what's the public perception of Lizardfolk?

[Bannan_mantis]

I am currently considering the idea of making a Lizardfolk character for a upcoming campaign but there's something about them that I can't really find the answer to. I know about their alien mindset, their savage tendencies and their lust for food but there's one thing about them that I can't really seem to get a fully defined answer to, how do most people view them?

At first I assumed disgust with how Lizardfolks don't really have a problem with getting aggressive and using their jaw to maul anyone who annoys them. Then I looked into it more and saw about how they have made allies and while they are savage they are still willing to form allies if it's good for them. After looking more and more I can't really get a good definition of how people view them unlike Tielflings who are hated, Drow who are feared, Aasimar who are loved and etc. So if someone could explain how most average people view the Lizardfolk that would be very helpful

[DarkKnightJin]

Probably with either interest if of a scholarly bend, or distrust if a simple farmer.
At least in areas not near swamps where Lizardfolk tribes reside.

The thing with Lizardfolk is that they don't really do 'emotions' like we know them. They -know- there's safety in numbers, and 'worry' about upsetting allies if they just turn that fallen guard NPC into a leather bag to carry his meat-covered bones as extra rations.

[vexedart]

They're a monstrous humanoid. They'd be treated no better than a hobgoblin or yuan ti from faerun in my opinion. Which means chased out of town once people know what they are, or just barely tolerated. Depends in the setting too I suppose.

[Unoriginal]

Most people outside those near Lizardfolk settlements would have no idea what a Lizardfolk is, given how isoliationist they are. They'd be regarded as weird, maybe treated with caution, but probably not feared, hated or shunned unless the person knows what Lizardfolk tribes do and disapprove.

[Unoriginal]

They're a monstrous humanoid. They'd be treated no better than a hobgoblin or yuan ti from faerun in my opinion. Which means chased out of town once people know what they are, or just barely tolerated. Depends in the setting too I suppose.

In Faerun, you don't get the "chased out of town or barely tolerated" treatment just for being a funky humanoid. It all depends on your species's history with the place.

[Contrast]

Most people outside those near Lizardfolk settlements would have no idea what a Lizardfolk is, given how isoliationist they are. They'd be regarded as weird, maybe treated with caution, but probably not feared, hated or shunned unless the person knows what Lizardfolk tribes do and disapprove.

Its a reasonable point that I don't know if your common farmer folk would be able to differentiate between a dragonborn and lizardfolk if neither were common to the area.

[infohr]

Great post ..

[vexedart]

They’re savage 7ft tall, 250 pound omnivorous bipedal swamp lizard people that favor the flesh of intelligent humanoids when it’s too much work to bury then instead. In funerals they eat the flesh of their fallen so that they become apart of their tribes strength again, and favor the flesh of humanoid races, human supposedly being the best. Pretty sure anybody who knows the ins and outs of their society is going to say something along the lines of, “Oh gods, please don’t eat me or my family ye’ wicked lizard, just go back into the swamp ye’ came from, ye’ get no food from us!” *shakes pitchfork and torch his direction*
Even if they’re mostly neutral. They’re savages and cannibals, also practically alien in the way they can only think in pragmatic ways with little to no sense for love or entertainment, and not much outside of what’s for dinner. That’s why they’re a monstrous race that lives in a swamp.

[Arkhios]

my reaction to playing a lizardfolk has always been: "meh", but then again, I usually play only "classic" fantasy races like humans, dwarves, halflings, half-elves, or elves (in that order), so my opinion might be biased.

[BobTheOrc]

my reaction to playing a lizardfolk has always been: "meh", but then again, I usually play only "classic" fantasy races like humans, dwarves, halflings, half-elves, or elves (in that order), so my opinion might be biased.

They seem like a wonderful RP challenge, to me. Suppose you play a Lizardfolk cleric. What is their motivation? How do they interact with the other members of the party? How would a Lizardfolk cleric *think* about healing?

[Sigreid]

Well, until I got to know him a 5 to 6 foot tall humanoid gator with a spear would make me nervous at the least

[Samayu]

They just seem so alien. I mean, even orcs have expressions on their faces, and emotion in their eyes.

[Jerrykhor]

I just realised i havent come across a lizardfolk in my 3 years of playing or DMing, whether as a PC or NPC.

[SpectreCatcher]

I have a PC in my game playing a Lizardfolk Tempest Cleric. Once we got into a city, most people that recognized them (the player is playing the character as gender fluid/neutral) as a Lizardfolk reacted with fear and concern. Whenever the PCs walk up to a group of city guards, or any city officials with guards, the guards will place a hand on a weapon or seem to ready themselves, that is at least until the group as a whole is recognized. I definitely wanted to give the PC a feel for how her kind is looked at by these people and I would imagine that once the city gets more used to the PCs being around and making a name for themselves then that uneasiness will begin to diminish.


They seem like a wonderful RP challenge, to me. Suppose you play a Lizardfolk cleric. What is their motivation? How do they interact with the other members of the party? How would a Lizardfolk cleric *think* about healing?

This has been one of the more interesting parts of the game for me. She has been playing the character as fairly aloof to the other party member needs and really follows her own path. She absolutely works with the group but has not qualms about chomping on a fallen baddie, or chopping up a body to take pieces for use later. When it comes to healing, there hasn't been a great need for it as of yet but it seems that it would be something that the PC wouldn't actively notice is needed, but I'm sure that assistance would be given if requested.

[NaughtyTiger]

Durkon got along with one okay, didn't find him too off putting.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0737.html

[stoutstien]

i played a long death lizardfolk monk named Liz Ard Folk. lore wise lizardfolk kept to them selves but i was cursed to not be able to die until i found and killed a halfling thief that stole a relic from my tribe. to say the least i wasn't called out for much social encounters other than "i believe that your arm just fell off." or " you do realize you have an arrow sticking out of the back of your head?"

[FabulousFizban]

🎵 SAVAGES! SAVAGES! barely even hu-man. 🎵

[Clistenes]

They eat people... who cares if they are Neutral? If they eat humans, we want them either dead or far, far away from us!

[Unoriginal]

Also they occasionally go on murder/pillage sprees when lead by their demonspaw monarchs or their dragon overlords.

[Willie the Duck]

I just realised i havent come across a lizardfolk in my 3 years of playing or DMing, whether as a PC or NPC.

I feel like they are something that showed up a lot in TSR-era modules and artwork, and kinda only stuck in the campaigns of people that really got attached to them there.

[Guy Lombard-O]

Also they occasionally go on murder/pillage sprees when lead by their demonspaw monarchs or their dragon overlords.

Yeah, well...who doesn't?

I've been playing a lizardfolk (in Chult) The initial reception he receives is usually somewhere between salty and distrustful from the meaty races, but honestly he doesn't much care as long as they don't attack. His allies have learned that he's extremely useful and occasionally fierce (Barb 1/Druid 5), but loyal and protective of those who've proven their own capability and usefulness toward completing his own quest.

He isn't really a healer so far (although he'll usually share his Goodsnails, as a peace offering). But he finally prayed for Healing Spirit, after doing something stupid and basically blowing up the whole party (nobody actually died! Yay!).

[tocnaza]

my reaction to playing a lizardfolk has always been: "meh", but then again, I usually play only "classic" fantasy races like humans, dwarves, halflings, half-elves, or elves (in that order), so my opinion might be biased.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Like a barbaric tribe

[awa]

Now my general instinct would be that they would lose "points" based on their appearance but we should look to dragon born to modify that if dragon born are common and accepted in a region that will definitely affect that. Also, people dislike most humanoids because most humanoids are evil so we cant rely on the perception of orcs or goblins to derive opinion.

History is also important perhaps the most important if there have not been many conflicts between lizard men and human’s relations will be better. How the cannibalism is framed is also important, there have been groups of humans that were cannibals and did not get wiped out just because.

Relative power and value also matter if the lizard-men are strong they might be tolerated because humans do not want to risk a war. If they are valuable due to say acting as guides through the swamp or through trade goods, they might also be tolerated more.

So I suppose the answer is it depends

If none of that is defined yet then I suppose the best answer in my opinion is mild distrust, it gives the player a role-playing challenge while still not making the character unfun to play.

[Sigreid]

I just had the thought that they would be viewed as large wild alligators...that can open doors.

[Arkhios]

my reaction to playing a lizardfolk has always been: "meh", but then again, I usually play only "classic" fantasy races like humans, dwarves, halflings, half-elves, or elves (in that order), so my opinion might be biased.

Not only is this completely, word for word, a copy-paste of what I said (which, IIRC, is actually frowned upon – if not strictly forbidden – by the rules), but also this thread has been "dead" for 71 days before tocnaza's post (26 days over the permitted 45 days).

[DataNinja]

Not only is this completely, word for word, a copy-paste of what I said

If you see something like that, 99% of the time it's a bot trying to appear human to get enough posts around the anti-spam filters in order to eventually link to stuff. Just report the post, and mention that it's a bot that's using snippets of existing posts.

[Arkhios]

If you see something like that, 99% of the time it's a bot trying to appear human to get enough posts around the anti-spam filters in order to eventually link to stuff. Just report the post, and mention that it's a bot that's using snippets of existing posts.

I did report it, as well, but to be fair, not everyone is a bot, while they certainly could be. Some people just might genuinely be unaware of what's allowed, and what isn't — despite the fact that each new user is expected to have read the rules.

[sophontteks]

One of my players went lizardman and took "Folk Hero" as their background. Pretty much solved the problem with lizardfolk not being trusted.

[verbatim]

They seem like a wonderful RP challenge, to me. Suppose you play a Lizardfolk cleric. What is their motivation? How do they interact with the other members of the party? How would a Lizardfolk cleric *think* about healing?

You can play up their subclass.

I'm playing a shamanistic lizardfolk who became a grave cleric (raven warlock/vengance paladin would have also made sense) and swore revenge upon the undead after a lich burned his swamp down.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Thread necromancy is prohibited.