Lizardfolk

"I heard about lizard men in stories my parents told. They were the stuff of fireside tales."

- Sage of Shadowdale

Lizardfolk, also known as lizard men, were a race of reptilian humanoids native to Toril.

Description
Lizardfolk were semi-aquatic reptilian humanoids. Their skin was covered in scales and varied in color from dark green through to shades of brown and gray. Taller than humans and powerfully built, lizardfolk were often between 6 and 7 feet (1.8–2.1 m) tall and weighed between 200 and 250 pounds (90.7–113 kg). Lizardfolk had non-prehensile tails that grew to three or four feet in length, and these were used for balance. They also had sharp claws and teeth.

Although non-reptilians struggled to tell the difference between males and females, lizardfolk could easily distinguish themselves.

Lizardfolk were hatched from clutches of eggs. The eggs were well protected and were usually found in swamps. Some lizardfolk laid their eggs in air-filled caves underwater. The eggs and skin of lizard folk were bitter and inedible. Lizardfolk reached maturity within five years of hatching. Although lizardfolk had a similar lifespan to humans, it was rare for lizardfolk to grow old as they usually died in combat. As lizardfolk aged their bodies slowed down. Most lizardfolk over the age of 60 spent their days laying on warm rocks.

Lizardfolk had to keep their skin relatively moist and needed to wet their bodies regularly if they were in dry climates. For this reason they were particularity fearful of desert landscapes. The skin of lizardfolk could be fashioned into armor.

Abilities
Lizardfolk could hold their breaths far longer than humans could, up to twice as long as an equivalent human. This ability enabled them to operate underwater in their marshy environments.

The lizardfolk's tail aided them in keeping their balance and in leaping, and made them particularly gifted swimmers.

Personality
Lizardfolk had no interest in money or jewels. They valued things based on whether or not it was good to eat. Lizardfolk could often become distracted at the appearance of food, even if they were in combat.

Most lizardfolk were content to live their lives out in the swamps and marshes where they were born but some wished to learn more about the races that lived outside. Lizardfolk rarely traveled alone. If they left the swamp they would do so in pairs or groups of three. Lizardfolk feared that without another of their own kind with them, they would lose their identity and be seduced by the civilized way of the outside world. Those that ventured into towns or cites were often alarmed, frightened, or offended by the environment.

Lizardfolk could be highly dangerous when provoked.

Diet
Lizardfolk were omnivorous, but strongly favored meat when they could get it. According to legend, to the lizardfolk, the most delicious meat was humanoid flesh, especially human, but this claim was more-or-less unfounded. However, some tribes did consume captives and enemies slain in battle. and more civilized tribes often resisted this craving. Lizardfolk were quick to consume anything that was edible, for this reason lizardfolk never kept pets.

When hunters brought back prey, adult lizardfolk ate first, taking what they wished. The young were usually left with the scraps, and more often than not subsisted on edible plants foraged from around the tribe's lair.

Combat
Most lizardfolk had little interest in battle tactics or strategy, and they fought as a disorganized mass of individuals. Despite their impressive hunting skills, lizardfolk often relied on strength and weight of numbers in battle, and simply charged their foes head-on. At the most, they would try to push foes into water, where lizardfolk often enjoyed an advantage.

However, if lizardfolk were being attacked or pursued, or their camps were in danger or their territory invaded, their hunting skills came to the fore and they would lay simple traps, snares, and pitfalls. They would organize ambushes and raid enemy supplies. The more advanced tribes attempted cleverer strategies and traps. Traps defended a great many lizardfolk lairs.

The weapons that lizardfolk tended to use were simple. Lizardfolk preferred weapons they could fashion themselves, but would sometimes utilize weapons they found or stole. The barbed dart was a weapon unique to the lizardfolk.

Society
Lizardfolk gathered into tribes. A typical tribe might have 150 lizardfolk, with around 50 male, 50 female, and 50 hatchlings, Another might have only 30–60 adults, with half as many hatchlings and one tenth the number in unhatched eggs.

Lizardfolk society was patriarchal and leaders held their positions for their strength and power alone. Although challenges for leadership were rarely made, anyone in the tribe could try and seize power from the leader. This would leave the tribe unorganized and vulnerable until a new leader took charge or the old leader had reasserted their position. Lizardfolk leaders were most often barbarians or even druids. In a tribe, they would be assisted by two lieutenants.

Tribal shamans, meanwhile, were usually clerics who worshiped Semuanya. Shamans rarely served as leaders, and by-and-large only offered advice.

Females in the tribes were responsible for hatching eggs, raising young, and maintaining the camp. Camps varied in style from tribe to tribe. The simplest would just be leaves for bedding, but some built crude dwellings. All the females in the tribe would work together to raise the young. The lizardfolk tribes had no farming traditions, so food was acquired through hunting, scavenging or stealing.

Although primitive, the more advanced or developed lizardfolk tribes erected huts for shelter and made use of a range of weaponry and shields. Tribal leaders typically got to use items that had been stolen or bartered from other races.

Lizardfolk tribes typically subsisted on fishing, hunting, foraging, and scavenging to find food. Those that dwelled near other humanoids also raided their neighbors for food, supplies, and even slaves. The tribe's survival was its primary, or indeed, only concern. When they felt threatened, or when food shortages would lead to starvation, a tribe would do absolutely anything to guarantee its survival, even committing acts others would see as despicable.

Homelands
Lizardfolk could be found anywhere there were warm or temperate marshes and swamps. The majority dwelled in swamps, but around a third of the lizardfolk population actually laired in underwater caves that were filled with air.

There were populations of lizardfolk in the Deepwash, the Flooded Forest, the Marsh of Chelimber, the Marsh of Tun, and the Great Swamp of Rethild. Lizardfolk could also be found in the cooler swamps of the Sword Coast like the Lizard Marsh and the swamps at the mouth of the Winding Water.

Culture
When a member of the tribe died, they were consumed by the rest of the tribe in a ceremony. In this way they became part of the tribe both literally and figuratively.

Language
Lizardfolk spoke Draconic and smarter individuals sometimes learned bits of Common. Depending on where they lived, lizardfolk might learn other languages like Dwarven, Elven, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc, or other languages used in their area, and even Aquan. Most ordinary lizardfolk were illiterate.

Religion
Most lizardfolk worshiped Semuanya, who focused on survival and propagation of the lizardfolk species. This religion was maintained by shamans and clerics. Although they had no shrines or temples, lizardfolk were very proud of their religious traditions and their deity.

Relations
Neighboring lizardfolk tribes would often ally against formidable enemies, even against other hostile lizardfolk tribes.

Lizardfolk rarely interacted with other races as their swampy homelands were home to few other sentient creatures. Their main competitors in the swamps were bullywugs, who lizardfolk tended to despise. They did sometimes ally with locathahs, or chose to serve very dominant creatures like dragons or nagas.

The few times that lizardfolk did interact with neighboring communities was to pillage and hunt. Some of the more civilized tribes were known to trade or learn from other races. Lizardfolk were most likely to negotiate with halflings.

Lizardfolk believed they were one of the first races on Toril and that all the civilized races evolved from weak lizardfolk who'd left the swamps. For this reason, lizardfolk considered themselves better than most other races and considered themselves the "real people" of Faerûn. Lizardfolk referred to most of the civilized races as "softskins".

In places where lizardfolk raiding parties threatened civilization, interracial relations could be particularly bad, In the coastal village of Lathtarl's Lantern the hunting of lizard folk became a sport.

History
It's likely that lizardfolk were an offshoot of the ancient Creator Race known as the sarrukh.

In -1732 DR, the Lapal tribes imported large numbers of lizardfolk as slaves from the Great Swamp of Rethild. Many of the lizardfolk escaped into the land that would become Halruaa.

In -189 DR, the armies of Serpentes conquered the Tashalar. The army was made up of lizardfolk and yuan-ti.

In 289 DR, lizardfolk claimed the flooded city of Marsember in Cormyr after King Torst and his brother were slain in the flooding.

In 993 DR, several lizardfolk tribes migrated eastward from Serpent Hills into the newly formed Marsh of Chelimber.

In 1330 DR, the community of Reeshov saw an influx in lizardfolk after the creatures were freed from mind flayer control.

Notable lizardfolk

 * King Griss'tok: The ruler of Surkh. He was known for only speaking in Draconic.
 * Gathan: Gathan was a lizardfolk chieftain in the Vast Swamp until 1374 DR when he was captured by members of the Church of Shar.
 * Redeye: Chief Redeye was the leader of a band of lizardfolk who lived in the Lizard Marsh in 1372 DR.
 * Ketsarra Shadowscale: Ketsarra was a half–black dragon and half-lizardfolk commander in the Lost Refuge in 1374 DR.
 * Sleyvas: Sleyvas was a lizardfolk shaman who lived in the Marsh of Chelimber.

Appearances

 * Adventures:


 * Video Games:

Gallery

 * Main: Category:Images of lizardfolk