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In Cold Blood – Reptilian Races of Mystara

by Cab Davidson from Threshold Magazine issue 33

Lizardfolk of Mystara, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh http://pandius.com/Lizardfolk.png (https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).

This article builds on “Voyage of the Princes Ark”, parts 32 and 33 (Dragon Magazine issue #186 and #187, “Red Steel” in issue #315), “Tortles of the Purple Sage” in Dungeon Magazine issues #6 and #7, and from supplement DMR2: “Creature Catalog” and the “Savage Coast Monster Compendium”.

Lecture notes from Zoological Anthropology 102,
Professor Dane Ossify, Technical University of Dunadale

“I am delighted to see so many of you back for the second of our units on Zoological Anthropology, and I note in the back row some fresh, shiny new faces. From your unblinking, expressionless visage I can tell why you’ve come!

“It was once postulated that the oldest intelligences on Mystara were reptilian. Modern scholars have moved on considerably since then, and we now know that there were older, stranger forms of intellect before the first great reptilian empires emerged. The precise identity of the early reptilians who followed is more in the remit of theologists than scientists, but we believe the various species thereof to have been known as carnifex. We can only speculate as to their precise nature, because the surprising diversity of modern reptilian folk makes it impossible to deduce anything about the earlier forms. So in this lecture series, I shall restrict myself to the extant, that is still current, intelligent reptilian species. By the end of this course, I hope you will be as enthralled with their incredible abilities as I am”

Reptilian PCs

This article presents a number of reptilian races for a Mystara (or any other) campaign, designed using classic D&D conventions (but conversion to any other version of the game should be straightforward). Each species has unique benefits and flaws, as outlined in each entry (and interspersed with more of Professor Ossify’s notes), although certain similarities in brain structure of reptiles means that they have certain limitations in common (see “Intelligence and Wisdom of Reptiles” table below). For convenience, the key figures allowing immediate comparison of each species are also summarised in Table 1: Summary of Reptilian Character Types later in this article. Note that the table also describes which saving throws to use for each character species (where ‘human’ is stated, that character saves as a human of the same chosen character class). Cay man and chameleon man characters can choose the medicine man character class, detailed in the issue #32 of THRESHOLD Magazine.

Crocodilians

Lecture notes from Zoological Anthropology 102, Professor Dane Ossify

“For convenience we can divide the reptilian races into four broad classes. The first we shall consider are the crocodilians, in which there are two species known to us. These creatures are descended from an ancient lineage of reptiles, but it appears that they have risen to sentience only very recently, under the control of (as yet) unknown wizards in and around their homelands. The gator man is a truly enormous creature, slow-witted but capable of immense force, whereas the cay man is an almost comically small creature with more animal cunning but which presents almost no physical threat. It is however the latter that has started to form the rudiments of its own civilisation, aspiring to iron age technology within a few short years of founding a nascent culture. Physiologically the crocodilian races remain very like their forefathers, being well adapted to semi-aquatic environs where we may well expect them to spread in coming years.”

Cay Man Medicine Man, http://pandius.com/CaymanMedicineMan1.png original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).

Cay Man

A species of diminutive (no larger than 1'4") lizard kin, with long pointed snouts and tiny hands on bodies that appear as little more than those of tiny crocodiles. Their culture is centred in and around the city of Tu’eth in their kingdom of Cay, which is slowly recovering from Herathian oppression and years of gator man raiding. They are slowly embracing metallic technology and may be reaching a bronze age. Their lands are littered with many examples of excellent steel and bronze weapons, crafted for them by their former Herathian masters.

Their lifestyle is simple, existing in mud burrows in and around larger settlements where they dig pools and shallow lagoons where birds, smaller reptiles, fish and other crabs make their homes. This terrain is difficult for any larger invaders to cross, with mire and quicksand that can envelop whole armies, and it provides all the prey that the cay men need to sustain themselves.

Advancement and Physical Attributes: Characters require the same number of experience points per level of experience as a human. When generated, they have the following modifiers to their ability rolls: Str: -2 Int: -3 Wis: -3 Dex: +2 Con: +2 Cha: 0.

Special Abilities: From first level, cay man characters can swim in any direction at a speed of 90' (30'). They can hold their breath with no discomfort for up to 2 minutes. The natural bite ability of a cay man inflicts 1d4 damage. A cay man choosing to remain motionless in a swamp is difficult to spot; there is a 30% chance of remaining unseen by any creature more than 10' away if the chameleon man remains motionless.

From level 3, a cay man can hold their breath for up to 4 minutes. And from this level their bite attack can hit creatures that are immune to normal weapons and can only be struck by silver.

From 7^th level onwards a cay man inflicts 2d4 damage with their bite attack.

From 14^th level a cay man can hold their breath for up to 10 minutes.

From 21^st level a cay man’s bite inflicts 3d4 damage, and can strike foes that can otherwise only be hit with magical weapons.

Character Class: Cay man fighters and thieves are common, but (to date) there are no cay man clerics or magic users. There are, however, cay man medicine man characters (see accompanying article).

Hit Dice: Cay man characters gain hit dice as do human characters, using the standard dice for the class to determine hit points.

Movement and Encumbrance: Cay men are small but agile, and move at 120' (40'). They are not capable of carrying heavy loads, and have a maximum encumbrance of 400cn.

Languages: The tongue of cay men is curiously like that of gator men. It is made up of a series of yips and growls, often going into too high a frequency for humans to understand. If a cay man speaks slowly and clearly, and the gator man shows patience, they can understand each other. Gator men are not, however, known for patience.

They have also developed a written form of their language, thus far only known from impressions of grass and reed made in clay tablets.

Weapons and Armour: In principle a cay man can use any weapon or armour permitted to their class, but in practice cay man armour does not exist, and any weapon used must be small (see rules for tiny weapons in PC1: “Tall Tales of the Wee Folk”).

Gator Man, http://pandius.com/GatorMan.png original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).

Gator Man

Gator men stand 7–8 feet tall and have alligator heads on top of their scaly humanoid bodies. Originally the result of Herathian wizards’ experiments, gator men escaped and fled into the swamps. During the following centuries their numbers have grown, and many of their primitive villages can now be found in the deep dank swamps of their homeland of Ator. They are coldly carnivorous, welcoming outsiders to their lands only as meals. They are brutish and direct, not only instinctively but culturally, most admiring such traits among their own kind and outsiders. Their settlements, such as they are, consist of contested pools, swamps and lakes with multiple individual lairs on their banks. They are strictly and voraciously carnivorous, and few distinguish between sentient and non-sentient prey.

Advancement and Physical attributes: Gator men require 40% more experience points per level of experience than a human character. When generated, they have the following modifiers to their ability rolls: Str: +3 Int: -4 Wis: -5 Dex: 0 Con: +2 Cha: -2.

Special Abilities: Gator men have a natural movement rate in water of 90' (30') and can hold their breath for up to 3 minutes. If they choose to hide in a swamp or another body of water, they are hard to distinguish from logs or other floating detritus (30% chance) to any creatures further than 10' away. A first level gator man can attack by biting, with a successful hit inflicting 2d6 damage.

From 3^rd level a gator man can hold their breath for up to 10 minutes.

From 7^th level a gator man’s bite attack inflicts 2d8 damage, and they can bite targets that can otherwise only be hit with silver weapons.

From 14^th level a gator man can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes

From 21^st level a gator man’s bite inflicts 3d8 damage, and can strike creatures immune to normal and non-magical weapons, being able to strike creatures needing silver or +1 weapons to hit.

Character Class: Perhaps at some point in the future gator men may branch out into other professions, but so far the only known adventuring gator men are fighters.

Hit Dice: Gator men use two higher hit dice for hit points. So, for example, a gator man fighter rolls 1d12 rather than 1d8 for hit points. They also obtain 3HD at first level.

Movement and Encumbrance: Gator men can move at 120' (40') if unencumbered and can carry twice the load of human characters (up to 4,800cn).

Language: Their own tongue is similar to that of the cay men, but tends to be spoken more slowly, and in much lower tone, including ultrasound grumbles inaudible to most other humanoids. Cay men yammer away at a speed that few gator men can follow, leading to a certain amount of animosity and, frequently, the cay man getting eaten. The very concept of a written language is beyond most gator men.

Weapons and Armour: A gator man can use any weapon permitted to their class, but most rely on natural armaments. Initial weapon mastery slots must be in primitive weapons (clubs, slings, spears, etc.). Gator men move very like alligators, with a lateral motion that prohibits wearing armour. They can, and do, employ shields.

Snake kin, http://pandius.com/senarch2323_amelanistic_python_humanoid_snake-man_albino_yellow_1be585f4-3531-4ba9-b1ca-ae36787aa30e.png done by Midjourney at Senarch's prompting

Serpentes

Lecture notes from Zoological Anthropology 102, Professor Dane Ossify

“The second group we will consider is the serpentes, or snake kin. While we may postulate that the global success of the snake makes it quite likely that there should be intelligent races across Mystara, thus far we only have definitive proof of two species. The first we shall consider is the mamushi, which appears to be derived from the common pit viper, found among the fabulous fauna of Zyxl. The mamushi seem to be a peaceable folk, with tremendous powers of perception and a venom that they use to defend themselves. Professor Pollo will hopefully be leading another expedition to the island next year, and I hope that the best of you may apply for a scholarship to accompany him, and that you return alive or, at least, sentiently mobile, and with more knowledge of the mamushi.

“The other species we have information about is the cindezele, a race of constrictor folk, aptly enough found on the Serpent Peninsula. They are largely arboreal, preying on monkeys, birds, peccary and other small animals, and this may give an impression of savageness. They strive to maintain a reputation for savagery, but it is our considered position that the cindezele are a cultured, civilised people. The presence of an albino specimen in our collection has created some confusion, but our studies show this to be part of the normal variation found among the species. Whether this has any implication for social interactions among members of the species will be the subject of further study.”

Cindezele, http://pandius.com/Boa.jpg original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).

Cindezele

The misunderstood constrictor folk of the Serpent Peninsula, the cindezele (in the Ulimwengu language, “those who squeeze”) are snakes with small forearms, standing around 6' when they choose, with a total length of 12' to 15'. Having two short but powerful arms, with three-fingered hands, they can grasp and use tools with some proficiency. They are typically creamish-green to grey-green in colour with reddish brown ‘saddles’ becoming more pronounced towards their tails.

They hunt small prey, typically peccaries, small monkeys, sloths and other creatures both in the trees and on the jungle floor, capturing them and killing by constriction (wrapping their bodies around their prey and squeezing until it is dead). They choose not to prey on sentient creatures, having sufficient empathy towards both the Karimari and Nobubele they share territory with to not wish to cause them harm, and generally relations with them are good. They understand that snakes are often feared by outsiders and are happy to use that reputation to keep their territories free of invaders.

Cindezele can use tools, and they make and use a wide range thereof. While maintaining an essentially hunter gatherer lifestyle, they do trade with other intelligent folk for items of interest – particularly metal and other worked items they struggle to produce.

They rarely, if ever, speak of those of their kind who have turned from light and into the darkness of caves below. A strain of albino cindezele, the okumhlophe, can be found there, angry at being made susceptible to the sun and at the world itself. They have also turned their backs on the teachings of Ka, and now adhere to the twisted teachings of Atzanteotl.

Advancement and Physical Attributes: Cindezele requires 30% more experience points per level of experience than equivalent human characters. They are generated with the following modifiers to their attributes: Str: +3 Int: -1 Wis: +1 Dex: 0 Con: 0 Cha: -3.

Special Abilities: They can move rapidly through trees at full normal movement rate and are not in any way impeded by undergrowth or vegetation. They are also strong swimmers, able to swim at ¾ of their normal speed.

In combat, they can attack by biting foes, for 1d6 damage, but the attack they are best known for is constriction. A successful bite attack against any creature of ogre size or smaller allows a cindezele to attempt to constrict a foe. The victim must make a saving throw vs. death ray or be coiled up, with the cindezele wrapped around them. The cindezele can inflict 1d4+strength bonus damage to their victim per round, who cannot attack or cast spells, but can make another saving throw vs. death ray each round to escape. Cindezele rarely use this attack on individuals in groups of enemies, as they themselves become unable to move or attack other foes while constricting an enemy.

From 3^rd level a cindezele can cause fear once per day as a cleric of their own level.

From 7^th level they learn to spring at enemies up to 20' away. This action involves coiling before rapidly leaping towards a foe, allowing the cindezele to attack with +3 to hit and damage, and potentially allowing them to constrict around that target. Note that this is only possible if the target is between 10' and 20' away.

From 14^th level all cindezele inflict 2d6 damage with their bite attack, and 2d4 damage per round when constricting. They can also strike targets only normally vulnerable to silver weapons with their bite and constriction.

From 21^st level cindezele inflict 3d6 damage with their bite attack, and 3d4 damage per round when constricting. They can also strike targets normally only vulnerable to magical weapons.

Character Class: They can be of any character class, and cindezele magic users, clerics (usually of Ka), thieves and fighters are known. In principle they could learn to be mystics, but none are known.

Hit Dice: Cindezele use the next higher hit-dice for determining hit points. For example, a cindezele cleric rolls 1d8 for hit points, and a magic user rolls 1d6.

Movement and Encumbrance: Cindezele can move at 120' (40') and can carry rather more weight than humans and demi-humans, having a maximum carrying capacity of 3,600cn.

Language: Surprisingly they have a complex written language, involving both inks made from galls of trees found in the jungle and pheromones secreted from their own glands, most often written on pages made of their own shed skins. The combination of scent and visible writing means that no creatures other than cindezele can read these texts without the use of read languages or similar.

Weapons and Armour: While quite large creatures, the cindezele have short arms and cannot effectively wield two-handed weapons, including missile fire devices. They can use any single-handed weapons, and use a shield. They cannot wear any ‘stiff’ armour, but it is possible to make chainmail armour to fit a cindezele.

Mamushi, http://pandius.com/senarch2323_boa_constrictor_humanoid_snake-man_boa_constrictor__084e6583-5e83-4769-a03f-15fe7f6a76ca.png done by Midjourney at Senarch's prompting

Mamushi

The isles of Zyxl are populated by many strange sentient species, of which the mamushi may be the most peculiar. They are a small folk, being snakes of a length of around 9', able to stand no more than 4' high, with a pair of muscular arms with which they are adept, capable tool users. Their body pattern is reddish brown to yellow, with irregular, pale outlined darker blotches. Their eyes are deep set behind dark brows. Between their eyes and nostrils they have a peculiar organ with which they sense heat, giving them the unique ability to use infravision to a distance of 90' even in full daylight (allowing them to perfectly determine a heat map of everything in front of them).

Mamushi are a peaceful people, usually unwilling to engage in combat or warfare, preferring to sustain their villages (kotan in their tongue) by farming goats, sheep and pigs, and by hunting, preferring to live in the deep river valleys of the mountains they call home. Their buildings are rectangular, single-storied buildings made from dried, bundled grasses, and while they may appear flimsy they are surprisingly robust. Their lives are typically formal, being very much constrained by traditions governing most things, including the selection of spouses, eating, drinking, and of course worship. They see nature spirits (kamuy) in all living things, and revere Terra (Kotan-kar-kamuy), Patura (Kamuy-huki), and Protius (Repun-humuy). Adventurous mamishi are known, and a high premium is paid by noble gorira to capable mamushi bodyguards. The choice to become an adventurer is often frowned upon by other mamushi, but those who return with treasures or great stories are quickly accepted among their own again – if they again practice the traditional ways of the village.

Advancement and Physical Attributes: Mamushi require 25% more experience points than human characters per level of experience. When generated, their starting statistics are modified as follows: Str: 0 Int: -1 Wis: 0 Dex: +2 Con: +1 Cha: -2.

Special Abilities: From first level all mamushi can attack with their poisonous bite. This bite inflicts only 1d3 damage, and the poison is mild (save vs. poison or be stunned as per weapon mastery rules). The amount of venom stored is limited, and a mamushi can only make a venomous bite attack once every 6 rounds.

At third level, mamushi bite attacks inflict 1d6 damage, and the victim must make a saving throw vs. poison or be paralysed for 3 turns. While more potent, the volume of venom produced is no greater, only one victim can be poisoned every 6 rounds.

From 7^th level a mamushi bite attack can be used once every 3 rounds.

From 14^th level their bite attack inflicts 1d8 damage, and such a mamushi has greater control over their use of venom. Each round 1 dose of venom is produced, and the mamushi can use up to 6 doses in a single bite. One dose can stun, three can cause paralysis (both effects as described above), and if 6 doses are used the victim must make a saving throw vs. poison or die).

From 21^st level a mamushi can use 6 doses of venom in a bite attack for a charm person or charm monster effect. The victim must make a saving throw vs. poison with a -3 penalty to the roll to avoid the effect. This charm effect is treated identically to any other.

Character Class: Mamushi can theoretically be of any class, but only clerics, fighters and magic users are known. They consider thievery, even in a good cause, dishonourable. They can use any weapon permitted by their class, but armour must be flexible (such as chain mail) and must be especially made for them.

Hit Dice: Mamushi use the same hit dice as equivalent human characters.

Movement and Encumbrance: Mamushi are small but robust, and can carry the same encumbrance as human and demi-human characters.

Language: While their own spoken tongue (Mamusho) is difficult for other species to master, the written form of their language, a pictographic system consisting of over 3,000 characters (kanji) has been widely adopted by other species across Zyxl. The result is that the grammar and syntax of other languages in the island nation follow the rules of Mamusho, making for considerable confusion when visitors more familiar with the written form of other languages in Zyxl try to communicate with the locals.

Weapons and Armour: Only small weapons can be used by mamushi, and they can only wear flexible armour such as chain mail (class permitting). They may also use shields.

Okumhlophe, http://pandius.com/AlbinoBoa.png original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).

Okumhlophe

While the civilised peoples of the Serpent Peninsula live quite secretive lives in the deep jungles above, the okumhlophe live even more secret lives in deep caves beneath them. Their pale skins (they are all albino) leave them vulnerable to sunlight, and they struggle (facing a -2 penalty to hit and damage) when forced to operate outdoors in daytime, but they have superb (90') infravision. Their need for heat means that they have sought hot, volcanic caves deep underground, where they have made their own nation guided by the feathered serpent, Atzanteotl, who they refer to as Inkanyamba (the ‘snake in the sky’).

Far from being a degenerate breed, they have a complex culture in which females, which are larger than males, are dominant. They hunt a wide range of subterranean prey and send hunting parties to the surface at night for more fresh meat.

Okumhlophe are hostile to any intelligent creatures not of their own kind, and they plot the demise of all other sentient races. They understand that they are not alone in this quest, and they know that many other followers of entropic Immortals share this goal. They see their role in this as being the information gatherers for the coming apocalypse – they gather data on every other intelligent race, having long networks of caverns stretching between sources of geothermal heat that they use to contact, interrogate, and kill other sentient creatures, taking all of the information they gain on any and all of the intelligent peoples of Mystara that they can gain from their victims back to a central library. There, targets for death are collated, graded and compared. The okumhlophe do not know how or where the apocalypse will start, but they plan to be ready to act rapidly when it does.

They gain abilities as they increase in level as their close relatives, the cindezele, and the same stats can be used. They may be clerics (exclusively of Atzanteotl), fighters, or magic users, and they excel as thieves.

Squamata

Lecture notes from Zoological Anthropology 102, Professor Dane Ossify

“Our third group is the lizard kin, or squamata. There are three species of lizard folk, namely lizard men, sis’thik, and chameleon men. The sis’thik are found in various places on Brun, including Sind and Ylaruam. They are a desert people, with water-resistant hides and closable seals on their nostrils, allowing them to survive in the most arid environments. As they are an aggressive, territorial people we have been unable to study the anatomy of live specimens, thus much of what we know about them comes from observations in the field and from dissections. We can say that the females (which appear dominant) are larger than the males, and they have a tremendous capacity to retain water.

“Next we come to the common lizard man. We are all familiar with this species, indeed I note four or five of them in the back row today. They are found across Davania, Skothar and Brun, from the tundra to the equatorial marshes, in a multitude of colour forms. They are roughly equivalent to mankind in most abilities, and one must wonder whether it is only the fact that man is marginally more adaptable that has led to their dominance over lizard men in most lands, or whether it is chance alone that led mankind to its position.

“The third species of lizard kin is the chameleon man, most commonly found in the land of Wallara. A truly astonishing people, with a natural ability to change colour to blend in with their surroundings or to communicate emotion with each other, the chameleon men are also perhaps the most spiritual of all reptilian races.”

Chameleon Man Medicine Man, http://pandius.com/ChameleonManWitchDoctor1.png original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).

Chameleon Man

Chameleon men usually live in deep caverns or in dense forests far from civilization, with their own homeland, Wallara, being located to the west of the Savage Coast. They are typically around 7' tall and quite thin, with spindly arms and legs. They move with a gangling, awkward stride. Their hides have multi-coloured skin with tiger-like stripes of red, blue, green, yellow, brown, orange, black and white. Disconcertingly, their eyes are held high on their heads and can independently point in different directions or converge on a single point for excellent binocular vision.

Advancement and Physical Attributes: Chameleon men require 30% more experience points than human characters per level to advance. When generated, they have the following modifiers to their ability rolls: Str: -1 Int: -1 Wis: +1 Dex: +1 Con: 0 Cha: 0.

Special Abilities: The chameleon man can effectively turn invisible, similarly to the magic user spell. Although the chameleon man can use this ability at will, any number of times in a day, he must remain absolutely quiet and motionless when doing so (he cannot cast spells, talk, attack, dodge, move, vanish, etc.). Chameleon men have perfected the ability to remain motionless for extended periods of time (up to an hour per experience level). Mimicry only fools other races; chameleon men can always see one another.

The positioning of eyes on top of their head means chameleon men can only be surprised on a 1 on 1d6.

With a successful strength check (rolling equal to or under their strength score on 1d20) a chameleon man can grip walls or ceilings sufficiently well to walk thereon.

At third level, they can vanish three times per day, which is roughly equivalent to the dimension door spell but with a limited range (20'). Also, because it is a racial ability, chameleon men never accidentally materialise into solid objects. This ability counts as a full action and requires an Intelligence check every time it is used.

At 7^th level, a chameleon man can dream. Once this ability has been used, it cannot be used again for seven days. The dream allows the chameleon man to tap into mystical knowledge of Wallaran spirits. At the character’s option, the dream can imitate the effects of one of the following clerical spells: speak with animals, speak with the dead, speak with plants, commune, or speak with monsters. Dreaming requires the chameleon man to meditate for 1d6 rounds, plus the time spent communicating. The meditation requires live embers (from a small campfire for example). Dreams cannot be used against hostile creatures unless such creatures are restrained in some manner.

From 14^th level a chameleon man has gained sufficient mastery of their colour changing to pose as members of other species of roughly the same size – they may appear human, elven, orcish, etc., but cannot emulate dwarves, ogres, or other creatures of very different size. Taking on such a form takes 1 round, and the visage is always the same – there is a ‘human’ version of each chameleon man, and an ‘elven’ one, for example.

From 21^st level a chameleon man can use their dream ability once per day.

From 28^th level a chameleon man can use their vanish ability while moving. To vanish in this way takes a full round. This is not quite as effective as true invisibility but they can only be seen on a roll of 1 on 1d6. Attacking or taking any offensive action makes the chameleon man visible again.

Character Class: Chameleon men are known to be able to pursue fighter, thief, and medicine man character classes but none are known to have shown aptitude for arcane casting – there are no known wicca, magic user, or merchant class chameleon men. Chameleon man mystics and acrobats are possible, but thus far unknown.

Hit Dice: Standard hit dice for the chosen class are used.

Movement and Encumbrance: Chameleon men move at 120' (40') and can carry the same weight as humans and demi-humans. Chameleon men are poor swimmers, requiring a skill in swimming to be able to even stay afloat.

Language: The extraordinary capacity for chameleon men to change their skin colour, coupled with exceptionally acute colour vision, means that colour is of huge importance in how they communicate. Their spoken language has no concept of tense or gender, such concepts being conveyed by the colour patterns shown on the face of the speaker. Likewise, their written language (appearing as simplistic pictograms to most) conveys hugely complex information with very simple glyphs by employing a vast range of colours. In principle other species may understand, in broad terms, what a chameleon man is saying or has written, but the conveyance of nuance or even such fundamental concepts as whether events referred to are in the past or the future is not something anyone outside their species can glean.

Weapons and Armour: Standard weapons appropriate to their class can be used, but only primitive weapons (boomerang, spear, club, javelin, etc.) can be chosen as starting weapon mastery options. A chameleon man character learning basic mastery in javelin gains a skill in atl-atl (spear thrower) for free. Chameleon men cannot wear armour, indeed they consider clothing of any sort to be strange, but if their chosen class permits they may use a shield.

Lizard man, http://pandius.com/senarch2323_Lizard_man_These_water-dwelling_creature_resembles__91853639-0a5c-4251-8aa4-4f49d68d5955.png done by Midjourney at Senarch's prompting

Lizard Man

A common species of reptilian humanoid, roughly similar to humans in proportion except for larger (and of course reptilian) heads. Most are green, with some tribes being beige, brown or rust-coloured depending on region, and in some regions tribes of pale grey and white lizard men are known. They are capable swimmers, frequently inhabiting swamplands and rivers, but outside of the Malpheggi tribelands in the Hollow World have no acknowledged homeland of their own.

Advancement and Physical Attributes: Lizard men require 5% more XP per level of experience than human characters. When generated they have the following modifiers to their ability rolls: Str: +1 Int: -4 Wis: -3 Dex: 0 Con: +1 Cha: 0.

Special Abilities: Lizard men have limited infravision, to a distance of 30', can hold their breath for up to 1 minute, and have a swimming movement speed of 120' (40').

Character Class: Lizard men can pursue any character class, but spellcasters are rare. To become magic users or clerics, lizard men must possess intelligence and wisdom scores of 13 or above.

Hit Dice: Standard hit dice for the chosen class are used, but a lizard man begins play rolling 2HD, rather than 1, for starting hit points.

Movement and Encumbrance: Lizard men move at 120' (40') and can carry the same weight load as human and demi-human characters.

Language: The spoken and written forms of lizard man language are surprisingly complex, reflecting a long, continuous culture with perhaps a wider available vocabulary than any one human tongue. This extraordinary cultural depth is, however, rarely reflected in how they converse, with individual tribes and subcultures often choosing different words from the same wider lexicon for the same things.

Weapons and Armour: They can use any weapon allowed by their class, and may be fighters, thieves, or mystics, and may (although it is rare) become magic users or clerics. There are no restrictions on beginning weapon mastery choices of lizard man, but few favour complex weapons, and most prefer pikes, spears, clubs, and axes.

Sis'thik, http://pandius.com/senarch2323_in_burning_deserts_live_nomadic_humanoids_called_Si_6d34fc28-026e-46f4-9cee-1e3e3a1ee7b5.png done by Midjourney at Senarch's prompting

Sis’thik

Up to 9' tall, thick-limbed and muscular, the sis’thik is a desert species with incredible resistance to heat. They have a thick, sealable membrane over their nostrils and an extra membrane over their eyes, as well as thick, resilient skin. This acts to protect them both from the relentless sun and heat of the desert, and against physical attacks.

Culturally, it is typically the largest and most aggressive in each group that leads. They consider the deserts not just their home but their property, and usually demand tribute from other intelligent creatures that pass. Few seek adventure, to gain treasure or renown, most often it is to demonstrate to members of other races that the sis’thik are superior and that members of other races are all weak.

From 1^st level, sis’thik are more capable of surviving with limited water than other humanoids. When determining the effect of dehydration (Rules Cyclopedia page 150), a sis’thik loses only a single hit point per day without water. A first level sis’thik can attack with their two claws, once each per round, for 1d3 damage each.

From 3^rd level, a sis’thik can smell any water supply (a well, oasis, river, pond, even a large pool) from 1 mile away per level of experience and can accurately find a route to the nearest such source without risk of getting lost. A third level sis’thik can also attack with their bite, once per round, for 1d3 damage, in addition to their two claw attacks.

From 7^th level a sis’thik can discern mirage from reality more effectively than most other creatures. If outdoors, they gain a +2 bonus to saving throws or ability checks to determine whether they are observing an illusion. If fighting a creature created by phantasmal force or similar magic, they may make a saving throw vs. spells each round to determine whether their enemy is illusionary. From this level the claw attacks of a sis’thik inflict 1d6 damage each.

From 14^th level they may choose to enter a state of resilient courage when in a fight. This means that they are immune to the effects of fear, whether natural or magical, but they are unable to withdraw from the fight until either they or their enemy is dead or incapacitated.

A 21^st or higher level sis’thik can choose to ride out danger by forming a thick skin and burying themselves in an almost entirely inert state. This process takes 6 hours, and can only work in soil, sand, or another friable surface. The sis’thik, once protected, gains an armour class -7, and uses water and food incredibly slowly, losing 2hp each year thus buried. Typically a sis’thik recovers as soon as it rains, the process of reabsorbing the hard skin formed around the sis’thik taking an hour. While thus encased a sis’thik takes only a quarter damage from fire, cold, or electrical damage, and is essentially immune to most changes in the environment around them. They can choose to re-emerge from their state of near torpor at any time and may do so if after an extended period conditions do not seem to have improved.

Testudinata

Lecture notes from Zoological Anthropology 102, Professor Dane Ossify

“The final group we will turn our attention to is the testudinata, that would be races resembling or derived from turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Here we are aware of two species, the land-dwelling tortle (of which some identify multiple strains) and the marine snapper. They are both shelled reptiles, largely travelling on land on their back legs and able to manipulate objects with their hands.

“Snappers are hostile. To other species and, when it isn’t time to breed, to each other. There is little snapper culture, and it is a wonder that such a creature ascended to (albeit limited) sentience at all. They are mostly found in the warm ocean waters anywhere between the Arm of the Immortals and the Isle of Dawn, and the only times they have been observed to have associated with each other has been to gather to breed. We know little of their beliefs and habits – they are not keen to share – but from dissections we can see that they relate closely to some of the older species of seagoing turtles of the Sea of Dread, with archelon probably being the species from which they derive.

“The tortle could hardly be more different in temperament. They are derived from larger land tortoises, for the most part friendly and practical folk, forming small villages and basing their lives on farming and trade. They are slower than other intelligent species, less quarrelsome than most, and many would assume them to be rather a pushover. One would be wrong. The tortle is one of the most robust of species we have studied, able to survive incredible odds. They are found across Brun and Davania, with isolated pockets plying various trades wherever the routes of great merchant caravans travel to.”

Snapper

An essentially aquatic creature. While no taller than humans, rarely standing taller than 6', they are almost as wide as they are tall, and weigh in at around 1,000lb. Their heavy, tough shells and great bulk makes them clumsy and slow on land, and while aggressive they usually try to avoid melee combat on the land, recognising that their lack of mobility can be a handicap.

There is no snapper society as such, but when two meet in the open water (where they are most at home) they usually spend a day or two in each other’s company, sharing news and information as to the state of the world, and typically lamenting the failings of their own younger generations.

The only time snappers congregate is when it is mating season, in early spring. They gather on select beaches in remote places, some atolls, and other secluded islands, to mate and lay eggs in great communally constructed sand banks. They guard the eggs until hatching several weeks later, after which they seem to show no regard to the health or welfare of their young. How they maintain any cultural continuity is unknown.

Advancement and Physical Attributes: Snappers require 30% extra experience points per level of experience. When generated, their initial statistics are modified thus: Str: +3 Int: -3 Wis: +2 Dex: -3 Con: +3 Cha: -2

Special Abilities: Snappers can hold their breath for extended periods. A first level snapper can hold their breath for 10 turns, plus one extra turn per 3 levels of experience. They are cumbersome on land but nimble in the water, having a swimming speed of 180' (60'). Their shell gives them a natural armour class of 4.

From 1^st level all snappers can attack with two sharp front claws and a bite, for 1d4 damage each.

From 3^rd level snappers’ bite attack damage increases to 2d4.

From 7^th level snappers’ claw damage increases to 1d6, and from this level they gain +2 to hit and damage against any opponent in the water.

From 14^th level snappers gain the ability to retract their heads and arms when facing any area of effect damage (fireball, dragon breath, lightning bolt, etc.). This means that they automatically take half damage from such effects and take a quarter damage if they successfully make an appropriate saving throw.

A 21^st or higher level snapper can, once per day, attack with a roar. This attack works under water or above, and all creatures in the area of the roar (a cone 30' long and 20' wide at the end) must make a saving throw vs. dragon breath or take the snapper’s current hit point total in damage, or half of that damage if the saving throw was successful. Victims who failed their saving throw are also deafened for 2d4 rounds.

Character Class: In theory snappers could be of any class, but only fighters and clerics (devoted to Ka) have been observed.

Hit Dice: Snappers use the next largest dice for determining hit points, e.g. a fighter rolls 1d10 hp, and a cleric rolls 1d8. At first level snappers gain two hit dice, rather than one.

Movement and Encumbrance: On land snappers are cumbersome and slow, and can only move at 30' (10'). In the water they are powerful swimmers being able to move at up to 180' (60'). They are able to carry twice the load of humans (up to 4,800cn).

Language: Their own language is rarely spoken by outsiders, who consider snappers to have little of worth to say. Some learn the languages of other aquatic races, but few have the intelligence to do so.

Weapons and Armour: They may use any weapon allowed for their class, and favour missile device weapons such as crossbows. Snappers do not wear armour, but can, if their chosen class permits, use a shield.

Tortle Medicine Man, http://pandius.com/TortleMedicineMan1.png original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home).

Tortle

Being humanoid tortoises standing around 6' tall, the tortle is generally a friendly dweller of the open lands, semi-arid zones, and deserts of Brun and Skothar. They are semi-solitary, tending to their own affairs in loose groupings of other tortles over wide areas, confusingly referring to this spread out living arrangement as a ‘village’. They are usually happy to welcome humans and demi-humans, and frequently maintain good relationships with other lawful and good races.

Some tortles choose to travel further, enjoying mercantile trade and even sometimes adventure. While most would prefer not to fight, at a push they prefer missile weapons to melee (preferring not to get bogged down, knowing they’re slower than most of their foes).

Culturally, they are an outgoing and open race, and most enjoy entertaining others and sharing stories. Their humour has been compared with that of retired jesters who could do with learning new material, and they laugh endlessly at the same (to others, tired) old jokes.

Advancement and Physical Attributes: Tortles require 15% more experience points per level of experience than human characters. When generated, their attributes are modified thus: Str: +2 Int: 0 Wis: 0 Dex: -2 Con +1 Cha: +2

Special Abilities: Tortles cannot swim, but they do float, and can hold their breath for up to 10 turns. Their thick shells and tough, scaly skin gives them a natural armour class of 3.

From first level, a tortle can attack with their two front claws and beak attack, each for 1d4 damage.

From 3^rd level their beak attack increases to 1d6 damage. The rough and tumble of the adventuring life leaves its mark on the shell of the tortle, and from this level their natural armour class falls to 2.

From 7^th level, tortles’ shell is so tough that they can take 1d4 damage from all incoming melee and missile attacks that would otherwise hit them (taking a minimum of 1 point of damage per successful hit), and their natural armour class falls to 1.

From 14^th level, tortles can reduce all incoming melee and missile damage by 1d6, with each attack inflicting a minimum of 1 point of damage. Their natural armour class falls to 0. They also gain the ability to retract their heads and arms when facing any area of effect damage (fireball, dragon breath, lightning bolt, etc.). This means that they automatically take half damage from such effects and take a quarter damage if they successfully make an appropriate saving throw.

From 21^st level tortles can reduce all incoming melee and missile damage by 1d8, and their natural armour class is -2.

Character Class: They can become fighters, clerics (usually of Ralon, Ka, Mâtin, or Calitha) and thieves, but to date none have shown propensity for arcane magic. Mystic tortles are rumoured to exist.

Hit Dice: Tortles use the same hit dice as human characters of the same class, but start at level 1 by rolling 2HD, rather than 1.

Movement and Encumbrance: Tortles are slow, having a movement rate of 45' (15'). They can carry the same weight as humans and demi-humans (2,400cn).

Language: The language of tortles is a curious mix of grunts and clicks made with their beaks. Other species can learn it, but few do. Tortles also typically know the language of either the dominant local human or demi-human culture.

Weapons and Armour: Tortles cannot wear armour, but if their class allows they may use a shield. They can use any weapon allowable to their class.

Intelligence and Wisdom of Reptilians

While reptilian species have some incredible abilities, they are not known for their mental prowess. Most suffer penalties to both intelligence and wisdom when young, but on the other hand their malleable minds allow them to grow intellectually and become more clever (or, at least, less stupid) as they progress. Each time a reptilian character gains a level of experience, they may make either an intelligence or wisdom check. A failed check means they gain a single point to that stat (whichever was chosen), up to the maximum permitted for their species.

Race	Str	Int	Wis	Dex	Con	Cha	Max Int/Wis	Base AC	Infravision	XP Mod	HD	Starting HD	Save As
Cay Man	-2	-3	-3	+2	+2	0	13	7	60'	0	0	1	Halfling
Chameleon Man	-1	-1	+1	+1	0	0	16	7	0	+30%	0	1	Human
Cindezele	+3	-1	+1	0	0	-3	17	7	30'	+30%	+1	1	Dwarf
Gator Man	+3	-4	-5	0	+2	-2	10	7	60'	+40%	+2	3	Human
Lizard Man	+1	-4	-3	0	+1	0	12	7	30'	+5%	0	2	Human
Mamushi	0	-1	0	+2	+1	-2	16	7	90'*	+25%	0	1	Human
Okumhlophe	+2	-1	0	-1	0	-4	16	7	90'	+30%	+1	1	Dwarf
Sis’thik	+3	-2	-2	0	+1	-3	14	5	0	+30%	+1	2	Dwarf
Tortle	+2	0	0	-2	+1	+2	15	3	0	+15%	0	2	Dwarf
Snapper	+3	-2	+2	-3	+3	-2	12	4	30'	+30%	+1	2	Dwarf

Table 1: Summary of Reptilian Character Types

Reptilian Skills

While most general skills are common to all intelligent species, there are some that are peculiar to the reptilians, often requiring the unique physiology shared by certain reptiles to use.

Animal Crafting (Int): Tribal peoples make use of every part of the animals they hunt, including the blood, organs, skin, flesh, bones, horns, hooves, antlers, and intestines. Animal crafting is the complex skill of using simple tools to turn such creatures into products that the tribespeople need, everything from bone and antler tools to sinew bow strings, furs for warmth and shelter, blood and manure based daub, etc. While there is a general form of this skill, allowing a character to make good use of components of most creatures, there are also specific forms known to several tribes allowing them to make more remarkable and idiosyncratic items from individual animals, for example Mammoth Crafting, Triceratops Crafting, Auroch Crafting, Pilot Whale Crafting, etc.

Atl-atl (Dex): A skill common in primitive societies, an atl-atl is a spear thrower that acts as a lever, or an extension of the arm. A successful check will allow a javelin to inflict extra damage at short or medium range (+1d4) and adds the stun ability to a javelin (as for a spear) from skilled mastery upwards. To load an atl-atl requires two hands, and the user cannot use a shield.

Envenom Weapon (Con): Only useable by creatures possessing a natural venom. The skill of applying one’s own venom to a weapon. A successful skill check allows a single dose of venom to be applied to one piercing or cutting weapon (a sword, spear point, an arrow, etc.). The venom remains active for up to 6 rounds, or until a successful hit is achieved. Any saving throw is made as if the poison was delivered directly from the source.

Lockjaw (Str): Any reptilian may learn this skill. When hitting with a bite attack, the character may make a skill check to effectively lock their jaw in place. While no further damage is inflicted, the victim is effectively grabbed. If roughly the same size as the attacker or smaller, they suffer a -4 penalty to armour class and a -3 penalty to wrestling rating while thus locked on to. While obviously unable to attack with a bite while locked to a victim, the attacker may choose to attack with claws (if they have such an attack) or alternatively with any small melee weapon.

Shell Slam (Str): Only useable by testudinata. A form of unarmed attack used by both tortles and snappers. If the character makes a successful skill check they can in place of any other attacks made in a combat round attempt to force a foe to the ground, (see ‘trip’ special effect, as per weapon mastery). Physical damage inflicted thus is minimal (1d4 plus strength bonus) when using a shell as a weapon, but this may leave an enemy prone and vulnerable.

Snake Wrestling (Dex): Only useable by snake kin. A character possessing this skill has learned how to effectively use their body form when wrestling. A successful skill check means a taken down or pinned character suffers no negative effects due to being grabbed, taken down or pinned. While the attacker may still inflict damage on a pinned snake, the snake kin character may choose to make ordinary wrestling rolls or unarmed attacks (including bites) while pinned.

Taste the Air (Wis): Only useable by snake kin and lizard kin. Many reptiles sense their surroundings by flicking their tongue out, collecting samples of scents in the air, and returning their tongue to an organ in the roof of their mouth to transfer the scent. This gives them an excellent sense of smell, but some learn to use this ability to an extraordinary degree. By means of a successful skill check, a reptilian may compose a complete olfactory picture of creatures in front of them, within 10', including invisible or hidden creatures. Use of this skill can also give a +3 bonus to the tracking skill.