Selkie Folk

Selkie folk are humanoids that descend from humans and selkies. Selkies are fey creatures who can appear in two forms, as a human or as a seal. When a selkie transforms from a seal into their humanoid form, they shed their seal fur and leave it behind, leaving them vulnerable. Occasionally, selkies and humans form a bond and have children.

Eventually, those offspring formed their own ancestry, known as the selkie folk.

Ancestral Traits

Selkie folk still retain a vestige of the fey magic of their forebears, allowing them to transform into a seal once a day, though they need not shed their skin – only their clothes. Even in human form, though, they have webbed fingers and toes. Selkie folk tend to have certain traits.

Age. Selkie folk mature at the same rate as humans and live about as long.

Size. In their humanoid form, selkie folk are the same size and shape as humans. In their seal form, they are roughly the same length and weight. In both forms, your size is Medium.

Speed. In your humanoid form, your base speed is 30 feet and your swim speed is 20 feet. In your seal form, your swim speed is 30 feet and your base speed is 20 feet.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Selkie Gift. Like their selkie forebears, selkie folk can transform from humanoid to seal and back. Once a day, you can transform into a seal, though this feature does not affect your clothing and equipment. When in seal form, you retain your game statistics, though you cannot speak, use weapons, or cast spells. You gain a swim speed of 30 feet and a speed of 20 feet. When in your seal form, you can hold your breath for 30 minutes. You can remain in seal form for up to one hour. Once you transform back, you cannot transform again until the next dawn. Your creature type is Humanoid (shapechanger).

Cultural Traits

Selkie folk communities most often are found in coastal regions, perhaps as a result of their selkie forebears emerging from the seas long ago. Selkie folk communities most often take their sustenance from fishing.

Often, these coastal fishing communities can grow to be fairly large, yet still harmonious communities. Those who grow up in selkie folk communities have certain traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom by 1.

Alignment. Selkie folk communities tend to be friendly and relaxed communities. They lean toward goodness.

Fishing Folk. People in selkie folk communities grow up by the sea. You have proficiency in Athletics and have proficiency with Vehicles (Water).

Peoples of the Sea. Selkie folk communities teach their young how to communicate with the creatures of the sea in simple terms. Through simple movements and flapping in the water, you can communicate simple ideas with sea creatures that are Small or smaller.

Languages. You speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.