Homebrew Sharkfolk Species Details
“The waves crashed violently against the jagged cliffs, the scent of salt thick in the air. My companions and I had journeyed far across treacherous seas and unforgiving shores, but nothing could have prepared us for what we found as we reached the edge of that stormy bay. A figure emerged from the churning waters, its silhouette dark and imposing against the fading light of dusk as it stepped onto the shore.
“By the gods, what is that?” Brenn muttered, his voice tinged with awe and fear as we all stared, transfixed.
Towering over any man, the Sharkfolk's body was a blend of raw power and sleek muscles rippling beneath a skin that shimmered with a ghostly blue sheen. It had rows of razor-sharp teeth that caught the light in a wicked gleam as gills flared along its neck, breathing the air as easily as it had just breathed the ocean’s currents. It was a descendant of the deep, forged by the relentless hunger of its ancestors and evolved to chase prey across both land and sea. And yet, before me stood no mere monster. The Sharkfolk’s eyes, black as the abyss, gleamed with a cunning intelligence that belied its savage appearance as it surveyed the land.
Ma'kanu, as I would soon learn was his name, was an enigmatic being that sent shivers down the spines of all who beheld him. He seemed to remind them that, far from the ocean's embrace, they were still not safe from horrors born where the sun’s light never reached.”
— Gareth Thornheart, Tides of the Unknown: The Chronicles of a Stormrider
The Hunters of the Abyss
Sharkfolk are a formidable race descended from the depths of the ocean, where their ancestors ruled as giant sharks, the apex predators of the deep. For countless generations, these colossal beasts dominated the underwater world, feeding on everything that crossed their path. However, as prey grew scarce in the dark, unfathomable trenches of the deep oceans, their ancestors' relentless hunger drove them toward the surface, where new opportunities for sustenance awaited.
Driven by an insatiable need to hunt and consume, these ancient sharks began to evolve. Their powerful bodies, once bound to the water, gradually adapted to life above the waves. Over many generations, their descendants transformed into the Sharkfolk—beings that retained their formidable strength and predatory instincts but gained the ability to survive on land as well as in the sea. The change was gradual but inevitable, as these creatures sought to expand their hunting grounds beyond the ocean’s edge.
Their presence is often signaled by tales of terror—ships vanishing without a trace, their hulls split by unseen forces; entire villages found deserted overnight, with only the eerie silence of the sea as a witness. To many, the Sharkfolk are creatures of legend, whispered about in port towns and among sailors who have glimpsed their shadowy forms beneath the waves. But to those who know better, they are a very real and dangerous force.
Despite their fearsome reputation, there is a strange, terrible beauty to the Sharkfolk. They are forces of nature, apex predators whose very presence sends shivers down the spines of all who behold them. Even the land itself seems to tremble in recognition, as if knowing that it is not safe from the hunter of the deep.
Strong and Cunning
Utterly fearless, a Sharkfolk is a highly intelligent predator, capable of outthinking and outmaneuvering its prey. They are not merely beasts driven by instinct; their cunning minds have allowed them to develop strategies for hunting both above and below the water. A Sharkfolk can stalk prey across the oceans, but it is equally at home prowling coastal regions, marshlands, and even venturing deep inland if the need arises.
A Sharkfolk’s body is a perfect blend of raw power and streamlined design, with muscles rippling beneath skin that shimmers with a ghostly blue sheen, much like the ocean’s surface at twilight. Their heads, unmistakably shark-like, bear rows of razor-sharp teeth that can crush bone and metal alike. Gills flare along their necks, yet these creatures breathe air as easily as they once breathed the ocean’s currents. With large dorsal fins slicing through the water and powerful tails that propel them both in the sea and on land, Sharkfolk are as swift as they are deadly.
Culture of Dominance
Their culture is one of survival and dominance, rooted in the brutal life of the ocean’s depths. Respect is earned through strength, cunning, and the ability to bring down the mightiest of foes. Among their kind, leaders emerge from those who have proven themselves in countless battles, whether against monstrous sea creatures, rival tribes, or unfortunate humanoids who dared to venture too close to their territories.
Over the years, some Sharkfolk have been drawn to the surface world not just out of hunger but out of curiosity and a desire to understand the land-dwellers they once considered mere prey. These Sharkfolk may form uneasy alliances with other races, using their unmatched hunting skills and knowledge of the sea to carve out a place in a world that remains wary of their kind. Yet even in these moments of cooperation, the Sharkfolk’s predatory nature is never far beneath the surface, always ready to rise like the tides that brought them from the abyss.
Sharkfolk Traits
As a sharkfolk, you share specific characteristics with the underwater hunters from whom you originated.Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 3.
Age
Sharkfolk mature quickly. They can swim immediately after being born, reach the size and weight of an adult human by age 10, and reach full adulthood by age 18. They typically live to be around 70 assuming they don't have an early death during their travels.
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet and your swimming speed is 50 feet.
Blindsight
Due to the millions of years your ancestors spent hunting in the lightless depths of the ocean, you have evolved to perceive your surroundings without needing to rely on sight.
Hunter's Perception
You have a +3 bonus to perception and advantage on perception checks that do not rely on sight or hearing.
Natural Armor
Your tough skin provides a natural source of protection. While you are not wearing any armor, your Armor Class equals 10 + your Proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier.
Blood Instinct
The smell of blood awakens the beast inside of you.
- You have a natural proficiency with melee attacks and martial weapons.
- If you land a melee attack against an enemy creature who has reached 0 hit points, they automatically fail all 3 death saves.
Water Breathing
You can breath underwater as easily as you can on land.
Bite
You make an unarmed melee attack with your jaws, clamping down onto your prey and ripping into their flesh with your teeth.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common, Aquan, Primordial, and one additional language of your choice.
Double Edged Ancestry
The aquatic nature of your ancestry has given you the following traits:
- You are proficient with Navigator's Tools.
- You know the cantrip Shape Water.
- You are more susceptible to fire and lightning damage.
Feeding Frenzy
Starting at level 5, your predator's instinct has grown strong enough for you to feed off your foes in battle.
Immediately after hitting a creature with a melee attack, you can use your bonus action to tearing off a chunk of the enemy's flesh to feed on. This deals an extra 1d6 piercing damage and you regain HP equal to the amount of damage dealt (not exceeding your maximum HP).
This effect increases to 2d6 at 10th level, 3d6 at 15th level, and 4d6 at 20th level.
You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus +1, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Apex Predator
At level 20, you have fully become the hunter you were meant to be. The primal power of your ancestors thrums through you.
You gain the following traits:
- Enhanced Bite: You can now channel the knowledge of the cold, brutal ocean into your bite attack. Your bite now does 3d10 + 8 damage (1d10 Cold damage, 1d10 Slashing damage, and 1d10 + 8 Piercing). You must declare which damage type you are rolling for each die before rolling.
- Primal Recovery: You regain temporary HP equal to half of the damage dealt by your enhanced bite.
- Slaughter: If your hit points drop to 0, you may make one unarmed melee attack against a living creature within range. If the creature's HP is reduced to 0 by your attack, it dies instantly and you regain HP equal to the amount of damage dealt and remain conscious.
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