In all my dealings with the lizardfolk, I was never able to tell what they were thinking. Their reptilian eyes belied no hint of their intentions. I gave them supplies. They gave me the willies.
A merchant’s account of his experience with the lizardfolk tribes of the Lizard Marsh.
I have a soft spot for the lizardfolk. I played as one in the last campaign I played in. But when I wrote that character, I pretty much ignored the lore as it was written in this book entirely. So, let’s have a look at the actual lizardfolk, shall we?
Lore: Xenophobic Hunters
Living in forbidding grottos, half-sunken ruins, or watery caverns, the primitive reptilian lizardfolk are fiercely territorial. Rarely do they trade with outsiders. More often than not, travelers will be driven away by a band of hunters. They have no concept of morality, instead doing what is necessary to survive. They don’t care who they are; any who wander into their territory is their prey, to be hunted and eaten. Although, on the rare occasion they ally with outsiders, they quickly become highly loyal and fierce allies.
Lizardfolk are omnivores, but they prefer humanoid flesh above other things. Prisoners taken back to the camps often become the main course of a grand feast that involves much dancing and many stories and songs. Those that aren’t cooked are sacrificed for Semuanya, the lizardfolk god.
Also, they’re good at making stuff. That’s just kinda slipped in there between paragraphs.
Magic is seen with religious awe among lizardfolk. Those capable of it become the shamans that lead the tribe, leading in the name of Semuanya. Sometimes, a tribe will produce a figure touched by Sess’inek, a demon lord, who controls them instead. Those are larger and more cunning, and are most definitely evil. Their kings and queens will overthrow shamans and bring other tribes into theirs, forcing their twisted beliefs on them.
Though some tribes worship dragons and work for them, should one be in their territory.
This is some pretty decent lore. It isn’t anything mind-blowing, but you can definitely make something out of it. Maybe the party comes across a tribe and they have to either earn their trust or become part of a feast. Or perhaps a beloved NPC is taken and some evil lizardfolk are going to eat them, so the party has to save them. You’ve got some options as a DM.
Design: Scaly
What do you call a furry who is into lizards?

What else were you expecting me to say? What else is there to say? It’s an anthropomorphic lizard. I’m fairly sure I saw the exact same thing in some animated Disney movie.
Boring. Next.
Stats: Three For the Price of One
Alright. We’ve got three flavors of lizardfolk here. Luckily, they aren’t all that complicated.
Normal lizardfolk are the weakest of the lot. Their AC is decent, but their HP is low. All they really have to them is a wide selection of weapons, none of which deal anything more than a single d6.
Shamans are a bit stronger. Their AC is lower and their HP ain’t much different. But they’ve got spells! Including:
- Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, produce flame, thorn whip
- 1st level (4 slots): entangle, fog cloud
- 2nd level (3 slots): heat metal, spike growth
- 3rd level (2 slots): conjure animals (reptiles only), plant growth
They’re also capable of changing their form for an hour. Aside from that, all they can do is bite and claw, so long as they’re in their lizard form. Overall, definitely a more dangerous beast than the vanilla flavor.
The king/queen is the bulkiest of the lot. Their AC is tied with the regular lizardfolk, but their HP is higher than both the others put together twice over. They’re fairly basic, with a small collection of melee attacks. But they have a unique ability called Skewer; with this, they can add a fair bit of extra damage to their trident and gain temporary HP equal to the amount of damage dealt.
On their own, none of these three are particularly dangerous. Not that you’d ever be fighting one; you’ll typically be facing some combination of all three. Even then, it isn’t the most unique or interesting battles you’ll experience as a player. Once the shaman runs out of spells or dies, the fight becomes a basic slugfest. Until then, though, it can be decently fun, if not especially memorable.
Placement
This is a decent entry. It has some great lore, but not much else. The design is basic and boring and the stats make for a decent early-game encounter, provided you use all three in some combination or another.
With all that in mind, let’s put the Lizardfolk on the Best of the Bestiary!
- Beholder
- Death Tyrant
- Dragon Turtle
- Green Dragons
- Red Dragons
- Blue Dragons
- Black Dragons
- White Dragons
- Silver Dragons
- Couatl
- Behir
- Aboleth
- Sea Hag
- Lamia
- Bronze Dragons
- Brass Dragons
- Copper Dragons
- Gold Dragons
- Chuul
- Kuo-Toa
- Gibbering Mouther
- Kraken
- Intellect Devourer
- Chimera
- Death Knight
- Fomorian
- Bone Devil
- Dracolich
- Faerie Dragon
- Lich
- Kobold
- Kenku
- Hobgoblins
- Night Hag
- Green Hag
- Ankheg
- Hook Horror
- Storm Giant
- Hill Giant
- Empyrean
- Efreeti
- Grimlock
- Dao
- Cloud Giant
- Drow (all four of ’em)
- Shadow Demon
- Marilith
- Drider
- Aarackockra
- Azer
- Demilich
- Spectator
- Hydra
- Marid
- Harpy
- Werejackal
- Half-Dragon
- Cambion
- Fire Giant
- Animated Armor
- Banshee
- Basilisk
- Yochlol
- Bulette
- Cloaker
- Darkmantle
- Doppelganger
- Ghoul and Ghast
- Ettin
- Pit Fiend
- Erinyes
- Chain Devil
- Bearded Devil
- Barbed Devil
- Spined Devil
- Ice Devil
- Djinni
- Nalfeshnee
- Glabrezu
- Chasme
- Grell
- Barlgura
- Horned Devil
- Balor
- Shadow Dragon
- Lizardfolk <—————————–
- Vrock
- Dretch
- Gnolls (all three)
- Goristro
- Hezrou
- Manes
- Frost Giant
- Duergar
- Quasit
- Dryad
- Flumph
- Goblin
- Githyanki
- Planetar
- Imp
- Clay Golem
- Flameskull
- Displacer Beast
- Carrion Crawler
- Githzerai
- Grick
- Invisible Stalker
- Rug of Smothering
- Bugbear Chief
- Bugbear
- Flesh Golem
- Vine Blight
- Twig Blight
- Needle Blight
- Bullywug
- Hellhound
- Ettercap
- Gas Spore
- Cockatrice
- Lemure
- Homonculus
- Solar
- Deva
- Gorgon
- Hippogriff
- Griffon
- Cyclops
- Centaur
- Ghost
- Fire Elemental
- Water Elemental
- Air Elemental
- Stone Giant
- Deep Gnome
- Dinosaurs (All six of them)
- Iron Golem
- Stone Golem
- Earth Elemental
- Galeb Duhr
- Helmed Horror
- Flying Sword
- Crawling Claw
- Violet Fungus
- Shrieker
- Gargoyle
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