Grung
Grungs are aggressive froglike humanoids found in rain forests and tropical jungles. They are fiercely territorial and see themselves as superior to most other creatures.
Grung society is a caste system. Each caste lays eggs in a separate hatching pool, and juvenile grungs join their caste upon emergence from the hatchery. All grungs are a dull greenish gray when they are born, but each individual takes on the color of its caste as it grows to adulthood. From lowest to highest caste, grungs can be green, blue, purple, red, orange, or gold.
All grungs secrete a substance that is harmless to them but poisonous to other creatures. A grung also uses venom to poison its weapons. Grungs are always on the lookout for creatures they can capture and enslave. Grungs use slaves for all manner of menial tasks, but mostly they just like bossing them around. Slaves are fed mildly poisoned food to keep them lethargic and compliant. A creature afflicted in this way over a long period of time becomes a shell of its former self and can be restored to normalcy only by magic. Being amphibious, grungs require water to live; any grung that fails to immerse itself in water for at least 1 hour during a day becomes quite exhausted.
Green grungs are the tribe's warriors, hunters, and laborers, and blue grungs work as artisans and in other domestic roles. Supervising and guiding both groups are the purple grungs, which serve as administrators and commanders. Red grungs are the tribe's scholars and magic users. They are superior to purple, blue, and green grungs and given proper respect even by grungs of higher status. Higher castes include orange grungs, which are elite warriors that have authority over all lesser grungs, and gold grungs, which hold the highest leadership positions. A tribe's sovereign is always a gold grung.
A grung normally remains in its caste for life. On rare occasions, an individual that distinguishes itself with great deeds can earn an invitation to join a higher caste. Through a combination of herbal tonics and ritual magic, an elevated grung changes color and is inducted into its new caste in the same way that a juvenile of the caste would be. From then on, the grung and its progeny are members of the higher caste.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
- Age. Grungs mature to adulthood in a single year, but have been known to live up to 50 years.
- Alignment. Most grungs are lawful, having been raised in a strict caste system. They tend toward evil as well, coming from a culture where social advancement occurs rarely, and most often because another member of your army has died and there is no one else of that caste to fill the vacancy.
- Arboreal Alertness. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
- Size. Grungs stand between 2 ½ and 3 ½ feet tall and average about 30 pounds. Your size is Small.
- Speed. You have a walking speed of 25 feet. Your sticky finger and toe pads give you a climb speed of 25 feet.
- Amphibious. You can breathe air and water.
- Poison Immunity. You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.
- Poisonous Skin. Any creature that grapples you or otherwise comes into direct contact with your skin must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. A poisoned creature no longer in direct contact with you can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- You can also apply this poison to any piercing weapon as part of an attack with that weapon, though when you hit the poison reacts differently. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 2d4 poison damage.
- Standing Leap. Your long jump is up to 25 feet and your high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.
- Water Dependency. If you fail to immerse yourself in water for at least 1 hour during a day, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion at the end of that day. You can recover from this exhaustion only through magic or by immersing yourself in water for at least 1 hour.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Grung and either Common or Anikin.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Grung appear like froglike humanoids all of which come in specific colors which dictate their caste and role within grung society. Green grungs are the tribe's warriors, hunters, and laborers, and blue grungs work as artisans and in other domestic roles. Supervising and guiding both groups are the purple grungs, which serve as administrators and commanders. Red grungs are the tribe's scholars and magic users. They are superior to purple, blue, and green grungs and given proper respect even by grungs of higher status. Higher castes include orange grungs, which are elite warriors that have authority over all lesser grungs, and gold grungs, which hold the highest leadership positions. A tribe's sovereign is always a gold grung.
Genetics and Reproduction
Grung are compatible with other grung, Kua-Toa, and Lizardfolk. In grung society those who partner outside of their caste is frowned upon, and partnering outside of your species is completely fine with offspring favoring the mother. Grung lay small eggs in batches of 3-5.
Growth Rate & Stages
Grung stay within their eggs for 6 months before hatching. When they hatch they are small greyish froglike humanoids with the faculties of a toddler. They stay in this form for roughly a year before they gain their caste color and are from then on treated like an adult. Grung live for roughly 50 total years.
Ecology and Habitats
Grung stay in dense jungles and rainforests. Often preferring the heavily humid climate. Grung who leave their tribes are proven to be able to live anywhere with proper preparation and tools.
Civilization and Culture
Major Language Groups and Dialects
All grung speak grung, some will pick up common or anikin to fit into a more developed area.
Common Taboos
Dating, marrying, partnering, or mating outside of your caste.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Most races avoid grungs as they are known for their subjectivity of other races. Most races see them as pests or monsters.
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