Lizardmen as Player Characters

(White Dwarf #26)

Lizardmen appeared as playable races in Quag Keep and TSR’s Rogues Gallery, but no official rules emerged. Roger E. Moore and Michael Brown offered their take in White Dwarf #26. Initially underwhelmed, I later saw potential.

What does a lizardman get?

• Scaly hide: Natural AC 5 (improved to 4 with a shield). OK early on but falls off quick.
• Swim speed and breath holding: Swim speed of 12’ and the ability to hold their breath for 10 minutes.
• Unarmed combat superiority: Lizardmen’s height and weight make them excellent grapplers able to dominate humanoids. You have about a 60% chance to hit with a grapple or overbear and then, thanks to height/weight, get +35 to +40% to the result against human sized foes. They will be pinned, prone and stunned in no time. You and the DM will need to be comfortable with the DMG unarmed combat rules for this ability to shine.
• Claw, Claw, Bite: Potential for solid damage but reigned in by a strength cap of 18 and any damage bonus only applying to claws. The most you'd deal with STR 18 would be 3-4, 3-4, 1-8. Hardly game breaking.

The Downside

• Level, HP & Class restrictions: Fighters only, capped at level 6 (with 18 Strength). HP rolls use d8 instead of d10.
• Ability Caps: INT, WIS, and DEX are capped at 12; CHA at 5. CON can reach 18, but they can’t have exceptional Strength, which feels punitive for a fighter. STR feels capped to nerf claw, claw, bite.
• Slow: normal movement is 6’, limiting escape options. Its comparable to fighters in plate armor but smart fighters wear banded.
• Moisture Dependency: Lizardmen must wet their skin every 24 hours or risk permanent CON loss, potentially manageable with waterskins.

Why add the race? 

D&D has hinted at playable lizardmen for years, with U2 portraying them sympathetically. Though weaker than all PHB races and unattractive to power gamers, their unarmed combat potential makes them worth considering.