Batrachian

Advanced frog-man tribes armed with spears and shields

OSRIC

Armor Class	6 or better
Hit Dice	1
Number Encountered	10d8
Attacks	1
Damage	By weapon
Move	30-ft hopping / 150-ft swimming
Alignment	Chaotic evil
Intelligence	Low to average
XP	1/18+1/hp
Size	Small to Man-sized
Frequency	Rare
Lair	20%

Batrachians represent the more advanced frog-man tribes, and are typically armed with spear and shield or harpoon and shield (treat their harpoons as spears). Batrachians can have shamans (maximum of 5th level) or witch doctors (maximum of 5th/4th level).

Optional: If the Cthulhu mythos is in play, at least some batrachians may well worship Cthulhu. In this case they may be a lesser kind of Deep One.

There is a 25% chance that batrachians will have 2d4 giant frogs (75%) or poisonous giant frogs (25%) in their lair. Batrachians with poisonous giant frogs available may (50% chance) have anointed their spears or harpoons with poison.

Rumours persist of batrachian ghouls, which may be under the shaman or witch doctor’s command.

Treasure: 2d6 gp per individual, plus if encountered in their lair, a 20% chance of 1d3 pieces of jewellery and a 10% chance of 1d3 magic items.

Special Abilities

Hop: A hop counts as a charge, with an additional +1 ’to hit’ bonus. A batrachian making a hop attack with a spear or harpoon will inflict double damage. If not armed with a long weapon like a spear or harpoon, a batrachian will always lose initiative due to its clumsy movements on land.

Camouflage: Batrachians are well-camouflaged and can remain motionless for long periods. They are also cold-blooded and hence hard to see with infravision. As a result they surprise opponents 50% of the time, or 80% of the time if hopping.

Variants

Leader (30 or more batrachians encountered (1d6 leaders))

If 30 or more batrachians are encountered at once, there will be 1d6 batrachian leaders with 2 HD. These larger batrachians have a strength bonus of +1 to damage.

Hit Dice	2
Damage	By weapon +1

Female (in lair (75% of number of males))

Females for both batrachians and anurans have the same stats. They are not normally combatant unless the efts (q.v.) or a temple, religious monument, or idol are threatened.

Lair	80%

Eft (Tadpole) (in lair (200% of number of females))

Efts are tadpoles. They are confined to water, and will always dwell in a large, central pool.

Armor Class	8
Hit Dice	1d2 hp
Attacks	1
Damage	1d2
Move	30-ft hopping / 150-ft swimming
Alignment	Neutral
Intelligence	Animal
XP	1/1
Size	Small
Lair	100%