Bullywug

Bullywugs were frog-like creatures that could be found among the swamps and marshes of Toril.

Description
Bullywugs were amphibious humanoids with webbed digits that stood between and weighed  on average, although they could vary in body type from  and.

Their hides were smooth and reasonably tough, with mottled coloration ranging from emerald or olive green, yellow, brown, and gray. Bullywug skin was chameleon-like, so if they remained motionless in swampy terrain, they would shift through different hues and shades of their normal color range to match their surroundings. The creatures were noxious to be around, for they carried with them the rancid reek of the bog.

The huge heads of bullywugs resembled those of frogs, with big, bulbous eyes, wide mouths, and long, flicking tongues. Said tongues were barely capable of navigating a stunted variant of Common, and they typically spoke in thick, sloppy accents.

Personality
Bullywugs were foul inhabitants of the natural world both in smell and company, constantly hungry savages often completely lacking in higher emotions and feelings. Unlike many other creatures of the wild, bullywugs either didn't understand or didn't care about the effect they had on their own ecosystems. They hunted and killed for sport without the intelligence or discrimination to allow environmental recovery, and so systematically depleted the natural resources of their own habitats.

Rather than fill any ecological niche, these habits made bullywugs a disruption and threat to the fragile balance they themselves relied upon, and after exhausting other food sources, they would either move on to greener pastures or turn to cannibalism (although some were cannibals by choice). While they didn't permanently poison the land like the undead, the effects of bullywugs left to their reckless practices was nothing short of disastrous for a few years, as they stripped acres of land bare and left behind a despoiled morass of mud, a mere echo of a once fertile swamp.

The bullywugs were not unaware of this phenomenon, the difference in environment before and after they entered being so noticeable that even they viewed their own presence as "off" somehow. This sense of something being wrong manifested as paranoia, the sense that everything was out to get them somehow, although this feeling was not exactly untrue. Those that struck the scourge bullywugs with particular precision or power sometimes felt a moment of renewed strength or clarity, as if the natural world itself was thanking them for their service.

Bullywugs were, appropriately enough, bullies, and often their greatest joy came from lording over trespassers in their domains. They believed themselves to be the true lords of the swamp and behaved as such, being known to laze and loaf even as others worked. They prized coins, jewels, and other treasures, although as individuals they lacked the same kind of greed and megalomania found in marauders like orcs. Infighting within the same group almost never occurred, though some would suggest this was due to a lack of brainpower rather than malice. Regardless of the truth of that idea, bullywugs were easily confused, the smartest of them normally being of about average human intelligence.

Despite their tendencies towards chaotic and evil behavior, bullywugs were capable of adopting other behaviors. They often remained individualistic, but sometimes shed their more despicable traits when trying to find a place in the outside world. Curiosity could drive them to explore, and those that met success were the ones that learned to work with and rely on others, with most stray bullywugs being neutral and, on rare occasion, creatures of good.

Abilities
Bullywugs could deliver powerful bites and were creatures of notable athleticism. The amphibians were strong swimmers able to move rapidly under the water, even when weighed down by things like armor or shields. Despite being slow on land, with or without objects encumbering them, bullywugs could hop as fast as they could run (and possibly faster), leaping forward or  high in a single bound.

A bullywug's camouflage protected them both from regular sight and from infravision since their body temperature changed along with their coloration to better blend with their surroundings.

Some bullywugs, known as croakers, were flabby and weak compared to their kin, but able to belch up clouds of fetid, poisonous gas as they made their loud croaks.

Combat
Bullywugs reserved their natural methods of defense (biting and to a lesser extent their pitiful "claws") for foes that got too close to them, preferring to wield weapons whenever possible. Most were barely able to wield more than a simple stone weapon (such as a club), so they stuck to spears, halfspears, and other sharp, piercing weapons that could be poked out of the water. They normally leapt when in melee, since by springing through the air they increased the odds of hitting their foes, and when holding an impaling weapon, their strikes were twice as lethal. This made long weapons especially important, since they compensated for their slow speed when running and their exposed state when jumping.

Bullywugs also wore crude armor and donned shields when available despite these things slowing them down when underwater, trying to equip themselves with at least leather armor as a point of pride. This highlighted an oddity when it came to bullywugs, their illogical approach to battle. Bullywugs were fierce, aggressive creatures known to display fanatical loyalty to their tribes, and yet had little stomach for protracted fighting, which combined with their lacking minds made them somewhat unpredictable as far as combat went. Bullywugs were just as likely to fight to the death no matter how obviously doomed they were as they were to run for the hills after only a few of them fell, melting away into the swamp even if they easily could have won.

Bullywugs did not favor fair fights, and were skilled in the construction and use of nets and snares. They preferred to fight in or near water, and given their camouflage and ability to suddenly spring into action, they were adept ambushers. Bullywugs were emboldened by superior numbers and always tried to overwhelm the enemy by surrounding them. They hated humans and attacked adventurers on sight whenever their own groups were larger, but against serious threats, they normally left in search of easier prey. Fittingly, bullywugs usually tried to summon monsters as the first part of any attack whenever possible, but given their issues with that art, there was a 1/8 chance they would accidentally summon more creatures than expected, lose control, and then waste their efforts fighting their would-be aid.

Most bullywugs outside of their homes trained as warriors while some became barbarians, the tribe's biggest bullywug often doing the latter. Some bullywugs had specific strategies; those known as muckers were strong and stout foes that jumped at their victims to knock them prone before kicking them while they were down, while others known as twitchers erratically spasmed around the battlefield, making them difficult to hit and difficult to avoid.

Society
Bullywug society was savage, primitive, and tribal, one of the most petty-minded and mindlessly destructive of all humanoid organizations. Bullywugs had learned to cooperate for the sake of mutual survival and hunting benefit with practically zero infighting, but murder was still one of the two primary methods for getting ahead. The killing of one's rivals had to be performed secretly however, since bullywugs who witlessly did away with their opposition were likely to be executed by the others. Bullywug politics were typically more "subtle" than killing whoever was in front on the social ladder.

Aside from their gods, bullywugs only ever showed respect to their leaders, for their organized (or at least semi-organized) societies were socially fascist and so tyrannical as to be totalitarian. Absolute authority was vested to subleaders led by a male chieftain, a self-styled lord of the muck who could treat all his subjects as possessions and freely kill (and eat if he chose) his followers if they did not instantly follow his whims. Only when the previous leader was too old to rule would the next dominant male kill and usurp (and possibly consume) him.

This foul aristocracy formed the basis of bullywug "etiquette", both amongst themselves and outsiders. Bullywugs introduced themselves with grand titles while groveling and kowtowing before their superiors, ceaselessly competing to win their favor. It was in this sycophantic competition that the bullywug love and hoarding of treasure became important despite its lack of actual use in their societal system. Instead of killing each other, bullywugs could advance by finding treasures and trinkets (including magical items) to present to their lord as tokens of deference or loyalty.

It was for this reason that bullywugs raided caravans and settlements, obtaining baubles and knickknacks to impress and win over their masters. Even if this succeeded and a bullywug got into the good graces of their leaders, the careless abuse and neglect that they so commonly showed their own property invariably meant that the fine items they acquired would become broken and dirty, whereupon the bullywug lord would invariably demand even more. Capturing intruders was favorable to just killing them because they could be dragged before the bullywug kinds and their queens and forced to beg for mercy.

Bullywug royals were sneering and demanding, donning robes of leather, rough cloth, and marsh plants even as most bullywugs wore no clothes. Through bribery and flattery they could be convinced to release their captive audience, but not before trying to impress them with the majesty of their realm and the grandeur of their treasures. Despite claims of being the masters of the marshes, bullywugs recognized their adverse environmental influence and perceived themselves negatively because of it, and that attitude extended to the bullywug lords. Behind their pretensions to nobility and fanciful posturing was a deep inferiority complex, a desperate desire for legitimacy in the eyes of outsiders as beings worthy of not only fear, but respect.

Discrimination
A small number of bullywugs were bigger and smarter than their peers, being broader than their relatives and ranging in height from. These "advanced" bullywugs were also more organized, more well-equipped, and more aggressive than the normal variety, staking out regular territories varying with the group size. Advanced bullywugs dwelt in abandoned buildings and caves, sent out regular patrols and hunting parties, and unlike normal bullywugs, were able to wear armor and use weaponry with little trouble. They regularly raided outside territory for food and plunder, particularly enjoying human flesh.

The presence of advanced bullywugs was one of the few times that bullywugs fought. Normal bullywugs hated their larger, more intelligent kin with a passion, going to war with them every chance they got. Advanced bullywugs reciprocated the feeling, viewing all outsiders, bullywugs or otherwise, as either threats or food sources. Despite this hatred, it was the largest and smartest bullywugs that invariably led bullywug kind, the kings and queens of their race normally being of unusual stature. On the other side of the coin, it was the advanced bullywugs that most frequently broke away from their kind and took up the adventuring lifestyle.

Often it was the females of bullywug society that decided to leave their lairs. Despite the fact that females and young made up about half of a given tribe, neither was given much weight in the social order, for their culture was heavily patriarchal. Females were looked down upon as nothing more than egg bearers, and these extremely limited options for advancement pushed them to a life of adventure.

Numbers
Bullywugs normally appeared in groups somewhere between ten to eighty individuals, although they traveled in their tribal groups in numbers somewhere below fifty. A grouping of four bullywugs was known as a "pad", a pair of pads was called a "float", and between two to six floats was a "pond". Bullywug bands always had large leaders, with communities of thirty or more possessing five subleaders and groups of sixty or more having a great chieftan and five subchieftans.

Languages
Bullywugs spoke their own language of croaks, staccato notes, and clicks, called bullywug and the intelligent ones picked up aquan, sylvan, or infernal.

Relations
Bullywugs rarely worked alongside other creatures since they would rather use them for food or sacrifice for their summoning magic. However, occasionally during hard times, small groups of bullywugs latched onto a powerful ally that could help them bring down tougher game.

The bullywugs that lived within the Marsh of Chelimber believed they were in a never-ending battle with the sivs over control of the edge of the wetlands. In truth, the sivs emerged victorious in the conflict and allowed the ravenous amphibians to live within their realm, serving as a buffer between them outsiders from beyond the marsh.

Religion
Clerics were fairly common among bullywug societies, often comprising about one tenth of their population. They fetishized the summoning of immensely powerful monsters, often well-beyond their control. Bullywugs were often left fleeing for their own lives when they got in over their head.

Bullywugs were known to revere a god named Ramenos, but this deity seemed to be more concerned with sleeping than with the welfare of his race. Ancient, crumbling statues of Ramenos could be found in the deepest jungles, great monuments near ruined temples that hinted at what was once a mighty deity in some long forgotten time. The great old temples also indicated a time when bullywugs were less primitive and more organized, capable of building huge monuments of stone.

During the 15 century DR, Bullywugs revered a creature known as froghemoths. If a bullywug tribe came across one, they would attempt to lure it to their den, paying tribute in the form of food and protection. The froghemoth would kill and eat a number of bullywugs before they could successfully communicate their intentions. They would also protect and raise any eggs the froghemoths hatched, which was good, as froghemoths tended to eat their eggs in the wild.

Biology
Bullywugs could comfortably survive on land and in water, but had to immerse itself in water once per day or suffer dehydration.

A particular point of interest regarding Bullywugs, as discovered by Brother Twick of Verdusk, a halfling cleric of Chauntea, was that they were irresistibly drawn to ale and either died or lapsed into a coma when they drank the alcoholic beverage, depending on the amount. Bullywug attacks have become increasingly rare in the lands surrounding their territories, where settlements kept an ale or two, in preparation for their raids.

Life cycle
Females would lay a clutch of 200 or so eggs once a year, which would be watched over by the collective tribe. The spawn that hatched were non-intelligent and resembled large tadpoles. They would feed upon insects or small creatures until they were large enough to leave the breeding pool, usually around six to eight weeks. Following this exile, the juvenile bullywugs were forced to fend for themselves. Unfortunately for them, only one percent of bullywugs reached adulthood.

Notable Bullywugs

 * Karimsh, a shaman and swarm leader of a group that attacked the Elfmaid in the Sea of Swords.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Fangs and Frogs
 * Ghosts of Saltmarsh
 * Hoard of the Dragon Queen
 * Mere of Dead Men: Eye of Myrkul
 * Mistress on the Mere
 * Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
 * Novels:
 * Realms of the Deep: "The Place Where Guards Snore at their Posts"
 * Windwalker
 * Twilight Falling


 * Video Games
 * Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms
 * Board Games
 * Icons of the Realms &bull; Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards