Deep Dive - The Grippli
It isn’t easy being green, especially in the fantasy landscape of Dungeons & Dragons. When you only stand 2 feet tall, all sorts of jungle and swamp creatures think of you as a tasty snack. The Grippli is the embodiment of just such a creature, but they do have a few things working in their favor. Way more intelligent than people give them credit for, the Grippli are smart enough to know when to run, which is most of the time. They can also travel the treetops, keeping them out of the reach of many of their natural predators. There’s more to the Grippli than meets the eye, so let’s dive in and see what this humanoid tree frog has to offer.
AD&D (1e) - Grippli
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-10; in lair 5d6
Armor Class: 9
Move: 9”/15”
Hit Dice: 1+1
% in Lair: 30%
Treasure Type: Q (x4), I
No. of Attacks: 1 weapon
Damage/Attack: 1-4 or weapon
Special Attacks: Surprise on 1-4
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Standard
Intelligence: Very to exceptional
Alignment: Neutral
Size: S (2 1/2’ tall)
Psionic Ability: 151-250, Attack/Defense Modes: A,C/G,J
Level/X.P. Value: II/45 + 2/hp
Monster Manual II, 1983 TSR Inc.
First found in the Monster Manual II (1983), the Grippli are introduced as small, smart tree frog humanoids. They closely resemble the red-eye tree frog in appearance, but we can't verify that their eyes were actually red since the art is only in black and white. It seems a bit odd that they are humanoids, but it isn’t any odder than the bullywug and grung also being frog-humanoids.
The Grippli's hands and feet can easily grip tree branches, allowing them to move easily high in the canopy within the rainforest. Grippli also live in swamps, and both locations are rich in the foods that make up their diet, insects and fruit. They'll eat a lot of bugs throughout their lifetime since they can live to be over 700 years old. A Grippli can easily hunt for a late-night snack if they choose, having darkvision, known back in the day as ultravision.
The Grippli blend right in with their natural habitat, their greenish grey skin granting them a chance to surprise you and your friends two out of three times. Even though the Grippli travels through the treetops, they live on the ground in small huts, usually made from mud or wood. Such places are typically decorated with any bright-colored clothing they manage to steal from unsuspecting travelers, though they are not warlike or violent - they just like pretty colors.
Monster Manual II, 1983 TSR Inc.
If you stumble across a Grippli lair, these creatures won't attack you on sight, which is a pleasant change from most of the creatures we examine. They are not a violent, warmongering race, but that doesn't mean they won't defend themselves. They prefer such ranged weapons as crossbows, darts, and nets, but the occasional few will have a sword in hand, ready to slash you if you get too close. You'll probably encounter a few snare traps before you stumble into their lair. Being uber-intelligent, some Grippli also possesses psionic powers, so if you get a massive headache before your head explodes, that’s why.
We recommend not underestimating these tiny creatures, as you may find yourself caught in a snare trap, riddle with darts, and your brain melted, all at the same time.
2e - Grippli
Climate/Terrain: Tropical/Swamps and jungles
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Tribal
Activity Cycle: Day
Diet: Omnivore
Intelligence: Very to high (11-14)
Treasure: Qx4, I
Alignment: Neutral
No. Appearing: 1-10
Armor Class: 9
Movement: 9, leap15
Hit Dice: 1+1
THAC0: 19
No. of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: 1-4 (weapon)
Special Attacks: -3 penalty to opponents' surprise
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: S (2 1/2’ tall)
Morale: Average (8-10)
XP Value: Normal: 65, Mates: 175, Tribe mother: 270
Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures, 1990 TSR Inc.
The Grippli appears in the Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures (1990) and is reprinted in Monstrous Manual (1993). While there are not many changes, there is new information about our little tree frog friends. Their appearance is closer to an upright common frog than a tree frog, based on the illustrations in the books. A Grippli's gray-green skin has camouflage stripes and swirling patterns, and it even glistens in the light but is quite dry. Their hands are closer to humans than frogs, and their feet are oddly hand-looking if your hands had absurdly long fingers. The Grippli are still very small, standing only two and a half feet tall and weighing 25 pounds, though the tribe mother will be closer to four feet tall and her mates will be up to three and a half feet tall. If you want a new frog friend, you can talk to a Grippli as they know common and elvish, but they largely communicate with their language which uses croaks of different resonances, which can make it hard to understand them.
A Grippli's diet consists of whatever fruits and insects are indigenous to where they live. They hunt giant insects like how humans would pursue a deer. Unfortunately for the Grippli, they are hunted by larger creatures who love the taste of frog flesh, especially giant snakes and spiders.
While Grippli are attracted to bright colors, their clothing isn't going to win any fashion contests. They typically don’t wear any clothes unless they are outside their village, in which case they might wear a belt or loincloth so that they can carry stuff in pockets. These little frogs will leave their village not only to hunt but also to trade with good-aligned creatures and villages. There are no blacksmiths in Grippli culture, so swords and other metal weapons aren't usually used. It's not that the Grippli couldn't create their own armaments as intelligent as they are, but why spend all that time when you can trade exotic fruits if you need such items?
Darts, nets, and spears are their weapons of choice. You may not see the darts coming since the Grippli's natural camouflage give them the element of surprise. It makes sense then that Gripplis would rather hide and ambush you than attack you head-on. When you're 2 feet tall, charging into any battle is a fool's folly. Dropping a net on unsuspecting passersby and raining down darts upon them makes much more sense.
Monstrous Manual, 1993 TSR Inc.
The social life of the average Grippli remains mostly the same. Even though the Grippli travels the trees, they live on the ground in tiny little huts. A tribal mother runs the show, her four-foot frame towering over the members of her tribe. Her house also serves as a shrine to the Grippli's undefined frog-like god, and it is said that the tribe mother has a little god blood flowing through her veins.
While the Grippli are a peaceful race, that doesn't mean tribe mom and her loyal subjects won't fight back if threatened. If the tribe mother needs to protect herself, and the village, you better start running as she can unleash a musk cloud, which is just a stinking cloud spell that will leave you wretching and gasping for some fresh air. It doesn't seem that attacking the Grippli is something you should go out of you're way to do anyways. There are plenty of other creatures out there trying to kill you, so how about we all just leave the Grippli alone?
Dragon #262, Aug. 1999 TSR Inc.
If you have been hoping to play as a Grippli, this edition has you covered with a very late entry. In Dragon #262 (Aug. 1999), the article Half-Pint Heroes by James Wyatt features five new races for player characters like the chitine, ravenkin, and, of course, the Grippli. A Grippli gets a +1 bonus to their Intelligence, which makes sense as they are quite intelligent, but take a -1 penalty to their Charisma score for being ‘socially backward and unattractive to other races’ which seems a bit like human-washing to us. We find the Grippli to be adorable and we bet that they have some fascinating stories to tell.
Luckily, you do get the benefit of being able to climb pretty much anything you come across, you can jump twice as far as normal, and you are well camouflaged so you have an easier time surprising creatures when you go in with your darts. Unfortunately, you can’t wear armor, so that’s going to suck when someone stabs you in the gut. We suggest you immediately jump to the highest point you can during combat and sticking with a bow, darts, or spellcasting to ensure that no one ever gets a chance to hurt you.
3e/3.5e - Grippli
Ability Score Adjustments: +2 bonus to Dexterity, -2 penalty to Strength
Small: As a small size creature, Grippli gain a +1 size bonus to Armor class, a +1 size bonus to attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Speed: Grippli base land speed is 20 feet. Grippli have a climb speed of 20 feet granting them the usual +8 racial bonus on Climb checks.
Low Light Vision: A Grippli can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
The Grippli doesn’t appear in any Monster Manuals in this edition, in fact, it doesn’t show up at all but in Dragon #324 (October 2004) with the article Winning Races: Grippli by Joshua Cole. While the article doesn’t offer much in the way of new material, it does reconfirm what we know about the Grippli.
Dragon #324, October 2004 Paizo Publishing / WotC
The first thing we’ll get into is a bit existential. How the Grippli came into existence is unknown, but that’s ok. At least they weren’t the result of some experiment by a mad wizard. They are peaceful and shy, being wary when first encountering outsiders and often leaping up to high spots when first conversing with them. That doesn’t mean you can’t become friends; once you do, they are pleasant and full of good humor. A few adventurous Grippli become traders, bartering with insects and fruits for their desired colorful cloths and items.
They don’t talk much about religion, which in this day and age is a smart move. What is known is that they worship a nameless goddess. Some have postulated that this deity is some form of Blibdoolpoolp, goddess of the kuo-toa. Druids comprise most of the Grippli culture’s clergy and answer only to the tribe mother. Celebrations revolve around nature and the seasons, and Grippli religious festivals are elaborate and exorbitant. They are fun but serious affairs, culminating in enormous offerings to their unnamed goddess and we can only imagine that it involves lots of shiny baubles.
Unfortunately for the Grippli, giant insects think that Grippli flesh is quite tasty, so there’s one more group of creatures you’ll need to avoid. Dragons have been known to enslave entire tribes of Grippli. It sounds horrible, but as long as the dragon isn’t a complete jerk, the Grippli will embrace their new life and welcome the protection that a massive, fire-breathing master brings.
This article also provides information on playing as a Grippli, which will grant you a +2 bonus to Dexterity and a -2 penalty to Strength. That’s at least better than taking a hit to Charisma just cause you don’t look like a human. In addition, you get a climb speed, a boost to your Armor Class, saving throws, and stealth checks, as well as a +1 bonus on attack rolls against vermin. Those giant insects better watch out for the greatest hunter is just a jump away.
5e - Grippli Warrior
Small humanoid (grippli)
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 13 (3d6 + 3)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Str 10 (+0) Dex 15 (+2) Con 12 (+1) Int 10 (+0) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 10 (+0)
Skills Athletics +2, Stealth +4, Survival +4
Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Grippli plus one other language (usually Common, Draconic, or Primordial)
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) / Proficiency Bonus +2
Hold Breath. The grippli can hold its breath for 20 minutes.
Standing Leap. The grippli can leap 30 feet horizontally or 20 feet vertically from a standing position.
Multiattack. The grippli makes one attack with its tongue. If this attack hits, the grippli can make a melee attack using its trident against the same target.
Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the grippli can’t grab another creature.
Trident. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, or 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack, plus 2 (1d4) piercing damage if the grippli had advantage on the attack roll.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, plus 2 (1d4) piercing damage if the grippli had advantage on the attack roll.
Candlekeep Mysteries, 2021 WotC
The Grippli return to Dungeons & Dragons with the release of Candlekeep Mysteries (2021). The Grippli are featured in the adventure Book of Cylinders, where they are catching crabs and being hunted by the yuan-ti. Our tree-traveling yet ground-dwelling frog has shameful little information, but at least it has been saved from the scrap heap of forgotten creatures.
Our little green friend looks like a frog except for its hands and feet which have finger-like appendages allowing it to climb trees, swing weapons, and steal all of your colorful baubles. Don’t worry; the Grippli still have a frog’s tongue. This mouth muscle can shoot out, trapping an unsuspecting foe and restraining them, where it then uses its melee weapons to hack you apart.
When you’re tiny and tasty, you spend most of your time just trying to survive, and the Grippli does just that. They don’t pray to a single god but practice animism, meaning the Grippli believe everything to be spiritual in nature. Of course, they will reach out to a singular nature spirit if they need help. It could be a prayer for rain or a cry to help as they are being chased by a giant snake.
On the ground, they will defend their mud hut villages from their enemies, which include lizardfolk and yuan-ti, by ambushing threats before they can strike. You see, Grippli eggs are tasty, or at least the yuan-ti think so. Defending and raising the young is a communal effort, from watching the eggs while they are gestating in small freshwater pools till they grow up and go off to college. We can also glean from the adventure that the community is still run by a strong female figure, now known as the Pond Mother. That's all we'll say since we don't want to spoil the adventure for you!
The Grippli may be small, but they are fierce. Don’t assume they are all timid and shy like Kermit the Frog. The Grippli will most likely avoid you and any conflict you may bring, but you could find yourself being riddled with darts if you threaten them. We suggest not fighting them, we know it’s a shocking request, but instead, making friends and enjoying their company. Who knows, you may be able to trade a simple sash of red cloth for the tastiest papaya you’ve ever had.
If you enjoy our Deep Dive series, consider
supporting us on Patreon and following us on Twitter!
