Grung
"I was a slave for 3 long years. It wasn't so bad, I was fed, provided shelter from the elements, and protected from the dangers of the marsh. But the labor was difficult. The Grung are natural taskmasters, and they take no mercy on those found slacking. One could hardly believe these colorful little creatures had it in them, but trespassers in their lands beware, they are highly intelligent, and they take prisoners." - Draenes Swordsworn
Descendants of the Swamp
The Grung have some of the oldest ties to the Great Swamp, with their origins being tied to that of the primordial amphibians that still reside in the area. The Grung believe that the Great Swamp itself to be their ancestral territory, which is why they are aggressive to other inhabitants of the area. Their capital, Ytepka, is the pinnacle of Grung society, but it is hardly a traditional town. Ytepka is a vast network of swamp and marsh tied together by wood, vine, and leaf. It is rumored that there is a primordial amphibian within the city, that continues to teach and guide Grung society.
The Caste of Color
Grung society is a caste system. Each caste lays eggs in a separate hatching pool, and juvenile grung join their caste upon emergence from the hatchery. All grung 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, grung can be green, blue, purple, red, orange, or gold.
Green grung are the tribe's warriors, hunters, and laborers, and blue grung work as artisans and in other domestic roles. Supervising and guiding both groups are the purple grung, which serve as administrators and commanders. Red grung are the tribe's scholars and magic users. They are superior to purple, blue, and green grung and given proper respect even by grung of higher status. Higher castes include orange grung, which are elite warriors that have authority over all lesser grung, and gold grung, 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.
Amphibious Slavers
All grung secrete a substance that is harmless to them but poisonous to other creatures. A grung also uses venom to poison its weapons. Grung are always on the lookout for creatures they can capture and enslave. Grung 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, grung require water to live; any grung that fails to immerse itself in water for at least 1 hour during a day becomes quite exhausted.
Grung Traits
Age. Grungs reach maturity in about a year and often die young in territorial disputes, but have known to live upwards of 60 years.
Size. Grungs stand between 2 to 3 feet, and weigh roughly 25-35 pounds. Your size is small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet, and you have a climb speed equal to your walking speed.
Amphibious. You can breathe in air and water.
Poison Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Poisonous Skin. Whenever a creature grapples you or otherwise comes into direct contact with your skin you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a 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.
In addition, once per round, 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 Constitution saving throw or take 2d4 poison damage.
The DC for your poison equals 10 + your Constitution modifier.
Toxic Coloration. Your contact poison has an additional effect that differs based upon your color. The effect lasts until the creature is no longer poisoned. Choose one color
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 a day, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion at the end of that day. You can recover from this exhaustion bonle through magic or by immersing yourself in water for at least one hour.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Grung.
Descendants of the Swamp
The Grung have some of the oldest ties to the Great Swamp, with their origins being tied to that of the primordial amphibians that still reside in the area. The Grung believe that the Great Swamp itself to be their ancestral territory, which is why they are aggressive to other inhabitants of the area. Their capital, Ytepka, is the pinnacle of Grung society, but it is hardly a traditional town. Ytepka is a vast network of swamp and marsh tied together by wood, vine, and leaf. It is rumored that there is a primordial amphibian within the city, that continues to teach and guide Grung society.
The Caste of Color
Grung society is a caste system. Each caste lays eggs in a separate hatching pool, and juvenile grung join their caste upon emergence from the hatchery. All grung 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, grung can be green, blue, purple, red, orange, or gold.
Green grung are the tribe's warriors, hunters, and laborers, and blue grung work as artisans and in other domestic roles. Supervising and guiding both groups are the purple grung, which serve as administrators and commanders. Red grung are the tribe's scholars and magic users. They are superior to purple, blue, and green grung and given proper respect even by grung of higher status. Higher castes include orange grung, which are elite warriors that have authority over all lesser grung, and gold grung, 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.
Amphibious Slavers
All grung secrete a substance that is harmless to them but poisonous to other creatures. A grung also uses venom to poison its weapons. Grung are always on the lookout for creatures they can capture and enslave. Grung 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, grung require water to live; any grung that fails to immerse itself in water for at least 1 hour during a day becomes quite exhausted.
Grung Traits
Age. Grungs reach maturity in about a year and often die young in territorial disputes, but have known to live upwards of 60 years.
Size. Grungs stand between 2 to 3 feet, and weigh roughly 25-35 pounds. Your size is small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet, and you have a climb speed equal to your walking speed.
Amphibious. You can breathe in air and water.
Poison Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Poisonous Skin. Whenever a creature grapples you or otherwise comes into direct contact with your skin you can use your reaction to force that creature to make a 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.
In addition, once per round, 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 Constitution saving throw or take 2d4 poison damage.
The DC for your poison equals 10 + your Constitution modifier.
Toxic Coloration. Your contact poison has an additional effect that differs based upon your color. The effect lasts until the creature is no longer poisoned. Choose one color
| Color | Poison Effect |
|---|---|
| Blue | The poisoned creature must shout loudly or otherwise make a loud noise at the start and end of its turn. |
| Gold | The poisoned creature is charmed and can speak Grung. |
| Green | The poisoned creature’s walking speed is reduced by 5, and it must jump during its turn. |
| Orange | The poisoned creature is frightened of its allies unless it can also see an opponent. |
| Purple | The poisoned creature feels a desperate need to soak itself in liquid or mud.
Any movement, except towards a body of liquid or mud, if one is in sight, counts as difficult terrain. |
| Red | The poisoned creature must eat if food, or what it deems to be food, is within reach. |
Water Dependency. If you fail to immerse yourself in water for at least 1 hour a day, you suffer 1 level of exhaustion at the end of that day. You can recover from this exhaustion bonle through magic or by immersing yourself in water for at least one hour.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Grung.
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