Copyright 2008 Wizards of the Coast

This is part of a series! Go here to see the other entries.

Lizardfolk have been in D&D since its beginnings, when they were known by the less inclusive name of “lizard men”. As members of the classic humanoid power ladder, they are present in both books.

The Lore

Lizardfolk are reptilian humanoids who prefer to live in hot, humid environments like jungles and swamps, where they establish hunter-gatherer societies. They are naturally adept swimmers and can hold their breaths for up to ten minutes.

Lizardfolk hatch from eggs and reach physical maturity in 2 years. All of a village’s eggs are buried in a communal pit for incubation, and the hatchlings are raised by the tribe as a whole. Lizardfolk culture has no concept of parenthood or nuclear families.

Their society is patriarchal, with the most powerful male acting as chieftain advised by shamans and mystics. They don’t worship any deities, but a truly legendary chieftain may be elevated to the status of “Lizard King” and be treated as a living god. I think the concept of primal spirits wasn’t 100% developed at this time, but lizard-people should probably be a primary example of a culture that worships them more than the gods.

Older editions described lizardfolk as murderous cannibals, but the Monster Manual lore seems to be considerably nicer. Lizardfolk tribes are territorial and insular, but usually not malicious. They even trade with those outsiders who manage to win their trust (most often halflings). Some communities on the other hand are malicious and practice both raiding and cannibalism. Those don’t trade with anyone.

There are several different lizardfolk “ethnicities”. The most common are known as “greenscales”, of average build. You also have the stronger and larger “blackscales”, and the MV also introduces us to the smaller and faster “poisonscales”. All three can either form their own communities, or live together in a single village.

The Monster Vault lore has absolutely nothing nice to say about lizardfolk, by the way. This seems to be a trend in that book when it comes to humanoids. The MV goes right back to Basic’s line about all lizardfolk being murderous cannibals who don’t even build their own villages if they can instead slaughter a “civilized” community and take their houses.

In either case, lizardfolk hunt and fight by employing their superior knowledge of their territory, and the superior mobility they enjoy therein. They often use nets or poison darts, and will try to lure invaders into traps or natural hazards (like quicksand pits or hungry crocodiles).

The Numbers

Poisonscales and Greenscales are Medium Natural Humanoids with the Reptile keyword. Blackscales are Large. They all have Speed 6 with Swamp Walk, ignoring all swamp-like difficult terrain.

MV lizardfolk tend to have an atavistic theme going on, gaining minor-action “feral” attacks when they become bloodied.

Poisonscale Needler (MV)

Needlers are Level 3 Minion Artillery with the common traits outlined above. They fight in melee with claws, and at range with blowguns. The blowgun darts do poison damage, and on a critical hit cause the target to fall unconscious (save ends).

They also have the Sniper trait, which make a needler that misses a ranged attack from hiding remain hidden.

Poisonscale Brawler (MV)

These are Level 3 Brutes with 55 HP and all common lizardfolk traits.

Their main weapon is a club, and they can perform a Feral Grab as a 1/round minor action. This targets Reflex, does no damage, and grabs on a hit (escape DC 13). Brawlers can apply a Crushing Grasp to grabbed victims, targetting Fortitude and doing more damage than the club (half on a miss).

Greenscale Raider (MV)

These are Level 3 Soldiers with 45 HP. Their club attacks mark for a turn, and they can attack marked targets who shift as a reaction, doing more damage than the basic attack (half on a miss).

Once bloodied, they can also attack with minor-action tail sweeps (vs. Reflex), which do no damage but knock the target prone on a hit.

Greenscale Trapper (MV)

This is a Level 3 Controller with 46 HP, and a rare non-spellcasting controller at that. It carries a spear and three nets into combat.

Aside from basic spear attacks, the trapper can toss a net (Close Blast 2 vs. Reflex; enemies only) to do a bit of damage and immobilize (save ends). On a miss, it can still slide the target 1 square to a square not in the blast. You dodge, but end up right where the trapper wanted you!

As a move action, the trapper can use Net Drag, moving its speed and pulling any targets immobilized by its net along. Once bloodied, it can perform a Feral Kick (vs. Reflex) as a minor action, which does no damage but slides the target 1 square on a hit.

Greenscale Hunter (MM) and Raider (MV)

Different versions of the same monster, these are Level 4 Skirmishers with 54 HP. They fight with spears and can shift 1 square before attacking with them. The Hunter gets a minor-action Feral Tail Lash when bloodied, which on a hit deals a smidge of damage and allows the hunter to shift 1 square.

Greenscale Darter (MM)

A nonminion version of the Needler. These are Level 5 Lurkers with 50 HP. They fight with clubs in melee. Their blowgun attacks do a single point of physical damage and trigger a secondary attack vs. Fortitude. If that one hits, the target takes 5 ongoing poison damage and is slowed (save ends).

You should probably change the blowgun to do level-appropriate poison damage instead if you update them.

They also have the Sniper trait.

Greenscale Bog/Marsh Mystic (Both)

Lizardfolk spellcasters, likely primal. The one in the MV is named the Bog Mystic, and the one in the MM is the Marsh Mystic. They’re Level 6 Controllers (Leaders) with 70 HP and all common lizardfolk traits.

The Marsh Mystic has an aura named Marsh Blessing with a radius of 5 squares. Allies inside heal 3 HP at the start of their turns. The Bog Mystic replaces that with Swamp Tangle, which has the same radius. Whenever an enemy inside is hit by an attack, the aura’s squares become difficult terrain for them for a turn.

Their other attacks are equivalent. They fight with spears in melee, and at range with a spell named Bog Cloud (Area Burst 2 within 10 vs. Fortitude; recharge 5-6). This does poison damage and dazes for a turn. The MV version still makes the targets grant combat advantage for a turn on a miss.

The mystic’s ultimate technique is Swamp’s Grasp, an encounter power whose mechanical effects differ between versions. In both it’s an area burst 2 that targets Reflex and represents swamp vegeration heaving up to entangle victims. The MM version has a range of 10, does no damage, and immobilizes (save ends). The MV version is a lot better, doing damage in addition to the immobilize effect, or half damage and slow (save ends) on a miss. It only has range 5, though.

In both cases, Swamp’s Grasp creates a zone of difficult terrain until the end of the encounter, which can be ignored by creatures with swamp walk.

Finally the MV mystic has a Feral Tail Lash that can be used once it’s bloodied, does a bit of damage, and slows for a turn.

Blackscale Bruiser (MM) and Crusher (MV)

This Large lizard-person is a straightforward Level 6 Brute with 86 HP. The Bruiser fights with a club whose attacks damage and can push targets 1 square, and with tail slaps that target Reflex, do damage, and knock prone.

The Crusher has the same club attack but its other options are a little fancier. Its Tail Swipe can be used twice per encounter, recharging when the creature is bloodied. It’s a Close Blast 2 vs. Reflex that does a goodly bit of damage and knocks targets prone.

Once bloodied it can also use Feral Bites as a minor action, which do more damage than the other “feral” attacks we saw but have no riders.

Sample Encounters and Final Impressions

We have 2 here:

  • Level 4: 2 greenscale hunters, 2 visejaw crocodiles, 1 vine horror. A sampler of the pets lizardfolk keep.

  • Level 6: 1 mystic, 2 bruisers, 1 darter, 2 hunters. Either a serious hunting party or the mystic’s personal guard.

Mechanics-wise the MV stat blocks are almost always better, particularly the ones for mystics and bruisers. However, I’m 100% behind the MM’s non-xenophobic lore. Neutral lizardfolk who might trade and talk with you are a much better addition to a setting than yet another Angry Humanoid.