Merfolk
One of the most sought after races, merfolk are a mysterious and alluring species. Legends speak of sailors falling head over heels for these half-fish folk, and the reverse is true, as many merfolk are enamored with the creatures who dwell above the waves.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Merfolk are graceful beastmen, with slender upper bodies of a human and lower bodies of a large fish
Genetics and Reproduction
Merfolk usually lay clutches of eggs, although it is rare for many of them to successfully hatch. A merfolk mother is capable of carrying a humanoid child, but such pregnancies are quite difficult, and without the magic that turns the mothers fins to legs (which must be maintained the entire length), the birthing process is almost always fatal for the mother.
Growth Rate & Stages
Merfolk reach adulthood at 15 years of age.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Most merfolk enjoy a vast diet of various fish and undersea plant life, often cultivating them similarly to livestock or farms on the surface world.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Merfolk are considered exotic creatures by many on the surface world, and often are hunted to be put in exotic shows or as trophy wives. Many Deep Realm races view merfolk flesh as a delicacy, and thus will often hunt them for sport.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Merfolk inhabit all corners of the Deep Realm, the layers of ocean under Vatenrelm, although some merfolk have migrated into various rivers, ponds, and streams around the world.
Average Intelligence
Merfolk are graceful and beautiful, utilizing their charms to woo others. They must often innovate and adapt to the many other dangerous races of the Deep Realm who wish to hunt or corrupt them.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Most merfolk can see in low-light conditions, but some merfolk adapt to deep-sea life, gaining the ability to sea in the dark of the depths.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Merfolk often cultivate fish and other ocean critters to work for them, and such creatures can often be found in a merfolks home.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Physical beauty is very important to the merfolk, and a merfolk is always on the lookout for ways to make themselves appear more attractive or appealing in some way.
Gender Ideals
While both male and female are trained to sing, male merfolk lean towards more chanting and war-like songs, while females sing lighter and more captivating songs. Males are expected to be warriors and learn the ways of the martial, while females are expected to learn the ways of magic.
Courtship Ideals
Male merfolk sing songs of their conquests to attract females, and when a female is inspired by the singing, they join in and form a duet. Many merfolk become enamored with humans of the surface, and utilize magic to transform their fins into legs so that they can get to known their two-legged partners better.
Relationship Ideals
Merfolk form cliques known as schools very early in life, and will often stay closely tied with the school for the majority of their life. Merfolk have a hard time adjusting to those outside their schools, and thus if one is banished from a school, it often has intense difficulty joining another.
Average Technological Level
The merfolk have utilized the sea's resources to craft many things that are the equivalent of surface world items, such as lanterns that utilize blubber and colored algae to produce light. They have also mastered underwater combat, adapting all their weapons to function underwater.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Most merfolk speak Aquan and Vlatya Common, but can also be found speaking Aboleth, Aklo, Elven, Selian, and Sylvan
Common Etiquette Rules
It is considered proper to complement a merfolk on some aspect of their appearance when encountering them for the first time in a given day.
Common Dress Code
Merfolk weave elaborate bracelets and headbands out of seaweed, and craft jewelry out shells, but wear little in the way of other clothing due to living beneath the waves.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Merfolk society is built on two pillars, beauty and music. Those that are seen as extremely unattractive or cannot master some form of melody are shunned and treated as second-class citizens, often to the point where they leave their homeland and seek a living on the surface world. The constant dangers of the Deep Realm mean that merfolks' must hide their cities carefully.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Merfolk spend a majority of their time singing, but more mischievously inclined merfolk like to sing to sailors on passing ships in an attempt to lure them into the water. Whether or not these merfolk choose to save these sailors or leave them to drown largely depends on the given tribe and their opinion of surface folk.
Common Taboos
Being unable to sing or being having a physical deformity means a merfolk will be shunned. Many merfolk specialize in healing magic that can restore wounds to the flesh back to pristine condition.
Historical Figures
One of the members of the villainous Darkmoon Alliance, who actions brought about the sundering, was a merfolk blood-mage known as Mirelinda the Blood-Witch.
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of merfolk worship their Primal Beastman, Tareitha, the Sea-Singer.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Merfolk are an insular race, distrustful of the surface world due to the mysterious ways of those who dwell there, and the fact that a merfolks beauty makes them a desirable commodity far too many creatures. Merfolk are in constant danger from other aquatic races as well, as the Selia love nothing more than to dine on merfolk flesh, and Pinchlings are constantly attempting to steal valuable merfolk artifacts. Merfolk get along quite well with Elves, having a good appreciation of beauty, and they are fascinated by the Llanara, often composing great songs together with them.
Racial Table - Merfolk: Hit Dice: D8; Class Skills; Craft, Handle Animal, Profession, Survival, Swim; Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier; Weapon Proficiency: Simple, plus nets and tridents; Armor Proficiency: Medium
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Amphibious, Natural Armor, Legless |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Sea Hunter, Strongtail |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Natural Armor Increase, Wall of Brine |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +1 Charisma |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Natural Armor Increase, Siren's Song |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | +1d4 years (16 - 19) | +1d6 years (16 - 21) | +2d6 years (17 - 27) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 5 ft. 10 in.4 | +2d10 in. (6 ft. - 7 ft. 6 in.)4 | 145 lbs. | +(2d10x5 lbs.) (155 - 245 lbs.) |
| Female | 5 ft. 8 in.4 | +2d10 in. (5 ft. 10 in. - 7 ft. 4 in.)4 | 135 lbs. | +(2d10x5 lbs.) (145 - 235 lbs.) |
Merfolk Aging Table
| Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex, and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Old (-2 to Str, Dex, and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex, and Con, +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 years | 53 years | 70 years | +2d20 years (72 - 110 years) |
Random Merfolk Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-60 | Sea | Charming |
| 61-82 | River | Fast Talker |
| 83-94 | Human Settlement | Adopted or Talented |
| 95-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Merfolk Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-50 | Both of your parents are alive |
| 51-70 | Only Father is alive |
| 71-90 | Only Mother is alive |
| 91-00 | Both of your parents are dead |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-50 | No siblings |
| 51-00 | 1d2 siblings |
Lifespan
72 - 110 years
Average Height
2 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 3 in.
Average Weight
145 - 245 lbs.
Average Length
5 ft. 10 in. 7 ft. 6 in.
Average Physique
A merfolks' life beneath the waves means that they must have a strong and lean build to facilitate underwater movement.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Merfolk tend towards lighter skin tones for their upper halves, and darker scale colors for their lower, but their skin tones and colors vary greatly by location and tribe.
Geographic Distribution
Merfolk
Type
Humanoid (Aquatic)
Ability Score Modifier
+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, and +2 Charisma. Merfolk are sleek and beautiful.
Size
medium
Speed
Merfolk have a base speed of 5 feet. They have a swim speed of 50 feet. They gain the +8 racial bonus to Swim checks a swim speed normally grants. Senses: Merfolk have low-light vision.
Language
A merfolk begins play speaking Common (Vlatya) and Aquan. Merfolk with a high intelligence score can choose from the following; Aboleth, Aklo, Elven, Selian, and Sylvan
- Materil: Merfolk are intrinsically tied to the Water Materil and must become Watershifters.
- Low-light Vision: Merfolks can see twice as far as humans in low-light conditions.
- Amphibious: A merfolk is amphibious, and can survive (although uncomfortably) both on land and in the water.
- Animal-Minded: A merfolk gains a +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Wild Empathy checks made against animals with the Aquatic subtype. This bonus increases by 1 for every two hit dice beyond the 1st the merfolk possesses.
- Natural Armor: A merfolk gains a +2 natural armor bonus to its armor class. This bonus increases by 1 at 3rd racial level and again at 5th racial level.
- Legless: A merfolk has no legs, and thus can not be tripped.
- Sea Hunter: At 2nd racial level, a merfolk gains Sea Hunter as a bonus feat.
- Strongtail: At 2nd racial level, a merfolk increases its movement speed while on land to 15 feet.
- Wall of Brine (Sp): Starting at 3rd racial level, a merfolk can cast wall of brine as a spell-like ability 1/day, using their total hit dice as their caster level.
- Siren’s Song (Su): Starting at 5th racial level, 1/day as a full round action, a merfolk can sing a captivating song. When the merfolk start their song, all creatures aside from other merfolk that are within a 150 feet radius and can hear the merfolk must make a Will saving throw or become captivated. A captivated creature must move towards the merfolk in the most direct manner possible. If this path leads them through dangerous terrain, such as the edge of a cliff, that creature receives a second saving throw to end the effect. A captivated creature takes no other actions other than to defend themselves from outside sources, and offers no resistance to the merfolks attacks. A merfolk must maintain concentration to continue their song, and can only maintain a song for a number of rounds equal to their total hit dice.
Alternate Racial Traits
- Deepborn: Some merfolk dwell so far under the waves that they have never truly glimpsed the light of the sun. These merfolk have darkvision of 60 feet and the light sensitivity trait. This trait replaces the amphibious trait.
- Landwalker (Sp): Some merfolk utilize magic to better interact with the surface folk. A merfolk with this trait can cast fins to feet on themselves 1/day as a spell-like ability, using their total hit dice as their caster level. A merfolk with this trait only has a swim speed of 30 feet.
- Seasinger: Some merfolk infuse their voices with magic. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Perform (Sing) checks, and a +1 racial bonus to the save DC of language dependent spells. This trait replaces the low-light vision trait.
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