Scales and Savage Grace: Unearth the Secrets of Lizardfolk in DnD 5e
What are lizardfolk?
Lizardfolk are reptilian humanoids with scaly skin, native to warmer, marshy areas of the planes.
For Lizardfolk, life is a case of survival of the fittest. Such an upbringing means that most Lizardfolk lack the range of emotions that other races have, though they are capable of intense loyalty if shown enough reason to care.
Lizardfolk were introduced in D&D 5e through Volo’s Guide to Monsters and have been updated slightly in Monsters of the Multiverse. Below we’ve explained everything you need to know about lizardfolk and how to get the most out of your lizardfolk character.
Is a Lizardfolk the right character for me?
Dungeons and Dragons lets you take a flexible approach to building a character, but if you’re going to stick to typical culture and the best-optimised build for a Lizardfolk you might consider the following:
Choose a Lizardfolk if you like…
- Having tough skin
- Want to savagely attack creatures with your bite
- Want to focus on melee combat
A Lizardfolk might not be for you if…
- Want to hang back and cast spells or shoot arrows
- Don’t want to deal with complicated options for your ability score increases
- Don’t want to be the weird reptile that thinks differently from everyone else
If you think a Lizardfolk isn’t for you, not to worry, there are dozens of playable races for you to pick from, just check out our races guide to find out about all of them. For an alternative close-combat race, you could consider a Leonin or a Minotaur.
Racial traits
If you want to play as a lizardfolk, your character will have the following traits and abilities:
| Ability Scores | +2 to one ability score and +1 to another or +1 to 3 different ability scores |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Size | Medium |
| Speed | 30ft (swimming and walking) |
| Languages | Common and 1 other |
| Traits | Bite, Hold Breath, Hungry Jaws, Natural Armour, Nature’s Intuition |
| Resistances | None |
| Proficiencies | Two of the following: Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth or Survival |
| Darkvision | No |
| Innate Spellcasting | None |
| Book found in | Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, Volo’s Guide to Monsters |
Tactics
Lizardfolk are an awkward race to optimise for. On the one hand, their natural armor is better than light armour, you just need to optimise for dexterity to get the benefits of your natural armor. The problem here is that your bite requires strength to be effective. Typically though, optimising both is a waste as both are used for attacks. This means you’re either taking ability score improvements from other abilities or not optimising for one of your core abilities.
Personally, I’d focus on dexterity as you’re more likely to get use out of improved armor than hungry jaws (which have a limited number of uses anyway), but a strength-based Lizardfolk is viable too:
Armoured Hide: Lizardfolk’s natural armour offers a non-armoured character an armour class of 13+ dexterity modifier. This is stronger than using light armour and offers Lizardfolk with a high dexterity a chance at being quite difficult to hit. Consider combining this with a class that can also hold a shield to really shore up defence and take up position at the front line of battle where you can also maximise the use of your hungry jaws.
Resource Management: Keep track of how many times you can use Hungry Jaws, you can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. While the trait resets after a long rest, be mindful of your remaining bites during extended encounters. Prioritize their use for crucial moments or when facing formidable adversaries.
Adaptive Strategies: Tailor your approach based on the encounter. Against multiple weaker foes, consider using Hungry Jaws to quickly eliminate targets. In tougher opponents, save it for moments when you need an extra layer of defense.
Focus Fire: Try not to spread attacks across multiple enemies, instead hit the same foe with your primary attacks and Hungry Bites. Thinning the enemies numbers reduces the number of attacks and options the enemy force has, so focus on rival at a time.
Which classes are good for Lizardfolk?
With the introduction of Monster of the Multiverse, you can now choose your ability score increases meaning the main consideration for how to play a lizardfolk is on their traits. The big considerations are your Natural Armour which gives you a 13+ Dexterity modifier for your armour class which is better than that offered by any light armour.
Your other big ability is Hungry Jaws, very handy for a bit of extra damage. It also grants you a few temporary hit points, of course, it does rely on you being in melee range of your opponent so martials will benefit most here, particularly as you deal more damage the more strength you have. Of course, this does present a slight conundrum on what to max out on, strength or dexterity.
Below I’ve put together a score for how well each class works with a Lizardfolk based on how well the ability score increases and racial traits work with each class:
Artificer⭐
Barbarian ⭐⭐⭐
Bard ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cleric ⭐⭐
Druid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fighter ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Monk ⭐
Paladin ⭐⭐⭐
Ranger ⭐⭐⭐
Rogue ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sorcerer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Warlock ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wizard ⭐⭐⭐
*Star ratings scored out of 5
Best classes for Lizardfolk
Druid – Druids gain a lot from Natural Armour as their armour options are generally quite poor and as such, also need to rely a fair bit on their dexterity anyway. Hungry Jaws provides some extra damage and temporary hit points. Even better, it can be used when it wild shape, at the DMs discretion. Nature’s Intuition also offers some good wisdom based skills to add to your repertoire which is handy for druids
Bard – With mostly only light armour options available, Natural Armour can be very beneficial to Lizardfolk bard. Extra skill proficiencies are always welcome for Bards to, as they already have a wide array available and often the parties best candidate for skill checks.
Hungry jaws is less useful to bard’s rarely have high strength or much space to use your bonus action (because of all the bardic inspiration you’ll be throwing around). It still has its uses in longer stints between rests and for those precious temporary hit points.
Rogue – This is a good class for similar reasons as a bard, Natural Armour is basically a +1 to your AC, Nature’s Intuition adds 2 skill proficiencies to the rogues large repertoire and Hungry Jaws is an extra attack. Hungry Jaws is particularly useful if you miss with your first attack when you could have gotten a sneak attack in there, you can still make a sneaky bite and deal your extra damage.
Worst classes for Lizardfolk
Classes that can already wear heavy armour, prefer to stay out of melee range, or don’t focus on strength tend not to work well for Lizardfolk.
Clerics & Artificers – Clerics will almost certainly find little of use from the Lizardfolk’s repertoire. They tend to rely on sturdier armour and may not be in the thick of battle. Artificers also fare poorly in this regard as they are almost never strength-based and almost always heavily-armoured by nature already.
Monks – Lizardfolk aren’t really compatible with the Monk class either. Monk’s have their own bonuses for not wearing armour, so they do not make use of Natural Armour. A monk’s bonus action is often occupied by using ki points, so there won’t be many turns it is spare for making a Hungry Jaws attack.
About Lizardfolk
Appearance
Standing between 6 and 7 feet tall, Lizardfolk possess a muscular build with scales ranging from earthy greens and browns to more exotic hues like blue or red. Sharp claws and teeth complement their reptilian features, and a long, powerful tail aids in balance. Lizardfolk’s slit-pupiled eyes, convey a keen sense of alertness and are well-suited for low-light conditions. Some may have frills or crests on their heads, adding to their intimidating look. Lizardfolks’s overall appearance varies greatly based on the environment they call home, from swampy marshlands to arid deserts.
Personality
Lizardfolk embody a survival-oriented culture, prioritising communal well-being over individual desires. With a stoic demeanor, they value strength, resilience, and adaptability, reflecting a deep connection to their tribal societies.
While appearing reserved, lizardfolk form close-knit bonds within their tribes, relying on mutual trust and cooperation. Conflict resolution is pragmatic, often involving contests of strength. Lizardfolk are not as ‘cold blooded’ as they first appear, but their values lean towards a more calculated approach to life, tending not to get caught up in emotion or using them to make decisions.
Roleplaying a Lizardfolk
When roleplaying as a Lizardfolk consider emphasising the pragmatic and survival-focused nature of your character. Speak in a straightforward manner, prioritizing practicality over unnecessary embellishments. Here are some roleplaying tips and examples:
Pragmatic Speech: Speak objectively, rather than focusing on how the character feels, focussing on an approach to moving forward. For example instead of saying “I’m worried, this situation is so complex, what are we going to do?.” a Lizardfolk might say “This is difficult. We need to find a simple solution.”
Emotion Through Actions: Rather than overtly expressing emotions, showcase them through actions. Your Lizardfolk might share a hard-earned resource with a tribe member to convey camaraderie.
Community First: Always consider the needs of the community when making decisions. Your Lizardfolk character might prioritise the well-being of the group over personal comfort. For example, a Lizardfolk adventurer might give their healing potion to the party’s rogue, should they be needed to sneak into danger.
Conflict Resolution: Resolve conflicts through pragmatic means. Instead of engaging in a prolonged argument, suggest a trial of strength or a practical demonstration to settle disputes.
Non-Verbal Communication: Lizardfolk will use the most straightforward manner to communicate. Where words aren’t needed, they aren’t used. Incorporate non-verbal cues into your roleplaying. Use body language, nods, or gestures to convey agreement or disagreement instead of relying solely on words.
