Kobolds[sblock]Kobolds are not exactly reptillians and that is part of what's interesting about them. They aren't simply halfling lizardmen. Kobolds are another mythological creature from Germanic lore. They are cousins to the boggarts. They are low "men" on the totem pole of the AD&D HD ladder. They were never even meant to stand up 1-to-1 against single 1st level Fighters, (but maybe a magic-user in a knife fight). In this way they are well known to be group combatants who swarm their enemies and hope to win against those whom they see as superior threats (like us against giants).
The MM says kobold culture includes tribal warbands based on generation. The stronger rule the weak. They live in dark, wet places in forests and underground. They hate the sun, have great nightvision, and take penalties in bright light. Their elites are equal to a goblin, arrive in tribes 40-400 with stated ratios of elites, female fighters, young, and eggs. Chiefs are always in the lair with a bodyguard of elites. They sue wild animals like boar or giant weasels in defense. They can craft simple weapons such as basic spears, swords, axes, clubs, javelins, and wood or wickerwork shields.
"Kobolds hate most other life, delighting in killing and torture. They particularly hate such creatures as brownies, pixies, sprites, and gnomes. They continually war with the latter and will attack them on sight." (more evidence these are a lizardy branch off the dark side of the fey). They have their own tongue (probably related to elf and other fey tongues and perhaps draconic or lizardfolk depending what heritage is predetermined).
"Description: the hide of kobolds run from very dark rusty brown to rusty black. They have no hair. Their eyes are reddish and their small horns are tan to white. They favor red or orange garb. Kobolds live for up to 135 years." (Long life is probably another sign of fey or demonic /devilish heritage, probably impish)
A "house demon" sort of kobold probably exists too, with a different culture than the typical D&D brand. More in line with the German folklore they guard the house, but claim right over "anything that hits the floor" for example. They still play tricks, can be real pests, but they also dress up like humans and live sort of miserly existences letting humans be "tenants" in
their house.
D&D kobolds are not goblins, but there is a close mythological tie. I think goblins are more true fey of the nasty sort, probably a wizarding experiment gone wrong while kobolds are of tiny, capricious who consorted with imps. Whatever the difference, it's important to have it clear in mind before presenting a setting, homebrew or published.[/sblock]Lizardmen[sblock]Lizardmen are quite clearly the dominant humanoid species of the swamp (trolls are giants) and are a kind of crocodile or alligator people to the troglodyte's dinosaur people of the prehistoric world. I don't know if they have any historic ancestors, but I take them as quite separate species.
The lizardfolk are semi-aquatic for one. They aren't amphibians, but reptiles. Though they have the ability to stay underwater for hours at a time, and have wet, slimy skin that is more at risk in sunny environments than most animals. They are tribal, make lairs like beavers with open air interiors, but waterway entrances, and are omnivorous preferring the flesh of humans to all others. (they are not afraid to eat sentient creatures). After successful battles the corpses and captives of their foes are taken back to the lair for feasting.
"About 1 tribe in 10 has evolved to a higher state. These lizard men will dwell in crude huts, use shields [swamp-based wood] and hurl barbed darts [wooden spikey-balls?] or javelins before closing with enemies. In combat these advanced lizard men employ [spiked] clubs (treat as morningstars)."
There are a lot of other aquatic humanoid races, so having a lizard, non-amphibious one makes sense to me for freshwater (or saltwater) swamps. I see these guys as dark green to black alligator skinned monsters and HD 2+1 used to mean pretty damn big for medium-sized. Crocodile-headed lizard men could have been the inspiration for the Egyptian god Sobek. Subraces could be interesting with desert varieties well suited to arid hot environs.
I disagreed with the article about lizardfolk being led by druids (In fact, I thought this creature's entry was thin altogether). Lizardfolk are usually led by their own NPC Fighter classes or a Fighter and have Shamans and Witchdoctors too. I don't think we should shy away from NPC classes when they are culturally specific. Those three are weaker than PC classes though, so it's doubtful players would prefer them. Lizardfolk also worship all sorts of deities and totems. Not that they are pantheistic, just that different tribes can hold different faiths (just like most other intelligent monsters). It's possible sometimes the females may rule the tribe. Or they are a nonviolent tribe attempting to create peaceful grove-like food supplies. Etc.[/sblock]
Troglodytes[sblock]As mentioned above, Troglodytes are not lizardmen, but the last of a prehistoric race, a dinosaur-men of sorts. It is possible they could have ruled the planet millions of years ago. Perhaps they were more intelligent and advanced than humans today? It would be interesting to see a sci-fi element where the dominant species has now devolved to one of the stinkiest and stupid around. Troglodytes are what you meet when you find a natural cave that is really empty past the normal animals lairs at the entrance. It isn't a dungeon full of creatures or traps, but a cave which descends deeper and deeper until relics of the old world are met, including these foul beasts.
Troglodytes are accustomed to heat and pressure. Like underwater life, most of everything that lives below ground is within the first few 100 feet. Trogs liver lower than that, but sometimes form expeditions to come up of course. Deep below the surface it is hot and humid and very uncomfortable for most life to live. For dinosaur-based trogs it is a wonderful environment and one they will take advantage their bodies being acclimated for it.
Culturally there really is no historical comparison for Trogs. They are a degenerate species, but who knows what survived to rule them? Who's to say what bizarre, beyond millennial, now multi-million year old culture still resists erosion in the bowels of the planet? This is the "land that time forgot" inbred and progressed forward another geologic age. It is possible Trogs are simply the lowest caste suffered to live in the "coldest" climes of the prehistoric ruling races.
Troglodytes have two physiological features notably useful in combat most do not. The first is a profound stench. This causes landborne and shallow subterranean creatures (which is most all of them) to retch and is treated as an airborne poison exuded from the creatures glands. This is at will normally, but I'd treat it like a snake needing to create more poison and put a daily limit on it. Traditionally this poison weakens creatures strength, but I could see it as a slow toxin that will cause creatures to pass out. Of course locked-in syndrome like puffer-fish poison might be more interesting.
The other useful combat feature is a limited color-shifting skin, which gives the troglodyte the ability to blend into their environment like a chameleon. This hiding is so perfect in dark places like caverns that the area they stand it must actually be entered in a search to find them, though they must remain still for it to work. Taking this tactic they often surprise their quarry and then excrete their stench if they need to run.
Besides the usual dinosaur appearance of colored skin (which may or may not be scaled), I would say troglodytes are ripe for subraces along common dinosaur lines. Some may have long, boney claws and bone spurs. Others might have ridged skin fringe on their heads. Old school ones have elongated metatarsals like cats or dogs, effectively walking on what would toes for us. Some may even have wings, some higher intelligences could even have wings.
In the article it's odd they brought up Socrates. It was the Greeks and Romans who first wrote about the Troglodytae as a people in our Africa. It basically means cave dwellers. And unfortunately, for trogs I gave the article a 2.[/sblock]Aquatic Races[sblock]Aquatic races are important during aquatic adventuring. I think the designers should check out the encounter area depths in the AD&D appendices. Most all aquatic encounters are with humans exploring in the shallow depths of fresh and saltwater regions, where almost all the life is. Getting deeper really is a matter of magical ability (by spell or item). Because the terrain of being underwater is so action disorienting (combat, magic, and talking all work slightly differently) these creatures don't have to be harder to be appropriate challenges to PCs in the mid levels.
I like aquatic races even if all weren't mentioned. It's probably easier to think of the three listed like this:
- Merfolk are the Humans of the seas and oceans, like humans they average neutral.
- Sahuagin are the fish humanoids in saltwater, evil
- Locathah are the neutral crustacean humanoids in saltwater, averaging neutral
Given this general grouping it's easy to dream up a variety of potential subraces for each.
Other potential aquatic races include:
- Lizardfolk (air-breathers) in swamps mainly, neutral to evil
- Koalinth = aquatic hobgoblins (so 1/2 merfolk I guess), evil
- Kopoacinth = aquatic gargoyles (which I would treat as gargoyles in unusual terrain / alternate cultural name), evil
- Nixies = inland sea fey, neutral
- Aquatic Elf = Elves beneath the waves, good
- Ixitxachitl = the first non-humanoid intelligent race here, tropical stingray, evil
- Kuo-Toa = degenerate humanoids a la Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" existing in different states of postwordly aquatic degeneracy, evil
- Triton = "daemons" of the Greek god of the same name, these are Water Elementals come to live in the world's oceans. They may be more or less numerous than merfolk, but this are supernatural beings at core, good
- Nymphs = goodly fey who dwell in rivers and lakes (think lady of the lake)
Most everything else I can think of is rare to very rare, so not exactly setting dominant species, but still often inhabiting the interesting places in a setting due to each one's power and influence. For example, Eyes of the deep, Sea hags, Aboleths, Water Nagas, Dragon Turtles, etc. A LOT of things non-humanoid are as intelligent as humans or smarter. That goes for a lot of prehistoric or "giant" versions of normal animals too. They are intelligent species and races, even if they may not immediately come across as such (that's a big part of the fun).
And all this doesn't even cover creatures which are simply indifferent to terrain like Titans.[/sblock]
