Homebrew Astral Merfolk Species Details

The merfolk of the Aetherial Expanse make their home in the Constellation Isles, where they’re locked in eternal enmity with their age-old foes, the astral merrow. The merfolk of the Constellation Isles tell tales of tumbling into this world of eternal, starlit twilight long ago. And though many of their kind died—or worse, mutated into merrow—over time, they became at home in the aether. The magic of the expanse has made their skin bright with shining colors, and given them the uncommon ability to shapechange their long tailfins into legs with webbed feet, which allow them to walk comfortably on land. Though astral merfolk are most at home in the aether, and try to steer clear of the greed of land dwellers, the allure
of those who walk on land and sail on wooden ships often proves too great to resist. The astral merfolk have built a society in the Constellation Isles on the isle of Larmeath (described in episode 4 of this Fable) and try to live a peaceful life despite the constant predation of their fallen kin, the merrow. Nevertheless, some merfolk dream of more than a placid life in Larmeath disrupted by vicious merrow attacks. Longing for more from their charmed life, these merfolk seek out pirate ships, and the glory and danger those ships chase.
Astral Merfolk Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases
by 1, and two other ability scores of your choice also
increase by 1.
Age. The lifespan of an astral merfolk is about the same as
a human’s.
Languages. You can speak Common and Aetherian, the
language of aetherbeasts.
Size. You are Medium.
Speeds. Your walking speed is 0 feet and you have a
swimming speed of 30 feet. As an action, you can
transform your tailfin into a pair of legs. While
transformed, you lose your swimming speed and
increase your walking speed to 30 feet.
Aetherbeast Affinity. You learn the animal friendship
spell, and when you reach 3rd level, you also learn the
animal messenger spell. You can cast these spells without
expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your
proficiency bonus (both spells count toward the same
limit), and you regain all expended uses when you
finish a long rest. When cast this way, the spell can
only target
Aetherbeasts. You can also cast these spells using spell
slots you have of the appropriate level. Charisma is
your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Aetheric Adaptation. You can breathe both air, aether,
and water and are immune to the effects of aether
poisoning (see the “Aether Poisoning” section).
Slipstream. When you take the Dash action while
swimming, you gain extra movement equal to twice
your swimming speed. Until the end of your turn, you
don’t provoke opportunity attacks while swimming.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until
you complete a short or long rest.

Astral Merfolk Traits

As a merfolk, you have the following racial traits.

Slipstream

When you take the Dash action while swimming, you gain extra movement equal to twice your swimming speed. Until the end of your turn, you don’t provoke opportunity attacks while swimming. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you complete a short rest. 

Creature Type

You are a Humanoid. You are also considered an elf for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be an elf.

Size

You are Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 0 feet and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet. As an action, you can transform your tailfin into a pair of legs. While
transformed, you lose your swimming speed and increase your walking speed to 30 feet.

Aetherbeast Affinity

You learn the animal friendship spell, and when you reach 3rd level, you also learn the animal messenger spell. You can cast these spells without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus (both spells count toward the same limit), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When cast this way, the spell can only target beasts.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Trance

You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.

Whenever you finish this trance, you can gain two proficiencies that you don’t have, each one with a weapon or a tool of your choice selected from the Player’s Handbook. You mystically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from shared elven memory, and you retain them until you finish your next long rest.