Baazrag
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Baazrags are a species of wild beast native to the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Dark Sun. Weirdly, a fan-made creature with the same name but an entirely different nature.
The Canon Baazrag
The canonical Baazrag debuted in the Monstrous Compendium Dark Sun Appendix II, where it is characterized as a small omnivorous beetle-reptile thing that hunts in loose packs. Largely inoffensive... y'know, by Athasian standards, they are sometimes kept as domesticated animals used to hunt vermin or pull loads, kind of like a psychotic reptilian Chihuahua. On rare occasions, female baazrag give birth to a single pup; this is a sterile mutant called a Boneclaw Baazrag, which will grow into a giant and be far more dangerous upon reaching adulthood.
These baazrag were updated to Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition in Dungeon Magazine #110.
They were updated to Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition with only minor lore changes; in this alternate lore, boneclaws are absent. Also, rather than being males ad females, all baazrag are females; but only particularly dominant females will grow into the much larger fertile "Breeders" (Large sized vs. the Small size of regular baazrag), and when one does, the next-most dominant baazrags will turn into males who fertilize her.
The Fanon Baazrag
The fanmade Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition Dark Sun Monster Manual Netbook "Terrors of Athas" presents an entirely different c reature using the Baazrag name. Knuckle-walking brutes readily characterized as "600 pounds of fur and muscle", these camel-humped ape-men are sapient, but dull-witted, similarly to a b'rohg, and often used as beasts of burden - not helping is that it's physically impossible for them to speak the common tongue. Ironically, they are distant relatives of the notoriously deadly Athasian sloth. They're even fully playable!
These Baazrags are characterized as primitive and superstitious, both amongst the forest and mountain-dwelling freeborn tribes and amongst the cityborn slaves. Despite this, unlike most Athasian races, whilst baazrags fear magic, they don't hate it, and instead regard it with fascination and curiosity - especially the showy kind. They've even been known to gape at and cheer magic being used against them or their allies, and are quick to show respect and submission to awesome displays of supernatural power. They are genuinely loyal and faithful companions to those who bother to learn their language and make the effort to befriend them, which can be lucrative; baazrags will ignore verbal abuse, but tend to respond to physical efforts to direct them by ripping the head off whoever tried - there's a reason that "flogging a baazrag" is synonymous with "foolish" in Athas, and as such city-states that use baazrags as beasts of burden always need "handlers" who can make them work by just asking nicely.
One problem their dull-wittedness causes them is that baazrags have a hard time understanding the concepts of telepathy and mind control; being very hard to make do anything they don't want to, it can be difficult for them to understand the concept of somebody else not acting of their own free will.
- Ability Score Modifiers: +6 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -6 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom, -6 Charisma
- Size: Large
- Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft
- Base Land Speed: 40 feet
- Low-light Vision
- Racial Hit Dice: 4 levels of Monstrous Humanoid (4d8 HD, BAB +4, Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4).
- Racial Skills: 7 X (2 + Int modifier) skill points, class skills are Climb, Spot, Survival.
- 2 feats due to Monstrous Humanoid levels.
- Weapon Proficiency: All Simple Weapons, Baazrag Natural Weapons
- +2 Natural Armor Bonus
- Natural Weapons: Bite (1d6), 2 Slams (1d4)
- +8 racial bonus on Climb checks, can always take 10 on Climb checks even if rushed or threatened.
- Special Attacks:
- Improved Grab (Ex): When a baazrag hits with its slam attack, it can start a grapple as a freeaction without provoking an attack of opportunity.
- Special Qualities: Low-Light Vision, Scent
- Speech Difficulty: A Baazrag cannot speak any language except Baazrag, though it can learn to understand other languages. Speaking Baazrag requires other raes to take a rank in Speak Laanguages.
- Favored Class: Barbarian (they are noted to become passable Psychic Warriors if they get training)
- Level Adjustment +3