Lizardfolk Playable Race with Terrain Themed Sub-Races

[Akoo]

Lizardfolk

Lizardfolk are primitive reptilian humanoids living in hut villages that lurk from the deserts, swamps and jungles of the world.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Lizardfolk reach adulthood at the age of 10 and generally live up to three centuries.
Alignment. Most Lizardfolk are neutral, simply doing what it takes to survive.
Size. Lizardfolk range from 5 to 7 feet tall and from slender to built. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read and write common and draconic.
Chameleon. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena
Darkvision. 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.
Natural Armor. When you are not wearing armor your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity Modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Claws. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 damage. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes.

Desert Lizardfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Fire Resistant. You have resistance to fire damage.

Swamp Lizardfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Swimmer. Your base swimming speed is 30 feet.

Jungle Lizardfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Climber. Your base climbing speed is 30 feet.

After going through the various player handbook races and analyzing them I feel this is a balanced alternative for those who want to play a more unorthodox race. Happy gaming!

[Ninja_Prawn]

I've seen a few attempts at Lizardfolk homebrew, and this isn't the first to give them a +2 AC when unarmoured. I don't like it. It's ludicrously good for Barbarians and Monks, and totally useless to everyone else.

The rest of the class may be balanced, though I find it a little bland. There must be something interesting about this race other than the fact that they have tough skin...

Also, I might want to change the blanket stealth proficiency into something more like the Halflings' Naturally Stealthy or Wood Elves' Mask of the Wild?

[PoeticDwarf]

Problem: jungle lizardfolk barbarian has +2 con and +1 str, not bad, and also a +2 bonus to AC.

Dude, be careful with bonusses to things like AC.

[Akoo]

Problem: jungle lizardfolk barbarian has +2 con and +1 str, not bad, and also a +2 bonus to AC.

Dude, be careful with bonusses to things like AC.

It's only when wearing no armor, you can't use armor & still get the bonus. I find it optimal for the barbarian class but pretty useless for other classes, like Ninja_Prawn above you said.
You may be right though, I just thought it made sense for the class to have a natural armor bonus as cited in the monster manual. If it's too OP I can remove it.

[Akoo]

I've seen a few attempts at Lizardfolk homebrew, and this isn't the first to give them a +2 AC when unarmoured. I don't like it. It's ludicrously good for Barbarians and Monks, and totally useless to everyone else.

The rest of the class may be balanced, though I find it a little bland. There must be something interesting about this race other than the fact that they have tough skin...

Also, I might want to change the blanket stealth proficiency into something more like the Halflings' Naturally Stealthy or Wood Elves' Mask of the Wild?

I thought of using Mask of the Wild at first before I added proficiency in stealth. Perhaps I will change it to that.

[JNAProductions]

That doesn't really address the issue that it breaks bounded accuracy with Barbarians.

[Ninja_Prawn]

In my opinion, races with natural armour should almost always be "when you aren't wearing armour, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier". It's less broken and benefits more classes.

[PotatoGolem]

Yeah the static bonus to AC is a no-go. No other race or class gives you this (except warforged, but that's an alpha or pre-alpha draft), and the only way to get stacking AC is a shield or the Shield spell.

[Torched Forever]

Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena
Natural Armor. You gain a +2 to AC when not wearing any armor. You can use a shield and still get this benefit.
Claws. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 damage. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes.

Desert Lizardfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Fire Resistant. You have resistance to fire damage.

Swamp Lizardfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Swimmer. Your base swimming speed is 30 feet.

Jungle Lizardfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Climber. Your base climbing speed is 30 feet.

I'll demonstrate how powerful this currently is. A 1st level swamp lizardfolk barbarian can hit unreasonable ACs at the start and later on. Starting stats of 13 Str, 15 Dex, and 14 Con which are adjusted to 13 Str, 16 Dex, and 16 Con. Unarmored defense allows for 16 AC (pre-racial abilities) which matches chain mail. Then, natural armor boosts the AC to chain+shield levels without using any hands for a shield. If the lizardfolk really wants to be absurd they use a shield for 20 AC at 1st level. A 1st level fighter with chain+shield+defense can only reach 19 AC. This is using a lot of racial and class features however and might not be a large problem.

Just to see what can happen, by 20th level, 4 ASIs to reach 20 Con & Dex, +2 Health Feat, Bear Totem, Con & Dex Manuals leave the lizard's AC at 10+8+8+2+2 for 30 AC, (8+2)x20+12+(7x19) for 345 HP, resistance to nearly all damage while raging, melee enemies have disadvantage on attacks during rage, and all but immunity to Dex saves (+8 w/ advantage). However, that is mostly barbarian's fault not a problem with the lizardfolk.

[Akoo]

In my opinion, races with natural armour should almost always be "when you aren't wearing armour, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier". It's less broken and benefits more classes.

I like that idea. I'll change it to that.

[Akoo]

How do you all feel now with the changes?

[Ninja_Prawn]

How do you all feel now with the changes?

It's more balanced now, for sure. It could be fun in a campaign that spent a lot of time in lizardfolk society, included exotic lizardfolk weapons, etc.