Homebrew Sirens Species Details

While the people of Icarus are no strangers to merfolk, the most people will ever see of one are the sirens. At a distance, they appear to be normal humans, yet upon closer inspection, you’ll spot fins on their arms, legs, and ears, patches of brightly colored scales upon their shiny, almost dolphin-like skin, webbing between their fingers and toes, and a mouth full of sharp shark-like teeth. Their voices are melodic and, in some cases, almost hypnotic, and a few sirens have taken advantage of this, using their voice to get wherever they want to go, earning them a bit of a bad reputation. This reputation has unfortunately made many people distrustful of sirens, yet they are still ever more present in costal towns and cities, no matter the prejudice against them.

Dwellers of Land and Sea

Sirens are one of the few types of merfolk able to live as well on land as they would in the sea, provided they have enough water. Because of this, they usually live within coastal towns and cities or along major rivers and in freshwater lakes, often having a secondary “siren-town” underwater nearby. This does keep sirens from living more inland if they choose, yet it is highly unlikely you’ll find sirens in a more arid landscape such as the desert. Even then, don’t be surprised if you run into a siren in the most unexpected of places, as there’s sure to be water nearby.

Eternal Outcasts

Thanks to prejudices against them, sirens often find themselves among the outcasts and undesirables of society. The kingdom of Atlantis finds no refuge for them either, as they have a long history of being harshly discriminated against in the undersea kingdom, including several attempts to genocide them out of existence. It is little wonder why they prefer the surface world, even if their treatment there is only marginally better. However, sirens do have one rock they can rest on in the surface world: tieflings. As outcasts themselves, tieflings will often find solace in the similarly outcast sirens, the two races building communities together and always relying on each other for a hand. While this is not a universal constant, sirens and tieflings share a bond stronger than iron.

Natural Bards

The sirens voice has long been (in)famous. Nearly every sailor worth their salt can tell you tells of beautiful maidens from the sea whose melodic voices have caused more than one ship to crash upon the rocks or sailor to jump overboard to their doom. These stories are not unfounded, as a siren’s voice is used to attract prey within the sea. This ability lends itself well to the bardic lifestyle as well, as not only do they have naturally good singing voices, but a siren’s echoic memory is able to recall almost every song they’ve ever heard word for word, beat for beat, and melody for melody, even if they’ve only heard it once. It’s no coincidence that many famous singers, bands, and bards have been sirens, despite prejudice they may face.

A Powerful Woman

Siren society is matriarchal, with the mother typically being the head of the family and her daughters inheriting the family name. While many would incorrectly assume that siren males are treated as lesser, they are never put at a disadvantage, and enjoy largely the same respect siren females have. In fact, the sirens’ matriarchal leanings discourage many of the toxic behaviors found in more patriarchal societies. Sirens are taught to be respectful to all, regardless of gender, to respect other’s privacy and boundaries, and that the word “no” is final.

Siren Names

Unlike other merfolk, whose names are typically Atlantean words, Sirens will usually have names in Common. Their names will almost always have a water theme to them, usually being named after water creatures, sea gods, or famous sailors.

Siren Female Names: Lorelei, Calypso, Marina, Moana, Orisha, Ariel, Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista, Andrina, Coral, Bayou, Hali, Isla, Kendra, Laguna, Nixie, Sedna, Waverly, Zarya, Taila, Serenna, Moora, Lucia, Taura, Camie, Thalassa, Apulia

Siren Male Names: Odysseus, Keel, Orman, Tide, Bruinen, Pelagius, Taron, Nereus, Cari, Marinus, Deniz, Tamesis, Anchor, Skipper, Fjord, Cyraenan, Anenon, Irving, Lachlan, Oceanus, Bruinen, Roan, Bay, Jason, Ceres, Neptune, Poseidon, Wade, Thames

Age

Sirens age the same rate as humans and typically live to be between 80-90 years old.

Alignment

Because of their status as outcasts almost everywhere they go, most sirens don’t care much for rules or order, and tend more towards chaotic alignments.

Sirens Traits

The sea is their domain, and posses many unique traits, many common to mer, and some their own.

Ability Score Increase

Your Charisma score increases by 2.

Dual-Function Lungs

You can breathe underwater.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Aquan, and one other language of your choice. 

Eyes of a Predator

You have Darkvision of 70ft. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) rolls that require sight.

Alluring Voice

You have proficiency in Persuasion. Additionally, you can cast “Charm Person” at level 1 once per short rest.

Sharp Teeth and Claws

When you make an Unarmed Strike, you can deal 1d4+ your Strength modifier Slashing Damage instead of the normal damage. Additionally, you automatically have access to the Bite attack, which you can use in place of your Unarmed Strike. Bite deals 1d6+ your Strength modifier Piercing Damage.