Beakerpsych's page

Second time running Burnt Offerings.

This is the homebrew Lizardfolk I use in my own campaign.

Lizardfolk 13rp

Lizardfolk are proud and powerful reptilian predators that make their communal homes in scattered villages deep within swamps and marshes. Uninterested in colonization of the dry lands and content with the simple weapons and rituals that have served them well for millennia, lizardfolk are viewed by many other races as backwater savages, but within their isolated communities lizardfolk are actually a vibrant people filled with tradition and an oral history stretching back to before humans walked upright.

Most lizardfolk stand 6 to 7 feet tall and weigh 200 to 250 pounds, their powerful muscles covered in scales of gray, green, or brown. Some breeds have short dorsal spines or brightly colored frills, and all swim well by moving with flicks of their powerful 4-foot-long tails. While completely at home in the water, they breathe air and return to their clustered mound-dwellings to breed and sleep. As their reptilian blood makes them sluggish in the cold, most lizardfolk hunt and work during the day and retreat to their homes at night to curl up with other tribesmen in the shared warmth of large peat fires.

Starting height, weight (both males and females) 6’ +2d6 inches, 180 lbs +3d6 x6 lbs.
Starting age 13 (intuitive) +1d4. (self-taught) +1d6, (trained) +2d4
Aging: adult 14-24 years, middle age 25-34 years, old 35-49 years, and venerable 50+ years, maximum age 50 +2d10 years.
Standard Racial Traits
Ability score: specialized +2 str, +2 con, -2 int. 1rp
Type: humanoid (reptile) 0 rp
Size: Medium: No bonus or penalty due to size. 0 rp
Base Speed: Lizardfolk have a base speed of 30 feet.
Language quality: Xenophobic: speak draconic, and with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: common, aquan, goblin, gnoll, orc.
Defense Racial Traits: Thickly scaled: Improved natural armor +3 AC. 6rp
Feat and Skill Racial Traits: Acrobatic +4 2rp. Powerful swimmer 15 feet 1 rp
Hold Breath (ex): A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning. 1rp
Offense Racial Traits Natural attacks: 2 claws as primary natural attacks that do 1d4 damage each, and a secondary bite attack that does 1d4 damage. 4rp
Weakness racial trait: Vulnerable to cold attacks. -2 rp.
Alternate racial traits.

Sandfolk: These lizardfolk bear the ability to squirt poison from their mouths as a ranged attack. Trade the hold breath ability for the ability to squirt poison as a ranged touch attack up to 10 feet away (poison, contact; save Fortitude DC 10 + ½ character’s level, + con modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1 Con damage; cure 1 save).

Cliff-born:These lizardfolk lose powerful swimmer to gain this trait. In the mountainous rainforests, many tribes of lizardfolk have adapted the ability to climb agilely on walls like geckos. Treat cliff born as standard lizardfolk with a climb speed of 15.

The Unseen: The Unseen are lizardfolk with the ability to change their skin color instantly and at will, allowing them to blend into their surroundings. This ability gives them a +10 racial bonus on Stealth checks. This racial trait replaces their natural attacks, and reduces their natural armor to +1. As well, characters with this racial trait may choose to take their -2 racial stat penalty on their wisdom rather than their intelligence.

Race Feats

Ageless Lizard: The character’s penalties due to age are decreased by one at each age category, but statistic increases due to age are normal. (So middle age has no negative modifier, old has a total -1 modifier, and venerable has a total - 3 modifier .
Maximum age changes to 100 years +2d10 years.

Blood of Royalty: prerequisite 16 Str, Ageless Lizard. This lizardfolk has been recognized to have a royal bloodline and has been taught to use the war trident. The war trident is heavier than a typical trident (12 lbs.) does 1d10 damage, and has crit modifier of 20 x3. The training with this weapon is so extensive that the lizardfolk also gains improved critical with it.

Combat Ferocity: A creature with combat ferocity remains conscious and can continue fighting even if its hit point total is below 0. The creature is still staggered and loses 1 hit point each round. A creature with ferocity still dies when its hit point total reaches a negative amount equal to its Constitution score.

Direct Descendant: prerequisite Blood of Royalty, Con 16. The lizardfolk is a direct descendent of a lizard king, and may use enlarge person on himself 3x per day as a spell like ability.

Future King: prerequisite Direct descendant , 11th level. The lizardfolk becomes a large creature, gaining a +8 Str, +4 Con, and +2 to natural AC. and a -2 dex penalty. The character can no longer use enlarge self ability previously gained from the direct descendant feat.

Great Bite: The lizardfolk is treated as having multiattack with it’s bite, reducing it’s attack penalty to -2, and is also treated as having a more powerful bite, changing it to a 1d6 attack.

Poison Bite: prerequisite Sand Folk racial trait: This lizardfolk has poisonous fangs.
(Poison bite: -injury, dc10 +½ character’s level + con modifier, 1 point constitution damage once per round for 6 rounds, cure: 1 save.)

Regenerative Rest: These lizardfolk heal at twice the normal rate when resting, and also will regenerate lost body parts and regain points of ability damage. 1 point of ability damage is restored per day’s rest and it takes a full week of rest to regenerate a limb. Lizardfolk cannot regenerate if they have the dead condition.

Race Traits.

Agile Climber: Climb is always a class skill for you and you gain a +1 on your climb skill.

Brightly Frilled:The lizardfolk has the same markings as a well known Lizard King. When dealing with other lizardfolk, they are treated as having +4 Cha.

Forked Tongue: gain a +1 trait bonus to bluff and intimidate, and one of these is always a class skill for you.

Heat Seeker: These lizardfolk are especially sensitive to temperature changes. If they are in a cold climate (0 degrees celsius or below) or have failed a save against an attack that does cold damage they become sluggish and are treated as having the slow racial trait (20 feet movement). If they are in a warm climate (25 degrees or above) or they have failed a save against fire damage then they gain a +1 to their initiative and their base move becomes 40 feet.

But that is basically what all the races do by instituting a negative modifier on an ability score. In your example dwarves not being ideal paladins (But also sorcerers, or bards). I'm not sure what your point is? That no races should have negative modifiers to ability scores?

You're also trying to move a story forward. If your party is being particularly inventive, thorough and roleplaying their character well, it can be worth them 'getting away' with it. Just like it can be very interesting to let them roll their bluff, declare what the opponent needs to see through the ruse and roll the die for all to see. Adds tension. That is part of the charm of DM ing, deciding on ways of immersing and entertaining your group, and it has more to do with fun than mechanics.

I do see your point though. In real life we don't really question whether people are telling the truth, especially when it's something we're not invested in. Its only when we are seeking the particulars that a lie might be reveled. Take ten seems like the way to go in these matters. Would reveal obvious lies, and only when the character is concentrating would rolls have to be made.

I don't really see an issue with the idea that certain races tend towards certain classes, which has a long tradition in the game already. It seems strange to me that a half-orc gets a bonus to his intelligence and can be an excellent wizard, but whatever; that is just imho. The accent has been more that the race is a half human I suppose? When I said 'more variety' I meant that there was a greater distinction between humans, half-orcs and half-elves, which I like. Maybe they should get some other racial trait that makes them a more lucrative choice.

I like the way humans are now, but I do like your idea for half elves and half orcs. Flavorful, and adds more variety. I may adopt this.

I thought about that. Don't think it quite fits though. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd level spell that allows you to turn a regular familiar into an improved one?

Ok, so this is what I've come up with.

Familiar Shift
School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 1, witch 1

CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S

EFFECT
Range personal and your familiar
Target you/your familiar
Duration 1 minute/level

This spell allows you to change your familiar into a different kind of animal. The new form must be allowed as a familiar, and once the spell takes effect, your familiar gains all the physical abilities of the new form including physical characteristics and abilities, but mental characteristics, feats and personality remain unchanged. As a result of this transformation,and while the spell is in effect, the caster gains the special ability that is associated with the familiars new shape but loses the special ability that was associated with the old. (For example, wizards who turn their foxes into cats would lose their +2 bonus on Reflex saves and gain a +3 bonus on Stealth checks.)

What do you think of a new spell on the wizard or sorcerer list that would poly-morph their familiar into the shape of a different familiar? You would not only get the use of the familiars new form but also gain the associated special ability of that familiar as well? 1st level spell?

What do you think of a new spell on the wizard or sorcerer list that would poly-morph their familiar into the shape of a different familiar? You would not only get the use of the familiars new form but also gain the associated special ability of that familiar as well? 1st level spell?

I starting to develop the Brother's of the Seven further into a larger story arc. I've started by considering Justice Ironbriar's could use his position to further the goals of the Skinsaw cult. I am thinking that he probably would develop a relationship with Aeryn Darvengian (and perhaps he is in fact one of the brothers as well?). This would explain how an enclosed prison continues to thrive. He could also use his position to find like minded psychopaths to add clergy to his 'church' among those who come before him as a justice, have them sent to lower levels of the jail, and then back to civilization in some way? What are your thoughts? Has this been developed anywhere else or by anyone?