What They Don't Tell You About Lizardfolk - D&D

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[@goliathprime]

Hey there MrRhexx! I wanted to clear up your confusion about the Lizardfolk teeth. It appears that D&D based the Lizardfolk off a real life creature called the Tuatara. Tuataras are the most ancient lineage of reptiles still living today and can only be found in New Zealand. They retain many features of fish and amphibians that are not found in any other reptile. Beyond having 3 functional eyes, stomach ribs and lungs that are little more than fish air-bladders, they don't have teeth. Instead, like fish, they have tooth-like projections that just erupt right out of their gumline. They look exactly like reptile or fish teeth, but they have no root, no enamel; they are just bone. They aren't any weaker than normal teeth, but they do break and wear out all the same. When that happens, they are usually just ground down to a stump by the act of chewing. It doesn't seem to slow Tuatara's down whether they have teeth or not. If you want to see what Lizardfolk really look like, just take a look at the Tuatara. They even have the crests the D&D manual talks about.

[@DaniMartVTen]

At en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatara they have a pretty cool description with images of the skull and jaw configuration: SKULL: In the course of evolution, the skull has been modified in most diapsids from the original version evident in the fossil record. However, all the original features are preserved in that of the tuatara; it has two openings - a temporal fenestra on each side of the skull, with complete arches. In addition, the upper jaw is firmly attached to the skull.[25] This makes for a very rigid, inflexible construction. Testudines (turtles and tortoises) have anapsid skulls - they lack any temporal fenestrae, are sometimes considered to be the most primitive among amniotes, though evidence strongly indicates they may have lost the temporal openings rather than never having had them.[25][47][48] *The tip of the upper jaw is beak-like and separated from the remainder of the jaw by a notch. There is a single row of teeth in the lower jaw and a double row in the upper, with the bottom row fitting perfectly between the two upper rows when the mouth is closed.[25] This specific tooth arrangement is not seen in any other reptile; although most snakes have a double row of teeth in their upper jaws, their arrangement and function is different from the tuatara's. The jaws, joined by ligament, chew with backwards and forwards movements combined with a shearing up and down action. The force of the bite is suitable for shearing chitin and bone.[25] Fossils indicate that this jaw structure began developing about 180 million years ago.[49] The tuatara's teeth are not replaced, since they are not separate structures like real teeth, but sharp projections of the jaw bone.[50] As their teeth wear down, older tuatara have to switch to softer prey such as earthworms, larvae, and slugs, and eventually have to chew their food between smooth jaw bones.[51]* The brain of Sphenodon fills only half of the volume of its endocranium.[52] This proportion has actually been used by paleontologists trying to estimate the volume of dinosaur brains based on fossils.[52] However, the proportion of the tuatara endocranium occupied by its brain may not be a very good guide to the same proportion in Mesozoic dinosaurs since modern birds are surviving dinosaurs but have brains which occupy a much greater relative volume within the endocranium.[52] Looks like you were dead on the money MrRhexx in regards to them being "sharp projections of the jaw bone" or in other words no actual teeth at all really, hence the rather serrated look of the lips similar to an actual Tuatara?

[@glenbe4026]

If they have based Lizardfolk upon Tuatara that is quite ironic because the fact is, that Tuatara are NOT Lizards lol.

[@optimisticallyskeptical1842]

@@glenbe4026 Hahaha, funny how people will still rely on appearances.

[@blueturtle06]

I would imagine they had teeth like dunkleosteus, which is bone but with a shear edge instead of a spiked/serrated.

[@AAllen-br8it]

Ooooh. Fancy.

[@dank_smirk2ndchannel200]

Elf: *slays an ogre* "That was a piece of cake." *crunching noise* *party looks back in horror* Lizardfolk: *looks up covered in ogre blood and guts* "Knife-ears lied. There is no cake."

[@lilyg.2205]

The cake is a lie. I had to say it.

[@dank_smirk2ndchannel200]

Lily G. It was necessary

[@arcaneTempest1]

True, very true

[@dank_smirk2ndchannel200]

Jakub Bończak lizard boy was hoping for both

[@gingermcgingin1733]

@Jakub Bończak They're omnivorous, but they do prefer meat. Also, I don't think reptiles generally have much of a sweet tooth.

[@dantesmythe6354]

I think emotionless, completely logical lizard folk get into the funniest scenarios. Imagine you're in a party, walking through a snowy area low on supplies, everyone is panicking but the lizard folk isn't, you ask why. "I have enough food to last for 4 days." you notice his bag is just as light as yours and he's watching your exhausted, starving halfling bard like a hawk

[@frozenlizard7738]

I'd imagine the only thing left in the bag is spices to use on the others.

[@james739123]

well you can't fault his resourcefulness

[@The_Bird_Bird_Harder]

@@frozenlizard7738 Are elves better with thyme or basil?

[@frozenlizard7738]

@@The_Bird_Bird_Harder depends if you want your elf to have a minty or peppery taste.

[@wadespencer3623]

He actually means that as a mesothermic animal, he doesn't require as much food as the warm-bloods in the party. Your bodies will last him MUCH longer than 4 days if it comes to that.

[@dank_smirk2ndchannel200]

I have an idea of a cloud giant keeping a lizardfolk tribe in a terrarium. The tribe wouldn’t really mind due to the safety and he constant supply of food. The chief would take the spot directly under the heat lamp for themselves.

[@thewrustywrench21]

I think it’d be cooler if the lizards didn’t know they were in a terrarium

[@alexanderthegreat6682]

@@thewrustywrench21 they just think their tribe lives in a land created by the gods for them.

[@michaelwalker7860]

Honestly I'd take that offer

[@Firstgenamerican21]

That’s a cool idea. I like the “they don’t know they’re pets” idea too

[@dank_smirk2ndchannel200]

@@Firstgenamerican21 Ye. They honestly think they’re just being pampered. Like they’re blessed, or special, or something.

[@justagundam]

Seeing a group of lizard men sitting around a table laughing their tails off warms my heart.

[@dubuyajay9964]

But they don't know what humor is.

[@frozenlizard7738]

@@dubuyajay9964 There laughing because the human they killed tried to play the morality card.

[@Holyduck777]

@@frozenlizard7738 P-please don't eat me I have a family! *laughs in Lizard*

[@terryedmond4492]

I got 'em on a black velvet rug smoking cigarettes, playing cards.

[@arcaneTempest1]

Lizardfolk don't laugh, or drink, or let alone go anywhere near a pub, so that picture is wrong in every single way

[@jacopoarmini7889]

"father could you pass me the salt, so that I can make this human flesh more appetizing?" "nay son/daughter, what are you? Intelligent or something?" "I said, pass me the salt, father!" "HA! you'll have to tread on my corpse before I do that!" a battle to the death begins.

[@Bladez10]

So, a case of salt and battery.

[@Bladez10]

@Yung Katt No need to be so salty.

[@gabrielperez1158]

@@Bladez10 a man worth his salt?

[@Bladez10]

@@gabrielperez1158 Would say he was a seasoned professional.

[@gabrielperez1158]

Gotta come peppered...

[@teknomax7883]

"they don't laugh when they Crack a joke" "they don't feel actual emotions" He literally just showed a picture of lizard men busting up from one of them jokes... XD

[@Chaz-dj9sq]

I personally like the idea that the whole emotionless thing is bullshit, and is something they tell themselves based on their religion. Like 'it's bad to be smart, and also emotions and morality are just distracting you from reality' but in truth they all feel emotions and use this idea as a kind of shield to protect themselves from having to deal with some of the heavier, harder aspects of feeling things. Because yeah, they were busting a gut.

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

@@Chaz-dj9sq I like the idea of lizardfolk telling themselves "in the wild, that sponge in your head and whatever distractions cause you shouldn't interfere in your survival", an "in case of danger, return to monke" more than something you actually see them doing between each other. Call it "survivalist's trance" and throw it in as a racial trait, a number of stat modifiers accompanied with a suggestion on how to ideally play a lizardfolk when this trait triggers.

[@dragonarchive7443]

@@Chaz-dj9sq I like that

[@rachdarastrix5251]

Oh! So they won't laugh at my jokes? Well then I am going to wait for them to sit down and summon small stone pillars to go up their cloacas. I'm sure they will be laughing then!

[@WinterPains]

Timestamp?

[@StevetheWizard2591]

>Lizardfolk shun Intelligence That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't run a Lizard Wizard. Just play their Int score as a ruthless cunning, a knack for tactics, excellent memory, and the ability to quickly assess new situations. Or, better yet, play them as being smart enough to play stupid.

[@MrRhexx]

Right! You could be an outcast from your village literally because you were simply too smart for their taste, and that's why you decided to take on the life of an adventurer!

[@markusnavergard2387]

@@MrRhexx do all lizardmen tribes and cultures proscribe to that? thats a problem in most fiction. a none human race gets a single or handfull of traits that defines them, while more human like cultures gets more defined, like elves and dwarfves..

[@MashedPotatoes690]

@@markusnavergard2387 I always treat the lore as writen from an outside perspective with few pages to spare and slight racism.

[@condenihilit1572]

LWIZARD I'll see myself out

[@Sylasha]

Being a wizard in a society that literally doesn't know how to read is hard when you need a spell book.

[@izzybluejay2379]

11:56 From this fact alone, I can just imagine the shenanigans of playing a Lizardfolk shaman in an adventuring party, just: Character: So, what's your gender? Lizardfolk: Shaman. Character: No, I mean like, what is in your pants. Lizardfolk: *BOTH.*

[@haenen100]

Anyone who looks at a nymph will die, instantly and there's no shortcuts around it. Lizardfolk: *Chomp chomp* This humanoid tastes weird. Almost like I'm eating an emotion.

[@apollyonnoctis1291]

“Do you have any more I can eat?” *Nymphs all slowly back away*

[@Pyrela]

DM: "It is very, very difficult to tell a male lizardfolk from a female lizardfolk. The only observable way, other than very intimate examination..." Bard: "Say no more! I'm on it!"

[@frozenlizard7738]

Then they find out they are one of the dual gender ones, but were talking about a bard here so....

[@miguelmialichi6367]

@@frozenlizard7738 dual gender? Do you mean a futa

[@frozenlizard7738]

@@miguelmialichi6367 Kinda, some version of lizardfolk lore (I think) say there is a rare chance of a lizardfolk having both genders. They are considered holy due to this.

[@serialBLEACHexpert98]

@@miguelmialichi6367 hermaphrodite is the term in English

[@rikardosilva1754]

​@@serialBLEACHexpert98 Well... That's the term normalized in english, since hermaphrodite comes from the greek god Hermaphroditus and it's not really an english word... So there's no problem calling it futa.

[@alexanderthegreat6682]

You left out a pretty good and (in my mind) important part from the Volo's Guide about their opinions on humanoid allies. They actually feel almost a sense of pity for those who "lack scales and sharp teeth" and to them it is a wonder they survive without such protections. Quote from Volo's Guide to Monsters: "They assesd such beings as hatchlings, young ones incapable of protecting themselves but who might prove useful in the future if they receive care." Edit: apparently there was an embarrassing typo

[@kamikeserpentail3778]

Which indicates an understanding of a "future" I do like that image though, of lizardfolk looking at a fully armored warrior like we might look at a kitten in knight armor.

[@joshuagore2478]

Oh dude. My lizardfolk adopted the party wizard and warlock after Session 1 after they were one-shot in our first combat session. And he constantly thumbs his nose as the party fighter for needing "artificial scales" to protect himself. Our dragonborn barbarian? BEST FRIEND.

[@presidentcademitchell2062]

Unrelated but love your Bridge 4 profile picture

[@mondaysinsanity8193]

@@joshuagore2478 the idea of a lizardfolk looking at a dragonborn barbarian and goin NOW THATS A FRIEND

[@joshuagore2478]

@@mondaysinsanity8193 It was very much a Stepbrothers moment. They bonded over their mutual disdain for the fighter.

[@josephmartins8882]

“Kekwalah essentially screwed himself over by thinking too hard” Never before have I head anything more relatable.

[@oqo3310]

When rhe asian kid don't know the answer

[@danieldancza6171]

I've been looking for a comment showing how Kekwalah is spelled, TYSM

[@ChestersonJack]

I imagine him as basically being Chidi from The Good Place

[@josephmartins8882]

@@ChestersonJack That is a very apt comparison

[@tino258852258852]

@@danieldancza6171 Glad I'm not the only one, have a nice day!

[@sono_chi_no_sodium_chlorid7635]

It tells you a lot when you play as a lizardfolk and you have the biggest INT score

[@richardallen6067]

Love your "mark" thumbnail!

[@GamerM1235]

Sounds like you are going to eat your party members in their sleep to me.

[@sono_chi_no_sodium_chlorid7635]

@@GamerM1235 Bruh one of them is a kobold of course Im gonna eat that fucker

[@PisaMansodeCapoeira]

I'd like updates on that adventure

[@abelcheng2073]

Sounds like a fun adventure

[@Kunori]

You know, if you wanted to make lizardmen more emotional in a setting, there are real life reptiles that are more developed in that way. Crocodiles, in particular, have social dynamics and can develop attachments, care for their young and have been observed working together to catch prey, and are one of the bigger inspirations for depictions of lizardfolk.

[@AverageAmerican]

The royal bloodlines are serpent seeds.

[@coracorvus]

Crocodiles aren't lizards though. Make croc folk!

[@PSIworld13]

Or Tegus. Tegus are some very intelligent lizards, and many reptile-owners describe well-raised Tegus as having nearly doglike temperaments! Monitor lizards are also quite smart and potentially emotional. Komodo Dragons, especially, are known to recognize zookeepers, pick favourite caretakers when in Zoos, and have distinct personalities.

[@michaelhowze8198]

@@PSIworld13 Aren't they also pack animals?

[@charchadonto]

@@michaelhowze8198 No they are not, they are solitary. when they gather around a corpse it is oppertunistic feeding and even then the smaller komodos are at risk of getting attacked and potentially eaten by a larger one if it gets grumpy. As such the biggest ones eat first, then the smaller ones Outside of eating from a large corpse together, One of the significant causes of death for juvenile and adolescent komodos is cannibalism, so they stay well away from adults and small ones are tree dwellers

[@Xargas]

I actually imagine lizardfolk using javelins or spears would be about as common or more common than greatclubs. After all, they are swimmers, and greatclubs are poor choices for underwater combat.

[@jorgesosa6531]

that's what an intelligent lizardfolk would say, and no one would listen to him/her

[@mtndewmslayer2564]

It doesn’t take much intelligence to sharpen a stick and throw or poke with it.

[@ralfskrauze7225]

Mtn. Dewmslayer it still takes intelligence

[@mtndewmslayer2564]

Ralfs Krauze lizard folk aren’t intelligent enough to make a stick pointy?

[@12trillioniq25]

@@mtndewmslayer2564 a lot probably aren't. Why take all the time and effort to sharpen a stick when hitting the same thing with a bigger stick will still kill it?

[@medramonmasquedecendres2966]

Quest hook: A tribe of lizard-folks seek assistance: for some reason the eggs produce only one sex for a while, and nothing seem to fix this problem

[@markusnavergard2387]

change the temprature of the nests

[@medramonmasquedecendres2966]

@@markusnavergard2387 I mean, yeah, sure, in real Life, but we can find something a bit more creative

[@joshuatilghman9103]

medramon masque de cendres it's the plant matter. Turns out its the same stuff elves use to make there incredible bread. No matter how little they use, it only produces females. Might as well be buried with 100 goodberries.

[@vilgot9570]

Markus Nävergård your name sounds kinda Swedish so are you Swedish?

[@VampireBatLord]

my bud actually did that recently with a den of kobolds having series of misfortune, that among the first ones. forgot how they resolved it.

[@silverbullet7691]

I would definitely homebrew q slightly different tribe of Lizardfolk with different accounts of their religion, like a division that believed Semuanya was trying to hold them back with its “primitive thoughts.” Imagine a cultural divide between intelligence and strength.

[@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149]

Those joke-cracking lizardfolk in the thumbnail just make me happy to look at. _I was about to write lizalfos at first. Oops._

[@biznessman5632]

Just got botw last week so I relate

[@clayxros576]

Pretty sure there isn't much difference.

[@evankurasu3190]

>shifts to monster manual Ah, the waifu catalogue.

[@theless-than-goodhunter7019]

IMMEDIATE RESTRAINING ORDER

[@kindle9597]

When will otyugh-sempai notice me?

[@Algaemancer]

BLACK OOZE

[@edwhatshisname3562]

Wow, would you look at the cloaca on that one, lol.

[@IvoryHourglass]

CEASE!

[@stripeybag6977]

"Just a lizard wizard making a blizzard yo nothing to see here."-Fokrahdiin the best Lizardfolk

[@lalynch]

Call them Elizabeth...

[@kamikage9420]

That was some nice Dovahzul.

[@dubuyajay9964]

Isn't cold bad for you?

[@moonlightriver1607]

Lizard wizard!!

[@MystFox1314]

"Frost" "Cold" "Freeze"? wow

[@jacobnoelle8428]

"Corruption is two step away from luxury" common lizardsfolk saying

[@XylaOXO]

I see that Warhammer fantasy art, Lizardmen from that setting are very different

[@Karmolicious]

I was just going to comment this! Haha. Literally playing vortex campiagn as Kroq-Gar right now. The Lizardmen of Warhammer fantasy are the goodest of boys!

[@michaelg973]

Victor What would you expect of the foolish warm bloods? They are good only for feasting upon and nothing else, as they are so simple they cannot understand the greatness of the old ones and their great plan, and so they must be devoured.

[@taddad2641]

well no not really. they have a similar mindset, lizard htinking and such. will eat people and each other too. they just have different biology and origin in comparison.

[@XylaOXO]

@@taddad2641 Oh they are very different, well a Saurus may have no problem eating a person they will only do so if their leaders tell them that it is okay. They lack the natural desire to do so, they function more like machines than individuals they are born with all the knowledge they need to perform the duties they were created for and will perform those duties until they die. And the Saurus are just the military of the wider Lizardman civilization, I can go deeper into the differences, but I would rather make my own video to discuss the topic.

[@jaderade4662]

@@taddad2641 That, and they were trying to save the world and mind their own damn business.

[@UGNAvalon]

“Now remember, hatchlings, what did we learn today?” “Don’t think too much, or else you’ll get split in two!” “Good! Now, who wants some man-flesh as a reward!”

[@elfmonster1476]

"Now, remember hatchlings, what did we learn today?" "Learn?" "Exactly!"

[@seby826]

@@elfmonster1476 lmfao

[@CleopatraKing]

When your intelligence is too low for you to realize that intelligence will make your civilization better

[@UGNAvalon]

@@CleopatraKing Sounds like many ppl today... 👀

[@CaIIumscorner]

*Zuckerberg watches anxiously*

[@AmaryInkawult]

Zuckerburg isn't a lizard folk... He's obviously a lizard robot.

[@randomcustomer4295]

Phantom of the Gab he’s a robot pretending to be a lizard pretending to be a human

[@CaIIumscorner]

@@randomcustomer4295 he'd a modron pretending to be a lizard folk pretending to be the CEO of Facebook pretending to be human

[@Baragan420]

He's a cyborg. terminator + lizard man. Facebook is skynet.

[@dubuyajay9964]

@@Baragan420 T-Lizard.

[@bcbrendan]

"You have learned to laugh. You use the talent in response to all emotional situations, to better fit in with your comrades"

[@dalamaraaefe4989]

"My dad died" The lizardfolk: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... Why isn't anyone else laughing?"

[@legendarytat8278]

@@dalamaraaefe4989 Finally, some good fucking food

[@ssjabelincoln420]

I'm definitely using this!

[@nunomarques6570]

Great work just look at this about the lizard people... kzbin.info/www/bejne/moDPpItrmM9lqq8

[@justinchalifoux4424]

Nuno Marques Jesus Christ. “They shined the brightest light in all mankind through her window” the damn lizards got even the sun on their side, huh?

[@patrickdees5256]

I like how they aren't really as barbaric as most people think. Just simple.

[@vinx.909]

what's the difference?

[@patrickdees5256]

@@vinx.909 my rule of thumb with telling barbaric and simple is: do they have a reason for doing what they do (ie eating their dead)? And are they able to be reasoned with? From this video it checks out in both boxes. They eat their own dead as a way of honoring them, and they have been show making trade deals with other races and towns.

[@vinx.909]

@@patrickdees5256 in that case i know a lot of people who act civilised yet are barbaric. they lack reason for the things they do, and can't be reasoned with (hello trump). i'm pretty sure that most people described as barbaric always should have both of those covered as well. if you don't it's simply bad writing.

[@CompletelyNewguy]

They kill Violently but they don't kill wastefully. It's not the killing that brings pleasure but the feast waiting for them when they are done.

[@vinx.909]

@@CompletelyNewguy what makes something wasteful? is it wasteful to kill if the kill helps achive the goals of your god or helps more people/people you care about?

[@henrysphone6364]

“ OF COURSE I KILLED HIM IN COLD BLOOD, YOU IDIOT! IM A REPTILE!” -Far side comic

[@GallowglassAxe]

Lizardfolk is probably my favorite race. My first DnD character was a Lizardfolk monk name Vargach. Long ago his tribe game across a group of Githyani who were hunting mindflayers. After the gith soundly defeated the lizardfolk without any weapons they became very impressed and wanted to "hunt" like them. With helping with the mindflayer hunt they trained the tribe in their martial arts. When the gith left the tribe continue to train and evolved to style to better suit their bodies (i.e. adding tail and bite attacks). So Vargach was a way of the open hand (claw) monk who refused to use weapons. They believed that eating powerful enemies would absorb their Ki and make them more powerful as well. He was a lot of fun to play.

[@ProjectEchoshadow]

Most of this seems culturally based meaning some dark wizard intent on experimentation can steal some eggs and start breeding slightly more intelligent lizard folk just to see how they’ll turn out.

[@reduku]

TIL lizard folk are ideal, for magical genetic experimentation. Eggs absorb nutrients from their surroundings? Hmmm let's get started!

[@vinx.909]

i was thinking the same. submerge them in dragon blood or a domesticated ooze. or potions of healing or potions of giants strength.

[@nicoruppert4207]

Yeah. I had the idea for a lizardfolk background, that the egg was stolen by a wizard who just wanted to have a little fun with me. Now you could have a lizard wizard, lizard sorcerer, lizard rogue, lizard fighter or lizard barbarian. Heck now you can make your lizard what the heck you want it to be!

[@vaangardshield3932]

I wonder what would happen if a colony of Illithid got to exparament with a tribe of Lizardfolk?

[@reduku]

@@vaangardshield3932 only fun things! Well as long as your the GM mwahahaaha

[@vinx.909]

@@vaangardshield3932 you'd get a lot of Tzakandi (:

[@incominghitdadirt9587]

I haven't played d&d since mid 80's, but I do enjoy listening about it. And yes, my mom gave me the talk about d&d because her crazy Christian friend told her it was satanic. My mom was cool though. That was the controversy back in the day when the game was getting big. Religious fanatics we're trying to smear D&D saying it was the gateway to the devil. My memory of it was being good clean fun.

[@kamikeserpentail3778]

Ah them cultists. Good times.

[@mondaysinsanity8193]

Its ironic they tried to shutdown like litteraly the most wholesome past time at the time lmao like it was the 80s what else you gonna do? Join the lost boys or some shit

[@jarkoer]

My active years was early 80s to mid 90s. It was horrific when my dad thought it was all satanic and threw all my stuff away. Dude, I had a first printing of Deities and Demigods!!! But I literally copied the tables from a friend's book by hand, and bought dice from other friends so that I could still continue to play. And when I was old enough to have a job, I bought all the books again and hid them from my dad. lol I don't play anymore, but it brings back good memories listening to videos like this.

[@erroneous6947]

I remember that too. I watched mazes and monsters and had to check out D&D. Tom hanks best movie. Lol. Maybe not.

[@haypayne8937]

Yep, I lived in Texas in the early 80's and I played some d & d from time to time with a group of teenagers there. And yes, I was told it was satanic, and then those fools in Waco Texas started killing themselves when their D&D characters would die. But , Imagine trying to tell a joke to lizardfolk ... They wont smile, cause they are wayyyy too ugly

[@azzazzinfilms]

No one else makes videos this long that keep me interested all the way through. Awesome work, MrRhexx. Your videos have helped me evolve my roleplaying as a player and as a DM. Thank you for these videos.

[@ashcartoa6143]

For a person that is playing as a lizardfolk for the first time, this video was very useful in figuring out the backstory, as well as a general idea of a lizardfolks life. Thank you! (By the way, amazing video MrRhexx.)

[@raptordaraptor7861]

I question that most lizardfolk don't use weapons when lizardfolk PCs get a crafting ability by default. Oh well, not like PCs are supposed to be average.

[@MrRhexx]

I hear you, i guess the idea is that they can make things that they need on the spot since they are very scrappy like that. But the general lore for the lizardfolk does say rather convincingly that only a very small few know how to work iron or know that iron is better than bone or stone. I will say though it is somewhat unbelievable that not more of their tribes know how useful a shield is, but that much is canon as well.

[@OMartinez91]

@UCV3TjAzq1alZ9bBiE2v3nrA or maybe PC lizardfolk come from tribes with a higher Intellect average

[@Dave_The_Musical_Fisherman]

@@OMartinez91 and perhaps has had association with crafting people's

[@glenbe4026]

The entire thing about Lizardfolk appear rather contradiction. They are fierce carnivores who love to eat humanoids, yet make good traders. ehh.

[@jonatasnogueira5287]

@@MrRhexx In the campaign "Dragon Hoard" the book says explicity that they are very bad at working with iron, even if someone is trying to teach them how. their best work was still pretty useless. Not all tribes do trade with others, but that tribe did trade to get some good steel weapons

[@Plasmagon99]

Lizardman: Thinking delay killing and mating. Also Lizardman: HOOOO! Shiny! Mating partner will like! Adventurer: (Slays distracted Lizardman who thought to little).

[@maxgeckos]

I have officially added a character in my campaign named Sir.Rex and is a traveling lore bard. Anytime my party want information, in walks Sir.Rex able to shed some light on the enemy for some coin!

[@dance_ofThaDEAD]

"A lizard folk that knows how to make even a simple spear is rare." Looks over at my Lizard Folk War Cleric Blacksmith. K.

[@Bryan-Cysive]

What luck! I was just think about making a Lizardfolk Barbarian of Ancestral Guardian!

[@mushroomking8304]

same actually

[@giraffedragon6110]

First PC I ever made, can’t wait to play him. All sorts of ideas such as story of the first of our tribe involved a patronage warlock of celestials in the form of a cuatal. Raku the scaleslayer a White tabaxi lord whom even at deaths door it took 10 of us to slay, we wear his visage on our chest to channel the spirit of resilience (like the bear totem), carve the image of our deity the cuatal we call Krakulakutoa, so we may have his divine sight, the mark of the geckomodo a lizard that hunts their prey in packs and kill with their cunning saliva venom. The idea that you kill to survive and to use what you kill. Expressing the culture through the weapons and tools you make. Have an awesome character moment where my barbarian Mirik finally trusts the party and says “We... Clan!”

[@MaskedPrisoner]

Oh boy 20 class armor is coming

[@giraffedragon6110]

Qwerty Sunset sadly unarmored defense doesn’t stack with natural armor. My DM friend told me no. If I find one who said yes then at level 1 I would’ve had an AC of 20. The way I worked it was the nat AC of 13, plus CON +4, and DEX +3. I like to roll my stats.

[@MaskedPrisoner]

Giraffe Dragon me too

[@DarkMegaPlague]

Hunting, Fighting and Breeding…. the best things any person can ask for

[@voligar]

I'm really glad you brought these D&D vids back. Great stuff as always, Rhexx

[@SeaJay_Oceans]

AD & D crushes Elder Scrolls, GPU is your Imagination ...

[@andreaswehrmann365]

19:00 I really, really love this picture! Its so incredibly detailed and alive. You almost can hear them laughing about the tale their elder tells. ...and I'm becoming hungry from looking at all this food.

[@thedarktiger3603]

"Im gonna quote it for you. "A solid jaw made out of stone..."

[@andrewpeli9019]

Lizardfolk learned draconic from dragons in ancient times and have passed it down generations. Americans with immigrant grandparents might know ten polish words.

[@handynummer3544]

Rhexx I wanted to let you know hoe much I love these videos, through these I really started to get into Forgotten Realms and now have 2 games running in them. I find myself looking these up everytime I need to know something about a creature or just for fun because they are so well made! Really love it and keep up the good work

[@richardallen6067]

Forgotten realms! Maybe you can help me. What was the book with the griffon riding elf prince who went into the forest. His older brother was marring the chick he loved so he left. Then the tree elf chick in the woods too. I'm sorry if this is bizarre but Google doesn't seem to be able to help me.

[@tyto9188]

I don't want to be that one guy who corrects people's grammar online, but your first sentence has an unfortunate typo that can be taken in a wrong way.

[@geraldballinger6428]

Another thing the monster manual doesn't tell you: Players who are lizardfolk always want to taste the flesh of everything, so watch your back when a party member is a lizardfolk, or else they may figure out what YOU taste like

[@Orzine]

I would love to see you cover all the player races for 5e. For a long time I thought I might make a module so players could have an understanding of where they come from. But what you found on this race alone blew whatever I had on lizardfolk out of the water. A collection of “what they don’t tell you about player races” and “what they don’t tell you about minion races” along with your current stuff for legendary creatures is a dm godsend!

[@IndigenousVoices]

I knew of Elves, Orcs and Giants. I never knew of such a Race of Fictional Beings in D&D Lore. The First time I came across Lizard Folk was through the Anime - Goblin Slayer, I immediately fell in love with the Idea :)

[@AdamAtYourService]

Have you covered Yuan-Ti yet? One of my favorite monstrous races

[@TheGreatCrow]

Thirded

[@caboseivankass4626]

4th

[@moonlightriver1607]

Wyatt Grodzins best representation of Yun-Ti: sneaky snek

[@liammorris9372]

TheAltrox Web DM have done a video on Yuan-Ti if that interests you

[@alanschaub147]

Voting for Yuan Ti! 🙋🏼‍♂️

[@jellybingey2850]

"And so the halfling says to me, 'gunga ginga gung gung ging gunga'."

[@yaburu]

I'd just like to take this chance to personally thank you for this video. I'm currently playing a Lizardfolk character and have been looking at videos to try and get a better understanding of them to play a better character. Of all the videos I've watched, by a wide margin yours was the most informative and the one I learned the most from. I'm definitely looking forward to my next game now.

[@a.silvermane9936]

17:16 Fun fact. The Artist that drew this is Markiplier's brother Tom Fischbach

[@davidmclaren4700]

What happened to cunning artisan you know lizardfolks exclusive ability

[@brianduarte2071]

Cunning, but brutal.

[@danieldancza6171]

@@brianduarte2071 or was it brutal but cunning?

[@Neinka]

Hey, Thanks so much for this video, it taught me a lot. We are starting to play our first DnD campaign and i choose to make Lizardfolk Druid, and then I searched for videos about them and found yours. And thanks to you my backstory looks like this: Tribe of my lizard lived in swamp that was close to human village. Usually they would move their tribe far away but every year there was a great migration of elk like creature so they coexisted so far. Unusual event happened in the tribe. Both blessed lizards were born one of Semuanya destined to be the new shaman and one of Sessinek destined to be the new chieftain. My character is the future shaman to be. The lizard king took power earlier then expected and the tribe started to be more aggressive towards the human settlement. My character named Tuatara (I love them and I thought that Tuatara could mean something like true form in Draconic because my lizardfolk is blessed by Semuanya) argued with the current shaman that this will end badly for the tribe because there is not enough of them and they cannot win against the humans. When was time for the next human sacrifice should be brought to the lizard king humans managed to rescue the captives and kill several lizardfolk, this angered the lizard king and when the shaman gave advice to move the tribe away from the human settlement lizard king had enough and actually killed the shaman. Seeing this Tuatara known there will be no guidance for the tribe and all will go very badly for them, so with strong survival instinct but shamed, Tuatara run. Form that time Tuatara lived alone looking for a way to make sure no spawn of Sessinek will ever be born in any lizardfolk tribe ever again. And so my adventure begins :) I have question, can you please give me any tips for reading material? I so far got The big book of lizardfolk and Lizardfolk subraces but would love to know more about them and also about Semuanya. Any reading recommendations would be appreciated.

[@dudeslayer4505]

I love the warhammer fantasy art, lizard men are one of my favorite factions.

[@kevingonzalez3673]

Bolters take care of them

[@kizurir8816]

Warhammer lizards are much smarter. And they have the slann to guide them

[@kevingonzalez3673]

@@kizurir8816 A chain sword will do.

[@kizurir8816]

@@kevingonzalez3673 What has that to do with my answer?

[@kevingonzalez3673]

@@kizurir8816 u right power 👊

[@itzybitzyspyder]

I have a lizardfolk gloomstalker ranger/moon druid with the throwing fighting style. I used a wish to get an extra set of arms, which gives me an extra attack, the ability to hold another shield, an extra 10 movement when climbing and an extra object interaction. I managed to get a belt if storm giant strength, the gauntlets of ogre power and the hammer of thunderbolts. I cast summon beast and get a small flyer that can carry me in wilddhape monkey form so I can throw bone daggers dealing 1d4+24 damage each...I can throw 3 a round. Since my bird is carrying me I dont lose movement when it picks me up or drops me.

[@Sludgelorrd]

Thank you so much. You've helped me understand the race I play so much. Originally I was thinking of leaving a snarky comment about how you were just reading off the book page but you really go so in depth and I applaud you for that. So thank you for doing such incredible indepth research.

[@phucboi7895]

this feels like a lesson inside the actuall dnd universe with a very enthusiastic teacher

[@OMartinez91]

Huh... Aside from the emotional stuff, Overlord pretty much nailed lizardfolk

[@lordphobius3876]

Now let's see what those lizardfolk are up to on the scrying orb-OH GOD LOOK AWAY CHILDREN!!!!

[@crob763]

Currently playing a Lizard Folk named Karrus. First non human character I’ve ever played and it’s been a blast. I decided to go Cleric for the first time so this video has been really helpful!!

[@Creationsofmyown]

"The idea of them having spiky bones that come out of their teeth seems too crazy..." That's what Bearded Dragons have.

[@SassyXan]

Hermaphreditism is not always sterile. It is INCREDIBLY rare (and the condition is rare in general) but it is possible. An idea for a Ququala player character could be one who is "whole" and has a deep subconcious notion that despite the fact others like them are always sterile they might not be and as the story progresses perhaps they do succeed in breeding (such a feat would likely shake their culture and religion so i think the PC would be good as a cleric or druid if they went this route)

[@ezzardeyethief]

I love how the "they shun intelligence" is just shoved right in there with no source for it. I'm still watching. Hopefully that gets nipped in the bud with the Volo's entry.

[@FriendoftheDork]

I haven't seen any canon source for this either. Probably just the OP making assumptions on their base intelligence.

[@Chaosmancer7]

Yeah, I found that whole thing kind of... off-putting. Sometimes the things we don't know are for good reason being left behind.

[@chrisf5170]

​@FriendoftheDork It's back on there orgin for themselves "The original Lizard person thought so hard that they split themselves into two beings each with its own separate gender" and it is noted that Hermaphrodite Lizardfolk wind up in the contradictory position of being both revered as holy but also aliened do to them inhertly being more intelligent then the average Lizardfolk

[@chrisf5170]

A problem is that Lizardfolk are also supported to be Emotionalless. And you can have Anti Intellectual creatures that are Emotionless, but there Anti Intelligism would be based pure hyper pragmism (which would Discourage "wasteful thinking" but encourage "useful thinking and cunning")

[@chrisf5170]

The problem is that the Message of the Lizardfolk origin being "Thinking Is Bad" is based on a sense of Nostalgia for the "Simpler Times" but without that Nostalgia this Origin story is completely meaningless

[@jefthereaper]

Party: So why did you join the party? Lizardmen: Cuz clan think me too smartz. Party: What? they thought you were too smart? Lizardmen: Yes, they banish me for being genius. *proceeds to read a book upside-down*

[@HoneyMonsterNava]

Apparently my barbarian Korth has been played well. After i kill something i always spend a moment to get one extra bite before the next victim

[@chriscunningham6401]

This was a great one. Lizardfolk are such a fringe monster to use, so it's nice there is enough lore to piece together for an interesting experience.

[@rayleonard2565]

I've never played DnD before, but watching these have gotten me really interested! It'd be sweet if you covered every outer plane like you did with mechanus (and limbo)

[@martinhigginson1]

SEEING A BABY LIZIRD FOLK WOLD BE SOO CUTE

[@dotcom3987]

"I'am gonna turn into a genius!"- said the lizardmman before jumping into a volcano.

[@chrisdupuis2523]

Imagine a dragon (probably a green dragon) with a tribe of lizard men under it's sway that's spent centuries selectively breeding them (and using magic) and deliberately altering the scale colors to create a tribe of intelligent and colorful lizard men just because it can or because it was bored. After a few centuries it's so proud of it's creation that it treats the whole tribe like it's part of it's hoard. It uses them as honor guards, soldiers, servants, etc... Hundreds of lizard men, significantly smarter than their cousins, with real weapons and armor and character levels in reds and blues and greens and violets.

[@chrisf5170]

I'd imagine that most Dragons see Lizardfolk has just Thugs/Soldiers to use and probably would like that they are on average less intelligent, it makes then less likely to question orders. If the dragon wants a intelligent Lieutenant, the that's want Humans are for.

[@chrisf5170]

Though while a Dragon would probably want its Lizardfolk soldier to be dumb enough to not question orders it most certainly want them to be well armed.

[@richardallen6067]

Love the d and d lore videos boss! Thank you for the info and entertainment. I've never read the monster manual but don't think I'll ever have to so long as you can keep up your good work.

[@averongodoffire8098]

My Dragonborn’s mother was raised by lizard folk who killed her parents, she raised her Dragonborn children like lizard folk so I got a Drax like pc who has severe emotional issues

[@Quarter2Doom]

It’s great to see dnd including this lore about the intersex shamans, as it heavily mirrors real life shamans in many eastern and south eastern Native American tribes, as those who were intersex were thought to be spiritually gifted.

[@heavenburnt9055]

I love lizardfolk as a race. They are vicious fighters and often are able to circumvent encounters or things that may cause most adventurers to hold back or not enter a room with a monster. I have a character named Litrix ("Armor" in lizardfolk), barbarian who loves to eat. Thank you for the additional information on them. It gives me a reason to explain his yellow scales that are tipped red, and his frill is red at the base and goes to orange at the end.

[@drewforchic9083]

Right now I'm playing as a Lizardfolk Totem Barbarian/Moon Druid (Fun Game Advice: Rage and Wild Shape can work together!) from Chult, the dinosaur infested jungle to the south, who was the chief before his tribe was wiped out. DM agrees that since I'm from Chult, I've seen dinosaurs, and can Wild Shape them once powerful enough. Basically gets to turn into a rabid Allosaurus and eat everything that causes a problem. Lots of fun.

[@squidslasher697]

Favourite races obviously Lizardfolk for myself. My favourite thing to do is when I’m having no emotions to to learn it. Let the party stumble around with me as I try to figure out what’s right and wrong or emotions in general.

[@DerpyLaron]

I personally changed Lizardfolk to be more like the Trolls of WoW in there religion allowing for smart and savage ones and very tense moments when ever the party sees one. Also allows for different scaly people then Dragonborn to have some plot Also please consider making this long videos again as it was really awesome. Not every single one needs to be this long ( that be over kill), but every once in a while for the right topic it is great

[@rosenrot234]

I kinda wanna make a lizardfolk that was kicked out of his home just for being too smart. The idea of a smart lizardfolk trying to pretend to be stupid is pretty dang funny.

[@xenotundra3346]

‘Do not lie or cheat’ ‘lays traps and tricks and have no traditional morality’

[@TheLavachild]

It may have been longer than normal, but I enjoyed it and you gave me a new appreciation for the Lizard folk.

[@lucky-lu6tc]

nice warhammer anf total war warhammer 2 artworks you got there in your DnD video ;)

[@Zilegil]

He always seems to have one

[@MrRhexx]

Their art is honestly too good to pass up

[@viktor_dives]

Also Elder Scrolls art, but who cares. It makes for great images for the video. I like the combination of all the art sources, gives a nice way to see all interpretations.

[@gammaray3694]

The goblin in our party almost got us all killed during a Yeti fight early on. My character now calls him yeti-slayer.

[@umahorseman]

"Semuanya" in Indonesian means All of it. The more you knooooow

[@mercaius]

Had to come back and upvote this video after I used the story of Kecuala in-character, when the party volunteered my lizardfolk fighter to give life advice to an awakened t-rex. Much thanks for digging that bit of lore up MrRhexx.

[@SenneWMichiels]

It wouldn't make the bite weaker. The "teeth" would just break easier.

[@wire3989]

Yeah but I'd rather have broken teeth than bone fracture

[@zakosist]

It most likely would make their bite weaker too. If the teeth break easier then they would have to have weaker bites in order to actually keep their teeth for a while most of the time. Losing your teeth is a huge disadvantage for most species that have them

[@elfmonster1476]

@@zakosist Or maybe their "teeth" regrow. Some lizards do that.

[@sirhipolito1462]

Your D&D videos are the best that can be found on KZbin. Thanks, man

[@Getsugaru]

You should really cite your sources for the stuff not shown in the books/text you show on screen; then you would be bringing knowledge to people instead of stating things that the viewers cannot confirm the validity of ("Second-hand Sources are Suspect", as my professor often said). Also, note that _Volo's Guide to Monsters_ is written with the mindset of being an actual in-game book to a certain extent, and are therefore written from the (skewed) perspective of Volothamp Geddarm (Volo) and El minster Aumar the Archmage. Likewise, a lot of information in that book (besides the stat blocks) are fluff conflicted by and opposed to that of other sources, and as such are unreliable at best. Finally, Volo's guide is a Forgotten Realms setting-based book, and as such the fluff information (if true) is only really applied to the Forgotten Realms; outside this setting the information is far more dubious than it already was. As a long-time player of lizardfolk of all kinds (from vanilla to shadowscale to poison dusk, etc.) and in several settings, I just ask for your sources and state my above response as someone who loves lizardfolk and doesn't want them to get a bad rep. Yes, their culture and mindset are different from most humanoids, but it's just as much location as it is culture, and in every experience I've had with lizardfolk (whether PC or NPC) the general consensus was not that intelligence was bad but instead that thought is useless without action. --Signed, a Lizardfolk Player and fan.

[@shibo1221]

That last comment you make about about intelligence and the general whole comment you have made here is lovely and true. Intelligence without actions it seems according to Lizardfolk seems to be useless and detrimental towards society. Which is why it seems they make a distinction between cunning and intelligence. This is added by the fact which MrRhexx seems to have forgotten to mention that Lizardfolk have the innate talent to make various tools out the the bones and hides of the creatures it kills using artisans tools. ("Cunning Artisan" "gdnd.wikidot.com/race:lizardfolk") showing that unlike what MrRhexx mentioned it is common for lizard folk to be more intelligent then what he gives them credit for. Also, I think when it comes to research about the different monsters, he uses not only the 5e sources but also older sources such as 4e, 3e and 2e. This leads me to think as many of his videos somewhat inaccurate as appearances of creatures and certain behaviors have changed since different dungeons and dragons editions. Still, this video give great perspective and general knowledge according to the people writing the book (such as Volo) therefore due to this being a roleplaying game one can make the the lizardfolk however they wish and can easily incorporate or dis-incorporate the information given in Players Handbook, Volos or this video by MrRhexx.

[@abhorrentabsconder]

Embarrassing.

[@off6848]

I dunno if it was just that they discriminated only against thought without acting they would still be able to develop technology.

[@n17r03]

I have watched this so many times, and everytime I still love it! I just like how different Lizardfolk are and what we are given from this

[@chaoscommentary2179]

I’m in the middle of my first DND campaign and I’m playing as a lizardfok claric

[@lilyg.2205]

Do I revive my ally or eat them?

[@BroodingEdgelord]

THIS is my next science project. I will wreck the teacher with how can this work.

[@cobblestonecobbler]

Id love to see more videos over the various races its super helpful with character creation knowing all of their history and cultures

[@CRANTIME]

I've been playing Lizardfolk almost exclusively for almost a decade and I still learned a lot here.

[@MrNetWraith]

Once again, MrRhexx is presenting a lot of info, but slightly undercutting his efforts by not properly distinguishing sources, because D&D is not a singular coherent body of lore, and what is true of one edition or setting is not necessarily true for others. Allow me to provide some further insight. The anti-intellectual slant of lizardfolk culture, and its ties to Semuanya's, emerged in 3rd edition, in the Dragon magazine article "Ecology of the Lizardfolk". This was the first appearance of the idea of lizardfolk deliberately preaching against intelligence, and was an attempt to justify their traditional monocultural depiction. This was one of several retcons in that article; others included the backstory of Kecuala; the presentation of Semuanya (originally a brutish male deity) as a hermaphroditic deity worshipped as either the male-aspected Hunter, the female-aspected Breeder, or the neuter-aspected Watcher as the situation called for; and the idea of shamans being made up of the rare sterile hermaphrodite lizardfolk, when originally shamans had been expected to be the predominant breeders of their villages to the point of committing suicide when age stripped them of their fertility. In 4th edition, the adventure "Captain Slygo's Treasure" states that in the Nentir Vale/Nerath setting, originally, lizardfolk had a highly advanced culture dedicated to worship of Kecuala as a martyr-god, with their intellect allowing them to build a vast empire. But discontent from amongst the lower classes, stoked by the warlike and anti-intellectual Cult of Semuanya, plunged them into civil war and decline, ultimately reducing them to the scattered tribes of barbarians they are today. The emotional stuntedness of lizardfolk is mostly a 5e invention, as is the absolute fixation on consuming humanoid flesh; traditionally, only the demon-corrupted Lizard Kings/Queens had any real craving for humanoid flesh. The tendency for lizardfolk to be distracted by kills in the middle of combat is lore that existed in AD&D, but which was not mentioned in any subsequent edition. There have been many different variants of lizardfolk, official or otherwise. See 1d4chan.org/wiki/Lizardfolk#Variants Pathfinder's lizardfolk lack the anti-intellectual slant of D&D's ones. They are far more intelligent, and whilst they still tend to be wielders of stone-based biology, that is due to their native environments not being conducive to metalwork. I don't know where he is getting this information on lizardfolk being so patriarchal and strictly gender roled from, because I don't recall any such lore in canon.

[@diablopro3438]

He did say that its what 5e doesnt telly you, his sources are previous books and modules

[@arcanacapra9792]

First, let me thank you A LOT for this. I scrolled down comments like crazy to see if someone had cited and/or distinguished the sources. Second, he got the "lizardfolk being so patriarchal" information from "Pathfinder Chronicles: Classic Monsters Revisited".

[@bruggeman672]

If u already know everything about them why bother watching lol?

[@krispalermo8133]

@MrNetWraith , I started AD&D as a teenager back in 1990's then moved into 3.5e. I still have the Complete Humanoid Hand Book. I give all creature class levels. Lizardmen start out as ranger2nd/ rogue3rd. L.M. use wicker large shield wall to catch arrows and they use bows and lasso to drag other into water to drown. I treat them as hit and run ambush hunters. I also ran AD&D games as lizardmen. 3.5e Lizardmen in the DMG take a skill point/ rank penalty. Which sucks. In a Dragon Mag mini campaign setting a statement was made, " More mad skills, more mad kills." Multi-class skill stacking power gaming. Higher your Int= more bonus skill points. Smarter the lizardman, more ranks a barbarian/ ranger can have in tracking. D&D talks about player game balance, but from AD&D non humans had a level cap. And in 3.5e non human suffer skill points/ ranks. D&D favor humans to become god like beings, not other races.

[@orestesbastos]

Interesting, I like to take a little bit from every source so I will take some from your comment too. thanks.

[@PerpetualGM]

Fantastic video! I'm playing a Lizardman Druid in a friend's game. They found him living on an island as a hermit, exiled from his tribe for the reasons you mentioned above. As a shaman, he is a hermaphrodite and was exiled for the good of the tribe due to his habit of "thinking too much". I've kept up the habit of having him only Wild Shape into cold-blooded forms (or insect forms), as he finds mammalian forms to be unsettling. He can't understand why the PCs get upset when he starts eating the fallen enemies and carving off bits to eat later, but he's (mostly) stopped for now due to the party's delicate sensibilities. And there's that "thinking too much" trait again...

[@biznessman5632]

I love these vids even though I've never actually played dnd. I recently heard about some of the sea races in the game and i think a video about Tritons would be cool.

[@enkiazu7991]

Super thoughtful to do the book review at the end, love your videos keep it up man.

[@gwiber]

Lotta use of the Warhammer picture of the Slann in this video. Curious.

[@louregal99]

This was MEGA entertaining!!! It was a related video. But I'm into this type of material! Whoever the innovators are, they did their THING,, in detail!

[@silent0089]

Small brain good *_BIG_* brain bad

[@ChupiTheTerrible]

On the subject of emotions, man. That really is one of those things I just blame on Volo being Volo, an unreliable narrator who seems to apply that to anything reptilian and not draconic before immediately contradicting it with descriptions of culture and common behaviors. Official art of the lizardfolk clearly contradicts it, like that scene shown a few times in this video from Ghosts of Saltmarsh with lizardfolk laughing around a table. Not to mention the actual texts of adventures all the way back to AD&D with the Saltmarsh modules. Queen Othokent was a very intelligent and savvy lizardfolk who had explored and observed the humanoids for years, and Queen Wynce ran what was essentially an annual olympics event to try and flex on Othokent, but was happy to invite other humanoids who stumbled upon it to join in. Then there's Kessessek and the whole ordeal with his tribe vs the Shadowscales in 3.5E. It seems like shamans of Semuanya and the yuan-ti just *want to think* that they're above emotions, or culturally strip their people of emotion. ... The lizardfolk in Saltmarsh all seem to have queens who aren't the demonic "lizard queens" despite sharing a stat block and the Skewer skill. And who show a lot of reasoning skills. While the shamans of Othokent's tribe plot against her for not being traditionalist enough and trying to create the Great Alliance. Then her non-shaman advisor and true ally, Suariv, was a scholar who had known how to read and had even picked up proficiency in Deception with a hefty +7 to the skill in a level 1-4 adventure. Pity there wasn't time in the video to go over them. The whole thing is, as a biology guy, an annoying vestige of the myth of "the reptilian brain, limbic system, and neocortex" devised by Paul MacLean. Who, look, was certainly a brilliant and important doctor specializing in human neuroscience. But the whole concept's been very thoroughly debunked. While over-anthropomorphization is a real problem in animal husbandry, anthropocentrism is a hindersome blight on biology. All those structures he attributed to only primates and then humans evolved in the early Permian era at latest, long before mammals were even a thing. Or even snakes. They just look a little different and humans benefit from having extra layers of neurons making our brains bigger powerhouses.

[@silverbullet7691]

I imagine that they have muted/muffled emotion, or just put less priority on feeling. It’s like the opposite of logic with their brutality and the absence of pathos. They do feel but they don’t express it to the same caliber that humanoids do or because of their religion that condemns intelligence and thought, place emotions as something that complicate efficiency and life in general. That lead me to homebrew a tribe that rejects Sumuanya (probably didn’t spell that right) and looks to Tequala as the “right” one, who’s embrace of thought led to their creation and actively try to learn more on their own, though they still avoid other races outside of trade. This leads to conflict with other tribes.

[@ChupiTheTerrible]

@@silverbullet7691 While running Saltmarsh I pulled something similar with Queen Othokent to help explain her worldliness, the great alliance, and the Semuanya priests plotting against her over it. Sneaking in a thing where she and her right hands were secretly Kekuala worshipers and the Semuanya priests suspected it and wanted them removed for it.