When determining your ability score increases, choose one of the following options: increase your Dexterity score by 2 and your Wisdom score by 1, reflecting swift movement and instinctive awareness, or increase your Intelligence score by 2 and your Constitution score by 1, representing ancient knowledge and hardy resilience.

You are a Humanoid. Effects that target humanoids affect you normally.

You are Medium in size. Cephalyth typically stand between 5 and 7 feet tall when upright, though their tentacled lower body can spread much wider.

Your walking speed is 20 feet. You also have a swimming speed of 30 feet, allowing you to move through water without needing to make ability checks under normal circumstances.

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. In darkness, you discern shapes and shades of gray rather than color.

You can breathe both air and water. Whether exploring flooded ruins, diving abyssal trenches, or walking city streets, you suffer no penalty from breathing environments.

You have advantage on ability checks made to grapple another creature or to resist being grappled. Your flexible lower body gives you superior leverage, balance, and control in close quarters.

As a bonus action while fully or partially submerged in water, you release a cloud of dark ink in a 10-foot radius centered on yourself. The area becomes heavily obscured until the start of your next turn. If on land, this instead makes a 10 foot radius of slippery ink on a surface. That surface is now considered difficult terrain until the ink is thoroughly cleaned. Once you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

You can interact with one additional object for free on each of your turns. This may include drawing or stowing an item, opening a door, retrieving gear, or manipulating environmental objects, subject to the DM’s discretion.

Reefborn

Vibrant, social, and swift among coral cities.
You gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. In addition, your swimming speed increases to 40 feet.

Abyssborn

Forged in pressure, cold, and eternal dark.
Your Darkvision increases to 120 feet. You also gain resistance to cold damage.

Tide Sage

Keepers of currents, memory, and hidden lore.
You know the Shape Water cantrip. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it (choose when selecting this lineage). In addition, you have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks related to oceanic magic, ancient ruins, or deep-sea phenomena.