D&D 5E Why aren't bullywugs a PC race in 5E?

[Ancalagon]

I am guessing it is to avoid having massively multiple anthro-style PC races.

I think that river has already been crossed...

 

[Ancalagon]

Perhaps they want to "keep it" as an "always evil" race?

"Always hungry and thoroughly evil, bullywugs overwhelm opponents with superior numbers when they can, but they flee from serious threats to search for easier prey."

the other "frog people" are not so unfriendly

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Perhaps they want to "keep it" as an "always evil" race?

Err, no.

BULLYWUG KNIGHT

Medium Humanoid, Typically Lawful Good

BULLYWUG ROYAL

Medium Humanoid, Any Alignment

-Wild Beyond the Witchlight​

They are still "always dumb" though.

 

[jasper]

I'll say it, They taste like chicken.

Kermit did not sleep peacefully. The party was down to their last iron ration and 2 waterskins.

 

[Mecheon]

There's a massive list of stuff that used to be playable that hasn't been brought back so far so there's no anti-Bullywug conspiracy. Just, they haven't been made playable yet

 

[JEB]

Were bullywugs actually a playable race in 4e?

Yep, racial traits for bullywug PCs/NPCs were included in Monster Manual 2. (They weren't necessarily encouraged as PCs, but it was available.)

 

[JEB]

There's a massive list of stuff that used to be playable that hasn't been brought back so far so there's no anti-Bullywug conspiracy. Just, they haven't been made playable yet

That's just what someone involved in the anti-bullywug conspiracy would say.

(Seriously, though, I get it; it's just the number of near misses that strikes me.)

 

[JEB]

I mean, yeah Bullywugs would be nice, but I just refluff the Grung to be Bullywugs/Gripplis mostly. It's the easiest way to do it at this point.

Out of curiosity, what do you replace the grungs' poison with? Or do you just have poisonous bullywugs and grippli, too?

 

[Mecheon]

(Seriously, though, I get it; it's just the number of near misses that strikes me.)

I waited my long, long time for Thri-Kreen, so its a pain I understand

just so many

do it, WotC. put me in charge. I'll just release the book of "So you want the stranger races". it'll be great. Grippli, Bullywugs, Aranea, Desmodu, Weimics, they'll all be there.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

Current anthro races:
birds
crows
tortoises
cats
hares
hippos
lions
elephants
dragons
lizards
mantis

possible gaps:
dogs, fish, rhinos, frogs, horses, kangaroos, moths, spiders, wombats...

 

[JEB]

possible gaps:
dogs,

This is a pretty striking gap (also wolves). There must not be enough dog owners at Wizards.

I suppose shifters could be seen as close to dogs/wolves, if you squint.

fish

Locathah are playable in Locathah Rising.

horses

Depending on how you see centaurs, they might count.

spiders

Good point, where are our aranea? (Or ettercaps?)

 

[Mecheon]

I'm honestly surprised we don't have Lupin yet. They're a legacy race and.... I vaguely think reasonably popular back in 3e? Maybe? Regardless they're a relatively easy one to get going

moths

Give me Mothra. Let me become as moth.

(mind I know there's like, 2, 3 homebrew options for moth that are ridunculousyl popular but, m o t h)

 

[Khelon Testudo]

I was hoping to get Rhox

 

[Tonguez]

Because nobody wants a party member who constantly sings "It's not easy being green"

It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things And people tend to pass you over = Camouflage/Hide in Plain sight

But green's the color of spring And green can be cool and friendly-like or Big like an ocean or important like a river = Cha bonus

 

[Leatherhead]

Current Printed animals represented:
Bovines
Elephants
Fish
Frogs
Lizards
Snakes
Rabbits
Turtles
Two kinds of felines.
Two kinds of dragons. (not a real animal, but still worth noting)
Three kinds of birds.

Outliers:
Shifters (basically werecreatures)
Satyrs (could be a goat)
Centaurs (could be a horse, maybe)
Simic Hybrd (could be anything really, but mostly creepy stuff)

Stuff in UA:
Sugar Glider/Monkey
Hippos
Mantis
Slime molds

But yeah, no dog people, that's kind of weird.

 

[Willie the Duck]

But yeah, no dog people, that's kind of weird.

BECMI had Lupin, and AD&D's/3E's Oriental Adventures had hengeyokia (and 3e's Savage Species had 'anthropomorphic _______') with a dog form. Other than that, I don't recall any official ones. Perhaps because werewolves steal part of that spotlight? Or maybe because there isn't as much agreement on what doglike traits a dog-person ought to represent?

​

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Missing the opportunity for that sweet bullywug bard.

 

[Jer]

I'm honestly surprised we don't have Lupin yet. They're a legacy race and.... I vaguely think reasonably popular back in 3e? Maybe? Regardless they're a relatively easy one to get going

I don't recall Lupin in 3e officially, but I could be wrong. In 2e there was a Dragon article about them (and another for the Rakasta, who can be considered a Tabaxi variant[*] so we have them now), and of course they were originally from BECMI.

You'd think wolf people would be an easy one to put into the game but so far nope.

[*] Or if you're me, you consider the Tabaxi to be a Rakasta variant.

 

[Weiley31]

Out of curiosity, what do you replace the grungs' poison with? Or do you just have poisonous bullywugs and grippli, too?

It would either still be kept or I'd just check out another racial passive trait to exchange/swap on there. No fuss, no muss.

 

[Weiley31]

There are options for Dogfolk and Spiderfolk. It just depends on whether your gonna restrict yourself to official WoTC or if you don't mind doing 3PP.