Physical Description

Bulworgs are a humaniod race of amphibans, who look like bipedal frogs. Bulworgs skin colouring ranges from tan, greyish green, green and olive, and matches the colours commonly found in their natural environments (wetlands, marshes and swamps).

Female Bulworgs are easy to distinguish from males of the species due to their larger size. Female Bulworgs average 5'-8" in height and weigh on average 150 lbs. Male Bulworgs, on the other hand, average 4'-10" in height and weigh on average 90 lbs.

Eyes. Bulworgs have large eyes on the sides of their heads. Due to the location of their eyes they gain an almost 360 degree field of vision. As a result of their large eyes, Bulworgs have excellent vision and an incredible ability to detect movement. Thus, an enemy's ability to use stealth, remain hidden, launch surprise attacks (etc.) are reduced by 50% (for example, a thief who has a 60% chance to hide in shadows, will only have a 30% to hide in shadows from a Bulworg). As well, Bulworgs have infravsion up to 60 feet in total darkness.

Ecology

From spring to early summer the mating season for Bulworgs occurs. A female Bulworg will lay several hundred eggs per season. The eggs are laid in ponds of stagnate water, and within a week Bulworg tadpoles will hatch. For the next 6 months the tadpoles will grow, and develop into juvenile Bulworgs, at which time they will leave the pond. Mortality is high among the tadpoles and only 1 in 30 tadpoles will survive to grow into a juvenile Bulworg.

It will take the juvenile Bulworg another 6 months until they reach their adult height (and another 2 years after that before they could reproduce). The lifespan of a Bulworg is around 35 years.

Habitat and Society

Bulworgs are found in swamps, wetlands and marshes. Bulworgs live in a matriarchal society, and live in tribes number several hundred Bulworgs. Each of these tribes is led by a single dominant female known as the Bulworg Matriarch. The Bulworg Matriarch is typically the largest and strongest Bulworg in the tribe.

The different Bulworg tribes are often in close proximity to each other, and fighting among different tribes is common (as well, fighting within the tribe is common).

Diet

Bulworgs are omnivores, and each a variety of foods which includes plants, insects, small and large mammals and fish. Cannibalism is common among Bulworgs and typically takes the form of rival tribes eating each other's tadpoles (this is the reason why the ponds that contain the tadpoles are well guarded). Bulworgs typically eat their food raw, and have a fondness for halfling and elven meat.

Outlook and Attitudes

Bulworgs are naturally cowardly creatures and are motivated by their own self-interests. They regularly use trickery and deception to obtain what they want from others. Despite these traits, Bulworgs work well together in groups. Their motivation for cooperation is not out of a sense of loyalty, but out of their own self-interests. Bulworgs know that they will have a better chance of survival and to obtain more food and treasure if they work together.

Language

Bulworgs speak their own language which consists of a series of croaking sounds, similar to the sounds made by frogs. Most Bulworgs do not know how to read or write (only 30% of Bulworgs are literate) and even fewer could speak a second language (only 15% of Bulworgs could speak the common tongue or another commonly used language in the region).

Poisonous Attacks

Bulworgs have two attacks per turn in melee combat: one is a weapon attack and the other is a bite attack. Bulworgs naturally produce a type of poison in their saliva, and frequently lick their weapons, coating their weapons with this poison. Whenever a Bulworg's attack hits, the victim must make a Paralyzation, Poison or Death Magic Saving Throw. On a failed saving throw the victim suffers a -2 penalty to their hit rolls and armour class for the next hour.

Each time a victim is hit by a Bulworg's attack, they must make a saving throw (even if the victim is under the effects of the poison). The effects of the poison are cumulative, and victim could receive up to a maximum of a -10 penalty of their hit rolls and armour class.

Bulworgs are immune to the effects of their own poison, and do not make saving throws if they are wounded by another Bulworg (warfare among different Bulworg tribes is common and in-fighting within a tribe occurs).

Weapons and Armour

Armour. Bulworgs are outfitted with salvaged and makeshift pieces of light armour* which grants them an Armour Class of 7. Many Bulworgs are also equipped with shields and therefore gain an additional bonus to their armour class for using a shield.

*Bulworgs avoid wearing heavy armour, as heavy armour prevents them from swimming and making their leap attacks.

Weapons. Bulworgs are typically armed with both a ranged weapon and a melee weapon. The typical ranged weapons includes short bows, blowguns, javelins and harpoons and the melee weapons includes spears, short swords and scimitars.

Movement

Bulworgs have two modes of movement: they are able to travel on land or swim in water. Bulworgs are proficient swimmers, and are faster at swimming than by travelling by land.

Leaping

Bulworgs have powerful hind legs, which allows them to leap up a distance of 30 feet (they could jump 20 feet in height). How the leaping works is that the Bulworg could leap at any point during their move action. The distance that the Bulworg leaps is not subtracted from their movement, therefore a Bulworg can make their full movement and leap up to 30 feet as part of their movement.

In combat, as part of their move action, Bulworgs are able to make a Leap Attack. In order for a Bulworg to make a leap attack, they must not be engaged in melee combat. When making a leap attack, the Bulworg gains a +3 bonus to their attack and damage rolls. The leap attack ends the Bulworg's turn.

Combat

Bulworgs are cowardly and sneaky creatures, and will typically hide and wait to ambush potential victims. Bulworgs have an excellent ability to remain hidden in their natural environments (swamps, marshes, wetlands, etc.). When Bulworgs hide to their natural environments they have 90% chance to remain undetected.

Bulworgs are very clever in setting up their ambushes. They will choice their ambush sites carefully. When ambushing their victims, Bulworgs will launch coordinated attacks from multiple directions. They will first start out by firing poison soaked arrows (arrow heads covered in their own saliva) at the enemy. After the enemy force has been weaken from the ranged attacks, the Bulworgs will launch their assault on the enemy force. The Bulworgs will assault their enemies with leap attacks, and multiple Bulworgs will attack a single victim, overwhelming the victim by shear numbers.

Bulworgs will not hesitate to retreat from a battle as soon as the tides of battle changes. Bulworgs will retreat without a second thought for leaving their injured or dying companions on the battlefield.

Organization

When encountered outside of their lairs, Bulworgs will be either be encountered in Scouting Patrols or Ambush Groups. Bulworgs use Scouting Patrols to survey the new areas, to identify potential ambush sites and to track the movements of an enemy. Scouting Parties will avoid combat, and will fight only as a last resort. Ambush Groups, on the other hand, are used for ambushes and combat.

Scouting Patrols. Scouting Patrols will have 7 to 12 (1D6+6) Bulworgs and will be led by a 2HD Bulworg Leader. There will be a 25% there will be a 2HD Bulworg Shaman (2nd Level Cleric) as part of the Scouting Patrol.

Ambush Groups. Ambush Groups will have 20 to 40 (2D10+18) Bulworgs and will be led by a 3HD Bulworg Leader and a 2HD Bulworg Sub-Leader. There will also be a 2HD Bulworg Shaman (2nd Level Cleric) as part of the Ambush Groups.

Tribes/Lairs. Bulworgs make their lairs around ponds and other stagnate bodies of water. A Bulworg lair will have 210 to 400 (1D20x10+200) Bulworgs. For every 15 Bulworgs there will be a Bulworg Leader with 2 or 3 HD. There will also be 2 to 5 (1D4+1) Bulworg Shamans (2nd Level Clerics) and 1 Bulworg Witchdoctor (3rd Level Cleric) in the tribe. As well, depending on the time of the year, there could be ponds containing thousands of Bulworg tadpoles (the tadpoles are non-combatants).

Bulworg Matriarch. A Bulworg lair is commanded by a single Bulworg chieftain known as the Matriarch. The Matriarch will typically be the largest Bulworg in the lair, and will fight as a 4HD creature. The Matriarch will also has the spell casting abilities of a 4th Level Cleric.

Saving Throws

A Bulworg's saving throws corresponds to the saving throws found in the Fighter Character class. For instance, a 1-1 HD Bulworg will have the same saving throws as a 0th Level Fighter, while a 2HD Bulworg will have the saving throws of a 2nd Level Fighter.