centuries spent warring among each other and defending themselves from the threats present in the jungles and swamps where they make their home.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Lizardfolk reach maturity around age 12 and rarely live longer than 60 years. However, some sharptooth tribes are known to live to be around 80.

Alignment. Most lizardfolk are neutral. They see the world as a place of predators and prey, where life and death are natural processes. They wish only to survive, and prefer to leave other creatures to their own devices. The more civilized sharptooth lizardfolk follow a code of honor, and tend to be neutral good.

Size. Lizardfolk vary in size, with poison dusk standing around 4 feet, blackscale around 8 feet, and sharptooth being around 6 to 7 feet on average. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Natural Weapons. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. You can also use your claws, which follow the same rules as your bite, but deal 1d4 + your Strength modifier slashing damage instead.

Natural Armor. You have tough, scaly skin. You can calculate your AC as 13 + your Dexterity modifier. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Cunning Artisan As part of a short rest, you can harvest bone and hide from a slain beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature of size Small or larger to create one of the following items: a shield, a club, a javelin, or 1d4 pieces of ammunition.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes numerous hard consonants and sibilants.

Subraces. Choose one of the subraces below. Your choice will determine additional benefits.

Subraces

Sharptooth

The sharptooth are the most numerous of the lizardfolk, and usually live in and around bodies of water. They either hunt or float about underwater, waiting for an unsuspecting animal to drink or swim by. The more civilized ones tend to roam more, forming tribes that hunt both around bodies of water and on the plains.

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• Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
• Amphibious Stalker. You have a swim speed of 30 feet, and you can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time.
• Hungry Jaws. In battle, you can throw yourself into a vicious feeding frenzy. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1), and you can’t use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest. At 6th level you add your proficiency bonus to both the damage dealt and the temporary hit points gained.
• Hunter's Lore. You gain proficiency with two of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Poison Dusk

The poison dusk are the smallest of the lizardfolk, and are renowned for their chameleon like skin. They value stealth and quick strikes over open battle, and are experts in remaining unseen until they strike. They enjoy the thrill of pursuit, and hunt down their quarry relentlessly. Their determination never waivers, once they commit to something they will see it through. They live in secluded places and guard the secret location of their nests with their lives. They do not discriminate, all trespassers to their lands die the same.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
• Chameleon Skin. You can try to hide even when you are unobscured by pressing yourself up against a solid surface next to you, such as a tree or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you are. You can also hide by pressing yourself against the ground, provided you are in the prone position. While hiding this way you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, provided you are out of combat and you remain there without moving or taking actions.
• Racial Poison. As part of a long rest you can distill poison from your own glands. You gain a number of doses of racial poison equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You can use a dose of this poison to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or up to three pieces of ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition takes 1d4 poison damage. Once applied, the poison retains potency for 1 minute before drying. These doses of racial poison only last 24 hours before losing their potency.
• Predator. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill. In addition, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to follow tracks and hunt wild game.

Blackscale

The blackscale are the largest and strongest of the lizardfolk subraces, and the most aggressive one. Usually their tribes seek to expand the territory they hold, and kill any creatures that get in their way, making the blackscale lizardfolk a dangerous foe. They often prefer nightly raids, relying upon their innate darkvision. They are also known for their natural resistance against acid, which some scholars speculate is due to black dragon ancestry. Blackscales have no patience for cunning ploys and setting traps, thinking these are the tools of smaller, weaker lizardfolk. They prefer to just hit hard.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
• Acid Resistance. You have resistance to acid damage.
• Aggressive. As a bonus action, you can move up to your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started.
• Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Racial Feats

Additional Feats

Feat: Poisoner (revised)

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You have a great understanding of the creation and application of poisons and gain the following benefits:

• You gain proficiency with the poisoner's kit if you don’t already have it, and when you attempt to harvest a dose of poison from a poisonous creature you have advantage on the required ability check. Additionally, when you make a damage roll, you ignore resistance to poison damage.
• You can apply poison to a weapon or piece(s) of ammunition as a bonus action, instead of an action.
• With one hour of work using a poisoner’s kit and spending 50 gp worth of materials you can create a number of doses of potent poison equal to your proficiency bonus. You can use a dose to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or one piece of ammunition as a bonus action. Once applied, the poison retains potency for 1 minute or until you hit with the weapon or ammunition. Those hit must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 poison damage and become poisoned until the end of your next turn.

Variant Poison Harvesting

At your DM's discretion, you can use the following variant rule for harvesting poison from slain foes instead of the one listed in the Dungeon Master's Guide (page 258):

Poison extraction: When poisonous creatures are killed, the player can attempt to harvest all their poison over the course of 10 minutes, followed by making an Intelligence (Nature) check using the poisoner's kit (proficiency with the poisoner’s kit applies to this check if the player doesn’t have proficiency in Nature) against the poison's save DC, for each type of creature. On a success, the player extracts 1d4 doses of poison from all the dead creatures combined for that type of creature. On a failure, all the poison is wasted, and those who are not proficient with the poisoner's kit suffer the effects of the poison. Players can use one dose of harvested Injury type poison to coat one slashing or piercing weapon or one piece of ammunition, which remains potent for 1 minute. However, unlike basic poison (or the poison dusk's racial poison), it loses its potency the first time you hit a creature with it (instead of lasting the full 1 minute duration). Applying the poison takes an action.