Why Do You Want to Play a Lizardfolk?

[Dale McCoy Jr]

Link to Image
I'd like to hear your thoughts. If you want to play a lizardfolk, why do you want to play one?

[Eltacolibre]

-All praise Demogorgon! Savior of the Lizardfolks!
-Lizadfolks riding Dinosaurs...'nuff said.
-You have tiefling? We have Lizard Kings.

[Changing Man]

Don't really want to, but maybe...

... so that I could use this miniature from this Kickstarter as a double-agent in TPK's Fen of the Five-Fold Maw adventure?

[Westphalian_Musketeer]

Because it's just so needed in an evil Sodden Lands campaign.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Because reptile skin is better than humanoid skin.

[Orthos]

Because this.

As to why I'd play a Lizardfolk specifically, they make excellent noble savage types, they have a unique and pragmatic moral view without being evil, there's a nice variety to them for various climates, and yes Lizard Kings.

[Barathos]

Because I can play it without looking like a furry or a weaboo.

[Changing Man]

I actually had a Lizardman character once, back in 1st edition. We were running around B2, Keep on the Borderlands, and after our encounter with the Lizardfolk in the marsh to the south found ourselves in a moral quandary when we discovered a) that the Lizardmen were Neutral and were only aggressively defending their homes & young, and b) our actions resulted in a couple hatchlings being left orphaned. In trying to 'do the right thing' (or at least make amends for our transgressions) we adopted the lizardkids.

Later on, after our characters had gotten on in years/levels and the GM wanted a re-boot, our old characters retired to our since-taken-over-and-renovated Keep, and the next generation marched forth to adventure. By that time there had been an article in Dragon Magazine about playing humanoids as PC's, so with the GM's permission I played Xamis, a Lizardman fighter who had been raised by the (former) party paladin. I seldom got to stay at the Inn, but had a lot of fun kicking butt and taking names with my trident (and usually leaving people totally perplexed with my code of honor and fairness). He was never able to become a paladin like his 'father', but he did manage to gain a knighthood...

Good times :)

[The Lion Cleric]

-Wrex.

-Shepard.

-Wrex.

-Shepard.

-Wrex?

-Shepaaaard!

-Wrex.

Also, being the cold-blooded (literally) person with different than human psychology, physiology and being a darn good swimmer, having a forked tongue and all the other benefits. Plus, you have your very own personal crocodile leather suit/boots/wallet. Maybe not wallet. You get the point.

[Oceanshieldwolf]

Orthos wrote:

Because this.

As to why I'd play a Lizardfolk specifically, they make excellent noble savage types, they have a unique and pragmatic moral view without being evil, there's a nice variety to them for various climates, and yes Lizard Kings.

+1 to this, including Orthos' entire rant but excluding the part about humans. ;)

Plus as mentioned in the other thread, the variants a la 4e, larger Blackscale Bruiser vs smaller scalefolk.

Now that you've got some intel, what have you got so far Dale?

BTW I'm not fond of the art you linked - the primary reason I like lizardfolk over dragonmen is the primal savagery - less civilized armor and weapons and more shell and bone armor, net bags, weed and flax "clothing" if any, stone and bone and teeth weapons - sharktooth javelins, tooth encrusted clubs, tridents etc...

Not saying every lizardman needs to be a Savage... ;)

[RJGrady]

So I can call humans monkeyfolk and make jokes about eating them.

[Ambrosia Slaad]

The 2e Planescape art for Xanxost the slaad

Waffles, and to a lesser extent, Rango, from the Rango animated movie

My Shadowrun hacker's (decker's) chameleon avatar

Slaan and the lizardfolk tribes from NWN2

Killer Croc from The Batman animated series and Slithe from the original Thundercats animated series

Reptilefolk specifically not tied to kobolds, dragonfolk, and dragons

[Amby's Brain]

Admit it, it's mostly just Xanxost and Waffles

[Artanthos]

Because scales are cool!!!

That is the reason my daughter gave when she was 10.

[Fabius Maximus]

Been there, done that, got the scars. Orthos basically summed up my motivations.

[gnomersy]

Because I played an Iksar in EQ and want to live out the glory days. Because I had a lizardman army in Warhammer and I need an excuse to use some of the models I have laying around gathering dust. Because everyone wants to be a dragon and lizardmen are a good base for a half dragon or cursed dragon character. Those are the ones that pop to mind first for me.

[TheAntiElite]

If I may be so heretical as to mention a related competing product...

In FantasyCraft one of my two most favorite characters ever was a female Saurian martial artist who was, effectively, a raptor clawed Tae Kwan Do master of questionable ethics before Juri Han was a thing.

She had a dramatic frill, a lack of nudity taboo, and NO FREAKING TITS.

I was somewhat rebelling against 4G Dragonborn. Even if I am normally okay with non-mammal mammaries.

Also because I was getting annoyed with people obsessing over Naughty Argonian Maid.

[Green Smashomancer]

They are a way to play a reptilian without out dragon-envy.

I am also yet to hear about a reptilian race that sounds played-out or dull. Argonians are plenty interesting with or without references to spear polishing. Aeon from soul calibur, Reptile from Mortal Kombat, all of these characters are interesting to me. I'll post more detail soon, just wanted to get my dot in here.

And because what orthos said.

[Green Smashomancer]

In addition to the lack of relation to dragons, there are a few other reasons.

The most prominent I can think of is the primal aspect. Reptiles just feel as though they have a connection to an earlier time, a time before us. The savage side, coupled with the blue and orange morality, really cements this for me.

Kobolds are about the only way I can think of that the pathfinder system has where I can play anything reptilian without needing the the GM to look over a custom race. It's that or the quite frankly, extremely boring stat block they have tucked way in the back of the ARG.

If a custom race doesn't get through (and chances of that are high, since homebrew stuff usually results in "but you let him make a race, why can't I?" or just being broken one way or another), then the effort feels wasted. If the only option available is Kobold, then I'd rather pass on being flat out bad, and the most shining example of cannon fodder this side of people wearing red in the original Star Trek.

Hm, that didn't take as many words as I thought it would have. Still, I hope this was at least a bit insightful and helpful to you, Dale!

[Dale McCoy Jr]

Green Smashomancer wrote:

Kobolds are about the only way I can think of that the pathfinder system has where I can play anything reptilian without needing the the GM to look over a custom race. It's that or the quite frankly, extremely boring stat block they have tucked way in the back of the ARG.

You might want to check out the umbral kobolds in Book of Heroic Races Compendium . I took the kobold race and rebalanced them, so they are not red shirts. Then, I gave them to Todd Stewart (author of Paizo's The Great Beyond and others) to play with. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Green Smashomancer]

Now that you mention it, I know a guy who was mentioning that recently, I'll have to give it a look-see.

[Davor]

Because lizardfolk represent something truly foreign in fantasy, and sometimes it's nice to step entirely out of your comfort zone and play something that would be completely alien.

[Ravingdork]

Because... Thunder Lizards.

[Randarak]

Because I always wanted to be the Japanese actor in the rubber Godzilla suit.

[Drejk]

Cold unflinching remorseless stare.

[Curaigh]

I am herper.
I live with four hatchlings and have fostered many others. Two of those are a threatened species. Correction three of those are a threatened species. (hopefully in a few months I can add another number to that... :)

They come in so many interesting colors.
I love having dinosaurs around.
They come in so many interesting shapes.*
I love having dragons around.
I too remember rescuing lizardfolk eggs in an early adventure.

When I was little Sleestaks scared the begesus out of me. So did the Gorn. I had a lot more respect by the time Bossk and 'Dragonbait' came around. Many others since then.

*Lizards, and by extension lizard folk, can spread the gamut in the way Tolkien's human (-oids) have. Gilla, igaunas, chameleon, skinks, komodos, geckos. Slide into dino's and dragons and you get so many more.

Philosophically though, it is because reptiles aren't evil, and I want to break those myths. Mama taking baby for its first climb, shows a maternal side that shocks even my in-laws. :)

[Dale McCoy Jr]

We are getting ready to release the Book of Heroic Races: Advanced Favored Class Options. Check out all the classes that we are giving favored class options over at JonBrazer.com.

[Dale McCoy Jr]

In a wild ride of races, we announce the final list of races getting favored class options next week, as well as getting racial development next year. Check it out.

[Drejk]

RJGrady wrote:

So I can call humans monkeyfolk and make jokes about eating them.

*crunch-crunch-slurp* Jokes?!

[Curaigh]

cool! :)

[Joe Wells]

Because Phoebus

[Shadowborn]

Sssso I can ssspend an entire gaming sssesssion annoying my fellow playersss by ssspeaking like thisss all the time...Sssss.

[Gisher]

Joe Wells wrote:

Because Phoebus

YES! YES! YES!

Jeff Dee is a genius! Ever since I first saw that picture in the Rogues Gallery, I've wanted to play a lizardmanfolk character.

[boring7]

Barathos wrote:

Because I can play it without looking like a furry or a weaboo.

Technically, you look like a Scalie.

Honestly, I don't want to play lizardfolk. Read too many stories where they made lizardfolk out as a half-assed "noble savage" (a meme I don't care for) and generally pretty evil.

But that was a different ruleset, and I like Argonians, so I'm going with "scales look pretty" and "swimming is cool."