Kraken Folk

The kraken folk are humanoids who resemble a human sized fish standing erect on fins that loosely resemble feet. They originate in the wide oceans of the world and are said to be children of the kraken, a great and terrible master of the seas. Some historians believe that the kraken folk were a naturally occurring sea-dwelling people that fell under the sway of a powerful kraken and became its servitors for a time, whereas others believe a magic wielding kraken created them as subjects long ago. In either case, most kraken folk now no longer serve krakens. Indeed, many kraken folk themselves deny any personal connection to the gargantuan monstrosity, preferring not to be associated with it.

Ancestral Traits

Kraken folk resemble five-foot tall fish standing upright. Their arms end in fins with bony ridges that double as webbed fingers. They have a fish tail as well, and their bodies are covered in shiny scales of any color. Your kraken folk character has several distinctive features due to this ancestry.

Age. Kraken folk mature more quickly than humans, reaching adulthood in twelve years, and have an average lifespan of sixty years.

Size. Kraken folk are human in size, though tend to be short and squat. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base speed is 25 feet.

Senses. Darkvision. Due to centuries of life in the deeps, kraken folk can see well in darkness. 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.

Aquatic. You are a creature at home in the sea. You can breathe air and water and have a swim speed equal to your speed.

Despite your ability to survive on land, however, you need to be submerged in water for at least one hour every day. If you do not, you suffer the poisoned condition until you do.

Bravery of the Deeps. Whether on account of having descended from such an awesome and dread creature or from centuries of life amidst the other horrors of the deep, kraken folk have an uncanny ability to shake off things that might shock others. When you make a saving throw to resist being frightened, paralyzed, or stunned, you roll with advantage.

Cultural Traits

Kraken folk communities are almost always beneath sea, usually carved from dead coral in a reef. Sometimes they can be found in buildings half submerged in bays and lagoons as well, though water is always part and parcel of these settlements. Because kraken folk communities take the sea as their domain, their ceremonies and services usually revolve around the tides, as well the storms that bring crashing surf and swelling waves. As such, most kraken folk communities are led by a high priest or priestess who leads them in reverent worship of the ocean and its powers.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score by 1.

Alignment. Kraken folk communities respect the ocean and follow its lead. As such, they are organized but accept sudden change. They tend toward chaos.

Aquatic Magic. Kraken folk communities celebrate their connection to the sea and demonstrate it through the maintenance of special magical traditions, allegedly learned from the krakens themselves, who wield the power to conjure violent storms at sea. You know the shocking grasp cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the speak with animals spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the gust of wind spell once with this trait. You regain the ability to cast these spells with this trait when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

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

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