Homebrew Distillery: Merfolk
A reclusive race of aquatic humanoids, the sight of a merfolk above the waves is often an omen of death. Occasionally they might be helpful and rescue drowning sailors or guide ships through storms, but more often than not, merfolk are openly territorial and hostile to outsiders.
Because their underwater abode halts certain technological advances, many merfolk communities put greater emphasis on military and survival, rather than research and technology. However, this has not stopped determined merfolk scientists from developing technology that benefits from their briny habitat. The legendary city of Atlantis is one of the biggest beacons of technological marvels in the realm, and that all stems from their invaluable mineral resource known as Orichalcum, which they use as an alternative power source to combustion engines or electricity. Because Orichalcum only develops deep below the sea, Orichalcum is an extremely important resource to their society, as it keeps borders open and promotes trade between the merfolk and the land-dwellers.
While merfolk farther out to sea tend to be hostile, merfolk that live closer to shorelines and island nations have slowly become more open to outsiders. They have helped land-dwellers study marine life and oceanography. They bring back salvage from shipwrecks, and dig up fossils from the ocean floor. Because of this more open policy found in shallow waters, Merfolk communities that are closer to shore are far more modern and wealthy, compared to the isolated warrior tribes that roam the open sea. However, this comes with the trade-off that flourishing cities also results in the growth of crime and corruption as well.
The divide between the cultured and civilized Atlantean merfolk and the open-water warrior merfolk is so severe that it has sparked open hostilities between them. To the open-water merfolk, the open trade policy the Atlanteans have with the land-dwellers spits in the face of their heritage and violates the “big fish eat little fish” mentality of the sea. The Atlanteans argue that ignoring progress in favor of tradition only serves to make the open-water merfolk seem primative and barbaric by comparison. Already, the merfolk have gone to war against themselves twice. One battle had enough casualties that the humans named the battleground The Bay of Blood.
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity increases by +2
Age. Merfolk can live to be up to 300 years old, and reach maturity at the age of 15.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Speed. You have a swim speed of 40 feet and a walking speed of 20.
Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water.
Oceanic Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the spear, trident, light crossbow, and net.
Languages: Common, Aquan, and Sylvan.
Adapted to the cold waters of the north, the Merrow are merfolk with a far more fish-like appearance. The males are known for their ugliness that causes the females to prefer land-dwelling males as mates over their own kind.
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength increases by +1.
Child of the Loch. You have resistance to Cold damage, and you are naturally adapted to cold climates.
Cold-Blooded Warrior: You gain proficiency with your choice of Athletics, Intimidation, or Acrobatics.
Hostile Environment. The climate has toughened your resolve. When your HP would drop to 0, you can make it 1 instead, once per long rest.
Their civilization was widely known for being technologically advanced. Their access to the magical ore Orichalcum is the driving force behind their wealth and advances. Similar cities dot the shallow waters off most coasts that follow the technologic and intellectual drive of the Merfolk capital.
Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence increases by +1.
Cantrip: Learn 1 Cantrip of your choice from the Wizard spell list.
Advanced Society: You gain Proficiency with 1 skill of your choice between Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion.
Ancient Knowledge: You can cast your choice of Identify, Comprehend Languages, or Detect Magic once per long rest without material components or a spell slot.
In the dark depths of the deep sea trenches, these merfolk survive in this harsh and unforgiving environment. Among the murk and silence, these hunters skulk through the darkness, leaping out to attack unsuspecting prey, or luring prey to them with deceiving lights.
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution increases by +1.
Darkvision: You gain darkvision at a range of 60 feet. You can see in dim light as if it were bright light, and darkness as though it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, and only see shades of gray.
Bio-luminescence: You gain the Light cantrip.
Fathoms Below: You are used to the intense pressure of the depths. You have advantage against being knocked prone. Halve the distance you are pushed by spells or creatures.
Hunter’s Sense: You gain proficiency with your choice of Survival, Stealth, or Perception. You can cast Hunter’s Mark once per long rest without requiring a spell slot.
Renowned for their beauty, they use their hypnotic songs to lure sailors to their rocky deaths, or to throw themselves into the sea. It is often said that sea storms are caused by their war cry, and whirlpools are the result of them circling their prey underwater. They are the most unpredictable when dealing with land-dwellers.
Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma increases by +1.
Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed.
Sweet Words: You gain proficiency in your choice of Persuasion, Deception, or Performance.
Siren Song: You can cast Charm Person once per long rest without requiring a spell slot.
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