In this setting, not all Lizardmen are the savages depicted in the typical D&D setting. While some live in savage barbarity in the jungles and swamps, others have built, and still inhabit, massive cities, not least of which is the city called Cibola by humans - a massive Class II market rich beyond belief and sprawling over several large islands in its lake.
A Lizardman in Barbarian Conqueror King looks like an upright, anthropomorphic Water Monitor, with a long tail, a forked tongue and a brain-case worthy of its human-like intelligence. Lizardmen are hardy survivors, bred for manual labor and as cannon-fodder by the dead Serpentmen eons ago. They fight very well and thrive in warm, humid, watery environments, such as their homeland of Punt. Lizardmen are warm-blooded (though they resent cold climate) and are omnivores, albeit with a taste for fresh meat and fish.
For the most part, all Lizardmen classes (which I'll use later) will use the Thrassian racial stats from ACKS' Player's Companion (ACKS-PC); all will take 2 points in Lizardman ("Thrassian") and then add other abilities and classes as these fit the class. However, all will trade the Infravision 60' of the default Thrassian class for two custom powers common to all Lizardmen: Predatory Nature (Ambush) and Natural Camouflage (Difficult to Spot).
There are five Lizardman classes: Hunter, Gladiator, Priest, Warrior and Witch-Doctor.
Lizardman Hunters are masters of stealth, particularly in the wild; most savage Lizardmen are Hunters. In game terms, they combine the Assassin and the Explorer: adept at moving in the wild and deadly when they strike their prey. They should use minimal armour. In ACKS-PC terms, they're Lizardman 2, Hit Die 1, Fighting 1 (2 due to the Lizardman bonus), Thievery 1, Divine 0, and Arcane 0 (I'll detail the custom powers later). They can go up to level 12.
Lizardman Gladiators are bred by Human nobles in the city-states of the north to fight in the pit for their amusement, and, if there is a powerful mage on retainer, also improved by cross-breeding with Humans (which is possible only by magic). They use the exact stats of the Thrassian Gladiator from ACKS-PC, except for trading Infravision for Predatory Nature and Natural Camouflage as all Lizardmen.
Lizardman Priests worship Ixchala, or, alternatively, the various Chaotic gods of the dead Serpentmen. Priestesses of Ixchala can Turn Undead; Chaotic Priests can Rebuke and Control Undead. They are similar to clerics in game stats but more lightly armoured, and, of course, possessing all Lizardman traits. They also fight with sharp blades - especially sacrificial daggers - as well as bows. In ACKS-PC terms, they're Lizardman 2, Hit Die 1, Fighting 0 (1 due to the Lizardman bonus), Thievery 0, Divine 2, and Arcane 0 (I'll detail the custom powers later). They can go up to level 12.
Lizardman Warriors are totemic - each warrior is guided in combat by a totem, usually a reptile, amphibian or insect one. They wear light armour and can use all weapons, and get a Totem like a Shaman. In ACKS-PC terms, they're Lizardman 2, Hit Die 1, Fighting 1 (2 due to the Lizardman bonus), Thievery 0, Divine 0, and Arcane 0 (I'll detail the custom powers later). They can go up to level 13.
Lizardman Witch Doctors are the tribal sorcerers and urban sooth-sayers of the Lizardmen; they traffick with spirits and daemons and master the powers of fate. In game terms theycast arcane spells and fight a bit better than Wizards, at the expense of slower levelling. They also gain some special powers similar to those of a Warlock. In ACKS-PC terms, they're Lizardman 2, Hit Die 0, Fighting 0 (1 due to the Lizardman bonus), Thievery 0, Divine 0, and Arcane 3 (I'll detail the custom powers later). They can go up to level 12.
Note that Human spellcasters can gain a higher level and gain it far more quickly than Lizardmen. This is due to the vastness of Human ambition, which usually has painful costs as well.
Hmm... I dig the swapping of infravision for ambushing and camouflage; very thematic, and useful capabilities. But I was under the impression that the fighting bonus from Thrassian operated like the arcane bonus from Elf, in that it let you exceed the 4-point cap, rather than counting against it. Guess we should ask the autarchs...
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand, you get a "free" +1 Fighter point for spending two points of Thrassian. There is no 4-point cap for non-humans, only for humans, but non-humans have a level limit based on by how much they exceed this cap. See ACKS-PC, p.83.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... ok. What confused me was that your classes had 3 non-racial points, then 2 racial points (and one point of generated fighting), and I thought it odd to allocate under 4 non-racial points, since per page 76, all human classes must allocate all four build points. It's unclear whether non-humans are subject to that rule as well; none of the demihumans in the book use under 4 non-racial points, but I was unable to find a specific prohibition on it for demihumans. 'course, your game, your rules; if it works, use it.
ReplyDeleteI think this should work...
ReplyDeleteYou can allocate less than four build points to the non-racial categories if desired, provided you still allocate a minimum total of four build points.
ReplyDeleteGreat classes, btw. I love lizardmen!
Thanks! Stay tuned for more Lizardman options later on!
ReplyDelete