| Bullywug | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General information | |||
| Universe | Dungeons & Dragons | ||
| Species type | Toad | ||
| Environment | |||
| Intelligence | Sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform | ||
| Biological information | |||
| Locomotion | Bipedal | ||
| Feeding behavior | Omnivorous | ||
| Prey | Interloping Adventurers | ||
| Predators | Sahuagin | ||
| Lineage information | |||
| Cultural information | |||
| Alignment | Chaotic Evil | ||
| Leaders | King Groak (Forbidden City forces) | ||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Scientific taxonomy | |||
| Domain | Eukaryota | ||
| Kingdom | Animalia | ||
| Subkingdom | Eumetazoa | ||
| Infrakingdom | Bilateria | ||
| Superphylum | Deuterostomia | ||
| Phylum | Chordata | ||
| Subphylum | Vertebrata | ||
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata | ||
| Superclass | Tetrapoda | ||
| Class | Amphibia | ||
| Subclass | Lissamphibia | ||
| Order | Anura | ||
| Suborder | Neobatrachia | ||
| Family | Bufonidae | ||
| Subfamily | Scubapoda (Walking Toads) | ||
| Other information | |||
| Status | Data Deficient | ||
| Creator | Gary Gygax Luke Gygax | ||
The Bullywug are a race of violent, marsh-dwelling sapient frogs, considered physically very similar to the Grippli. They can inhabit swamps that are anywhere from temperate to tropical in climate.
Physiology[]
They are a batrachian race that inhabits wet locations, such as rainy forests, marshes, damp caves or really virtually any other place that is shady or dark and has nearby water reserves as, like other amphibians, they need to dampen their skin from time to time. This skin is smooth, tough, mottled olive green in hue and chameleonic by nature, and they are able to alter their skin coloration to varying shades of gray, green, and brown, allowing them to hide and ambush their prey.
They can vary in size, ranging from smaller than the average Human to around 7 feet in height. Their faces resemble those of enormous frogs, with wide mouths and large, bulbous eyes; their feet and hands are webbed. Though they wear no clothing, all bullywugs use weapons, armor, and shields if they are available.
Although they do not wear clothing, intellect varies amongst them and some are more intelligent than others, and these smarter members are more inclined to wield armor, shields, and weapons, while choosing to dwell in caverns or abandoned Human habitations. These smarter Bullywugs are known as Advanced Bullywugs, and they are physically different from others, being not only more intelligent but also larger (with their height only ranging between 6 an 7 feet) and more aggressive. Those less advanced Bullywugs despise these smarter groups and actively make war on them. This is considered an uphill battle however, as common Bullywugs are said to be savages and marauders of the worst sort, scarcely able to wield a stone spear or club.
Culture[]
As a whole, Bullywugs form somewhat-organized socially fascist tribal bands led by one or more large individual, tribal shaman, or great chief and cooperating with each other for the purpose of ease in hunting and overall survival. They are natural and adept hunters and fishermen, which has made them skilled in the construction and use of snares and nets. Males are absolutely the dominant gender, with the females existing only to lay eggs; alongside young Bullywugs, despite making up almost one-half of any tribe's numbers, they count for little in the social pecking order. Any sign of respect amongst individuals is only ever bestowed on their leaders and deities, and they are otherwise totally lacking in any higher emotions or feelings, effectively making them sociopaths. They will readily serve chaotic evil masters, no matter their species.
Because of the extremely limited opportunities they will experience in Bullywug society, it is often the female Bullywugs who will take up the life of an adventurer, and often fulfill the roles of barbarians, fighters, shamans, and thieves. Many clerics also exist, though in a more limited capacity compared to other races in terms of spells they can cast; however to make up for this their summoning abilities are powerful but unpredictable, allowing them to summon additional monsters but with less control over them. Even as adventurers the life of a female Bullywug is harsh as most other humanoid races fear and detest them. Bullywug shamans will often take up service to a new god as they are likely fleeing from the wrath of their own race's deity.
Their amphibious nature has afforded them to become rapid swimmers and their natural agility has led to them routinely attacking in a way that combines a hopping charge while brandishing an impaling weapon. However they do not deal with incursions into their loose territorial boundaries very efficiently, yet when they are successful will kill and eat interlopers.
A large group of them have come to inhabit the Forbidden City and are one of the three primary factions in the area, alongside the Mongrelmen and the Yuan-ti and their allies, the Bugbear and Tasloi. This group have settled in the swampy ruins near to the city, having migrated to the area many years prior after being driven from other lands where they cultivate a small "god-egg" that they had brought with them, which is in fact a dragon egg that they have placed at the bottom of a pool. They intend to rebuild their race's population with full intention to eventually drive the other factions away. This group worships a dragon of the same species as their god-egg.
Those found in the marshes of Chelimber find themselves in a never-ending territory war with the local Sivs, which the Bullywugs apparently have not realized they have already lost.
A Grippli, rivals to the Bullywug.
They have a rivalry with their relatives, the Grippli. Both races consider themselves to be the "good folk", while they see their rivals as "bad folk" and the two races may war against one another. Infighting amongst Bullywugs of the same group will hardly ever fight one another except when determining a new tribal leader, though lesser Bullywugs and Advanced Bullywugs will make war upon one another at every opportunity. They also harbor a hatred for the Sahuagin, whom hold them in disdain. Sahuagin are known for raiding Bullywug lairs for both sport and out of pure malice; any Bullywug captive is later eaten alive.
Deities[]
Bullywugs appear to worship a variety of deities and demigods, but not in a pantheon -- instead, it seems that various factions of Bullywugs will worship a single deity and forsake the deities of others.
The main deity of their kind is Ramenos, their bizarre, chaotic evil frog-god of somnolence, intoxication, and decay. Like Laogzed of the Troglodytes, Ramenos seems to endure its feeble existence for the sake of endurance alone: "Ramenos hibernates for much of the time, barely able even to sustain attention on its own fate; once active and strong, the wretched deity is clearly in a process of self-extinction." No myth has ever existed about Ramenos creating them, though the Bullywug are known to be the degenerate descendants of races of proto-amphibians, and much more powerful but now extinct humanoid/frog creatures that used to revere their weird frog god. However, his own patron abilities have worked against him, as his periods of prolonged inactivity as well as his taking refuge and his pleasure in imbibing in intoxication have reduced him to a lesser god. Scholars believe that he will likely decline to demigod status within a few centuries and ultimately extinction.
Even so, Ramenos' former power and influence can be found throughout the ruins of many a lost jungle temple, where huge statues of the god dominate their plazas and open areas. He no longer sends his avatars forth from his home plane within the Abyss, nor does he send omens to his shamans. He has almost completely withdrawn himself. Remenos shamans are primitive and weak and instead serve their tribal leaders. These shamans must regularly become intoxicated with plant alkaloids, likely to connect with their deity.
A number of tribes in Greyhawk have forsaken worship of Ramenos, replacing him with Wastri.
Another demigod of the Bullywug (and also by degenerate humans) is Ggorulluzg, revered as "the chief amongst a number of monsters". Like Ramenos, he is chaotic evil but is instead native to the Negative Material plane. A "dreadful lurker in shadow", he is described as resembling some sort of breeding between an octopus and giant frogs. Most of its body resembles the latter but its head is bulbous and misshapen, with a soft beak, two great staring eyes, and six trailing tentacles. Ggorulluzg will fix its loathsome gaze on a single individual when challenged to combat, paralyzing them with fear. It will then attack with both claw and tentacle, though sophisticated Bullywugs insist that he possesses an array of great iron axes. Non-edged weapons will simply bounce harmlessly off of the soft flesh covering its skull. Because it is limited in personally acting on the Prime Material Plane due to the power of a more powerful deity, Ggorulluzg is forced to send out giant slugs and leeches to intervene on its behalf.