Species Name: Sharkk, Sharkks, Shark men

Type: Humanoid Shark

Physical Traits: These nomadic marine humanoids have large, staring eyes, fin-crested heads, and scaly skin. Their hands and feet are webbed and clawed. A Sharkks’s legs are vestigial; the creature swims by means of its powerful, alligatorlike tail. Most Sharkks are reddish brown, though some are dark blue or blue-black. Their skin is usually covered with patterns of spots or bands of lighter colour – white or yellow in reddish-brown individuals; silver, light blue, or metallic green in blue or blue-black Sharkks. Each individual’s pattern of spots or bands is unique. A Sharkks’s eyes have a reflective laver that concentrates any available light. This allows them to see well even in dark or murky water; it also makes their eyes seem to glow, like a cat’s, when bright light strikes them.

Height: 6-7 feet

Weight: 190-250lbs

Abilities: Sharkks can communicate telepathically with sharks up to 150 feet away. The communication is limited to fairly simple concepts such as “food,” “danger,” and “enemy.” Also Sharkks can smell approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, identify familiar odours and track by sense of smell. They can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. Strong scents, such as blood can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as decaying meat can be detected at triple normal range.

Mobility: Tail

Sensory Organs: Visual

Communication: Visual

Reproduction: Sexual, egg

INT: 3D6, WIS: 3D6, STR: 3D6 +4, DEX: 3D6, CON: 3D6 +2, CHA: 3D6 -2, MR: 4D6 swim, HPs: CON +D10

Orbit/Climate: See Earth

Feeding Habits: Sharkks eat whatever seafood they can catch. Fish and mollusks form the basis of their diets, though they also prey upon sea mammals when they are available.

Lifespan: 120 years

Technology: 2

Culture: Hostile, intolerant and aggressive, held in check by strong social customs. In spite of this and their perchance for violence, they're not complete monsters. Just like any humanoid, a good many can work for a cause. Many become excellent, if dangerous, guards for the truly desperate to hire and they recently have started gaining the reputation of mercenaries over senseless warriors. Sharkks are aggressive hunters but usually avoid combat with intelligent species, attacking only in self defence or to defend their territory. Adult Sharkks carry javelins and tridents. One out of every four in a hunting or war party also carries a net. Unarmed Sharkks attack with claws and bite; those carrying a weapon can both attack with the weapon and bite in the same round. The most important part of any group’s defence is its pack of pet sharks. Each Sharkks tribe maintains a pack of 4d6 sharks, one for every two or three adult Sharkks: 25% of the sharks in the pack have 7 or 8 Hit Dice, 25% have 5 or 6 Hit Dice, and the remainder have 3 or 4 Hit Dice. If the Sharkks tribe numbers 50 or more, one of their sharks will be a giant specimen with 10 to 12 Hit Dice. Sharkks have an empathic link with their sharks and can give them basic commands (such as come, go, turn, stop, and attack) at a range of 360 yards. In battle, Sharkks and their sharks attack on a broad front, trying to surround their foes in all three dimensions. Then, at a sign from their elder, they all converge on a single point in the enemy ranks, trying to fight as few foes as possible with as many allies as possible. In battle, Sharkks coordinate actions with their allied sharks to surround foes in three dimensions. Upon a signal from an elder, they all converge on a single point or adversary.

Sharkks live in tribal groups led by an elder with 3 Hit Dice. Each tribe claims a territory covering about 120 square miles, which they vigorously defend from all other ocean races. They tend to be hospitable to strangers, but visitors are not encouraged to stay long. No outsider is allowed to hunt in their territory or to take anything from it without permission from the tribal elder. Sharkks tend to be very possessive of any shipwrecks in their territory, as these usually act as artificial reefs teeming with sea life. Adventurers seeking salvage rights must be prepared to bargain well or fight hard. Sharkks spend their time foraging and hunting for food or caring for their sharks, who serve them much as hunting dogs serve humans. If the hunting in an area is particularly good, such as near a spawning ground for fish, a Sharkks tribe will construct temporary homes out of whatever materials are at hand and settle down as long as the bounty lasts. Otherwise they never stay in one area within their territory for long.
A Sharkks tribe generally claims a territory of 120 square miles, which they defend vigorously from other aquatic races. Any non-Sharkks seeking to hunt within the territory, or to claim anything found within, must seek permission from the tribal elder. Although they are generally friendly to strangers, Sharkks are very possessive of shipwrecks within their territory, so seekers of salvage rights should plan for hard bargaining with the Sharkks.
Sharkks have a strong relationship with sharks, which serve them like hunting dogs serve terrestrial hunters. They are generally encountered with sharks of all sizes, even dire sharks, and on very rare occasions, mighty megalodons.

Government: Tribal

All Sharkks gain all the following free;

Murk Vision - The character can see in murky or dark water as if it were clear water.

Smell - Sharkks can smell approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, identify familiar odours and track by sense of smell. They can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. Strong scents, such as blood can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as decaying meat can be detected at triple normal range.
When it detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. Whenever the creature comes within 5 feet of the source, the creature pinpoints the source's location.