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Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook
https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16946-lizardfolk
https://ghwiki.greyparticle.com/index.php/Lizardfolk
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Lizardfolk
https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-dragons-dnd-lizardfolk-trivia/
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The tall reptilian humanoid is a powerfully built creature representing the cross between a lizard and a human. It has clawed hands, a multi-colored casque on the top of its head, a long tail, and a protruding face with a lizard’s nose and sharp yellow eyes along with a set of massive toothy jaws.
Lizard men first officially appeared as part of the original Dungeons & Dragons game in the 1975 Greyhawk supplement booklet authored by Gary Gygax and Robert Kuntz, where it was briefly and simply described as an aquatic monster with rude intelligence, that was fond of eating human flesh.
The lizard man’s first Advanced Dungeons and Dragons appearance was in the Monster Manual in 1977, where it was described as a semi-aquatic creature that dwelt underwater, omnivorous but, as described previously, preferring human flesh. The lizard king, a more intelligent and evil relative to the more common lizard man, was introduced in the Fiend Folio in 1981.
The lizard man and lizard king made their second edition debut in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One in 1989, and were re-printed in the 1993 Monstrous Manual .
The lizard man was presented as a player character race for the Spelljammer campaign setting in The Complete Spacefarer’s Handbook in 1992. The creature was further detailed as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids in 1993.
In forgotten realms lore, lizardfolk were semi-aquatic reptilian humanoids. Their skin was covered in scales and varied in color from dark green to shades of brown and gray. Taller than humans and powerfully built, lizardfolk were often between 6 and 7 feet tall and weighed between 200 and 250 pounds. Lizardfolk had non-prehensile muscular tails that grew to three or four feet in length, and these were used for balance. They also had sharp claws and teeth.
Although non-reptilians struggled to tell the difference between males and females, lizardfolk could easily distinguish themselves.
Lizardfolk had to keep their skin relatively moist and needed to wet their bodies regularly if they were in dry climates. For this reason, they were particularly fearful of desert landscapes.
Lizardfolk had no interest in money or jewels. They also did not much value accumulating knowledge if it was not practically useful. They largely valued things based on whether or not it was good to eat. If it was, it quickly got their attention; if not, it was ignored. Lizardfolk could often become distracted at the appearance of food, even if they were in combat. They were easier to parley with after a meal, and a hungry lizardfolk was completely obstreperous.
Lizardfolk could be highly dangerous when provoked. However, they were not inherently evil; they were simply savage and had a hard time fitting in with the civilized world. Those that ventured into towns or cities were often alarmed, frightened, or offended by the environment. Few tried to adapt, let alone assimilate into Faerûnian societies. Instead, they felt their part was to learn about “softskin” ways and in turn show them how “real people” lived.
Lizardfolk were omnivorous, but strongly favored meat when they could get it. According to stories, to the lizardfolk, the most delicious meat was humanoid flesh, especially human, but this claim was more-or-less unfounded. However, some tribes did consume captives and enemies slain in battle. but more civilized tribes often resisted this craving. Meanwhile, ritual cannibalism of deceased tribe-members was customary.
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