Sahuagin

Sahuagin are a fish-like monstrous humanoid species that live in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves. They venture ashore on moonless nights to plunder coastal towns.
 

Species Name: Sahuagin, Sea Devil

Type: Humanoid Fish

Physical Traits: Fur, pointed ears

Height: 6-9' feet

Weight: 150-250lbs

Abilities: Sahuagin are usually green skinned; darker on the back and lighter on the belly. Many have dark stripes, bands, or spots, but these tend to fade with age. An adult male Sahuagin stands roughly six feet tall and weighs about 91 kilograms. Sahuagin are highly fish-like, with webbed feet and hands, gills, and a finned tail. There is additional webbing down the back, at the elbows and, notably, also where human ears would be. About one in every 216 hatchlings possesses four functional arms. These four-armed mutations are usually black, fading to grey in colour. Sahuagin find bright light and fresh water painful, but their senses are otherwise remarkably sharp and keen. They can walk on land for up to four hours. They are able to dive down to a maximum depth of 20 metres per CON.

Mobility: Legs

Sensory Organs: Visual

Communication: Vocal

Reproduction: Sahuagin are egg-laying creatures, with multiple hatchlings the rule. They fertilize internally and hatch after three months. Hatchlings are around ten inches long at birth and eat voraciously. The sea devils deal very harshly with offspring who are not robust or aggressive enough, they are eliminated by compulsory fighting to the death between young Sahuagin. Sahuagin seem fixated on all aspects of consumption, and are eager to weed out anything they see as weak or unworthy to compete for resources.

INT: 3D6, WIS: 3D6, STR: 3D6, DEX: 3D6, CON: 3D6, CHA: 2D6, MR: 2D6/4D6 (swim), HPs: CON +D6, AC 5

Orbit/Climate: See Earth

Feeding Habits: Omnivore. Sahuagin are fond of the flesh of krakens and giant squids, though krakens and giant squids are also fond of the flesh of Sahuagin. Sahuagin consider the crabman to be a tasty delicacy.

Lifespan: 80 years

Technology: 2

Culture: Malevolent. Truly malicious race with no redeeming qualities at all. Savage fighters, Sahuagin ask for and give no quarter. When swimming, a Sahuagin tears with its feet, strikes with its talons or a weapon. Spears and tridents being their favoured weapons. About half of any group of Sahuagin are also armed with nets. Sahuagin are cruel and brutal, with the strongest bullying the weaker ones. They kill those of their number who are injured, ill, or weak, feeding them to the sharks or eating them themselves. Duels, used to settle disputes and determine social rank, are always fought without weapons, using only teeth and claw.

Sahuagin are the natural enemies of aquatic elves and lizardfolk. Elves and Sahuagin cannot co-exist peacefully, and wars between them are often prolonged, bloody affairs that occasionally even interfere with shipping and maritime trade. Sahuagin tolerate the lizardfolk much more than they do the elves. Sahuagin have an only slightly less vehement hatred for tritons. They also hate the Kuo-toa, though the two races have been known to ally. Sahuagin are allies of sharks, and there are always sharks living beside the sea devils in their lairs. Sahuagin hate seawolves, who prey on them as readily as they prey on anyone else.

Sahuagin dwell in warm bodies of salt water at depths of 100 to 1,500 feet. They abhor fresh water, and think of the extreme ocean depths as an otherworldly place in which nothing living can exist. Their lairs are villages and towns constructed of stone; each group ranges up to 50 miles from home on their hunting and raiding excursions. Sahuagin cities often contain bowl-shaped stone amphitheatres. A Sahuagin city, where the king dwells, typically contains at least 5,000 commoners, as well as at least 1,000 higher-ranking sea devils, including guards, priestesses, malenti, weresharks, nobles, concubines, and queens.

There has been much speculation about the origins of Sahuagin. Although denied by both races it is believed that they're the descendents of Svartálfar who have adapted to the sea.

Government: Monarchy

Population: 4,000,000

 

 

Creating a Sahuagin character

Step 1: Attributes
Mana = INT + WIS x3. Mana is recovered at a rate of 10 per hour if remain active (but not using magic) and 20 per hour if asleep. Mana can however be permanently traded for HPs at a rate of 1 for 1. Hit points = CON +12, +12 per level.
Step 2: Skills

Choose skills in the normal manner according to the character's class.
Step 3: Abilities

Sahuagin gain all the following free;

Night Vision - The character can see in absolute darkness at a distance equal to his normal sight.

Additionally Sahuagin start with 35 Points to spend on any of the following abilities. As they earns more experience they may buy or rebuy more abilities.
Ability Cost Notes
Additional Limbs 5 The character has one additional limb. +1 limb each time rebought, but no more than six arms and six legs.
Enhanced Taste 5 Can identify the specific ingredients of anything that have previously eaten, drunk or sample tasted. This includes chemicals, animals, plants, toxins and poisons.
Increased AC 10 +1 AC
Increased Thac0 10 +1 Thac0 with melee weapons at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19.
Natural Chameleon 5 Using this ability the Sahuagin can blend into and render himself nearly invisible in coral areas, kelp forests, clumps of seaweed, or any other area with dark or shaded terrain. When hiding he can conceal himself from attackers and eavesdrop on his enemies. He can hide near a well travelled area and secretly observe passersby, or conceal himself near an enemy campsite waiting for an opportune moment to steal their supplies. 

He may also move with a minimum of sound, almost as if he's walking on air. Even creatures with the sharpest ears are no more likely to detect his presence than they are to hear a feather drop.
Nature Heal 10 Only ocean terrain maybe selected for healing at phenomenal rates. He must concentrate for 1 minute uninterrupted to perform the following healing; restore 1 HP per INT, +1 per level per 10 minutes; reduce the damage and duration of drugs, toxins and poisons by 4% per INT, +1% per level and gives +1 to save per 4 INT; negate all pain for 1 minute per INT, +1 minute per level; or stabilize his condition (stops bleeding, binds wounds, etc.) for 15 minutes per level.
Nature Survival 5 Due to an Sahuagin's extensive experience and training in the ocean they gain +1 to any physical, combat and survival rolls made while within that environment. Each time this ability is rebought he may take an additional +1.
Reduced Sleep 5 The character needs one hour less normal sleep per 5 CON.
Sanity Bonus 10 +1 Sanity save at levels 1, 4, 8, 12, 14, 16 and 20.
Sonar 10 The character can sense objects in total darkness including shape, distance, direction and speed while in a liquid environment. It has a radius of 10 metres per WIS, +10 metres per level radius. +1 Initiative. 
Step 5: Classes
Any but Shaman is the favoured mage class.

 

Heroes Earth
Svartálfar infernal experiments with their own led to the creation of the Sahuagin race. Rebelling against their Svartálfar masters the Sahuagin disappeared into the deepest parts of the ocean.

 

Post Holocaust Era:

The Sahuagin are still around, waiting for their turn.

 

 

Races