Bullywug
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
roleplaying game, the bullywug is a type of fictional monster for player character
s to encounter. The bullywugs are portrayed as a violent race of marsh-dwelling frog
-like humanoids
. The bullywug was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's original Fiend Folio sourcebook, created by Gary Gygax
and his son Luke. The bullywugs subsequently appeared as antagonists in two first edition adventure module
s, Dwellers of the Forbidden City
(1981) and Needle
(1987), and then continued to appear in the game's second edition, third edition, and fourth edition.
, and have since gone on to appear in other editions of the Dungeons & Dragons game and Dungeons & Dragons cartoon
.
as the contributors who created the creature. This book described bullywugs as "a batrachian race of bipedal monsters which inhabit wet places - rainy forests, marshes, damp caves or virtually any other place which is shady or dark and has water nearby, for bullywugs need to dampen their skins from time to time." Bullywugs are described as chaotic evil in alignment
. The book states that bullywugs are rapid swimmers, and have an attack routine that combines a hopping charge with an impaling weapon to deal extra damage to opponents. They also have the chameleon-like power to alter their skin-colouration to different shades of grey, green, and brown, so that they can hide and attack from surprise.
The book states that bullywugs form organised bands led by at least one large individual, and sometimes a tribal shaman or great chief. Bullywugs readily serve chaotic evil masters of other races. Some bullywugs are more intelligent than others, and that these groups use armour, shields, and weapons, and tend to dwell in caves or deserted human habitations; the less advanced bullywugs hate these groups and make war on them. The book notes that sahuagin
hold bullywugs in disdain, and may raid a bullywug lair for sport of out of sheer malice, eating captives alive.
Bullywugs appear as one of the three main factions of the eponymous "Forbidden City" in the adventure module
, Dwellers of the Forbidden City
(1981), along with the mongrelmen, and a third faction composed of the yuan-ti
and their allies, the bugbears
and tasloi. A full set of statistics for bullywugs does not appear in this module, as the module notes that bullywugs appear in the Fiend Folio Tome. The bullywugs in this adventure settled in the ruins around the swamp near the city, having migrated here many years ago after being driven from other lands. These tribal creatures brought with them a small "god-egg", and are attempting to rebuild their race so that one day they may be strong enough to drive the other creatures from the city. The player character
s first encounter a group of bullywugs who have set a fiery ambush for them at a waterfall on the way into the Forbidden City. Once inside the city, the characters may encounter a small community of brutish bullywugs that will attack the characters. The characters may also discover the bullywugs' "god-egg" at the bottom of a pool; this is actually a dragon
egg guarded by an invisible stalker
that will track down anyone taking the egg. The characters may also explore the bullywugs' swamp, presided over by the self-styled "king" Groak; in the dark waters of the swamp lake is their "god", which is in reality a dragon of the same type as the "god-egg" found earlier in the adventure.
The March 1983 issue of Games Workshop
's White Dwarf
magazine (#39) presented the demigod Ggorulluzg, whom bullywugs revere as "the chief amongst a number of monsters." The article describes Ggorulluzg as chaotic evil in alignment, native to the Negative Material plane, and worshipped by bullywugs and degenerate humans. This "dreadful lurker in shadow" is described as resembling "a breeding of octopus and giant frog; its body is much as the latter, but its head is bulbous and misshapen, with a soft beak, two great staring eyes, and six trailing tentacles." If engaged in combat, Ggorulluzg will "fix its loathsome gaze on a single individual", causing the victim to become paralysed with fear. The demigod attacks with claws and tentacles (sophisticated bullywugs claim the god bears an array of great iron axes), and non-edged weapons often bounce harmlessly off the soft flesh covering its skull. The article states that Ggorulluzg may be limited in acting personally on the Prime Material Plane
by the power of a more powerful deity, so it sends giant slugs or leeches to intervene on its behalf.
Bullywugs also appear in the adventure module Needle
(1987), by Frank Mentzer
. The adventure describes bullywugs as "physically very similar to the Grippli
", with each race in the adventure referring to itself as the "good folk" and their enemies as the "bad folk," and both races factor prominently in the plot of the adventure.
The book Monster Mythology
(1992) by Carl Sargent
introduces Ramenos
, "the bizarre frog-god of the bullywugs." Ramenos is described as chaotic evil in alignment, a god of somnolence, intoxication, and decay. The book posits that Ramenos, like Laogzed
of the troglodytes
simply seems to endure its feeble existence for the sake of endurance alone: "Ramenos hibernates for much of the time, barely able even to sustain attention on its own fate; once active and strong, the wretched deity is clearly in a process of self-extinction." This book goes on to say that the bullywugs have no myth about Ramenos creating them, although the book calls bullywugs "the degenerate descendants of races of proto-amphibians, and much more powerful but now extinct humanoid/frog creatures that used revere their weird frog god." The book explains that periods of prolonged inactivity and taking refuge and pleasure in intoxication have reduced Ramenos to a lesser god, and that he will likely decline to demigod status in a few centuries and eventually extinction. Evidence of his old power and influence can be found in ruins of lost jungle temples where huge statues of the god dominate the plazas and open areas. He no longer sends his avatars forth from his home plane of the Abyss
, nor does he send omens to his shamans. His shamans are primitive and weak and serve their tribal leaders, and must regularly become intoxicated with plant alkaloids.
The bullywug is presented as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids (1993), by Bill Slavicsek
. This book notes that bullywug player character
s can be of the fighter
, shaman
, or thief
character classes
. The book assumes that bullywug PCs are of the larger, more intelligent "advanced bullywug" type, which ranges in height from 6 to 7 feet . The book states that it is often female bullywugs who take up the life of an adventurer, due to their extremely limited opportunities in bullywug society. Also, most other humanoid races fear and detest bullywugs, making adventuring life dangerous, and most adventuring bullywug shamans will take up service to a new god as they are likely fleeing from the wrath of their race's deity. The advanced bullywug is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
(1995). According to this book, "A player character bullywug is actually a member of an advanced variety of this species, since most bullywugs are savages and marauders of the worst sort. Common bullywugs are scarcely able to wield a stone spear or club, but advanced bullywugs are able to wear armor and use most human weapons with little trouble."
(2001) for the game's third edition. In this edition, the bullywug is given the humanoid
creature type
. This book describes bullywugs as being able to move freely in marshes or ponds, and that bullywugs sometimes gain levels as barbarians
. There are also many bullywug clerics
, even though they are more limited than other races in the types of spells they can cast; however, their powerful but unpredictable summoning abilities allow bullywug clerics to summon additional monsters when using spells that summon monsters, although the cleric is less likely to be able to control the monster summoned. The book also described the role of bullywugs in the Forgotten Realms
setting: in the marshes of Chelimber, the bullywugs fight a never ending-territory war against the sivs which the bullywugs don't realize they have already lost.
, bullywugs are known to exist in the Hool Marshes, the Mistmarsh, and the Vast Swamp. A number of bullywug tribes have forsaken the worship of Ramenos for Wastri
.
.
The Bullywug Thug appeared in the D&D Miniatures
: Deathknell set #48 (2005).
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
roleplaying game, the bullywug is a type of fictional monster for player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s to encounter. The bullywugs are portrayed as a violent race of marsh-dwelling frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
-like humanoids
Humanoid (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, humanoid is a type of creature, or "creature type". Humanoids are any creature shaped generally like a human , of Small or Medium size, with few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities...
. The bullywug was introduced in the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's original Fiend Folio sourcebook, created by Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
and his son Luke. The bullywugs subsequently appeared as antagonists in two first edition adventure module
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
s, Dwellers of the Forbidden City
Dwellers of the Forbidden City
Dwellers of the Forbidden City is an adventure module, or pre-packaged adventure booklet, ready for use by Dungeon Masters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1981) and Needle
Needle (module)
Needle is a Dungeons & Dragons module.Author: Frank Mentzer -Plot summary:In Needle, the player characters are dispatched to a far jungle to retrieve a magical obelisk...
(1987), and then continued to appear in the game's second edition, third edition, and fourth edition.
Publication history
Bullywugs first appeared in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game's first edition Fiend Folio and served as antagonists in the module Dwellers of the Forbidden CityDwellers of the Forbidden City
Dwellers of the Forbidden City is an adventure module, or pre-packaged adventure booklet, ready for use by Dungeon Masters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
, and have since gone on to appear in other editions of the Dungeons & Dragons game and Dungeons & Dragons cartoon
Dungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Dungeons & Dragons is an American fantasy animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1985 through 1987 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty seven episodes.The show focused on a...
.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The bullywug made its first appearance in the original Fiend Folio (1981); the index at the back of the book credits Luke Gygax and Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
as the contributors who created the creature. This book described bullywugs as "a batrachian race of bipedal monsters which inhabit wet places - rainy forests, marshes, damp caves or virtually any other place which is shady or dark and has water nearby, for bullywugs need to dampen their skins from time to time." Bullywugs are described as chaotic evil in alignment
Alignment (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of people, creatures and societies....
. The book states that bullywugs are rapid swimmers, and have an attack routine that combines a hopping charge with an impaling weapon to deal extra damage to opponents. They also have the chameleon-like power to alter their skin-colouration to different shades of grey, green, and brown, so that they can hide and attack from surprise.
The book states that bullywugs form organised bands led by at least one large individual, and sometimes a tribal shaman or great chief. Bullywugs readily serve chaotic evil masters of other races. Some bullywugs are more intelligent than others, and that these groups use armour, shields, and weapons, and tend to dwell in caves or deserted human habitations; the less advanced bullywugs hate these groups and make war on them. The book notes that sahuagin
Sahuagin
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the sahuagin are a fish-like monstrous humanoid species that live in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves. Sahuagin speak their native tongue . With higher intelligence scores, they can also speak two bonus languages, usually...
hold bullywugs in disdain, and may raid a bullywug lair for sport of out of sheer malice, eating captives alive.
Bullywugs appear as one of the three main factions of the eponymous "Forbidden City" in the adventure module
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
, Dwellers of the Forbidden City
Dwellers of the Forbidden City
Dwellers of the Forbidden City is an adventure module, or pre-packaged adventure booklet, ready for use by Dungeon Masters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1981), along with the mongrelmen, and a third faction composed of the yuan-ti
Yuan-ti
The yuan-ti are a fictional species of evil snakemen in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The species comprises a number of castes. In some campaign settings, the yuan-ti are descended from evil human cultists who mixed their bloodlines with those of serpents...
and their allies, the bugbears
Bugbear (Dungeons & Dragons)
The bugbear is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.A bugbear is depicted as a massive humanoid distantly related to goblins and hobgoblins...
and tasloi. A full set of statistics for bullywugs does not appear in this module, as the module notes that bullywugs appear in the Fiend Folio Tome. The bullywugs in this adventure settled in the ruins around the swamp near the city, having migrated here many years ago after being driven from other lands. These tribal creatures brought with them a small "god-egg", and are attempting to rebuild their race so that one day they may be strong enough to drive the other creatures from the city. The player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s first encounter a group of bullywugs who have set a fiery ambush for them at a waterfall on the way into the Forbidden City. Once inside the city, the characters may encounter a small community of brutish bullywugs that will attack the characters. The characters may also discover the bullywugs' "god-egg" at the bottom of a pool; this is actually a dragon
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
egg guarded by an invisible stalker
Invisible stalker
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the invisible stalker is an elemental creature from the Elemental Plane of Air.-Publication history:...
that will track down anyone taking the egg. The characters may also explore the bullywugs' swamp, presided over by the self-styled "king" Groak; in the dark waters of the swamp lake is their "god", which is in reality a dragon of the same type as the "god-egg" found earlier in the adventure.
The March 1983 issue of Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
's White Dwarf
White Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
magazine (#39) presented the demigod Ggorulluzg, whom bullywugs revere as "the chief amongst a number of monsters." The article describes Ggorulluzg as chaotic evil in alignment, native to the Negative Material plane, and worshipped by bullywugs and degenerate humans. This "dreadful lurker in shadow" is described as resembling "a breeding of octopus and giant frog; its body is much as the latter, but its head is bulbous and misshapen, with a soft beak, two great staring eyes, and six trailing tentacles." If engaged in combat, Ggorulluzg will "fix its loathsome gaze on a single individual", causing the victim to become paralysed with fear. The demigod attacks with claws and tentacles (sophisticated bullywugs claim the god bears an array of great iron axes), and non-edged weapons often bounce harmlessly off the soft flesh covering its skull. The article states that Ggorulluzg may be limited in acting personally on the Prime Material Plane
Prime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
by the power of a more powerful deity, so it sends giant slugs or leeches to intervene on its behalf.
Bullywugs also appear in the adventure module Needle
Needle (module)
Needle is a Dungeons & Dragons module.Author: Frank Mentzer -Plot summary:In Needle, the player characters are dispatched to a far jungle to retrieve a magical obelisk...
(1987), by Frank Mentzer
Frank Mentzer
Jacob Franklin "Frank" Mentzer III , is an American fantasy author and game designer best known for his work on early materials for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He was a performing folk musician from 1968 to 1975, and played one concert at the White House during the...
. The adventure describes bullywugs as "physically very similar to the Grippli
Grippli
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the grippli is a humanoid tree frog. Grippli call themselves "the good folk" and call their enemies "the bad folk."-Publication history:...
", with each race in the adventure referring to itself as the "good folk" and their enemies as the "bad folk," and both races factor prominently in the plot of the adventure.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The bullywug first appeared for second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the second volume of the Monstrous Compendium series (1989). In this set, the creature is said to inhabit temperate to tropical swamps, and receives a detailed description: "Bullywugs are covered with smooth, mottled olive green hide that is reasonably tough... They can vary in size from smaller than the average human to about seven feet in height. Their faces resemble those of enormous frogs, with wide mouths and large, bulbous eyes; their feet and hands are webbed. Though they wear no clothing, all bullywugs use weapons, armor, and shields if they are available." The entry described that bullywugs live in somewhat-organized "socially fascist groups, cooperating for the purpose of hunting and survival ... adept hunters and fishermen, and skilled in the use and construction of snares and nets," and that in their savage society "Males are the dominant sex, and females exist only to lay eggs. Though females and young make up about one-half of any tribe, they count for little in the social order. The only signs of respect that bullywugs ever bestow are toward their leader and their bizarre frog god. The race is... totally lacking in any higher emotions or feelings." The entry notes that they do not deal with incursions into their loose territorial boundaries very efficiently, but do kill and eat interlopers. Members of the same group hardly ever fight each other, except when determining a new tribal leader, although the lesser bullywugs and the more intelligent ones do make war upon each other at every opportunity. This entry refers to the more intelligent breed of bullywug as advanced bullywugs, noting that these are larger and more intelligent than the others, and more aggressive as well. The bullywug's entry is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).The book Monster Mythology
Monster Mythology
Monster Mythology is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Released by TSR in 1992 and written by Carl Sargent, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, John and Laura Lakey, and Keith Parkinson, Monster Mythology was released as a companion volume for...
(1992) by Carl Sargent
Carl Sargent
Carl L. Sargent is a British author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels.-Early career:...
introduces Ramenos
Ramenos
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Ramenos is the bullywug deity of somnolence, intoxication, and decay.-Publication history:...
, "the bizarre frog-god of the bullywugs." Ramenos is described as chaotic evil in alignment, a god of somnolence, intoxication, and decay. The book posits that Ramenos, like Laogzed
Laogzed
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Laogzed is the deity worshipped by reptilian troglodyte race. Its symbol is an oozing toad-lizard, or a lizard's head. Laogzed's sacred animal is the toad.-Publishing history:...
of the troglodytes
Troglodyte (Dungeons & Dragons)
The troglodytes is a fictional race of primitive reptilian humanoids in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Publication history:The troglodyte was introduced to the D&D game in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons....
simply seems to endure its feeble existence for the sake of endurance alone: "Ramenos hibernates for much of the time, barely able even to sustain attention on its own fate; once active and strong, the wretched deity is clearly in a process of self-extinction." This book goes on to say that the bullywugs have no myth about Ramenos creating them, although the book calls bullywugs "the degenerate descendants of races of proto-amphibians, and much more powerful but now extinct humanoid/frog creatures that used revere their weird frog god." The book explains that periods of prolonged inactivity and taking refuge and pleasure in intoxication have reduced Ramenos to a lesser god, and that he will likely decline to demigod status in a few centuries and eventually extinction. Evidence of his old power and influence can be found in ruins of lost jungle temples where huge statues of the god dominate the plazas and open areas. He no longer sends his avatars forth from his home plane of the Abyss
Abyss (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the Abyss or more fully, the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, is a chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons cosmology, used in the Planescape...
, nor does he send omens to his shamans. His shamans are primitive and weak and serve their tribal leaders, and must regularly become intoxicated with plant alkaloids.
The bullywug is presented as a playable character race in The Complete Book of Humanoids (1993), by Bill Slavicsek
Bill Slavicsek
Bill Slavicsek is a game designer who served as the Director of Roleplaying Design and Development at Wizards of the Coast. He previously worked for West End Games and TSR, Inc., and designed products for Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, Alternity, Torg, Paranoia and Ghostbusters.-Biography:Bill...
. This book notes that bullywug player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s can be of the fighter
Fighter (Dungeons & Dragons)
The fighter is one of the standard playable character classes in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A fighter is a versatile, weapons-oriented warrior who fights using skill, strategy and tactics....
, shaman
Shaman (Dungeons & Dragons)
The shaman is an alternate playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Dungeons & Dragons :The Orcs of Thar covers orcish shamans...
, or thief
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
character classes
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
. The book assumes that bullywug PCs are of the larger, more intelligent "advanced bullywug" type, which ranges in height from 6 to 7 feet . The book states that it is often female bullywugs who take up the life of an adventurer, due to their extremely limited opportunities in bullywug society. Also, most other humanoid races fear and detest bullywugs, making adventuring life dangerous, and most adventuring bullywug shamans will take up service to a new god as they are likely fleeing from the wrath of their race's deity. The advanced bullywug is later presented as a playable character race again in Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Player's Option: Skills & Powers is a supplemental sourcebook to the core rules of the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. This 192-page book was published by TSR, Inc. in 1995. The book was designed by Douglas Niles and Dale Donovan...
(1995). According to this book, "A player character bullywug is actually a member of an advanced variety of this species, since most bullywugs are savages and marauders of the worst sort. Common bullywugs are scarcely able to wield a stone spear or club, but advanced bullywugs are able to wear armor and use most human weapons with little trouble."
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
The bullywug appears in Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of FaerûnMonsters of Faerûn
Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn is a supplement for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:It features about 150 pages of monsters unique to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting...
(2001) for the game's third edition. In this edition, the bullywug is given the humanoid
Humanoid (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, humanoid is a type of creature, or "creature type". Humanoids are any creature shaped generally like a human , of Small or Medium size, with few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities...
creature type
Creature type (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, creature types are rough categories of creatures which determine the way game mechanics affect the creature. In the 3rd edition and related games, there are between thirteen and seventeen creature types. Creature type is determined by the...
. This book describes bullywugs as being able to move freely in marshes or ponds, and that bullywugs sometimes gain levels as barbarians
Barbarian (Dungeons & Dragons)
The barbarian is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Creative origins:The barbarian is based on Robert E...
. There are also many bullywug clerics
Cleric (Dungeons & Dragons)
The cleric is one of the standard playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the game, clerics are versatile figures, both capable in combat and skilled in the use of divine magic. Clerics are powerful healers due to the large number of healing and curative...
, even though they are more limited than other races in the types of spells they can cast; however, their powerful but unpredictable summoning abilities allow bullywug clerics to summon additional monsters when using spells that summon monsters, although the cleric is less likely to be able to control the monster summoned. The book also described the role of bullywugs in the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
setting: in the marshes of Chelimber, the bullywugs fight a never ending-territory war against the sivs which the bullywugs don't realize they have already lost.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The bullywugs appear in the game's fourth edition in Monster Manual 2 (2009).Bullywugs in Greyhawk
In the World of Greyhawk campaign settingCampaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
, bullywugs are known to exist in the Hool Marshes, the Mistmarsh, and the Vast Swamp. A number of bullywug tribes have forsaken the worship of Ramenos for Wastri
Wastri
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Wastri is the Suloise god of Amphibians, Bigotry, and Self-Deception...
.
Other media
Bullywugs were often featured as a common antagonist to the main characters in the Dungeons & Dragons animated seriesDungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Dungeons & Dragons is an American fantasy animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1985 through 1987 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty seven episodes.The show focused on a...
.
The Bullywug Thug appeared in the D&D Miniatures
Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game
The Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Game is a collectible miniatures game played with pre-painted, plastic miniature figures based on characters and monsters from the Dungeons & Dragons game. The figures are 30mm in scale...
: Deathknell set #48 (2005).