Homebrew Aquatic Elf Species Details

"This race is surprisingly different from their ground counterparts. They'll have to be placed in their own category, as they don't fit in with Wood Elves, High Elves, or Drow. They possess unique attributes, with swimming speed that matches their average walking speed. They appear to be the least magical of all the elven races, but they are so in touch with their surrounding environment it's bewildering." - Dr. Zainab Mitchell

 

Description

Although they were of the same subrace, aquatic elves from the Great Sea had a different appearance to those from the Sea of Fallen Stars. The former had deep green skin, mottled and striped with brown. The latter had blue skin with white stripes and patches. Some other aquatic elves had pale silver-green skin. Both groups were robust and tall with long limbs. Their thick skin gave them protection from the cold of deep water, keeping them comfortable at just above freezing temperatures. Their fingers and toes were generally about twice as long as a human's and had thick webbing between them. Their most distinctive feature was the gills visible in their necks and over their ribs. Compared to other elves, aquatic elves had deep voices and were larger and heavier.

Aquatic elves could have eye colors including turquoise, white, black, blue, green, and rarely silver. Their hair was usually thick and somewhat stringy, and some aquatic elves had a rough hair texture. It could be blue-green, emerald green, blue, black, silver, or even occasionally red. Warriors clipped their hair short, but other aquatic elves wore it long and flowing. Females in particular sometimes grew their hair up to 4 feet long.

Personality

Aquatic elves were isolationist by both their nature and the physical location of their settlements, although they were not quite as reclusive as the Wood Elves. Their trust did not extend far beyond their clan and others of their kind, and their communities were very tightly-knit. They couldn't understand why the surface elves did not realize that community and alliances meant survival, whereas rivalry, individualism, and factionalism meant death. However, despite being extremely cautious, they were also extremely curious, and aquatic elves near the shore would often spend a significant amount time secretly observing the land-bound races.

Society

The majority of aquatic elves lived in the Sea of Fallen Stars and the Great Sea, although small settlements could also be found along the western coast of Faerûn. Aquatic elves generally built settlements in calm waters that supported coral reefs or seaweed forests. These settlements usually had populations between 100 and 400, though communities both significantly larger and smaller existed. Aquatic elven communities were almost entirely self-sufficient, trading with others rarely and then only for luxuries. They subsisted on kelp grown on their farms and fish they hunted. Wandering heralds would deliver oral messages between communities. Aquatic elves generally spent around 75% of their time within shallow waters that were less than 150 feet from the surface, although they could safely descend to around 600 feet.

Culture

Aquatic elven society was based on family and clan. Noble families and monarchs ruled, but in a benign and loose fashion rather than with an iron fist. While women could and did have positions of power, aquatic elven society was largely patriarchal and inheritance ran first through the eldest son. Sculpture was the primary art form of aquatic elves, as other mediums were likely to be destroyed by the water in short order. Intricately carved reliefs cover the walls of most cities, and statues were common. Aquatic elves were also quite musical. Their powerful voices traveled farther than expected underwater, and their thrumming songs brought to mind whale song and dolphin noises. The songs were often very long and evoked the rolling calm of the ocean. Bards were common in aquatic elven society. They seem to be very close with Water Genasi.

 

Aquatic Elf Traits

Aquatic Elves possess a unique set of traits.

Ability Score Increases

Your strength score increases by 2 and your dexterity score increases by 1.

Size

Your size is medium, your height ranges between 4 foot and 6 foot.

Darkvision

You have 120 feet of darkvision and underwater vision.

Waterbreathing

You can breathe underwater using your gills.

Adaptation Period

Due to your body intended for water, your body struggles for a few days after leaving the ocean for a few days. You'll experience depression and home sickness if your not near water. You take a few days to adapt to the surface after being underwater for more then a week.

Aquatic Affinity

You're proficient with sea life, and have advantage when it comes to nature, investigation, and perception checks when underwater.

Age

You mature after twenty years, then slowly age, living up to 600 years.

Languages

You naturally speak common and elvish. When speaking elvish, you have a distinct accent that is different from other elven races.

Water Storage

In case of emergency, you've learned to be able to summon a small amount of water in dire situations. You can conjure a small amount of water once per long rest.

Speed

You have a walking speed of 30 feet, and swimming speed of 30 feet.