Bakali
Bakali is the name of the Lizardfolk race from the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Dragonlance. First detailed in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons splatbooks The Rule Book to Taladas and Tales of the Lance: World Book of Ansalon, they were one of the first non-dragon races to walk the surface of Krynn. They were punished by Krynn's gods (who are, let's never forget, assholes) because they took to worshipping the dragons when they appeared as living gods. Takhisis and Hiddukel exploited the Bakali further, into fighting on Takhisis' side during the Second Dragon War.
(These gods also created the Jarak-sinn from them. Maybe also the hurdu, although that side of the lore was even more inconsistent than standard for this setting.)
Lore for Bakali in Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition can be found in Dragons of Krynn, alongside mechanics for playing as a Bakali. In this edition, at least, "Bakali" is also used as an overarching term for all lizardfolk racial variants; true bakali, jarak-sinn, troglodytes, kobolds, hurdu, sligs and even nagas - in this, it can be seen as analogouous to the term "Scalykind" from the Forgotten Realms setting.
Bakali PCs[edit | edit source]
The "true" Bakali is literally the Krynn version of the lizardfolk, and as such its standard statblock is identical to that of the 3e Lizardfolk. What separates it from its counterpart is the presence of a racial class, which allows you to avoid that damn pesky Level Adjustment.
Racial Traits Characters using the bakali racial class start with the following racial traits. Note that these are not identical to the regular bakali’s full set of racial traits because the bakali’s ability scores and racial Hit Dice increase with level as shown below.
- +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence.
- Medium size.
- A bakali’s base land speed is 30 feet.
- +3 natural armor bonus.
- Hold Breath: A bakali can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
- Automatic Languages: Draconic. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Common, Goblin, Ogre.
- Favored Class: Bakali. A bakali may not take levels in any other class except bakali until it has gained all three bakali racial class levels. Bakali then gain druid as a favored class.
The Bakali Class Level Hit Dice Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Skill Points CR Special 1st 1d8 +0 +0 +2 +0 (2 + Int mod) x 4 1 Feat, +2 Balance, +2 Jump, +2 Swim, 2 claws (1d3) 2nd 2d8 +1 +0 +3 +0 — 1 +2 Str, +4 natural armor, bite (1d3) 3rd 2d8 +1 +0 +3 +0 2 + Int mod 1 +5 natural armor, +4 Balance, +4 Jump, +4 Swim, 2 claws (1d4), bite (1d4) Class Skills: Balance, Jump, Swim
Class Features All the following are class features of the bakali racial class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bakali are proficient with all simple weapons and with shields.
Feats: A bakali begins with one feat at 1st level. After 3rd level, he gains feats normally according to his Hit Dice. Bakali may acquire the Scent feat if they choose. Multiattack and Power Attack are good feat choices.
Natural Armor: A bakali’s natural armor bonus to AC increases to +4 at 2nd level, and to +5 at 3rd level.
Natural Weapons: A 1st-level bakali has two claw attacks that deal the indicated damage plus the bakali’s Strength bonus. At 2nd level it gains a bite attack that deals the indicated damage plus one-half its Strength bonus. A bakali can make 2 claw attacks at its normal attack bonus and one bite attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll). It can also attack with a weapon at its normal attack bonus and make one claw or one bite attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll, and one-half its Strength bonus on the damage roll).