Lizardman for GRIFTS Windsheim Campaign - Total Cost is 34 Pts to play a Lizardman
Str -9 (-10)
Dx � 11 (+10)
IQ � 9 (-10)
Hth � 9 (-10)
Racial Advantages;
Full Coordination (Prehensile Tail) +50pts,
Sharp Teeth +5pts,
Amphibious+10 pts,
Chameleon 2 +14pts,
Night Vision +10 Pts,
Early Maturation 2 +10 Pts
Racial Disadvantages;
Cold Blooded -5 pts,
Weakness (Sub-Zero Temperatures 2 lvls) -40 pts,
Shortened life Span (30 years) -10 pts
Lizardmen are commonly found in Tropical environments such as those found in Central and South America. Their intense vulnerability to extreme low temperatures (2 dice of damage per minute of exposure to -0 deg temp) makes them very rare in northern regions, and completely absent in sub-arctic to arctic climates. In temperatures lower than 50 degrees they tend to stiffen up and become slow and lethargic.
On their home world Lizardmen had evolved into the perfect predators, combining cunning and guile with speed and accuracy as they topped the food chain. They are a warrior race organized into a three tier caste system.
The females occupy the lowest rung as breeders and laborers, and can expect to raise no further in station than that. They are distinguished by their smaller size, and mottled green appearance.
The males are all warrior/hunters and occupy the next caste. This is much more complicated than it first appears as there are elaborate pecking orders established in each generation of Lizardmen. Where one falls in this pecking order determines his social standing and what he can aspire to in his life. Leaders fall on the top of the list, while laborers are on the bottom. Regardless of where a male is in the order however, all of them fight and are expected to learn how to hunt as well. How the status is decided is as much a challenge of wits as it is a matter brawn, and is determined during the developmental years.
The last Caste is occupied by the Tribal Mage. Few Lizardmen are born that have the spark of magic within them, and those that are have very short life expectancies as the resident Mage will typically kill them immediately. It is expected of him to only allow two apprentices to live at any one time, and if he favors a newborn over one of his current apprentices he must either murder or drive off his apprentice to accept the newcomer. When the mage reaches his end-life, his two apprentices will face off and fight for the right to become tribal mage. This is seldom to the death, but has happened from time to time. The loser is expected to take his mate and leave to found his own colony. The winner then kills the old mage if he still lives and assumes the mantle of Tribal Mage and seeks out his apprentices from the next spawning. The Tribal mage is the true leader of the community and is as much a spiritual/religious leader as he is a chief. His apprentices wield great respect and power as well, though they fall under his ultimate authority.
Lizardmen fertilize their young externally, the females lay eggs into the banks of freshwater lakes or rivers just under the waters edge and the males then fertilize them. The process takes about two days. The females in a community tend to lay their eggs in the same three week period. This is a highly ritualized time for the community and also a time for great celebration. Elaborate precautions are taken to protect the birthing beds, as they are often the target of enemies who wish to eliminate rival colonies. The eggs are also favored by many predators.
Young Lizardmen reach full maturation within 4 � 4.5 years and are raised communally. Each Spawning is referred to as a Cr�che, and Cr�che-mates are closest analogy to family that Lizardman society has. Older Cr�ches have more standing than younger ones and typically the pecking order is established within each Cr�che, with those of equal standing between Cr�che�s deferring to the eldest. Lizardmen live to be about 30 years old and have few chronic health problems.
Diet is meat based and consists primarily of fish, but also warm blooded mammals captured above water. Fully amphibious, Lizardmen prefer water environments and automatically swim at their normal movement rate. The race has marvelously prehensile tails that are fully capable of fine manipulation. Often the tails are used to wield weapons when at war such as short stabbing flint knives. The game effect is that Lizardmen get an extra attack each round with their tails, which are manipulative enough to wield any one handed weapon their strength allows, including firearms! However, recoil penalties are doubled when firearms are used this way.
Lizardmen have two rows of small sharp teeth that do basic damage +2 slashing in combat. Their vision is acute in darkness, allowing them to see in the murky shallow waters of their homelands, and their skin naturally takes on the coloration of their surroundings enabling them to get much closer to prey. The effect is to give them a +4 to all stealth and camouflage rolls as long as they are in natural surroundings and not artificially covering their bodies.
Led by the wise and sagely diplomat, Wizard Grizz�at Murah the Lizardmen enjoy very strong ties to the humans and are considered to be part of the town. Rabbits are considered to be a delicacy to the Lizardmen and are raised on all the farms in the area for trade stock, and the Lizardmen trade vast quantities of mollusks, fish, and deepwater crustaceans for them. Other contributions are mutual defence, and mutual faith in the Church of the Resurgent God, of whom Grizz�at is a passionate adherent.
The Lizardmen aren�t very creative by human standards and have benefited from human Ingenuity. Iron doesn�t survive the oxidization of water well, however bronze does and bronze is a valued trade commodity in Windshiem to the Lizardmen. Though they may not be as mentally quick, they are by far the superior hunters and bowmen. Lizardmen crossbowmen annually won every archery contest held in the town until it was decided to put them into their own class and not have the two races compete.
Grizz�at Murah is a brilliant politician and a zealot of the Church. He is close with Father O�Reily and encourages his people to attend mass and become involved in Church affairs. When winter arrives the Lizardmen retreat to the warm waters of Copper Lake and there they remain until the warmth of mid-spring brings them back out. During this time communication between the two races are minimal and each turns to his own kind for companionship. This is the greatest dividing line between the two races and the most poignant reminder of their differences.