Coatl

''“Amid the darkness and horror of a world splintering apart, the armies of the true creators, we who were ancient at the dawn of time, will march forth once more. We shall sweep away all that is chaos and disorder, for ours is the true path, and none shall defy us.&quot;''

- Translation from ancient plaques attributed to Venerable Lord Kroak

This race was heavily influenced by the Lizardmen from the Warhammer Fantasy and replaces the Lizardfolk from Volo’s Guide to Monsters.

The society of the Lizardmen is highly sophisticated and ancient beyond reckoning. It was they who first became the world’s first true civilizations, erecting their cities of ancient stone long before the rise of men, elf or dwarf. It was they who were writing down ancient mathematics and astronomy upon chiseled tablets of stone long before mortals even learned how to write.

Spawning Pools
The coatl’s core species such as the zotl, nagua and kroxelhua are not born from eggs, like their feral reptilian cousins, but are birth from special pools and ponds located within sacred regions of jungle. This birthing of a new generation of coatl are called Spawnings. Every Temple-City has its own sacred ponds and expanses of marsh where these spawning events occur. Zotl and kroxelhua tend to spawn in ponds and swamps open to the sky, whereas nagua and certain other kroxelhua are usually spawned in dank subterranean caverns. Pyramid Temples are frequently built over the top of the entrances to such caverns and outlying swamps are sometimes made into rectangular ponds encircled by stone.

Coatl Traits
The different subraces of the coatl share these core traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Age. Coatl in Xhoria reach adulthood at around the age of 50 and can live to be 1500 years old.

Alignment. Coatl live in hierarchies, and are usually Lawful in nature.

Size. Depending on their subrace, coatl range from under 5 to over 8 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Being creatures of the dark jungle or forest, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic.

Subrace. Three main subraces of coatl populate Xhoria: zotls, nagua and kroxelhua. Choose one of these subraces.

Zotl (Coatl subrace)
As a zotl you are the smallest kind of coatl, being between 4 and 5 feet tall. They are often used as spies because of their size, speed and dexterity. They are the only kind of coatl that are amphibious. As a zotl you are also the more skillful kind of coatl, knowing how to use advanced tools. Their skin is usually a shade of blue or green, sometimes orange.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Craftsmen. You gain proficiency with an artisan’s tools of your choice.

Skillful. You gain proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Stealth, Survival, or Nature.

Small and Quick. Your walking speed increases to 35 feet.

Amphibian Lizards. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet, and you can breathe air and water.

Nagua (Coatl subrace)
As a nagua, you are the infantry of the coatl. Nagua look like a humanoid dinosaur, being between 5 and 6 feet tall. The nagua are trained in high numbers and are skilled in combat, making them excellent fighters for the coatl army. Their skin is usually a shade of blue or green.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Bite. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Hungry Jaws. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1), and you can’t use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.

Lizard Weapon Training. You are trained for combat. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, mace, and warhammer.

Kroxelhua (Coatl subrace)
As a kroxelhua, you are the largest and strongest of the coatl, being between 8 and 9 feet tall. Their muscles are large and they look like a crocodile twisted into humanoid form. They are the workforce and ruling class of the coatl. Their skin is usually a shade of blue or green.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Size. You are the biggest of the coatl. Your size is Large. (See .)