Homebrew Sea Tortle Race Details

"I once met a sea tortle coasting the currents of the narrow sea on his way south-- big fella, said he wanted to see the world. I told him, 'you best start with the pubs.' You can tell a lot about a place by visiting its pubs. Anyway, traveled with him for a time, took him to his first pub, meself. Drank me clean under the table and carried on his way-- to six more pubs that same night."

— Alfonse Driftwood (sea elf adventurer)

Deep in the Ocean...

Sea tortles begin their lives hatching by the hundreds on beaches. Many of them don't survive the perilous journey of a dozen or so yards into the sea and even fewer survive to adulthood. Though they are a deeply loving people, they do not have the same concepts of family as land-dwellers. They may sometimes mate for life and they may make friends for life as well, but their clutches of eggs are buried on tropical beaches and their newly hatched young left fend for themselves.

They spend the first 15 years of their lives in the open ocean, foraging and creating bonds with other young sea tortles and learning language from other sea-dwelling humanoids like sea elves, triton, or merfolk. Sea tortles are much beloved by other races of the sea as they crave adventure and knowledge, especially at a young age, and tend to return to those who have aided them to share stories of their journeys. In this way, sea tortles help keep the peoples of the sea privy to goings-on of the surface dwellers.

Once they've reached the age of 15, they travel back to coastal waters where they meet groupings of older sea tortles and learn of the vast network of currents that links all of the seas of the world. This knowledge is almost sacred to the sea tortles who are hard-pressed to deny their instinctual desire for adventure. Sea tortles will adventure until their 50th year when they reach sexual maturity and return to coastal waters to mate. After doing so, they either remain in these waters with their mates or head back out- with or without them- to continue exploring the world.

Reptiles of a... Scale?

Like their land-dwelling cousins, sea tortles live for adventure. They usually start out with hand-made weapons and tools or items gifted to them during their formative years in the open ocean. Sea tortles each have one item that they hold dear that they carry with them until it wears out. The rest of their gear is routinely replaced with items discovered on their adventures.

Unlike their cousins, they have no interest in building forts or settlements. Though they might marvel at architecture, they marvel more at the people within great forts and palaces. They are skilled craftsmen, producing mainly tools and baubles they trade to continue funding their adventures.

What's in a Name?

Sea tortles tend to take on names given to them by whichever race they first discover during their formative years. Maybe they were sea elves, triton, merfolk...or perhaps they ventured too close to the surface and encountered pirates! Think about your sea tortle's history when picking out a name.

Sea Tortle Traits

Your sea tortle character gains traits allowing it to thrive in a vast and dangerous world.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Young sea tortles hatch in the hundreds on tropical beaches. Many of them don't survive their journey into the sea, but those that do mature quickly; they reach adulthood at 15 and live for up to 120 years.

Alignment

Like their cousins on land, sea tortles tend more toward good but they're also much more relaxed in their view of the world tending also toward neutrality. Though it's rare for a sea tortle to be truly evil, they can be any alignment.

Size

Sea tortles stand between 5 and 6 feet in height and can weigh anywhere from 400-550 pounds. Your shell accounts for roughly one third of your weight. Your size is medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

One with the Sea

You have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed +10ft and you can breathe air and water.

Natural Armor

Due to your shell and the shape of your body, you are ill-suited to wearing armor. Your shell provides ample protection, however; it gives you a base AC of 15 + Dexterity (max +2) and in water it gives you an AC of 15 + Dexterity (Max +6). You gain no benefit from wearing armor, but if you are using a shield, you can apply the shield’s bonus as normal. Though you can't retract into your shell as land tortles do, you do gain a +1 bonus to AC while prone.

Brothers Under the Waves

Using gestures and sounds, you can communicate simple ideas with beasts that have an inborn swimming speed. Additionally, you have advantage on Persuasion checks made to calm the emotions of any creature with an inborn swimming speed that does not have an Evil alignment. 

Survival Instinct

You gain proficiency in the Survival and Medicine skills. Sea tortles are excellent navigators and healers.

Languages

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