Homebrew Corrupt Mermaid Species Details

Corrupt Mermaids are not born, but rather made from the result of a step gone wrong in the process of evil, where they usually find themselves as another victim; with the final result being that the mermaid manages to survive, but is fundamentally changed. Now forced to swim the edges of the living and the dead, they aim to survive while desperately trying to avoid the possibility of a world willing to shun them away forever.

Twisted beauty

Corrupt Mermaids are not born, but rather forged from the crucible of dark sorcery. In the midst of twisted rituals where evil takes shape, a single misstep transforms what should have been a fatal sacrifice into a living, yet profoundly altered, being. Instead of succumbing to death, these merfolk emerge as aberrations—perpetually straddling the boundary between the mortal and the ethereal. Forever marked by their cursed origin, they eke out an existence in the margins of society, ever vigilant against a world poised to cast them aside.

Painful migration

Merfolk are creatures born to the water, their strength rooted in communal unity and an innate attunement to their aqueous realm. For those touched by corruption, however, fate is a cruel arbiter. Torn from the comforting embrace of the deep, these mermaids find themselves exiled to a world of land—a realm alien and inhospitable compared to the nurturing sea.  Forced into damp, abandoned enclaves or hidden retreats, they cling to their heritage despite the bitter isolation. Some, driven by a deep-seated paranoia, even choose the seclusion of caves—despite the crushing claustrophobia that reminds them of the boundless freedom they once knew beneath the waves. Yet, even in exile, these corrupted mermaids endure. They carry within them the indelible memories of ancient, sunlit tides and a resilient spirit that refuses to fade into oblivion.

Closer to death

Even when the embrace of death seems inevitable, the corrupt mermaids harbor a singular, uncanny resilience. In the final, fleeting moments before darkness claims them, a strange, eldritch spark stirs within—echoes of the very sorcery that twisted their fate. It is as though the relentless tides of their cursed existence lend them a momentary reprieve, a defiant reminder that the boundary between life and death is far from absolute. A one last attempt to remain within the mortal realm, perhaps a flicker of hope that things can get better.

Corrupt Mermaid Traits

Corrupt Mermaids have the following traits:

Ability Score Increase

Even as an accursed being, your visage retains something that attracts others to you. Your Charisma is increased by 1, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 2.

Age

Corrupt Mermaids, due to being contaminated by dreadful energies, have half the average lifespan of their brethren. Since corrupt mermaids are made rather than born, this means they still reach maturity at 15 but can only live up to 100 years, usually less.

Alignment

Corrupt Mermaids, as a consequence of their experiences, tend to lead very recluse lives. Nonetheless, most of them are desperate to return to a community, or belong to a new one, meaning they usually try to stand on Lawful ground. Those that succumb to the solitude end up on the deepest extremes of Chaos.

Size

Corrupt Mermaids are on equal build of their non-corrupted brethren, but tend to be slightly shorter, ranging from 5'1 to 5'6ft on average. Your size is Medium

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a natural swimming speed of 40.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Aquan.

Amphibious

You are amphibious, meaning you breathe both air and water.

Darkvision

You can see in dim light within 60ft of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Persevering Knowledge

You are proficient on History checks relating to the sea, ocean, and similar bodies of water.

Fortified Mind

You are resistant to Psychic damage.

Deprived of Death

When rolling for Death Saving throws, use this ability to have advantage for one throw; regardless of the result, this ability will be consumed. Recharges after a long rest or a day passes, whichever comes first.