Homebrew Cephalari Species Details
The Cephalari are an ancient people of the sea, believed to be among the earliest Merefolk created by the World Giant Ægir. The Cephalari were made to endure through strength, flexibility, and adaptation.
Their most unusual feature is their arms, which are not true humanoid limbs but several powerful tentacles tightly coiled together into a muscular shape. These tendrils can loosen and shift when needed, giving the Cephalari remarkable control when swimming, gripping, or manipulating objects.
The first Cephalari settlements were built within deep trenches, underwater caverns, and coral labyrinths where few other peoples could survive. Over time, they became known as explorers, navigators, Brawlers, and collectors of knowledge, believing that understanding the world is one of the greatest tools for survival.
Though many still inhabit the deep oceans, Cephalari can now be found throughout coastal settlements and aboard ships across the world. Their culture places great value on curiosity and adaptability, following an old belief attributed to Ægir: when the current changes, change with it.
- Lifespan: Around 80–100 years, reaching adulthood at about 16–18.
- Height: Usually 5’4” to 6’4”, though their flexible bodies can make exact height somewhat inconsistent.
- Weight: Roughly 140–220 lb. Their coiled-tentacle arms contain a lot of dense muscle, so they can weigh more than they initially look.
- Sexual dimorphism: Females are noticeably larger, perhaps averaging 10–20% heavier than males and are usually leaders or chiefs among there deep cavern villages
Cephalari Traits
As a cephalari, you have the following racial traits.Creature Type
You are a Humanoid. You are also considered a merefolk for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be an merefolk.
Size
You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
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.
Amphibious
You can breathe both on land and in water.
Coiled Limbs
You possess eight long, flexible limbs, four on either side of your body. The four limbs on each side normally coil tightly together, functioning as a single humanoid arm.
While coiled, these limbs function as ordinary arms for wielding weapons, shields, tools, and other objects.
Because of their exceptional length, your reach is 10 feet when you:
- Make an unarmed strike.
- Make an attack with a one-handed melee weapon.
- Attempt to grapple a creature.
- Interact with an object
Unfurl
You can separate one of your coiled arms into its four individual limbs to overwhelm a creature with multiple grasping tentacles.
When you attempt to grapple a creature, you can unfurl one eligible arm using either your Bonus Action beforehand or your Reaction when you make the grapple attempt.
When you make that grapple using the unfurled arm, you have Advantage on the grapple check.
You cannot unfurl an arm that is currently holding a weapon, shield, object, or another creature.
Unfurled Arm
While an arm is unfurled:
- Its four limbs collectively count as one arm, not four separate arms.
- That arm cannot wield weapons, shields, or other objects.
- It can maintain a grapple or attempt a grapple against a creature within 10 feet of you.
- You can still freely use your other coiled arm.
- You may recoil the arm on your turn without using an action, provided it isn’t maintaining a grapple.
Boneless body
Your soft, flexible anatomy allows you to squeeze through spaces that would normally be difficult for a creature of your size.
You have Advantage on ability checks made to escape a grapple or restraints that rely on physically holding your body.
You can also move through a space large enough for a creature one size smaller than you without squeezing.
Aquatic Combatant
You are naturally adapted to fighting beneath the waves. Being underwater does not impose Disadvantage on your attack rolls solely because you are underwater.
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