#sea spawn

On the left, a warrior Gnoll! They're the forward guard and hunters. These are 7- 7.5 ft (2.1-2.3 m) hyena people with a dominance-focused culture! They might have a bit of instinctive bloodlust and drive to hunt, but they're passionate, big on family, and super loyal! And of course it bears mentioning that hyenas have a pseudopenis. Yeah, the females have dick-sized complex clits and fused labia. Animal genitalia be wild.

On the right, Sea Spawn! Many beings of the sea, from the mighty kraken to the humble sea hag, can turn humanoids into this. Sometimes to ensure service, sometimes as a general curse. So they're anywhere from the size of an orc to a gnome, and have aquatic features like tentacles or venomous quills! They do have to touch seawater for a minute a day though, so you're going to at least be near a beach.

Do you crave aquatic adventure? Mermazing is for you!

Play as one of four different aquatic races. 🐙

Beloved character met a watery grave? Have them return as a sea spawn! 🐟

Choose from different aquatic adaptations to make your character truly one-of-a-kind. 🦀

Image © Wizards of the Coast.

[Volo’s Guide to Monsters only has two brand new monsters in it, and then only on a technicality. The deep scion and the sea spawn are basically deep ones from Lovecraft or skum from previous editions of D&D, except one of them can talk and change shape (deep scion) and one of them can’t (sea spawn). Since Pathfinder already has both deep ones and skum, this would seem to be especially redundant. But neither of those is a template. And by combining the two monsters and transforming it into a template, it makes an excellent model for Davy Jones and his crew of sea monsters from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.]

Sea Spawn CR +1 Template Sample Sea Spawn This creature is clearly humanoid, and may once even have been a man, but has been warped into some manner of piscine creature. His hands and feet are webbed, eyes bulging and he has irregular scales and fins along his moist skin.

A sea spawn is a humanoid creature that has pledged itself, body and soul, to a power of the ocean. Krakens are most notorious for creating sea spawn, but they can also be created through divine dispensation by gods of the water, the curses of aquatic fey or sea hags, or even by the designs of powerful merfolk sorcerers. Whatever the origin, transformation into a sea spawn causes the creature’s body to warp in various ways, gaining the features of one or more aquatic animals. Some sea spawn are dimwitted brutes, but others have their intellect sharpened by the transformation and are canny schemers. Many, but not all, of these more intelligent sea spawn can change shape, disguising themselves in the garb of their previous lives to act as spies and agents in the air-breathing world.

Creating a Sea Spawn “Sea spawn” is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid creature without the aquatic subtype. A sea spawn retains the base creature’s statistics and special abilities, except as noted here.

Challenge Rating As base creature +1 (minimum CR 1)

Type The creature’s type changes to monstrous humanoid and the creature gains the aquatic subtype. Do not recalculate its Hit Dice, base attack bonus or saves

Senses A sea spawn gains darkvision 60 ft. and low-light vision.

Armor Class A sea spawn gains a +1 natural armor bonus.

Defensive Abilities A sea spawn gains the following defensive ability. Deep Dweller (Ex) A sea spawn is immune to cold and bludgeoning damage as a result of water temperature or depth

Speed Reduce the creature’s land speed by 10 ft (minimum 10 ft.). A sea spawn gains a swim speed equal to twice its new land speed if it didn’t already have a swim speed.

Attacks A sea spawn gains a slam attack as a primary natural weapon that deals damage as normal for a creature of its size.

Statistics A sea spawn gains a +4 bonus to two ability scores of its choice, and a -2 penalty to two ability scores of its choice.

Skills A sea spawn always treats Intimidate, Perception, Stealth and Swim as class skills.

Languages A sea spawn gains the ability to speak Aquan

SQ A sea spawn gains the amphibious special quality, and gains the following special quality. Water Reliant (Ex) A sea spawn must submerge itself in water for at least 1 full hour in order to gain the benefits of rest.

Aquatic Anatomy A sea spawn has one of the following benefits, plus an additional benefit per 4 HD it possesses. All-Around Vision (Ex) As the universal monster ability Alternate Form (Su) The sea spawn may change shape, as the universal monster ability, but only to appear as its original form before the transformation into a sea spawn. It gains a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear as its previous identity when using this ability. Bleeding Bite (Ex) The sea spawn gains a bite attack that deals damage as normal for a creature of its size, as well as 1 point of bleed damage. Blindsense (Ex) The sea spawn gains blindsense out to 60 feet. Camouflage (Ex) The sea spawn can change color at will, gaining a +8 racial bonus on Stealth checks. A sea spawn with this ability can make Stealth checks to hide without cover or concealment. Crushing Claw (Ex) One of the sea spawn’s hands becomes a claw that deals damage as a creature one size category larger. It cannot wield weapons with this claw, but gains the grab and constrict universal monster qualities. Electric Touch (Ex) As a standard action, the sea spawn may make a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per 2 Hit Dice. A sea spawn may use this ability once every 1d4 rounds. Fast Healing (Ex) The sea spawn gains fast healing equal to ½ its Hit Dice (maximum fast healing 10). Jet (Ex) Once per round as a full round action, a sea spawn may move six times its normal swim speed in a straight line without provoking an attack of opportunity. Keen Scent (Ex) The sea spawn can detect creatures by scent within 180 feet, and sense blood in the water at a range of one mile. Major Tentacles (Ex) The sea spawn gains two tentacle attacks as secondary natural weapons. These deal damage as normal for a creature of the sea spawn’s size. Minor Tentacles (Ex) The sea spawn can draw or stow a small item with its minor tentacles as a swift action. The minor tentacles can manipulate objects, but cannot wield weapons or a shield. Pain Poison (Ex) A creature struck by one of the sea spawn’s natural attacks must succeed a Fortitude save (Con based DC) or be sickened for 1d6 rounds. Multiple failed saves increase the duration. This is a poison effect. Resistance (Ex) The sea spawn gains cold and fire resistance 10. Shell Armor (Ex) The sea spawn gains an additional +1 natural armor bonus and fortification (25%). Spikes (Ex) A creature that strikes the sea spawn with a melee weapon, natural weapon, touch attack or unarmed strike takes piercing damage equal to the damage from a claw attack of a creature of the sea spawn’s size. Manufactured weapons with the reach property do not harm their wielders in this way.

Next up, my little sea bunny!

Thanks to @canarydraws​ for this art piece!

While the previously encountered seas spawn and deep scions did not betray who transformed them or what master they served, these ones made it very clear right up front which powerful patron was giving the orders. The imprisoned leviathan also gave them all enhanced abilities, including higher armor classes for all, and warlock levels and their own individual Swords of Fathoms for the more gifted scions.

We’ve gotten to talk a lot recently about how the Mighty Nein have really learned how to work together to maximize their capabilities in battle. Today, we get to explore what happens when their enemies are able to set up an encounter negate all of that to their advantage. Uk’otoa may be a massive sea serpent locked away, but Fjord was his warlock long enough to know precisely how to exact its revenge against him. Did the fight feel unfair to the Mighty Nein? Good. Let’s examine why and how.

Anyway, have this dumbass!