Sahuagin (/sɑːˈhwɑːgɪn/)
The Sea's Savage Warriors
The creature is a fish-like humanoid, with webbed feet and hands, gills, and a finned tail. It has additional webbing down its back, at the elbows, and where human ears would be. It has usually green, moist, scaly skin.
Sahuagin were a fish-like monstrous humanoid species that lived in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves. Sahuagin spoke their own language, though some were known to also speak Common, Abyssal and Aquan. Sahuagin could also communicate simple concepts to nearby sharks using Telepathy.
Although the correct term to address them as a race was sahuagin, those that Fear or despised them usually called them sea devils or even more derisively, fish heads.
Across fog-shrouded coasts or endless ocean swells, an ominous drone sounded on a conch shell chills the blood of all who hear it. This is the sound of the sahuagin hunting horn-a call to raid and battle. Coastal settlers refer to sahuagin as "sea devils," for sahuagin have no compassion in them, slaughtering the crews of ships and decimating coastal villages.
Devils of the Deep. Sahuagin are a predatory, piscine race that ventures from the ocean's black depths to hunt the creatures of the shallows and shore. Though they dwell in the deepest trenches of the ocean, sahuagin view the entire aquatic realm as their kingdom and the creatures in it as blood sport for their hunting parties.
The self-styled rulers of sahuagin ocean domains are massive mutant males that grow second sets of arms. They are terrible foes in battle, and all sahuagin bow down before these powerful barons.
Way of the Shark. Sahuagin worship the Shark god Sekolah. Only female sahuagin are deemed worthy of channeling the god's power, and priestesses hold tremendous sway in sahuagin communities.
Sahuagin are driven into a frenzy by the smell of fresh blood. As worshipers of Sekolah, they also have a special kinship with sharks, which they train as attack animals. Even untrained sharks recognize sahuagin as allies and don't prey on them.
Elven Enmity. The sahuagin might control the oceans if not for the presence of their mortal enemies, the aquatic elves. Wars between the two races have raged for centuries across the coasts and seas of the world, disrupting maritime trade and drawing other races into the bloody conflict.
So intense is sahuagin hatred for the aquatic elves that the sea devils have adapted to combat their ancient foes. A sahuagin born near enough to an aquatic Elf community can enter the world as a malenti-a sahuagin that physically resembles an aquatic Elf in every way. Sahuagin are Prone to mutation, but whether this rare phenomenon is a result of the wars between the sahuagin and the aquatic elves-or whether it preceded or even began the conflict-none can say.
The sahuagin put the malenti to good use as spies and assassins in aquatic Elf Cities and the societies of other creatures that pose a threat to sahuagin. The mere shadow of the malenti threat incites paranoia and suspicion among aquatic elves, whose resilience is weakened as the prelude to an actual sahuagin invasion.
“The village was empty, the seagulls were strangely quiet, and all we could hear was the surge of the sea.”
The Menagerie fought some in the Grotto of Outding Refuge. Then the Sahuagin Crystal Cave. Later there were some in the Ruins under the Outding Refuge Church. And then they cleared out a large hollow tree of sahuagin.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The creature is a fish-like humanoid, with webbed feet and hands, gills, and a finned tail. It has additional webbing down its back, at the elbows, and where human ears would be. It has usually green, moist, scaly skin.
Description
Sahuagin were usually green-skinned; darker on the back and lighter on the belly. Many had dark stripes, bands, or spots, but these tended to fade with age. An adult male sahuagin stood roughly 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and weighed about 200 pounds (91 kilograms). Sahuagin were highly fish-like, with webbed feet and hands, gills, and a finned tail. There was additional webbing down the back, at the elbows and, notably, also where human ears would be. Some sahuagin developed towering physiques, reaching 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall. The larger beings usually rose to higher positions, as the savage nature of the sahuagin enabled challenges to the death for higher status. Females developed specks of yellow on their tails, which would grow in number until the whole tail was of a deep yellow color. At that point, the female was no longer considered fit for mating.Mutations
About one in every 216 hatchlings possessed four functional arms. Known as "barons", these four-armed mutations were often black, fading to gray in color. While sahuagin usually killed off defective hatchlings, they allowed these to live. If a sahuagin abode was near a sea elf community or was frequently visited by a sea elf, a strange mutation occurred within the sahuagin clan. About one in every 100 hatchlings appeared to look like a sea elf with greenish-silver skin and green or blue hair. These mutants were called malenti. Malenti were shunned by the clan as whole, but were protected by the clan's ruler and raised as spies by the clans best warriors and the priestesses.Ecology and Habitats
Behaviour
Sahuagin are fierce, amphibious fish-men that live in shallower depths of the ocean. They come ashore to raid coastal settlements at night, but their limited air breathing means they can't stay on land for long.
On land, sahuagin are basic brutes. They wield spears two-handed for the greater damage, and their Blood Frenzy feature gives them advantage on attacks against any opponent who's taken damage already. They're not dumb, though, and they'll attack with discipline and cohesive units. They'll also retreat if they're outmatched.
In the water, sahuagin are accompanied by sharks. Thanks to their Shark Telepathy feature, the sharks fight with the same intelligence and discipline as the sahuagin themselves. Sahuagin are also more tenacious in the water, and they'll fight to the death at the command of a sahuagin baron or priestess.
Here are some additional details about sahuagin tactics:
- They'll often use their darkvision to their advantage by attacking at night.
- They'll use their superior swimming speed to flank or encircle their enemies.
- They'll focus their attacks on spellcasters, especially those who are casting water breathing spells.
- They'll retreat if they're outmatched, but they'll fight to the death if they're defending a location or object.
Combat
Savage fighters, sahuagin asked for and gave no quarter; not even to children or babies. They had wide and powerful jaws filled with long, sharp fangs, which they often used in battle. When swimming, a sahuagin tore with its feet or hands, striking with its talons or a weapon. Spears and tridents were their favored weapons, which they often coated in a poison they prepared. About half of any group of sahuagin were also armed with nets that were laced with barbs. Especially when in groups, they rode mantas as a means of transport to assault ships and other vessels. They also used sharks as allies in battle, but the number of sharks they could control was limited to an unknown amount. Although they excelled in physical prowess, they greatly feared magic, so they never tried developing or studying it for any purpose. Only priestesses of Sekolah used clerical magic granted by the god and even that magic was regarded with fear and as a necessary evil.Additional Information
Social Structure
Sahuagin are a race of humanoid fish-creatures that live in the ocean. They are a highly militaristic society, and their social structure is based on strength and power.
The sahuagin society is divided into three castes:
The ruling caste:
The ruling caste is made up of the sahuagin nobles and their families. They are the most powerful sahuagin, and they control the government and the military.
The warrior caste:
The warrior caste is made up of the sahuagin soldiers and sailors. They are responsible for defending the sahuagin cities and carrying out the sahuagin's conquests.
The worker caste:
The worker caste is made up of the sahuagin that do not belong to the other two castes. They are responsible for the menial tasks of the sahuagin society, such as farming and fishing.
The sahuagin are a very hierarchical society, and the members of each caste are expected to obey the orders of their superiors. The ruling caste is at the top of the hierarchy, and the worker caste is at the bottom.
The sahuagin are also a very militaristic society, and their culture is based on strength and power. The sahuagin are constantly at war with other races, and they see conquest as a way to prove their superiority.
The sahuagin are a dangerous and powerful race, and they should not be underestimated. They are a threat to any race that they come into contact with, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
Here are some additional details about the sahuagin social structure:
- The sahuagin are matriarchal, meaning that the females are in charge.
- The sahuagin worship the shark god Sekolah.
- The sahuagin are often hostile to humans and other land-based creatures.
- The sahuagin are a feared and respected race in the world of Dierde.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Harvesting
Instructions
Instructions: Because this creature is an Humanoid, the player should roll a Medicine Check using the DCs in the table below. On a success, the player is able to harvest the item. On a failure, the item cannot be harvested (either because the character is not skilled enough, or because the item is ruined). The DM should note that many of the items have an expiration, and can not be sold or used after the expiration has passed.
| DC | Item | Description | Value | Weight | Expiration | Crafting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sahuagin Blood (3 vials) | A sahuagin has dark blue blood that smells of rancid seaweed. The blood is oxygen rich, and has many transformative properties, making it useful in the alchemy community. | 5 sp | 1 lb. | 7 days | Potion of the Sahuagin |
This kind of creature may carry some coins. This kind of creature may have a small hoard. This character usually carries: 1 Spear Random loot, generally very little. they can be carrying weapons and armor which could range in quality and abilities.
Possible Trinkets
Possible trinkets
1d20 Item Weight Value 1 1 waterskin of saltwater 5 lb. 2 sp 2 1 bundle of seaweed 4 lb. 3 cp 3 1 jar of earthworms 5 lb. 1 sp 4 1 large piece of frosted sea glass 1 lb. 5 cp 5 1 waterskin of fermented fish blood 5 lb. 7 sp 6 1 pouch of fish scales 2 lb. 5 cp 7 1 pouch of teeth and claws from various creatures 4 lb. 5 sp 8 1 pouch of barnacles 3 lb. 6 cp 9 1 crude stone carving of a shark 3 lb. 7 cp 10 1 necklace made of fish bones 1 lb. 1 sp 11 1 bracelet of shark teeth ½ lb. 1 sp 12 1 string lined with several sea elf ears -- -- 13 1 coral belt buckle, decorated with several small misshapen pearls 1 lb. 1 gp 14 1 torn net (unusable) 3 lb. 1 sp 15 1 rock painted with a wave crashing over a town 6 lb. 3 cp 16 1 coral pendant of a shark (the symbol of Sekolah) 1 lb. 5 sp 17 1 long stick with a starfish stuck on one end 3 lb. 3 cp 18 1 pink-yellow conch shell 4 lb. 5 sp 19 1 cracked tortoise shell painted with a bloody webbed handprint 7 lb. 3 sp 20 1d4 whole fish (spoils in 1 day) 2 lb. 5 cp
This creature produces 2-12 pieces of Harvested Meat, weight total of 8-48 lb. DC: 5, Expire: 1 day, Value: 4-24 sp The meat of many monsters is considered vile and distasteful. Monstrosities and aberrations, in particular, may have tainted blood or rancid tasting meat. Dungeon Master's discretion.
Average Intelligence
Above average (12)
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Society
Sahuagin were the natural enemies of aquatic elves and lizardfolk. Elves and sahuagin could not co-exist peacefully, and wars between them were often prolonged, bloody affairs that occasionally even interfered with shipping and maritime trade. Sahuagin tolerated the lizardfolk much more than they did the elves. Sahuagin had an only slightly less hatred for tritons. Exactly why the two races hated each other so much was unknown. They also hated the kuo-toa and the morkoth, though it was not unheard of for these races to ally on occasion.[citation needed] They often raided Yurian villages, considering them a delicacy. Sahuagin lived in underwater settlements that also had underground passages and tunnels, which connected the houses above the floor. Their society was strictly patriarcal, with a king ruling over princes, who in turn ruled over barons. Each baron ruled over a village, while a prince would dominate twenty villages and a king would govern an entire coastline. Kings would administer cities of several thousands inhabitants, and their palace were always much bigger than any of the other buildings in the area. Although they didn't rule, females had similar hierarchies among teachers, lore-keepers and priestesses. They also had a very particular way of keeping lore, using what they called singing bundles—conchs and shells supported by bone and sinew. When shaken, they made the clicking and hissing sounds of sahuagin language. Multiple births were frequent among sahuagin and they dealt very harshly with offspring who were not robust or aggressive enough, eliminating them through compulsory fights to the death between the young. Sahuagin seemed fixated on all aspects of consumption and were eager to weed out anything they saw as weak or unworthy to compete for resources. When going to war, sahuagin followed a certain protocol called the Laws of Battle. Sometimes however, a group of the sea devils would form a so-called Wild Hunt, which went on a frenzied rampage ignoring all rules.Common Myths and Legends
Religion
Sahuagin worshiped Sekolah, god of sharks, as their patron deity and the father of their race. They also perceived him as the ultimate adjudicator and incarnation of punishment, officiating over an endless struggle between mythic figures. These figures were the hunter: "He Who Eats", and the hunted: "He Who Is Eaten", with the struggle between them reflected in every aspect of life. Because of this, sharks were seen as holy creatures to them, and dolphins were hated for their friendship with aquatic elves. The sahuagin made regular, living sacrifices to Sekolah by feeding beings to the sharks that followed every sahuagin priest.Sources
Source(s):
- Forgotten Realms Wiki, 07/28/2921, https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sahuagin
- Sahuagin article at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting.
- Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 263–264. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 224–225. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 217–218. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 306. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), pp. 84–85. ISBN 0-9356-9600-8.
- Frank Mentzer (January 1985). “Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #93 (TSR, Inc.), p. 28.
- Dungeons & Dragons FAQ (HTML). Wizards of the Coast. (2003). Archived from the original on 2017-07-09. Retrieved on 2018-05-22.
- Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook (October 2000). Monster Manual 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 157–158. ISBN 0-7869-1552-1.
- Mel Odom (January 1999). Rising Tide. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 1. ISBN 0-7869-1312-6.
- Skip Williams (1997). The Sea Devils. (TSR, Inc), pp. 6–7. ISBN 0-7869-0643.
- Mel Odom (January 1999). Rising Tide. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 22. ISBN 0-7869-1312-6.
- Mel Odom (January 1999). Rising Tide. (TSR, Inc.), chap. Prologue. ISBN 0-7869-1312-6.
- Skip Williams (1997). The Sea Devils. (TSR, Inc), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-0643.
- Mel Odom (January 1999). Rising Tide. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 19. ISBN 0-7869-1312-6.
- Mel Odom (October 1999). The Sea Devil's Eye. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 20. ISBN ISBN 0-7869-1638-9.
- Mel Odom (January 1999). Rising Tide. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 2. ISBN 0-7869-1312-6.
- Elaine Cunningham (May 1998). Tangled Webs. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 228. ISBN 0-7869-0698-7.
- Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 47. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- Mel Odom (January 1999). Rising Tide. (TSR, Inc.), chap. 4. ISBN 0-7869-1312-6.
- Logan Bonner (August 2011). “Monster Manual Update: Sahuagin”. In Chris Sims ed. Dungeon #193 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 34–37.
- Skip Williams (1997). The Sea Devils. (TSR, Inc), p. 10. ISBN 0-7869-0643.
- Steven E. Schend (1999). Sea of Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), pp. 65–66. ISBN 0-7869-1393-2.
- Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-9356-9600-8.
- Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- Elaine Cunningham (November 1997). “Secrets of Blood, Spirits of the Sea”. In Brian M. Thomsen ed. Realms of the Arcane (TSR), chap. 2. ISBN 0-7869-0647-2.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Animalia, Materia, Humanoidus, Bipedia, Piscine, Sahuaginus
Origin/Ancestry
Humanoid (Monstrous Anthropormorphic | Piscine: Sahuagin)
Lifespan
about 100-120 years at most
Conservation Status
Sahuagin are sentient, but often found to be of a Lawful Evil alignment and so there is no conservation status, in fact many regions have "kill on sight" orders.
Average Height
6'
Average Weight
200 lb.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
5E Statistics
Sahuagin
| Size | Medium |
| Type | Humanoid |
| Tag(s) | Sahuagin |
| Alignment | Lawful Evil |
| Challenge Rating | Sahuagin (1/2) Priestess (2) Baron (5) |
General Information
| Patron Deity | Sekolah |
| Movement | Swimming |
| Vision | Darkvision, low-light vision |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Language(s) | Abyssal, Aquan, Common, Sahuagin |
| Favored Climate | Warm |
| Favored Terrain | Aquatic |
Appearance
| Average Height | 6' |
| Average Weight | 200 lbs. |
| Skin Color(s) | Green |
| Eye Color(s) | Silvery Black |
| Typical Build | Muscular |
Session Reports
See Also: Sahuagin on Forgotten Realms Wiki