Sea-folk

The sea-folk were blessed by a twilight primordial who fashioned their bodies, with an affinity for the element of water, making them equally at home on land or in the watery depths. They dwell in scattered clans and family groups along islands, coasts, and shores, often in harmony with their friends and allies, the dolphins and rhy-fen.

Androgynous and sleek-bodied compared to most humans, sea-folk have a greenish or bluish tint to their skin, which otherwise ranges from almost white to dark brown, like humans. Hair color is typically green, blue, golden blond, or occasionally black or silver, while eye color is green, blue, gray, gold, or black. Sea-folk have slightly scalloped, fin-like ears. Sea-folk can interbreed with humans, and their offspring are either human or sea-folk. Humans with sea-folk ancestry, which describes many islanders, sometimes have sea-folk children as well. Although it is rare for sea-folk with some measure of human ancestry to have a fully human child, it does happen.

Sea-folk are free and fun-loving people, most at home swimming in the peaceful depths, or splashing and frolicking among the waves. They tend to have few attachments, apart from close friends and family, and less of a notion of material possession, since fairly little endures in the waters. Sea-folk enjoy sunning themselves on beaches and exposed rocks and are sometimes given to melancholy moods, like a sudden storm sweeping in from the sea. Sea-folk tend to be natural explorers, curious about almost everything, with a drive to dive down into the depths of experience to see and learn what is there. The wise among them also learn caution when it comes to their explorations, but they always “hear the call of the Well of Knowledge” said to be found at the bottom of the sea, and the secrets to be found there. This drive often manifests as wanderlust for young sea-folk, who travel widely and explore before they feel ready to settle in or near a particular place.

Sea-folk may have small homes or shelters upon island shoals or in a suitable sea-cave or the like, but most have little use for the trappings of civilization as such. Cities and towns were sea-folk dwell often have shoreline communities with partially submerged structures, affording the inhabitants both air- and water-filled chambers and easy access to both environments. Free to move in the water and more resistant to cold than humans, sea-folk have no body modesty or taboos concerning nudity, and their clothing tends to be light and easily discarded. Sarong-like wraps and simple kilts are their most common fashions. They wear a bit more clothing on land, as needed for the weather and the occasion.

Other Rhydan

Any beast can potentially awaken as rhydan; the examples given on this site are simply the most common. Game Masters are free to allow rhydan of any other beast form in their games that they wish, although the recommendation of a beast of no more than CR 1/4 should generally stand for player characters, unless the GM feels there’s a strong reason to override it. See the Rhydan creature template for creating rhydan non-player characters.

Names

Sea-folk names tend to follow the conventions of Islander culture (see Cultures, following). Among more isolated sea-folk families, names are often inspired by natural features and may include things like Current, Cloud, Diver, Fin, Pebble, Sand, Song, Wave, Wind, and the like, either as given names or nicknames.

Racial Traits

Your sea-folk character has the following traits.

• Age. Sea-folk attain maturity and age much as humans do, becoming adults in their late teens and generally living to around 70–80 years old.
• Alignment. Sea-folk tend to be as neutral as their changeable home, flowing between the freedom and spontaneity of chaos and the lawful need for groups and cooperation. Their empathetic nature draws them towards good, for the most part.
• Size. Sea-folk tend towards slighter and more sleek or slender builds than humans. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You have a swimming speed of 30 feet as well.
• Amphibious. You can hold your breath underwater for a number of minutes equal to 10 + your Constitution modifier. You can be immersed in frigid water for ten times the normal length of time before suffering any ill-effects, and have advantage on Constitution saving throws against those effects.
• Darkvision. Eyes adapted to the watery depths, you can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Dolphin-friend. Through sounds and body movements, you can communicate simple ideas with dolphins and other cetaceans, as well as fellow sea-folk, and understand their replies.
• Dehydration. You need twice as much water as other characters to avoid dehydration: two gallons per day, four in hot conditions. This amount is halved if you are fully immersed in water for at least an hour that day.