Boggard

The wily gnomish hunter was confident that his distracting ruse had done the trick, but still he remained hidden in the brush for hours, his legs starting to hurt from remaining motionless for so long. He’d heard the stories of course and until today had given them no credence—leaping frogs twice his size, wielding spears and with magic bellowing out of their thoats that shriveled even the most courageous hearts? It sounded like madness. That’s what he used to think, before today when he entered the forbidden lands and ran afoul of them: boggards. They leapt down from the canopy and disappeared just as quickly, killing two of his hunting party before anyone knew what was happening. He escaped with the help of an animal friend that ended up in the gullet of one of the frog folk, and he silently promised the little creature that he would not let it die in vain. It was with that thought that the gnome found the bravery to leave his hiding place, a mistake that proved fatal only moments afterward as the creatures hunting him finished the job of protecting their territory.

Slinking through the muck and wallowing amongst filth are one of the world’s most resilient sentient species, amphibious creatures that rule over their homes with ferocious tenacity: boggards.

These frog-like humanoids are extremely territorial and don’t expand from or abandon a place until it’s absolutely necessary, unwilling to back down (often to their detriment). This leads some to think they are simple-minded, though truly they’re just focused and oriented towards goals with singular vision.

As a result they are very superstitious, revering and greatly impressed by the supernatural in all its forms for the incredible things it can accomplish. Most of all they are—even when living amongst others of their kind—loners, lacking much in the way of true familial ties except between siblings. When the bonds between brothers and sisters proves to be weak however, the wrath they can visit upon each other creates epic rivalries that leave swamps spattered in amphibious blood.

Two-Legged Amphibians

A boggard is a little ungainly but has powerful legs, their squat bodies lanky, wiry, and made of tough muscles. Their skin is usually drab in coloration with mottling ranging from just a little to nearly total, changing from offspring to offspring in the same clutch—many boggards are taught that their destiny is written across their hides, if only they can understand it.

Some of their kind have ridges around their eyeballs, but all bulge from their skulls and possess an ever present wet sheen kept moist with their long tongues. What’s more disturbing are the rows of dozens of small, sharp teeth lining their jaws, though they are not known to employ them much unless unusually savage. It’s not always easy to recognize a civilized boggard either as usually fashion has no place in their cultures because they place immense value on what is functional and necessary (not given to embellishment without purpose).

Born survivors

As long as where they dwell is warm, boggards can persist virtually anywhere, but they despise the cold and avoid it when they can. Frog folk are practical about their needs and doing what is necessary for them to survive, always with an eye for morsels to flick out of the air and eat, and most never pass up a chance to wallow in some mud or take a dip in warm water.

Their tendency to isolate themselves shrinks away when a group of boggards have gathered in the name of wrath as they are prone to mobs, never dispersing until their demands are sated.

Swamptowns

Placed like traps in the landscape—in bluffs, groves, and other areas that make them hard to see from afar—are the swamptowns of the frog folk. They have simple buildings made of mud and salvaged wood, usually ruled over by one powerful figure that has unquestionable authority. Citizens scavenge the swamps and nearby lands for prey and anything of value for craft or trade, though few get the chance to take on any specialized rule not handed down by their master. Even when they live in groups however they are isolated from each other, kept together only by iron-handed rule or circumstances beyond their control.

Names

Boggard names are chosen by the individual, as parents abandon their eggs and leave offspring to raise themselves. These tend to be short and simple single word names as they used to meet so rarely that further distinction was unnecessary. Some frog folk have taken to adopting monickers from the culture they have integrated with, creating complex and lengthy names for themselves with as many syllables as possible for a title, only accepting shortened versions for practicality’s sake.

Original Boggard Names: Alrog, Bruk, Drold, Gerro, Hrough, Kruk, Moro, Pogro, Rosk, Truld, Vough.

Adopted Elvish Names: Garrik Reywynn Saelethil Ravapeiros (Gar), Rhaac’var Enthana Adorellan Genbalar (Rhaac).

Adopted Human Names: Ruckoth Pyretrack the Third (Ruck), Ruhlur Bhoke Briu Hallowedsword Jr. (Junior)

Adopted Dwarven Names: Faro Garkadugan Bikras Khurbal (Faro), Obthal Marblecarver Yurbar Hammerfist (Obby)

Boggard Traits

Boggards share a number of traits in common with each other.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. A boggard reaches adulthood at six years of age and can live into their eighties, though few ever do.

Alignment. Most boggards believe in absolutes and have a disregard for half-measures and watered-down doctrines. They are typically lawful good or chaotic evil—rarely anything in-between.

Size. Boggards average between 5 and 6 feet tall and weigh between 200–300 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 20 feet. You gain a swim speed of 40 feet.

Coldblooded. Your kind has always preferred warmer climates and frigid temperatures cause you to shut down. You have vulnerability to cold damage.

Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.

Toad’s Leap. You have long bandy legs able to propel you to great heights. When performing a Long Jump you can cover a number of feet equal to 3 times your Strength score. When performing a High Jump you can leap into the air a number or feet equal to 10 plus your Strength modifier. You are always considered to have moved 10 feet or more before jumping, even when stationary.

Terrifying Croak. You possess a throat pouch that magically emits terrifying sounds. You may use an action to emit a loud and horrifying croak. Enemy creatures within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus) or become frightened of you for 1 minute. Creatures with a CR at least 3 higher than your level have advantage on this saving throw, and creatures with a CR at least 3 lower than your level have disadvantage. Creatures that succeed at this save cannot be affected again by it for 24 hours. Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Wicked Tongue. You have a long sticky tongue capable of immobilizing your prey or enemies.

Your tongue is 10 feet long and is dexterous enough to perform simple actions a hand could perform, though it cannot wield weapons.

You can use your tongue to make a melee weapon attack with reach. On a hit you deal no damage, but your tongue attaches to the target. A creature attached to your tongue cannot move further away from you and takes a –2 penalty to AC as long as the tongue is attached.

The tongue can be detached by succeeding an opposed Strength (Athletics) check or by dealing slashing damage to the tongue (AC 14). Damage to the tongue does not deplete your actual hit points or do lasting harm.

If for whatever reason you and the attached creature are forced further than 10 feet apart, your tongue detaches. You cannot move more than 10 feet away from an attached creature, but you can use a bonus action to release your tongue.

Xenophobic Speech. Boggards have only recently begun to interact with others so the numerous languages of foreigners are strange and unfamiliar to you. You know how to speak, read, and write Boggard. You can read and write Common but only with great difficulty. You have disadvantage on checks related to reading or writing languages other than Boggard.