Merfolk

Merfolk are among the best known and yet the least understood of the aquatic races. Folklore is filled with stories of merfolk: legends of beautiful merfolk falling in love with humans, or ship crews saved from storms by friendly bands of the creatures. Among land dwellers, merfolk are almost-legendary figures of impossible beauty and magic. In reality, merfolk are secretive and prone to intense xenophobia. They value their privacy and are more likely to react to surfacers with aggression than with friendship or passion. Merfolk communities guard their territories ruthlessly. They may warn away ships and travelers who seem nonthreatening or genuinely lost, but if trespassers appear hostile, merfolk attack first. Merfolk have the upper bodies of graceful humanoids with fine, delicate features. Their skin can be deep, warm shades of brown, lighter shades of tan and gold, or very pale tones of peach and white. Merfolk have the lower body of a great fish, with a long tail ending in powerful fins to aid with swimming. Merfolk scales are iridescent and grow in many colors, most commonly the green and blue shades of the sea. Like many fish, merfolk have darker scales on their backs and lighter ones on their undersides, which helps mask their presence from creatures below them in the water.
Although many surfacer myths about merfolk are untrue, one bears out: most merfolk are genuinely gifted musicians.
Merfolk might experiment with a harp or woodwind, particularly one discovered on a wrecked ship or stolen from a seaside community, but many merfolk are practiced singers. Merfolk voices naturally and lightly span ranges that would make human bards envious, and their songs travel far underwater or across the surface of the sea.

Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
15 years	+1d4 years (16 – 19 years)	+1d6 years (16 – 21 years)	+2d6 years (17 – 27 years)

Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	5 ft. 10 in.	+2d10 in. (6 ft. – 7 ft. 6 in.)	145 lbs.	+(2d10×5 lbs.) (155-245 lbs.)
Female	5 ft. 8 in.	+2d10 in. (5 ft. 10 in. – 7 ft. 4 in.)	135 lbs.	+(2d10×5 lbs.) (145-235 lbs.)

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: Merfolk are graceful, hale, and beautiful. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, and +2 Charisma.
• Size: Merfolk are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Base Speed (Slow Speed): Merfolk have a base speed of 5 feet. They have a swim speed of 50 feet.
• Type: Merfolk are humanoids with the aquatic subtype.
• Languages: Merfolk begin play speaking Common and Aquan. Merfolk with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aboleth, Aklo, Draconic, Elven, and Sylvan. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defense Racial Traits

• Armor: Merfolk have a +2 natural armor bonus.
• Legless: Merfolk have no legs, and therefore cannot be tripped.

Senses Racial Traits

• Low-Light Vision: Merfolk have low-light vision allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Other Racial Traits

• Amphibious: Merfolk are amphibious, but prefer not to spend long periods out of the water.

Origin/Ancestry

Ninth Crossing

Lifespan

50