Homebrew Carcharofolk Species Details

Originally from the Elemental Plane of Water, Carcharofolk or Sharkfolk are a fairly young race, younger than even humans in the Material Plane. Due to their frightening appearance, many Carcharofolk in the Material Plane are goaded to lives of crime at sea, becoming pirates- or worse- feral monsters. It is uncommon for a Carcharofolk to live a good, law-abiding life, but many Carcharofolk are known to have created stable lives as sea merchants or sailors, or some other occupation.

Creating Your Character

At 1st level, you choose whether your character is a member of the human race or of a fantastical race. If you select a fantastical race, follow these additional rules during character creation.

Ability Score Increases

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

Languages

Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.

Creature Type

Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. A race tells you what your character’s creature type is.

Here’s a list of the game’s creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn’t work on a Construct or an Undead.

Life Span

The lifespan of Carcharofolk is similar to that of Tritons, who they consider aquatic cousins. The longest lived Carcharofolk can live for up to 90 years, but many only live 70 years. Carcharofolk mature at the same rate as humans.

Height and Weight

Carcharofolk are naturally large in size, typically standing anywhere between 6 and 8 feet tall. Carcharofolk also weigh about 30 pounds heavier than a human of the same height, due to their wide build.

Carcharofolk Traits

As a carcharofolk, you have the following racial traits.

Creature Type

You are a Monstrosity.

Size

You are Medium.

Speed

Your walking speed is 25 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 40 feet.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water.

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.

Tongue of the Sea

You can communicate simple ideas to any Beast, Elemental, or Monstrosity that has a swimming speed. It can understand your words, though you have no special ability to understand it in return.

Seaborne

Adapted to the frigid ocean depths, you have resistance to cold damage.

Powerful Build

You have a naturally large build. Your carrying capacity, as well as the amount of weight you can push, drag, or lift, is doubled.

Brutal Maw

Your razor-sharp teeth are a natural weapon with which you can make unarmed strikes. They do 1d6 piercing damage on a hit, instead of the damage normal for an unarmed strike.