Mogogol

Physical Description: Mogogols are essentially overgrown frogs that managed to learn to speak, walk upright, and wear clothes. It is immediately apparent to anyone visiting a mogogol village that there really is no standard look for a mogogol, except that they are frog-like. The clan has amazing physical diversity, which has proven an enigma to sages who study the mogogols. A mogogol’s form can be patterned after tree frogs, toads, bullfrogs, and can have just about any sort of coloring, spots, stripes, bumps, or superficial differences that make each individual a little different from the other.

Mogogols also differ in size greatly when compared with other races. This is likely due to their ancestral mingling with a plethora of humanoid frog species, some of which that were Small-sized. Mogogols have no prejudice related to height, and treat all members equally. About seven out of every ten mogogols grow to be Medium-sized. Players choose the size of their character at the time of creation.

Despite their prolific variety, mogogols do have a few things in common. All mogogols have three fingers and one thumb on each hand. Their clawed, webbed feet enable them to be excellent swimmers. They have extremely muscular legs, which aid in swimming and jumping. Small mogogols can utilize their disproportionately long limbs, finger pads and light weight to climb extremely well.

Ecology & Society: Male and female mogogols are virtually identical in appearance, and gender has little meaning for the species. Additionally, if the population has a shortage on one gender, the older members of the tribe automatically transform into the gender that is needed. The reproductive system of the mogogol is highly adaptive. Occasionally, mogogols will be born with no reproductive facilities at all (and therefore no gender.) This is a permanent condition.

Mogogols hatch from eggs the size of golf balls. These eggs are soft and have a jelly-like consistency, and must stay underwater to remain viable. Mogogols start out as larger— though normal looking— tadpoles, and are unable to breathe air or move on land until they are 3 years old. At that point, they begin looking less like a tadpole and more like a miniature mogogol, with a tail and tiny underdeveloped arms. By age 6, they look like normal, albeit small (2-3 feet tall) mogogols. At this age they are able to learn skills and speech. By age 12, a mogogol is sexually mature. They tend to reach old age at about 45, aging a bit quicker than humans.

Mogogols often form small communities on the edge of swamps. This has less to do with preference, as mogogols do have diverse tastes in living environments, and more to do with affordability and biological needs.

Some speculate that the mogogol ancestors strayed too close to chaos magic, or that the eggs were hatched in brambleberry wine. Whatever the cause, the mogogols think differently than the average PC race. All mogogols seem to have an impeccable sense of right and wrong, and are compelled to avoid the wrong. Their warped altruistic nature leads them away from the dismal swamps and into civilized areas. In addition, mogogols are prone to wild obsessions that they tend to pursue their entire lives. A young mogogol who becomes fascinated with ships, for example, is very likely to devote his entire life to them, becoming a ship builder or captain. It is hard to predict exactly what will catch a mogogol’s eye, but when it does, little can be done to steer the creature away from the new obsession.

When playing a mogogol, one must remember that they are indelibly good and optimistic. It’s not a choice, it’s a virtual curse. A particularly downtrodden mogogol will still seem upbeat, though his mania may be particularly acute at this time as well. Performing an evil act makes a mogogol physically ill, and they learn early to avoid it if at all possible.

Some sages believe the strange mogogol behavior to be the result of a magical curse, although no style of divination has yet been able to prove that the mogogols have any magical taint. Others believe it to be the result of some sort of neurological disease that only infects intelligent amphibians. However, this theory is also shot down, as no magical or mundane methods to cure disease or remove poison has altered a mogogol’s personality in any way.

Whatever the cause, mogogols are here to stay. They will venture from their dismal marshes in search of good deeds and a worthy title. Other amphibian races have come to fear and loath the mogogols. Adding to the validity of the disease theory, normal boggards usually flee rather than face a mogogol, for fear they too will succumb to the ‘curse of altruism’. A boggard’s worst imaginable fate is to be forever doomed to help old ladies across busy streets, defend the helpless, and be generally optimistic and nice.

Relations: Mogogols, being eternally open-minded optimists, find no problems with any race that honor the ways of good. However, even evil races are not shown prejudice, and a mogogol will work hard to convert these creatures to their side. Mogogol missionaries go on frequent expeditions to boggard territories, which have caused many boggards to retreat further and further from civilized races. While not the desired effect of the mogogol missionaries, this does make the local swamps much safer.

Conversely, the core races often find most mogogols to be slightly annoying at times, especially dwarves and elves who see the mogogols blind optimism to be a bit foolish.

Relations to Remarkable Races: Mogogols are close with all Remarkable Races, and often forge strong bonds with muses, squole, and xax. Even mahrogs tolerate those mogogols who harness more nature-related classes such as barbarians and druids. Of course, amphibian anumi and mogogols have the closest bond, as the former was often originally a beloved pet of the latter. Amphibian anumi and mogogols can often be found in the same communities.

Alignment and Religion: Mogogols can only be of good alignment, but are found ranging from wildly chaotic to strictly lawful. A mogogol’s alignment is largely dependent on his obsession.

Mogogols are fond of all good deities, especially those that favor water in some way. Many mogogols are drawn to the paladin and cleric classes, and thrive on fanatical devotion.

Adventurers: Mogogols, much like humans, are found in just about any class. Their simplistic nature draws them away from arcane magic, but mogogol wizards exist regardless. Their innate sense of right and wrong prevents them from truly profiting from roguery, but the occasional “Robin Hood” mogogol is well known. They truly excel at divine magic, where their fanatical obsession and good nature makes them the perfect servants of goodly deities. Their manias drive them in unpredictable directions, and it is not uncommon to meet a mogogol who is not physically or mentally well-suited for his class; the wizard with a low intelligence, the warrior weakling, and the clumsy rogue are just a few examples. Still, they usually manage to overcome these shortcomings with a positive attitude and uncanny preservation.

Names: Mogogols have three important naming practices. The first, and most confusing tradition, is that all mogogols are named Mogogol. The second, whose name is probably a corruption of the word “epitaph” (and an unfortunate one at that), is the ever-so-common “epitab”. An epitab, as the mogogols describe it, are words that people tack onto the end of your name. So one would know one mogogol from another by calling one “Mogogol with the green spots” or “Mogogol who broke his leg”. The epitab carries with it no honor, and its use generally denotes a mogogol who has not yet succeeded at anything worthwhile. All of the noteworthy mogogols have a title, which to the race, just means that someone decided to tack on a noteworthy prefix to their name rather than a suffix. Nearly all mogogols are guaranteed the title of Father or Mother if they have children, and Grandfather or Grandmother if they live to see their children have children. But the more prestigious titles are ones earned from another race. Among the most memorable of these are Captain Mogogol, Friar Mogogol, Doctor Mogogol, and Dread Pirate Mogogol. Generally mogogols make no distinction between male and female (in fact, the title of Father and Mother is often awarded incorrectly).

Racial Traits

  • +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence: Mogogols are extremely sturdy with more than enough charm to compensate for their froggish looks, but are often a little dimwitted.
  • Medium or Small: Mogogols can either be Medium-sized creatures or Small-sized creatures (with normal bonuses and penalties typical of this size). Size is chosen at character creation and does not change.
  • Normal Speed: Medium-sized mogogols have a base speed of 30 feet. Small-sized mogogols have a base speed of 20 feet. Both have a swim speed of 30 feet.
  • Hold Breath: A mogogol may hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
  • Inborn Alignment: Mogogols must be of a good alignment. Their alignment cannot be altered.
  • Marsh Move: A mogogol suffers no movement penalties for moving through marshes or mud.
  • Grasping Tongue: The mogogol can choose to make a grapple maneuver with its tongue on targets up to 10 feet away. You do not provoke an attack of opportunity or incur penalties for not having both hands free when starting a grapple in this manner. Normal rules for grappling apply afterwards.
  • Skilled Jumper: Mogogols gain a +4 racial bonus to Acrobatics checks when jumping, and are always considered to have a running start.
  • Skilled Climber (Small-sized only): Small mogogols gain a +4 racial bonus to Climb skill checks.
  • Languages: Mogogol begin play speaking Common and Boggard. Mogogols with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Orc.

Random Starting Age

Adulthood Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard
12 years +1d4 years (13 – 16 years) +1d6 years (13 – 18 years) +2d6 years (14 – 24 years)
Middle Age (30 years) Old (45 years) Venerable (55 years) Maximum Age (55 + 2d10 years)

Random Height and Weight

Size Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier
Medium 4 ft. 5 in. +2d12 in.(4 ft. 7 in. – 6 ft. 5 in.) 110 lbs. +(2d12×7 lbs.)(124 – 278 lbs.)
Small 2 ft. 5 in. +2d4 in.(2 ft. 7 in. – 3 ft. 1 in.) 25 lbs. +(2d4×1 lbs.)(27 – 33 lbs.)

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a mogogol character who meets the prerequisites.

Racial Classes and/or Prestige Classes

The following classes and/or prestige classes are available to a mogogol character who meets the prerequisites.

Alternative Racial Traits

You can exchange one or several of your character’s normal racial Traits, but of course you cannot exchange the same racial trait more than once.

As with any alternate or optional rule, you must first get the permission of your GM to exchange any of your character’s normal racial Traits for those listed here.


Favored Class Alternatives

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a Favored Class, mogogols have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their Favored Classes. The following options are available to all mogogols who have the listed Favored Class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed Favored Class reward.


Section 15: Copyright Notice

Remarkable Races: Compendium of Unusual PC Races, Pathway to Adventure Edition. Copyright 2009, Alluria Publishing; Author: J. Matthew Kubisz

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